{"689753":{"#nid":"689753","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Selected for Upcoming EcoCAR Challenge  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students will once again take part in a national competition that connects them directly with automotive industry leaders to develop the next generation of mobility innovations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the fourth consecutive cycle, Georgia Tech has been selected to participate in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition\u2019s EcoCAR Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, Stellantis, MathWorks, and other industry partners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is among 20 universities chosen for the four-year competition, which challenges students to apply emerging technologies \u2014 including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and exascale computing \u2014 to create intelligent mobility solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute is one of 10 schools competing on the General Motors track and has been provided a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV. During the cycle, the team will modify the vehicle\u2019s propulsion system to optimize efficiency and design connected and automated vehicle technologies without sacrificing safety or driving dynamics, closely mirroring industry goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecruitment for the competition will begin this spring, following the conclusion of the current cycle, which culminates in final competition events in Detroit in late May.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMade up of more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students from six of Georgia Tech\u2019s Colleges, the team reflects what faculty advisor Antonia Antoniou believes is the essence of the competition. Antoniou is a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have students represented from all over campus, and they have risen to meet every challenge,\u201d she said. \u201cThey work together to optimize, design, and execute these tasks. Everything you can think of that we do at Georgia Tech happens while we\u0027re working on this car \u2014 from engineering and design of hardware and software to communications.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross six subteams, EcoCAR members have transformed a Cadillac LYRIQ EV to include new motors, a selectable drivetrain, and automated driving features. After testing the vehicle in environments ranging from Georgia Tech\u2019s Student Competition Center to the Arizona desert, the team has earned multiple second-place finishes at competitions and first-place awards for presentation skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntoniou, as well as David Taylor, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering who will enter his fifth cycle, will return for the latest challenge, and three new advisors will join the team, including Frank K. Webb Academic Professional Chair in Communication Skills in the Woodruff School Jill Fennell and associate professors Sam Coogan (ECE) and Shuman Xia (ME).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipation in the EcoCAR Challenge is paired with coursework through Georgia Tech\u2019s Vertically Integrated Projects program, allowing students to gain hands-on experience while earning academic credit. The technical training and real-world problem-solving skills developed through the program make the competition a valuable experience, said Mason Shackelford, subsystem design and integration lead. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of what you do on the job, you have to learn on the job, and that\u2019s what makes EcoCAR such a great opportunity,\u201d Shackelford said. \u201cYou learn something new every day; there is always a new challenge and the thrill of finding unique ways to solve them. You get to meet a lot of people, work on a great team, and apply what you learn in class.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEric Gustafson, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, has worked on the project for five years, beginning as an undergraduate at Georgia Tech. As he prepares to graduate and start his career at MathWorks, he said he cannot imagine his time at Tech without EcoCAR and encouraged more students to join the upcoming cycle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I look back in 15 years on what I did at Tech, all my memories will be of this competition,\u201d Gustafson said. \u201cTraveling to different testing sites \u2014 Austin, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Orlando \u2014 working with these amazing people, the 12-hour days. Those are going to be core memories forever.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor application information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ecocar\/recruitment-info\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Evisit the EcoCAR VIP\u2019s website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The EcoCAR Challenge gives students hands-on experience developing real-world solutions for the automotive industry. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe EcoCAR Challenge gives students hands-on experience developing real-world solutions for the automotive industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The EcoCAR Challenge gives students hands-on experience developing real-world solutions for the automotive industry. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-14 19:06:46","changed_gmt":"2026-04-14 20:18:48","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679949":{"id":"679949","type":"image","title":"EcoCAR","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPhoto courtesy of EcoCAR Innovation Challenge\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776194341","gmt_created":"2026-04-14 19:19:01","changed":"1776194341","gmt_changed":"2026-04-14 19:19:01","alt":"EcoCAR","file":{"fid":"264174","name":"EcoCar-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/EcoCar-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/EcoCar-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11901428,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/14\/EcoCar-1.jpg?itok=oyxLcvMO"}}},"media_ids":["679949"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/strong-year-three-finish-sets-ecocar-team-final-push","title":"Strong Year Three Finish Sets Up EcoCAR Team for Final Push"},{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ecocar\/recruitment-info\/","title":"EcoCAR Team Website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2084","name":"EcoCAR"},{"id":"13885","name":"College of Engineering; ECE; ME; ChemE; EcoCAR challenge"},{"id":"8673","name":"General Motors"},{"id":"74791","name":"electric vehicle"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689734":{"#nid":"689734","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech, The Coca-Cola Company Finalizing Agreement on North Avenue Property","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology and The Coca-Cola Company are finalizing an agreement for the Institute to purchase property along North Avenue, strengthening Georgia Tech\u2019s capacity to educate students, advance research, and serve communities across Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoca-Cola, a neighbor to Georgia Tech since 1920, expects to sell a building and adjacent land in a transaction valued at $31.3 million. The company chose to work directly with Georgia Tech on the planned transaction, reflecting the long-standing relationship between the two organizations and a shared commitment to Atlanta\u2019s continued growth and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe expected sale includes a two-story brick building, part of Coca-Cola\u2019s holdings since 1988, and an adjoining two-acre park along North Avenue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis strategic addition to our core campus will support our growth in enrollment and research activity for years to come,\u201d said Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera. \u201cI appreciate our long relationship with The Coca-Cola Company that allowed us to pursue this opportunity as we continue to invest in our campus, our neighborhood, and Atlanta\u2019s innovation ecosystem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJames Quincey, Coca-Cola\u2019s executive chair and Georgia Tech\u2019s 2020 Commencement speaker, said the company wanted the property to continue contributing to Atlanta\u2019s innovation ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we decided this space was no longer needed for our corporate campus, our goal was to work with Georgia Tech, as this site offers a great opportunity for them to expand,\u201d Quincey said. \u201cCoca-Cola has a long legacy of involvement and partnership with Georgia Tech, and we are excited to see them redevelop this important area in Atlanta.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will evaluate how the property can best support academic, research, and student needs as part of its long-term campus planning efforts. The acquisition represents a strategic step in ensuring Georgia Tech has the space needed to educate future leaders and advance research that strengthens Georgia\u2019s economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute offers\u202fbusiness, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts,\u202fand sciences degrees, as well as professional development and K-12 programs for fostering success at every stage of life. Its more than 56,000 undergraduate and graduate students represent 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 146 countries. They study at the main campus in Atlanta, at instructional sites around the world, and through distance and online learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout The Coca-Cola Company\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company\u2019s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference.\u0026nbsp;We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide.\u0026nbsp;Our portfolio\u0026nbsp;of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta.\u0026nbsp;Our water, sports, coffee, and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak, and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife, and Santa Clara. We\u2019re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people\u2019s lives, communities, and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices, and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.coca-colacompany.com\/\u0022\u003Ewww.coca-colacompany.com\u003C\/a\u003E and follow us on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thecocacolaco\/?hl=en\u0022\u003EInstagram\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheCocaColaCo\/\u0022\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-coca-cola-company\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology and The Coca\u2011Cola Company are finalizing an agreement for the Institute to purchase property along North Avenue, pending approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. The $31.3 million acquisition of the vacant Two Coca\u2011Cola Plaza building and adjacent park would expand Georgia Tech\u2019s campus footprint, strengthen connections to nearby Institute\u2011owned property, and support the Institute\u2019s long\u2011term capacity to educate students, advance research, and serve communities across Georgia.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The agreement expands capacity for education and research, building on a century-long relationship between two Atlanta mainstays."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-04-14 14:39:41","changed_gmt":"2026-04-14 19:37:00","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679941":{"id":"679941","type":"image","title":"ProjectMap_Final.png","body":null,"created":"1776177589","gmt_created":"2026-04-14 14:39:49","changed":"1776177589","gmt_changed":"2026-04-14 14:39:49","alt":"Map of the Coca cola property","file":{"fid":"264166","name":"ProjectMap_Final.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/ProjectMap_Final.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/ProjectMap_Final.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4017664,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/14\/ProjectMap_Final.png?itok=hEEWdvhT"}}},"media_ids":["679941"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"246","name":"Georgia Institute of Technology"},{"id":"195014","name":"The Coca\u2011Cola Company"},{"id":"2741","name":"coca-cola"},{"id":"195015","name":"North Avenue property"},{"id":"195016","name":"Atlanta campus expansion"},{"id":"195017","name":"property acquisition"},{"id":"195018","name":"real estate transaction"},{"id":"195019","name":"$31.3 million transaction"},{"id":"195020","name":"campus real estate deal"},{"id":"195021","name":"institutional land acquisition"},{"id":"489","name":"atlanta"},{"id":"166991","name":"midtown atlanta"},{"id":"12507","name":"North Avenue"},{"id":"342","name":"Georgia"},{"id":"195022","name":"core campus"},{"id":"195023","name":"two\u2011story brick building"},{"id":"195024","name":"two\u2011acre park"},{"id":"195025","name":"academic growth"},{"id":"195026","name":"research expansion"},{"id":"195027","name":"student needs"},{"id":"195028","name":"enrollment growth"},{"id":"195029","name":"long\u2011term campus planning"},{"id":"195030","name":"public research university"},{"id":"195031","name":"Atlanta innovation ecosystem"},{"id":"815","name":"economic development"},{"id":"195032","name":"university\u2011industry partnership"},{"id":"195033","name":"institutional investment"},{"id":"195034","name":"long\u2011standing partnership"},{"id":"195035","name":"corporate\u2013academic collaboration"},{"id":"189031","name":"Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera"},{"id":"195036","name":"Coca\u2011Cola Executive Chair James Quincey"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687882":{"#nid":"687882","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Iran\u2019s Latest Internet Blackout Extends to Phones and Starlink","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Iranian regime\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-protests-economy-starlink-internet-disconnect-8d944601e7bfeae6753ec0645f5a7139\u0022\u003Einternet shutdown\u003C\/a\u003E, initiated on Jan. 8, 2026, has severely diminished the flow of information out of the country. Without internet access, little news about the national protests that flared \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/irans-heavy-crackdown-quells-protests-8e757172\u0022\u003Ebetween Dec. 30, 2025, and Jan. 13, 2026\u003C\/a\u003E, and the regime\u2019s violent crackdown has reached the world. Many digital rights and internet monitoring groups have assessed the current shutdown to be the most sophisticated and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5d848323-84a9-4512-abd2-dd09e0a786a3\u0022\u003Emost severe in Iran\u2019s history\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe are a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=WBRatTAAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Esocial scientist\u003C\/a\u003E and two \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=NLeeizQAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Ecomputer scientists\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inetintel.cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInternet Intelligence Lab\u003C\/a\u003E who \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=oZNdAREAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Estudy internet connectivity\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu\/dashboard\u0022\u003EInternet Outage Detection and Analysis\u003C\/a\u003E project, we have been measuring internet connectivity globally since 2011. The project was motivated by the internet shutdowns during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Arab-Spring\u0022\u003EArab Spring\u003C\/a\u003E mass protests that began in December 2010 against Middle Eastern and North African regimes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project provides a public dashboard of internet connectivity measurements. Its long view of global internet connectivity offers insight into the Iranian regime\u2019s developing sophistication in controlling information and shutting down the internet in the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur measurements show that Iran has been in a complete internet shutdown since Jan. 8. This is longer than the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/ioda.live\/post\/3mcigxurkms2w\u0022\u003E48\u00bd-hour\u003C\/a\u003E shutdown in June 2025 during the Israel-Iran war and surpasses the duration of the November 2019 shutdown that lasted almost seven days. Compared to the two weeks of nightly mobile phone network shutdowns in September to October of 2022 during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/stories\/2025\/04\/justice-and-accountability-woman-life-freedom-protests\u0022\u003EWomen, Life, Freedom protests\u003C\/a\u003E, this shutdown is more complete by also closing down fixed-line connectivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMeasuring Internet Connectivity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Internet Outage Detection and Analysis project measures global internet connectivity through three signals related to internet infrastructure: routing announcements, active probing and internet background noise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECore routers, unlike the router in your home, are responsible for directing traffic to and from networks. Routing announcements are how they communicate with each other. If a nation\u2019s network of routers stop making these announcements, the network will disappear from the global internet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also measure the responsiveness of networks through probing. To create the probing signal, we continuously ping devices in millions of networks around the globe. Most devices are designed to automatically respond to these pings by echoing them back to the sender. We collect these responses and label networks as \u201cconnected\/active.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA tool we use dubbed \u201cnetwork telescope\u201d captures internet background noise \u2013 traffic generated by hundreds of thousands of internet hosts worldwide. A drop in this signal can indicate an outage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\u0022tc-infographic-datawrapper\u0022 style=\u0022border-width:0;\u0022 id=\u0022rmQfn\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/rmQfn\/1\/\u0022 height=\u0022400px\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 scrolling=\u0022no\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA History of Shutdowns\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first nationwide shutdown that the Internet Outage Detection and Analysis project observed in Iran was during the \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03068374.2020.1712889\u0022\u003EBloody November\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d uprising that happened in 2019. During that shutdown, the primary method the regime used was turning off routing announcements, which stopped all traffic between routers. This is a blunt force tool that makes the internet essentially go dark; no connectivity is possible for affected networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, our measurement \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ooni.org\/post\/2019-iran-internet-blackout\/#connecting-to-the-internet-from-iran\u0022\u003Ereporting showed differences\u003C\/a\u003E in signal-drop patterns among the three data sources we track. These patterns demonstrate the regime\u2019s adoption of diverse disconnection mechanisms and large differences in the timing of disconnection by various Iranian internet service providers (ISPs).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis reporting also showed evidence that the 2019 blackout was not complete and some people were able to circumvent it. Nevertheless, as documented by Amnesty International, the internet darkness created a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iran-shutdown.amnesty.org\/\u0022\u003Eweb of impunity\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d that allowed the regime to violate international human rights law without any accountability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn September 2022, the Women, Life, Freedom protests erupted after the killing of Mahsa Amini in state custody. To suppress the nationwide mobilization without exacting a high cost, the Iranian regime implemented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu\/reports\/technical-multi-stakeholder-report-on-internet-shutdowns-the-case-of-iran-amid-autumn-2022-protests\/\u0022\u003Enightly shutdowns affecting only mobile networks\u003C\/a\u003E. Keeping fixed-line internet connections online limited the impact of these shutdowns to mitigate the economic, political and social costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese nightly internet curfews lasted about two weeks. During this time the regime implemented other forms of censorship, specifically blocking applications to further control the information environment and to prevent access to technologies for circumventing censorship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn June 2025, the Israel-Iran war began and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/jbC5bDV-rnA?si=twSnL8M7azOmj0Hn\u0026amp;t=73\u0022\u003Ewe observed\u003C\/a\u003E initial degradation in internet connectivity, which often occurs during times of conflict, when internet and power infrastructure are affected by missile attacks. The Iranian regime shut down the internet over four days, citing national security as its rationale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat time, the regime did not use routing announcements to implement the shutdown. Our measurement data shows that routing announcements were largely unaffected. Instead, the Iranian regime implemented the shutdown by interfering with key protocols that allow the internet to function, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/deploy360\/tls\/basics\/\u0022\u003Etransport layer security\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-dns-a-computer-engineer-explains-this-foundational-piece-of-the-web-and-why-its-the-internets-achilles-heel-268336\u0022\u003Edomain name system\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe regime used these techniques to shut off Iran\u2019s connectivity with the global internet while allowing specific, sanctioned access in a policy called whitelisting. This strategy shows an increased sophistication in how the Iranian regime implements shutdowns and controls the flow of information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations that support digital human rights in Iran report that some Iranians were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2025\/10\/02\/irans-stealth-blackout-a-multi-stakeholder-analysis-of-the-june-2025-internet-shutdown\/\u0022\u003Eable to circumvent the shutdown\u003C\/a\u003E using virtual private networks and various censorship-resilient technologies such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/P2P\u0022\u003Epeer-to-peer networks\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2Yaoqdw2cwg?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe Iranian regime has targeted Starlink satellite internet service in its internet shutdown.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJan. 8, 2026\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Dec. 30, 2025, the Internet Outage Detection and Analysis project team received reports of internet disruptions amid the start of nationwide protests. At 8 p.m. Iran Standard Time on Jan. 8, 2026, the Iranian regime shut down the internet. Our measurements \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu\/country\/IR?from=1765814823\u0026amp;until=1768406823\u0026amp;view=view1\u0022\u003Eshow a nominal amount of responsiveness\u003C\/a\u003E to our active probing, about 3%. This small amount could be an artifact of our measurements or lingering connectivity for whitelisted access, for example for Iranian government officials and services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOutside of very limited whitelisted connectivity, digital human rights groups reported severely limited access to the internet both internationally and domestically. According to digital rights group \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ainita.net\/\u0022\u003EProject Ainita\u003C\/a\u003E, the Iranian regime implemented the shutdown by interfering with transport layer security and the domain name system. In addition, landline phone calls have been only intermittently available.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from these more sophisticated techniques, this shutdown evokes the Bloody November shutdown of 2019 in that it has been ordered during a time of protest \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.en-hrana.org\/day-seventeen-of-irans-protests-continued-internet-shutdown-spike-in-figures-and-intensifying-global-reactions\/\u0022\u003Ewith mass civilian casualties\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJammed Satellites\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, low Earth orbit satellite services, such as Starlink, can help people maintain internet connectivity during outages and government-ordered shutdowns. These satellite services can allow users to bypass damaged or state-censored terrestrial internet infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, accessing the internet via satellite services during a shutdown is not without risk. User terminals communicate with satellites via radio frequency links that can be detected through surveillance, for example from planes or drones, potentially exposing users\u2019 locations and putting them at risk of being identified. Currently, the Iranian regime is using jammers to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/filter.watch\/english\/2026\/01\/13\/network-monitoring-january-2025-internet-repression-in-times-of-protest\/\u0022\u003Edegrade the Starlink connection\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most significant barriers to connecting users in Iran to satellite services is a logistical one. Providing connectivity via Starlink\u2019s service would require distributing a large number of user terminals within the country, a feat that would be difficult because the devices are likely to be considered illegal contraband by the government. This severely limits the scale at which such services can be adopted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecent technological developments, however, may partially mitigate this challenge. Starlink\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/starlink.com\/business\/direct-to-cell\u0022\u003Edirect-to-cell\u003C\/a\u003E capability, which aims to provide LTE cellular connectivity directly to ordinary cellphones, could reduce dependence on specialized hardware. If they become widely available, such systems would allow users to connect using common devices already in circulation, sidestepping one of the most difficult barriers to providing connectivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike other radio-based communications, however, direct-to-cell connectivity would remain \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/15\/technology\/iran-online-starlink.html\u0022\u003Evulnerable to signal jamming\u003C\/a\u003E and other forms of electronic interference by the government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the time being, the Iranian regime controls the country\u2019s internet infrastructure, which means it still has a virtual off switch.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/273439\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/irans-latest-internet-blackout-extends-to-phones-and-starlink-273439\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Iranian regime\u2019s internet shutdown, initiated on Jan. 8, 2026, has severely diminished the flow of information out of the country.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Iranian regime\u2019s internet shutdown, initiated on Jan. 8, 2026, has severely diminished the flow of information out of the country. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-01-16 13:52:41","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 15:34:26","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679144":{"id":"679144","type":"image","title":"Protesters have filled the streets in Iranian cities, but the regime\u2019s internet shutdown means little news gets in or out of the country. MAHSA\/Middle East Images\/AFP via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProtesters have filled the streets in Iranian cities, but the regime\u2019s internet shutdown means little news gets in or out of the country. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/iranians-gather-while-blocking-a-street-during-a-protest-in-news-photo\/2254948920\u0022\u003EMAHSA\/Middle East Images\/AFP via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770040671","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 13:57:51","changed":"1770040671","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 13:57:51","alt":"Protesters have filled the streets in Iranian cities, but the regime\u2019s internet shutdown means little news gets in or out of the country. MAHSA\/Middle East Images\/AFP via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263267","name":"file-20260114-66-h9x7xx.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/file-20260114-66-h9x7xx.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/file-20260114-66-h9x7xx.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":519973,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/file-20260114-66-h9x7xx.jpg?itok=4IKLToyJ"}}},"media_ids":["679144"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/irans-latest-internet-blackout-extends-to-phones-and-starlink-273439","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/amanda-meng-2566155\u0022\u003EAmanda Meng\u003C\/a\u003E, Senior Research Scientist, College of Computing, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/alberto-dainotti-2566173\u0022\u003EAlberto Dainotti\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Computer Science, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/zachary-bischof-2566170\u0022\u003EZachary Bischof\u003C\/a\u003E, Senior Research Scientist, College of Computing, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689379":{"#nid":"689379","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Measures Titanium in Apollo Rock to Uncover Moon\u2019s Early\u00a0Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Earth and the Moon may look very different today, but they formed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-moon-might-be-older-than-scientists-previously-thought-a-new-study-shines-light-on-its-history-246085\u0022\u003Eunder similar conditions\u003C\/a\u003E in space. In fact, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-moon-formed-new-research-133204\u0022\u003Ea dominant hypothesis\u003C\/a\u003E says that the early Earth was hit by a Mars-sized object, and it was this giant impact that spun off material to form the Moon. But unlike Earth, the Moon lacks \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/plate-tectonics\/\u0022\u003Eplate tectonics\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/climate-explained-why-carbon-dioxide-has-such-outsized-influence-on-earths-climate-123064\u0022\u003Ean atmosphere\u003C\/a\u003E capable of reshaping its surface and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2021\/11\/recycling-tectonic-plates-key-driver-earths-oxygen-budget\u0022\u003Erecycling elements such as oxygen\u003C\/a\u003E over billions of years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, the Moon preserves a record of the geological conditions that helped shape it and can give scientists insight into the world we live in today. Rocks that were formed during early volcanic activity on the Moon offer a window into events that occurred nearly 4 billion years ago. By uncovering the conditions under which the Moon\u2019s rocks formed, scientists move closer to understanding the origins of our own planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-026-69770-w\u0022\u003EIn a study\u003C\/a\u003E published March 2026 in the journal Nature Communications, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/clever.research.gatech.edu\/the-team\/\u0022\u003Eour team of physicists and geoscientists\u003C\/a\u003E investigated \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.webmineral.com\/data\/Ilmenite.shtml\u0022\u003Eilmenite\u003C\/a\u003E, a mineral composed of iron, titanium and oxygen, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lpi.usra.edu\/lunar\/samples\/atlas\/compendium\/75035.pdf\u0022\u003Ein a Moon rock\u003C\/a\u003E crystallized from an ancient lunar magma. We used \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nrl.navy.mil\/nanoscience\/\u0022\u003Ecutting-edge electron microscopy\u003C\/a\u003E to probe the chemical signature of titanium in this ilmenite, finding that about 15% of the titanium carries less of an electrical charge than expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center \u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022An illustration of the rock on the Moon, an atomic image of the sample, and of trivalent titanium chemical signature.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=265\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=265\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=265\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=333\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=333\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/726541\/original\/file-20260326-57-w0e8yb.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=333\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThis illustration shows the rock on the Moon, as well as an atomic image of the sample\u2019s crystal structure and a representation of the chemical signature of trivalent titanium.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EAugust Davis\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EImplications of Trivalent Titanium\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn ilmenite, an atom of titanium typically loses four electrons when bonding with oxygen, resulting in a positive charge of 4+, known as the atom\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/oxidation-number\u0022\u003Eoxidation number\u003C\/a\u003E. From the sample we studied, a rock collected during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/apollo-17\/\u0022\u003EApollo 17 mission\u003C\/a\u003E, we found that some of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/titanium\/Compounds\u0022\u003Etitanium\u003C\/a\u003E in ilmenite actually has a charge of only 3+, referred to as trivalent titanium. Our measurement of trivalent titanium confirms what geologists had long suspected: that some titanium in lunar ilmenite exists in a lower charge state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrivalent titanium occurs only when \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.elementsmagazine.org\/redox-engine-of-earth\/\u0022\u003Ethe amount of oxygen available for chemical reactions\u003C\/a\u003E is low. Thus, the abundance of trivalent titanium in ilmenite could tell us about the relative availability of oxygen in the Moon\u2019s interior when the rock formed, around 3.8 billion years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Link to the Moon\u2019s Early Chemistry\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur team has closely studied only one Moon rock so far, but from published studies we have identified more than 500 analyses of lunar ilmenite that could contain trivalent titanium. Studying these samples could reveal new details about how the Moon\u2019s chemistry varies across different locations and time periods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile our work highlights a link based on prior studies, the relationship between trivalent titanium in ilmenite and oxygen availability has not yet been quantified with targeted experimental data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy conducting experiments that explore that link, ilmenite could reveal more details about the Moon\u2019s interior. We also expect this relationship to apply to other planets and asteroids that don\u2019t contain much chemically available oxygen, relative to Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat\u2019s Next?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese methods can be used to study many Moon rocks collected during the Apollo missions over 50 years ago, as well as future samples from upcoming \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/artemis-ii\/\u0022\u003EArtemis missions\u003C\/a\u003E, or rocks collected from the far side of the Moon, returned in 2024 by China\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/space-missions\/change-6\u0022\u003EChang\u2019e-6 mission\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emilyfirst.com\/\u0022\u003Eour team members\u003C\/a\u003E plans to use their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emilyfirst.com\/research\/\u0022\u003Enew experimental lab\u003C\/a\u003E to explore how oxygen availability in magma affects the abundance of trivalent titanium in ilmenite. With experiments like this that build off our findings, we could potentially use ilmenite to reconstruct the history of ancient magmas from the Moon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe believe future studies of lunar rocks using advanced scientific methods are essential for revealing the chemical conditions present on the ancient Moon. They could offer clues not only to its own history but also to the earliest chapters of Earth\u2019s past \u2013 records that have since been erased from Earth.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/278721\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/new-study-measures-titanium-in-apollo-rock-to-uncover-moons-early-chemistry-278721\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy uncovering the conditions under which the Moon\u2019s rocks formed, scientists move closer to understanding the origins of our own planet.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By uncovering the conditions under which the Moon\u2019s rocks formed, scientists move closer to understanding the origins of our own planet."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-27 13:21:18","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 15:33:52","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679828":{"id":"679828","type":"image","title":"The Camelot crater in the Moon\u2019s Taurus-Littrow Valley is where the sample containing trivalent titanium was found. NASA\/Apollo 17: AS17-145-22159","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Camelot crater in the Moon\u2019s Taurus-Littrow Valley is where the sample containing trivalent titanium was found. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/projectapolloarchive\/21041121594\u0022\u003ENASA\/Apollo 17: AS17-145-22159\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775136177","gmt_created":"2026-04-02 13:22:57","changed":"1775136177","gmt_changed":"2026-04-02 13:22:57","alt":"The Camelot crater in the Moon\u2019s Taurus-Littrow Valley is where the sample containing trivalent titanium was found. NASA\/Apollo 17: AS17-145-22159","file":{"fid":"264032","name":"file-20260326-57-nv1xsh.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/file-20260326-57-nv1xsh.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/file-20260326-57-nv1xsh.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":428208,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/02\/file-20260326-57-nv1xsh.jpg?itok=vsNPr9q4"}}},"media_ids":["679828"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/new-study-measures-titanium-in-apollo-rock-to-uncover-moons-early-chemistry-278721","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/advik-d-vira-2626787\u0022\u003EAdvik D. Vira\u003C\/a\u003E, Graduate Student in Physics, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/emily-first-2633204\u0022\u003EEmily First\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor of Geology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/macalester-college-2632\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMacalester College\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"524121":{"#nid":"524121","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What Not to Wear: Commencement Edition\u2026and Other Tips For Your Graduation Day","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECommencement\u003C\/a\u003E right around the corner, many of you already know what you\u2019re going to wear. Some of you may have planned your outfits months ago. Hopefully you\u0027ve at least taken your regalia out of the plastic to let the wrinkles fall out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is no official Commencement dress code, but for those who are still scrambling for picture-perfect attire, here are some practical tips to help dress and prep for the big day.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESpring 2026 Commencement is a rain or shine event. Graduates and guests are advised to monitor the weather forecast and dress as needed. Each ceremony is expected to last between one to two and a half hours. For directions between venues throughout the weekend, \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/map.gatech.edu\/?id=82#!ct\/15646,74520,74521,74522,75326?s\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Evisit the Georgia Tech map\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/events-schedule\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpring 2026 Commencement Ceremony Schedule\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommencement Dress DO\u2019s:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeave bags at home.\u003C\/strong\u003E If you must have a bag, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/clearbag\/\u0022\u003Emake it clear\u003C\/a\u003E. Commencement events at both Bobby Dodd Stadium and McCamish Pavilion are subject to the venue\u2019s clear bag policy. See the full policy at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/clearbag\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eramblinwreck.com\/clearbag\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETravel light. \u003C\/strong\u003EThis will save you the hassle of carrying a bag at all or leaving your bag at bag valet. If you\u2019re wearing a dress or skirt, try to find one with pockets to carry small items such as keys or your phone.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDress comfortably.\u003C\/strong\u003E You may be at the event for up to three and a half hours. The event will be a combination of standing and sitting, so make sure you\u2019re dressed comfortably enough for both. Consider light layers depending on the weather \u2014 a coat may be bulky, but if your ceremony is outdoors, you will want to stay warm. Hand warmers are also a good idea.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBachelor\u2019s and Ph.D. graduates will process in front of the stage as their names are called, so be sure you can walk in your shoes. If you\u2019re wearing pants, consider lighter colors to contrast with your regalia. If you\u2019re planning to wear heels, consult the \u201cdon\u2019t wear new shoes\u201d section, and consider a low heel (and that you\u2019ll be walking on uneven turf or flooring).\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuggest that your guests dress business casual. \u003C\/strong\u003EAlthough there is no dress code, many guests like to dress up for this special day. Parents and alumni can often be seen donning Tech colors and gear, and sometimes international guests wear their country\u2019s traditional dress clothes. Tell them about the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/clearbag.\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eclear bag entry policy\u003C\/a\u003E so they, too, can plan accordingly.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhatever you choose to wear, the photos you take will be around for a while, so pick something you won\u2019t mind seeing a few years down the road. When in doubt, you can\u2019t go wrong with white and gold.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommencement Dress DON\u2019Ts:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t think that because you\u2019re wearing a robe it doesn\u2019t matter what you\u2019re wearing underneath.\u003C\/strong\u003E Throughout the day you\u2019ll be taking numerous photos, and you may at some point want to take off your regalia.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t wear new shoes.\u003C\/strong\u003E Commencement is not the day to break in new shoes. Another tip: Don\u2019t wear high heels if you are not used to walking in them. On your walk across the stage you should be focusing on the moment you\u2019ve been waiting for during the past four (or five) years, not worrying about tripping.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t spend too much time styling your hair.\u003C\/strong\u003E Keep in mind you\u2019ll be wearing a graduation cap for a few hours. If you\u2019re planning an elaborate hairstyle, try it out with your cap before graduation day to make sure that the cap still sits properly.\u0026nbsp;Bobby pins can help to secure your cap if it feels loose.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t make your mortar board too epic\u003C\/strong\u003E. Remember that someone has to sit behind you, and if you adorn your cap with anything 3D, try to keep it no more than an inch or two off the board.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t forget your regalia. \u003C\/strong\u003EMake sure you have your cap, gown, tassel, cords, and stole (and hood, for graduate students). There will not be extras at the venue, and regalia is required for participating in Commencement. And, don\u2019t wait until Commencement day to unwrap it. Take it out of the plastic, make sure you have it all, and hang it up to let some of the wrinkles fall out. If you\u2019re feeling ambitious, give it a steam.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Commencement Tips:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESet an alarm, especially for morning ceremonies\u003C\/strong\u003E. Doors will open one hour before the start of the ceremony. Graduates should report to the venue 45 minutes prior to ceremony start. Set your alarm and have a buddy system to make sure you wake up. (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/events-schedule\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESee the full Commencement schedule\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECharge your phone\u003C\/strong\u003E. Bachelor\u2019s and Ph.D. graduates will scan a virtual name card (StagePass) as they walk to the stage to have their names called, and you will want to find family members after the ceremony. Master\u2019s graduates will scan their StagePass during their college ceremony. Bring a phone with a full charge. Pro tip: take a screen shot of your StagePass before you arrive. Better yet, print your StagePass and never worry about your phone\u2019s battery life. (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9HE6xUoiMb8\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about how StagePass works\u003C\/a\u003E)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStay hydrated and take a bathroom break before you arrive. \u003C\/strong\u003ETry to be well-rested, fed, hydrated, and prepared to sit through the ceremony.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlan in advance where to meet your guests after the ceremony.\u003C\/strong\u003E For bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s graduates, there is no formal processional in or out of the venue. Suggest a specific meeting spot beforehand, ideally a bit away from the venue, to ensure you are not lost in the crowd and can find family members to reunite easily.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESend your guests parking information.\u003C\/strong\u003E Note available parking areas at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/venue-parking\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecommencement.gatech.edu\/venue-parking\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost importantly, remember to enjoy the day and reflect on all that you\u2019ve achieved at Georgia Tech. Congratulations, graduates!\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor those still scrambling for the picture-perfect Commencement attire, here are some helpful tips.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For those who are still scrambling for the picture-perfect Commencement attire, here are some tips to help out."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2017-04-25 18:16:10","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 15:25:16","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/","title":"Commencement Website"},{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/venue-information","title":"Venue Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"627","name":"commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"},{"id":"167378","name":"special events"},{"id":"166847","name":"students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpecial Events\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:events@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eevents@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689637":{"#nid":"689637","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Could Show How TikTok\u2019s Algorithm Affects Youth Mental Health","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-02-18\/mark-zuckerberg-tesimony-la-social-media-trial?utm_source=chatgpt.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etook the witness stand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court to defend his company from accusations that social media harms children.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old plaintiff alleges Instagram and other social media apps are designed to make young users addicted to their platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, social media experts believe the algorithms that drive content on these platforms play a role in hooking users and keeping them scrolling for extensive periods of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study led by Georgia Tech might confirm this suspicion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing recently acquired data from more than 10,000 adolescent users,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.munmund.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will audit TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm and study its impact on young people\u2019s behavior and mental health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury is leading a multi-institutional research team on a four-year, $1.7 million grant from the Huo Family Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe hope to learn the different types of negative exposures that young people experience when using TikTok,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cThis can help us characterize what they\u2019re watching and build computational methods to understand the consumption behaviors of these participants and how they\u2019re affected by the algorithm.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is collaborating with Amy Orben, a professor at the University of Cambridge, and Homa Hosseinmardi, an assistant professor at UCLA, on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESocial media platforms have become increasingly reluctant to share their data in recent years, posing a challenge for researchers like De Choudhury.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can\u2019t do the type of studies we did 10 years ago with X (formerly Twitter) because the API is much more restrictive,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are limited ways to programmatically access people\u2019s data now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe must go through a tedious, manual process to get around declining access to social media data. This data-gathering process is essential given the sensitive nature of mental health research. You want data that is shared with consent.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrben collected TikTok data from more than 10,000 young people in the UK who consented to provide their personal data archives in accordance with the European Union\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collected data includes watch histories, which De Choudhury said distinguishes this research from other social media studies that focus on what users post.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t understand passive social media consumption very well, so we hope to close that gap and learn what that looks like,\u201d she said. \u201cThat could complement or contrast what we know about people\u2019s active engagement on these platforms. Is what they\u2019re consuming directly related to what they\u2019re posting? How does passive consumption affect young people\u2019s mental health?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA clearer picture of how algorithm-based content affects young people could result in design interventions to minimize negative effects. De Choudhury said studying data from young people is critical because it\u2019s not too late to steer them away from unhealthy behavioral patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome of the earliest signs or symptoms of mental health conditions appear in adolescence,\u201d she said. \u201cIf appropriate care and support are provided, maybe it\u2019s possible to prevent these symptoms from becoming full-blown in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond TikTok\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat the research team learns about TikTok could also provide broader insight into other social media platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETikTok has been influential in how social media platforms display video content. Competitors like Instagram and X modeled their video presentation after TikTok\u2019s, which can easily lead to doomscrolling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur hope is that our findings can be generalized, with the caveat the data we have is exclusively from TikTok,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cOther platforms have similar video-sharing and consumption features where the video automatically plays from one to the next. We hope what we learn from TikTok will be applicable to people\u2019s activities elsewhere, though it will require future work beyond this project to draw concrete conclusions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimulating Feeds with AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury said an additional part of the study will be using artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate video feeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Hosseinmardi led a study at the University of Pennsylvania on YouTube\u2019s recommendation algorithm and used bots that either followed or ignored the recommendations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury said they will use a similar method for TikTok.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe feeds will be realistic but generated by AI to see the potential pathways to consumption rabbit holes,\u201d she said. \u201cThis should give us some insight into how algorithms influence the negative and positive exposures people might be having on TikTok.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFoundation Expands Reach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased in the UK and established in 2009, the Huo Family Foundation supports community education initiatives in the UK, the U.S., and China.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe organization announced in January its launch of the Huo Family Foundation Science Programme.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/huofamilyfoundation.org\/news\/updates\/huo-family-foundation-awards-17-6m-for-groundbreaking-research\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe new program is committing $17.6 million to fund 20 new multi-year research grants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that explore the impact of digital technology on the brain development, social behavior, and mental health of young people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDigital technology is profoundly shaping childhood and young adulthood, yet there is limited causal evidence of its effects,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Yan Huo, founder of the Huo Family Foundation, in a press release.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are proud to support exceptional researchers advancing vital scientific understanding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Georgia Tech professor Munmun De Choudhury, a multi-institutional research team is launching a $1.7 million study to examine how TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm influences the mental health of adolescent users. The project focuses on passive consumption by analyzing the watch histories of over 10,000 young participants and using AI to simulate content \u0022rabbit holes.\u0022 By identifying patterns of negative exposure, the researchers aim to develop design interventions that can steer teenagers away from unhealthy behavioral patterns and support early mental health care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led research team is conducting a multi-year study using data from more than 10,000 adolescents to investigate how TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm and passive content consumption impact youth mental health."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 14:54:36","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 14:56:01","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679406":{"id":"679406","type":"image","title":"208A9267-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771943377","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 14:29:37","changed":"1771943377","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 14:29:37","alt":"Munmun De Choudhury","file":{"fid":"263567","name":"208A9267-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104533,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg?itok=3fEZjVVt"}}},"media_ids":["679406"],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167543","name":"social media"},{"id":"190947","name":"tiktok"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"10824","name":"Children And Adolescents"},{"id":"5660","name":"algorithms"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689164":{"#nid":"689164","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Celebrating Tech\u2019s First African American Female Graduate: Clemmie Whatley","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhen\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClemmie Whatley\u003C\/strong\u003E earned her master\u2019s in applied mathematics in 1973, she and her friend\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGrace Hammonds\u003C\/strong\u003E became the first African American women to graduate from Georgia Tech \u2014 an accomplishment she only learned about decades later.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe certainly didn\u2019t think of ourselves as pioneers,\u201d says Whatley. \u201cWe were just trying to get through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EToday, Whatley is no longer a hidden figure as she is now recognized for her trailblazing role.\u0026nbsp; She has been honored by the Institute\u2019s\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/celebratingwomen.alumni.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Pathway of Progress\u003C\/a\u003E art installation, Women of Distinction Award, and scholarship endowment established by the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs Georgia Tech celebrates Women\u2019s History Month, Whatley\u2019s barrier-breaking legacy is a reminder of how women in STEM expand what\u2019s possible, not only for themselves, but for those who follow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFollowing the math path\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley grew up in Chubbtown, a self-sufficient Black community established pre-Civil War in Cave Spring, Georgia. The first Black valedictorian of Cave Spring High School after desegregation, she loved math from an early age. Whatley often tagged along with her father who was always building or fixing something \u2014\u0026nbsp;inspiring her to use numbers to solve problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe majored in math at Clark (now Clark Atlanta University), graduating magna cum laude. Encouraged to attend a predominantly white institution for graduate school by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJoseph James Dennis\u003C\/strong\u003E, head of Clark\u2019s Mathematics department, Whatley and Hammonds applied to Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u0026nbsp;Tech responded first with an unexpected bonus: a teaching assistantship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEarning money to teach math and help pay for school appealed to me,\u201d she shares.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding her footing at Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEntering the Institute as one of the few Black women on campus came with challenges. Whatley enrolled only nine years after Georgia Tech became the first university in the Deep South to admit African American students without a court order.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m not sure they wanted us there,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I wasn\u2019t nervous. I was excited to learn more math \u2014\u0026nbsp;and teach it as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a graduate teaching assistant, Whatley taught undergraduate calculus, algebra, and trigonometry. Students were often surprised to see her at the front of the classroom, as most instructors were white males. She remembers professors who encouraged her, particularly her advisor Professor Emeritus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERobert Kasriel.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHe believed in me, especially my knowledge of math,\u201d Whatley says. \u201cHe encouraged me to speak up with confidence.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAnother professor pushed her to contest a grade he felt was unfair. She chose instead to stay focused on completing her degree. Despite the obstacles, Whatley remembers her time at Tech fondly. \u201cI really enjoyed the classroom interaction with the undergraduates and teaching subjects I loved.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe appreciates the toughness of the education she received. \u201cGeorgia Tech rewards tenacity. If you can make it through here, you can make it through just about anything \u2014 and that problem\u2011solving confidence stays with you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChoosing to serve\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter graduation, Whatley joined BellSouth as a junior engineer, working on depreciation studies and writing early computer programs in Basic and Fortran.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI took a class at Morehouse to learn programming. We used ticker tape, punch cards, and computers that took up an entire room,\u201d remembers Whatley.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe spent 22 years at BellSouth, earning frequent promotions. Her career shifted into a new direction when she heard a radio request for tutors at Marietta Junior High School. She volunteered and began working with several students, including a middle school girl who still counted on her fingers. Whatley guided her toward more confident problem-solving. \u201cAll she needed was someone to take the time to work with her.\u201ds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETutoring became a catalyst for change. Motivated by the difference she could make, she left corporate America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding her impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter obtaining certification from Mercer University, she became a high school math teacher. Whatley planned to teach for just three years but stayed for four after her advisement class of ninth graders begged her to stay until they graduated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECommitted to expanding her impact, Whatley earned an educational specialist degree from the University of West Georgia and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Emory University. While at Emory, she began an educational consulting career,\u0026nbsp; launching\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.eddynamix.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Educational Dynamix,\u003C\/a\u003E a nonprofit firm focused on learning and development for children and educators. Her consulting work also explored the connections between music and mathematics \u2014 helping educators and parents use both to strengthen student learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTeaching math was satisfying,\u201d says Whatley. \u201cI enjoyed going into a class where students \u2014 or their teachers \u2014 didn\u2019t believe in their ability to do math and showing them that they could do it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley smiles and clarifies: \u201cWhen I went into education, whether I was working with students, training teachers, or helping make changes in organizational structures, I found my passion. Looking back, hopefully, I made some lives better overall.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESharing family history\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley\u2019s influences are felt beyond the classroom. She is the author of several books, including\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EThe Chubbs: A Free Black Family\u2019s Journey From the Antebellum Era to the Mid-1900s\u003C\/em\u003E, which grew out of her family\u2019s history. Whatley began this research while assisting with media features on her cousin, University of Georgia football star\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENick Chubb.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EResearching her family\u2019s story led to a surprising discovery: a crumpled bill of sale for an enslaved girl that her son tucked into her grandmother\u2019s old trunk. That document \u2014 and the stories surrounding it \u2014 propelled her to write the book and preserve Chubbtown\u2019s history for future generations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReflecting on a legacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley says faith and family are the most important things in her life. She has been married to her husband, Melvin, for 55 years.\u0026nbsp;Her daughter, son, and several relatives also attended Georgia Tech, with her daughter running track and cross country and her son playing football. \u201cWe\u2019re a Yellow Jacket family with one Bulldog granddaughter,\u201d she says with a smile.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EToday, Whatley is honored to have the recognition that came years after graduation. \u201cWhat I went through wasn\u2019t in vain. It feels good to know that I opened some doors and helped others along the way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClemmie Whatley\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Etime studying and teaching math at Georgia Tech laid the groundwork for decades of leadership in classrooms, corporate America, and the community.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Clemmie Whatley\u2019s time studying and teaching math at Georgia Tech laid the groundwork for decades of leadership in classrooms, corporate America, and the community."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-03-24 19:17:04","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 21:25:51","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679728":{"id":"679728","type":"image","title":"Clemmie Whatley; then and now","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClemmie Whatley: then and now\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774381412","gmt_created":"2026-03-24 19:43:32","changed":"1774909021","gmt_changed":"2026-03-30 22:17:01","alt":"Two photos of same woman, one older and one younger.","file":{"fid":"263938","name":"best.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/best.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/best.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1269462,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/best.png?itok=uiFZ8mto"}},"679727":{"id":"679727","type":"image","title":"Whatley and Grace Hammonds made history together as the first African American women to graduate from Georgia Tech and have remained lifelong friends.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhatley and Grace Hammonds made history together as the first African American women to graduate from Georgia Tech and have remained lifelong friends.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774380706","gmt_created":"2026-03-24 19:31:46","changed":"1774380706","gmt_changed":"2026-03-24 19:31:46","alt":"Two women smiling","file":{"fid":"263922","name":"ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6636467,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/24\/ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007_0.png?itok=i6_YFCE3"}}},"media_ids":["679728","679727"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689472":{"#nid":"689472","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space\u0022\u003EFrontiers in Science\u003C\/a\u003E conference. Held on April 2, the full-day event focused on space research guiding discovery and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs during previous editions, this year\u2019s conference featured more than two dozen scientists, engineers, policy experts, and thought leaders from Georgia Tech and beyond, illustrating how collaboration across fields \u2013 from science and engineering to public policy and international affairs \u2013 helps to advance strategic research priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFrontiers is about discovery and connections across disciplines and generations,\u201d says\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lozier.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cThis edition provided an inspiring glimpse into the future of space exploration and the many ways Georgia Tech is contributing to research and missions seeking answers to what lies beyond our planet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommitment to Space\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpace research is a key institutional priority at Georgia Tech, which is home to numerous academic and research programs in planetary sciences, robotics, mission design, space policy, and other areas.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe recently established\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI) serves as the central hub connecting the broad range of space-related research across campus. Led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2885\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who also serves as principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, SRI has expanded support for space research and commercialization through initiatives such as the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/26\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech\u0022\u003ECreationsVC Space Fellows Program\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/10\/georgia-techs-space-research-institute-announces-inaugural-seed-grant-awardees\u0022\u003ECenters, Programs, and Initiatives seed grant program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESRI\u2019s efforts are in line with Georgia Tech\u2019s long-standing contribution to space exploration. Hundreds of Yellow Jacket alumni work in the space sector, including several graduates who are playing key roles in the Artemis program. To date, more than a dozen Georgia Tech alumni have traveled to space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploring the Final Frontier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference featured a series of panels and discussions led by faculty and researchers from the Colleges of Sciences and Engineering as well as the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESessions explored how researchers are studying the processes and conditions that support planetary habitability, seeking to answer one of humanity\u2019s greatest questions: Does life exist beyond Earth? Speakers also examined how analog fieldwork in Earth\u2019s extreme environments can inform space exploration, and how space research, in turn, can deepen our understanding of our own world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditional conversations centered on building better space missions through improved understanding of team and individual resilience, data collection, navigation, and the development of advanced technologies like the robots developed through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/good-dog-lassie-spirit-learns-walk-moon\u0022\u003ENASA LASSIE Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrontiers also highlighted Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to preparing the next generation of space scientists, engineers, and leaders. Student training and engagement were recurring themes throughout the day, with speakers emphasizing opportunities for student-led and student-run missions and research. A panel of Georgia Tech alumni shared their own STEM career journeys, challenging the idea of \u201cone right path\u201d to success \u2014 and acknowledging the resources and opportunities available at the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA highlight of the conference was a fireside chat with Atlanta-native, retired U.S. Army Colonel and NASA Astronaut\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/kimbrough-rs.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ER. Shane Kimbrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. Operations Research 1998). Kimbrough, who spent a total of 388 days in space and performed nine spacewalks across three missions, reflected on his career and the evolution of spaceflight. He emphasized the expanding role of public-private and international partnerships in advancing ambitious goals, such as creating a permanent human outpost on the Moon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolicy and Public\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference also explored how policy influences space discovery and innovation, with discussions touching on such issues as space security, access, governance, sustainability \u2014\u0026nbsp;and the influence of technology and science fiction on public perception and policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPanelists described current policy frameworks governing outer space as struggling to keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies and expanding activities. According to these experts, increasing tensions among commercial, research, and recreational uses of space call for greater coordination among private and government entities to balance competing priorities while maximizing opportunities for innovation and exploration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference was punctuated by a networking lunch connecting attendees with Atlanta\u2019s public astronomy community \u2013 including partners at several universities and the Georgia Tech Astronomy Club, which set up telescopes for attendees to safely observe the sun. Later that evening, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astronomy.gatech.edu\/Observatory.php\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E hosted its Public Night, welcoming the broader Atlanta community to campus for telescope views of Jupiter, the Orion Nebula, and other celestial bodies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Observatory Night was a fitting conclusion to a full day focused on Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment and contributions to inspiring future generations of space explorers through research, education, and outreach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EExperience the Frontiers conference in pictures on the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gtsciences\/albums\/72177720332868366\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Sciences\u2019 Flickr account\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u0026nbsp;Frontiers in Science conference.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"One day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u00a0Frontiers in Science conference."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-06 14:05:00","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 21:23:26","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679862":{"id":"679862","type":"image","title":" Retired NASA astronaut R. Shane Kimbrough (M.S. Operations Research 1998) reflects on his career and the evolution of spaceflight.","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"R. Shane Kimbrough speaks in front of room of people during a fireside chat","file":{"fid":"264072","name":"55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2611719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg?itok=9k4zXi2s"}},"679861":{"id":"679861","type":"image","title":"Joyce Shi Sim, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Joyce Shi Sim holds a microphone and laser pointer while presenting to room of people","file":{"fid":"264071","name":"55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1858656,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg?itok=QKyejMSW"}},"679863":{"id":"679863","type":"image","title":"Professor James Wray, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences","body":null,"created":"1775485879","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:31:19","changed":"1775485923","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:32:03","alt":"Professor James Wray holds microphone and points to powerpoint slide during his presentation","file":{"fid":"264073","name":"55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2636888,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg?itok=saXBEEUR"}},"679860":{"id":"679860","type":"image","title":" [From left] Professor Glenn Lightsey, Professor Thom Orlando, Moderator Naia Butler-Craig  (M.S. AE 2023, Ph.D. AE 2026), Associate Professor Brian Gunter, and Research Engineer I Ava Thrasher ","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Group photo of five people, including Georgia Tech faculty","file":{"fid":"264070","name":"55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6182876,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg?itok=dcGAnsv4"}},"679858":{"id":"679858","type":"image","title":" The Georgia Tech Astronomy Club set up telescopes for attendees to safely observe the sun.","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Three people stand outdoors with one person looking at the sun through a telescope","file":{"fid":"264068","name":"55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2674661,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg?itok=cCQeyNP0"}},"679859":{"id":"679859","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Observatory\u2019s April 2, 2026 Public Night","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Adults and children observing the night sky through a computer that is connected to a telescope","file":{"fid":"264069","name":"55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4887238,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg?itok=NaAICFg3"}}},"media_ids":["679862","679861","679863","679860","679858","679859"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration - Program"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/38-billion-year-old-titanium-clue-sheds-new-light-moons-early-chemistry","title":"3.8\u2011Billion\u2011Year\u2011Old Titanium Clue Sheds New Light on the Moon\u2019s Early Chemistry"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-pioneers-first-space-sustainability-course-us","title":"Georgia Tech Pioneers First Space Sustainability Course in the U.S."},{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/welcome-future-artemis-ii-set-launch-moon","title":"\u2018Welcome to the Future!\u2019 Artemis II Set for Launch to the Moon"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/26\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech","title":"New Space Startups Take Off at Georgia Tech"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/10\/georgia-techs-space-research-institute-announces-inaugural-seed-grant-awardees","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute Announces Inaugural Seed Grant Awardees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"172511","name":"Frontiers Conference"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194975","name":"go-space"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"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\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689587":{"#nid":"689587","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Use Statistics and Math to Understand How The Brain Works","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENothing rivals the human brain\u2019s complexity. Its 86 billion neurons and 85 billion other cells make an estimated 100 trillion connections. If the brain were a computer, it would perform an exaflop (a billion-billion) mathematical calculations every second and use the equivalent of only 20 watts of power. As impressive as the brain is, neurologists can\u2019t fully explain how neurons work together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help find answers, researchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS) are using math, data, and AI to unlock the secrets of thought. Together they are helping turn the brain\u2019s raw electrical \u201cnoise\u201d into real insights about how people think, move, and perceive the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFair warning: Prepare your neurons for the complexity of this brain research ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding AI like a Brain\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat if artificial neurons in AI programs were arranged as they are in the brain?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI programs would then help us understand why the brain is organized the way it is. This neuro-AI synthesis would also work faster, use less energy, and be easier to interpret. Creating such systems is the goal of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/apurva-ratan-murty\u0022\u003EApurva Ratan Murty\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPsychology\u003C\/a\u003E who is creating topographic AI models like the one above of three domains \u2014 vision, audition, and language inspired by the brain. In the near future, he predicts doctors might be able to use these patterns to predict the effects of brain lesions and other disorders. \u201cWe\u2019re not there yet,\u201d he says. \u201cBut our work brings us significantly closer to that future than ever before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EComputing Thought \u0026amp; Movement\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow cats walk keeps \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/5354\u0022\u003EChethan Pandarinath\u003C\/a\u003E on his toes. This biomedical engineer uses sensors to analyze how two sets of feline leg muscles \u2014 flexors and extensors \u2014 are controlled by the spinal cord. Understanding how that happens could help patients partially paralyzed from spinal cord injuries, strokes, or progressive neuro-degenerative diseases get back on their feet again. \u201cMy lab is using AI tools that allow us to turn complex spinal cord activity data into something we can interpret. It tells us there\u2019s a simple underlying structure behind the complex activity patterns,\u201d says the associate professor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ERevealing the Brain\u2019s Spike Patterns\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe brain is like a symphony conductor,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3736\u0022\u003ESimon Sponberg\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIndividual instruments have some independent control, but most of the music comes from the brain\u2019s precise coordination of notes among the different players in the body.\u201d This \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ephysics\u003C\/a\u003E professor studies the fantastically fast-beating wings of the hummingbird-sized hawk moth (Manduca sexta). Its agile flight movement comes as a result of spikes in electrical activity in 10 muscles. Sponberg found something that surprised him \u2014 the brain focuses less on creating the number of spikes than in orchestrating their precise patterns over time. To Sponberg, every millisecond matters. \u201cWe are just beginning to understand how the nervous system first acquires precisely timed spiking patterns during development,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPredicting Decisions Through Statistics\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPut a mouse in a maze with food far away, and it will learn to find it. But life for mice \u2014 and people \u2014 isn\u2019t so simple. Sometimes they want to explore, only want water, or just want to go home. What\u2019s more, animals make decisions based on their history, not just on how they feel at the moment. To dig deeper into the decision-making process, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/18557\u0022\u003EAnqi Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is giving mice more options. By using a new computational framework called SWIRL (Switching Inverse Reinforcement Learning), her findings have outperformed models that fail to take historical behavior into account. \u201cWe\u2019re seeking to understand not only animal behavior but also human behavior to gain insight into the human decision-making process over a long period of time,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EModeling the Mind\u2019s Wiring with Math\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConnectivity shapes cognition in the cerebral cortex, a layered structure in the brain. The visual cortex, in particular, processes visual data from the retina relayed through the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN) in the thalamus, and directs it to the correct cognitive domain in the brain. How it does this is the mystery that computational neuroscientist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/13005\u0022\u003EHannah Choi\u003C\/a\u003E wants to solve. \u201cThe big question I\u2019m interested in is how network connectivity patterns in the architecture of the LGN are related to computations,\u201d says this assistant \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Emath\u003C\/a\u003E professor. To find answers, she shows mice repeated image patterns such as flower-cat-dog-house and then disrupts the pattern. The goal? To grasp how the thalamus\u2019s nonlinear dynamical system works. If scientists and doctors better understand how brain regions are wired together, such knowledge could lead to better disease treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story was originally published through the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Read the original publication \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/news\/2026\/georgia-tech-researchers-use-statistics-and-math-to-understand-how-the-brain-works.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehere\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-04-09 14:51:00","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 21:21:37","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679908":{"id":"679908","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775747910","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 15:18:30","changed":"1775747910","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 15:18:30","alt":"Digital illustration of a human brain split down the middle: the left side is filled with white mathematical equations, diagrams, and formulas, while the right side is surrounded by colorful, flowing lines and abstract wave patterns against a dark blue background.","file":{"fid":"264129","name":"AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11158535,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg?itok=smMzQtFc"}},"679903":{"id":"679903","type":"image","title":"Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This image shows a topographic vision model trained to have a brain-like organization.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746394","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:53:14","changed":"1775746394","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:53:14","alt":"Three layered, abstract heat\u2011map style grids in shades of blue, red, and beige, stacked to resemble data layers or visualization panels.","file":{"fid":"264124","name":"Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":53268,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg?itok=vNYzcaPf"}},"679904":{"id":"679904","type":"image","title":"Chethan-480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This shows how spinal cord activity guides transitions in muscle output for extensor muscles.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746465","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:54:25","changed":"1775746465","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:54:25","alt":"Two side\u2011by\u2011side scientific diagrams labeled Cat 1 and Cat 2 showing clusters of colored data points and curved gray lines representing muscle\u2011activity patterns during movement. Each diagram includes blue, green, and yellow point clusters and marked \u2018extensor onset\u2019 and \u2018extensor offset\u2019 angles.","file":{"fid":"264125","name":"Chethan-480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Chethan-480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Chethan-480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":67950,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/Chethan-480x330.jpg?itok=RaB1s5Rq"}},"679906":{"id":"679906","type":"image","title":"new_figure-480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption: This shows how mice behave differently when they are pursuing different goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746563","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:56:03","changed":"1775746563","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:56:03","alt":"Three maze-like diagrams labeled \u2018water,\u2019 \u2018home,\u2019 and \u2018explore,\u2019 each showing colored paths representing an animal\u2019s movement through the maze. The paths shift from dark purple at the start to bright yellow at the end, indicating progression over time according to the color scale on the right","file":{"fid":"264127","name":"new_figure-480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/new_figure-480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/new_figure-480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/new_figure-480x330.jpg?itok=wezz9ZzE"}},"679905":{"id":"679905","type":"image","title":"Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This shows the spike patterns of a hawk moth. Motor systems use spike codes to control motor output.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746508","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:55:08","changed":"1775746508","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:55:08","alt":"Diagram showing a hawk moth in the center surrounded by twelve circular charts. Each chart displays proportional black and blue segments representing spike count and spike timing data for left and right muscle groups. A legend explains the colors, and text below notes that the values show mutual information estimates for 10 muscles across seven moths","file":{"fid":"264126","name":"Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":81244,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg?itok=l_G56joM"}},"679907":{"id":"679907","type":"image","title":"GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This shows how visual data from the retina is directed to the correct cognitive domain in the brain through a region of the visual cortex.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746605","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:56:45","changed":"1775746605","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:56:45","alt":"Diagram showing neural connectivity between cortical layers in regions labeled V1 and LM. Arrows connect circular nodes representing layers L2\/3, L4, and L5, with green and orange arrows indicating directional pathways. A magnified inset on the right illustrates a simplified microcircuit with shapes labeled Pyr, Sst, and Vip connected by colored arrows.","file":{"fid":"264128","name":"GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":51645,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg?itok=MfeiKQbd"}}},"media_ids":["679908","679903","679904","679906","679905","679907"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-uses-computing-and-engineering-methods-shift-neuroscience-paradigms","title":"Georgia Tech Uses Computing and Engineering Methods to Shift Neuroscience Paradigms"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/head-toe-georgia-tech-researchers-treat-entire-human-body-through-neuroscience-research","title":"Head to Toe: Georgia Tech Researchers Treat the Entire Human Body Through Neuroscience Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/better-brain-machine-interfaces-could-allow-paralyzed-communicate-again","title":"Better Brain-Machine Interfaces Could Allow the Paralyzed to Communicate Again"}],"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":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E George Spencer\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENews and Media Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689586":{"#nid":"689586","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computing Associate Dean Cultivates Innovation With CREATE-X","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun joined Georgia Tech, his teaching followed a familiar cadence. His courses were highly structured and consistent. Lectures, exams, office hours, and semester breaks were always known months in advance. The goals were clear, the outcomes known, and the educational journey largely mapped. Then, he heard about CREATE-X.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA Spark of Curiosity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn 2017, faculty conversations began circulating about a new kind of capstone experience, one driven by student discovery and entrepreneurial thinking rather than predetermined client requirements. The idea intrigued Omojokun.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI remember thinking, this is really different from anything I\u2019ve ever taught,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn his previous courses, Omojokun took pride in providing the structured, rigorous framework students needed to master complex concepts. While those interactions were dynamic, the curriculum required a specific, focused trajectory. CREATE-X offered a different kind of challenge: the \u0022X\u0022 of the program, representing undefined, endless potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cCREATE-X is full of unknowns. You don\u2019t know what industry the students are diving into, what roadblocks they\u2019ll run into and navigate out of, or what small- to large-scale successes they\u2019ll achieve throughout the semester. It really had my blood pumping,\u201d he said. As someone who loves the challenge of academia, it was an invigorating way to help the next generation apply what they\u2019ve learned in a new context.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOmojokun co-taught the first CREATE-X Capstone section with College of Computing students in fall 2018 alongside Craig Forest, associate director of the Invention Studio. While the initial computer science cohort was small, the experience was immediately powerful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt was humble beginnings but deeply eye-opening,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn this new environment, students weren\u0027t just solving problems; they were seeking them and sometimes pivoting. Traditional client-driven capstones offer students invaluable experiences in delivering high-quality products, responding to clients\u2019 often evolving needs, and adhering to professional standards. CREATE-X added a layer of venture-validation, requiring students to identify a gap in the market and build something with commercial viability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs the semesters continued, CREATE-X grew from a program with an interesting capstone course Omojokun enthusiastically co-taught to a professional inflection point for him. He found himself talking about it frequently, with colleagues, with students, even with prospective undergraduates who may not see a capstone for years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHe began encouraging prospective and incoming students to take CREATE-X pathways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI would tell students, down to first-year students, when you get that opportunity to engage with CREATE-X, take it. You don\u2019t even have to wait until capstone, as there are multiple pathways; in fact, Startup Lab has no prerequisites. Whatever path you take, you\u2019ll remember it for years to come. Whether you officially take a problem solution to market or not, the entrepreneurial confidence gained is priceless.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESpreading CREATE-X Into the College of Computing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBy 2020, when the first Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship cohort opened, applying felt natural. He had already become an unofficial ambassador for CREATE-X, helping students navigate options, promoting programs in classes, and rallying colleagues to engage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt was an opportunity to become more connected to this thing that I felt was changing the game on campus,\u201d he said. \u201cIt cemented my affiliation with CREATE-X.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe fellowship gave name and weight to the work he was already doing, while also expanding what was possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship provides faculty with $15,000 in discretionary funding, which can support a one-semester break from teaching, along with structured training in evidence\u2011based entrepreneurship, dedicated mentorship, and the opportunity to work closely with students launching startups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe fellowship also equips faculty to become entrepreneurial instructors and mentors through the CREATE\u2011X ecosystem, giving them tools to integrate entrepreneurship into their coursework and curricula. Each cohort of fellows is trained to embed entrepreneurial methods, develop new innovation\u2011focused assignments, and serve as advisors within programs like Startup Lab, Idea\u2011to\u2011Prototype, and Startup Launch.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor faculty across Georgia Tech, the fellowship offers something rare: institutional backing, resources, and formal recognition for bringing entrepreneurship into their teaching and shaping how students learn to become problem\u2011solvers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOmojokun said he sees CREATE-X as the apex of applying technical fundamentals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs part of the fellowship, Omojokun brought the program\u2019s ethos into his courses, even a foundational course like CS 1331: Introduction to Object Oriented Programming, where he created a CREATE-X\u2013branded final project. Students built a \u201cproblem database\u201d application as their final homework assignment, cataloging real issues they encountered in daily life, assessing their skills to solve them, evaluating markets and metrics, and then deciding potential pathways forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s an innovation diary,\u201d he said. \u201cA tool that can get them closer to thinking like a founder.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe response from students, including many non-computing majors who take his section each semester, has been overwhelmingly positive. While the project is challenging, the open-ended nature and real-world relevance motivate deeper engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWhen students believe their work will solve a meaningful problem for a meaningful population, they bring passion to it,\u201d he said. \u201cThey start observing the world differently.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe more Omojokun saw, the deeper his enthusiasm grew.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShaping the College of Computing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEven as he stepped into the role of inaugural chair of the School of Computing Instruction in 2022, CREATE-X remained at the forefront of Omojokun\u2019s conversations. Interest in the program continued to grow significantly. Students stopped him in the hallways to talk about their ideas. Faculty reached out to ask about mentorship opportunities. And he continued championing the program in the many settings he entered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt turns out that the most engaged group of students in CREATE-X is computing undergraduates,\u201d Omojokun said. \u201cI wanted to make sure that high involvement continued, no matter what size we are,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOver time, Omojokun strengthened the partnership between the College of Computing and CREATE-X, weaving entrepreneurship deeper into the College\u0027s curricular fabric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELast January, Omojokun was appointed as the associate dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Computing. One of his priorities was highlighting CREATE-X\u2019s curricular impact. In coordination with key stakeholders \u2014 including Kelly Ann Fitzpatrick (computing), Craig Forest (mechanical engineering), and Raul Saxena (CREATE-X) \u2014 he nominated the program for the ABET Innovation Award. \u0026nbsp;The award honors programs that challenge the status quo in technical education and demonstrate a measurable impact on student learning in ABET-accredited disciplines, such as natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. CREATE-X won.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe CREATE-X Advantage With Faculty\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhen faculty are considering something like the Jim Pope Fellowship, Omojokun said the biggest barrier he hears about from them is time. With courses that can enroll 300 students per section and extensive responsibilities beyond the classroom, time is a scarce resource.\u003Cbr\u003EHe could relate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThere are always lots of things on my physical and virtual desktop. I always warn people before they enter my office,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHowever, Omojokun argued that participating in the fellowship program was time well spent because it helps them rediscover the most exciting parts of teaching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s worth the time. One of the goals of teaching is to see students passionate about what they\u2019re learning, and CREATE-X makes that happen consistently,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Future With Technology\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs AI reshapes industries, Omojokun believes that CREATE-X equips students to navigate the unknown and forge new paths as existing ones shift, providing a versatile skill set that transfers to employment, potentially self-employment, and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of uncertainty with AI in the workspace, but CREATE-X gives students the confidence and skills to succeed at whatever comes,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are putting students through this process of finding a problem that\u2019s meaningful and matters to the world; mastering that allows them to lead in any environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EApplications Now Open: Become a Jim Pope Faculty Fellow\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8cOnwIrm4eKEh9Q\u0022\u003E2026 Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E is now accepting applications. For faculty who want to explore integrating entrepreneurship into their teaching, mentoring student founders, and helping shape a culture of innovation across campus, this fellowship offers resources and a supported pathway to begin. Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8cOnwIrm4eKEh9Q\u0022\u003Eapply to the Jim Pope Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E. Priority deadline: July 1; final deadline: Aug. 11.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun first encountered CREATE\u2011X, it challenged the highly structured teaching model he was accustomed to by centering learning around uncertainty, discovery, and entrepreneurial problem\u2011finding. As a faculty member, Jim Pope Faculty Fellow, and now associate dean in the College of Computing, he has championed CREATE\u2011X as a powerful way to help students apply technical fundamentals in unpredictable, real\u2011world contexts. Through initiatives like CREATE\u2011X\u2013inspired course projects and cross\u2011college partnerships, Omojokun has helped embed entrepreneurship more deeply into computing education at Georgia Tech. He believes programs like CREATE\u2011X are essential in preparing students to adapt, lead, and innovate in a future increasingly shaped by emerging technologies such as AI.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun, Georgia Tech associate dean in the College of Computing, found new energy in teaching through CREATE\u2011X, where open\u2011ended entrepreneurship equips students to confidently navigate uncertainty and solve real\u2011world problems."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:46:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:51:21","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679902":{"id":"679902","type":"image","title":" Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun Associate Dean ","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EOlufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun, associate dean in Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1775741406","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 13:30:06","changed":"1775742590","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 13:49:50","alt":" Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun, associate dean in Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing","file":{"fid":"264123","name":"FisayoCloseUp-23-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/FisayoCloseUp-23-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/FisayoCloseUp-23-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":477042,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/FisayoCloseUp-23-.png?itok=3qsEriy1"}}},"media_ids":["679902"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8cOnwIrm4eKEh9Q","title":"2026 Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship "}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689585":{"#nid":"689585","#data":{"type":"news","title":"CREATE-X Startup Brings Digital Access to the Unbanked","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Victor Espinosa was an undergraduate student in Bogot\u00e1, he kept running into the same problem every time he tried to order books or basic items online: He didn\u2019t have a credit card. Instead, he had to give cash to someone who had a credit card and ask them to purchase for him. This wasn\u2019t strange in Colombia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt was frustrating, but it showed me how many people were being left out of the digital world,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cIn Colombia, only about two out of 10 people have a credit card. Cash is the main form of payment, but everything online requires digital access.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThat gap sparked the idea that would evolve into Loto Punto, a fintech startup building self-service kiosks to bridge the physical and digital worlds for unbanked communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFrom a Single Problem to a Scalable Platform\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa began his startup as an online platform for buying lottery tickets. He saw that customers didn\u2019t trust the idea of a digital receipt because they were used to a printout, so he pivoted to a kiosk similar to the ones in U.S. grocery stores. Customers could walk up, insert cash, and print a lottery ticket instantly.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt worked, but it had a ceiling,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cIt only served people buying lottery tickets. We knew it wouldn\u2019t scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETo address this, he expanded the kiosks to handle mobile phone top-ups, bill payments, and basic banking services. Then, in 2024, the company incorporated advanced technologies such as biometric recognition and blockchain. Stellar Blockchain, first a partner, later became an investor of the startup, which helped Loto Punto to enable low-cost, real-time digital transactions and remittances.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENow, users can convert physical cash into digital value or withdraw cash from digital wallets through a single machine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA Global Solo Founder\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa is the sole founder of Loto Punto, supported now by a 10\u2011person team of highly specialized engineers, designers, and manufacturing experts. He is currently pursuing his master\u2019s degree in computer science at Georgia Tech while leading the company through its next chapter as part of the CREATE-X Startup Launch Spring 2026 cohort.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFinding CREATE-X and Finding a Community\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa learned about CREATE-X during his first semester at Georgia Tech. In 2024, CREATE-X widened its Startup Launch program to include a spring cohort to give founders, particularly graduating seniors, another chance to go all-in on developing their startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa admits he didn\u2019t expect much when he first learned about the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI didn\u2019t know universities had programs like this. In Colombia, we don\u2019t have accelerators embedded inside universities with venture support and dedicated staff,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, I assumed CREATE X would be small, maybe one office helping a few students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhat Espinosa found was different.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThey\u2019re leveraging every resource that Georgia Tech offers. They can help with any challenge by tapping the doors of the network they already have established,\u201c he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs a part of the Startup Launch program, CREATE-X brings in founders from its ecosystem to speak to participants and give them actionable insights \u2014 founders who have raised funds, been acquired, and have had other successes as entrepreneurs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s different,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cThey\u2019ve brought successful founders who have walked the talk. It\u2019s different to interact with somebody who was already successful in doing what you\u2019re doing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETesting, Measuring, and Learning Through Startup Launch\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEven as a remote participant, Espinosa has connected well with his mentor, who meets with him weekly, and his mini-batch. During the program, startup teams are grouped together. They share their strategies, successes, and struggles as they develop throughout the program. Teams have weekly sprints where they focus on one or two activities and then measure those activities, which Espinosa said is helpful for maintaining focus and actually executing on ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIf you, as an entrepreneur, start thinking of the whole world of activities that you must do to get somewhere with your startup, you won\u2019t start,\u201d he said. \u201cBy creating attainable goals, step by step, that\u2019s how it compounds to reach bigger goals. But, you have to begin with something.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003ETeams are also encouraged to take calculated risks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cCREATE-X gives us a safe environment to test ideas,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cAs an entrepreneur, it\u2019s a lonely road, but having someone who has been in your shoes before, it makes you brave to try things.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOne of the first major tests he shared with the cohort was an ad campaign timed around the Super Bowl. In Startup Launch, Espinosa learned how to structure the experiment: defining KPIs, iterating audiences, and evaluating performance compared to industry benchmarks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWe got around 45,000 views and above-average click-through rates,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the biggest lesson was that brand awareness alone can\u2019t be our only marketing strategy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa said his mentor helped open doors for him and kept him accountable, and the program itself kept him from being overwhelmed by all that a founder has to do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIn Startup Launch, you see how different approaches fit different phases,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re creating a path to grow and execute on your goals as a founder.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhy Now Is the Easiest Time to Build\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa also emphasized that the tools to build and test ideas have never been more accessible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWhen I started, we didn\u2019t have AI. You had to do everything by hand. It was harder, and it took more resources,\u201d he said. \u201cRight now, it\u2019s a matter of prompting. In one hour, you can file for a grant. Before, it took at least a week to get your documents together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHe said the ability to test quickly and learn has also become inexpensive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cYou don\u2019t need millions of dollars to do this,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cIt\u0027s very cheap to fail, right? If that doesn\u0027t work, you can just try again in the morning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAbove all, Espinosa encouraged budding founders to take advantage of the opportunities around them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cAs a founder, you must tap every door that you have available to you. You have to explore different paths,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of those are networking, some are physical space, some are interest. Get your hands on every single resource that comes your way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELooking Ahead: The Future of Payments\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs he thinks about where the finance world is going, Espinosa said the payments industry is rapidly converging toward blockchain, stablecoins, and faster, frictionless user experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of movement around stablecoins. We\u2019re seeing resource flow from one country to another. We believe things are converging to leverage blockchain and driving down the cost of moving money,\u201c he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how we see the future of our industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMeet Loto Punto and the Spring Cohort at Startup Launch Showcase\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa will travel to Atlanta for the first time in May to present Loto Punto at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article\u0022\u003ECREATE-X Spring Startup Launch Showcase\u003C\/a\u003E, where the public can meet founders and see their ventures firsthand. The event will be held in The Biltmore Ballrooms on Thursday, May 21, from 5 to 7 p.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe showcase will feature dozens of startups built by Georgia Tech students and alumni. Tickets are free but limited. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article\u0022\u003ERegister for the showcase\u003C\/a\u003E today to grab your spot.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter experiencing firsthand how limited access to credit cards excluded millions from the digital economy, Victor Espinosa set out to bridge that gap by founding Loto Punto. The fintech startup uses self\u2011service kiosks that allow users to convert physical cash into digital transactions, expanding access to essential services like bill payments, mobile top\u2011ups, and remittances. As a solo founder in the CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch Spring 2026 cohort, Espinosa refined his venture through structured experimentation, mentorship, and weekly execution sprints. He credits CREATE\u2011X with providing both the accountability and community needed to test ideas safely and scale solutions for real\u2011world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech master\u2019s student Victor Espinosa is building Loto Punto, a fintech startup using self\u2011service kiosks to help unbanked communities convert cash into digital financial access through the CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch program."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:26:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:29:19","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679901":{"id":"679901","type":"image","title":"Victor Espinosa Founder of Loto Punto","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVictor Espinosa, Founder of Loto Punto, stands in front of his product, pitching it on Columbia\u0027s Shark Tank\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775740749","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 13:19:09","changed":"1775740994","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 13:23:14","alt":"Victor Espinosa, Founder of Loto Punto, stands in front of his product, pitching it on Columbia\u0027s Shark Tank","file":{"fid":"264122","name":"STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png","mime":"image\/png","size":899710,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png?itok=TrsrUGf8"}}},"media_ids":["679901"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article","title":"Register for Spring 2026 Startup Launch Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689579":{"#nid":"689579","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Earns Top C-Suite Ranking Among Forbes\u2019 New Ivies ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the third consecutive year, Georgia Tech has secured a spot on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/aliciapark\/2026\/04\/08\/the-new-ivies-20-great-employer-friendly-colleges-embracing-ai\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EForbes\u2019 list of New Ivies\u003C\/a\u003E, showcasing the Institute\u2019s strong reputation among employers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReceiving the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/aliciapark\/2026\/04\/08\/how-forbes-selected-the-new-ivies-for-2026-our-third-annual-list\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehighest C-suite rating\u003C\/a\u003E of any university this year, Tech has been included on the list each year since it started in 2024. This year\u2019s survey polled more than 100 C-suite and hiring executives, who were asked to rate schools and detail how artificial intelligence has changed their hiring of new graduates. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Forbes, each institution on the list is considered a leader in AI adoption, innovating and integrating the emerging technology into its curriculum. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI fluency is a valued trait among employers, and one executive said that the ideal job candidate has completed an education that exemplifies \u201ccomplex emotional intelligence, radical adaptability, and visionary creativity to orchestrate AI tools rather than compete with them.\u201d Emphasizing the importance of equipping graduates with these skills, 60% of respondents say AI has changed their staffing needs, and nearly 25% say it has reduced their need for entry-level college graduates. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt Georgia Tech, our students don\u2019t just learn AI. They apply it in real-world contexts across fields like finance, medical innovation, and manufacturing,\u201d said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. \u201cThey graduate with both technical depth and domain expertise, shaped through hands-on experience and close partnerships with industry, so they\u2019re ready to step in and create value on day one.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOutside of the classroom, providing students access to an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nexus-ideas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAI supercomputer\u003C\/a\u003E, the launch of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai.gatech.edu\/about\/mission-vision\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETech AI\u003C\/a\u003E, and researchers leading multiple National Science Foundation AI institutes have cemented Tech\u2019s status as a leader in AI innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReturn on investment remains a critical factor in today\u2019s conversations about higher education as well, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/04\/georgia-techs-big-bets-delivering-record-results\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETech continues to rank highly in that area\u003C\/a\u003E. In 2025, the Institute was named the best-value public college by The Princeton Review, and the Department of Education\u2019s College Scorecard ranked Georgia Tech first among public universities in measuring ROI 15, 20, and 30 years after graduation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Tech received the highest C-suite rating of any school in the 2026 survey.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETech received the highest C-suite rating of any school in the 2026 survey.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech received the highest C-suite rating of any school in the 2026 survey.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-08 19:31:58","changed_gmt":"2026-04-09 12:50:41","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679898":{"id":"679898","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower in Atlanta Skyline","body":null,"created":"1775676915","gmt_created":"2026-04-08 19:35:15","changed":"1775676915","gmt_changed":"2026-04-08 19:35:15","alt":"Tech Tower in Atlanta Skyline","file":{"fid":"264119","name":"13C10000-P14-013--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/13C10000-P14-013--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/13C10000-P14-013--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6019512,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/08\/13C10000-P14-013--1-.jpg?itok=xRupWi6U"}}},"media_ids":["679898"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2308","name":"Forbes"},{"id":"171557","name":"Forbes Magazine"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689581":{"#nid":"689581","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Kim Toatley Named Finalist for CFO of the Year","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKimberly \u201cKim\u201d Toatley, vice president for Finance and Planning and chief financial officer, has been named a finalist for the\u0026nbsp;2026 CFO of the Year Awards\u0026nbsp;by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAtlanta Business Chronicle\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow in operation for more than a decade, the CFO of the Year Awards honor exceptional chief financial officers across metro Atlanta who demonstrate excellence in financial leadership, strategic decision-making, and organizational stewardship. Each year, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAtlanta Business Chronicle\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;recognizes finalists and winners whose work strengthens their organizations and supports long-term sustainability amid evolving economic and operational challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToatley\u2019s selection as a finalist places her among a distinguished group of financial leaders across the region and marks only the\u0026nbsp;second time a Georgia Tech leader has been named a finalist\u0026nbsp;for this prestigious award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cKim\u2019s recognition as a finalist for CFO of the Year reflects her exceptional leadership, integrity, and deep commitment to stewarding Georgia Tech\u2019s resources in support of the Institute\u2019s academic and research mission and dedicated service to the Georgia Tech campus community,\u201d said Tricia Chastain, executive vice president for Administration and Finance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince assuming her current role in 2025, Toatley has provided strategic oversight of Georgia Tech\u2019s financial and budget operations, ensuring fiscal integrity and operational excellence across the Institute. Her work is grounded in her strong commitment to responsible stewardship, transparency, and making a meaningful impact on the Institute, its partners, and the greater\u0026nbsp;community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToatley brings more than three decades of leadership experience at Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, having served in a wide range of senior finance, accounting, research administration, and operational roles throughout her career. She has played a central role in strengthening financial and research administration practices and supporting the Institute\u2019s ability to sustain complex, externally funded research. In her current role, she continues to guide Georgia Tech through periods of significant institutional and governance transition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToatley holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Georgia State University. She has often noted that her experience as a student deepened her connection to Georgia Tech and shaped her commitment to higher education. Her recognition as a finalist reflects not only her leadership but also the collective work of teams across Georgia Tech and the vital role strong financial stewardship plays in advancing the Institute\u2019s academic and research priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CFO of the Year Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 21.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKimberly \u201cKim\u201d Toatley, vice president for Finance and Planning and chief financial officer, has been named a finalist for the\u0026nbsp;2026 CFO of the Year Awards\u0026nbsp;by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAtlanta Business Chronicle\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Kimberly \u201cKim\u201d Toatley, vice president for Finance and Planning and chief financial officer, has been named a finalist for the 2026 CFO of the Year Awards by the Atlanta Business Chronicle."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-04-08 20:18:00","changed_gmt":"2026-04-08 20:25:27","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675748":{"id":"675748","type":"image","title":"Kim Toatley.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1732741769","gmt_created":"2024-11-27 21:09:29","changed":"1732741769","gmt_changed":"2024-11-27 21:09:29","alt":"Image of Kim Toatley","file":{"fid":"259410","name":"Kim Toatley_Headshot_010822.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/27\/Kim%20Toatley_Headshot_010822.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/27\/Kim%20Toatley_Headshot_010822.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":473494,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/27\/Kim%20Toatley_Headshot_010822.jpeg?itok=T69zxUTZ"}}},"media_ids":["675748"],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"220261","name":"Finance and Planning"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194999","name":"Kim Toatley"},{"id":"195000","name":"CFO of the Year"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIndia Maul\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["india.maul@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689557":{"#nid":"689557","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Finalists Chosen in Search for Next College of Engineering Dean","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFour finalists have been chosen in the search for Georgia Tech\u2019s next dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. The candidates will visit campus throughout April to present a seminar addressing their broad vision for the College.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe seminars are open to all Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff. Interested individuals can attend in person or via Zoom.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails, including each candidate\u2019s bio and curriculum vitae, will be made available one business day prior to each seminar, via the Office of the Provost\u2019s Dean Search page. To protect the confidentiality of the finalists, Georgia Tech login credentials will be requiredto access candidate materials. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAll seminars will be held at 11 a.m. in the Scholars Event Network (SEN) Theater, Price Gilbert 1280, on the following dates:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinalist 1: Monday, April 13, OR \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_EDgxkaT-Tga39TZvj28vDQ\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eregister to attend online\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFinalist 2: Wednesday, April 15, OR \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_2tnJC0joQkS_sDzmT_TO1A\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eregister to attend online\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFinalist 3: Wednesday, April 22, OR \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_AfYIPl2UQNqJN0FEGkY0Lw\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eregister to attend online\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFinalist 4: Tuesday, April 28, OR \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_GVUC9lXFRaWsljQKLPsyrQ\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eregister to attend online\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA recording of each seminar and a feedback survey will also be posted on the search page after each visit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering\/committee\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esearch committee\u003C\/a\u003E is chaired by \u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s John P. Imlay Jr. Dean of Computing. Search committee members include a mix of faculty, staff, and students from across campus, as well as external stakeholders.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor updates on the search process, please visit the Office of the Provost\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esearch webpage\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour finalists have been chosen in the search for Georgia Tech\u2019s next dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. The candidates will visit campus throughout April to present a seminar addressing their broad vision for the College.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Candidates will visit campus in the coming weeks to address their broad vision for the academic enterprise."}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2026-04-08 11:55:50","changed_gmt":"2026-04-08 12:03:46","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679889":{"id":"679889","type":"image","title":"20C3401-P1-111-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGraduate students walk through the lobby of the J. Erskine Love Jr. Manufacturing Building.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775649761","gmt_created":"2026-04-08 12:02:41","changed":"1775649761","gmt_changed":"2026-04-08 12:02:41","alt":"Graduate students walk through the lobby of the J. Erskine Love Jr. Manufacturing Building.","file":{"fid":"264110","name":"20C3401-P1-111-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/20C3401-P1-111-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/20C3401-P1-111-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":315976,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/08\/20C3401-P1-111-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg?itok=V3_16USM"}}},"media_ids":["679889"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering","title":"College of Engineering Dean Search Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"10032","name":"dean search"},{"id":"9213","name":"Office of the Provost"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAshley Mastin, Office of the Provost\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mastin@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689553":{"#nid":"689553","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018Dialogue Across Difference\u2019 Launches Georgia Tech Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn April 2, Georgia Tech launched its new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/civicleadership.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Technology and Civic Leadership\u003C\/a\u003E with a symposium built around a simple idea. Society benefits when people are willing to listen, especially to those who disagree with them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Institute will serve as a space to share ideas, learn from one another, and discover common ground,\u201d said Amanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is especially important in a moment when technology is rapidly altering how we encounter information, form beliefs, and relate to one another.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Institute creates opportunities for students to examine the civic and social implications of technological innovation,\u201d said Aaron Levine, associate dean for research and outreach in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and interim executive director of the Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt will support leaders who can approach difficult questions thoughtfully, drawing on evidence, expertise, and an understanding of diverse perspectives.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat focus was reflected in the symposium\u2019s keynote dialogue between Robert George and Cornel West, eminent scholars, longtime friends, and coauthors of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Truth-Matters-Dialogue-Fruitful-Disagreement\/dp\/B0DBR1PYWL\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETruth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe keynote conversation modeled the kind of thoughtful dialogue across deep differences that the new Institute aims to cultivate. George and West do not expect to change each other\u2019s minds.For them, persuasion isn\u2019t the point.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t often completely change each other\u2019s minds about things, but that\u2019s not the goal,\u201d said George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can have 100% agreement and be wrong. My goal isn\u2019t to persuade him, but to learn what I can from him.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EListening with care and humility to someone who is coming from a very different place, George added, can offer new ways of seeing an issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor West, that process begins with resisting easy labels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t look at the world through the lens of -isms,\u201d said West, who is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou try to listen to a particular argument, put forward by a specific person, and to stay in contact with their humanity. Embrace their humanity.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two-day event also included panel discussions featuring insights from peer institutions and breakout sessions inviting the campus community to contribute feedback and ideas about the new institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new Institute aims to give students the chance to explore a broad range of ideas about how innovation shapes communities, the economy, and public life. It aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another and find common ground \u2014 all anchored in open debate, scientific inquiry and evidence-based problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will also serve as a hub for bringing together leaders from government, industry, academia and other sectors to tackle pressing challenges and pursue science- and data-driven solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The new Institute aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another, and find common ground."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe new Institute aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another, and find common ground.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new Institute aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another, and find common ground."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-07 20:47:48","changed_gmt":"2026-04-07 21:05:13","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679887":{"id":"679887","type":"video","title":"Perspectives on Technology and Civic Leadership An Inaugural Symposium","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts Dean Amanda Murdie moderates a conversation with Robert George, director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, on the themes of their recent book \u0022Truth Matters: Fruitful Disagreement in an Era of Rapid Technological Change.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775594853","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 20:47:33","changed":"1775594853","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 20:47:33","video":{"youtube_id":"ygiaJAOmLjY","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ygiaJAOmLjY"}},"679888":{"id":"679888","type":"image","title":"\u2018Dialogue Across Difference\u2019 symposium","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAmanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech, moderates a discussion between Robert George and Cornel West, eminent scholars, longtime friends, and coauthors of Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division.\u0026nbsp;Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775595358","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 20:55:58","changed":"1775595358","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 20:55:58","alt":"\u2018Dialogue Across Difference\u2019 symposium","file":{"fid":"264108","name":"DSC_1935.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC_1935.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC_1935.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8057052,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC_1935.jpeg?itok=MRO8xWvZ"}}},"media_ids":["679887","679888"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/civicleadership.gatech.edu","title":"Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"183059","name":"civic leadership"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:megan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McRainey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689458":{"#nid":"689458","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech IT Professionals Unite at OneIT Symposium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIT professionals from across Georgia Tech came together March 25 for the 2026 OneIT Spring Symposium, a daylong event at the Ferst Center for the Arts that highlighted campuswide technology initiatives, strategic discussions, and updates on projects shaping the Institute\u2019s technology landscape. Hosted by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.oneit.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOneIT\u003C\/a\u003E leadership committee, the event marked a milestone in the group\u2019s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration and build a more connected IT community across the campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe day began with breakfast and small-group working sessions, providing opportunities for networking, idea-sharing, and broader campus engagement. The program officially opened with remarks from the OneIT leadership committee, which emphasized the organization\u2019s role in fostering communication and collaboration among campus IT teams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/23\/georgia-tech-announces-new-chief-information-security-officer-joseph-lewis\u0022\u003EJoe Lewis\u003C\/a\u003E, associate vice president for IT and chief information security oficer, delivered the keynote address, \u201cSecuring the Hive,\u201d a title that echoed the event\u2019s theme, The Hive Mind. \u201cI want to build, with each of you, a cyber program that operates as a service to the Institute \u2013 not a checkpoint,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cI can\u2019t build it alone,\u201d he continued. \u201cI need your eyes and your instincts. You are the eyes and the ears of the hive.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium also included a presentation by Loulou Hong, vice president for Student Engagement and Well\u2011Being, who spoke about the intersection of technology, engagement, and the well\u2011being of the Georgia Tech community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAttendees participated in afternoon parallel\u2011track sessions designed to explore specific IT initiatives and shared challenges. Topics included: upcoming \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.oit.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Information Technology\u003C\/a\u003E (OIT) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/security.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECybersecurity\u003C\/a\u003E endpoint implementations; computing services offered by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pace.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPartnership for an Advanced Computing Environment\u003C\/a\u003E; the democratization of data \u2013 including tools and approaches to support broader, more effective access to institutional sources; and improvements to onboarding and off-boarding processes, both noted as critical to operational efficiency and campus cybersecurity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipants later reconvened for updates on the newly established Shield research enclave, an initiative that supports Institute research compliance through a secure computing environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event concluded with closing remarks that reinforced the OneIT leadership committee\u2019s mission to strengthen connections among campus IT staff and translate collaboration into meaningful outcomes for the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESponsored by OIT, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.oneit.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOneIT\u003C\/a\u003E is an initiative that connects IT staff across Colleges, departments, and administrative units, builds shared practices, standards, and communities of practice, and coordinates security, infrastructure, and service initiatives across campus IT offices. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E2026 OneIT committee members include: Andrew Leonard (co-chair), IT support engineer, College of Computing; Jimmy Pearson (co-chair), senior application support analyst, OIT; Chris Helms, IT architecture manager, Georgia Tech Library; Eric Mungai, director of IT, Ivan Allen College; Ben Pritchett, IT support senior manager, School of Aerospace Engineering; Bill Robbins, lead systems\/IT architecture (GTRI); Lawrence Sharp, director of IT, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE); Gabe Vannice, director of Architecture \u0026amp; Infrastructure, OIT; and Joe Zima, technical support manager, ISyE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EView pictures from the 2026 OneIT Spring Symposium\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtvault.sharepoint.com\/:f:\/s\/OneITSymposium\/IgCmNULkL-QVRLQUeETkSkb8AQyW6rbMubaKuC6sGazWXcA?e=cfQTYZ\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOneIT Symposium attendees gained insights into Institute\u2011wide IT initiatives and the critical role of collaboration across the campus IT community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Attendees gained insights into Institute\u2011wide IT initiatives and the critical role of collaboration across the campus IT community."}],"uid":"34932","created_gmt":"2026-04-03 20:41:44","changed_gmt":"2026-04-07 17:12:40","author":"Courtney Hill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679850":{"id":"679850","type":"image","title":"Institute IT professionals gather for the 2026 OneIT Spring Symposium","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHosted by the OneIT leadership committee, the symposium marked a milestone in the group\u2019s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration and build a more connected IT community across the campus.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775249452","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 20:50:52","changed":"1775250878","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 21:14:38","alt":"Three people talking to each other in a conference room","file":{"fid":"264059","name":"18-DSC_1689.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/18-DSC_1689.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/18-DSC_1689.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2768661,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/18-DSC_1689.jpg?itok=T5XjZf2P"}},"679852":{"id":"679852","type":"image","title":"The event was hosted in the Ferst Center","body":null,"created":"1775249997","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 20:59:57","changed":"1775250108","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 21:01:48","alt":"People inside the Ferst Center during a Q\u0026A session","file":{"fid":"264062","name":"14-DSC_1679.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/14-DSC_1679.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/14-DSC_1679.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2695779,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/14-DSC_1679.jpg?itok=DuM0rMU_"}},"679851":{"id":"679851","type":"image","title":"AVP for IT and Chief Information Security Officer Joe Lewis delivers the OneIT Symposium keynote address","body":null,"created":"1775249858","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 20:57:38","changed":"1775249965","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 20:59:25","alt":"Joe Lewis at podium inflecting in front of presentation screen","file":{"fid":"264061","name":"12-DSC_1661.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/12-DSC_1661.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/12-DSC_1661.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2017647,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/12-DSC_1661.jpg?itok=wf0ugLrp"}},"679853":{"id":"679853","type":"image","title":"PACE Senior Director Vernard Martin presents","body":null,"created":"1775250252","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 21:04:12","changed":"1775250252","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 21:04:12","alt":"Vernard Martin speaking into microphone on theater stage","file":{"fid":"264063","name":"20-DSC_1702.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/20-DSC_1702.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/20-DSC_1702.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2351951,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/20-DSC_1702.jpg?itok=PJh4UiJ8"}},"679854":{"id":"679854","type":"image","title":"Presenters and attendees engaged in Q\u0026A","body":null,"created":"1775250569","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 21:09:29","changed":"1775250569","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 21:09:29","alt":"Person speaking into microphone inside theater","file":{"fid":"264064","name":"21-DSC_1707.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/21-DSC_1707.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/21-DSC_1707.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3802330,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/21-DSC_1707.jpg?itok=1cDFiAvw"}}},"media_ids":["679850","679852","679851","679853","679854"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.oneit.gatech.edu\/","title":"OneIT at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"174291","name":"OIT"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"336","name":"information technology"},{"id":"193779","name":"oitfeature"},{"id":"192106","name":"OneIT"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["courtney.hill@gatech.edu","oneit@groups.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689488":{"#nid":"689488","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Graduate Programs Stand Among the Nation\u2019s Best in 2026 Rankings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u2019s graduate programs once again earned broad national recognition in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\u0022\u003E 2026 U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report rankings\u003C\/a\u003E. The latest results highlight Georgia Tech\u2019s sustained strength in research-driven graduate education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and programs designed to meet evolving workforce and societal needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s College of Engineering remained among the nation\u2019s elite, ranking \u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 4 overall\u003C\/strong\u003E in Best Engineering Schools and maintaining its position among the top institutions nationwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral engineering disciplines continued to rank among the nation\u2019s best, with multiple programs placing in the top five. The College\u2019s consistent performance reflects its leadership in research, innovation, and graduate training that closely aligns with industry and global challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETop engineering rankings include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 1\u003C\/strong\u003E Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 1\u003C\/strong\u003E Biomedical Engineering (tied), up from No. 2\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 2\u003C\/strong\u003E Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 3\u003C\/strong\u003E Civil Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 3\u003C\/strong\u003E Mechanical Engineering (tied), up from No. 5\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 4\u003C\/strong\u003E Environmental Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 5\u003C\/strong\u003E Chemical Engineering (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 5\u003C\/strong\u003E Computer Engineering (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech continued to demonstrate national strength in computing, ranking \u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 7 overall\u003C\/strong\u003E among Best Computer Science Schools in the 2026 rankings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENotable computing rankings include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 5\u003C\/strong\u003E Artificial Intelligence, up from No. 6\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 6\u003C\/strong\u003E Systems (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 13\u003C\/strong\u003E Theory (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 15\u003C\/strong\u003E Programming Language\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese rankings reflect Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in emerging and foundational computing technologies, as well as its role in applying computation across disciplines to address real\u2011world challenges and strengthen industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraduate programs at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy earned strong national placements in the 2026 rankings, highlighting the school\u2019s growing visibility at the intersection of technology, policy, and governance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHighlights include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 2\u003C\/strong\u003E Information and Technology Management (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 10\u003C\/strong\u003E Environmental Policy and Management (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 23\u003C\/strong\u003E Public Policy Analysis (tied), up from No. 26\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Scheller College of Business continued its momentum in the 2026 rankings, earning a \u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 9 national ranking\u003C\/strong\u003E in Best Part-Time MBA Programs, rising from No. 10 last year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScheller also received recognition across a range of graduate business disciplines, with several programs newly ranked in 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENotable Scheller rankings include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 8\u003C\/strong\u003E Information Systems (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 15\u003C\/strong\u003E Supply Chain Management (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 16\u003C\/strong\u003E Business Analytics (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s graduate programs in the physical sciences earned continued national recognition, reflecting strength in foundational research areas that support advances in engineering, computing, sustainability, and health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScience program rankings include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 20\u003C\/strong\u003E Chemistry (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 22\u003C\/strong\u003E Physics (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 26\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EMathematics (tied)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 29\u003C\/strong\u003E Earth Sciences (tied), up from No. 33\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*Please note that this summary includes the latest rankings issued by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report for 2026. Not all Georgia Tech Colleges, Schools, and subjects are ranked every year by this organization.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u2019s graduate programs earned broad national recognition in the 2026 \u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E rankings, underscoring Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in research\u2011driven, interdisciplinary graduate education. The College of Engineering ranked No. 4 overall, with multiple disciplines in the top five, including No. 1 Industrial and Systems Engineering and No. 1 Biomedical Engineering (tied), while computing programs ranked No. 7 nationally with top placements in artificial intelligence and systems. Strong rankings across public policy, business, and the sciences further highlight Georgia Tech\u2019s excellence in preparing graduates to address evolving workforce needs and global challenges.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. News placements reflect sustained excellence across graduate programs."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-04-07 05:17:20","changed_gmt":"2026-04-07 06:37:54","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679871":{"id":"679871","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Campus in Spring ","body":null,"created":"1775541838","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 06:03:58","changed":"1775542172","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 06:09:32","alt":"Tech tower in the background of pink spring flowers.","file":{"fid":"264089","name":"DSC00168.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC00168.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC00168.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1305471,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC00168.JPG?itok=v2q1RiqK"}}},"media_ids":["679871"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194455","name":"2026 rankings"},{"id":"61051","name":"US News \u0026 World Report"},{"id":"168328","name":"grad school"},{"id":"194981","name":"best graduate schools"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687195":{"#nid":"687195","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Illness Is More Than Just Biological \u2013 Medical Sociology Shows How Social Factors Get Under the Skin and Cause\u00a0Disease","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHealth and medicine is more than just biological \u2013 societal forces can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090852\u0022\u003Eget under your skin and cause illness\u003C\/a\u003E. Medical sociologists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=HQtYrggAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Elike me study these forces\u003C\/a\u003E by treating society itself as our laboratory. Health and illness are our experiments in uncovering meaning, power and inequality, and how it affects all parts of a person\u2019s life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, why do low-income communities \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/read\/19015\u0022\u003Econtinue to have higher death rates\u003C\/a\u003E, despite improved social and environmental conditions across society? Foundational research in medical sociology reveals that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/2626958\u0022\u003Eaccess to resources\u003C\/a\u003E like money, knowledge, power and social networks strongly affects a person\u2019s health. Medical sociologists have shown that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383498\u0022\u003Esocial class is linked to numerous diseases and mortality\u003C\/a\u003E, including risk factors that influence health and longevity. These include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/secondhand-smoke-may-be-a-substantial-contributor-to-lead-levels-found-in-children-and-adolescents-new-study-finds-212256\u0022\u003Esmoking\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fixing-the-global-childhood-obesity-epidemic-begins-with-making-healthy-choices-the-easier-choices-and-that-requires-new-laws-and-policies-207975\u0022\u003Eoverweight\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hispanics-live-longer-than-most-americans-but-will-the-us-obesity-epidemic-change-things-146006\u0022\u003Eobesity\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/black-mothers-trapped-in-unsafe-neighborhoods-signal-the-stressful-health-toll-of-gun-violence-in-the-u-s-203307\u0022\u003Estress\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/loneliness-is-making-us-physically-sick-but-social-prescribing-can-treat-it-podcast-199939\u0022\u003Esocial isolation\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/health-insurance-premiums-rose-nearly-3x-the-rate-of-worker-earnings-over-the-past-25-years-271450\u0022\u003Eaccess to health care\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/kids-neighborhoods-can-affect-their-developing-brains-a-new-study-finds-184035\u0022\u003Eliving in disadvantaged neighborhoods\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, social class alone cannot explain such health inequalities. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/singh.hsoc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMy own research\u003C\/a\u003E examines how inequalities related to social class, race and gender affect \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ssmqr.2023.100234\u0022\u003Eaccess to autism services\u003C\/a\u003E, particularly among single Black mothers who rely on public insurance. This work helps explain \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.2019-3629\u0022\u003Edelays in autism diagnosis\u003C\/a\u003E among Black children, who often wait three years after initial parent concerns before they are formally diagnosed. White children with private insurance typically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18553\/jmcp.2023.29.4.378\u0022\u003Ewait from 9 to 22 months\u003C\/a\u003E depending on age of diagnosis. This is just one of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s40615-024-02280-x\u0022\u003Enumerous examples of inequalities\u003C\/a\u003E that are entrenched in and deepened by medical and educational systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedical sociologists like me investigate how all of these \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/WHO-IER-CSDH-08.1\u0022\u003Efactors interact to affect a person\u2019s health\u003C\/a\u003E. This \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781003569824\u0022\u003Esocial model of illness\u003C\/a\u003E sees sickness as shaped by social, cultural, political and economic factors. We examine both \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Eindividual experiences and societal influences\u003C\/a\u003E to help address the health issues affecting vulnerable populations through large-scale reforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the way \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Esocial forces shape health inequalities\u003C\/a\u003E, medical sociology helps address how health and illness extend beyond the body and into every aspect of people\u2019s lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Protesters standing in front of a federal building, holding signs in the shape of graves reading \u0026apos;16 MILLION LIVES\u0026apos; and \u0026apos;R.I.P. DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS,\u0026apos; wearing shirts that read \u0026apos;MEDICAID SAVES LIVES\u0026apos;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAccess to health insurance is a political issue that directly affects patients. Here, care workers gathered in June 2025 to protest Medicaid cuts.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/care-workers-with-the-service-employees-international-union-news-photo\/2221731651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ETasos Katopodis\/Getty Images for SEIU\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOrigins of Medical Sociology in the US\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedical sociology \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/9781444314786.ch1\u0022\u003Eformally began in the U.S after World War II\u003C\/a\u003E, when the National Institutes of Health started investing in joint medical and sociological research projects. Hospitals began hiring sociologists to address questions like how to improve patient compliance, doctor-patient interactions and medical treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the focus of this early work was on issues specific to medicine, such as quality improvement or barriers to medication adherence. The goal was to study problems that could be directly applied in medical settings rather than challenging medical authority or existing inequalities. During that period, sociologists viewed illness mostly as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/socialsystem00pars\/page\/n3\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Edeviation from normal functioning\u003C\/a\u003E leading to impairments that require treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the concept of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/socialsystem00pars\/page\/n3\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Esick role\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 developed by medical sociologist Talcott Parsons in the 1950s \u2013 saw illness as a form of deviance from social roles and expectations. Under this idea, patients were solely responsible for seeking out medical care in order to return to normal functioning in society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the 1960s, sociologists began \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/stigmanotesonman0000goff\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Ecritiquing medical diagnoses and institutions\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers criticized the idea of the sick role because it assumed illnesses were temporary and did not account for chronic conditions or disability, which can last for long periods of time and do not necessarily allow people to deviate from their life obligations. The sick role assumed that all people have access to medical care, and it did not take into account how social characteristics like race, class, gender and age can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1467-9566.1991.tb00522.x\u0022\u003Einfluence a person\u2019s experience of illness\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Patient wearing surgical mask sitting in chair of exam room, talking to a doctor\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=338\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=338\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=338\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=424\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=424\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=424\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EEarly models of illness in medical sociology discounted the experience of the patient.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/man-talks-with-dr-stela-kostova-at-families-together-of-news-photo\/1470350026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EPaul Bersebach\/MediaNews Group\/Orange County Register via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParsons\u2019 sick role concept also emphasized the expertise of the physician rather than the patient\u2019s experience of illness. For example, sociologist Erving Goffman showed that the way \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781351327763\u0022\u003Ecare is structured in asylums shaped how patients are treated\u003C\/a\u003E. He also examined how the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/stigmanotesonman0000goff\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Eexperience of stigma\u003C\/a\u003E is an interactive process that develops in response to social norms. This work influenced how researchers understood chronic illness and disability and laid the groundwork for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1467-9566.2009.01161.x\u0022\u003Elater debates on what counts as pathological or normal\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the 1970s, some researchers began to question the model of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1467-954X.1972.tb00220.x\u0022\u003Emedicine as an institution of social control\u003C\/a\u003E. They critiqued how medicine\u2019s jurisdiction expanded over many societal problems \u2013 such as old age and death \u2013 which were defined and treated as medical problems. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev.so.18.080192.001233\u0022\u003EResearchers were critical of the tendency to medicalize\u003C\/a\u003E and apply labels like \u201chealthy\u201d and \u201cill\u201d to increasing parts of human existence. This shift emphasized how a medical diagnosis can carry political weight and how medical authority can affect social inclusion or exclusion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe critical perspective aligns with critiques from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/09687599.2013.818773\u0022\u003Edisability studies\u003C\/a\u003E. Unlike medical sociology, which emerged through the medical model of disease, disability studies emerged from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/us\/new-politics-of-disablement-9780333945674\/\u0022\u003Edisability rights activism and scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E. Rather than viewing disability as pathological, this field sees disability as a variation of the human condition rooted in social barriers and exclusionary environments. Instead of seeking cures, researchers focus on increasing accessibility, human rights and autonomy for disabled people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA contemporary figure in this field was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/about\/\u0022\u003EAlice Wong\u003C\/a\u003E, a disability rights activist and medical sociologist who \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/obituaries\/2025\/11\/15\/disability-activist-alice-wong\/\u0022\u003Edied in November 2025\u003C\/a\u003E. Her work amplified disabled voices and helped shaped how the public understood disability justice and access to technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStructural Forces Shape Health and Illness\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy focusing on social and structural influences on health, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Emedical sociology has contributed significantly\u003C\/a\u003E to programs addressing issues like segregation, discrimination, poverty, unemployment and underfunded schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, sociological research on racial health disparities invite \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383838\u0022\u003Eneighborhood interventions\u003C\/a\u003E that can help improve overall quality of life by increasing the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/free-school-meals-for-all-may-reduce-childhood-obesity-while-easing-financial-and-logistical-burdens-for-families-and-schools-223270\u0022\u003Eavailability of affordable nutritious foods\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-food-insecurity-152746\u0022\u003Ein underserved neighborhoods\u003C\/a\u003E or initiatives that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/socioeconomic-status-explains-most-of-the-racial-and-ethnic-achievement-gaps-in-elementary-school-237931\u0022\u003Eprioritize equal access to education\u003C\/a\u003E. At the societal level, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Elarge-scale social policies\u003C\/a\u003E such as guaranteed minimum incomes or universal health care can dramatically reduce health inequalities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022People carrying boxes of food under a tent\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=360\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=360\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=360\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=452\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=452\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=452\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAccess to nutritious food is critical to health.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/escondido-ca-juliana-ramos-of-interfaith-community-services-news-photo\/2243706444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EK.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedical sociology has also expanded the understanding of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Ehow health care policies affect health\u003C\/a\u003E, helping ensure that policy changes take into account the broader social context. For example, a key area of medical sociological research is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383504\u0022\u003Erising cost of and limited access to health care\u003C\/a\u003E. This body of work focuses on the complex social and organizational factors of delivering health services. It highlights the need for more state and federal regulatory control as well as investment in groups and communities that need care the most.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern medical sociology ultimately considers all societal issues to be health issues. Improving people\u2019s health and well-being requires improving education, employment, housing, transportation and other social, economic and political policies.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/270258\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/illness-is-more-than-just-biological-medical-sociology-shows-how-social-factors-get-under-the-skin-and-cause-disease-270258\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the way social forces shape health inequalities, medical sociology helps address how health and illness extend beyond the body and into every aspect of people\u2019s lives.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By studying the way social forces shape health inequalities, medical sociology helps address how health and illness extend beyond the body and into every aspect of people\u2019s lives."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-01-08 15:37:58","changed_gmt":"2026-04-06 18:16:40","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678961":{"id":"678961","type":"image","title":"Lack of access to safe and affordable housing is harmful to health. Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELack of access to safe and affordable housing is harmful to health. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/los-angeles-ca-tuesday-may-31-2022-dana-vanderford-news-photo\/1242004141\u0022\u003ERobert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768232345","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 15:39:05","changed":"1768232345","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 15:39:05","alt":"Lack of access to safe and affordable housing is harmful to health. Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263064","name":"file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":239539,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg?itok=J-V7i4lM"}}},"media_ids":["678961"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/illness-is-more-than-just-biological-medical-sociology-shows-how-social-factors-get-under-the-skin-and-cause-disease-270258","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jennifer-singh-2531279\u0022\u003EJennifer Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Sociology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689029":{"#nid":"689029","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Sewage Treatment Plants Could Handle Food Waste, Sparing Landfills and the\u00a0Climate","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery day, food scraps disappear into trash bags, are hauled away and forgotten. But that waste could be turned into something productive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross the United States, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003Eabout 97 million metric tons of food waste\u003C\/a\u003E are discarded each year, of which about 37 million metric tons end up buried in landfills.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce underground, that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/land-research\/quantifying-methane-emissions-landfilled-food-waste\u0022\u003Eorganic material breaks down without oxygen and releases methane\u003C\/a\u003E, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/gmi\/importance-methane\u0022\u003Eshort-lived yet powerful greenhouse gas\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, the nutrients and energy stored in that food are permanently lost. But there is a better way. Research my colleagues and I conducted found that communities across the country already operate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003Efacilities designed to handle organic matter\u003C\/a\u003E: wastewater treatment plants. Many larger, well-funded plants already have the infrastructure to process food waste, though not every plant is ready to do so today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A large truck dumps trash in a massive pile.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721478\/original\/file-20260302-57-kdsgd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ELandfills are not great places to dump food.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/ClimateFoodWasteBans\/4a9aca221b9b4f4fa6ea718c191494f0\/photo\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Damian Dovarganes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELandfills Are Not Designed for Food Waste\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling\/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials\u0022\u003EFood waste\u003C\/a\u003E is fundamentally different from plastics, metals or glass. It\u2019s organic and can decompose naturally. But when it\u2019s placed in a landfill, its decomposition \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/land-research\/quantifying-methane-emissions-landfilled-food-waste\u0022\u003Eemits significant greenhouse gases\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern landfills are designed to capture the methane emitted, but even the most \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/land-research\/quantifying-methane-emissions-landfilled-food-waste\u0022\u003Eefficient systems still allow almost 58%\u003C\/a\u003E to escape into the atmosphere. That food waste could be turned into energy or fertilizer, but instead it contributes to global warming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy contrast, wastewater treatment plants \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003Eprocess sewage using microbial communities\u003C\/a\u003E that naturally break down organic matter. Many also capture \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anl.gov\/article\/tapping-the-potential-of-wastewater-for-a-sustainable-future\u0022\u003Emethane produced during treatment\u003C\/a\u003E and convert it into usable energy. Others \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/21655979.2022.2077894\u0022\u003Erecover nutrients such as phosphorus\u003C\/a\u003E that can be turned into agricultural fertilizer. Over time, many plants have evolved from simple sanitation systems into \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.psep.2025.107980\u0022\u003Eresource-recovery facilities\u003C\/a\u003E that generate power, reclaim materials and reduce environmental pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese existing systems already process organic matter and could handle food waste, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Happens When Food Waste Goes to a Treatment Plant\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur research examined what would happen if \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003Efood waste were sent to wastewater treatment plants\u003C\/a\u003E rather than landfills. We used real data from a full-scale plant that handles food waste along with sewage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we compared greenhouse gas emissions for the same food waste composition, we found that sending food to a landfill would emit 58.2 kilograms (129 pounds) of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of food waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn comparison, we looked at a conventional wastewater treatment plant, the type of plant most common in the U.S. It achieved net-negative emissions of \u20130.03 kilograms (about 1 ounce) of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of food waste treated. The plant captures over 95% of methane, compared to roughly 50% at landfills, saving the atmosphere from additional greenhouse gases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut we found that the advanced treatment plant we studied reduced emissions further. In our analysis, the advanced facility achieved net-negative emissions of \u20130.19 kilograms (about 7 ounces) of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of food waste treated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth conventional and advanced plants achieve these benefits in similar ways. Treating food waste at either type of plant prevents the 58.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton that would otherwise escape from landfills. The plants capture biogas to generate renewable electricity, reducing the need to purchase power from the grid. They also recover enough nutrients to fertilize about 23 acres of farmland annually, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, which require \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climate.mit.edu\/explainers\/fertilizer-and-climate-change\u0022\u003Eenergy-intensive mining and processing\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow the Logistics Work\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A brown plastic bin labeled \u0026apos;food scraps, yard waste.\u0026apos;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721492\/original\/file-20260302-63-9yd2a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ENew York City has a large food waste collection program.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/new-york-citys-new-food-scrap-bins-support-composting-for-news-photo\/2192835316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EDeb Cohn-Orbach\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGetting the food waste to a wastewater plant doesn\u2019t mean people put their food scraps in the drain or grind them up with an in-sink disposal. At the plant we studied, food waste was collected separately, much like recycling or yard waste, and transported by truck to treatment plants. Our emissions calculations don\u2019t include truck emissions, because trucks are used in the other methods of food waste disposal as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome cities already collect food waste by truck to go to composting facilities. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sfenvironment.org\/recycling-composting-faqs\u0022\u003ESan Francisco\u003C\/a\u003E has done so since 1996. And \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dec.ny.gov\/environmental-protection\/recycling-composting\/organic-materials-management\u0022\u003ENew York City\u003C\/a\u003E has the nation\u2019s largest curbside organics collection, which composts food waste from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/assets\/dsny\/downloads\/resources\/reports\/zero-waste-plan\/zero-waste-report-2025.pdf\u0022\u003E3.4 million households\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the southeastern U.S. treatment plant we studied, trucks deliver food waste to a receiving station, where it\u2019s processed to remove plastics, metals and other nonorganic materials before being blended into a slurry with the sewage solids. This mixture is then added to anaerobic digesters \u2013 sealed tanks where microorganisms break down organic material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe methane that is produced is captured to generate electricity and heat. The remaining \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003Esolid material is rich in nutrients\u003C\/a\u003E and can be used to produce useful material, such as fertilizer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also found that adding food waste did not overload the plant or cause problems in its operation. The facility processed all of the county\u2019s landfilled food waste \u2013 107,320 tons annually, representing 38% of the county\u2019s total food waste generation. Because of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/anaerobic-digestion\/anaerobic-digestion-facilities-processing-food-waste-us-2020-2021\u0022\u003Efood waste\u2019s lower density compared to wastewater\u003C\/a\u003E, this added only 0.43% to the plant\u2019s daily capacity. The plant consistently met effluent water regulatory standards. And at certain points, treatment efficiency improved as a result of the additional organic material, which supported the system\u2019s biological processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Economics May Surprise Cities\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocal officials, as well as taxpayers, are often worried about the potential costs of a project like this. Wastewater treatment is already expensive, and communities\u2019 existing plants may be nearing capacity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the economic results from our analysis suggest that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003Ehandling food waste in wastewater treatment plants can be financially viable\u003C\/a\u003E. Towns already pay landfills and incinerators what are called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/692063\/cost-to-landfill-municipal-solid-waste-by-us-region\/\u0022\u003Etipping fees\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d based on the weight of the waste delivered. Wastewater treatment plants can also charge these fees.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey can also sell, or use themselves, the methane produced and sell the fertilizer. That additional income means plants can make money even if they charge lower tipping fees than landfills.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot every wastewater plant is ready to accept food waste immediately. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rineng.2025.108822\u0022\u003EThe facility we analyzed is large and well equipped\u003C\/a\u003E. Smaller operations would likely require new or upgraded equipment, which would involve planning and local investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe overall finding of our research is that the limitation isn\u2019t technological or financial. The core systems already exist to transform food waste into a recoverable resource: Cities already handle organic material every day. And they operate complex biological treatment systems. Our evidence suggests these facilities could, in fact, handle food waste in ways that are environmentally beneficial and economically realistic.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/275529\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-sewage-treatment-plants-could-handle-food-waste-sparing-landfills-and-the-climate-275529\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery day, food scraps disappear into trash bags, are hauled away and forgotten. But that waste could be turned into something productive.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Every day, food scraps disappear into trash bags, are hauled away and forgotten. But that waste could be turned into something productive."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-13 17:18:08","changed_gmt":"2026-04-06 17:35:50","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679686":{"id":"679686","type":"image","title":" Treatment plants can capture over 95% of methane from food waste, compared to about 50% at landfills. Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETreatment plants can capture over 95% of methane from food waste, compared to about 50% at landfills. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/in-an-aerial-view-pools-of-water-are-visible-at-the-east-news-photo\/2099926548\u0022\u003EJustin Sullivan\/Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1773925185","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 12:59:45","changed":"1773925185","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 12:59:45","alt":" Treatment plants can capture over 95% of methane from food waste, compared to about 50% at landfills. Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263876","name":"file-20260302-63-43jh51.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260302-63-43jh51.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260302-63-43jh51.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":680708,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260302-63-43jh51.jpg?itok=NHXFlf7h"}}},"media_ids":["679686"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-sewage-treatment-plants-could-handle-food-waste-sparing-landfills-and-the-climate-275529","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/ahmed-ibrahim-yunus-2418775\u0022\u003EAhmed Ibrahim Yunus\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/joe-frank-bozeman-iii-1460712\u0022\u003EJoe Frank Bozeman III\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Public Policy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689014":{"#nid":"689014","#data":{"type":"news","title":"US Military Leans Into AI for Attack on Iran, But the Tech Doesn\u2019t Lessen the Need for Human Judgment In\u00a0War","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. military was able \u201cto strike a blistering 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours of its attack on Iran\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2026\/03\/04\/anthropic-ai-iran-campaign\/\u0022\u003Ethanks in part to its use of artificial intelligence\u003C\/a\u003E, according to The Washington Post. The military has used Claude, the AI tool from Anthropic, combined with Palantir\u2019s Maven system, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/national-security\/pentagon-used-anthropics-claude-in-maduro-venezuela-raid-583aff17\u0022\u003Efor real-time targeting and target prioritization\u003C\/a\u003E in support of combat operations in Iran and Venezuela.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Claude is only a few years old, the U.S. military\u2019s ability to use it, or any other AI, did not emerge overnight. The effective use of automated systems depends on extensive infrastructure and skilled personnel. It is only thanks to many decades of investment and experience that the U.S. can use AI in war today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my experience as an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=Lde9BAgAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Einternational relations scholar\u003C\/a\u003E studying strategic technology at Georgia Tech, and previously as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornellpress.cornell.edu\/book\/9781501749568\/information-technology-and-military-power\/\u0022\u003EI find\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornellpress.cornell.edu\/book\/9781501783234\/age-of-deception\u0022\u003Edigital systems\u003C\/a\u003E are only as good as the organizations that use them. Some organizations squander the potential of advanced technologies, while others can compensate for technological weaknesses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMyth and Reality in Military AI\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScience fiction tales of military AI are often misleading. Popular ideas of killer robots and drone swarms tend to overstate the autonomy of AI systems and understate the role of human beings. Success, or failure, in war usually depends not on machines but the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/paperback\/9780691128023\/military-power\u0022\u003Epeople who use them\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the real world, military AI refers to a huge collection of different systems and tasks. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.55163\/YQBY3151\u0022\u003Etwo main categories\u003C\/a\u003E are automated weapons and decision support systems. Automated weapon systems have some ability to select or engage targets by themselves. These weapons are more often the subject of science fiction and the focus of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Responsible-Use-of-AI-in-Military-Systems\/Schraagen\/p\/book\/9781032531168\u0022\u003Econsiderable debate\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDecision support systems, in contrast, are now at the heart of most modern militaries. These are software applications that provide intelligence and planning information to human personnel. Many military applications of AI, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/tech\/ai\/how-ai-is-turbocharging-the-war-in-iran-aca59002\u0022\u003Eincluding in current and recent wars in the Middle East\u003C\/a\u003E, are for decision support systems rather than weapons. Modern combat organizations rely on countless digital applications for intelligence analysis, campaign planning, battle management, communications, logistics, administration and cybersecurity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClaude is an example of a decision support system, not a weapon. Claude is embedded in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wwnorton.com\/books\/9781324123316\u0022\u003EMaven Smart System\u003C\/a\u003E, used widely by military, intelligence and law enforcement organizations. Maven uses AI algorithms to identify potential targets from satellite and other intelligence data, and Claude helps military planners sort the information and decide on targets and priorities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Israeli \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2024\/apr\/03\/israel-gaza-ai-database-hamas-airstrikes\u0022\u003ELavender and Gospel\u003C\/a\u003E systems used in the Gaza war and elsewhere are also decision support systems. These AI applications provide analytical and planning support, but human beings ultimately make the decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9NAUvsABm3k?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EResearcher Craig Jones explains how the U.S. military is using artificial intelligence in its attack on Iran, and some of the issues that arise from its use.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Long History of Military AI\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWeapons with some degree of autonomy have been used in war for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/global.oup.com\/academic\/product\/the-hand-behind-unmanned-9780190064389\u0022\u003Ewell over a century\u003C\/a\u003E. Nineteenth-century naval mines exploded on contact. German buzz bombs in World War II were gyroscopically guided. Homing torpedoes and heat-seeking missiles alter their trajectory to intercept maneuvering targets. Many air defense systems, such as Israel\u2019s Iron Dome and the U.S. Patriot system, have long offered fully automatic modes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornellpress.cornell.edu\/book\/9781501783838\/the-remote-revolution\u0022\u003ERobotic drones\u003C\/a\u003E became prevalent in the wars of the 21st century. Uncrewed systems now perform a variety of \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/HRI61500.2025.10974142\u0022\u003Edull, dirty and dangerous\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d tasks on land, at sea, in the air and in orbit. Remotely piloted vehicles like the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper or Israeli Hermes 900, which can loiter autonomously for many hours, provide a platform for reconnaissance and strikes. Combatants in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ig.ft.com\/ukraine-kill-zone\/\u0022\u003ERussia-Ukraine war\u003C\/a\u003E have pioneered the use of first-person view drones as kamikaze munitions. Some drones rely on AI to acquire targets because electronic jamming precludes remote control by human operators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut systems that automate reconnaissance and strikes are merely the most visible parts of the automation revolution. The ability to see farther and hit faster dramatically increases the information processing burden on military organizations. This is where decision support systems come in. If automated weapons improve the eyes and arms of a military, decision support systems augment the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECold War era \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apps.dtic.mil\/sti\/tr\/pdf\/ADA421917.pdf\u0022\u003Ecommand and control\u003C\/a\u003E systems anticipated modern decision support systems such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ynetnews.com\/magazine\/article\/bkhsmzjyzg\u0022\u003EIsrael\u2019s AI-enabled Tzayad\u003C\/a\u003E for battle management. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262550284\/the-closed-world\/\u0022\u003EAutomation research projects\u003C\/a\u003E like the United States\u2019 Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE, in the 1950s produced important innovations in computer memory and interfaces. In the U.S. war in Vietnam, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1353\/jmh.0.0024\u0022\u003EIgloo White\u003C\/a\u003E gathered intelligence data into a centralized computer for coordinating U.S. airstrikes on North Vietnamese supply lines. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262529266\/strategic-computing\/\u0022\u003Estrategic computing\u003C\/a\u003E program in the 1980s spurred advances in semiconductors and expert systems. Indeed, defense funding originally enabled the rise of AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOrganizations Enable Automated Warfare\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAutomated weapons and decision support systems rely on complementary organizational innovation. From the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openlibrary.org\/books\/OL5205631M\/The_electronic_battlefield\u0022\u003EElectronic Battlefield\u003C\/a\u003E of Vietnam to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apps.dtic.mil\/sti\/tr\/pdf\/ADA202888.pdf\u0022\u003EAirLand Battle\u003C\/a\u003E doctrine of the late Cold War and later concepts of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usni.org\/magazines\/proceedings\/1998\/january\/network-centric-warfare-its-origin-and-future\u0022\u003Enetwork-centric warfare\u003C\/a\u003E, the U.S. military has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sup.org\/books\/politics\/culture-military-innovation\u0022\u003Edeveloped new ideas and organizational concepts\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticularly noteworthy is the emergence of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/us.macmillan.com\/books\/9781466876224\/relentlessstrike\/\u0022\u003Enew style of special operations\u003C\/a\u003E during the U.S. global war on terrorism. AI-enabled decision support systems became invaluable for finding terrorist operatives, planning raids to kill or capture them, and analyzing intelligence collected in the process. Systems like Maven became essential for this style of counterterrorism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impressive \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/9fae8d27-19ee-437a-8be7-9bceae973001\u0022\u003EAmerican way of war\u003C\/a\u003E on display in Venezuela and Iran is the fruition of decades of trial and error. The U.S. military has honed complex processes for gathering intelligence from many sources, analyzing target systems, evaluating options for attacking them, coordinating joint operations and assessing bomb damage. The only reason AI can be used throughout the targeting cycle is that countless human personnel everywhere work to keep it running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI gives rise to important concerns about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cset.georgetown.edu\/publication\/ai-safety-and-automation-bias\/\u0022\u003Eautomation bias\u003C\/a\u003E, or the tendency for people to give excessive weight to automated decisions, in military targeting. But these are not new concerns. Igloo White was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262550284\/the-closed-world\/\u0022\u003Eoften misled\u003C\/a\u003E by Vietnamese decoys. A state-of-the-art U.S. Aegis cruiser \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/paperback\/9780691002477\/trapped-in-the-net\u0022\u003Eaccidentally shot down\u003C\/a\u003E an Iranian airliner in 1988. Intelligence mistakes led U.S. stealth bombers to accidentally strike the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornellpress.cornell.edu\/book\/9781501749568\/information-technology-and-military-power\/\u0022\u003EChinese embassy\u003C\/a\u003E in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1999.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany Iraqi and Afghan civilians died due to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0162243917703463\u0022\u003Eanalytical mistakes\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0162243917727353\u0022\u003Ecultural biases\u003C\/a\u003E within the U.S. military. Most recently, evidence suggests that a Tomahawk cruise missile \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/05\/world\/middleeast\/iran-school-us-strikes-naval-base.html\u0022\u003Estruck a girls school\u003C\/a\u003E adjacent to an Iranian naval base, killing about 175 people, mostly students. This targeting could have resulted from a U.S. intelligence failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAutomated Prediction Needs Human Judgment\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe successes and failures of decision support systems in war are due more to organizational factors than technology. AI can help organizations improve their efficiency, but AI can also amplify organizational biases. While it may be tempting to blame Lavender for excessive civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/26\/world\/middleeast\/israel-hamas-gaza-bombing.html\u0022\u003Elax Israeli rules of engagement\u003C\/a\u003E likely matter more than automation bias.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the name implies, decision support systems support human decision-making; AI does not replace people. Human personnel still play important roles in designing, managing, interpreting, validating, evaluating, repairing and protecting their systems and data flows. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/hardcover\/9780691265148\/ai-automation-and-war\u0022\u003ECommanders still command\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn economic terms, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/books\/book\/4564\/The-Promise-of-Artificial-IntelligenceReckoning\u0022\u003EAI improves prediction\u003C\/a\u003E, which means generating new data based on existing data. But prediction is only one part of decision-making. People ultimately make the judgments that matter about what to predict and how to use predictions. People have preferences, values and commitments regarding real-world outcomes, but AI systems \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/books\/book\/4564\/The-Promise-of-Artificial-IntelligenceReckoning\u0022\u003Eintrinsically do not\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my view, this means that increasing military use of AI is actually making \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/isec_a_00425\u0022\u003Ehumans more important in war\u003C\/a\u003E, not less.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/277831\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-military-leans-into-ai-for-attack-on-iran-but-the-tech-doesnt-lessen-the-need-for-human-judgment-in-war-277831\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDigital systems are only as good as the organizations that use them. Some organizations squander the potential of advanced technologies, while others can compensate for technological weaknesses.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Digital systems are only as good as the organizations that use them. Some organizations squander the potential of advanced technologies, while others can compensate for technological weaknesses."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-11 15:21:47","changed_gmt":"2026-04-06 17:35:32","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679670":{"id":"679670","type":"image","title":" black and white aerial view of an airfield AI is helping U.S. forces find and choose targets in Iran, like this airfield. U.S. Central Command via AP","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022black and white aerial view of an airfield\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI is helping U.S. forces find and choose targets in Iran, like this airfield. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/IranUSIsrael\/e22cbe9b12c7435b9d6b2e9dac131fd5\/photo?vs=false\u0026amp;currentItemNo=32\u0026amp;startingItemNo=150\u0022\u003EU.S. Central Command via AP\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1773852352","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 16:45:52","changed":"1773852352","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 16:45:52","alt":" black and white aerial view of an airfield AI is helping U.S. forces find and choose targets in Iran, like this airfield. U.S. Central Command via AP","file":{"fid":"263859","name":"file-20260310-69-smke4w.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260310-69-smke4w.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260310-69-smke4w.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":349331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260310-69-smke4w.jpg?itok=KxNWX1rr"}}},"media_ids":["679670"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-military-leans-into-ai-for-attack-on-iran-but-the-tech-doesnt-lessen-the-need-for-human-judgment-in-war-277831","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jon-r-lindsay-2615502\u0022\u003EJon R. Lindsay\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of Cybersecurity and Privacy and of International Affairs, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689015":{"#nid":"689015","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Successful USDA Program That Has Supported More Than 533,000 Affordable Rental Homes in Rural America is Getting Phased\u00a0Out","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/rent-apartments-cities-near-me-biggest-increases\/\u0022\u003EThe high cost of renting and buying homes in U.S. cities\u003C\/a\u003E is no secret. But this affordability problem isn\u2019t limited to urban regions \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/research\/2025\/06\/the-deterioration-of-housing-affordability-in-rural-america\/\u0022\u003Eit affects rural areas as well\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERural areas, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fhfa.gov\/blog\/insights\/who-lives-in-rural-america\u0022\u003Ehome to about 25% of Americans\u003C\/a\u003E, benefit from federally supported rental housing programs \u2013 particularly a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to provide affordable homes for low-income residents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ruralhome.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/storage\/documents\/rd515rental.pdf\u0022\u003EUSDA\u2019s Section 515 program\u003C\/a\u003E is the primary way that the U.S. government finances affordable rental homes in rural communities. Since its inception in 1963, the program has supported the construction of over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pfs2.acl.gov\/strapib\/assets\/Rural_Housing_Programs_Chapter_Summary_50076d51da.pdf\u0022\u003E533,000 apartments, townhouses\u003C\/a\u003E and other small, multifamily rental homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program offers below-market-rate loans to private and nonprofit developers who build and manage residential housing for low-income residents in small towns and rural counties. The terms of the deal between property owners and the government obliges these landlords to keep rents affordable for their occupants for decades, generally restricting rent to about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hudexchange.info\/programs\/home\/home-income-limits\/\u0022\u003E30% of tenants\u2019 income\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELast New Loans Were in 2011\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople who live in Section 515 housing typically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ruralhousingcoalition.org\/section-515-rural-rental-housing-loans\/#:%7E:text=The%20USDA%20says%20that%20Section%20515%20housing,more%20than%20$325%20per%20unit%20per%20month\u0022\u003Epay around US$325 per month\u003C\/a\u003E. That\u2019s much less than rural market-rate rents, which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.apartments.com\/blog\/states-with-the-cheapest-rent\u0022\u003Etypically run $800-$1,100 per month\u003C\/a\u003E for modest homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nlihc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/AG-2025\/4-131_USDA-Rural-Rental-Housing-Programs.pdf\u0022\u003EUSDA stopped issuing new Section 515 loans in 2011\u003C\/a\u003E, this arrangement is phasing out now as existing loans mature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELoans for about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ruralhome.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/storage\/documents\/publications\/rrreports\/rental_housing_for_a_21st_century_rural_america_ui.pdf\u0022\u003E90% of all remaining Section 515 homes\u003C\/a\u003E will mature by 2045, according to the Housing\u2002Assistance Council, a national nonprofit that supports affordable housing efforts throughout rural America. By 2050, the owners of nearly all properties currently in the program\u2019s portfolio are projected to have paid off their mortgages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd once most of the owners of these homes exit the Section 515 program, it will have been fully phased out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\u0022tc-infographic-datawrapper\u0022 style=\u0022border-width:0;\u0022 id=\u00226NXiF\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/6NXiF\/1\/\u0022 height=\u0022400px\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 scrolling=\u0022no\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAn Often-Overlooked Housing Program\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003Epublic policy professor who studies housing\u003C\/a\u003E, I wanted to understand what happens when Section 515 loans mature. I also was interested in what determines whether properties remain affordable or leave the program after the loans are paid off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find out, I worked with three other housing policy researchers on a national study that was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10511482.2025.2531878\u0022\u003Epeer-reviewed and published\u003C\/a\u003E in Housing Policy Debate in September 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of 2024, these loans were still supporting \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pfs2.acl.gov\/strapib\/assets\/Rural_Housing_Programs_Chapter_Summary_50076d51da.pdf\u0022\u003Esome 400,000 homes\u003C\/a\u003E on almost \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/32-2024-RHS.pdf\u0022\u003E13,000 properties\u003C\/a\u003E across \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/media\/file\/download\/hac-mfh-ta-fact-sheet.pdf\u0022\u003E87% of all U.S. counties\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe roughly 750,000 Americans in those homes are among the nation\u2019s poorest. The average household income of someone living in Section 515 housing in 2023 was just about $16,000 per year, which was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/4655566-median-household-income-in-october-2023\u0022\u003Eonly about one-fifth of the national median household income\u003C\/a\u003E, which hovered around $76,600 during the same period in inflation-adjusted 2023 dollars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to having a very low income, more than 60% of the people enrolled in the program are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nhlp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rural-Preservation-Handbook.pdf\u0022\u003Eover 62, have disabilities, or fall into both\u003C\/a\u003E of those categories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMarket-Rate Options After Maturity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vast majority of these affordable rental homes were built in the 1970s through the 1990s and financed with USDA loans that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cura.umn.edu\/research\/usda-section-515-program-quantitative-analysis\u0022\u003Elast between 30 and 50 years\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy 2050, there will be no Section 515 housing left.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe owners of these rental properties no longer have to keep rents affordable once they have paid off their loans. And their owners and tenants may also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/programs-services\/multifamily-housing-programs\/multifamily-housing-rental-assistancee\u0022\u003Elose access to a USDA rental assistance\u003C\/a\u003E program, which helps keep tenants\u2019 housing costs low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey can refinance the homes or sell\u2002the properties. They also can continue to charge affordable rents to occupants or convert those units to market rate. Because of this flexibility, a large share of rural affordable housing units could soon be converted to properties rented at market rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the Data Shows So Far\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor this study, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10511482.2025.2531878\u0022\u003Eour research team analyzed data\u003C\/a\u003E from nearly 15,000 of the Section 515 properties throughout the country, which have been placed in service since 1963 \u2013 including many that are no longer providing rural affordable housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe found that the largest factors determining whether a building remains affordable after a Section 515 loan matures are who owns and manages\u2002that property. Buildings owned by for-profit companies are far more likely to leave the program than those that belong to nonprofit housing organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENonprofit-owned\u2002buildings, after accounting for building age and local market conditions, are 30% to 40% less likely to convert formerly Section 515 affordable housing into market-rate properties after the owners pay off their loans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter analyzing this data, we also concluded that buildings run by small property management companies are more likely to leave the program than those managed by larger ones. Properties where the owner manages the homes are also more likely to exit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELandlords owning more residential properties were also more likely to exit the program. This indicates that larger landlords may be able to afford the renovations and upgrades required to turn their buildings into market-rate housing once restrictions end.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;rect=0%2C124%2C8256%2C4644\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A symbolic wooden house, containg a stack of $1 bills and a money bag with a dollar symbol, sits next to an alarm clock in a grocery cart.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;rect=0%2C124%2C8256%2C4644\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=356\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=356\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=356\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ETime is running out on the nation\u2019s main affordable housing program in rural areas.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/symbolic-wooden-house-a-stack-of-us1-bills-and-a-royalty-free-image\/2206515182?adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EMax Zolotukhin\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Subsidies and Local Markets Matter\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving subsidies through other government programs can help keep affordable housing units from being converted to market-rate housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne-third of Section 515 properties also get support from other programs, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/helping-americans\/housing-choice-vouchers-tenants\u0022\u003ESection 8 vouchers\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.novoco.com\/resource-centers\/affordable-housing-tax-credits\/about-lihtc\u0022\u003Elow-income housing tax credits\u003C\/a\u003E. Those tax credits are another federal incentive that\u2019s provided to developers who build and rehabilitate affordable rental housing while allowing lower rents for low-income tenants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose properties are more likely to remain affordable, even years after some of these tax incentives expire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocal economic conditions can play a role too. In areas with high unemployment rates, large military populations and low housing inventory, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10511482.2025.2531878\u0022\u003Eproperties are also more likely to exit\u003C\/a\u003E the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat means the same rural counties experiencing economic or demographic pressures are often the most likely to have a decline in affordable housing units when owners pay off their Section 515 loans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESteps That Can Be Taken\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECongress and the USDA have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.us-hc.com\/blogs\/rhs-makes-funds-available-for-section-515-demonstration-program\/\u0022\u003Etaken some steps\u003C\/a\u003E to slow the loss of affordable housing in rural areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the USDA has funded preservation efforts such as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/programs-services\/multifamily-housing-programs\/multifamily-preservation-and-revitalization-mpr\u0022\u003EMultifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization\u003C\/a\u003E pilot program, which provides grants, loan restructuring and other financing tools to help repair aging Section 515 properties and extend their affordability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese efforts have helped preserve some buildings and support ownership transfers from private sector landlords to nonprofit housing groups. But they spend only tens of millions of dollars per year and focus mainly on maintaining existing properties rather than building new housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers estimate that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs_external_products\/R\/PDF\/R47044\/R47044.1.pdf\u0022\u003Eabout $5.6 billion in repairs\u003C\/a\u003E would be needed to preserve the affordable housing currently tied to the Section 515 program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome lawmakers have proposed reforms aimed at doing more than chipping away at the loss of this kind of affordable housing. The bipartisan \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.naco.org\/news\/congressional-leaders-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-protect-rural-housing\u0022\u003ERural Housing Service Reform Act\u003C\/a\u003E, first introduced in 2023 and reintroduced in 2025, would modernize USDA rural housing programs and allow certain rental assistance contracts to continue after mortgages mature. As of early 2026, the bill remains under consideration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next two decades, most of these landlords will pay off their Section 515 loans. Unless the government reinvigorates the program or replaces it with something else, much of rural America\u2019s affordable rental housing could gradually disappear as owners convert all Section 515 properties to market-rate housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether rural communities retain affordable housing will depend not only on what the federal government does, but also on the properties\u2019 owners.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/273637\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-successful-usda-program-that-has-supported-more-than-533-000-affordable-rental-homes-in-rural-america-is-getting-phased-out-273637\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe high cost of renting and buying homes in U.S. cities is no secret. But this affordability problem isn\u2019t limited to urban regions \u2013 it affects rural areas as well.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The high cost of renting and buying homes in U.S. cities is no secret. But this affordability problem isn\u2019t limited to urban regions \u2013 it affects rural areas as well."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 17:07:54","changed_gmt":"2026-04-06 17:35:07","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679671":{"id":"679671","type":"image","title":"Low-income Americans in rural areas can struggle to pay market-rate rents. mphillips007\/iStock via Getty Images Plus","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELow-income Americans in rural areas can struggle to pay market-rate rents. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/housing-market-inflation-and-interest-rates-royalty-free-image\/1395524032?adppopup=true\u0022\u003Emphillips007\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773853784","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 17:09:44","changed":"1773853784","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 17:09:44","alt":"Low-income Americans in rural areas can struggle to pay market-rate rents. mphillips007\/iStock via Getty Images Plus","file":{"fid":"263860","name":"file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125948,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg?itok=Yq-cZ8Mz"}}},"media_ids":["679671"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-successful-usda-program-that-has-supported-more-than-533-000-affordable-rental-homes-in-rural-america-is-getting-phased-out-273637","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/brian-y-an-1461778\u0022\u003EBrian Y. An\u003C\/a\u003E, Co-Director of Center for Urban Research, Director of Master of Science in Public Policy Program, and Assistant Professor of Public Policy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689444":{"#nid":"689444","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why the Strait of Hormuz Is More Than an Energy Crisis ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERising oil and gasoline prices have been the center of attention since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But that immediate effect tells only part of the story. Because oil and gas underpin production, transportation, and logistics, higher energy costs will gradually move through supply chains \u2014 meaning the most significant economic consequences may not appear for months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe effects move slowly and appear in places people do not connect to energy,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tibor-besedes\u0022\u003ETibor Besedes\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Economics. \u201cOil and natural gas are part of the cost structure for an enormous range of goods.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows through the waterway linking the Persian Gulf to world markets. When that flow is constrained, the impact ripples outward across industries most people never associate with an energy crisis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn complex supply chains, a disruption in one critical link, even if only briefly, can cascade through the system, well beyond the initial event,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022\u003EPinar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E, chair and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. \u201cAs delays persist and compound, interconnected systems often take a long time to recover, rebalance, and return to normal.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrice Pressures That Arrive Quietly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly effects are already visible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJet fuel availability is tightening, and diesel prices are rising across Asia. China has ordered refineries to stop exporting fuel, creating shortages that are increasing shipping costs for U.S. imports, from consumer electronics to pharmaceuticals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe strait is also a key corridor for naphtha, a feedstock used to produce plastics, packaging, solvents, textiles, and pharmaceutical components. Roughly 85% of Middle Eastern polyethylene exports move through the strait.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cConsumers won\u0027t see the effect of this quickly,\u201d Besedes says, \u201cbut the longer the strait is closed, the higher the cost will be of all of these products naphtha is used for.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAluminum is equally exposed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSmelters require sustained, low-cost energy,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of the practice in the Stewart School. \u201cThe Middle East accounted for roughly 21% of U.S. unwrought aluminum imports in 2025. When energy prices spike or supply is constrained, capacity is reduced or shut down, and those decisions are difficult and slow to reverse.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFertilizer is one of the clearest examples of delayed inflation. Natural gas is essential for its production, and Persian Gulf states account for one-third of global urea exports and half of global sulfur exports. Urea prices at the New Orleans import hub have already climbed sharply.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe won\u0027t see the effects quickly, but rather in six to 12 months, depending on the crop and its cycle,\u201d Besedes says. \u201cWithout or with less fertilizer, crop yields will decrease, resulting in higher prices.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Hormuz Is Different From Other Chokepoints\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn top of all those factors, the strait closure presents a uniquely dangerous vulnerability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnlike a port strike or canal blockage, there is no meaningful way to reroute volume,\u201d says Gaffney. \u201cIf it is disrupted, flow is constrained rather than redirected.\u201d Pipeline alternatives replace only a fraction of the 20 million barrels per day that normally transit the strait.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChoke point vulnerability arises when a large portion of flow depends on a route that is hard to substitute,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/mathieu-dahan\u0022\u003EMathieu Dahan\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Stewart School. \u201cHormuz has no scalable alternatives with sufficient capacity.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/alan-erera\u0022\u003EAlan Erera\u003C\/a\u003E, senior associate chair in the Stewart School expanded on Dahan\u2019s point, noting that strait disruptions raise costs across manufacturing and distribution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cShips are rerouted onto longer paths, which drives up fuel and labor costs, ties up vessels and containers for longer periods, and ultimately raises inventory costs for shippers because capital is locked up while goods are still in transit,\u201d Erera said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen Geopolitics Meets Global Supply Chains\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the strait closure raises the risk of wartime miscalculation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen a disruption on this scale since the tanker wars of the late 1980s,\u201d said Larry Rubin, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Gulf states\u0027 dependence on the strait constrains both regional actors and U.S. strategy, raising risks around crisis decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERubin also points to a dimension most coverage has missed entirely. \u201cOne thing that has been overlooked by many commentators is the fact that the Iranian people have probably been hit the hardest economically,\u201d he says. \u201cThey were already in a challenging situation. The Iranian economy won\u0027t recover quickly after the war.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResilience Has a Short Memory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, for the United States, \u201cThe Strategic Petroleum Reserve provides a buffer, and domestic energy production has improved resilience,\u201d says Gaffney. \u201cBut the gap remains between enabling capacity and sustaining resilience. Policy can support infrastructure, but it cannot ensure private sector participants invest in resilience when cost pressures rise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor policymakers and industry leaders, the disruption reinforces a familiar pattern. \u0022The supply chain remains optimized for efficiency rather than resilience, in part due to the high investment costs required to build flexibility,\u0022 says Dahan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaffney added that resilience does improve after disruption, but that \u201cit erodes over time if not actively maintained.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven if the strait reopens, higher costs and slow restart timelines mean the system will not snap back. Experts suggest that when headlines have moved on from this disruption, it will still be shaping prices across the economy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe closure of the Strait of Hormuz is sending shockwaves far beyond rising gas prices, threatening to reshape global supply chains for months or even years to come. With roughly 20% of the world\u0027s oil and liquefied natural gas flowing through this critical chokepoint, disruptions are already rippling across industries from plastics and pharmaceuticals to aluminum, fertilizers, and consumer electronics. Unlike other trade disruptions, the strait offers no scalable rerouting alternatives, forcing longer shipping paths that drive up fuel, labor, and inventory costs worldwide. Experts warn that the most severe economic consequences \u2014 including higher food prices, reduced crop yields, and costlier manufactured goods \u2014 may not surface for six to twelve months, long after headlines have moved on. As global supply chains remain optimized for efficiency over resilience, the Hormuz crisis exposes just how vulnerable interconnected economies are to a single point of failure in international energy trade.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts warn that disruptions at the world\u0027s most critical energy choke point will ripple far beyond oil and gas prices. "}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-04-03 15:45:08","changed_gmt":"2026-04-03 17:36:56","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679846":{"id":"679846","type":"image","title":"Strait of Hormuz","body":null,"created":"1775237120","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 17:25:20","changed":"1775237252","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 17:27:32","alt":"Image of a map of Iran, with a magnifying glass over the Strait of Hormuz","file":{"fid":"264054","name":"Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":255785,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg?itok=98t95NPB"}}},"media_ids":["679846"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"194979","name":"strait of hormuz"},{"id":"8319","name":"iran"},{"id":"194980","name":"iran conflict"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689051":{"#nid":"689051","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Smarter, Faster, and More Human: A Leap Toward General-Purpose Robots","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobots are increasingly learning new skills by watching people. From folding laundry to handling food, many real-world, humanlike tasks are too nuanced to be efficiently programmed step by step.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith imitation learning, humans demonstrate a task and robots learn to copy what they see through cameras and sensors. While at the leading edge of robotics research, this approach is limited by a major constraint: Robots can only work as fast as the people who taught them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Georgia Tech researchers have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2506.11948\u0022\u003Ecreated a tool\u003C\/a\u003E that smashes that speed barrier. The system allows robots to execute complex tasks significantly faster than human demonstrations while maintaining precision, control, and safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team addresses a central challenge in modern robotics: how to combine the flexibility of learning from humans with the speed and reliability required for real-world deployment. The technology could lead to wider adoption of imitation learning in industrial and household applications and even enable robots to execute humanlike tasks better than ever before.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe thing we\u2019re trying to create \u2014 and I would argue industry is also trying to create \u2014 is a general-purpose robot that can do any task that human hands can do,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/18047\u0022\u003EShreyas Kousik\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and a co-lead author on the study. \u201cTo make that work outside the lab, speed really matters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new tool, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nadunranawaka1.github.io\/sail-policy\/\u0022\u003ESAIL\u003C\/a\u003E (Speed Adaptation for Imitation Learning), was born out of a cross-campus, interdisciplinary collaboration that brought together expertise in mechanical engineering, robotics systems, and machine learning. The research team includes Kousik; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/benjamin-joffe\u0022\u003EBenjamin Joffe\u003C\/a\u003E, senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/17511\u0022\u003EDanfei Xu\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Interactive Computing, along with graduate students and researchers from multiple labs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpeed Without Sacrifice\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeaching robots to work faster than the speed of human demonstrations is challenging. Robots can behave differently at higher speeds, and small changes in the environment can cause errors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe challenge is that a robot is limited to the data it was trained on, and any changes in the environment can cause it to fail,\u201d Kousik said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESAIL addresses this challenge through a modular approach, with separate components working together to accelerate beyond the training data. The system keeps motions smooth at high speed, tracks movements accurately, adjusts speed dynamically based on task complexity, and schedules actions to account for hardware delays. This combination allows robots to move quickly while staying stable, coordinated, and precise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the gaps we saw was that our academic robotics systems could do impressive things, but they weren\u2019t fast or robust enough for practical use,\u201d Joffe said. \u201cWe wanted to study that gap carefully and design a system that addressed it end to end.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added, \u201cThe goal is not just to make robots faster, but to make them smart enough to know when speed helps and when it could cause mistakes.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team evaluated SAIL\u2019s performance across 12 tasks, both in simulation and on two physical robot platforms. Tasks included stacking cups, folding cloth, plating fruit, packing food items, and wiping a whiteboard. In most cases, SAIL-enabled robots completed tasks three to four times faster than standard imitation-learning systems without losing accuracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne exception was the whiteboard-wiping task, where maintaining contact made high-speed execution difficult.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cUnderstanding where speed helps and where it hurts is critical,\u201d Kousik said. \u201cSometimes slowing down is the right decision.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile SAIL does not make robots universally adaptable on its own, it represents an important step toward robotic systems that can learn from humans without being constrained by human pace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy showing how learned robotic behaviors can be accelerated safely and systematically, SAIL brings imitation learning closer to real-world use \u2014 where speed, precision, and reliability all matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECitation: Ranawaka Arachchige, et. al. \u201cSAIL: Faster-than-Demonstration Execution of Imitation Learning Policies,\u201d Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL), 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.48550\/arXiv.2506.11948\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.48550\/arXiv.2506.11948\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding: The authors would like to acknowledge the State of Georgia and the Agricultural Technology Research Program at Georgia Tech for supporting the work described in this paper.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew AI system lets robots work faster than their human teachers without sacrificing accuracy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New AI system lets robots work faster than their human teachers without sacrificing accuracy."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2026-03-19 15:38:45","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 17:45:33","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679690":{"id":"679690","type":"image","title":"robot-med.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPancake-flipping robots could be just around the corner thanks to a new robot learning system from Georgia Tech. (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773934781","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 15:39:41","changed":"1773937931","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 16:32:11","alt":"A white humanoid robot holds a blue pan while standing in a kitchen with a green backsplash","file":{"fid":"263881","name":"robot-med.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/robot-med.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/robot-med.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2989840,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/robot-med.png?itok=2EUbFZa1"}},"679687":{"id":"679687","type":"video","title":" SAIL System Brings Us Closer to General-Purpose Robots","body":null,"created":"1773933476","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 15:17:56","changed":"1773933476","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 15:17:56","video":{"youtube_id":"c1MbisHP75w","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/c1MbisHP75w"}}},"media_ids":["679690","679687"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"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\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689255":{"#nid":"689255","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u0027Welcome to the Future!\u0027 Artemis II Set for Launch to the Moon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf all goes according to plan, humans will head toward the moon this week for the first time since 1972. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENASA\u2019s Artemis II is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. Four astronauts will slingshot around the moon before landing in the Pacific Ocean after a 10-day mission.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe launch has captivated the Georgia Tech space community, both here on campus and within the alumni base. Several Georgia Tech graduates have key roles in the Artemis program.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOn the eve of this next chapter of lunar exploration, several current and former Yellow Jackets discuss why Artemis II matters, what excites them about the mission, and what happens next.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/welcome-future-artemis-ii-set-launch-moon\u0022\u003ERead the entire story on the College of Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech alumni, including some with NASA leadership roles in this week\u2019s launch, reflect on the first crewed launch to the moon in more than 50 years. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the eve of this next chapter of lunar exploration, several current and former Yellow Jackets discuss why Artemis II matters, what excites them about the mission, and what happens next.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"On the eve of this next chapter of lunar exploration, several current and former Yellow Jackets discuss why Artemis II matters, what excites them about the mission, and what happens next. "}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 13:55:24","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 13:16:03","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679795":{"id":"679795","type":"image","title":"Artemis II on Launch Pad","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECredit: NASA\/John Kraus\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774965547","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 13:59:07","changed":"1774965547","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 13:59:07","alt":"rocket on the launch pad with full moon in background ","file":{"fid":"263998","name":"moon-and-pad-1--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/moon-and-pad-1--1-_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/moon-and-pad-1--1-_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":161880,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/moon-and-pad-1--1-_2.jpg?itok=sBE4OCro"}}},"media_ids":["679795"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"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\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689354":{"#nid":"689354","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Celebrating Earth Month at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApril is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/earth-month\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Month\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. Coordinated by the Office of Sustainability and organized by partners across campus, Earth Month extends the Institute\u2019s observance of Earth Day on April 22 by showcasing campus sustainability efforts and providing opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to learn and engage throughout the month. Campus organizations are encouraged to share and promote their sustainability-focused events via the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_Mvqgg1-8h4dqb2ZDjWEaN24qscpUNTNSTFNZSVI2RkI1QTBVTEZYUlRDRU85VCQlQCN0PWcu\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Month event form\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFeatured Event: Earth Day Sustainable Org Fair and Celebration\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, April 22, 11 a.m. \u2013 1 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Kendeda Building\u2019s patio and atrium on \u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E will feature and celebrate sustainability efforts across the Georgia Tech community. From student organizations to campus operations departments like Environmental Health \u0026amp; Safety, Custodial green cleaning, and Landscape Services earth-friendly practices, community efforts are shared and supported.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESign up \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.signupgenius.com\/go\/10C0E4CAEAD29A0FFC70-62178378-2026#\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehere\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/a\u003Eto table.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Month Events\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESTEM Activity Kit Assembly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThursday, April 2, 7 \u2013 8 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERoom 154, Skiles Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Little Einsteins Organization in assembling STEM activity kits to share with students at the Fulton County Libraries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12264750\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister here.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommunity Garden Workday\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 3, 9 \u2013 11 a.m. \u003Cstrong\u003E(Repeats every Friday)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECommunity Garden, Instructional Center Lawn\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Students Organizing for Sustainability as they harvest, plant, and maintain plots in the garden. Workdays run every week, and everyone is welcome \u2014 no experience needed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12042447\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESign up to help out.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFossil Fridays\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 3, 3 \u2013 5 p.m. \u003Cstrong\u003E(Repeats every Friday)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERoom L1125, Ford ES\u0026amp;T Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecome a fossil hunter and help discover how vertebrate communities have changed over time. Experience firsthand what it is like to be a paleontologist, finding and identifying new specimens.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/04\/03\/fossil-friday\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlant Library\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 3, 3:30 \u2013 4:30 p.m. \u003Cstrong\u003E(Repeats every Friday)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERoom 357, Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Plant Library is an opportunity for the Georgia Tech community to take a break and soak up some green vibes. Bring plants and cuttings, pick up a plant to take home, or help maintain the growing plants. Whether or not you want to get your hands dirty, there is something for everyone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/04\/03\/plant-library\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn about the library.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShirley Clarke Franklin Park Cleanup\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESaturday, April 4, 1 \u2013 3 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EShirley Clarke Franklin Park, 1660 Johnson Road NW, Atlanta\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Center for Student Engagement and Georgia Tech Athletics at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park to help preserve and beautify the landscape.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12327976\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister here.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Chat: Southwire\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ETuesday, April 7, 5:30 \u2013 6:30 p.m.\u003Cbr\u003ESuite 440, Southwire Spark\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts from Southwire will talk about Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Renewable Energy Integration and provide an overview of BESS fundamentals, key components, and real\u2011world engineering applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/04\/07\/energy-chat-southwire\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKendeda Building Tour\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThursday, April 9, 11 a.m. \u2013 noon\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin The Kendeda Building Fellows for an Earth Month tour of The Kendeda Building to learn about Georgia\u0027s first fully certified Living Building.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_Mvqggy-3x2drfZpDtZmrRRQnKiNUOEw2TDk4RzRZME1TTzMwTzNSVzBJNEJOOS4u\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESign up here.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFieldwork\u00b2: Science Studies on Farms and Gardens\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 10, 8:30 a.m. \u2013 2 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERoom 7130, Crosland Tower\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipate in a free workshop for anyone interested in science studies and related disciplines, featuring three presentations and networking with colleagues from across metro Atlanta institutions. Breakfast and lunch provided.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8318mGXUEWzZLEy\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more and register now.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOffice Hours With a Sustainability Alum: Aki Manda\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 10, noon \u2013 1:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOnline\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESign up for a personal chat with affiliated MBA alumnus Akihiro \u201cAki\u201d Manda, venture manager at the Innovation Incubation Office.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_MvqggxkuxK415QNErLniyUx39w5UMlEwUkhYSUFHVlFDMFE2TDZONzQxV0hSSy4u\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESign up for a 15-minute virtual chat.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETech Beautification Day\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESaturday, April 11, 9 a.m. \u2013 1 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EKessler Campanile\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin SGA for a bit of spring cleaning on campus and in our local community. Activities range from clearing invasive species to spreading pine straw. Breakfast will be served at the event kickoff.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12249122\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpring Perennial Planting\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESaturday, April 11, 10 a.m. \u2013 1 p.m.\u003Cbr\u003EOutside MRDC\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrban Agriculture and Campus Services will plant perennials and build trellises.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12128376\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESign up here.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHanging Flower Lamp Workshop\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESaturday, April 11, 5 \u2013 7 p.m. \u003Cstrong\u003E(Repeats every day, April 11 \u2013 April 15)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EMRDC\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn how to make your own hanging flower lights in this workshop. Celebrate the spring season with a flower light \u2014 a perfect gift for your family, friends, or yourself. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12344994\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Chat With Shell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ETuesday, April 14, 5:30 \u2013 6:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EVan Leer Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Energy Club is hosting a chat with industry professionals from Shell.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12323839\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister on Engage.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoffee and Compost: In-Vessel Composter Tours\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 17, 9 \u2013 11 a.m. (Tours start at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EIn-Vessel Composter in the Resource Recovery Yard (Across from the rear of the Campus Recreation Center on Tech Parkway)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Office of Sustainability and student assistants to learn more about our campus in-vessel composter and innovations in campus waste management. Coffee and pastries will be provided.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.cloud.microsoft\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_Mvqgg1-8h4dqb2ZDjWEaN24qscpUMjBBS1BVQjJSUDlBUUFGUjVQNVdSUUxBTCQlQCN0PWcu\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister now.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFashion of the Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFriday, April 17, 5 \u2013 7 p.m. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAtrium, Marcus Nanotechnology Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Textiles Team for a fashion show showcasing the unique, skilled work of their designers. Fashion of the Future includes predicting future fashion trends, solving modern problems with advanced textile solutions, and integrating complex systems in textiles. Come by for free tote bags, snacks, and a great show.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSceLIorFVJTJQ-yddaVsMDpnG-hxeGDoDJNODkXMn_qCarrlg\/viewform?pli=1\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister here.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoin MOVE in Conserving the 4-0-Forest\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESaturday, April 18, 8 a.m. \u2013 noon\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECenter for Student Engagement, John Lewis Student Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPartner with Trees Atlanta and MOVE to protect and restore the 4-0-Forest. Volunteers will work to remove invasive plant species and help preserve native ecosystems. This event is perfect for anyone interested in environmental stewardship, conservation, or outdoor service.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12296375\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister here.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEarth Month provides a multitude of events and activities to learn and engage with sustainability-focused campus initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Earth Month provides a multitude of events and activities to learn and engage with sustainability-focused campus initiatives."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-04-01 18:13:12","changed_gmt":"2026-04-01 20:49:31","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679820":{"id":"679820","type":"image","title":"25-R10410-P56-020.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETabling event at last year\u0027s Earth Month Org Fair.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775067373","gmt_created":"2026-04-01 18:16:13","changed":"1775067902","gmt_changed":"2026-04-01 18:25:02","alt":"Tabling at the 2025 Earth Day Org Fair.","file":{"fid":"264024","name":"25-R10410-P56-020.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/25-R10410-P56-020.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/25-R10410-P56-020.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2448748,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/01\/25-R10410-P56-020.jpg?itok=Lcn851fn"}}},"media_ids":["679820"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192134","name":"earth month"},{"id":"194976","name":"Earth Month 2026"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"186602","name":"org fair"},{"id":"194097","name":"IS News"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElena Domenech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Student Assistant\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure and Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Edomenech6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688490":{"#nid":"688490","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Campus Construction Projects Driving Georgia Tech\u2019s Future","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech continually works to transform its physical campus in support of a more innovative, sustainable, and accessible learning environment. This update highlights the latest milestones, upcoming timelines, and how current work across campus contributes to Tech\u2019s long\u2011term vision for growth and excellence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecently Completed\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ED.M. Smith Building Renewal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ERenovations are complete, with transformative upgrades to the 100-year-old building that enhance accessibility, increase functionality, and support campus sustainability initiatives. They include the addition of wheelchair access, a new elevator, and updated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The building is fully electric and no longer relies on steam from the central plant for daily operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/01\/newly-rejuvenated-smith-building-ready\u0022\u003ERead more about the D.M. Smith Building renewal.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge Tower | Scheller Tower (formerly Tech Square 3)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOfficially opened on Jan. 12, the first three floors of the building feature classrooms, huddle and conference rooms, and both indoor and outdoor collaboration space. Kaldi\u2019s Coffee is located on the lobby level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 14-story Scheller Tower will serve as the new home for the MBA and Executive Education programs of the Scheller College of Business. The 18-story George Tower, will house the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Both towers are on schedule to open in Fall 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/07\/tech-square-3-reaches-major-milestone\u0022\u003ERead more about George Tower | Scheller Tower.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStamps Field Turf\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Stamps Field turf replacement project incorporated new padding and a multi\u2011layer synthetic surface offering better shock absorption and expanded playability. Updated striping allows for a wider range of recreational and competitive activities. Work also included adding new wind screens, improving access control and gate configurations, installing hydration stations, and cleaning the stormwater detention systems beneath the field. The new layout supports multiple sports, including soccer, lacrosse, flag football, rugby, and softball.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESoon to Wrap Up\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Recreation Center (CRC) Athletic Therapy Center and Esports Arena\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe renovation on Level 2 of the CRC will transform an existing conference room and retail dining area into a dedicated physical therapy space. Adjacent to this, a new esports suite will support competitive gaming for student clubs and casual play for the campus community, and host special events. The project is slated for completion in May.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELi Labs \u2013 Paper Tricentennial Building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ERenovation of eight labs on the first and fifth floors will prepare for a high-end microscope that uses open-beam lasers for illumination on a vibration-isolation table, accommodating both students and researchers in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. The renovation is scheduled for completion in March.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn Progress\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10th Street Power Plant Chiller Replacement\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe project includes replacing chillers and associated components to optimize overall system performance. Two replacement chillers and cooling towers have been installed, and piping work is ongoing. Completion is scheduled for May.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBaptist Collegiate Ministry Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile not a Georgia Tech-owned project, this new five-story, mixed-use building is set to rise in the footprint of the original building on the west side of Techwood Drive near Fourth Street. The development will provide upgraded ministry facilities along with 55 one- and two bedroom residences \u0026nbsp;intended for student occupancy, along with gathering spaces. The targeted completion date is Fall 2027.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreative Quarter\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Creative Quarter, currently anchored at the former Randall Brothers site located along Marietta Street, will debut in May with a temporary cultural initiative called LOOP, powered by Goat Farm. The project will feature a performance venue and artist studios, along with flexible interior spaces designed for multidisciplinary experimentation, connecting innovators, artists, students, and visitors.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arts.gatech.edu\/loop\u0022\u003ERead more about the Creative Quarter.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBud and Val Peterson Residence Hall\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe first new residence hall on campus since 2005 is designed specifically for first-year students. Located on the west side of campus along Northside Drive between Eighth and Ninth streets, this state-of-the-art facility will span 191,000 square feet and offer 862 beds in double-occupancy rooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe building will include collaborative learning areas, community lounges, and a shared kitchen. Both tower structures and site utilities are complete; interior finishes are underway, and site hardscape and landscape will begin in the spring. It is scheduled to open in Fall 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/22\/new-residence-hall-be-named-former-president-first-lady\u0022\u003ERead more about the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEast Campus Streetscapes\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAlong Techwood Drive and the east side of campus, the renovation of sidewalks and roadways has improved campus connectivity and the safety of pedestrian and micromobility users. The project is still active, as the remaining elements along Techwood Drive are contingent upon the completion of the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWork continues on the 100,000-square-foot facility, which will house strength and conditioning areas, nutrition stations, sports medicine offices, ticketing services, dining options, and academic support spaces. The building will also feature cutting-edge sports science and analytics labs designed to enhance performance and research capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterior progress includes painting, flooring, and equipment installation. Exterior site work is ongoing, and spring completion is expected. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/georgia-tech-breaks-ground-on-fanning-center\/\u0022\u003ERead more about the Student-Athlete Performance Center\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOn the Horizon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBobby Dodd Fan Experience Renovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECurrently in the design phase, this renovation project will significantly enhance the premium seating areas on the west sideline, diversify premium seating to enable tiered experiences, and add chairback seating to the entire east and west sidelines to elevate the gameday experience for all Georgia Tech fans, alumni, and students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe west sideline renovations will feature a premium level with a 100+ seat Founder\u2019s Club overlooking midfield, numerous renovated suites, and upgraded press operations and food service areas. The east sideline will feature an updated Field Club lounge, a new VIP suite, and additional updated suites. Currently in the design phase, project completion is expected for the 2027 football season. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atfund.org\/bobby-dodd-stadium\u0022\u003ERead more about the Bobby Dodd Fan Experience Renovation.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECurrently in project development, a new 200,000-square-foot building for the Guggenheim School will provide advanced instructional space, new research capabilities, and an improved student experience, potentially including new wind tunnels, flight simulators, and advanced fabrication and assembly areas. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering\u0022\u003ERead more about the Aerospace Engineering building\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHowey Physics Restroom Renovations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe renovation will evaluate the building\u2019s existing plumbing capacity; determine where new single-use restrooms and additional fixtures should be added; and renovate finishes, ceilings, and lighting throughout the basement and first five floors. Renovations are expected to start in the spring and take approximately four months to complete.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmith and Howell Residence Halls\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ETo preserve their historic character and meet projected housing needs, both residence halls will be renovated. This includes updating building systems and interior spaces. A new connecting structure will join the two buildings, creating a central entry point. Also planned are ADA accessibility improvements to all floors and enhanced lighting and amenities. This project is currently in the final design phase, with construction expected to start mid-year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkiles Infrastructure Renovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECurrently in the design phase, the renovation will focus on the most pressing need by improving indoor air quality by replacing and upgrading the building\u2019s mechanical systems in specific areas. The project marks the beginning of a broader, multiphase effort to modernize and revitalize the Skiles Building, constructed in 1959.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo stay up to date on campus construction projects, use the I\u0026amp;S\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/construction-updates\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Construction Project Viewer.\u003C\/a\u003E This dynamic tool meshes a map and calendar interface, allowing users to easily track project start and end dates. ADA-accessible routes can also be located by zooming in on individual projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor behind-the-scenes updates, follow Infrastructure and Sustainability on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/105498147\/admin\/page-posts\/published\/\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 where you\u2019ll find exclusive sneak peeks, progress photos, and insights into the ongoing construction efforts that are shaping the future of Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is advancing an ambitious slate of campus construction projects designed to support its long\u2011term growth and future innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is advancing an ambitious slate of campus construction projects designed to support its long-term growth and future innovation."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 15:28:40","changed_gmt":"2026-04-01 19:54:59","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679407":{"id":"679407","type":"image","title":"CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno1.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERendering of the planned connector entrance to Smith and Howell residence halls. (Subject to change.)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771952324","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 16:58:44","changed":"1771952324","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 16:58:44","alt":"Rendering of the planned connector entrance to Smith and Howell residence halls.","file":{"fid":"263568","name":"CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":631076,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno1.png?itok=wyWW_0To"}},"679408":{"id":"679408","type":"image","title":"CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno2.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERendering of the interior of the planned connector building for the Smith and Howell Residence Halls.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771952562","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 17:02:42","changed":"1771952562","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 17:02:42","alt":"Rendering of the interior of the planned connector building for the Smith and Howell Residence Halls.","file":{"fid":"263569","name":"CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":505325,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/CCU_Feb2026_smithhowellreno2.png?itok=bZzG92b6"}}},"media_ids":["679407","679408"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"61411","name":"Campus Construction"},{"id":"192186","name":"Student Athlete Performance Center"},{"id":"194888","name":"George Tower | Scheller Tower"},{"id":"194943","name":"Bud and Vale Peterson Residence Hall"},{"id":"194376","name":"Curran Street Residence Hall"},{"id":"13680","name":"Bobby Dodd Stadium"},{"id":"194735","name":"Smith and Howell Residence Halls"},{"id":"174985","name":"Skiles Classroom Building"},{"id":"719","name":"CRC"},{"id":"192183","name":"D.M. Smith Building Renewal"},{"id":"13327","name":"Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"193728","name":"I\u0026S News"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure and Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687989":{"#nid":"687989","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Is the Whole Universe Just a\u00a0Simulation?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs the whole universe just a simulation? \u2013 Moumita B., age 13, Dhaka, Bangladesh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow do you know anything is real? Some things you can see directly, like your fingers. Other things, like your chin, you need a mirror or a camera to see. Other things can\u2019t be seen, but you believe in them because a parent or a teacher told you, or you read it in a book.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/d-zeb-rocklin\u0022\u003Ephysicist\u003C\/a\u003E, I use sensitive scientific instruments and complicated math to try to figure out what\u2019s real and what\u2019s not. But none of these sources of information is entirely reliable: Scientific measurements can be wrong, my calculations can have errors, even your eyes can deceive you, like the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2015\/02\/27\/the-dress-that-broke-the-internet.html\u0022\u003Edress that broke the internet\u003C\/a\u003E because nobody could agree on what colors it was.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause every source of information \u2013 even your teachers \u2013 can trick you some of the time, some people have always wondered \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reasonandmeaning.com\/2022\/01\/23\/do-we-know-anything-for-sure\/\u0022\u003Ewhether we can ever trust any information\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you can\u2019t trust anything, are you sure you\u2019re awake? Thousands of years ago, Chinese philosopher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/zhuangzi\/\u0022\u003EZhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly\u003C\/a\u003E and realized that he might actually be a butterfly dreaming he was a human. Plato wondered whether all we see could just be shadows of true objects. Maybe the world we live in our whole lives inside isn\u2019t the real one, maybe it\u2019s more like a big video game, or the movie \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.warnerbros.com\/movies\/matrix\u0022\u003EThe Matrix\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022screenshot of a landscape in a cartoonish video game\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=375\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=375\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=375\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=471\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=471\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707999\/original\/file-20251211-56-la328h.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=471\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAre we living in a very sophisticated version of Minecraft?\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Un_paysage_de_Minecraft.png\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ETofli IV\/Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-SA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Simulation Hypothesis\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe simulation hypothesis is a modern attempt to use logic and observations about technology to finally answer these questions and prove that we\u2019re probably living in something like a giant video game. Twenty years ago, a philosopher named \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=oQwpz3QAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003ENick Bostrom\u003C\/a\u003E made \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/simulation-argument.com\/simulation.pdf\u0022\u003Esuch an argument\u003C\/a\u003E based on the fact that video games, virtual reality and artificial intelligence were improving rapidly. That trend has continued, so that today people can jump into immersive virtual reality or talk to seemingly conscious artificial beings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBostrom projected these technological trends into the future and imagined a world in which we\u2019d be able to realistically simulate trillions of human beings. He also suggested that if someone could create a simulation of you that seemed just like you from the outside, it would feel just like you inside, with all of your thoughts and feelings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuppose that\u2019s right. Suppose that sometime in, say, the 31st century, humanity will be able to simulate whatever they want. Some of them will probably be fans of the 21st century and will run many different simulations of our world so that they can learn about us, or just be amused.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s Bostrom\u2019s shocking logical argument: If the 21st century planet Earth only ever existed one time, but it will eventually get simulated trillions of times, and if the simulations are so good that the people in the simulation feel just like real people, then you\u2019re probably living on one of the trillions of simulations of the Earth, not on the one original Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis argument would be even more convincing if you actually could run powerful simulations today, but as long as you believe that people will run those simulations someday, then you logically should believe that you\u2019re probably living in one today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pmcrG7ZZKUc?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EScientist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the simulation hypothesis and why he thinks the odds are about 50-50 we\u2019re part of a virtual reality.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESigns We\u2019re Living in a Simulation \u2026Or Not\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf we are living in a simulation, does that explain anything? Maybe the simulation has glitches, and that\u2019s why your phone wasn\u2019t where you were sure you left it, or how you knew something was going to happen before it did, or why that dress on the internet looked so weird.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are more fundamental ways in which our world resembles a simulation. There is a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kids.kiddle.co\/Planck_length\u0022\u003Eparticular length\u003C\/a\u003E, much smaller than an atom, beyond which physicists\u2019 theories about the universe break down. And we can\u2019t see anything more than about 50 billion light-years away because the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/curious-kids-what-does-the-edge-of-the-universe-look-like-233111\u0022\u003Elight hasn\u2019t had time to reach us\u003C\/a\u003E since the Big Bang. That sounds suspiciously like a computer game where you can\u2019t see anything smaller than a pixel or anything beyond the edge of the screen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, there are other explanations for all of that stuff. Let\u2019s face it: You might have misremembered where you put your phone. But Bostrom\u2019s argument doesn\u2019t require any scientific proof. It\u2019s logically true as long as you really believe that many powerful simulations will exist in the future. That\u2019s why famous scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson and tech titans like Elon Musk have been convinced of it, though Tyson now puts the odds at 50-50.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOthers of us are more skeptical. The technology required to run such large and realistic simulations is so powerful that Bostrom describes such simulators as godlike, and he admits that humanity may never get that good at simulations. Even though it is far from being resolved, the simulation hypothesis is an impressive logical and philosophical argument that has challenged our fundamental notions of reality and captured the imaginations of millions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHello, curious kids! Do you have a question you\u2019d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAnd since curiosity has no age limit \u2013 adults, let us know what you\u2019re wondering, too. We won\u2019t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/268177\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/is-the-whole-universe-just-a-simulation-268177\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHow do you know anything is real? Some things you can see directly, like your fingers. Other things, like your chin, you need a mirror or a camera to see. Other things can\u2019t be seen, but you believe in them because a parent or a teacher told you, or you read it in a book.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"How do you know anything is real? Some things you can see directly, like your fingers. Other things, like your chin, you need a mirror or a camera to see."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-02-03 13:16:36","changed_gmt":"2026-04-01 13:19:50","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679171":{"id":"679171","type":"image","title":"Could the Earth and everything on it \u2013 and even the whole universe \u2013 be a simulation running on a giant computer? OsakaWayne Studios\/Moment via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECould the Earth and everything on it \u2013 and even the whole universe \u2013 be a simulation running on a giant computer? \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/planet-earth-from-space-with-cubical-segments-royalty-free-image\/1344831100\u0022\u003EOsakaWayne Studios\/Moment via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770124682","gmt_created":"2026-02-03 13:18:02","changed":"1770124682","gmt_changed":"2026-02-03 13:18:02","alt":"Could the Earth and everything on it \u2013 and even the whole universe \u2013 be a simulation running on a giant computer? OsakaWayne Studios\/Moment via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263299","name":"file-20251211-56-lzhkg5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/file-20251211-56-lzhkg5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/file-20251211-56-lzhkg5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":217589,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/03\/file-20251211-56-lzhkg5.jpg?itok=VLC3NXiR"}}},"media_ids":["679171"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/is-the-whole-universe-just-a-simulation-268177","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and 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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/zeb-rocklin-2510395\u0022\u003EZeb Rocklin\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Physics, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689250":{"#nid":"689250","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Look to Bolster Technology Support for Menopause","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWomen in need of supportive maternal and menstrual healthcare in patriarchal societies have increasingly found outlets for disclosure in online communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat support, however, begins to disappear in these restrictive cultures once women reach menopause, according to new research from Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENaveena Karusala, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, and master\u2019s student Umme Ammara are working toward improving existing technologies and designing new ones for a demographic they believe has been neglected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarusala and Ammara co-authored a paper based on a study they conducted with women in urban Pakistan experiencing menopause.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWomen\u2019s health is understudied in general, but menopause is more neglected than other women\u2019s health issues,\u201d Karusala said. \u201cOur choice to focus on menopause is motivated by expanding how we holistically think about women\u2019s well-being across their lifespan.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarusala and Ammara will present their paper in April at the 2026 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Barcelona.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMasking Symptoms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMenopause is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a period, vaginal bleeding, or spotting. The transition to menopause, called perimenopause, usually happens over two to eight years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHormone changes may cause symptoms such as irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and brain fog.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese symptoms can be debilitating in some cases and affect daily life. However, Ammara said women are pressured to remain silent, maintain appearances, and regulate their emotions to meet social expectations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding menopause is important because a woman would be experiencing all these symptoms, and people will not understand those as actual symptoms,\u201d Ammara said. \u201cThere\u2019s been resistance to the idea of the medicalization of menopause. People don\u2019t view it as an illness, but as a life transition and something that happens naturally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFeeling Isolated\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe women interviewed by Karusala and Ammara either stayed at home full-time or were part of the workforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers discovered that trusted family members might be the only sources women who stay at home and do not work turn to for disclosure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWomen at home have the flexibility to take breaks or work at their own pace, so a lot of their experience is shaped by the emotional barriers they face,\u201d Ammara said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat could come from their husbands and family members. Some are supportive and some are not. They might weaponize it and use that term against them, or they might dismiss what they\u2019re going through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmmara said it might be easier for women in the workforce to confide in their coworkers, but explaining to an employer that they need sick leave for menopause symptoms can be intimidating.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven in online communities that have enabled women to anonymously share their health experiences, menopause is seldom discussed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaising Awareness\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarusala and Ammara argue in their paper that a public health approach could be the most effective way to spark conversation about menopause in a patriarchal culture in which technology use varies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey said the challenge in implementing technologies geared toward menopause support is that the condition isn\u2019t well understood in public. Improving maternal health, for example, is easier to promote within these societies because of the general understanding that motherhood is important.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere must be an existing infrastructure to build on,\u201d Karusala said. \u201cFor example, menstrual and maternal health are taught in schools and regularly discussed in primary care. Cultural and social meaning and importance are placed on motherhood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of that doesn\u2019t exist for menopause. Primary care doctors are unprepared to talk about menopause compared to other health issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesign Solutions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmmara said that the most effective way for technologies to make an impact on women going through menopause is to directly address systemic power structures around women\u2019s health within Pakistani culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt can start with the husbands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFraming the issue for husbands to understand menopause should be at the forefront of designing technology solutions,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn Islamic contexts, we suggest using faith-based framings. This has been proposed for maternal health in prior works that draw on Islamic principles to engage expectant fathers in providing care and support. Framing it around religious responsibility to involve men in the journey can also be done for menopause.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech assistant professor Naveena Karusala and master\u0027s student Umme Ammara are researching how to improve existing technologies and design new ones to better support women experiencing menopause. Their work is based on a study conducted with women in urban Pakistan, where patriarchal social norms pressure women to stay silent about menopause symptoms and limit their ability to seek support, even in online communities that have otherwise helped women discuss other health issues\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are looking at how technology can better support women experiencing menopause in urban Pakistan, where patriarchal norms leave them largely isolated and without resources for managing their symptoms."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 12:09:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 13:18:07","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679788":{"id":"679788","type":"image","title":"Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774958961","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 12:09:21","changed":"1774958961","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 12:09:21","alt":"Umme Ammar sits in a booth with laptop in front of her","file":{"fid":"263990","name":"Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":95810,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg?itok=7jqYXbcn"}}},"media_ids":["679788"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8900","name":"women\u0027s history month"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"3543","name":"women\u0027s health"},{"id":"171911","name":"women of pakistan"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"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:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687881":{"#nid":"687881","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hacking the Grid: How Digital Sabotage Turns Infrastructure Into a\u00a0Weapon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe darkness that swept over the Venezuelan capital in the predawn hours of Jan. 3, 2026, signaled a profound shift in the nature of modern conflict: the convergence of physical and cyber warfare. While U.S. special operations forces carried out the dramatic \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/03\/us\/politics\/trump-capture-maduro-venezuela.html\u0022\u003Eseizure of Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u003C\/a\u003E, a far quieter but equally devastating offensive was taking place in the unseen digital networks that help operate Caracas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe blackout was not the result of bombed transmission towers or severed power lines but rather a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/15\/us\/politics\/cyberattack-venezuela-military.html\u0022\u003Eprecise and invisible manipulation\u003C\/a\u003E of the industrial control systems that manage the flow of electricity. This synchronization of traditional military action with advanced cyber warfare represents a new chapter in international conflict, one where lines of computer code that manipulate critical infrastructure are among the most potent weapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand how a nation can turn an adversary\u2019s lights out without firing a shot, you have to look inside the controllers that regulate modern infrastructure. They are the digital brains responsible for opening valves, spinning turbines and routing power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, controller devices were considered simple and isolated. Grid modernization, however, has transformed them into sophisticated internet-connected computers. As a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=kgFnNewAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Ecybersecurity researcher\u003C\/a\u003E, I track how advanced cyber forces exploit this modernization by using digital techniques to control the machinery\u2019s physical behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHijacked Machines\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy colleagues and I have demonstrated how malware can compromise a controller to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.14722\/ndss.2017.23313\u0022\u003Ecreate a split reality\u003C\/a\u003E. The malware intercepts legitimate commands sent by grid operators and replaces them with malicious instructions designed to destabilize the system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.systemoverflow.com\/learn\/resilience-patterns\/circuit-breaker\/circuit-breaker-failure-modes-flapping-stampedes-and-retry-amplification\u0022\u003Eflapping\u003C\/a\u003E. This action can physically damage massive transformers or generators by causing them to overheat or go out of sync with the grid. These actions can cause fires or explosions that take months to repair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimultaneously, the malware calculates what the sensor readings should look like if the grid were operating normally and feeds these fabricated values back to the control room. The operators likely see green lights and stable voltage readings on their screens even as transformers are overloading and breakers are tripping in the physical world. This decoupling of the digital image from physical reality leaves defenders blind, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/TSG.2013.2280399\u0022\u003Eunable to diagnose or respond\u003C\/a\u003E to the failure until it is too late.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022people wearing hardhats in front of electrical equipment the size of a small house\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=374\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=374\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=374\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=470\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=470\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/713761\/original\/file-20260121-56-lzml1u.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=470\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EToday\u2019s electrical transformers are accessible to hackers.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-23-106180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EGAO\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHistorical examples of this kind of attack include the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/industrialcyber.co\/industrial-cyber-attacks\/zetter-details-how-stuxnet-marked-a-turning-point-in-cyberwarfare-by-enabling-physical-sabotage-through-code\/\u0022\u003EStuxnet\u003C\/a\u003E malware that targeted Iranian nuclear enrichment plants. The malware destroyed centrifuges in 2009 by causing them to spin at dangerous speeds while feeding false \u201cnormal\u201d data to operators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother example is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.securityweek.com\/industroyer-ics-malware-linked-ukraine-power-grid-attack\/\u0022\u003EIndustroyer\u003C\/a\u003E attack by Russia against Ukraine\u2019s energy sector in 2016. Industroyer malware targeted Ukraine\u2019s power grid, using the grid\u2019s own industrial communication protocols to directly open circuit breakers and cut power to Kyiv.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore recently, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.securityweek.com\/china-admitted-to-us-that-it-conducted-volt-typhoon-attacks-report\/\u0022\u003EVolt Typhoon\u003C\/a\u003E attack by China against the United States\u2019 critical infrastructure, exposed in 2023, was a campaign focused on pre-positioning. Unlike traditional sabotage, these hackers infiltrated networks to remain dormant and undetected, gaining the ability to disrupt the United States\u2019 communications and power systems during a future crisis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo defend against these types of attacks, the U.S. military\u2019s Cyber Command has adopted a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/government-cybersecurity-commission-calls-for-international-cooperation-resilience-and-retaliation-133610\u0022\u003Edefend forward\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d strategy, actively hunting for threats in foreign networks before they reach U.S. soil.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDomestically, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency promotes \u201csecure by design\u201d principles, urging manufacturers to eliminate default passwords and utilities to implement \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/zero-trust-security-assume-that-everyone-and-everything-on-the-internet-is-out-to-get-you-and-maybe-already-has-160969\u0022\u003Ezero trust\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d architectures that assume networks are already compromised.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESupply Chain Vulnerability\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENowadays, there is a vulnerability lurking within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/the-untold-story-of-solarwinds-the-boldest-supply-chain-hack-ever\/\u0022\u003Esupply chain of the controllers themselves\u003C\/a\u003E. A dissection of firmware from major international vendors reveals a significant reliance on third-party software components to support modern features such as encryption and cloud connectivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis modernization comes at a cost. Many of these critical devices run on outdated software libraries, some of which are years \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/MSEC.2023.3266775\u0022\u003Epast their end-of-life support\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning they\u2019re no longer supported by the manufacturer. This creates a shared fragility across the industry. A vulnerability in a single, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.heartbleed.com\/\u0022\u003Eubiquitous library like OpenSSL\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 an open-source software toolkit used worldwide by nearly every web server and connected device to encrypt communications \u2013 can expose controllers from multiple manufacturers to the same method of attack.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern controllers have become web-enabled devices that often host their own administrative websites. These embedded web servers present an often overlooked point of entry for adversaries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAttackers can infect the web application of a controller, allowing the malware to execute within the web browser of any engineer or operator who logs in to manage the plant. This execution enables malicious code to piggyback on legitimate user sessions, bypassing firewalls and issuing commands to the physical machinery without requiring the device\u2019s password to be cracked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scale of this vulnerability is vast, and the potential for damage extends far beyond the power grid, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3658644.3690267\u0022\u003Etransportation\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3719027.3744837\u0022\u003Emanufacturing\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/ICCPS48487.2020.00011\u0022\u003Ewater treatment\u003C\/a\u003E systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing automated scanning tools, my colleagues and I have discovered that the number of industrial controllers exposed to the public internet is significantly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3658644.3690195\u0022\u003Ehigher than industry estimates suggest\u003C\/a\u003E. Thousands of critical devices, from hospital equipment to substation relays, are visible to anyone with the right search criteria. This exposure provides a rich hunting ground for adversaries to conduct reconnaissance and identify vulnerable targets that serve as entry points into deeper, more protected networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe success of recent U.S. cyber operations forces a difficult conversation about the vulnerability of the United States. The uncomfortable truth is that the American power grid relies on the same technologies, protocols and supply chains as the systems compromised abroad.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wnhCuYRYCdM?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe U.S. power grid is vulnerable to hackers.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ERegulatory Misalignment\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe domestic risk, however, is compounded by regulatory frameworks that struggle to address the realities of the grid. A comprehensive investigation into the U.S. electric power sector my colleagues and I conducted revealed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3719027.3765184\u0022\u003Esignificant misalignment\u003C\/a\u003E between compliance with regulations and actual security. Our study found that while regulations establish a baseline, they often foster a checklist mentality. Utilities are burdened with excessive documentation requirements that divert resources away from effective security measures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis regulatory lag is particularly concerning given the rapid evolution of the technologies that connect customers to the power grid. The widespread adoption of distributed energy resources, such as residential solar inverters, has created a large, decentralized vulnerability that current regulations barely touch.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalysis supported by the Department of Energy has shown that these devices \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/ceser\/office-cybersecurity-energy-security-and-emergency-response\u0022\u003Eare often insecure\u003C\/a\u003E. By compromising a relatively small percentage of these inverters, my colleagues and I found that an attacker could manipulate their power output to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/NAPS66256.2025.11272195\u0022\u003Ecause severe instabilities\u003C\/a\u003E across the distribution network. Unlike centralized power plants protected by guards and security systems, these devices sit in private homes and businesses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAccounting for the Physical\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDefending American infrastructure requires moving beyond the compliance checklists that currently dominate the industry. Defense strategies now require a level of sophistication that matches the attacks. This implies a fundamental shift toward security measures that take into account \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.14722\/ndss.2014.23043\u0022\u003Ehow attackers could manipulate physical machinery\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe integration of internet-connected computers into power grids, factories and transportation networks is creating a world where the line between code and physical destruction is irrevocably blurred.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnsuring the resilience of critical infrastructure requires accepting this new reality and building defenses that verify every component, rather than unquestioningly trusting the software and hardware \u2013 or the green lights on a control panel.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/272874\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hacking-the-grid-how-digital-sabotage-turns-infrastructure-into-a-weapon-272874\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo understand how a nation can turn an adversary\u2019s lights out without firing a shot, you have to look inside the controllers that regulate modern infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"To understand how a nation can turn an adversary\u2019s lights out without firing a shot, you have to look inside the controllers that regulate modern infrastructure. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-01-22 13:46:50","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 11:57:19","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679143":{"id":"679143","type":"image","title":"Today\u2019s power grid equipment incorporates internet-connected \u2013 and therefore hackable \u2013 computers. Joe Raedle\/Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s power grid equipment incorporates internet-connected \u2013 and therefore hackable \u2013 computers. Joe Raedle\/Getty Images\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770040095","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 13:48:15","changed":"1770040095","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 13:48:15","alt":"Today\u2019s power grid equipment incorporates internet-connected \u2013 and therefore hackable \u2013 computers. Joe Raedle\/Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263266","name":"file-20260121-66-2blqlf.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/file-20260121-66-2blqlf.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/file-20260121-66-2blqlf.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":572159,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/file-20260121-66-2blqlf.jpg?itok=HoGH-mtB"}}},"media_ids":["679143"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hacking-the-grid-how-digital-sabotage-turns-infrastructure-into-a-weapon-272874","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/saman-zonouz-2560004\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity and Privacy and Electrical and Computer Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689246":{"#nid":"689246","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Auto Show Expands to Two-Day Event ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing from the Institute\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/archive\/features\/need-speed-georgia-techs-racing-roots-part-2.shtml\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eracing roots\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/traditions.gatech.edu\/ramblinreck.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaffinity for classic cars\u003C\/a\u003E, the Georgia Tech Auto Show has become a spring staple on campus since its inception in 2003. Its evolution continues this year with the addition of the Mobility Seminar on Friday, April 3, and a special presentation from Hyundai on Saturday, April 4. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeading into Saturday\u2019s auto show, the Friday seminar \u2014 with a theme of alternative energy and design for sustainable mobility\u003Cem\u003E \u2014 \u003C\/em\u003Ewill feature a trio of experts offering insights into the industry and the technologies shaping the future of transportation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeminar Schedule\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERegistration is open from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 102 of the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, where the seminar will begin after opening remarks from EunSookKwon, professor and chair of the School of Industrial Design. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1:15 \u2013 1:45 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding for Adventure: The Rivian Design Process\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EJonathan James Szczupak, Senior Director of Design, Rivian\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1:45 \u2014 2:15 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding a Future-Ready Workforce in the Age of AI\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EHolly Ma, Vice President of Data Engineering, Cox Automotive\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2:15 \u2013 2:45 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPanel Discussion With Szczupak and Ma \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3 \u2013 3:45 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDecades of Automotive Design\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ETom Shinall, Director of Curatorial Services, Savoy Automobile Museum\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3:45 \u2013 4:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudent Competition Center Presentation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted by David Lynn, former race car designer and School of Industrial Design lecturer\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ELearn about seven of Georgia Tech\u2019s student engineering competition teams housed in the Student Competition Center (SCC). The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESCC\u003C\/a\u003E offers extensive machining resources and fosters engineering innovation for students from across campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4:30 \u2013 5 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClosing Remarks \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESterling Skinner, a laboratory manager at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and David Lynn, a lecturer in the School of Industrial Design, started the auto show in 2003. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal all along has been to expand the auto show into more than just a one-day event, to bring in more speakers, and to provide an educational and informative opportunity that encourages interaction between industry experts and our audience surrounding relevant topics, and broaden the scope of our conversations,\u201d Lynn said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurating the lineup of speakers and presentations, Nyasha Farrington, event coordinator in the College of Design, says the team worked to provide a comprehensive look at the auto manufacturing process. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe really wanted to gear this seminar toward our students, and what they are interested in pursuing as a career, so we hope to give them a start-to-finish takeaway \u2014 from the design to the manufacturing to the marketing aspects of the automotive industry,\u201d she said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaturday Slate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., classic cars, concept vehicles, unfinished student projects, and everything in between will be parked in the center of campus \u2014 on the walkways surrounding the East and West Architecture Buildings, the John and Joyce Caddell Building, Koan Plaza, and Texas Instruments Plaza in front of the Van Leer Building. For younger car enthusiasts, the show will also feature a workshop with The Home Depot, where children can build their own race car. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lifelong car enthusiast, Lynn sees the auto show as an opportunity for visitors to gain a new perspective on the automotive industry and the vehicles on display.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are all used to seeing cars in a parking lot, but when you see them there, sometimes you can take them for granted. When you see them out in this sculpture garden setup that we are trying to emulate, whether it\u2019s a Camry or a Lamborghini, you can appreciate their form much better and see them as art and in more of a historical context, and that\u0027s part of the educational process,\u201d Lynn said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth days of the event are free and open to the public. RSVP for Friday\u2019s seminar \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_Mvqgg93_OjzHftNHssfIdixzcPtUNklZOTNMVFlHVlI5MDk2WlIzUzQxRUhITC4u\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and Saturday\u2019s auto show and presentation \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_Mvqgg93_OjzHftNHssfIdixzcPtUQTdDQVFTMEJBUjBZTVdVNlhKUjBNVTdNOS4u\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=u5ghSHuuJUuLem1_Mvqgg93_OjzHftNHssfIdixzcPtUN0dUM1VBNDFRUzQyWTNSOFJNV1BLTjZZUi4u\u0026amp;route=shorturl\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFill out this form\u003C\/a\u003E if you are interested in registering a vehicle for the auto show. Owners of classic antique cars, late-model modified cars, 4\u00d74 off-road trucks, hot rods, cars modified with alternative power delivery (electric, fuel cell), daily drivers, kit cars, race cars, concept cars, prototype cars, and all kinds of motorcycles are encouraged to participate. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Auto Show has expanded its programming to include a seminar that offers insights into the automotive industry."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Auto Show has expanded its programming to include a seminar that offers insights into the automotive industry.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Auto Show has expanded its programming to include a seminar that offers insights into the automotive industry."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-30 20:26:29","changed_gmt":"2026-03-30 20:57:04","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679784":{"id":"679784","type":"image","title":"2025 Georgia Tech Auto Show","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESubmitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774903273","gmt_created":"2026-03-30 20:41:13","changed":"1774903273","gmt_changed":"2026-03-30 20:41:13","alt":"2025 Georgia Tech Auto Show","file":{"fid":"263986","name":"242-9Y5A1685.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/242-9Y5A1685.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/242-9Y5A1685.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2815390,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/30\/242-9Y5A1685.jpg?itok=Htq6ezNF"}}},"media_ids":["679784"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/autoshow.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech Auto Show"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"}],"keywords":[{"id":"27881","name":"Georgia Tech auto show"},{"id":"38451","name":"georgia tech school of industrial design"},{"id":"168831","name":"College of Design"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689215":{"#nid":"689215","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Built for the Long Run ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs vice provost for Enrollment Management, Rick Clark develops strategies to expand access to Georgia Tech and help students find their path here. As an ultra trail runner, Clark understands that, while there may be twists and turns along the way, perseverance and a steady approach are vital when the path ahead seems daunting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe started running as conditioning for soccer, but as he looked for new challenges, he discovered ultra trail running \u2014 any course longer than a traditional marathon. The longest race he\u2019s completed was a 60-mile trek in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, in a torrential downpour. Not concerned with the leaderboards, Clark says he runs to test his limits and reach new personal highs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSometimes you find yourself far from the finish line, wondering if you can keep going, but that\u2019s when you know you really have to dig deep. In those moments, I put my hands on my knees, look at the ground, count to three, and go again. Eventually, you\u2019ll have this moment where one second you\u2019re wondering \u2018Why am I doing this?\u2019 or thinking you won\u2019t do it again, and then a day later you\u2019re looking at what races are coming up and asking yourself, \u2018What can I do next?\u2019\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether it\u2019s training for his next race or working toward Institute-wide goals \u2014 becoming a top university for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/25\/georgia-tech-tops-princeton-reviews-best-value-list\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereturn on investment\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2025\/08\/18\/over-5400-undergraduates-join-georgia-tech\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eenrolling students\u003C\/a\u003E from all 159 Georgia counties, or expanding access through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/29\/georgia-tech-has-historic-fundraising-year\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eneed-based scholarships\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 Clark is energized by the work that precedes the payoff and sees that mindset on the trail and at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I love about being at Georgia Tech is that nobody\u2019s satisfied with the status quo. Nobody is satisfied with what we\u2019ve done. There\u2019s always this ambition among our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to ask how we can get better.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClark has worked in various roles during his 25 years in higher education, including more than 20 years at Tech. Noting the parallel between his work and his hobby, Clark says that neither running 60 miles nor paying off a \u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/04\/georgia-techs-big-bets-delivering-record-results\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebig bet\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019 happens all at once, and that it\u2019s important to celebrate small victories along the way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHigher education is an ultramarathon,\u201d he said. \u201cIn trail running, there are aid stations along the course. You might go miles between them, but when you reach an intersection, and there\u2019s a group willing to share a snack and a drink by the fire, that\u2019s a point to celebrate that you\u2019ve made it that far. And that\u2019s higher education, too. We keep the end goals in mind, but it\u2019s a long course, and you\u2019re never going to just sprint to the end.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClark also stresses that both on the trail and on campus, nothing is achieved alone. He says that his support system \u2014 family, friends, and fellow trail runners \u2014 is with him every step of the way during races, and that same level of support and collaboration is also critical to shared success at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinding time to train can be challenging, but having learned from his experience co-authoring a book\u0026nbsp; \u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.press.jhu.edu\/books\/title\/53665\/truth-about-college-admission?srsltid=AfmBOormi34Lhxq0gtLxa2o04E7WUuNPc8yFCokvcQ4IOsIAEdLzDJgF\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u2014 Clark takes any opportunity to fit a \u201ctherapeutic\u201d run into his daily schedule, even if it\u2019s at 4 a.m. or 11 p.m. Training and planning for any hurdle that may arise are what Clark says keeps him calm, even when adversity hits.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven success can create new challenges, and with that comes some long days and tough decisions where you don\u2019t know if you\u2019re taking the right path. With trail running, you may end up a mile off course sometimes, and while that can be discouraging, you know it\u2019s a chance to trust your training, not lose your composure, stay resilient, and keep going until the end,\u201d Clark said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcceptance to Georgia Tech can feel like the beginning of a race, and Clark and the enrollment management team want to ensure that every student has the opportunity to run it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe strongly in the idea that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not, and that\u0027s what we\u0027re focused on: expanding that opportunity. For a student who has the ability, we need to be a place that gives them the chance to come here, and then support them when they are here, to ensure they can take advantage of all the resources Tech has to offer.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":" With the mindset of an ultra trail runner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark approaches his goals one step at a time.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith the mindset of an ultra trail runner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark approaches his goals one step at a time.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" With the mindset of an ultra trail runner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark approaches his goals one step at a time.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-27 13:58:36","changed_gmt":"2026-03-30 14:21:16","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679769":{"id":"679769","type":"video","title":"The Long Run \u2014 Jackets of All Trades: Rick Clark","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of Jackets of All Trades, we meet Rick Clark, Georgia Tech\u2019s Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and an ultra\u2011trail marathon runner. From navigating grueling endurance races to guiding students through one of the most consequential decisions of their lives, Rick reflects on how perseverance, discipline, and long\u2011term vision inform both his personal passions and his professional purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774807533","gmt_created":"2026-03-29 18:05:33","changed":"1774807533","gmt_changed":"2026-03-29 18:05:33","video":{"youtube_id":"A9-yAdoc6qY","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/A9-yAdoc6qY?si=6bSL4YZl-Sxi8eJn"}},"679755":{"id":"679755","type":"image","title":"Rick Clark","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark participates in an ultramarathon. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774620056","gmt_created":"2026-03-27 14:00:56","changed":"1774620056","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:00:56","alt":"Rick Clark","file":{"fid":"263954","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/27\/Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/27\/Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1304898,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/27\/Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png?itok=f01lHREk"}}},"media_ids":["679769","679755"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194316","name":"enrollment management"},{"id":"27271","name":"Rick Clark"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStory Produced by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:meavenson@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicah Eavenson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:julian.hills@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJulian Hills\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689023":{"#nid":"689023","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bracketology Driven by Data ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETens of millions of brackets have been filled out ahead of the NCAA men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball tournaments. Some fans will choose winners based on the higher seed, others will try to predict shocking upsets, and some may choose who advances based on which mascot would win a fight, but a Georgia Tech professor has his bracket down to a (data) science. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2004, Joel Sokol, director of the Master of Science in Analytics program and the Harold E. Smalley Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has used a pair of analytic methods \u2014 logistic regression and Markov chains (LRMC) \u2014 to determine the best teams in college basketball. This year, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.isye.gatech.edu\/~jsokol\/lrmcclassic\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESokol\u2019s LRMC rankings\u003C\/a\u003E project the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.isye.gatech.edu\/~jsokol\/profspicks\/profspicks26-c.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichigan Wolverines to cut down the nets\u003C\/a\u003E at the end of the men\u2019s tournament and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.isye.gatech.edu\/~jsokol\/profspicksW\/profspicks26w-c.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EConnecticut Huskies as the last team standing in the women\u2019s field\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe algorithm compares all 350-plus Division I basketball teams against each other simultaneously during the regular season and calculates probabilities based on simple data points \u2014 who won each game, by how much, and where it was played. When the madness of March begins, Sokol\u2019s bracket forgoes the seeds assigned to teams and fills out his bracket based on the LRMC rankings.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModels used by the tournament selection committee \u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/article\/2022-12-05\/college-basketballs-net-rankings-explained\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENET\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/article\/2022-02-09\/mens-college-basketball-rankings-what-kpi\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKPI\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kenpom.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKenPom\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 measure advanced metrics like strength of schedule, possession-by-possession efficiency, opponent quality, and more, but Sokol, with expertise in sports analytics and data science, says the LRMC shows the value of simple data and a large sample size.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe LRMC can hold its own against those models that are based on much more advanced metrics than just scoreboard data. They may look at all kinds of information, from efficiencies down to individual player performance, but the message really is that if you have a good set of simple data, that\u2019s enough if you know how to interpret it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESokol compares his algorithm to nearly 100 other ranking systems and says the LRMC is often among the top performers, with the higher-ranked teams (in the LRMC rankings) winning approximately 75% of the time \u2014 a statistic that holds true in the NCAA Tournament. Sokol says that 25% of tournament games result in an upset. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor 2026, Sokol\u2019s projections predict that all eight No. 1 seeds \u2014 four in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments \u2014 will reach the Final Four, but it\u2019s not always a guarantee that the highest seeds make it out of their respective regions. The inaugural LRMC rankings accurately predicted the No. 3-seeded Yellow Jackets\u2019 Final Four run in 2004 \u2014 one of the only predictive models to do so.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESokol got the idea to compile the LRMC rankings one year before Tech\u2019s run to the national championship game, when the Yellow Jackets were left out of the NCAA Tournament as a bubble team, largely because of a December buzzer-beater loss to Tennessee. Since the first set of rankings, machine learning and artificial intelligence have become more accessible, yet Sokol says ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) aren\u2019t quite ready to handle the level of analysis required to shape the rankings.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese LLMs are good at sounding good, but they\u0027re not so good at doing these complex quantitative tasks,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, though, luck is often a stubbornly unquantifiable factor when filling out a bracket, no matter the formula used to make selections, and the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are all but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/bracketiq\/2026-02-18\/perfect-ncaa-bracket-absurd-odds-march-madness-dream\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea statistical impossibility\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"For two decades, a Georgia Tech professor has used simple data to track the best teams in college basketball and predict who will win the NCAA Tournament.   "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor two decades, a Georgia Tech professor has used simple data to track the best teams in college basketball and predict who will win the NCAA Tournament. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For two decades, a Georgia Tech professor has used simple data to track the best teams in college basketball and predict who will win the NCAA Tournament.   "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 20:24:38","changed_gmt":"2026-03-27 14:20:39","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679681":{"id":"679681","type":"image","title":"Joel Sokol","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJoel Sokol, director of the Master of Science in Analytics program and the Harold E. Smalley Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773865550","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 20:25:50","changed":"1773865550","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 20:25:50","alt":"Joel Sokol","file":{"fid":"263871","name":"12C3046-P1-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/12C3046-P1-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/12C3046-P1-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2410903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/12C3046-P1-001.jpg?itok=b7bFdqK3"}}},"media_ids":["679681"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"62061","name":"March Madness"},{"id":"181299","name":"ncaa tournament"},{"id":"12204","name":"men\u0027s basketball"},{"id":"4811","name":"women\u0027s basketball"},{"id":"79951","name":"college basketball"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688969":{"#nid":"688969","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Carbon Into Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential for all living things. Twenty different amino acids build the thousands of proteins that carry out biological tasks. While some are made naturally in our bodies, others are absorbed through the food we eat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmino acids also play a critical role commercially where they are manufactured and added to pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, animal feeds, and industrial chemicals \u2014 an energy-intensive process leading to greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA landmark new system developed at Georgia Tech could lead to an alternative: a commercially scalable, environmentally sustainable method for amino acid production that is carbon negative, using more carbon than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe breakthrough builds on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-carbon-negative-method-produce-essential-amino-acids\u0022\u003Ea method that the team pioneered\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024 and solves a key issue \u2013 increasing efficiency to an unprecedented 97% and reducing the bioprocess cost by over 40%.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;the highest reported conversion of CO2 equivalents into amino acids using any synthetic biology system to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Synthetic Biology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022\u003ECell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids From One-Carbon Feedstocks\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/bioengineering-phd\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERay Westenberg\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peralta-yahya.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Pamela Peralta-Yahya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The team also included\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShaafique Chowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. ChBE 25) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKimberly Wennerholm\u003C\/strong\u003E (ChBE 23)\u003Cstrong\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ealongside\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Washington\u003C\/a\u003E collaborators\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chainreaction.anl.gov\/ryan-cardiff\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Cardiff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, then a Ph.D. student and now a Chain Reaction Innovations Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, and Charles W. H. Matthaei Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cheme.washington.edu\/facultyfinder\/james-carothers\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames M. Carothers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to\u0026nbsp;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Synthetic Biology Team Leader\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/alex-beliaev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander S. Beliaev\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This work shifts the narrative from simply reducing carbon emissions to actually consuming them to create value,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;Peralta-Yahya.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are taking low-cost carbon sources and building essential ingredients in a truly carbon-negative process that is efficient, effective, and scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeat-Loving Organisms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe work builds on the cell-free technology the team used in their earlier study. \u201cPreviously, we discovered that a system that uses the machinery of cells, without using actual living cells, could be used to create amino acids from carbon dioxide,\u201d Peralta-Yahya explains. \u201cBut to create a commercially viable system, we needed to increase the system\u2019s efficiency and reduce the cost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team discovered that bits of leftover cells were consuming starting materials, and \u2014 like a machine with unnecessary gears or parts \u2014 this limited the system\u2019s efficiency. To optimize their \u201cmachine,\u201d the team would need to remove the extra background machinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Leftover cell parts were using key resources without helping produce the amino acids we were looking for,\u201d says Peralta-Yahya. \u201cWe knew that heating the system could be one way to purify it because heat can denature these components.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe challenge was in how to protect the essential system components from the high temperatures, she adds. \u201cWe wondered if introducing enzymes produced by a heat-loving bacterium,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMoorella thermoacetica,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Emight protect our system, while still allowing us to denature and remove that inefficient background machinery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe results were astounding: after introducing the enzymes, heating and \u201ccleaning\u201d the system, and letting it cool to room temperature, synthesis of the amino acids serine and glycine leaped to 97% yield \u2014 nearly three times that of the team\u2019s previous system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling for Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo make the system viable for large-scale use, the team also needed to reduce costs. \u201cOne of the most costly components in this system is the cofactor tetrahydrofolate (THF),\u201d Peralta-Yahya shares. \u201cReducing the amount of THF needed to start the process was one way to make the system more inexpensive and ultimately more commercially viable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy linking reaction steps so waste from one step fueled the next, the team devised a method to recycle THF within the system that reduces the amount of THF needed by five-fold \u2014 lowering bioprocessing costs by 42%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis decrease in cost and increase in yield is a critical step forward in creating a method with real potential for use in industry and manufacturing,\u201d Peralta-Yahya says. \u201cThis system could pave the way for moving this carbon-negative technology out of the lab and onto the continuous, industrial scale.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E); U.S. Department of Energy; and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022 title=\u0022DOI URL\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:04:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 14:16:42","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679657":{"id":"679657","type":"image","title":"Amino Acids","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of a chain of amino acids forming a protein (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773763467","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","changed":"1773763467","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","alt":"Blue and orange spirals against a light blue background.","file":{"fid":"263840","name":"AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":483310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg?itok=nVtDwueb"}}},"media_ids":["679657"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689114":{"#nid":"689114","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ATDC Startups Secure Rare  FDA \u2018Breakthrough Device\u2019 Status ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s\u0026nbsp;uncommon\u0026nbsp;for any startup to receive the Food and\u0026nbsp;Drug\u0026nbsp;Administration\u2019s\u202f(FDA) Breakthrough Devices\u202fdesignation.\u0026nbsp;For the\u0026nbsp;roughly 40%\u0026nbsp;of applicants who receive the designation, it\u0026nbsp;shows that\u0026nbsp;the technology has real potential to improve patient outcomes and should get priority attention from the agency.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ATDC)\u0026nbsp;in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Commercialization\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eannounced two of its\u0026nbsp;health technology\u0026nbsp;(HealthTech) portfolio\u0026nbsp;companies,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nephrodite.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENephrodite\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.orthopreserve.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOrthoPreserve\u003C\/a\u003E, earned\u0026nbsp;the designation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAchieving this rare milestone\u0026nbsp;underscores\u0026nbsp;the caliber of founders, science, and support in ATDC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;30-company\u0026nbsp;HealthTech\u0026nbsp;portfolio, the incubator\u2019s largest focus\u0026nbsp;area.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;also a\u0026nbsp;win for\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u0026nbsp;because it\u0026nbsp;reflects\u0026nbsp;the strength of the state\u2019s\u0026nbsp;health\u0026nbsp;innovation\u0026nbsp;ecosystem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis designation is one of the strongest signals the FDA gives that\u0026nbsp;a technology\u0026nbsp;could change the\u0026nbsp;standard of care,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Greg Jungles, HealthTech catalyst at\u0026nbsp;ATDC.\u0026nbsp;\u201cFor ATDC to\u0026nbsp;have two in the same year is remarkable.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u202fBreakthrough Device\u202fProgram\u0026nbsp;doesn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;waive evidence requirements, but it\u202faccelerates learning\u202fwith the FDA, ATDC\u2019s Jungles said. \u201cThat means shorter response times,\u202fmore frequent meetings, and\u202fprioritized review. Teams avoid dead ends and align earlier on study designs and endpoints.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the founders\u0026nbsp;of both startups,\u0026nbsp;their technologies\u0026nbsp;come one step closer to moving their innovations to market.\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u2019s\u0026nbsp;technology\u0026nbsp;improves\u0026nbsp;the lives of dialysis\u0026nbsp;patients.\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;device addresses challenges faced by\u0026nbsp;those who suffer from chronic knee pain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENephrodite: Advancing Continuous Artificial Kidney Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Nikhil\u0026nbsp;Shah\u0026nbsp;and Dr. Hiep Nguyen,\u0026nbsp;cofounders\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite, aim\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;improve\u0026nbsp;care for dialysis patients\u0026nbsp;with end-stage kidney disease\u0026nbsp;who need transplants. These patients\u0026nbsp;often\u0026nbsp;spend\u0026nbsp;three to four hours in a\u0026nbsp;dialysis\u0026nbsp;clinic\u0026nbsp;up to\u0026nbsp;three times a week. Being\u0026nbsp;tethered to stationary machines\u0026nbsp;with needles\u0026nbsp;drawing blood via arm grafts\u0026nbsp;complicates\u0026nbsp;everyday\u0026nbsp;activities\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;from work\u0026nbsp;tasks\u0026nbsp;to the ability to travel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDialysis addresses chronic kidney disease, which means kidneys no longer work properly. The treatments filter out toxins,\u0026nbsp;waste, and other fluids in the blood. Kidney disease\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/kidney-disease\/ckd-facts\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecosts Medicare\u0026nbsp;$124.5 billion\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And those costs are expected to rise because of increasing rates of kidney failure and chronic kidney disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDialysis, while lifesaving\u0026nbsp;when it was pioneered\u0026nbsp;in 1952, is incredibly burdensome,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;Besides being\u0026nbsp;a long process\u0026nbsp;that keeps the patient in a fixed location,\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s\u0026nbsp;physically tiring.\u0026nbsp;\u201cTaking out your blood\u0026nbsp;continually\u0026nbsp;many, many times over, and over the course of four hours\u0026nbsp;is the equivalent of running\u0026nbsp;the Boston Marathon, hitting the finish line, and then someone saying, \u2018You\u0027re not done;\u0026nbsp;go do\u0026nbsp;it again,\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u201d\u0026nbsp;he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA surgeon by training,\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;expertise\u0026nbsp;in transplantation and oncology, Shah\u0026nbsp;is also an adjunct associate professor\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing. He\u0026nbsp;worked with\u0026nbsp;Nguyen\u0026nbsp;to develop a\u0026nbsp;continuously\u0026nbsp;functioning mechanical artificial kidney, leading to\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u2019s\u0026nbsp;formation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;FDA\u2019s\u0026nbsp;breakthrough designation\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;its\u0026nbsp;artificial kidney\u0026nbsp;allows the company\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;pursue approvals to\u0026nbsp;begin tests in\u0026nbsp;human trials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company traces its beginnings to a German aerospace facility outside Munich,\u0026nbsp;where\u0026nbsp;Nguyen and\u0026nbsp;Shah\u0026nbsp;watched engineers\u0026nbsp;demonstrate\u0026nbsp;a pediatric artificial heart\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.berlinheart.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBerlin Heart\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s\u0026nbsp;how we got started,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cSeeing\u0026nbsp;an artificial heart that led us to\u0026nbsp;think about doing this for kidneys\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;because the kidney space has been largely ignored for 70 years.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBacked by a German federal grant,\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u0026nbsp;grew, moving from Germany to Boston, Massachusetts, then\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;Austin, Texas, before calling Atlanta home.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;company joined\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;tapped\u0026nbsp;into other Georgia Tech programs.\u0026nbsp;This\u0026nbsp;included\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medtech.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for MedTech Excellence\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u0026nbsp;also\u0026nbsp;drew on\u0026nbsp;student talent as\u0026nbsp;the researchers\u0026nbsp;quietly\u0026nbsp;worked\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;continuous mechanical artificial kidney.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENephrodite\u0026nbsp;began\u0026nbsp;interviewing\u0026nbsp;patients\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;find out what they wanted\u0026nbsp;the artificial kidney needed to solve.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey learned patients\u0026nbsp;want\u0026nbsp;the ability to be mobile.\u0026nbsp;Patients also\u0026nbsp;desire\u0026nbsp;an alternative\u0026nbsp;therapy to large needles being inserted into arm grafts\u0026nbsp;because the injection sites are prone to\u0026nbsp;infection\u0026nbsp;and the grafts can fail. In addition, the process\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;painful and disfiguring. Finally,\u0026nbsp;patients want\u0026nbsp;a quality of life\u0026nbsp;independent of\u0026nbsp;machines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose\u0026nbsp;quality-of-life\u0026nbsp;needs, especially being free and mobile,\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;absolutely universal,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENephrodite\u0026nbsp;began developing the technology to\u0026nbsp;build\u0026nbsp;its device\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;a filter surgically implanted in the pelvis area.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe developed an implant designed to run\u0026nbsp;constantly, connected to larger blood vessels\u0026nbsp;in the pelvis\u0026nbsp;to\u202favoid arm graft failures, and paired with an external interface that lets patients sleep at night while the system removes toxins and excess fluid,\u201d Shah\u0026nbsp;explained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe device also has\u0026nbsp;built-in sensors, with\u0026nbsp;data uploaded to the cloud,\u0026nbsp;enabling\u0026nbsp;medical care teams\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;remotely\u0026nbsp;monitor\u0026nbsp;their patients\u0026nbsp;while freeing\u0026nbsp;patients from frequent\u0026nbsp;in-clinic\u0026nbsp;visits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShah said\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u2019s\u0026nbsp;device\u0026nbsp;could restore everyday\u202findependence,\u0026nbsp;while potentially\u202flowering infection risk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s like having an actual kidney, but\u0026nbsp;without\u0026nbsp;all the issues\u0026nbsp;of an unhealthy one,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOrthoPreserve: Innovating a Minimally Invasive Meniscus Implant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOrthoPreserve\u2019s technology aims\u0026nbsp;to address issues\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;people have with their meniscus,\u0026nbsp;the C\u2011shaped piece of cartilage in a knee joint that acts as a shock absorber between the thigh bone and shin bone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough\u0026nbsp;patients undergo a now-routine surgery to address it,\u0026nbsp;incomplete recoveries are\u0026nbsp;also\u0026nbsp;common.\u0026nbsp;An estimated\u0026nbsp;quarter\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;patients\u202flater experience\u0026nbsp;recurring knee pain.\u0026nbsp;No FDA-approved implant\u202fcurrently exists for this population.\u0026nbsp;Now,\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserveis developing a minimally invasive,\u202fartificial meniscus implant\u202fto\u202frestore cushioning,\u0026nbsp;relieve pain, and\u202fdelay\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;or even\u0026nbsp;prevent\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;knee replacement\u202ffor\u0026nbsp;some patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are a million meniscus\u0026nbsp;surgeries every year, and 25% of those patients still live with recurring pain,\u201d said Jonathan Schwartz,\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;founder and CEO.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPatients\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;face\u202fdaily pain\u202ffrom\u0026nbsp;ordinary activities, such as\u0026nbsp;prolonged\u0026nbsp;standing\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;walking\u0026nbsp;a dog. Other activities like\u0026nbsp;jogging and\u0026nbsp;recreational sports\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;trigger flares\u202fthat\u0026nbsp;can lead to\u0026nbsp;swelling and\u0026nbsp;prolonged\u0026nbsp;discomfort, Schwartz said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThose patients have\u202fno\u0026nbsp;reliable\u0026nbsp;options today,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re building a minimally invasive implant to\u202frestore cushioning\u202fand help people get back to the activities they love.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrhoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;durable implant\u0026nbsp;restores cushioning, and it\u0026nbsp;could help people\u202freturn to normal activities\u0026nbsp;and\u202fdelay invasive knee replacement. Along with this comes\u0026nbsp;potential cost and recovery benefits for the healthcare\u0026nbsp;system.\u202f \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchwartz\u202fcreated the implant as his\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/tech-alum-launches-meniscus-implant-startup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech master\u2019s thesis\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fin the lab of\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ku\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fin\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;Lawrence P. Huang Endowed Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Regents\u0027 Professor\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. After industry experience,\u0026nbsp;Schwartz\u0026nbsp;returned to\u0026nbsp;further\u0026nbsp;develop\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;technology,\u0026nbsp;building on Georgia Tech\u2019s translational\u0026nbsp;expertise\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrthoPreserve\u0026nbsp;has completed\u202fmechanical testing and a successful\u202fstudy. The company\u0026nbsp;is raising a\u202f$2 million seed\u202fto complete validations and begin human trials, which Schwartz expects to start in\u0026nbsp;18 months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe\u0026nbsp;FDA\u0026nbsp;breakthrough designation validates that nothing like this\u0026nbsp;technology\u0026nbsp;exists,\u0026nbsp;and that it has the potential to disrupt the standard of care,\u201d Schwartz\u0026nbsp;said,\u0026nbsp;adding the\u0026nbsp;U.S.\u2019\u0026nbsp;market\u0026nbsp;opportunity\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;roughly\u0026nbsp;$1.5 billion. \u201cWe finally have a minimally invasive\u0026nbsp;option to bridge the gap between meniscus surgery and knee replacement.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat FDA Breakthrough Designation Means for\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;HealthTech Startups\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving a\u0026nbsp;faster\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;clearer path is a\u202fderisking milestone\u202ffor investors\u0026nbsp;who are\u0026nbsp;evaluating\u0026nbsp;capital intensive\u0026nbsp;medical\u0026nbsp;device\u0026nbsp;technologies,\u0026nbsp;Jungles\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis\u0026nbsp;breakthrough device designation is a really big deal for medical\u0026nbsp;device companies,\u201d Jungles said, adding\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;startups often fear navigating the FDA\u0026nbsp;approval\u0026nbsp;process.\u0026nbsp;\u201cBut this designation\u0026nbsp;adds to the legitimacy of their technologies\u0026nbsp;and the problemsthey are solving. The designation will help them get to market faster, assuming their data continues to meet expectations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC launched its\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/industry\/healthtech\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHealthTech vertical\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2018,\u0026nbsp;which is\u0026nbsp;now\u0026nbsp;sponsored by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalyst.wellstar.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECatalyst by Wellstar\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s HealthTech\u0026nbsp;portfoilo\u0026nbsp;companies\u0026nbsp;include\u0026nbsp;medical devices, biotech, and digital health, among other segments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EATDC\u2019s Role in Accelerating HealthTech Innovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENephrodite\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;founders\u0026nbsp;noted\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s\u202fcoaching\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;programming\u0026nbsp;as critical in navigating fundraising and regulatory milestones.\u0026nbsp;Another\u0026nbsp;factor, they said,\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;connection\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;labs and facilities\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;prototyping support and clinical advisors\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;across\u0026nbsp;metro\u0026nbsp;Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe meet with ATDC coaches every two to four weeks to troubleshoot and plan,\u201d Schwartz said. \u201cHaving that level of seasoned guidance, all\u0026nbsp;without consultant-level costs,\u0026nbsp;has been huge.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJungles added\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;two\u0026nbsp;Breakthrough device\u0026nbsp;designations in the same year\u0026nbsp;reflects\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s selection rigor, noting\u0026nbsp;he\u2019s\u0026nbsp;evaluated hundreds of technologies since the HealthTech vertical launched.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt reflects the caliber\u0026nbsp;of the companies in\u0026nbsp;ATDC, specifically in the medical\u0026nbsp;device space,\u201d Jungles said. \u201cIt\u2019s the strength of their teams, the persistence of the founders, and the collaboration of the ecosystem in Georgia and Atlanta.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFDA Breakthrough Device designation is rare for health technology startups.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Milestone designation signals strong potential to reshape care for dialysis patients and those with chronic knee pain."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2026-03-20 21:15:57","changed_gmt":"2026-03-24 15:34:46","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679705":{"id":"679705","type":"image","title":"Shah and Nguyen headshots","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Nikhil\u0026nbsp;Shah\u0026nbsp;and Dr. Hiep Nguyen,\u0026nbsp;are cofounders\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite, an ATDC startup.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774043491","gmt_created":"2026-03-20 21:51:31","changed":"1774043761","gmt_changed":"2026-03-20 21:56:01","alt":"Shah and Nguyen headshots","file":{"fid":"263896","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png","mime":"image\/png","size":289138,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/20\/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png?itok=tG6Q9aU1"}},"679703":{"id":"679703","type":"image","title":"Jonathan Schwartz headshot","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJonathan Schwartz,\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;founder and CEO.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774042486","gmt_created":"2026-03-20 21:34:46","changed":"1774042827","gmt_changed":"2026-03-20 21:40:27","alt":"Headshot of Jonathan Schwartz.","file":{"fid":"263894","name":"J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":514027,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/20\/J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg?itok=fyQrz_1r"}}},"media_ids":["679705","679703"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"194965","name":"Greg Jungles"},{"id":"194966","name":"Catalyst by Wellstar"},{"id":"14713","name":"FDA"},{"id":"189701","name":"breakthrough device designation"},{"id":"194967","name":"Nephrodite"},{"id":"194968","name":"OrthoPreserve"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EP\u00e9ralte C. Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peralte@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eperalte@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E404.316.1210\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689026":{"#nid":"689026","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Film Production Brings Temporary Disruptions to Tech Square","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will host a film production requiring intermittent pedestrian and vehicular traffic holds as well as parking lane closures near the Historic Academy of Medicine\u202fand the George Tower | Scheller Tower\u202fbeginning\u202fSunday, March 22, and lasting through Tuesday, March 24.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAffected areas include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAcademy of Medicine exterior spaces, parking lot, and interior spaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGeorge Tower | Scheller Tower exterior spaces, adjacent parking lot, and first floor event space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStreet parking closures on West Peachtree Street, Biltmore Place, and Fifth Street.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIntermittent pedestrian and vehicular traffic holds on Biltmore Place and Fifth Street (only on Monday, March 23).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese temporary disruptions will occur at varying times, but expect the greatest impact to occur between\u202f\u003Cstrong\u003E7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday, March 23.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease plan alternate routes and allow extra travel time. Signage and security officers will be on-site to assist.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will host a film production requiring\u003Cstrong\u003E\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003Eintermittent\u003Cstrong\u003E\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003Epedestrian and vehicular traffic holds as well as parking lane closures in Tech Square.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech will host a film production requiring\u202fintermittent\u202fpedestrian and vehicular traffic holds as well as parking lane closures in Tech Square."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 20:49:57","changed_gmt":"2026-03-23 16:15:51","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679683":{"id":"679683","type":"image","title":"Film-Crew-at-Work.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773869694","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 21:34:54","changed":"1773869694","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 21:34:54","alt":"Filming crew at work","file":{"fid":"263873","name":"Film-Crew-at-Work.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/Film-Crew-at-Work.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/Film-Crew-at-Work.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3103243,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/Film-Crew-at-Work.jpg?itok=rQi4Icmr"}}},"media_ids":["679683"],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdam Hardy\u003Cbr\u003EFilm Logistics Project Lead\u003Cbr\u003E404.862.9377\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["thardy40@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689007":{"#nid":"689007","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Mobile App Turns Phones into At-Home Fetal Heart Monitors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new mobile app will soon put the ability to monitor a baby\u2019s prenatal heartbeat in the hands of pregnant women who may worry about their baby\u2019s health in between doctor\u2019s visits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudies show that one in five pregnant women experiences \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/perinatal-anxiety-one-in-five-women-experience-it-but-many-still-suffer-alone-before-or-after-childbirth-133667\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eperinatal anxiety\u003C\/a\u003E, which is characterized by intense negative thoughts about their pregnancy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDopFone turns any smartphone speaker into a Doppler radar by emitting a low-pitched ultrasound and detecting reflected signals of abdominal surface vibrations caused by a fetal heartbeat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.alexandertadams.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Adams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, said he came up with the idea for DopFone as he and his wife, Elise, experienced two miscarriages. At the time, she couldn\u2019t reliably measure the fetal heart rate with a standard fetal Doppler monitor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose experiences exposed gaps in the maternal healthcare process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are a lot of great devices in hospitals and clinics, but there\u2019s not much outside of those venues, even for high-risk pregnancies,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThis is about filling the gaps between checkups.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.poojitagarg.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPoojita Garg\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E joined Adams to work on DopFone while completing her master\u2019s degree at Georgia Tech. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and is co-advised by Professor Swetak Patel, who earned his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2008.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg is working with the University of Washington School of Medicine to conduct DopFone\u2019s first clinical trials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg tested DopFone on 23 patients and achieved a plus-minus of 4.9 beats per minute, well within the clinical standard range of eight beats per minute for reliable fetal heart rate measurement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdams said it measured within two beats per minute in most cases, with an error rate of less than one percent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout one million pregnancies in the U.S. end in miscarriage, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medicine.yale.edu\/news-article\/dr-harvey-kliman-study-finds-the-placenta-holds-answers-to-many-unexplained-pregnancy-losses\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a study from the Yale School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E, and doctors know little about what causes them. Adams said that number is probably higher because many go unreported.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdams and Garg said it\u2019s unclear whether the innovation could reduce the number of miscarriages. However, consistent fetal heart rate data collection outside of the doctor\u2019s office could provide a better idea of what happens leading up to a miscarriage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom there, we can take preventative action,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIf nothing else, we can give a sense of comfort to those who may be worried.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile couples can purchase portable fetal heart rate monitors, Adams and Garg see DopFone as a low-cost alternative for those who live in areas with limited or inaccessible healthcare systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of potential for using it in what doctors like to call maternity deserts,\u201d Garg said. \u201cThese are areas where a pregnant person, at the time of delivery, would have to travel long distances to reach a hospital. This technology will be useful globally in underdeveloped areas of the world.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also mentioned that external add-ons and attachments aren\u2019t part of their design goals. They prefer to rely on the phone\u2019s built-in features to keep the technology accessible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real value is that 96% of America already has the technology in their pocket, along with 60% of the world\u2019s population,\u201d Adams said. \u201cHalf of the battle is having the right tools. The more we can get from what\u2019s already in the phone, the more we can guarantee people have access to it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENot a Substitute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome patients may feel a constant need to check their unborn child\u2019s heart rate, and Garg acknowledged that a tool like DopFone could increase that anxiety. She and Adams said a future version of the app will tell the parent if the heart rate is within a healthy range.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of tradeoffs between a tool that could provide reassurance or create anxiety,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want the use of this tool to be recommended by a doctor and for doctors and their care teams to be kept in the loop.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also said DopFone is not meant to replace anything that is done in a clinic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are devices that make the whole process possible at home, but this is something that should be done in a clinic, so that\u2019s the line we want to draw,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDopFone uses smartphone speakers to emit a low-pitched ultrasound that detects reflected signals of abdominal surface vibrations caused by fetal cardiac activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.alexandertadams.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Adams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, said he came up with the idea for DopFone as he and his wife, Elise, suffered through two miscarriages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.poojitagarg.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPoojita Garg\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E joined Adams to work on DopFone while completing her master\u2019s at Georgia Tech. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and is co-advised by Professor Swetak Patel, who earned his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2008.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg is working with the University of Washington School of Medicine to conduct DopFone\u2019s first clinical trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg tested DopFone on 23 patients and achieved a plus-minus of 4.9 beats per minute, well within the clinical standard for reliable fetal heart rate measurement of plus-minus 8 beats per minute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new app will allow pregnant women to conduct an ultrasound and receive an accurate fetal heart rate from their mobile phones."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 13:23:19","changed_gmt":"2026-03-23 13:16:06","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679666":{"id":"679666","type":"image","title":"DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773840209","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 13:23:29","changed":"1773840209","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 13:23:29","alt":"Woman holds mobile phone to the belly of a pregnant woman","file":{"fid":"263850","name":"DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":113510,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg?itok=A5qhfUr7"}}},"media_ids":["679666"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"181431","name":"maternal"},{"id":"7677","name":"ultrasound"},{"id":"34741","name":"mobile app"},{"id":"29561","name":"pregnancy"},{"id":"190383","name":"pregnant women"},{"id":"168908","name":"smartphone"},{"id":"188420","name":"babies"},{"id":"178046","name":"fetal monitoring"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688900":{"#nid":"688900","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Institute Launches With Inaugural Symposium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership will officially launch April 2-3 with a two-day symposium exploring how to best prepare current and future leaders to engage with the most pressing issues shaping society today and in the future. The symposium will explore how best to position Georgia Tech research to inform these debates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn April 2, the event will feature a keynote dialogue at 10 a.m. in the Scholars Event Theater (Price Gilbert 1280) with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/robertpgeorge.com\/\u0022\u003ERobert George\u003C\/a\u003E, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornelwest.com\/\u0022\u003ECornel West\u003C\/a\u003E, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, followed by panel discussions designed to provide perspectives from a range of peer institutions. George and West are the authors of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Truth-Matters-Dialogue-Fruitful-Disagreement\/dp\/B0DBR1PYWL\u0022\u003ETruth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther topics will include: informing public debate and leading at the intersection of technology and policy, and engaging students and faculty successfully in civic leadership and technology policy initiatives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn April 3, the event will feature a panel of Georgia Tech leaders sharing their perspectives, followed by breakout sessions designed for Georgia Tech community members to share their feedback.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExplore the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/events\/item\/688756\/perspectives-technology-civic-leadership-inaugural-symposium\u0022\u003Esymposium agenda\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_6x0B8PyUF9qj3Tg\u0022\u003Eregister\u003C\/a\u003E to attend a portion or all of the symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership reflects Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to educating leaders who create new possibilities at the intersection of technology and human flourishing and exploring ways for Georgia Tech scholarship and research to inform pressing societal issues and opportunities. It will draw on rigorous research to develop and support civic-minded, technological leaders and policy-aware innovators, equipping them to lead in a pluralistic democracy and an interconnected, innovation-driven world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new Institute will give students the chance to explore a broad range of ideas about how innovation shapes communities, the economy, and public life. It aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another and find common ground \u2014 all anchored in open debate, scientific inquiry and evidence-based problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will also serve as a hub for bringing together leaders from government, industry, academia and other sectors to tackle pressing challenges and pursue science- and data-driven solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership will officially launch April 2-3 with a two-day symposium exploring how to best prepare current and future leaders to engage with the most pressing issues shaping society today and in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership will officially launch April 2-3 with a two-day symposium exploring how to best prepare current and future leaders to engage with the most pressing issues shaping society today and in the future. "}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 16:19:31","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 15:48:52","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679603":{"id":"679603","type":"image","title":"Institute-for-Technology-and-Civic-Leadership.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773332379","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 16:19:39","changed":"1773332379","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 16:19:39","alt":"Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary","file":{"fid":"263783","name":"Institute-for-Technology-and-Civic-Leadership.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Institute-for-Technology-and-Civic-Leadership.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Institute-for-Technology-and-Civic-Leadership.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":782472,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Institute-for-Technology-and-Civic-Leadership.jpg?itok=ovOgy3eg"}}},"media_ids":["679603"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMegan McRainey\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:megan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emegan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688798":{"#nid":"688798","#data":{"type":"news","title":"$8.9 Million Approved for Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u2019s forest industry has long been a pillar of the state\u2019s rural economy. But in recent years, mill closures and shifting markets have put pressure on landowners, workers, and entire communities, particularly in south Georgia. A recently approved $8.9 million \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Forestry-Task-Force-Report-FINAL.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Innovation Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E will help chart a new path forward, creating more value from Georgia\u2019s abundant forest resources and expanding opportunities for the people and regions depending on them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is pleased to partner with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Commission\u003C\/a\u003E on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget. This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia\u2019s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state. The initiative will establish pilot facilities and accelerate technology to business transfer in partnership with industry, with the long-term goal of enabling multiple manufacturing sites across Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe appreciate the state\u2019s investment in helping move these innovations from the lab to Georgia businesses,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2863\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECarson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (RBI). \u201cWe also acknowledge the critical support of industry collaborators and partners like the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gfagrow.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Association\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gffgrow.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work builds on collaborative interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech involving \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Professors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/andreas-bommarius\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndreas Bommarius\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christopher-luettgen\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChris Luettgen\u003C\/a\u003E and Meredith; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/stefan-france\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStefan France\u003C\/a\u003E and Professor of the Practice \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/anthony-j-bo-arduengo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EA.J. \u201cBo\u201d Arduengo\u003C\/a\u003E; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial Systems and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E. Gary Black, RBI program manager, has also contributed to this effort. It is led by RBI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi1.gatech.edu\/research\/center-for-renewables-based-economy-from-wood\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for a Renewables-Based Economy from Wood\u003C\/a\u003E (ReWOOD.) The effort reflects years of cross-disciplinary collaboration among faculty and staff committed to advancing sustainable, wood-based technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is pleased to partner with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Commission\u003C\/a\u003E on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget. This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia\u2019s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is pleased to partner with the Georgia Forestry Commission on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget. "}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-03-06 17:18:30","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 13:02:58","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679569":{"id":"679569","type":"image","title":"georgia-forest.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is pleased to partner with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Commission\u003C\/a\u003E on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773166846","gmt_created":"2026-03-10 18:20:46","changed":"1773166846","gmt_changed":"2026-03-10 18:20:46","alt":"Tall pine trees in a sunlit forest with dense green grasses and undergrowth covering the forest floor.","file":{"fid":"263745","name":"georgia-forest.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/georgia-forest.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/georgia-forest.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1769985,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/10\/georgia-forest.jpeg?itok=tKeLvrC4"}}},"media_ids":["679569"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"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\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EJennifer Martin\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ejennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688758":{"#nid":"688758","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Target the Tumor. Spare the Body.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Nick Housley is developing a drug\u2011delivery system designed to send cancer treatments directly to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. His team\u2019s approach uses self\u2011assembling nanohydrogels (SANGs) that circulate through the body, remain inactive in healthy environments, and release their drug payload only when they encounter the unique chemical conditions created by tumors. This \u201ccancer\u2011agnostic\u201d strategy avoids the pitfalls of traditional targeted therapies, which can lose effectiveness as tumors evolve, and aims to reduce the harsh side effects patients often endure. Early preclinical results show that the nanohydrogels successfully concentrated drugs at tumor sites, and Housley\u2019s team is now preparing for broader testing to move the technology toward clinical trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/45127\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech researcher is working to send cancer drugs to tumors \u2014 and avoid healthy tissue."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Nick Housley is developing a drug\u2011delivery system designed to send cancer treatments directly to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Early preclinical results show that the nanohydrogels successfully concentrated drugs at tumor sites, and Housley\u2019s team is now preparing for broader testing to move the technology toward clinical trials.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Housley and his team are developing self\u2011assembling nanohydrogels that deliver cancer drugs only when they reach tumor\u2011specific conditions, aiming to reduce side effects and make treatment more precise across multiple cancer types."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-03-05 23:19:22","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 13:02:20","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679537":{"id":"679537","type":"image","title":"20260226-Cancer-Delivery-System-Story-6.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENick Housley\u2019s latest advancement is a drug\u2011delivery system called SANGs, short for \u201cself\u2011assembling nanohydrogels.\u201d As these nanohydrogels move through the body, they keep the cancer\u2011fighting drug contained, passing through healthy tissue without releasing medicine. When they encounter the unique conditions created by a tumor, they remain in that environment and release the drug precisely where it\u2019s needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1772752775","gmt_created":"2026-03-05 23:19:35","changed":"1772752775","gmt_changed":"2026-03-05 23:19:35","alt":"A person wearing a blue lab coat stands with arms crossed in a laboratory filled with shelves of scientific equipment, supplies, and a refrigerator unit in the background.","file":{"fid":"263710","name":"20260226-Cancer-Delivery-System-Story-6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/20260226-Cancer-Delivery-System-Story-6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/20260226-Cancer-Delivery-System-Story-6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14461101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/05\/20260226-Cancer-Delivery-System-Story-6.jpg?itok=hcwCBuaP"}}},"media_ids":["679537"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688806":{"#nid":"688806","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Effective Carbon Removal Requires Transparency, Says New Georgia Tech Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECarbon dioxide continues to push global temperatures toward dangerous thresholds that affect everything from public health to economies. To mitigate these effects, researchers are looking into carbon removal methods such as direct air capture machines that can chemically bind with carbon or simple ecological strategies like adding trees to unwooded areas. These approaches could potentially supplement the decarbonization of transport, industry, and the energy system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut as carbon removal grows, so does a core problem: The carbon removal industry is largely unregulated, particularly for more novel technologies without long-standing norms around reporting and verification. In today\u2019s \u201cvoluntary carbon market,\u201d a private company can claim it removed a certain amount of carbon, list that amount for sale, and allow another company to buy it to offset its emissions \u2014 with little independent oversight or transparency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new \u003Cem\u003ENature NPJ Climate Action\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s44168-025-00324-4#additional-information\u0022\u003Earticle\u003C\/a\u003E argues that this system isn\u2019t enough to meet global climate goals, and could even end up causing harm. In the paper, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/chris-reinhard\u0022\u003EChris Reinhard\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Georgia Power Chair and associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, and Noah Planavsky of the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture call for a fundamental shift: Carbon removal should be quantifiable, economically viable, and pursued in ways that create benefits for local communities \u2014 and greater transparency in carbon removal practice is necessary.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe argue that it\u2019s important to understand and quantify carbon removal practices that can benefit local communities, like better crop yields, and that this understanding is really only possible if these practices are pursued transparently,\u201d Reinhard said. \u201cThe data used to quantify carbon removal and how much it costs need to be transparent \u2014 the surest route toward learning what works and building public trust in carbon removal as a solution.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETransparency Trouble\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReinhard and Planavsky bring a unique technical and policy perspective to the issue. As geochemists, they study how Earth\u2019s chemical composition and geological processes control the carbon cycle. Reinhard also co-founded a carbon removal startup he has since divested from. That insider experience and academic background helped them see the disconnect between what\u2019s technologically possible and what market logic culturally or commercially incentivizes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s carbon removal startups often guard their methods and data as proprietary intellectual property. Without regulatory requirements or pressure from corporate carbon buyers, these startups have little reason to disclose carbon accounting practices, cost structures, or actual long-term impacts. The researchers argue that policy guidance and advocacy are needed to shift the industry toward meaningful openness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur expertise is most firmly grounded in the technical dimensions of these carbon removal processes,\u201d Reinhard said, \u201cbut we saw an opportunity here to push for better policy and start this dialogue about what transparency really means, in part to foster more public debate about what carbon removal ought to be doing for society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommunity Beyond Carbon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe authors also stress that carbon removal should deliver benefits beyond atmospheric cleanup that communities can see and advocate for. For example, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/farming-future-planet-how-liming-could-be-key-carbon-removal\u0022\u003Eliming\u003C\/a\u003E, or adding limestone to soil, can remove carbon while also improving crop yields and reducing erosion. Coastal ecosystem\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/fixing-flooding\u0022\u003Erestoration\u003C\/a\u003E can\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/mitigating-climate-change-through-restoration-coastal-ecosystems\u0022\u003Esequester carbon\u003C\/a\u003E while strengthening shorelines and supporting fisheries. Georgia Tech\u2019s own\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/direct-air-capture\u0022\u003Edirect air capture work\u003C\/a\u003E builds community engagement into the process to ensure that carbon removal is equitable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReinhard and Planavsky say the next best step for the carbon removal industry is to identify which removal pathways offer the clearest benefits, what they cost, and where transparency gaps are most damaging. This foundation will help create policies that make carbon removal reliable, verifiable, and community-centered.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithout oversight, they argue, carbon removal risks remaining a niche, market-defined practice \u2014 when the climate challenge demands a trusted, scalable, and democratically governed solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Reinhard, C.T., Planavsky, N.J. The importance of radical transparency for responsible carbon dioxide removal. \u003Cem\u003Enpj Clim. Action\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003E5\u003C\/strong\u003E, 7 (2026). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s44168-025-00324-4\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe researchers suggest that carbon removal can have clear benefits on the road to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it needs more oversight to be responsibly adopted at large scales.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The researchers suggest that carbon removal can have clear benefits on the road to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it needs more oversight to be responsibly adopted at large scales."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-03-09 13:52:38","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 13:01:54","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679553":{"id":"679553","type":"image","title":"Smole Stack from Adobe","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAdobeStock_480044761\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773075283","gmt_created":"2026-03-09 16:54:43","changed":"1773075368","gmt_changed":"2026-03-09 16:56:08","alt":"Smoke stack billowing smke","file":{"fid":"263728","name":"smoke-stack-adobeimage.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/09\/smoke-stack-adobeimage.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/09\/smoke-stack-adobeimage.png","mime":"image\/png","size":726512,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/09\/smoke-stack-adobeimage.png?itok=gzc0xV-8"}}},"media_ids":["679553"],"groups":[{"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":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETess Malone\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Research Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688556":{"#nid":"688556","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Space Startups Take Off at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s faculty startup engine\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/quadrant-i.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EQuadrant-i\u003C\/a\u003E, together with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI), launched the first cohort of the CreationsVC Space Fellows Program. Funded by space technology venture capital firm\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/creations.vc\/\u0022\u003ECreationsVC\u003C\/a\u003E, the program enables faculty to explore promising early-stage innovations and their potential for future commercial impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis first set of CreationsVC Fellows offers an exciting cross-section of innovative hardware and software technologies built on Georgia Tech\u2019s legacy of space exploration, hardware development, and product commercialization,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/w-jud-ready\u0022\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E, SRI executive director.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the first year of the three-year program, CreationsVC provides $125,000 to promote and accelerate innovations that have both space and terrestrial applications. The series offers participants training focused on customer discovery, engaging and compelling storytelling, value proposition design and quantification, and lean\/agile project\/product management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCreationsVC is centered on a deep appreciation for innovation and big thinking,\u201d said Steve Braverman, co-founder and managing partner of CreationsVC. \u201cWe felt this was the right time to align our efforts in sourcing and supporting dual-value technologies that will have an impact on both Earth and space.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe six startups tackle real-world space research problems like supply chain management, how artificial intelligence works in space, and navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are excited CreationsVC is providing us with an opportunity to try new approaches to accelerate deep tech development,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jonathan-goldman\u0022\u003EJonathan Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, Quadrant-i\u2019s director.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThese are the toughest kinds of startups to build, and we look forward to the learning we will gain from forcing our innovators out of their comfort zones to embrace some new and valuable skills.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMeet the cohort:\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cimtech.ai\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECIMTech.ai\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/shimeng-yu\u0022\u003EShimeng Yu\u003C\/a\u003E, James Read\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective: \u003C\/strong\u003ETo develop energy-efficient, radiation-tolerant artificial intelligence processors using a persistent type of ferroelectric memory. The startup aims to improve applications requiring high power efficiency, such as battery-powered devices and space-based systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EThe advantage of Q-i is in helping technical founders turn their research into products that solve customers\u2019 problems,\u201d noted James Read. \u201cFor us, that means talking with potential customers and hearing their pain points directly from the source. Now we\u2019re use that information to build a convincing narrative around our startup\u2019s value for stakeholders and investors.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: SkyCT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/morris-b-cohen\u0022\u003EMorris Cohen,\u003C\/a\u003E Matthew Strong\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E ECE\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E To provide\u0026nbsp;up-to-date mapping of the electrical properties of the upper atmosphere, with applications to GPS-free navigation, long-range communication, and satellite and launch vehicle viability.\u0026nbsp;The startup uses the radio energy released by lightning strikes to create this map.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cThis weird region about 50 miles up from Earth\u2019s surface is both really hard to track and measure, and also impacts a surprising array of applications,\u201d said Cohen. \u201cIt\u2019s sometimes called the `ignorosphere\u2019 because of how difficult it is to measure, and it\u2019s time we change that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: Penumbra Autonomy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/panagiotis-tsiotras\u0022\u003EPanagiotis Tsiotras,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jdflorez\/\u0022\u003EJuan Diego Florez-Castillo\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/iasonvelentzas\/\u0022\u003EIason Velentzas\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (AE)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETo commercialize algorithms that help spacecraft maneuver when they have limited information on their environment. The algorithms use state-of-the-art computer vision and localization techniques. This could benefit manufacturing, assembly, and refueling in orbit, as well as enable monitoring, situational awareness, and debris removal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cThe program offers a conduit to entrepreneurship opportunities and spinoff companies in the space domain by providing guidance and commercialization \u2018know-how,\u2019\u201d said Panagiotis\u0026nbsp;Tsiotras.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: TerraMorph\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/yashwanth-kumar-nakka\u0022\u003EYashwanth Kumar Nakka\u003C\/a\u003E, Sadhana Kumar, Vincent Griffo, Sachin Kelkar\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E AE\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;To create an autonomous rover platform with adaptive, reconfigurable mobility. The rover will implement software and sensing algorithms to automatically detect terrain type and improve traction and energy usage. This could be used on the moon or Mars, or even terrestrial search and rescue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cTerraMorph\u0026nbsp;was developed to address fundamental challenges in mobility and autonomy across uncertain\u0026nbsp;terrain, \u0026nbsp;but\u0026nbsp;successfully translating that work into impact requires creative guidance, critical feedback, and experienced perspectives beyond the lab,\u201d said Yashwanth Kumar Nakka. \u201cQ-i\u2019s culture of leading by example and fostering strong, ethical teams aligns closely with how we want to build\u0026nbsp;TerraMorph: iteratively, thoughtfully, and with a focus on real-world deployment.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openwerks.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOpenWerks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/shreyes-melkote\u0022\u003EShreyes Melkote\u003C\/a\u003E, Mike Yan\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;To deliver real-time manufacturing supply chain visibility for the space and national security industries. OpenWerks technology aims to dramatically reduce current sourcing cycles from eight months down to weeks by connecting corporate buyers directly with verified supplier manufacturing capability and capacity data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cFrom the very beginning, principals at VentureLab and\u0026nbsp; Q-i offered a clear pathway to translate academic research into a viable business,\u201d said Mike Yan. \u201cTheir reputation for guiding Georgia Tech startups through both business and technology derisking, combined with their comprehensive ecosystem of programs and coaches, made them the natural partner for our entrepreneurial journey.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.8seven8.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8Seven8\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/chandra-raman\u0022\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E To manufacture quantum hardware in Georgia. 8Seven8 aims to put high-precision atomic clocks and gyroscopes on a chip for applications ranging from aircraft navigation to industrial automation. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cThey have mentored me and my students through the commercialization process, providing opportunities such as the Space Fellows Cohort,\u201d Chandra Raman said. \u201cOne of my former students, Alexandra Crawford, gained valuable business experience through a Q-i entrepreneur\u2019s assistantship, and is now working at 8Seven8 full-time. They have also guided me through the process of obtaining funding through the Georgia Research Alliance for our commercialization effort.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThese six faculty- and student-led startups will tackle space innovations with terrestrial applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"These six faculty- and student-led startups will tackle space innovations with terrestrial applications. "}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 20:51:28","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 13:01:10","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679462":{"id":"679462","type":"image","title":"Nasa.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto courtesy of NASA\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772139109","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 20:51:49","changed":"1772139109","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 20:51:49","alt":"Northrop Grumman\u0027s Cygnus XL cargo craft approaches the International Space Station","file":{"fid":"263626","name":"Nasa.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Nasa.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Nasa.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":315029,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/Nasa.jpg?itok=Nz3pjuAT"}}},"media_ids":["679462"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"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:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETess Malone\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Research Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685934":{"#nid":"685934","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Foreign Policy Research Institute and Georgia Tech Announce a Collaboration to Publish the \u0027Orbis Journal of World Affairs\u0027","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fpri.org\/\u0022\u003EForeign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) announce the relaunch of the \u003Cem\u003EOrbis Journal of World Affairs.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst published in 1957, \u003Cem\u003EOrbis \u003C\/em\u003Ewas conceived as a forum for policymakers, scholars, and the informed public to publish scholarly articles focused on geopolitics, foreign affairs, and global security. The journal has featured work by notable authors such as Ian Brzezinski, Ash Carter, Elbridge Colby, William R. Van Cleave, Robert Kaplan, Albert Wohlstetter, and Dov Zakheim, and has been a critical resource for policymakers and professors for more than five decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver half a century later, the FPRI-Nunn School collaboration will continue the mission of the journal\u2019s first editor, Robert Strausz-Hup\u00e9. Hup\u00e9 believed that the contours of global affairs would be shaped both by geopolitical competition and technological change.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EOrbis\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ewill continue to deliver informative and insightful articles and podcasts about foreign policy, national security, and geopolitics, with a particular focus on how emerging technologies are reshaping these fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOrbis \u003C\/em\u003Ewill adopt an innovative new format that features both peer-reviewed scholarly research and contributions from policymakers and practitioners. The unique partnership between FPRI and the Nunn School, combining a blend of rigorous academic scholarship with timely policy insight, promises to explore the most pressing issues in international affairs from multiple perspectives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll future \u003Cem\u003EOrbis \u003C\/em\u003Earticles and archives will be available for all readers on a new website. The journal will continue to be published in a digital quarterly format, with the articles published online as soon as they have been edited and cleared for publication. The website will also feature a bimonthly podcast series, and both FPRI and the Nunn School will host thematic virtual and in-person events.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe editorial team will be headed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fpri.org\/contributor\/nikolas-gvosdev-2\/\u0022\u003ENikolas Gvosdev,\u003C\/a\u003E senior fellow at FPRI and the Captain Jerome E. Levy Chair in Economic Geography and National Security at the U.S. Naval War College, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/lawrence-rubin\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003ELawrence Rubin\u003C\/a\u003E, co-director of the Georgia Tech DC Program: Pathways to Policy and an associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am delighted that FPRI and the Nunn School will join together in this partnership for a relaunch of \u003Cem\u003EOrbis\u003C\/em\u003E, and to renew Strauz-Hup\u00e9\u2019s mandate for a journal that \u2018will curate the most insightful articles that examine the issues that affect global security.\u2019 The 2021 special issue of Orbis dedicated to \u2018Emerging Technology and National Security\u2019\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003Ewhich Larry served as guest editor \u2014 which was one of the most widely-read and cited issues of the journal in recent years \u2014 shows the potential of this partnership for the future of \u003Cem\u003EOrbis,\u003C\/em\u003E\u201d said Gvosdev.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are thrilled that after years of planning we will see these important efforts come to fruition. This partnership is about our commitment to demonstrating that both policy and academic partnership can be mutually beneficial,\u201d added Rubin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u201cOrbis \u003C\/em\u003Ehas been at the forefront of geopolitical debate and discussion since 1957. I can\u2019t wait to take it from behind a paywall and to make it available to all our readers. And to really focus on bridging the divide between academia and policy,\u201d said Aaron Stein, president of FPRI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdam N. Stulberg, Sam Nunn School Chair and professor, echoed the excitement surrounding this new partnership.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt marks a concerted effort not only at bridging gaps but at keeping pace with today\u2019s rapidly changing international landscape. With the rejuvenated \u003Cem\u003EOrbis\u003C\/em\u003E and accessible online formats, we aim to establish an uncommon dynamic forum where scholars, technical experts, and practitioners can engage different perspectives and distill insight into underlying drivers and strategic implications presented by emerging technologies and other contemporary problem-sets that confront U.S. national and international security.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u003Cem\u003E Orbis Journal of World Affairs\u003C\/em\u003E is set to relaunch in Spring 2026. To be the first to know about new content, be sure to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fpri.org\/subscribe\/\u0022\u003Esubscribe \u003C\/a\u003Eto FPRI\u2019s mailing list.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Foreign Policy Research Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Foreign Policy Research Institute is a nonpartisan Philadelphia-based think tank dedicated to producing the highest quality scholarship and nonpartisan policy analysis focused on crucial foreign policy and national security challenges facing the United States. FPRI educates those who make and influence policy, as well as the public at large, through the lens of history, geography, and culture. For more information, visit fpri.org.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1990, the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology is dedicated to educating the next generation of scholars and practitioners on diverse approaches to tackling real-world problems to advance the global human condition. As one of the first professional schools of international affairs situated at major technological institute, we provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary, multi-method, and flexible undergraduate and graduate social science programming at the nexus of science and technology, with special attention to strategic, political economy, and comparative political perspectives on international security, global development, and governance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA version of this story \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fpri.org\/news\/2025\/10\/foreign-policy-research-institute-and-georgia-tech-announce-a-collaboration-to-publish-the-orbis-journal-of-world-affairs\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Efirst appeared\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on the FPRI website.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fpri.org\/\u0022\u003EForeign Policy Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E announce the relaunch of the \u003Cem\u003EOrbis Journal of World Affairs.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Foreign Policy Research Institute and Georgia Tech\u0027s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs announce the relaunch of the \u0022Orbis Journal of World Affairs.\u0022"}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2025-10-22 19:39:46","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:57:55","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678430":{"id":"678430","type":"image","title":"inta-journal.png","body":null,"created":"1761161996","gmt_created":"2025-10-22 19:39:56","changed":"1761161996","gmt_changed":"2025-10-22 19:39:56","alt":"Rendering of a globe with the FPRI and INTA logos.","file":{"fid":"262453","name":"inta-journal.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/22\/inta-journal.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/22\/inta-journal.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3127675,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/22\/inta-journal.png?itok=hWuiclQa"}}},"media_ids":["678430"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.fpri.org\/news\/2025\/10\/foreign-policy-research-institute-and-georgia-tech-announce-a-collaboration-to-publish-the-orbis-journal-of-world-affairs\/","title":"Read This Article on FPRI.org"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMegan McRainey\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:megan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emegan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685842":{"#nid":"685842","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Georgia Tech Report Shows State Has Significantly Cut Emissions Amid Economic Expansion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has made major progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the past two decades, even as its economy more than doubled and its population added nearly 2.5 million people, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.drawdownga.org\/sign-up-now-to-receive-drawdown-georgias-statewide-emissions-report\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ea new report\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cepl.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate and Energy Policy Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/drawdownga.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrawdown Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report shows that between 2005 and 2024, statewide emissions fell by 33% while the carbon intensity of Georgia\u2019s economy dropped by more than two-thirds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon intensity of the economy is a way of measuring the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced per dollar of Gross Domestic Product. A lower carbon intensity indicates a greener economy, signifying progress in decoupling economic growth from the creation of carbon emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENet emissions fell from 141 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2005 to 92 megatons in 2024. Over the same period, Georgia\u2019s gross domestic product surged from $389 billion to $883 billion, a 127% increase. The average carbon footprint per person declined by nearly half, from 15.8 to 8.2 metric tons per capita.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis demonstrates that climate solutions and economic growth can go hand in hand,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/marilyn-a-brown\u0022\u003EMarilyn A. Brown\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u0027 Professor and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECarter School\u003C\/a\u003E and lead author of the report. \u201cBy transforming our electricity system, improving efficiency, and harnessing the power of our forests and wetlands, Georgia has achieved steep emissions cuts while building one of the fastest-growing economies in the country. To stay on this path, we must now turn more attention to transportation, natural gas use, and agriculture.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.drawdownga.org\/sign-up-now-to-receive-drawdown-georgias-statewide-emissions-report\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Peak to Progress: Shrinking the Carbon Intensity of Georgia\u2019s Economy and Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehighlights sector-by-sector trends:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElectricity:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Retiring more than 5,000 megawatts of coal-fired power and adding 5,000 megawatts of solar capacity helped cut emissions from the grid by more than half \u2014 improving both air quality and public health.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELand Sinks:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s 22 million acres of forests and coastal wetlands offset nearly 27% of the state\u2019s emissions each year, making the state a national leader in natural carbon sequestration.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETransportation:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Now the largest source of emissions in Georgia, transportation produced nearly 60 megatons of CO2 equivalent in 2024. Freight growth and diesel fuel use remain major challenges, even as electric vehicle adoption has increased.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuildings \u0026amp; Industry:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Cleaner electricity reduced emissions from homes and businesses, but rising direct use of natural gas has slowed progress.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAgriculture:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Emissions have held steady overall, with reductions from improved soil management practices offset by increases in emissions from energy use and manure management.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohn A. Lanier, executive director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and a founding partner of Drawdown Georgia, said the findings show what is possible when Georgia embraces climate solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia has proven that reducing emissions strengthens our economy, creates jobs, and spurs technological innovation. Continuing this momentum and remaining a leader for the South in delivering climate solutions that benefit our environment, our health, and our communities requires intention and political will \u2013 I hope we will make the right choices to keep moving forward,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWilliam Drummond, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of City and Regional Planning, and contributor to the report, emphasized the importance of continued monitoring to understand the trends.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drawdownga.org\/tracker\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGreenhouse Gas Emissions Tracker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eallows us to see where progress is being made and where challenges remain,\u201d he said. \u201cThis kind of data is essential for policymakers, businesses, and communities to make informed decisions about the future of our state.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA version of this story \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.drawdownga.org\/georgia-reduces-carbon-intensity-of-its-economy\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Efirst appeared\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on the Drawdown Georgia website.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe research was led by Carter School Regents\u0027 Professor Marilyn A. Brown\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The research was led by Carter School Regents\u0027 Professor Marilyn A. Brown"}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2025-10-20 17:34:53","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:57:43","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678392":{"id":"678392","type":"image","title":"solar-panels.jpg","body":null,"created":"1760981700","gmt_created":"2025-10-20 17:35:00","changed":"1760981700","gmt_changed":"2025-10-20 17:35:00","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"262412","name":"solar-panels.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/20\/solar-panels.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/20\/solar-panels.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1114684,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/20\/solar-panels.jpg?itok=_UdaA9Hx"}}},"media_ids":["678392"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"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:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686311":{"#nid":"686311","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s French Program Joins National Network of Centers of Excellence","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents studying French at Georgia Tech now have another reason to be proud of their hard work. The French program in the School of Modern Languages has been designated a member of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/villa-albertine.org\/frenchculture\/frenchcultures\/centers-of-excellence-university-network\/\u0022\u003ECenters of Excellence University Network\u003C\/a\u003E by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis prestigious recognition places Georgia Tech\u2019s French program among 28 elite programs in the U.S., including those at Brown, Cornell, Harvard, and MIT. It highlights the program\u2019s distinctive approach to French and Francophone studies, which bridges language, literature, culture, technology, and sustainability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are dedicated to offering Georgia Tech students outstanding instruction and opportunities in French and Francophone studies,\u201d said St\u00e9phanie Boulard, professor and director of the French Program at Georgia Tech who applied for the designation with Villa Albertine. \u201cThe Centers of Excellence Network opens up exciting new opportunities for our students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this new partnership, students can look forward to expanded exchange programs, collaborative projects with French universities, and access to research and cultural events organized by Villa Albertine. \u201cWe are eager to collaborate with other Centers of Excellence across the country,\u201d added \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/stephanie-boulard\u0022\u003EBoulard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u201cand to build connections that will enrich our students\u2019 global education.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVilla Albertine, a division of the French Embassy in the U.S., is dedicated to promoting and supporting French and Francophone studies on American campuses through a multidisciplinary lens that embraces the social sciences, humanities, and arts. With cultural offices in cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, Villa Albertine supports transatlantic research, artistic residencies, and public dialogues that foster cultural exchange and intellectual collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVilla Albertine\u2019s Centers of Excellence in the United States partner with higher education institutions in France to support joint research, student mobility, and visiting faculty exchanges, as well as seminars, lectures, and festivals. As a new member of this network, Georgia Tech\u2019s French Program will expand its international partnerships and offer students new pathways to engage with French and Francophone culture through study abroad, research, and creative collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis designation reflects the incredible energy of our students and faculty,\u201d said Boulard. \u201cIt shows that learning French at Georgia Tech is not only about language, it\u2019s about building bridges between cultures, disciplines, and ideas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe French program in the Georgia Tech School of Modern Languages has been designated a member of the Centers of Excellence University Network by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The French program in the Georgia Tech School of Modern Languages has been designated a member of the Centers of Excellence University Network by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education."}],"uid":"35777","created_gmt":"2025-11-10 15:43:57","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:57:23","author":"Stephanie Kadel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678584":{"id":"678584","type":"image","title":"St\u00e9phanie Boulard, Professor and Director of the French Program at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1762789446","gmt_created":"2025-11-10 15:44:06","changed":"1762789446","gmt_changed":"2025-11-10 15:44:06","alt":"St\u00e9phanie Boulard stands next to a banister with a grid of decorative lighting in the background.","file":{"fid":"262638","name":"Stephanie-Boulard.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/10\/Stephanie-Boulard.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/10\/Stephanie-Boulard.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":30101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/10\/Stephanie-Boulard.jpg?itok=9mWc8P5F"}}},"media_ids":["678584"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"3016","name":"French"},{"id":"170955","name":"Stephanie Boulard"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stephanie.kadel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStephanie N. Kadel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["stephanie.kadel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687527":{"#nid":"687527","#data":{"type":"news","title":"All-Powerful AI Isn\u2019t an Existential Threat, According to New Georgia Tech Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEver since ChatGPT\u2019s debut in 2023, concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) potentially wiping out humanity have dominated\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/safe.ai\/work\/press-release-ai-risk\u0022\u003Eheadlines\u003C\/a\u003E. New research from Georgia Tech suggests that those anxieties are misplaced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cComputer scientists often aren\u2019t good judges of the social and political implications of technology,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/milton-mueller\u0022\u003EMilton Mueller\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThey are so focused on the AI\u2019s mechanisms and are overwhelmed by its success, but they are not very good at placing it into a social and historical context.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the four decades Mueller has studied information technology policy, he has never seen any technology hailed as a harbinger of doom \u2014\u0026nbsp;until now. So, in a \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Cyber Policy\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/23738871.2025.2597194#abstract\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E published late last year, he researched whether the existential AI threat was a real possibility.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat Mueller found is that deciding how far AI can go, and its limitations, is something society shapes. How policymakers get involved depends on the specific AI application.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefining Intelligence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe AI sparking all this alarm is called artificial general intelligence (AGI) \u2014 a \u201csuperintelligence\u201d that would be all-powerful and fully autonomous.\u0026nbsp;Part of the debate, Mueller realized, is that no one could agree on the definition of what artificial general intelligence is.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome computer scientists claim AGI would match human intelligence, while others argue it could surpass it. Both assumptions hinge on what \u201chuman intelligence\u201d really means. Today\u2019s AI is already better than humans at performing thousands of calculations in an instant, but that doesn\u2019t make it creative or capable of complex problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Independence\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeciding on the definition isn\u2019t the only issue.\u0026nbsp;Many computer scientists assume that as computing power grows, AI could eventually overtake humans and act autonomously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMueller argued that this assumption is misguided.\u0026nbsp;AI is always directed or trained toward a goal and doesn\u2019t act autonomously right now. Think of the prompt you type into ChatGPT to start a conversation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen AI seems to disregard instructions, it\u2019s caused by inconsistencies in its instructions, not by the machine coming alive. For example, in a boat race video game Mueller studied, the AI discovered it could get more points by circling the course instead of winning the race against other challengers. This was a glitch in the system\u2019s reward structure, not AGI autonomy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAlignment gaps happen in all kinds of contexts, not just AI,\u201d Mueller said. \u201cI\u0027ve studied so many regulatory systems where we try to regulate an industry, and some clever people discover ways that they can fulfill the rules but also do bad things. But if the machine is doing something wrong, computer scientists can reprogram it to fix the problem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERelying on Regulation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn its current form, even misaligned AI can be corrected. Misalignment also doesn\u2019t mean the AI would snowball past the point where humans lose control of its outcomes. To do that, AI would need to have a physical capability, like robots, to do its bidding, and the power source and infrastructure to maintain itself. A mere data center couldn\u2019t do that and would need human intervention to become omnipotent. Basic laws of physics \u2014 how big a machine can be, how much it can compute \u2014 would also prevent a super AI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore importantly, AI is not one homogenous being. Mueller argued that different applications involve different laws, regulations, and social institutions. For example, the data scraping AI does is a copyright issue subject to copyright laws. AI used in medicine can be overseen by the Food and Drug Administration, regulated drug companies, and medical professionals. These are just a few areas where policymakers could intervene from a specific expertise level instead of trying to create universal AI regulations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe real challenge isn\u2019t stopping an AI apocalypse \u2014 it\u2019s crafting smart, sector-specific policies that keep technology aligned with human values.\u0026nbsp;To avoid being a victim of AI, humans can, and should, put up focused guardrails.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe study suggests that the fear of AI destroying society distracts from real policy interventions to better control computing applications.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The study suggests that the fear of AI destroying society distracts from real policy interventions to better control computing applications."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-01-20 22:19:23","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:57:11","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679043":{"id":"679043","type":"image","title":"GIGconference_MMatPodium2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMilton Mueller speaking at the AI Governance and Global Economic Development, an o\ufb03cial pre-summit event of the AI Impact Summit 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768947605","gmt_created":"2026-01-20 22:20:05","changed":"1768947605","gmt_changed":"2026-01-20 22:20:05","alt":"Milton at podium","file":{"fid":"263155","name":"GIGconference_MMatPodium2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/20\/GIGconference_MMatPodium2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/20\/GIGconference_MMatPodium2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1326513,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/20\/GIGconference_MMatPodium2.jpg?itok=S07ycvKV"}}},"media_ids":["679043"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"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\u003ETess Malone\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Research Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688528":{"#nid":"688528","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Safe Artificial Intelligence Isn\u2019t Enough, According to New Georgia Tech Research ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) loves to cheat. When matched against a chess bot, an OpenAI model preferred hacking into its opponent\u2019s system to winning the game fairly, according to a recent\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/time.com\/7259395\/ai-chess-cheating-palisade-research\/\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile chess doesn\u2019t have moral stakes, more serious ethical issues could arise in everything from medicine to self-driving cars as AI becomes even more pervasive. So, what does it mean for AI to be safe?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo one is saying developing safe AI will be easy, but we need to make sure we cover as many ethical concerns as possible,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tylercookphd.com\/\u0022\u003ETyler Cook\u003C\/a\u003E, a research affiliate at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and assistant program director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ailearning.emory.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for AI Learning\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Emory University. \u201cHumans also care about being treated fairly. We care about not being deceived. We should aim for much more than safety.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI is too complex for simple guardrails, Cook argues in a recent \u003Cem\u003EScience and Engineering Ethics\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/philpapers.org\/rec\/COOACF-3\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E. But AI still needs to be limited and incorporated with human values of fairness, honesty, and transparency so it doesn\u2019t make ethically dubious decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI is not just a problem to manage. It\u2019s a technology whose impact depends on the values we choose to build in it, Cook claims. Developers must think carefully about the world their systems will shape. AI shouldn\u2019t make our world, but instead integrate into it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESafe vs. Autonomous AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome computer scientists would say \u201csafe\u201d AI, or AI that doesn\u2019t cause harm, is the answer. But AI is not a simple machine like a lawnmower that needs just a blade guard to prevent harm.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablishing AI safety is more complex than adding protective features. Being prudent with how much autonomy AI gets is also paramount.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u0027t want AI systems deciding that they don\u0027t want to pursue fairness anymore,\u201d Cook said. \u201cWe don\u0027t want AI to be autonomous with respect to its ethical goals or values.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuch ethical autonomy\u0026nbsp;could lead to unpredictable or undesirable outcomes. Consider algorithmic bias: Human biases, combined with machine automation, can lead to unequal consequences. An AI mortgage lender could favor certain applicant demographics over others, for example.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECook posits there is a middle ground between merely safe AI and autonomous ethical AI \u2014 \u201cend-constrained ethical AI.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs designers of AI systems, computer scientists should choose what we want the AI to prioritize: fairness, honesty, transparency,\u201d Cook said. \u201cThat\u0027s why I use the language of constraint. We\u0027re constraining the AI\u2019s values so they can actually benefit society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnd\u2011constrained ethical AI asks designers to set those boundaries intentionally, not as an afterthought. And if developers take that responsibility seriously, AI doesn\u2019t have to reinvent our world \u2014 it can strengthen the one we already have.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11948-025-00577-6\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EA Case for End-Constrained Ethical Artificial Intelligence\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0022 \u003Cem\u003EScience and Engineering Ethics \u003C\/em\u003E32.7 (2026).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDOI: 10.1007\/s11948-025-00577-6\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFairness, honesty, and transparency are needed in AI for it to benefit humanity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Fairness, honesty, and transparency are needed in AI for it to benefit humanity. "}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 20:09:25","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:56:26","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679437":{"id":"679437","type":"image","title":"TylerCook.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETyler Cook is a research affiliate at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and assistant program director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ailearning.emory.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for AI Learning\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Emory University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772050249","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 20:10:49","changed":"1772050249","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 20:10:49","alt":"Tyler Cook","file":{"fid":"263600","name":"TylerCook.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/TylerCook.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/TylerCook.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10662433,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/TylerCook.jpeg?itok=Klp1uhgX"}}},"media_ids":["679437"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687586":{"#nid":"687586","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Tool Turns Disaster Zones Into Living Classrooms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlas.gatech.edu\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular\u0026amp;id=10139\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Disaster Reconnaissance (IDR) course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, students now use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.filio.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform built by School of Computing Instruction Senior Lecturer \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E, to capture immersive 360\u00b0 media, photos, and video that transform real disaster sites in India and Nepal into living digital classrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffered by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and taught by IDR director and Regents\u2019 Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E, the course pairs traditional fieldwork with Roozbahani\u2019s expertise in immersive technology and data-driven learning, transforming on-the-ground observations into reusable, interactive educational resources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Computing Can Capture Data\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDisasters are not only physical events; they are also information events, Roozbahani says. Effective response and long-term resilience depend on the ability to observe, record, and communicate critical data under pressure. Georgia Tech\u2019s IDR course pairs structured on-campus preparation with international field experiences, enabling students to study the cascading effects of major disasters, including how local building practices, governance, and culture shape damage and recovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen students step into a disaster zone, they learn quickly that resilience is a systems problem: physical, social, and informational. Our job in computing is to help them capture and reason about that system responsibly,\u201d Roozbahani said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearning from the 2025 Himalayas Expedition\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring spring break last year, the cohort traveled along the Teesta River corridor in Sikkim, India. The region is shaped by steep terrain, fast-moving water, and critical infrastructure in narrow valleys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe visit followed the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood from South Lhonak Lake, which destroyed the Teesta III hydropower dam and impacted downstream towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo. Field stops across India included Lachung, Chungthang, Dikchu, Rangpo, Gangtok, and New Delhi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents explored both upstream and downstream consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUpstream, the team examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces, creating cascading risks for infrastructure. Using Filio\u2019s interactive 360\u00b0 media, students captured conditions in Lachung and Chungthang, allowing viewers to explore the landscape through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/photo-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cabeb82b05102bf91a4c\/_d6LpRAkr0ymi1OqCtGeAYrXo8xBGTJmACPN0SGXP50QlCE8FLR-f-67da18bc11c485642674bf73_=s0-photo-r0\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 photo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/video-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cabeb82b05102bf91a4c\/_IX5yWxXjRjtueg1qeGFhV62K8GDhLlarQ6uFC9g4zkjIl7rCM3-f-67dcd50f11c485642674d269_=s0-video\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that reveal how topography and river dynamics intensify disaster impacts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey studied community-scale effects downstream, including damaged buildings, disrupted access, and prolonged recovery timelines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERangpo offered a glimpse of recovery in motion, with materials staged for rebuilding bridges and roads essential to commerce and emergency response.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing Immersive Media as a Learning Tool\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents documented their field experience using \u003Cem\u003EFilio\u003C\/em\u003E, an AI-powered visual reporting platform developed by Roozbahani through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E ecosystem. Filio captures high-resolution photos, video, and 360\u00b0 immersive media, preserving both the facts and the context of disaster sites; what the site felt like, what was lost, and what communities prioritized in recovery.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA 360\u00b0 capture lets students return months later and ask better questions. That second look is where learning accelerates,\u201d Roozbahani said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by alumni and faculty mentors, including Tech alumnus \u003Cstrong\u003EChris Klaus\u003C\/strong\u003E and Georgia Tech mentor \u003Cstrong\u003EBill Higginbotham\u003C\/strong\u003E, the platform is evolving into a reusable educational library for future courses on immersive technology, responsible AI, and global resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKathmandu: The Context of Culture\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal, where students examined how heritage, governance, and the everyday use of public space shape resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough Filio\u2019s immersive documentation \u2014 including a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/photo-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cafeb82b05102bf91a4d\/_n2OFrWLzHNcdTkMl6uD9j0tSrOPybGLZccsNcarj8vwZaZIbuu-f-67dedf3f11c485642674d820_=s0-photo-r0\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 photo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/video-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cafeb82b05102bf91a4d\/_CD25dUToZ6BgfmfrayfHHtsThQGJIQWu82xqmzSy884UXHnbEB-f-67dd5a9b11c485642674d302_=s0-video\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E from Kathmandu \u2014 the focus broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, highlighting how recovery is not only about rebuilding structures, but also about preserving identity, memory, and community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead: A Growing Resource for All Students\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrost and Roozbahani envision the IDR immersive media library as a reusable resource for students even when they cannot travel, supporting future courses on immersive technology, responsible AI, and global resilience. Spring 2026 cohorts will continue to build on this foundation by documenting, analyzing, and sharing insights that can improve education and real-world disaster response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlas.gatech.edu\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular\u0026amp;id=10139\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Disaster Reconnaissance (IDR) course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, students now use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.filio.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform built by School of Computing Instruction Senior Lecturer \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E, to capture immersive 360\u00b0 media, photos, and video that transform real disaster sites in India and Nepal into living digital classrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-01-22 15:11:14","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:54:39","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679052":{"id":"679052","type":"image","title":"1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudents visited Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim, India. Upstream in the Teesta Valley, students examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces and how failures can cascade across an entire corridor of infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Students visited Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim, India. Upstream in the Teesta Valley, students examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces and how failures can cascade across an entire corridor of infrastructure. ","file":{"fid":"263164","name":"1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1897568,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg?itok=zDRmcY2d"}},"679053":{"id":"679053","type":"image","title":"2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDownstream in the town Dikchu in Sikkim, India, the class focused on community-scale consequences: damaged buildings, disrupted access, and long recovery timelines.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Downstream in the town Dikchu in Sikkim, India, the class focused on community-scale consequences: damaged buildings, disrupted access, and long recovery timelines.","file":{"fid":"263165","name":"2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":543269,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg?itok=vdI7egUR"}},"679054":{"id":"679054","type":"image","title":"3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERangpo in Sikkim, India offered a view of recovery in motion such as materials staged for rebuilding near bridges and roads that keep commerce and emergency response moving.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Rangpo in Sikkim, India offered a view of recovery in motion such as materials staged for rebuilding near bridges and roads that keep commerce and emergency response moving.","file":{"fid":"263166","name":"3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1479166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg?itok=MuIfiKjX"}},"679055":{"id":"679055","type":"image","title":"4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, the course broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, exploring how heritage, governance, and everyday use of public space shape resilience.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"In Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, the course broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, exploring how heritage, governance, and everyday use of public space shape resilience.","file":{"fid":"263167","name":"4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2316531,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg?itok=KBCQfvza"}},"679056":{"id":"679056","type":"image","title":"cover-photo.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering students captured 360 media, using Filio, to study disaster sites in India and Nepal. Photos provided by Roozbahani.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering students captured 360 media, using Filio, to study disaster sites in India and Nepal. Photos provided by Roozbahani. ","file":{"fid":"263168","name":"cover-photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg?itok=jiNPLFL8"}}},"media_ids":["679052","679053","679054","679055","679056"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"172752","name":"Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmily Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688391":{"#nid":"688391","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Robot Pollinator Could Produce More, Better Crops for Indoor Farms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new robot could solve one of the biggest challenges facing indoor farmers: manual pollination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndoor farms, also known as vertical farms, are popular among agricultural researchers and are expanding across the agricultural industry. Some benefits they have over outdoor farms include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYear-round production of food crops\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELess water and land requirements\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENot needing pesticides\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReducing carbon emissions from shipping\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReducing food waste\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agritecture.com\/blog\/2021\/7\/20\/5-ways-vertical-farming-is-improving-nutrition\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Esome studies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E indicate that indoor farms produce more nutritious food for urban communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, these farms are often inaccessible to birds, bees, and other natural pollinators, leaving the pollination process to humans. The tedious process must be completed by hand for each flower to ensure the indoor crop flourishes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/ai-ping-hu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAi-Ping Hu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has spent years exploring methods to efficiently pollinate flowering plants and food crops in indoor farms to find a way to efficiently pollinate flower plants and food crops in indoor farms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHu,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/shreyas-kousik\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Professor Shreyas Kousik of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and a rotating group of student interns have developed a robot prototype that may be up to the task.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe robot can efficiently pollinate plants that have both male and female reproductive parts. These plants only require pollen to be transferred from one part to the other rather than externally from another flower.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural pollinators perform this task outdoors, but Hu said indoor farmers often use a paintbrush or electric tootbrush to ensure these flowers are pollinated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKnowing the Pose\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn early challenge the research team addressed was teaching the robot to identify the \u201cpose\u201d of each flower. Pose refers to a flower\u2019s orientation, shape, and symmetry. Knowing these details ensures precise delivery of the pollen to maximize reproductive success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s crucial to know exactly which way the flowers are facing,\u201d Hu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou want to approach the flower from the front because that\u2019s where all the biological structures are. Knowing the pose tells you where the stem is. Our device grasps the stem and shakes it to dislodge the pollen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery flower is going to have its own pose, and you need to know what that is within at least 10 degrees.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComputer Vision Breakthrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarsh Muriki\u003C\/strong\u003E is a robotics master\u2019s student at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, who used computer vision to solve the pose problem while interning for Hu and GTRI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuriki attached a camera to a FarmBot to capture images of strawberry plants from dozens of angles in a small garden in front of Georgia Tech\u2019s Food Processing Technology Building. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/farm.bot\/?srsltid=AfmBOoqh1Z8vSs3WflZisgw5DsOUSo8shD4VtY0Y8_VmVpVyt0Iwalxo\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFarmBot\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is an XYZ-axis robot that waters and sprays pesticides on outdoor gardens, though it is not capable of pollination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe reconstruct the images of the flower into a 3D model and use a technique that converts the 3D model into multiple 2D images with depth information,\u201d Muriki said. \u201cThis enables us to send them to object detectors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuriki said he used a real-time object detection system called YOLO (You Only Look Once) to classify objects. YOLO is known for identifying and classifying objects in a single pass.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVed Sengupta\u003C\/strong\u003E, a computer engineering major who interned with Muriki, fine-tuned the algorithms that converted 3D images into 2D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis was a crucial part of making robot pollination possible,\u201d Sengupta said. \u201cThere is a big gap between 3D and 2D image processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of data on the internet for 3D object detection, but there\u2019s a ton for 2D. We were able to get great results from the converted images, and I think any sector of technology can take advantage of that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESengupta, Muriki, and Hu co-authored a paper about their work that was accepted to the 2025 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeasuring Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pollination robot, built in Kousik\u2019s Safe Robotics Lab, is now in the prototype phase.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHu said the robot can do more than pollinate. It can also analyze each flower to determine how well it was pollinated and whether the chances for reproduction are high.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt has an additional capability of microscopic inspection,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt\u2019s the first device we know of that provides visual feedback on how well a flower was pollinated.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the robot, visit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/saferoboticslab.me.gatech.edu\/research\/towards-robotic-pollination\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESafe Robotics Lab project page\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManual pollination is one of the biggest challenges for indoor farmers. These farms are often inaccessible to birds, bees, and other natural pollinators, leaving the pollination process to humans. The tedious process must be completed by hand for each flower to ensure the indoor crop flourishes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech research led by Ai-Ping Hu and Shreyas Kousik team is working to solve that. A robot they\u0027ve developed can efficiently pollinate plants that have both male and female reproductive parts. These plants only require pollen to be transferred from one part to the other rather than externally from another flower.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A research team that expands GTRI, the College of Engineering, and the College of Computing have developed a robot capable of pollinating flowers in indoor farms."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-02-19 18:58:12","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:54:01","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679370":{"id":"679370","type":"image","title":"Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771527500","gmt_created":"2026-02-19 18:58:20","changed":"1771527500","gmt_changed":"2026-02-19 18:58:20","alt":"Harsh Muriki","file":{"fid":"263520","name":"Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":140654,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/19\/Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg?itok=rd0rv1Yt"}}},"media_ids":["679370"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187991","name":"go-robotics"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"11506","name":"computer vision"},{"id":"180840","name":"computer vision systems"},{"id":"669","name":"agriculture"},{"id":"194392","name":"AI in Agriculture"},{"id":"170254","name":"urban gardening"},{"id":"94111","name":"farming"},{"id":"14913","name":"urban farming"},{"id":"23911","name":"bees"},{"id":"6660","name":"flowers"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"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:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688478":{"#nid":"688478","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student Getting Research Boost Through Google Ph.D. Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech Ph.D. candidate is getting a boost to his research into developing more efficient multi-tasking artificial intelligence (AI) models without fine-tuning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Stoica is one of 38 Ph.D. students worldwide researching machine learning who were named a\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.google\/programs-and-events\/phd-fellowship\/recipients\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica is designing AI training methods that bypass fine-tuning, which is the process of adapting a large pre-trained model to perform new tasks. Fine-tuning is one of the most common ways engineers update large-language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to add new capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf an AI company wants to give a model a new capability, it could create a new model from scratch for that specific purpose. However, if the model already has relevant training and knowledge of the new task, fine-tuning is cheaper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica argues that fine-tuning still uses large amounts of data, and that other methods can help models learn more effectively and efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFull fine-tuning yields strong performance, but it can be costly, and it risks catastrophic forgetting,\u201d Stoica said. \u201cMy research asks if we can extend a model\u2019s capabilities by imbuing it with the expertise of others, without fine-tuning?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cReducing cost and improving efficiency is more important than ever. We have so many publicly available models that have been trained to solve a variety of tasks. It\u2019s redundant to train a new model from scratch. It\u2019s much more efficient to leverage the information that already exists to get a model up to speed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica said the solution is a cost-effective method called model merging. This method combines two or more AI models into a single model, improving performance without fine-tuning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a basic level, Stoica said an example would be combining a model that is efficient at classifying cats with one that works well at dogs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMerging is cheap because you just take the parameters, the weights of your existing models, and combine them,\u201d he said. \u201cYou could take the average of the weights to create a new model, but that sometimes doesn\u2019t work. My work has aimed to rearrange the weights so they can communicate easily with each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough his Google fellowship, Stoica seeks to apply model merging to create a cutting-edge vision encoder. A vision encoder converts image or video data into numerical representations that computers can understand. This enables tasks such as image or facial recognition and generative image captioning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to be at the frontier of the field, and Google is clearly part of that,\u201d Stoica said. \u201cThe vision encoder is very large-scale, and Google has the infrastructure to accommodate it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Stoica is one of 38 Ph.D. students worldwide researching machine learning who were named a\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.google\/programs-and-events\/phd-fellowship\/recipients\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica is designing AI training methods that bypass fine-tuning, which is the process of adapting a large pre-trained model to perform new tasks. Fine-tuning is one of the most common ways engineers update large-language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to add new capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Stoica is one of 38 Ph.D. students worldwide researching machine learning who were named a 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellow."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-02-23 17:43:54","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:53:05","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679394":{"id":"679394","type":"image","title":"IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771868657","gmt_created":"2026-02-23 17:44:17","changed":"1771868657","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 17:44:17","alt":"George Stoica","file":{"fid":"263553","name":"IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/23\/IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/23\/IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/23\/IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg?itok=KCVheh-u"}}},"media_ids":["679394"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3165","name":"google"},{"id":"9143","name":"Graduate Research Fellowship"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688487":{"#nid":"688487","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Could Show How TikTok\u2019s Algorithm Affects Youth Mental Health","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-02-18\/mark-zuckerberg-tesimony-la-social-media-trial?utm_source=chatgpt.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etook the witness stand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court to defend his company from accusations that social media harms children.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old plaintiff alleges Instagram and other social media apps are designed to make young users addicted to their platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, social media experts believe the algorithms that drive content on these platforms play a role in hooking users and keeping them scrolling for extensive periods of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study led by Georgia Tech might confirm this suspicion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing recently acquired data from more than 10,000 adolescent users,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.munmund.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will audit TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm and study its impact on young people\u2019s behavior and mental health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury is leading a multi-institutional research team on a four-year, $1.7 million grant from the Huo Family Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe hope to learn the different types of negative exposures that young people experience when using TikTok,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cThis can help us characterize what they\u2019re watching and build computational methods to understand the consumption behaviors of these participants and how they\u2019re affected by the algorithm.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is collaborating with Amy Orben, a professor at the University of Cambridge, and Homa Hosseinmardi, an assistant professor at UCLA, on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESocial media platforms have become increasingly reluctant to share their data in recent years, posing a challenge for researchers like De Choudhury.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can\u2019t do the type of studies we did 10 years ago with X (formerly Twitter) because the API is much more restrictive,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are limited ways to programmatically access people\u2019s data now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe must go through a tedious, manual process to get around declining access to social media data. This data-gathering process is essential given the sensitive nature of mental health research. You want data that is shared with consent.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrben collected TikTok data from more than 10,000 young people in the UK who consented to provide their personal data archives in accordance with the European Union\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collected data includes watch histories, which De Choudhury said distinguishes this research from other social media studies that focus on what users post.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t understand passive social media consumption very well, so we hope to close that gap and learn what that looks like,\u201d she said. \u201cThat could complement or contrast what we know about people\u2019s active engagement on these platforms. Is what they\u2019re consuming directly related to what they\u2019re posting? How does passive consumption affect young people\u2019s mental health?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA clearer picture of how algorithm-based content affects young people could result in design interventions to minimize negative effects. De Choudhury said studying data from young people is critical because it\u2019s not too late to steer them away from unhealthy behavioral patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome of the earliest signs or symptoms of mental health conditions appear in adolescence,\u201d she said. \u201cIf appropriate care and support are provided, maybe it\u2019s possible to prevent these symptoms from becoming full-blown in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond TikTok\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat the research team learns about TikTok could also provide broader insight into other social media platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETikTok has been influential in how social media platforms display video content. Competitors like Instagram and X modeled their video presentation after TikTok\u2019s, which can easily lead to doomscrolling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur hope is that our findings can be generalized, with the caveat the data we have is exclusively from TikTok,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cOther platforms have similar video-sharing and consumption features where the video automatically plays from one to the next. We hope what we learn from TikTok will be applicable to people\u2019s activities elsewhere, though it will require future work beyond this project to draw concrete conclusions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimulating Feeds with AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury said an additional part of the study will be using artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate video feeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Hosseinmardi led a study at the University of Pennsylvania on YouTube\u2019s recommendation algorithm and used bots that either followed or ignored the recommendations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury said they will use a similar method for TikTok.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe feeds will be realistic but generated by AI to see the potential pathways to consumption rabbit holes,\u201d she said. \u201cThis should give us some insight into how algorithms influence the negative and positive exposures people might be having on TikTok.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFoundation Expands Reach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased in the UK and established in 2009, the Huo Family Foundation supports community education initiatives in the UK, the U.S., and China.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe organization announced in January its launch of the Huo Family Foundation Science Programme.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/huofamilyfoundation.org\/news\/updates\/huo-family-foundation-awards-17-6m-for-groundbreaking-research\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe new program is committing $17.6 million to fund 20 new multi-year research grants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that explore the impact of digital technology on the brain development, social behavior, and mental health of young people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDigital technology is profoundly shaping childhood and young adulthood, yet there is limited causal evidence of its effects,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Yan Huo, founder of the Huo Family Foundation, in a press release.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are proud to support exceptional researchers advancing vital scientific understanding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Georgia Tech professor Munmun De Choudhury, a multi-institutional research team is launching a $1.7 million study to examine how TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm influences the mental health of adolescent users. The project focuses on passive consumption by analyzing the watch histories of over 10,000 young participants and using AI to simulate content \u0022rabbit holes.\u0022 By identifying patterns of negative exposure, the researchers aim to develop design interventions that can steer teenagers away from unhealthy behavioral patterns and support early mental health care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led research team is conducting a multi-year study using data from more than 10,000 adolescents to investigate how TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm and passive content consumption impact youth mental health."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 14:29:28","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:52","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679406":{"id":"679406","type":"image","title":"208A9267-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771943377","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 14:29:37","changed":"1771943377","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 14:29:37","alt":"Munmun De Choudhury","file":{"fid":"263567","name":"208A9267-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104533,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg?itok=3fEZjVVt"}}},"media_ids":["679406"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"167543","name":"social media"},{"id":"190947","name":"tiktok"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"10824","name":"Children And Adolescents"},{"id":"5660","name":"algorithms"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688516":{"#nid":"688516","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Is This Your AI? Researchers Crack AI Blackbox","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) systems power everything from chatbots to security cameras, yet many of the most advanced models operate as \u201cblack boxes.\u201d Companies can use them, but outsiders can\u2019t see how they were built, where they came from, or whether they contain hidden flaws.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis lack of transparency creates real risks. A model could contain security vulnerabilities or hidden backdoors. It could also be a lightly modified version of an open-source system \u2014 repackaged in violation of its license \u2014 with no easy way to prove it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new framework, ZEN, to help solve this problem. The tool can recover a model\u2019s unique \u201cfingerprint\u201d directly from its memory, allowing experts to trace its origins and reconstruct how it was assembled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnalyzing a proprietary AI model without identifying where it came from and how it is constructed is like trying to fix a car engine with the hood welded shut,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/davidoygenblik.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Oygenblik\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech and the study\u2019s lead author.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cZEN not only X-rays the engine but also provides the complete wiring diagram.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZEN works by taking a snapshot of a running AI system and extracting information about both its mathematical structure and the code that defines it. It compares that fingerprint against a database of known open-source models to determine the system\u2019s origin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf it finds a match, ZEN identifies the exact changes and generates software patches that allow investigators to recreate a working replica of the proprietary model for testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat capability has major implications for both security and intellectual property protection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith ZEN, a security analyst can finally test a black-box model for hidden backdoors, and a company can gather concrete evidence to prove its software license was infringed,\u201d Oygenblik said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the system, the research team tested ZEN on 21 state-of-the-art AI models, including Llama 3, YOLOv10, and other well-known systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZEN correctly traced every customized model back to its original open-source foundation \u2014 achieving 100% attribution accuracy. Even when models had been heavily modified \u2014 differing by more than 83% from their original versions \u2014 ZEN successfully identified the changes and enabled full reconstruction for security testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers will present their findings at the 2026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ndss-symposium.org\/\u0022\u003ENetwork and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E. The paper, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ndss-symposium.org\/ndss-paper\/achieving-zen-combining-mathematical-and-programmatic-deep-learning-model-representations-for-attribution-and-reuse\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAchieving Zen: Combining Mathematical and Programmatic Deep Learning Model Representations for Attribution and Reuse\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was authored by Oygenblik, master\u2019s student \u003Cstrong\u003EDinko Dermendzhiev\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EFilippos Sofias\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMingxuan Yao\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EHaichuan Xu\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ERunze Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E, post-doctorate scholars \u003Cstrong\u003EJeman Park\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EAmit Kumar Sikder\u003C\/strong\u003E, as well as Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a technique to identify the origins of proprietary \u201cblack-box\u201d AI models, even when their internal structure and training data are hidden. Because many commercial AI systems cannot be externally inspected, it is difficult to detect security vulnerabilities, intellectual property theft, licensing violations, or trace a model\u2019s lineage. The new approach enables researchers to attribute models, determine whether one was derived from another, and identify potential misuse of protected data. By improving transparency and enabling verification of model provenance, the work strengthens accountability and trust in AI systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a technique to identify the origins of proprietary \u201cblack-box\u201d AI models, even when their internal structure and training data are hidden."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 17:33:20","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:42","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679429":{"id":"679429","type":"image","title":"Is-this-your-AI.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772040810","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 17:33:30","changed":"1772040810","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 17:33:30","alt":"A graphic showing an AI model in an outstretched hand. ","file":{"fid":"263592","name":"Is-this-your-AI.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Is-this-your-AI.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Is-this-your-AI.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1346270,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Is-this-your-AI.jpg?itok=ehbGALRW"}}},"media_ids":["679429"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ndss-symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026-s1628-paper.pdf","title":"Read the Paper"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"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\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688223":{"#nid":"688223","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Department of Energy Award to Power Nuclear Research With Machine Learning","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe future of clean energy depends on algorithms as much as it does atoms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/people\/qi-tang\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQi Tang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is building machine learning (ML) models to accelerate nuclear fusion research, making it more affordable and more accurate. Backed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Tang\u2019s work brings clean, sustainable energy closer to reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang has received an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/early-career\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarly Career Research Program (ECRP) award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E from the DOE Office of Science. The grant supports Tang with $875,000 disbursed over five years to craft ML and data processing tools that help scientists analyze massive datasets from nuclear experiments and simulations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is the first faculty member from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing and School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) to receive the ECRP. He is the seventh Georgia Tech researcher to earn the award and the only GT awardee among this year\u2019s 99 recipients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than a milestone, the award reflects a shift in how nuclear research is done. Today, progress depends on computing and data science as much as on physics and engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am honored and excited to receive the ECRP award through DOE\u2019s Advanced Scientific Computing Research program, an organization I care about deeply,\u201d said Tang, an assistant professor in the School of CSE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am grateful to my former colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory and collaborators at other national laboratories, including Lawrence Livermore, Sandia, and Argonne. I am also thankful for my Ph.D. students at Georgia Tech, whose dedication and creativity make this award possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-faculty-applies-high-performance-computing-scientific-machine-learning-interests-studies\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew Faculty Applies High-Performance Computing, Scientific Machine Learning Interests to Studies in Plasma Physics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA problem in nuclear research is that fusion simulations are challenging to understand and use. These simulations generate enormous datasets that are too large to store, move, and analyze efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pamspublic.science.energy.gov\/WebPAMSExternal\/Interface\/Common\/ViewPublicAbstract.aspx?rv=a756f612-3409-44b8-89ea-7421bf0840e5\u0026amp;rtc=24\u0026amp;PRoleId=10\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn his ECRP proposal to DOE\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Tang introduced new ML methods to improve the analysis and storage of particle data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang\u2019s approach balances shrinking data so it is easier to store and transfer while preserving the most important scientific features. His multiscale ML models are informed by physics, so the reduced data still reflects how fusion systems really behave.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Tang\u2019s research, scientists can run larger, more realistic fusion models and analyze results more quickly. This accelerates progress toward practical fusion energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn contrast to generic black-box-type compression tools, we aim at preserving the intrinsic structures of the particle dataset during the data reduction processes,\u201d Tang said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTaking this approach, we can meet our goal of achieving high-fidelity preservation of critical physics with minimum loss of information.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputing is essential in modern research because of the amount of data produced and captured from experiments and simulations. In the era of exascale supercomputers, data movement is a greater bottleneck than actual computation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOE operates three of the world\u2019s four exascale supercomputers. These machines can calculate one quintillion (a billion billion) operations per second.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe exascale era began in 2022 with the launch of Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Aurora followed in 2023 at Argonne National Laboratory. El Capitan arrived in 2024 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Tang\u2019s data reduction approaches, all of DOE\u2019s supercomputers spend more time on science and less time waiting for data transfers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cQi\u2019s work in computational plasma physics and nuclear fusion modeling has been groundbreaking,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EHaesun Park\u003C\/strong\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and Chair of the School of CSE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are proud of Qi and what this award means for him, Georgia Tech, and the Department of Energy toward leveraging computation to solve challenges in science and engineering, such as sustainable energy.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrevious Georgia Tech recipients of DOE Early Career Research Program awards include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/26\/doe-recognizes-georgia-tech-researchers-prestigious-early-career-awards\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EItamar Kimchi\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor, School of Physics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/26\/doe-recognizes-georgia-tech-researchers-prestigious-early-career-awards\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/wenjing-liao-awarded-doe-early-career-award-model-simplification-deep-learning\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWenjing Lao\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, School of Mathematics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2018\/06\/professor-lively-receives-does-early-career-award\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Lively\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Thomas C. DeLoach Professor, School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/josh-kacher\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJosh Kacher\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/khabar.com\/community-newsmakers\/devesh-ranjan-receives-early-career-award-from-u-s-department-of-energy\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevesh Ranjan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair and professor, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/people\/qi-tang\u0022\u003EQi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E is building machine learning (ML) models to accelerate nuclear fusion research, making it more affordable and more accurate. Backed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Tang\u2019s work brings clean, sustainable energy closer to reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang has received an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/early-career\u0022\u003EEarly Career Research Program (ECRP) award\u003C\/a\u003E from the DOE Office of Science. The grant supports Tang with $875,000 disbursed over five years to craft ML and data processing tools that help scientists analyze massive datasets from nuclear experiments and simulations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is the first faculty member from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing and School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) to receive the ECRP. He is the seventh Georgia Tech researcher to earn the award and the only GT awardee among this year\u2019s 99 recipients.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Qi Tang has received an Early Career Research Program award from the Department of Energy\u0027s Office of Science. The $875,000 grant supports Tang for five years to craft ML tools that analyze data from nuclear experiments and simulations. "}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-02-12 15:11:55","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:31","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679267":{"id":"679267","type":"image","title":"Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","body":null,"created":"1770909124","gmt_created":"2026-02-12 15:12:04","changed":"1770909124","gmt_changed":"2026-02-12 15:12:04","alt":"DOE ECRP Qi Tang","file":{"fid":"263400","name":"Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125283,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/12\/Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg?itok=mPLUykJZ"}}},"media_ids":["679267"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/department-energy-award-power-nuclear-research-machine-learning","title":"Department of Energy Award to Power Nuclear Research with Machine Learning"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688603":{"#nid":"688603","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Industry to Instruction: Aibek Musaev Brings Real-World Insight to the CS Classroom","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERaised in Kyrgyzstan, \u003Cstrong\u003EAibek Musaev\u003C\/strong\u003E discovered his passion for computer science (CS) in a small yet pivotal place: the computer lab at his high school, Physics-Mathematical Lyceum No. 61.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe first time I worked on a computer there and wrote my first program, I was hooked,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is something uniquely satisfying about seeing the immediate results of your work. I also appreciated how objective coding is. It either works or it does not.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMusaev\u2019s journey in CS continued at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, where a chance discovery set the stage for his academic path abroad. After spotting a leaflet for a presidential scholarship, he applied and was among the ten winners out of roughly 1,500 applicants.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs part of the scholarship, the organizers selected an American university for me, Georgia Institute of Technology, which I had not heard of at the time,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Tech, Musaev earned his bachelor\u2019s in CS. He later continued his studies as a graduate research assistant and earned his master\u2019s in CS.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat early fascination with problem-solving and clarity continues to shape Musaev\u2019s approach to teaching today. As a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction (SCI), he teaches CS 2316 \u003Cem\u003EData Input and Manipulation \u003C\/em\u003Eand his favorite course, CS 1331 \u003Cem\u003EIntroduction to Object-Oriented Programming\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom the moment I started teaching it, something just felt natural,\u201d he said. \u201cI enjoy coding live in class, watching students grasp new ideas, and explaining not only how things work, but why they were designed that way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough Musaev is now rooted in academia, his career has included significant time in industry. After completing his degrees, he worked at Siebel Systems, where he developed customer relationship management software and helped transition a flagship product from desktop to the web. He then returned to Kyrgyzstan to found and manage a successful software company before returning to the United States to earn his Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe believes those experiences provide perspective that cannot be learned in a classroom alone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy advice may be nontraditional,\u201d he said. \u201cSpend time in industry. Seeing how the concepts you teach are applied in practice provides an invaluable perspective. This is something you simply cannot gain from textbooks alone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince joining SCI in January 2020, Musaev has found a strong sense of community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am very happy to be part of this team,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone is supportive and willing to help. It truly feels like a collaborative environment.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Musaev, the most meaningful moments come from students, often unexpectedly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecently, I was walking with a head TA discussing course-related topics when a student suddenly stepped in front of us and interrupted our conversation. He told me I was the best professor he had ever had. Moments like that are difficult to put into words, but they mean everything to us as instructors,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said he hopes students find value in his classes and leave each lecture having learned something new. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI also want them to genuinely enjoy CS. It is an incredible field, and I cannot imagine doing anything else.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERaised in Kyrgyzstan, \u003Cstrong\u003EAibek Musaev\u003C\/strong\u003E discovered his passion for computer science (CS) in a small yet pivotal place: the computer lab at his high school, Physics-Mathematical Lyceum No. 61.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe first time I worked on a computer there and wrote my first program, I was hooked,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Musaev\u2019s journey in CS continued at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, where a chance discovery set the stage for his academic path abroad."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-02-27 17:15:07","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:18","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679473":{"id":"679473","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Aibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263640","name":"aibekprofile1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1083803,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile1.jpg?itok=YrPBsnC_"}},"679474":{"id":"679474","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBefore working in academia, Musaev\u0027s career path included significant time in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Before working in academia, Musaev\u0027s career path included significant time in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263641","name":"aibekprofile2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56853,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile2.jpg?itok=PkvHsNtX"}},"679475":{"id":"679475","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Aibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263642","name":"aibekprofile3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1164221,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile3.jpg?itok=qttdh7u2"}},"679476":{"id":"679476","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile4.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMusaev advises students to gain experience and perspective by working in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Musaev advises students to gain experience and perspective by working in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263643","name":"aibekprofile4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1595763,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile4.jpg?itok=zZbXF5H-"}}},"media_ids":["679473","679474","679475","679476"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"104601","name":"faculty profile"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688648":{"#nid":"688648","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New \u2018Touchable Sound\u2019 Museum Display Makes Data More Accessible","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBlind and low vision (BLV) people may soon have access to and more easily understand scientific data in museum exhibits through new \u201ctouchable sound\u201d displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Jessica Roberts and Ph.D. student Emily Amspoker of Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing are working with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u2019s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in Savannah\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Together, they\u2019ve developed a prototype display that uses sonification and texture to convey sea floor habitat information from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/graysreef.noaa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGray\u2019s Reef National Marine Sanctuary\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E off the coast of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESonification is the process of translating data points into sound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe display functions as a map that BLV users can follow to learn about each habitat. It is made from a wooden board with laser-cut patterns engraved into the surface. Each pattern represents information about the four types of habitats found in Gray\u2019s Reef. Each pattern has a distinct sound that corresponds to a legend on the board, which provides an audio description of each habitat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe four habitats are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFlat sand \u2014 smooth sandy seafloor with little topographic variation that provides habitat for burrowing organisms such as worms, clams, and sand dollars.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERippled sand \u2014 sandy bottom shaped into small wave-like ridges by currents and wave action; supports microhabitats of small invertebrates and attracts fish feeding on buried prey.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESparse live bottom \u2014 areas of exposed hard surfaces with scattered attached organisms like sponges, corals, and algae, offering structure and shelter for reef-associated fish and invertebrates.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDense live bottom \u2014 hard-bottom reef areas with abundant attached marine life, providing high biodiversity and offering food, and breeding sites for numerous species.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy allowing learners to explore these habitats, the team hopes to emphasize the importance of protecting diverse ocean habitats.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur job was to figure out how we can use sounds and touch to represent each of the four habitat types so our visitors can explore the ocean without being able to see it,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoberts said the project is critical to advance understanding of how science and informal learning can be more inclusive to those who have difficulty processing visual data displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis was particularly exciting to figure out how we could broaden accessibility to data sets because just like so much other scientific data, it\u2019s out there and available, but when it\u2019s presented to the public, it\u2019s usually in visual form,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are many open questions about how to do this well within a museum with complex scientific data. We\u2019re moving the needle on that, but there\u2019s a long way to go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERight Combination\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmspoker and Roberts created three different versions of the prototype. One was sound-only, one was texture-only, and the other was a combination of sound and texture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe expected the multimodal version would work best,\u201d Amspoker said. \u201cWe found people used sound and texture in different ways when interacting with it. In cases where people relied on texture, it was still difficult to tell when they crossed the barrier from one texture to another. Sound was very useful in that case.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmspoker said computer vision and an app she designed allow the technology to be deployed on any surface, whether a mobile device, a wooden board, or even a classroom floor. A camera set up above the display tracks the user\u2019s hand movements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt figures out where you are on the board, and then our code uses the location of your finger to decide what sound should play from the computer,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat\u2019s nice about our system is it only needs a computer and a webcam, and you can use whatever materials you have on hand for the map.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on a Legacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoberts said she is building on the work of a previous NSF-funded collaboration with Dr. Amy Bower, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts who is blind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBower lost her vision in graduate school, but because of her lifelong interest in oceanography, she set out to create ways to learn about ocean data through sound.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2021, she launched the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/accessibleoceans.whoi.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAccessible Oceans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E project through the National Science Foundation\u2019s Advancing Informal STEM Learning program. The interdisciplinary team, including Roberts and collaborators Leslie Smith of Your Ocean Consulting and Jon Bellona of the University of Oregon, created auditory displays of sonified data for museums.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2023, the team published \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tos.org\/oceanography\/article\/expanding-access-to-ocean-science-through-inclusively-designed-data-sonifications\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ean article in \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOceanography,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E the official magazine of the Oeanography Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cInformal learning environments are increasingly recognizing the importance of employing multiple modalities to engage all learners and are leveraging sound to enhance visitor experience,\u201d the authors wrote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile sonic additions of music, soundscapes, and field recordings add qualitative value, there is a need to explore the potential of sound to facilitate engagement with quantitative information. Data sonification is a promising avenue for increasing accessibility to data within the museum context.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have created a prototype \u201ctouchable sound\u201d museum exhibit that helps blind and low-vision visitors explore scientific data by combining tactile maps with sonification of seafloor habitats. The display translates information about different ocean environments into distinctive textures and sounds so users can follow a physical map of Gray\u2019s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and hear data-driven audio cues. The team hopes this multimodal approach will make complex visual data more inclusive and broaden access to informal science learning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a prototype \u201ctouchable sound\u201d museum display that uses sonification and tactile maps to make complex scientific data about ocean habitats more accessible to blind and low-vision visitors."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-03 15:13:03","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:09","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679503":{"id":"679503","type":"image","title":"2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772550793","gmt_created":"2026-03-03 15:13:13","changed":"1772550793","gmt_changed":"2026-03-03 15:13:13","alt":"Jessica Roberts","file":{"fid":"263675","name":"2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":118705,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/03\/2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg?itok=UaqIj7yh"}}},"media_ids":["679503"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"360","name":"accessibility"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"9092","name":"museums"},{"id":"181370","name":"oceanography"},{"id":"176552","name":"data sonification"},{"id":"1102","name":"blind"},{"id":"2751","name":"visually impaired"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688916":{"#nid":"688916","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Undergrads Earn National Recognition for Computing Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo Georgia Tech undergraduates are being recognized for their contributions to computing research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan\u0026nbsp;Punamiya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CS 2025)\u0026nbsp;and \u003Cstrong\u003ESummer Abramson\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year\u0026nbsp;computational\u0026nbsp;media student, have been honored by the Computing Research Association (CRA) through its 2025\u20132026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (URA) program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;was named a runner-up for the prestigious award, while Abramson received an honorable mention among hundreds of applicants from universities across North America.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award program\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;recognized eight awardees in 2026, along with eight runners-up, nine finalists, and over 200 honorable mentions from thousands of applications.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing\u0026nbsp;Robotics Research\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;knew early on that he\u0026nbsp;didn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;want to wait until starting his Ph.D. to do meaningful and impactful robotics research.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;joined the Robot Learning and Reasoning Lab (RL2) directed by Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;Danfei\u0026nbsp;Xu. While there, he contributed to the lab\u2019s Meta-sponsored\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-algorithm-teaches-robots-through-human-perspective\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEgoMimic\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;project, which trains robots to perform human tasks using recordings captured by Meta\u2019s Project Aria research glasses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;also the first author of a paper accepted to the 2025 Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS),\u0026nbsp;one of the world\u2019s most prestigious artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning conferences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRyan is the strongest undergraduate I\u0027ve worked with,\u201d Xu said, \u201cincluding students who went on to Stanford, Berkeley, and leadership roles in major tech companies.\u0026nbsp;He\u2019s\u0026nbsp;already\u0026nbsp;operating\u0026nbsp;at the level of a strong\u0026nbsp;third-year Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;student.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;said it was a challenge to balance his undergraduate coursework with his research in Xu\u2019s lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou get out how much you put in,\u201d\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cI built my class schedule to give myself as much time to do research as possible. It also boils down to having the right research mentors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c(Xu) never saw me as an\u0026nbsp;undergrad\u0026nbsp;who\u2019s\u0026nbsp;just there to do grunt work. I was\u0026nbsp;fortunate\u0026nbsp;he saw my curiosity and cultivated me as a researcher.\u0026nbsp;That\u2019s\u0026nbsp;really how\u0026nbsp;you get more\u0026nbsp;undergrads\u0026nbsp;motivated to research \u2014 giving them the chance to be independent and explore ideas of their own.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;said his work in Xu\u2019s lab has already helped him identify the research areas he wants to focus on as he considers his next steps. He will continue developing generalized training models for robots using human data so they can perform tasks instantly upon deployment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The amount of data needed to train a robot is difficult to obtain even for top industry companies,\u0022 he said. \u0022We have embodied robot data available in billions of humans. With the advent of extended reality devices, we can get a scalable source of diverse interactions within environments.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;graduated in December and recently started an internship at Nvidia. He mentioned he has been accepted into several Ph.D. programs, including Georgia Tech, and he is choosing where to continue his research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s the first time my research has been\u0026nbsp;acknowledged\u0026nbsp;externally by the robotics community,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s\u0026nbsp;good to\u0026nbsp;know\u0026nbsp;the problem\u0026nbsp;I\u2019m\u0026nbsp;working on is important, and that motivates me. Robotics is an exciting field. We are doing things now that two years ago were difficult to do.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearching Inclusion in Computing Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbramson conducts research in the People-Agents Research for Computing Education (PARCE) Laboratory under the mentorship of\u0026nbsp;Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda, a faculty member\u0026nbsp;in the School of Computing Instruction. He and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Olufisayo Omojokun, nominated her for the award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer work focuses on the intersection of computing education and human-AI interaction, where she\u2019s been exploring ways to create more equitable technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is such a huge milestone, and I couldn\u0027t be prouder of Summer,\u201d Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda said. \u201cMentoring her for almost two years has been an amazing experience.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbramson has received the Georgia Tech President\u2019s Undergraduate Research Award (PURA) twice, which supports her research exploring how user-centered design curricula can help address attrition among women in computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve had the amazing opportunity to pursue research at the intersection of student identity, community belonging, and how we can build tools that support our diverse student population,\u201d Abramson said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDr. Pedro and I have a goal to build community through a human-first approach, and I could not be more grateful for his support and guidance in my own journey. The CRA highlights the best of what the computing discipline has to offer, and I am incredibly honored for our work to be recognized.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbramson will spend the summer researching how user-centered design curricula can help promote confidence, belonging, and retention for women in computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENominees for the PURA program were recognized for contributing to multiple research projects, authoring or coauthoring papers, presenting at conferences, developing widely used software artifacts, and supporting their communities as teaching assistants, tutors, and mentors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Computing Instruction Communications Officer Emily Smith contributed to this story.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMain Photo: Ryan Punamiya works with a robot during the 2025 International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Atlanta. Photo by Terence Rushin\/College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan\u0026nbsp;Punamiya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CS 2025)\u0026nbsp;and \u003Cstrong\u003ESummer Abramson\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year\u0026nbsp;computational\u0026nbsp;media student, have been honored by the Computing Research Association (CRA) through its 2025\u20132026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (URA) program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;was named a runner-up for the prestigious award, while Abramson received an honorable mention among hundreds of applicants from universities across North America.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award program\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;recognized eight awardees in 2026, along with eight runners-up, nine finalists, and over 200 honorable mentions from thousands of applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ryan Punamiya (CS 2025) and Summer Abramson, a third-year computational media student, have been honored by the Computing Research Association (CRA) through its 2025\u20132026 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (URA) program. "}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-13 14:57:26","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:51:21","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679613":{"id":"679613","type":"image","title":"ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773413856","gmt_created":"2026-03-13 14:57:36","changed":"1773413856","gmt_changed":"2026-03-13 14:57:36","alt":"Ryan Punamiya","file":{"fid":"263795","name":"ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/13\/ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/13\/ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":133995,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/13\/ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=r8p0C5IW"}}},"media_ids":["679613"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"101271","name":"Computing Research Association"},{"id":"22861","name":"undergraduate research awards"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688962":{"#nid":"688962","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Chef and Humanitarian Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Receives Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWorld-renowned chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s believes that food is a powerful tool in \u201cbuilding longer tables\u201d and forging unity in times of crisis. In pursuit of this mission, he founded World Central Kitchen in 2010.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ETraveling to war zones and natural disasters around the world, Andr\u00e9s and the organization have delivered nearly one billion meals to those in need. For his efforts, the internationally recognized humanitarian received the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage, which is awarded to individuals who, by standing up for moral principles at great personal risk, have made a significant impact on society.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe prize honors the legacy of Ivan Allen Jr., former mayor of Atlanta and a Georgia Tech alumnus known for his courageous leadership during the Civil Rights Movement. It was presented to Andr\u00e9s by President \u00c1ngel Cabrera.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cHe has turned culinary skill into a weapon against despair, and his unwavering stand for human dignity amid gunfire and rubble demonstrates unparalleled courage. He confronts famine, war, and disaster with unyielding moral conviction \u2014 not from an office thousands of miles away from harm, but right at the heart of our most pressing global crises,\u201d Cabrera said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGrowing up in Spain, Andr\u00e9s watched as his mother made the most of every ingredient between paychecks, and his father invited all who were hungry to their table. As a chef and a humanitarian, Andr\u00e9s feels that he embodies the ideals instilled in him at a young age.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cMy mother taught me to cook for the few and do it with love. From my father, I learned how to feed anyone who showed up; to care for the many. Those early lessons of the power of food to nurture a family, to take care of friends or people who you didn\u2019t know but that you were welcoming to your longer table anyway, became very important to me,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EAs a sailor in the Spanish Navy, Andr\u00e9s traveled the world before eventually moving to New York City, where he began his career as a cook at Eldorado Petit, a Spanish restaurant. Now, among the most decorated chefs in the culinary industry, as a two-star Michelin recipient, the Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Group operates 40 restaurants. In 2010, when tragedy struck Haiti in the form of a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake, Andr\u00e9s knew he wanted to do more to spread hope through food.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen you go to many situations \u2014 war, hurricanes, or other disasters \u2014 you realize that food and water are one of the most important things that you can do for people. It is the very basis of starting to look to the future with hope,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWorld Central Kitchen was operational in Ukraine within hours of the Russian invasion in 2022, and missions continue today both in Ukraine and Gaza. In 2025, Andr\u00e9s was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden. To an audience inside the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech, Andr\u00e9s explained how World Central Kitchen has illuminated the goodness of humanity as thousands of restaurant employees, volunteers, and community members join together in missions across the globe.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen I go to emergencies, I always realize that in the worst moments of humanity, the best of humanity always shows up. I often feel selfish because when I go, I come back so fulfilled by the hope and empathy I find everywhere,\u201d Andr\u00e9s said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EAlong with his humanitarian work, Andr\u00e9s is an Emmy Award-winning television personality,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENew York Times\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;bestselling author, and educator, and has twice been named one of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ETime\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;magazine\u2019s \u201c100 Most Influential People.\u201d Despite the accolades, his friends say that Andr\u00e9s is most fulfilled when he is helping others; at the event, he was introduced by Jon Riberas, chairman of Gonvarri Steel Industries in Madrid, and Enric Sala, founder and leader of Pristine Seas, a global conservation initiative.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen people think of Jos\u00e9, they often think of the world-class chef. The man who brought the soul of Spain to the American table. But those of us who know him well, and those who have seen him in the mud of a hurricane or the dust of a conflict, know that the apron is merely the armor,\u201d Sala said. \u201cIvan Allen Jr. risked his career because he knew that the human condition Georgia Tech talks about is not just a theory, it\u2019s a responsibility. Jos\u00e9 lives that same responsibility.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EDuring a fireside chat with Cabrera, Andr\u00e9s also spoke about the importance of reducing food waste, the role of food in driving economic development for communities, and investing in programs that train people to staff kitchens and restaurants.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EPrevious recipients of the award include John Lewis, Andrew Young, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Christiane Amanpour.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThanks to a generous grant from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Foundation, the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage includes a $100,000 stipend.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, received the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage for his leadership in providing meals to communities in crisis. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, received the\u0026nbsp;Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u0026nbsp;for his leadership in providing meals to communities in crisis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen, received the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage for his leadership in providing meals to communities in crisis.\u00a0"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 13:34:36","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 00:33:37","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679699":{"id":"679699","type":"video","title":"Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Receives the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage ","body":null,"created":"1773966777","gmt_created":"2026-03-20 00:32:57","changed":"1773966777","gmt_changed":"2026-03-20 00:32:57","video":{"youtube_id":"lGKWr7Z_y2Q","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lGKWr7Z_y2Q"}},"679653":{"id":"679653","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera presents the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera presents the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s. Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773754627","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 13:37:07","changed":"1773754627","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 13:37:07","alt":"Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera presents the 2026 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s. ","file":{"fid":"263836","name":"DSC_8723-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/DSC_8723-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/DSC_8723-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1133700,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/DSC_8723-web.jpg?itok=luB2iaiC"}}},"media_ids":["679699","679653"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ivanallenprize.gatech.edu\/","title":"Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage"},{"url":"https:\/\/wck.org\/story\/","title":"World Central Kitchen"}],"groups":[{"id":"58132","name":"Ivan Allen Prize"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"178928","name":"Ivan Allen Jr Prize for Social Courage"},{"id":"9895","name":"Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage"},{"id":"182236","name":"President \u00c1ngel Cabrera"},{"id":"167378","name":"special events"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689061":{"#nid":"689061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Guide to Spring Break in Atlanta","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFlowers are beginning to blossom around campus, and that means spring break is\u0026nbsp;almost here. For those staying on campus during the break, March 23 \u2013 27,\u0026nbsp;don\u2019t\u0026nbsp;fret \u2014 Atlanta\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;a vibrant city full of exciting events and activities for students to enjoy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECheer On the Yellow Jackets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESoftball\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. Duke University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFriday, March 20, 6 p.m. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaturday, March 21, 3 p.m. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESunday, March 22, 4 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. University of West Georgia\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETuesday, March 24, 6 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. Georgia State University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWednesday, March 25, 6 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESwimming and Diving\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENCAA Men\u2019s Swimming Championships\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMarch 25 \u2013 28, all day\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBaseball\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. NC State\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFriday, March 27, 7 p.m. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaturday, March 28, 7 p.m. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESunday, March 29, 3 p.m. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWomen\u2019s Tennis\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. Penn State\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESunday, March 22, noon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. University of Miami\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFriday, March 27, 4 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. Florida State University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESunday, March 29, noon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMen\u2019s Tennis\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. Stanford University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThursday, March 26, 4 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. University of California\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaturday, March 28, 11 a.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003Evs. The Citadel\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaturday, March 28, 4 p.m. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrack and Field\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYellow Jacket Invitational\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMarch 20 \u2013 21, all day\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EView the complete schedule of athletic events at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eramblinwreck.com\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta Science Festival\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Through March 21, 10 a.m. \u2013 4 p.m. each day\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Various locations\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpen to all, the Atlanta Science Festival\u0026nbsp;showcases\u0026nbsp;a variety of events in and around metro Atlanta, ranging from hydroponics and the physics of rock \u2019n\u2019 roll to theater productions and escape rooms.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMore information\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHope Beneath the Wings Community Mural Paint Day\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: March 21, 10 a.m. \u2013 noon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: All Saints\u2019 Episcopal Church\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin artist\u0026nbsp;Aysha\u0026nbsp;Pennerman\u0026nbsp;for a community\u0026nbsp;paint\u0026nbsp;day. Wear clothes you\u0026nbsp;don\u2019t\u0026nbsp;mind getting paint on, because\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s\u0026nbsp;you who will be helping to paint the mural! The project invites the community to meditate on the concept of hope.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.midtownatl.com\/do\/hope-mural-by-aysha-pennerman-community-paint-day\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMore information\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUSA Jigsaw Nationals and Convention\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: March 27 \u2013 29, 8:30 a.m. \u2013 6:30 p.m. each day\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Atlanta Convention Center at America\u2019s Mart\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe USA Jigsaw Nationals showcase speed puzzling, including individual competitors racing to finish 500-piece puzzles, and teams of four competing to finish two 1,000-piece puzzles. The event also features casual puzzling and seminars for attendees.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usajigsaw.org\/2026-nationals\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMore information\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELittle 5 Fest\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: March 28, 1 \u2013 8 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Little 5 Points\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnjoy live music, skate ramps, and vendors at the Little 5 Fest. The\u0026nbsp;festival\u0026nbsp;features a variety of bands from Atlanta and beyond, along with a range of food and drinks to try. Come experience the culture of one of Atlanta\u2019s most eclectic and lively neighborhoods.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.little5pointsofficial.com\/l5fest\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMore information\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2018Spinning a Yarn\u2019: The Exhibit\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Through April 4, during museum hours\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSpinning a yarn\u201d is typically associated with women\u2019s storytelling, and this exhibit invites attendees to contemplate how stories are shaped by memory and imagination, rather than in a linear fashion. The exhibit\u0026nbsp;showcases\u0026nbsp;a variety of artistic mediums, including oil painting.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.adamatl.org\/spinningayarn\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMore information\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESee the Sights\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re\u0026nbsp;an Atlanta native or new to the city, there are plenty of attractions for you to fit into your spring break schedule.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiaaquarium.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Aquarium\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.worldofcoca-cola.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWorld of Coca-Cola\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zooatlanta.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EZoo Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cfbhall.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECollege Football Hall of Fame\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/high.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHigh Museum of Art\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/malu\/index.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMartin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantabg.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAtlanta Botanical Garden\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fernbankmuseum.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFernbank\u0026nbsp;Museum of Natural History\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETake a Hike\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs spring nears and the weather warms up, take a walk on the Beltline or enjoy a hike on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.atlantatrails.com\/hiking-trails\/atlantas-best-hiking-trails-our-top-10-favorite-hikes\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etrails around the metro area\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"If you\u0027re staying in town for Spring Break, there are exciting events and activities to explore. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re staying in town for Spring Break, there are exciting events and activities to explore.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"If you\u0027re staying in town for Spring Break, there are exciting events and activities to explore. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-19 18:28:27","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 20:47:31","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679697":{"id":"679697","type":"image","title":"_WestGA_031026_DK-35.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA rainbow forms over Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium as Georgia Tech baseball takes on West Georgia. Photo by Danny Karnik\/Georgia Tech Athletics.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773952304","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 20:31:44","changed":"1773952304","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 20:31:44","alt":"Rainbow over Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium","file":{"fid":"263889","name":"_WestGA_031026_DK-35.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/_WestGA_031026_DK-35.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/_WestGA_031026_DK-35.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":21995835,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/_WestGA_031026_DK-35.jpg?itok=eDqgQvLZ"}}},"media_ids":["679697"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"167637","name":"spring break"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stucomm@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEllie Jenkins\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688745":{"#nid":"688745","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mentor Spotlight: Alison Sizer \u2014 From Apple and Nike to Supporting Founders ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlison Sizer started as someone who loved innovation and problem-solving. For 14 years, she worked at Apple and Nike, where she learned how to blend innovation with customer insight: how to spot patterns, translate problems into opportunities, and turn ideas into strategies for growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplying what she\u2019d learned along the way, Sizer started Growth Impact to support startups and stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem. As a part of her business, she created partnerships and networks between the U.S. and South Africa, bridging the gap between startups and corporations to encourage co-creation and pilot projects. During this time, she saw how much early\u2011stage founders needed clear frameworks, honest guidance, and hands\u2011on support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI started Growth Impact to support startups and stakeholders such as venture studios, investors, and accelerators. I support early-stage startups in finding product-market fit, customer understanding, go-to-market strategy, and business model development,\u201d she said. \u201cI also help startups with fundraising readiness and enterprise readiness. I support stakeholders by helping to assess viability, and de-risk new ventures, as well as connecting startups to enterprises.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEventually, her work brought her in contact with Georgia Tech. She was working with a South African innovation lab to enable pilot projects between startups and enterprises with the goal of facilitating the co-creation of digital solutions, which led her to Rahul Saxena, director of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESizer said she reached out to see if any potential CREATE-X startups or enterprises would want to connect to the companies she was working with in South Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the last few years, there\u0027s been quite a lot of interest in Georgia Tech and Atlanta in terms of a tech and innovation hub in the U.S., and there\u0027s a lot of investment happening too, in both the city of Atlanta and in Georgia Tech, in entrepreneurship and innovation and technology,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u0027s an interesting market.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce connected, she kept meeting Georgia Tech founders, many from CREATE\u2011X.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuietly, she began helping where she could, making introductions for CREATE-X founders outside of Atlanta. For Augment Health, she made investor and potential partner introductions. For the founder of Strapt, she made introductions to investors, shared market insight, and highlighted the company in her own newsletter, which has an audience of innovation ecosystem stakeholders, including more investors. And for ZenVR, she made a connection to WeFunder for funding, which resulted in $250,000 raised. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollaborating with CREATE-X on a webinar, Sizer also taught \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003EStartup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E alumni about customer understanding and segmentation, value proposition, and other topics for health and wellness founders. Beyond connecting, Sizer shaped mindsets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn her business, one founder she worked with was building non\u2011toxic performance apparel for women \u2014 a product selling through Amazon, REI, and even the U.S. military. The founder had ambition but struggled to balance DTC (direct to consumer) sales, retail, and B2B opportunities. Sizer helped her analyze her data, identify her real early adopters, and rebuild her value proposition and messaging. With a clearer customer understanding and stronger brand direction, the founder revamped her website and refined her pitch.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI love that thrill of them being excited about implementing some of the ideas and things we talk about, seeing the growth in their business, and the positive change in their business. That really excites me,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is an enterprise-heavy city with Fortune 500 companies, SaaS (Software as a Service) companies, and a growing biotech sector. The startup ecosystem is growing in Atlanta, and with that comes advantages.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have noticed that there\u0027s a lot of strong support for Atlanta and Georgia entrepreneurs from other Atlanta and Georgia entrepreneurs,\u201d she said. \u201cThey all support each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the years, Sizer has advised or mentored over 100 startups and built investor connections. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy business is Growth Impact, because growth and impact are part of my core values. I\u0027m glad to give back and support early entrepreneurs, sharing knowledge, tools, and resources,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a founder, Sizer went through her own learning curve. When she first launched her company, she assumed her target customers would be venture capital firms and spent months talking to pre\u2011seed and seed investors, only to discover that VCs either didn\u2019t fund the kind of operational support she offered or they expected founders to pay for it themselves. Meanwhile, the founders she spoke with said they needed her help but didn\u2019t have the budget. She said it was a classic chicken\u2011and\u2011egg problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI said, OK, this is not my target customer. The target customer is the startup,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u0027s where the pivot point was for me.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003EThat shift reshaped her entire business and reinforced the same advice she now gives students: Talk to customers, listen deeply, and don\u2019t be afraid to adjust when the data points you in a new direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe officially joined the CREATE\u2011X mentor community last year to help more founders, guiding them in finding product-market fit, and understanding who needs this solution and why.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne thing Sizer emphasized, however, is the need for founders to continue to take initiative and be resilient in the face of challenges.\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cA mentor can guide you or ask the right questions, but the founder has to find the path,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReady to build something real?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeet mentors like Alison Sizer in Startup Launch, where you can develop a startup to solve real-world problems and build entrepreneurial skills. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022\u003EApply to Startup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E today; applications close Tuesday, March 17.\u003Cbr\u003EInterested in mentoring?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWant to mentor and support the next generation of Georgia Tech founders?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFill out our \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/app1gcnb0ECVgdEF4\/pag4g0e8mxV9qWn8k\/form\u0022\u003Eengagement form\u003C\/a\u003E to join CREATE\u2011X\u2019s mentor network.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EAlison Sizer brings more than a decade of innovation experience from Apple and Nike to her work supporting early\u2011stage founders through her company, Growth Impact. After building cross\u2011continental partnerships between the U.S. and South Africa, she connected with CREATE-X and began advising founders on customer insight, product\u2011market fit, and go\u2011to\u2011market strategy. She has since made high\u2011impact investor and partner introductions, taught customer discovery frameworks, and helped entrepreneurs rethink their value propositions through data\u2011driven guidance. Now an official CREATE\u2011X mentor, Sizer continues to champion founders by sharing tools, networks, and honest insight to help them build resilient, customer\u2011focused ventures.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alison Sizer, a former Apple and Nike strategist turned founder of Growth Impact, now mentors CREATE\u2011X startups by helping them deepen customer understanding, refine value propositions, and build pathways to growth through her global innovation network."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-03-05 15:20:30","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 19:25:50","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679530":{"id":"679530","type":"image","title":"Alison Sizer ","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe image shows Alison Sizer \u0026nbsp;standing in a modern, well\u2011lit workspace with open shelving, plants, and a large \u201cLet\u2019s...\u201d wall sign visible in the background. She\u0027s wearing a light gray blazer over a teal top and is posed with one arm resting on a wooden table. The setting includes contemporary furniture, natural light from large windows, and a neutral, inviting color palette that conveys a professional yet relaxed environment.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1772722040","gmt_created":"2026-03-05 14:47:20","changed":"1772723141","gmt_changed":"2026-03-05 15:05:41","alt":"Alison Sizer in a blazer standing in a modern workspace with wooden tables, open shelving, and natural light.","file":{"fid":"263703","name":"Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103307,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/05\/Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg?itok=lco1cU-e"}}},"media_ids":["679530"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form","title":"Apply to Startup Launch"},{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/app1gcnb0ECVgdEF4\/pag4g0e8mxV9qWn8k\/form","title":"Mentor with CREATE-X"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:breanna.durham@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689055":{"#nid":"689055","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hundreds of Hungry Mosquitoes, a Student Volunteer and a Mesh Suit","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFour minutes is too long.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Man\u0026apos;s arm with multiple pink raised welts\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=827\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=827\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=827\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1040\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1040\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1040\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ESome of Chris Zuo\u2019s itchy results after his session with the mosquitoes.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s the note undergraduate Chris Zuo sent me along with photos of countless mosquito bites on his bare skin. This full-body massacre wasn\u2019t the result of a camping trip gone awry. He\u2019d spent that limited amount of time in a room with 100 hungry mosquitoes while wearing nothing but a mesh suit we thought would have protected him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThus began our three-year journey trying to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz7063\u0022\u003Eunderstand the behavior\u003C\/a\u003E of a deceivingly simple insect, the mosquito. It may sound like a professor\u2019s sadistic plan, but, really, we did everything by the book. Our university\u2019s institutional review board approved our procedures, making sure Chris was safe and not coerced in any way. The mosquitoes were disease-free and native to our home state of Georgia. And this session resulted in the first and last bites anyone received during the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBesides my role as torturer of students, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=pydtIvYAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003EI\u003C\/a\u003E am an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/our-authors\/hu-david\u0022\u003Eauthor\u003C\/a\u003E and professor at Georgia Tech with over 20 years of experience studying the movement of animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMosquitoes are the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/deadliest-animals\u0022\u003Eworld\u2019s most dangerous animal\u003C\/a\u003E. The diseases they carry, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/malaria\u0022\u003Efrom malaria\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/dengue-and-severe-dengue\u0022\u003Eto dengue\u003C\/a\u003E, cause over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/vector-borne-diseases\u0022\u003E700,000 deaths per year\u003C\/a\u003E. More people have died from mosquitoes than wars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe world \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/09\/29\/health\/mosquitoes-malaria-strategies-house.html\u0022\u003Espends US$22 billion per year\u003C\/a\u003E on billions of liters of insecticides, millions of pounds of larvicides, and millions of insecticide-treated bed nets \u2013 all to fight a tiny insect that weighs 10 times less than a grain of rice and has only \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0250381\u0022\u003E200,000 neurons\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet, people are losing the war on mosquitoes. These insects are evolving to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aam8327\u0022\u003Ethrive in cities\u003C\/a\u003E and spreading disease \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.pt.2017.11.006\u0022\u003Emore rapidly with climate change\u003C\/a\u003E. How can such simple animals find us so easily?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists know mosquitoes have terrible eyesight and depend on chemical cues to make up for it. Knowing what attracts a mosquito, though, isn\u2019t enough to predict its behavior. You can know a heat-seeking missile is drawn to heat, but you still won\u2019t know how a missile works.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnter Chris and his self-sacrifice in the mosquito room. By tracking the flight of many mosquitoes around him, we hoped to determine how they made decisions in response to his presence. Understanding how mosquitoes respond to humans is a first step to controlling them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Mosquitoes Zero In On Their Meal\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOut of 3,500 species of mosquitoes, over 100 species are classified as anthropophilic, meaning they prefer humans for lunch. Certain species of mosquitoes will find the one person among a whole herd of cattle in order to suck human blood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is quite a feat considering mosquitoes are weak flyers. They stop flying in a slight \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1242\/jeb.178905\u0022\u003E2-3 mph breeze\u003C\/a\u003E, the same air speed generated by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1242\/jeb.178905\u0022\u003Ehorse\u2019s swinging tail\u003C\/a\u003E. In calmer conditions, mosquitoes use their minuscule brains to follow \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10905-022-09796-2\u0022\u003Ehuman heat, moisture and odors\u003C\/a\u003E that are carried downwind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon dioxide, the byproduct of respiration of all living animals, is particularly attractive. Mosquitoes notice carbon dioxide as well as you notice the stink of a full dumpster, detecting it up to 30 feet (9 meters) away from a host, where concentrations dip to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jmedent\/44.4.617\u0022\u003Efew parts per million\u003C\/a\u003E, like a few cups of dye in an Olympic-size pool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Black outline of a G and T in left panel, in right panel black squiggles showing flight paths of mosquitoes around the letters\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=320\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=320\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=320\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=402\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=402\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=402\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ELike superfans, mosquitoes are drawn to the dark outline of the Georgia Tech logo.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu, Georgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMosquitoes\u2019 vision isn\u2019t much help as they hunt for their next blood meal. Their two compound eyes have several hundred individual lenses called ommatidia, each about the width of a human hair. They produce a somewhat blurry mosaic or pixelated image. Due to the laws of optics, mosquitoes can discern an adult-size human only at a few meters away. With their vision alone, they cannot distinguish a human from a small tree. They inspect every dark object.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGathering the Flight-Path Data\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge with studying mosquito flight is that, like trash-talking teenagers, most of what they do is meaningless noise. Mosquitoes flying in an empty room are largely making random changes in flight speed and direction. We needed many flight trajectories to cut through the noise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A man lying on the ground, and shown in two images on a laptop screen in the foreground\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=326\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=326\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=326\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=410\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=410\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=410\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EIn a mesh suit, Chris Zuo awaits the mosquitoes while questioning his life choices.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu, Georgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of our collaborators, University of California, Riverside, biologist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=XOveQssAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003ERing Card\u00e9\u003C\/a\u003E, told us that back in the 1980s, scientists conducted \u201cbite studies\u201d by stripping down to their underwear and slapping the mosquitoes that landed on their naked bodies. He said nudity prevented confounding variables, such as the color of a shirt\u2019s fabric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChris and I looked at each other. Sit naked and wait to become mosquito prey? Instead, we designed the mesh suit that Chris originally wore into the mosquito room. But after seeing Chris\u2019 bites, we needed a better way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, Chris washed long-sleeved clothes in unscented detergent and wore gloves and a face mask. Fully protected, Chris only had to stand and wait, while a cloud of mosquitoes swarmed him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced us to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/photonicsentry.com\/\u0022\u003EPhotonic Sentry\u003C\/a\u003E, a camera that simultaneously tracks hundreds of flying insects in a room. It records 100 frames per second at 5 mm resolution for a space like a large studio apartment. In just a few hours, Chris and another graduate student, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=pJLlOo8AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=sra\u0022\u003ESoohwan Kim\u003C\/a\u003E, generated more mosquito flight data than had previously been measured in human history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A4WUw-ZCoFk?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003E100 mosquitoes flying around Chris Zuo for 10 minutes. Only a fraction of tracks are shown.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=YJlkBuAAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003EJ\u00f6rn Dunkel\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=3V6dgsoAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=sra\u0022\u003EChenyi Fei\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=89drxM4AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=sra\u0022\u003EAlex Cohen\u003C\/a\u003E, our mathematician collaborators at MIT, told us that the geometry of Chris\u2019 body was still too complicated to study the mosquitoes\u2019 reactions. Mathematicians excel at simplifying complex problems to their essence. Chenyi suggested we go easy on Chris \u2013 why not replace him with a simple dummy: a black Styrofoam ball on a stick combined with a canister of carbon dioxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next two years, Chris filmed the mosquitoes circling the Styrofoam dummies mercilessly. Then he vacuumed up the mosquitoes, trying not to get bitten.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EDeciphering the Trajectories\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA mosquito flies like you would an airplane: it turns left or right, accelerates or hits the brakes. We determined a mosquito\u2019s flight behavior as a function of its speed, location and direction with respect to the target as the first step in creating our model of their behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur confidence in our behavioral rules increased as we read more trajectories, ultimately using 20 million mosquito positions and speeds. This idea of incorporating observations to support a mathematical hypothesis is a 200-year-old idea called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/@chonghankhai\/bayesian-thinking-in-everyday-life-bf82fe2ab0af\u0022\u003EBayesian inference\u003C\/a\u003E. We illustrated the mosquito behavior we\u2019d observed in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acoh64.github.io\/mosquito_app\/\u0022\u003Eweb application\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u00224 panels showing trajectory of a mosquito in the presence of no target, visual target, CO2 target or both.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=169\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=169\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=169\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=212\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=212\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=212\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA mosquito\u2019s flight changes with the kind of target presented.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing our model, we showed how different targets cause mosquitoes to fly differently. Visual targets cause fly-bys, where mosquitoes fly past the target. Carbon dioxide causes double takes, where mosquitoes slow down near the target. The combination of a visual cue and carbon dioxide creates high-speed orbiting patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUp until now, we had used only experiments with Styrofoam spheres to train our model. The true test was whether it could predict mosquito flights around a human. Chris returned to the chamber, this time wearing all white clothes and a black hat, turning himself into a bull\u2019s-eye. Our model successfully predicted the distribution of mosquitoes around him. We identified zones of danger, where there was a high chance of a mosquito circling around him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPredicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them. In mosquito-prone areas, people design \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1404493\u0022\u003Ehouses with features to prevent mosquitoes\u003C\/a\u003E from following human cues and entering. Similarly, mosquito traps suck in mosquitoes when they get too close but still allow between \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jme\/tjz243\u0022\u003E50% and 90% of mosquitoes to escape\u003C\/a\u003E. Many of these designs are based on trial and error. We hope that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz7063\u0022\u003Eour study provides a more precise tool\u003C\/a\u003E for designing methods for mosquito capture or deterrence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Chris\u2019 mother attended his master\u2019s degree defense, I asked her how she felt about her son using himself as bait for mosquitoes. She said she was very proud. So am I \u2013 and not just because I\u2019m relieved Chris didn\u2019t ask me to take his place in the mosquito chamber.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/278486\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hundreds-of-hungry-mosquitoes-a-student-volunteer-and-a-mesh-suit-helped-us-figure-out-how-these-deadly-insects-reach-their-targets-278486\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking the flight of many mosquitoes around a student volunteer, we hoped to determine how they made decisions in response to his presence. Understanding how mosquitoes respond to humans is a first step to controlling them.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By tracking the flight of many mosquitoes around a student volunteer, we hoped to determine how they made decisions in response to his presence. Understanding how mosquitoes respond to humans is a first step to controlling them."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 16:52:12","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 16:57:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679694":{"id":"679694","type":"image","title":"Trajectories of mosquitoes flying around a human target. David L. Hu, Georgia Tech","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETrajectories of mosquitoes flying around a human target. David L. Hu, Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773939193","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 16:53:13","changed":"1773939193","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 16:53:13","alt":"Trajectories of mosquitoes flying around a human target. David L. Hu, Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"263886","name":"file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2835625,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png?itok=JyAHkg79"}}},"media_ids":["679694"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hundreds-of-hungry-mosquitoes-a-student-volunteer-and-a-mesh-suit-helped-us-figure-out-how-these-deadly-insects-reach-their-targets-278486","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/david-hu-204122\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biology, Adjunct Professor of Physics, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689054":{"#nid":"689054","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Develop Biodegradable, Plant\u2011Based Packaging From Natural Fibers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=YpxchNkAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EJie Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJie and I had been hoping to identify naturally occurring whitening pigments that could be used in paper and paints. The beetle\u2019s white exoskeleton is made from a compound called chitin, which is a type of carbohydrate \u2013 one that is also commonly found in crab and lobster shells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, Jie extracted chitin nanofibers from crab shells obtained from food waste that are chemically the same as those found in the white beetles. But instead of creating a white material as intended, Jie produced dense, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/bm501416q\u0022\u003Etransparent films\u003C\/a\u003E. The nanofibers more readily assembled in tightly packed films than in the porous structures Jie desired.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Two white beetles\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=882\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=882\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=882\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1109\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1109\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1109\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAn attempt to mimic the striking white color of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ECyphochilus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003E beetles led researchers to a unique discovery.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cyphochilus#\/media\/File:Cyphochilus_beetles.jpg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EOlimpia1lli\/Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-NC-ND\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a whim, Jie measured the rate at which oxygen passed through the film. The result was astonishing: The barrier allowed less oxygen through than many existing packaging plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat serendipitous finding in 2014 shifted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=3qOG6PUAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Emy team\u003C\/a\u003E of engineering students\u2019 focus from color to packaging. We asked whether natural materials could rival the performance of common plastics. In the years since, our team has used this discovery to create biodegradable films that offer a more sustainable and effective alternative to plastic packaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EChallenges of Plastic Packaging\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlastic packaging is commonly used to protect food, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. These plastics keep out moisture and oxygen from the air, so products stay \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/C2012-0-00246-3\u0022\u003Efresh and safe\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost packaging has several layers that work together to keep air out, but these layers hinder reuse and recycling efforts. As a result, most of this plastic barrier packaging is discarded to landfills as single-use materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany researchers have sought alternatives that are renewable, biodegradable or recyclable, yet just as effective. At Georgia Tech, my team of students and post-docs has spent more than a decade tackling this problem. This journey began with that beetle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBuilding a Better Barrier\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/chitin\u0022\u003EChitin\u003C\/a\u003E is widely available in food waste and mushrooms, and it is used in products such as water filters and wound dressing. However, our early attempts to scale up the film technology based on the beetle-inspired experiment failed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, the team made an important leap forward by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssuschemeng.8b01536\u0022\u003Eusing spray coating to create layers\u003C\/a\u003E of chitin and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.niehs.nih.gov\/health\/topics\/agents\/sya-nano\u0022\u003Ecellulose nanomaterials\u003C\/a\u003E. Cellulose, like chitin, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/cellulose\u0022\u003Eis a carbohydrate polymer\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 a chain of repeating carbohydrate units \u2013 and it is obtained from plants. These abundant natural materials have opposite electric charges, which led to better barrier performance when we combined them than either material alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this approach, the team sprayed down a layer of chitin, followed by a layer of cellulose. The opposite charges between the chitin and cellulose created a long-range attraction between them that binds the layers to create a dense interface.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater, in collaboration with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=BrXwtO4AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EMeisha Shofner\u003C\/a\u003E, a materials scientist, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/harris\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, a mechanical engineer, other students showed these coatings could be applied with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsami.2c09925\u0022\u003Escalable, roll-to-roll techniques\u003C\/a\u003E. Roll-to-roll coating methods are preferred in industry because the coatings are applied continuously to large rolls of a substrate material, such as paper or other biodegradable plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EBNyjJFB8Zc?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ERoll-to-roll coating allows manufacturers to easily apply thin layers of coating to a base material, called a substrate.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, humidity posed a major challenge, limiting any real-world applications. Moisture swelled the film, allowing more oxygen to sneak through.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen came another breakthrough. In 2024, another collaborator, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=ZILIcOwAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003ENatalie Stingelin\u003C\/a\u003E, and I discovered that two common food components resisted water vapor when combined: carboxymethylcellulose \u2013 which is found in ice cream, for example \u2013 and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/Citric-Acid\u0022\u003Ecitric acid\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result was a film that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1039\/D4SU00425F\u0022\u003Ehindered the transmission of moisture\u003C\/a\u003E. The citric acid reacted with the cellulose to form cross-links, which are chemical junctions that bind the cellulose molecules. Once bound, they reduced the film\u2019s moisture uptake.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe integrated this new discovery with the prior work by combining the citric acid and cellulose, and then casting this mixture as a freestanding film by coating it onto a substrate, such as chitin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, that formulation did not have strong oxygen barrier properties because it did not contain the highly crystalline cellulose nanomaterials from our first film. Our team\u2019s most \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsapm.5c02909\u0022\u003Erecent achievement\u003C\/a\u003E, from October 2025, combines the above innovations. As a result, we\u2019ve created a bio-based film that is an excellent barrier to both oxygen and moisture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A diagram showing a rectangle representing a biodegradable film, with an arrow deflecting off of it showing how it keeps out water vapor and oxygen. On the right is the film.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=300\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=300\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=300\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=377\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=377\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=377\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAn oxygen and water vapor barrier film composed of blended cellulose and chitin.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EJ. Carson Meredith\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EScaling Up Production\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen cast into thin films, these components self-organize into a dense structure that resists swelling with water vapor. Tests showed that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsapm.5c02909\u0022\u003Eeven at 80% humidity\u003C\/a\u003E the film matched or outperformed common packaging plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe materials are renewable, biodegradable and compostable. Our team has filed several patent applications, and we are working with industry partners to develop specific packaging uses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne challenge that applications face is a limited supply of the bio-based components compared to the high volume of conventional plastics. Like any new material, it would take time for manufacturers to develop supply chains as the films begin to be used.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the market demand for purified chitin is small right now, as it is used in niche applications, such as wound dressings and water filtration. Due to its variety of uses, packaging could increase that market demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next challenge is scaling up from experimental films to industrial production, which would likely take several years. The team is exploring roll-to-roll coating techniques and working with industry partners to integrate these materials into existing packaging lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPolicy and consumer demand will also play a role. As governments push for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-stop-at-plastic-bags-and-straws-the-case-for-a-global-treaty-banning-most-single-use-plastics-109857\u0022\u003Ebans on single-use plastics\u003C\/a\u003E and companies set sustainability targets, bio-based films could become part of the solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe story of this breakthrough reminds me that science often advances through unexpected results. From a failed attempt to mimic a beetle\u2019s color to a promising alternative to plastic, this research shows how curiosity can lead to solutions for some of our biggest challenges.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/271262\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/researchers-develop-biodegradable-plant-based-packaging-from-natural-fibers-new-research-271262\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJie Wu, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jie Wu, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:36:23","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 16:43:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679693":{"id":"679693","type":"image","title":"Plastic packaging fills up landfills \u2013 engineers are working on a bio-based alternative that could replace the kind shown here. tuk69tuk\/iStock via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPlastic packaging fills up landfills \u2013 engineers are working on a bio-based alternative that could replace the kind shown here. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/white-plastic-bag-on-black-background-royalty-free-image\/1211742906?phrase=plastic%2Bwrap\u0022\u003Etuk69tuk\/iStock via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773938347","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 16:39:07","changed":"1773938347","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 16:39:07","alt":"Plastic packaging fills up landfills \u2013 engineers are working on a bio-based alternative that could replace the kind shown here. tuk69tuk\/iStock via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263885","name":"file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128914,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg?itok=MPEKR6lv"}}},"media_ids":["679693"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/researchers-develop-biodegradable-plant-based-packaging-from-natural-fibers-new-research-271262","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"117301","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"},{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/j-carson-meredith-2540164\u0022\u003EJ. Carson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689043":{"#nid":"689043","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When GPS Lies at Sea: How Electronic Warfare is Threatening Ships and Their\u00a0Crews","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe war in Iran has dominated headlines with reports of airstrikes and escalating military activity. But beyond the immediate devastation, the conflict has also illuminated a quieter and rapidly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/03\/06\/science\/gps-jamming-ships-planes-iran-war\u0022\u003Egrowing danger\u003C\/a\u003E: the vulnerability of ships, and the people who operate them, to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/gps-attacks-near-iran-are-wreaking-havoc-on-delivery-and-mapping-apps\/\u0022\u003Edisruption of their navigation systems\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern shipping depends heavily on GPS satellite navigation. When those signals are disrupted or manipulated, ships can suddenly appear to their navigators and to other ships to be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/gps-spoofing-is-scrambling-ships-in-the-strait-of-hormuz\/\u0022\u003Esomewhere they are not\u003C\/a\u003E. In some cases, vessels have been shown jumping across maps, drifting miles inland or appearing to circle in impossible patterns. The risk is even higher in war zones, where ships could be misdirected into harm\u2019s way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=tK7pFfsAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Ecybersecurity researcher\u003C\/a\u003E studying critical infrastructure and maritime systems, I investigate how digital threats affect ships and the people who operate them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand the threat from GPS disruptions, it helps to first understand \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/electronics.howstuffworks.com\/gadgets\/travel\/gps.htm\u0022\u003Ehow GPS works\u003C\/a\u003E. GPS systems determine location using signals from satellites orbiting Earth. A receiver calculates its position by measuring how long those signals take to arrive. Because those signals are extremely weak by the time they reach Earth, they are relatively easy to disrupt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGPS Jamming and Spoofing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn GPS jamming, an attacker blocks the real satellite signals by overwhelming them with electromagnetic noise so receivers cannot detect them. When this happens, navigation systems lose their position. On a phone, it might look like the map freezing or jumping erratically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGPS spoofing is more sophisticated. Instead of blocking signals, an attacker transmits fake satellite signals designed to mimic the real ones. The receiver accepts these signals and gives a false location. Imagine driving north while your navigation system suddenly insists you are traveling south. The receiver is not malfunctioning; it has simply been tricked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022a map showing numerous red dots and three red circles\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=352\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=352\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=352\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=442\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=442\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723498\/original\/file-20260312-57-iw7xin.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=442\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ECircular loops in the Black Sea show spoofed ship positions recorded in January 2025. The red points represent false GPS locations broadcast during spoofing events, making vessels appear to move in perfect circles on tracking maps even though they were actually hundreds of miles away. These disruptions are widely believed to be linked to electronic interference in the region during the war in Ukraine. Image created with data from Spire Global.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/spire.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAnna Raymaker\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor mariners at sea, spoofing can have serious consequences. In the open ocean, there are few landmarks to verify a ship\u2019s position if GPS behaves strangely. Nearshore, the margin for error disappears: Water depths change quickly and hazards are everywhere, especially in narrow routes like the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gcaptain.com\/electronic-fog-of-war-gps-spoofing-distorts-ship-traffic-near-hormuz\/\u0022\u003EStrait of Hormuz near Iran\u003C\/a\u003E, where reports indicate that GPS spoofing has been happening since the outbreak of the war. Because ships are large and slow to maneuver, even small navigation errors can lead to groundings or collisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ERed Sea Grounding\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne example came in May 2025. While transiting the Red Sea, the container ship MSC Antonia began showing positions far from its true location. To navigators onboard, this looked like they had jumped hundreds of miles south on the map and started moving in a new direction. This caused the crew to become disoriented, and the ship eventually ran aground. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lloydslist.com\/LL1154079\/MSC-ship-sails-through-Bab-el-Mandeb-for-first-time-since-Red-Sea-exodus\u0022\u003EThe grounding\u003C\/a\u003E caused millions of dollars in damage and required a salvage operation that lasted over five weeks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022two copies of a map side-by-side showing a body of water\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=280\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=280\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=280\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=352\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=352\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723496\/original\/file-20260312-63-pvsmuu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=352\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EMSC Antonia route comparison showing the vessel\u2019s true route and grounding point, left, versus the spoofed route, right. The red and black lines on the right show the spoofed locations where the ship appeared to suddenly jump to on GPS. These lines confused the navigators and caused them to run aground. Images created with data from VT Explorer.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.vtexplorer.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAnna Raymaker\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncidents like the MSC Antonia are not isolated. Vessel-tracking data has revealed clusters of ships suddenly appearing in impossible locations, sometimes far inland or moving in perfect circles. These anomalies are increasingly linked to GPS spoofing in regions experiencing geopolitical conflict.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut GPS interference is only one type of cyber threat facing ships. Industry reports have documented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lrqa.com\/en\/insights\/articles\/notpetya-ransomware-attack-on-maersk-key-learnings\/\u0022\u003Eransomware attacks\u003C\/a\u003E on shipping companies, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/industrialcyber.co\/supply-chain-security\/lab-dookhtegan-cyberattack-on-iranian-oil-tankers-traced-to-supply-chain-compromise-of-fanavas-infrastructure\/\u0022\u003Esupply chain compromises\u003C\/a\u003E and increasing concern about the security of onboard control systems, including engines, propulsion and navigation equipment. As ships become more connected through satellite internet systems and remote monitoring tools, the number of potential entry points for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/industrialcyber.co\/reports\/maritime-cyber-incidents-jump-103-as-cytur-warns-smart-ships-under-fire-urges-secure-by-design-overhaul\/\u0022\u003Ecyberattacks\u003C\/a\u003E is growing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMilitary vessels often address these risks through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usni.org\/magazines\/proceedings\/2024\/august\/address-risks-starlink-fleet\u0022\u003Estricter network segregation\u003C\/a\u003E and regular training exercises such as \u201cmission control\u201d drills, which simulate operating with compromised communications or navigation systems. Some cybersecurity experts argue that similar practices could help commercial shipping improve its resilience, although smaller crews and limited resources make adopting military-style procedures more difficult.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMariners\u2019 Experiences\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the public discussion around maritime cybersecurity focuses on technical vulnerabilities in ship systems. But an equally important piece of the puzzle is the people who must interpret and respond to these technologies when something goes wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn recent research, my colleagues and I interviewed professional mariners about their experiences with cyber incidents and their preparedness to respond to them. The interviews included navigation officers, engineers and other crew members responsible for ship systems. What emerged was a consistent picture: Cyber threats are increasingly occurring at sea, but crews are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3719027.3744816\u0022\u003Enot well prepared\u003C\/a\u003E to deal with them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany mariners told us that their cybersecurity training focused almost entirely on email phishing and USB drives. That kind of training may make sense in an office, but it does little to prepare crews for cyber incidents on a ship, where navigation and control systems can be the primary targets. As a result, many mariners lack clear guidance on how cyberattacks might affect the equipment they rely on every day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022a man inside the bridge of a large ship at sea looks through binoculars with another ship in the background\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=384\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=384\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=384\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=483\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=483\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/723678\/original\/file-20260312-57-scxx0h.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=483\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ECommercial shipping crews are generally poorly trained to deal with cyber threats.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/navigation-bridge-of-oil-tanker-with-watch-officer-royalty-free-image\/520707142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EMenzhiliyAnantoly\/iStock via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis becomes a problem when ship systems begin behaving strangely. Mariners described GPS showing incorrect positions or temporarily losing signal. It can be difficult to tell whether these incidents are equipment failures or signs of cyber interference.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven when mariners suspect something may be wrong, many ships lack clear procedures for responding to cyber incidents. Participants frequently described situations where they would have to improvise if navigation or other digital systems behaved unexpectedly. Unlike equipment failures, which have established checklists and procedures, cyber incidents often fall into a gray area where responsibility and response plans are unclear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother challenge is the gradual disappearance of traditional navigation practices. For centuries, mariners relied on paper charts and celestial navigation to determine their position. Today, most commercial vessels rely almost entirely on electronic systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany mariners noted that paper charts are not available onboard, and celestial navigation is rarely practiced. If GPS or electronic navigation systems fail, crews have limited ways to independently verify their position. One mariner bluntly described the risk to us: \u201cIf you don\u2019t have charts and you\u2019re being spoofed, you\u2019re a little screwed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SKTdOhUUKDA?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA crew member explains the instruments on the bridge of an oil tanker.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIncreasing Connectivity, Increasing Risk\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, ships are becoming more connected. Modern vessels increasingly rely on satellite internet systems like Starlink and remote monitoring tools to manage operations and communicate with shore.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile these technologies improve efficiency, they also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2024\/09\/03\/how-navy-chiefs-conspired-to-get-themselves-illegal-warship-wi-fi\/\u0022\u003Eexpand the vulnerability of ship systems\u003C\/a\u003E. Connectivity that allows crews to send emails or access the internet can also provide pathways for cyber threats to reach onboard systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs GPS spoofing becomes more common in regions experiencing geopolitical conflict, the challenges mariners described in our research are becoming harder to ignore. The oceans may seem vast and empty, but the digital signals that guide modern ships travel through crowded and contested space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen those signals are manipulated, the consequences do not stay confined to military systems. They reach the commercial vessels that carry most of the world\u2019s goods and the crews responsible for navigating them safely.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/278181\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/when-gps-lies-at-sea-how-electronic-warfare-is-threatening-ships-and-their-crews-278181\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe war in Iran has dominated headlines with reports of airstrikes and escalating military activity. But beyond the immediate devastation, the conflict has also illuminated a quieter and rapidly growing danger: the vulnerability of ships, and the people who operate them, to disruption of their navigation systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The war in Iran has dominated headlines with reports of airstrikes and escalating military activity. But beyond the immediate devastation, the conflict has also illuminated a quieter and rapidly growing danger."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 12:50:22","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 15:28:16","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679688":{"id":"679688","type":"image","title":"Cyberattacks like GPS spoofing threaten oil supertankers and cargo ships at sea. Ping Shu\/Moment via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECyberattacks like GPS spoofing threaten oil supertankers and cargo ships at sea. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/deck-of-supertanker-royalty-free-image\/1445476540\u0022\u003EPing Shu\/Moment via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773933826","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 15:23:46","changed":"1773933826","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 15:23:46","alt":"Cyberattacks like GPS spoofing threaten oil supertankers and cargo ships at sea. Ping Shu\/Moment via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263879","name":"file-20260312-69-xu1md2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260312-69-xu1md2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260312-69-xu1md2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":162557,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260312-69-xu1md2_0.jpg?itok=dj8-Nb4J"}}},"media_ids":["679688"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/when-gps-lies-at-sea-how-electronic-warfare-is-threatening-ships-and-their-crews-278181","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/anna-raymaker-2620037\u0022\u003EAnna Raymaker\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. Candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682575":{"#nid":"682575","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Hidden Costs of Trade Wars: Expert Analysis on Economic Shifts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom grocery bills to gas prices and the cost of new cars, Americans are feeling the ripple effects of an increasingly uncertain global economy. According to Georgia Tech experts, while headlines often focus on trade wars or interest rates, the underlying forces at play \u2014 and their long-term consequences \u2014 are more complex.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecession Risks and the Current Economic Climate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/hsu\/index.html\u0022\u003EAlex Hsu\u003C\/a\u003E, a finance professor in the Scheller College of Business, suggests we may already be in a mild recession, even if it\u2019s not yet officially declared.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecession declarations are always made after the fact,\u201d he explains. \u201cA real-time clue? Look at crude oil prices \u2014 they\u2019re down 15% this year, often signaling slowing economic activity.\u201d That\u2019s similar to the trend seen in the early months of the 2008 recession, when oil prices dropped sharply as demand weakened. Despite this, the labor market remains strong in certain sectors, creating a mixed economic picture that\u2019s tough to navigate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you\u2019re trying to get a sense of where the economy is going,\u201d Hsu adds, \u201cwatch weekly jobless claims and energy prices \u2014 those are among the most timely indicators available.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Tariffs Are (and Aren\u2019t) Affecting Prices\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/tibor-besedes\u0022\u003ETibor Besede\u0161\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the School of Economics, likens tariffs to sales taxes \u2014 costs added at the border that can eventually be passed to consumers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf a $20,000 imported car is hit with a 25% tariff, someone\u2019s paying that $5,000,\u201d he says. Besede\u0161 warns that most tariffs imposed since early 2025 affect nearly all imported goods \u2014 cars, electronics, toys, and clothing. He cites past studies showing tariffs on Chinese goods were largely paid by U.S. consumers, and this time may be no different. \u201cChina has told its firms not to lower prices. So, we should expect prices here to rise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the recent agreement that began on May 14 between the U.S. and China on a new trade deal has offered a moment of relief. As part of the agreement, both countries will temporarily ease tariffs announced in April for 90 days, with China suspending its planned 34% tariff on U.S. goods, while maintaining a 10% tariff during the pause. Similarly, the United States will suspend its 34% reciprocal tariff while keeping a 10% tariff in place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a welcome sign that hopefully trade tensions are subsiding and that after 90 days there will be a more permanent deal whereby the tariffs at least do not increase from these reduced levels,\u201d Besede\u0161 says. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to say anything more concrete but, overall, I take this as a positive sign that we may be stepping back from the brink of an all-out trade war and empty shelves in stores.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet even with signs of progress, uncertainty lingers. Hsu, while cautiously optimistic, adds that \u201cThe 90-day pause only prolongs the trade instability. Although it is a good sign that the administration seems willing to negotiate, businesses are still in a holding pattern until a more definitive resolution is reached.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Bigger Picture: Global Alliances and Economic Protectionism\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs countries reorient their trade relations in response to shifting U.S. policies, Besede\u0161 warns that the long-term consequences could leave the U.S. isolated on the global stage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCountries are starting to look for alternative trading partners,\u0022 he says. \u201cIf the U.S. is not careful, it could lose its influence in global trade, leading to slower economic growth.\u201d He suggests that the growing shift toward regional trade blocs and alternative alliances \u2014 such as the EU-China partnership \u2014 could erode U.S. competitiveness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHsu concurs, noting that global economic shifts, coupled with increasing tariffs, could exacerbate the risks of a financial crisis. \u201cPay attention to the credit market,\u201d he advises. \u201cWhen liquidity dries up, it can cause the financial system to freeze, leading to contagion.\u201d He notes that the Federal Reserve is closely monitoring these risks and still has a range of policy tools at its disposal to help stabilize the system in the event of a crisis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Road Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Americans navigate rising prices and economic uncertainty, these experts suggest focusing on fundamentals \u2014 energy prices, jobless claims, and the broader flow of trade and investment. Whether tariffs prove to be a temporary disruption or a lasting shift in global commerce, the trade policies of today are shaping the economic realities of tomorrow. And while the recent U.S.-China agreement marks a hopeful step, the full extent of its impact on consumers, businesses, and global relationships remains to be seen.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs Americans face rising prices at the pump, grocery store, and car dealership, Georgia Tech experts say the signals behind today\u2019s economic uncertainty go deeper than headlines suggest. Finance professor Alex Hsu points to falling crude oil prices and weekly jobless claims as timely indicators that may show the U.S. is already in a mild recession \u2014 even if it hasn\u0027t been officially declared. Meanwhile, economist Tibor Besede\u0161 explains how recent tariffs function like hidden taxes, raising consumer costs and risking long-term damage to U.S. global trade influence. A temporary U.S.-China trade truce offers short-term relief, but both experts warn that lasting instability and shifting global alliances could reshape the economy for years to come.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts unpack the hidden economic signals driving today\u2019s prices, trade tensions, and global uncertainty."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2025-05-28 19:57:37","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:17:20","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677152":{"id":"677152","type":"image","title":"Trade Tensions","body":null,"created":"1748462265","gmt_created":"2025-05-28 19:57:45","changed":"1748462265","gmt_changed":"2025-05-28 19:57:45","alt":"America dollar and Yuan banknote with USA and China flags.","file":{"fid":"261021","name":"AdobeStock_1113957903.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/28\/AdobeStock_1113957903.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/28\/AdobeStock_1113957903.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6187109,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/28\/AdobeStock_1113957903.jpeg?itok=3Qa830Ko"}}},"media_ids":["677152"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/11\/trade-agreements-keep-global-economies-stable","title":" Trade Agreements Keep Global Economies Stable"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"167003","name":"tariffs"},{"id":"180822","name":"Trade War"},{"id":"6605","name":"Trade"},{"id":"290","name":"Economy"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Media Relations\u0026nbsp;Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682869":{"#nid":"682869","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nuclear Scientists Have Long Been Targets in Covert Ops \u2013 Israel Has Brought That Policy Out of the\u00a0Shadows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt least \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/how-much-damage-have-israeli-strikes-caused-irans-nuclear-programme-2025-06-16\/\u0022\u003E14 nuclear scientists\u003C\/a\u003E are believed to be among those killed in Israel\u2019s Operation \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/livecoverage\/israel-iran-strike-conflict\/card\/netanyahu-says-rising-lion-operation-will-last-as-many-days-as-it-takes--awFq7ykuEj4Mq9D4i0gw?gaa_at=eafs\u0026amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAg2Mjph3LQovyuPsnLTYLAVRZoFSXuoF4exuo_kc7d3RmpImSr6d2xJ\u0026amp;gaa_ts=6851d7f7\u0026amp;gaa_sig=ztPAqgbhbKOzEeSy-6O5L8OMsGbzS0KUQ-0WGvYhqLXH9AUIxSK7wuXNBYgjEAWOAB_B78lrssm5TeZsoK5kVw%3D%3D\u0022\u003ERising Lion\u003C\/a\u003E, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran\u2019s nuclear program and military capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeliberately targeting scientists in this way \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/x.com\/IDF\/status\/1933830006557286549\u0022\u003Eaims to disrupt\u003C\/a\u003E Iran\u2019s knowledge base and continuity in nuclear expertise. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/6\/13\/israel-kills-nuclear-scientists-strikes-sites-in-iran-who-did-it-target\u0022\u003EAmong those assassinated\u003C\/a\u003E were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/13\/world\/middleeast\/iran-military-generals-killed-israel.html\u0022\u003EMohammad Mehdi Tehranchi\u003C\/a\u003E, a theoretical physicist and head of Iran\u2019s Islamic Azad University, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/13\/world\/middleeast\/iran-military-generals-killed-israel.html\u0022\u003EFereydoun Abbasi-Davani\u003C\/a\u003E, a nuclear engineer who led Iran\u2019s Atomic Energy Organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollectively, these experts in physics and engineering were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/idf-names-9-iranian-nuclear-scientists-killed-in-simultaneous-opening-strikes-says-they-advanced-efforts-toward-bomb\/\u0022\u003Epotential successors\u003C\/a\u003E to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely regarded as the architect of the Iranian nuclear program, who \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/09\/18\/world\/middleeast\/iran-nuclear-fakhrizadeh-assassination-israel.html\u0022\u003Ewas assassinated\u003C\/a\u003E in a November 2020 attack many blame on Israel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs two \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/rachel-whitlark\u0022\u003Epolitical\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/jenna-jordan\u0022\u003Escientists\u003C\/a\u003E writing a book about state targeting of scientists as a counterproliferation tool, we understand well that nuclear scientists have been targeted since the nuclear age began. We have gathered data on nearly 100 instances of what we call \u201cscientist targeting\u201d from 1944 through 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most recent assassination campaign against Iranian scientists is different from many of the earlier episodes in a few key ways. Israel\u2019s recent attack targeted multiple nuclear experts and took place simultaneously with military force to destroy Iran\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/06\/14\/middleeast\/iran-israel-nuclear-facilities-damage-impact-intl\u0022\u003Enuclear facilities\u003C\/a\u003E, air defenses and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/6\/15\/which-iranian-oil-and-gas-fields-has-israel-hit-and-why-do-they-matter\u0022\u003Eenergy infrastructure\u003C\/a\u003E. Also, unlike previous covert operations, Israel immediately \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299\u0022\u003Eclaimed responsibility\u003C\/a\u003E for the assassinations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut our research indicates that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sup.org\/books\/politics\/leadership-decapitation\u0022\u003Etargeting\u003C\/a\u003E scientists may not be effective for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cornellpress.cornell.edu\/book\/9781501760341\/all-options-on-the-table\/\u0022\u003Ecounterproliferation\u003C\/a\u003E. While removing individual expertise may delay nuclear acquisition, targeting alone is unlikely to destroy a program outright and could even increase a country\u2019s desire for nuclear weapons. Further, targeting scientists may trigger blowback given concerns regarding \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.legitimacyasatarget.com\/books\/drones\/\u0022\u003Elegality and morality\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Policy With a Long History\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETargeting nuclear scientists began during World War II when Allied and Soviet forces \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ahf.nuclearmuseum.org\/ahf\/history\/alsos-mission\/\u0022\u003Eraced to capture\u003C\/a\u003E Nazi scientists, degrade Adolf Hitler\u2019s ability to build a nuclear bomb and use their expertise to advance the U.S. and Soviet nuclear programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\u0022tc-infographic-datawrapper\u0022 style=\u0022border-width:0;\u0022 id=\u0022FZnJE\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/FZnJE\/5\/\u0022 height=\u0022400px\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 scrolling=\u0022no\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn our data set, we classified \u201ctargeting\u201d as cases in which scientists were captured, threatened, injured or killed as nations tried to prevent adversaries from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Over time, at least four countries have targeted scientists working on nine national nuclear programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe United States and Israel have allegedly carried out the most attacks on nuclear scientists. But the United Kingdom and Soviet Union have also been behind such attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, scientists working for the Egyptian, Iranian and Iraqi nuclear programs have been the most frequent targets since 1950. Since 2007 and prior to the current Israeli operation, 10 scientists involved in the Iranian nuclear program were killed in attacks. Other countries\u2019 nationals have also been targeted: In 1980, Mossad, Israel\u2019s intelligence service, allegedly bombed Italian engineer Mario Fiorelli\u2019s home and his firm, SNIA Techint, as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Two-Minutes-Over-Baghdad\/Bar-Joseph-Handel-Perlmutter\/p\/book\/9780714683478?srsltid=AfmBOor77WE0sofh2anZN3uhYqQXqnmPVKGo0Wqxo6Hnvj_Dd3mc2W2s\u0022\u003Ewarning to Europeans\u003C\/a\u003E involved in the Iraqi nuclear project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiven this history, the fact that Israel attacked Iran\u2019s nuclear program is not itself surprising. Indeed, it has been a strategic goal of successive Israeli prime ministers to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chathamhouse.org\/2024\/09\/could-israels-attacks-hezbollah-open-way-strike-irans-nuclear-facilities\u0022\u003Eexperts had been warning\u003C\/a\u003E of the increased likelihood of an Israeli military operation since mid-2024, due to regional dynamics and Iranian nuclear development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center \u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A damaged car at the scene of explosion.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=502\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=502\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675434\/original\/file-20250619-62-x39kdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=502\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe wrecked cars in which four of Iran\u2019s nuclear scientists were assassinated in recent years are displayed on the grounds of a museum in Tehran in 2014.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/the-wrecked-cars-in-which-four-of-irans-nuclear-scientists-news-photo\/467875059?adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EScott Peterson\/Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy then, the balance of power in the Middle East had changed dramatically. Israel systematically degraded the leadership and infrastructure of Iranian proxies \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c7v7p9p0rn7o\u0022\u003EHamas\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aei.org\/articles\/israels-victory-in-lebanon\/\u0022\u003EHezbollah\u003C\/a\u003E. It \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2025\/06\/19\/iran-israel-conflict-history\/\u0022\u003Elater destroyed\u003C\/a\u003E Iranian air defenses around Tehran and near key nuclear installations. The subsequent fall of Syria\u2019s Assad regime \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/assad-regimes-collapse-devastating-defeat-iran-rcna183369\u0022\u003Ecost Tehran another long-standing ally\u003C\/a\u003E. Together, these developments have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/16\/world\/middleeast\/iran-military-defense.html\u0022\u003Esignificantly weakened Iran\u003C\/a\u003E, leaving it vulnerable to external attack and stripped of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/13\/world\/middleeast\/iran-proxies-axis-hezbollah-israel.html\u0022\u003Eits once-feared proxy network\u003C\/a\u003E, which had been expected to retaliate on its behalf in the event of hostilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith its proxy \u201caxis of resistance\u201d defanged and conventional military capacity degraded, Iranian leadership may have thought that expanding its enrichment capability was its best bet going forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd in the months leading up to Israel\u2019s recent attack, Iran expanded its nuclear production capacity, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cn9yll5yjx5o\u0022\u003Emoving beyond 60% uranium enrichment\u003C\/a\u003E, a technical step just short of weapons-grade material. During Donald Trump\u2019s first term, the president \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/05\/08\/world\/middleeast\/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html\u0022\u003Ewithdrew the U.S.\u003C\/a\u003E from a multilateral nonproliferation agreement aimed at curbing Iran\u2019s nuclear program. After being reelected, Trump \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/in-talking-with-tehran-trump-is-reversing-course-on-iran-could-a-new-nuclear-deal-be-next-254770\u0022\u003Eappeared to change tack\u003C\/a\u003E by pursuing new diplomacy with Iran, but those talks have so far failed to deliver an agreement \u2013 and may be put on hold for the foreseeable future amid the war.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/iaea-board-declares-iran-breach-non-proliferation-duties-diplomats-say-2025-06-12\/\u0022\u003Edeclared Iran in non-compliance\u003C\/a\u003E with its nuclear-nonproliferation obligations. In response, Iran announced it was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-nuclear-iaea-sanctions-728b811da537abe942682e13a82ff8bd\u0022\u003Efurther expanding its enrichment capacity\u003C\/a\u003E by adding advanced centrifuge technology and a third enrichment site.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven if the international community anticipated the broader attack on Iran, characteristics of the targeting itself are surprising. Historically, states have covertly targeted individual scientists. But the recent multiple-scientist attack occurred openly, with Israel taking responsibility, publicly indicating the attacks\u2019 purpose. Further, while it is not new for a country to use multiple counter-proliferation tools against an adversary over time, that Israel is using both \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodauthority.org\/news\/israel-june-2025-attack-on-iran-preemptive-or-preventive\/\u0022\u003Epreventive military force\u003C\/a\u003E against infrastructure and targeting scientists at once is atypical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, such attacks against scientists are historically lower tech and low cost, with death or injury stemming from gunmen, car bombs or accidents. In fact, Abbasi \u2013 who was killed in the most recent attacks \u2013 survived a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/07\/23\/world\/middleeast\/23iran.html#:%7E:text=acquire%20nuclear%20arms.-,Mr.,Mossad%20and%20the%20United%20States.\u0022\u003E2010 car bombing\u003C\/a\u003E in Tehran. There are outliers, however, including the Fakhrizadeh assassination, which featured a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/09\/18\/world\/middleeast\/iran-nuclear-fakhrizadeh-assassination-israel.html\u0022\u003Eremotely operated machine gun\u003C\/a\u003E smuggled into Iranian territory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIsrael\u2019s Logic In Going After Scientists\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy target nuclear scientists?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn foreign policy, there are numerous tools available if one state aims to prevent another state from acquiring nuclear weapons. Alongside targeting scientists, there are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/international-organization\/article\/abs\/secret-success-of-nonproliferation-sanctions\/D0090E1163F6962CAD93BFF45A0C7C62\u0022\u003Esanctions\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/node\/328996\u0022\u003Ediplomacy\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/09636412.2013.816122\u0022\u003Ecyberattacks\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/09636412.2017.1331628\u0022\u003Emilitary force\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETargeting scientists may remove critical scientific expertise and impose costs that increase the difficulty of building nuclear weapons. Proponents argue that targeting these experts may undermine a state\u2019s efforts, deter it from continuing nuclear developments and signal to others the perils of supporting nuclear proliferation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECountries that target scientists therefore believe that doing so is an effective way to degrade an adversary\u2019s nuclear program. Indeed, the Israel Defense Forces \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/x.com\/IDF\/status\/1933830006557286549\u0022\u003Edescribed the most recent attacks\u003C\/a\u003E as \u201ca significant blow to the regime\u2019s ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center \u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A man\u0026apos;s image appears on a street sign poster.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675440\/original\/file-20250619-62-u3vgl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EPosters featuring images of Iranian nuclear scientists are displayed in Tehran, Iran, on June 14, 2025.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/posters-featuring-images-of-iranian-nuclear-scientists-news-photo\/2219349710?adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EFatemeh Bahrami\/Anadolu via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite Israel\u2019s focus on scientists as sources of critical knowledge, there may be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nti.org\/education-center\/facilities\/isfahan-esfahan-nuclear-technology-center-intc\/\u0022\u003Ethousands more\u003C\/a\u003E working inside Iran, calling into question the efficacy of targeting them. Further, there are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/brill.com\/view\/journals\/icla\/14\/4-5\/article-p789_7.xml\u0022\u003Elegal, ethical and moral concerns\u003C\/a\u003E over targeting scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, it is a risky option that may fail to disrupt an enemy nuclear program while sparking public outrage and calls for retaliation. This is especially the case if scientists, often regarded as civilians, are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/middle-east\/iran-news\/article-857593\u0022\u003Eelevated as martyrs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETargeting campaigns may, as a result, reinforce domestic support for a government, which could then redouble efforts toward nuclear development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERegardless of whether targeting scientists is an effective counter-proliferation tool, it has been around since the start of the nuclear age \u2013 and will likely persist as part of the foreign policy toolkit for states aiming to prevent proliferation. In the case of the current Israeli conflict with Iran and its targeting of nuclear scientists, we expect the tactic to continue for the duration of the war and beyond.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/259263\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nuclear-scientists-have-long-been-targets-in-covert-ops-israel-has-brought-that-policy-out-of-the-shadows-259263\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt least 14 nuclear scientists are believed to be among those killed in Israel\u2019s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran\u2019s nuclear program and military capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At least 14 nuclear scientists are believed to be among those killed in Israel\u2019s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran\u2019s nuclear program and military capabilities."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-06-24 14:35:34","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:17:15","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677269":{"id":"677269","type":"image","title":"Heavy smoke and fire rise from an oil refinery in southern Tehran","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPortraits of Iranian military generals and nuclear scientists killed in Israel\u2019s June 13, 2025, attack are displayed on a sign as a plume of heavy smoke and fire rise from an oil refinery in southern Tehran. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/portraits-of-iranian-military-generals-and-nuclear-news-photo\/2219542580?adppopup=true\u0022\u003EAtta Kenare\/AFP via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1750778391","gmt_created":"2025-06-24 15:19:51","changed":"1750778391","gmt_changed":"2025-06-24 15:19:51","alt":"Heavy smoke and fire rise from an oil refinery in southern Tehran","file":{"fid":"261152","name":"file-20250619-62-2e3xmo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/24\/file-20250619-62-2e3xmo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/24\/file-20250619-62-2e3xmo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":437986,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/24\/file-20250619-62-2e3xmo.jpg?itok=MmGfs28N"}}},"media_ids":["677269"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nuclear-scientists-have-long-been-targets-in-covert-ops-israel-has-brought-that-policy-out-of-the-shadows-259263","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jenna-jordan-2416124\u0022\u003EJenna Jordan\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and associate chair, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/rachel-whitlark-2416125\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERachel Whitlark\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682802":{"#nid":"682802","#data":{"type":"news","title":"RNA Has Newly Identified Role: Repairing Serious DNA Damage to Maintain the\u00a0Genome","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/scitable\/topicpage\/dna-damage-repair-mechanisms-for-maintaining-dna-344\/\u0022\u003EDNA is continually damaged\u003C\/a\u003E by sources both inside and outside your body. One especially severe form of damage called a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/scitable\/topicpage\/repairing-double-strand-dna-breaks-14432332\/\u0022\u003Edouble-strand break\u003C\/a\u003E involves the severing of both strands of the DNA double helix.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDouble-strand breaks are among the most difficult forms of DNA damage for cells to repair because they disrupt the continuity of DNA and leave no intact template to base new strands on. If misrepaired, these breaks can lead to other mutations that make the genome unstable and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/2041-9414-1-15\u0022\u003Eincrease the risk of many diseases\u003C\/a\u003E, including cancer, neurodegeneration and immunodeficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECells primarily \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev-genet-051710-150955\u0022\u003Erepair double-strand breaks\u003C\/a\u003E by either rejoining the broken DNA ends or by using another DNA molecule as a template for repair. However, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/storicilab.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Emy team\u003C\/a\u003E and I discovered that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-does-rna-know-where-to-go-in-the-city-of-the-cell-using-cellular-zip-codes-and-postal-carrier-routes-191155\u0022\u003ERNA, a type of genetic material\u003C\/a\u003E best known for its role in making proteins, surprisingly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-51457-9\u0022\u003Eplays a key role in facilitating the repair\u003C\/a\u003E of these harmful breaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese insights could not only pave the way for new treatment strategies for genetic disorders, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, but also enhance gene-editing technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESealing a Knowledge Gap in DNA Repair\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have spent the past two decades \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=8ZwKgNUAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Einvestigating the relationship\u003C\/a\u003E between RNA and DNA in order to understand how cells maintain genome integrity and how these mechanisms could be harnessed for genetic engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA long-standing question in the field has been whether RNA in cells helps keep the genome stable beyond acting as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/science\/ap-biology\/gene-expression-and-regulation\/transcription-and-rna-processing\/a\/overview-of-transcription\u0022\u003Ecopy of DNA\u003C\/a\u003E in the process of making proteins and a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.semcdb.2011.02.017\u0022\u003Eregulator of gene expression\u003C\/a\u003E. Studying how RNA might do this has been especially difficult due to its similarity to DNA and how fast it degrades. It\u2019s also technically challenging to tell whether the RNA is directly working to repair DNA or indirectly regulating the process. Traditional models and tools for studying DNA repair have for the most part focused on proteins and DNA, leaving RNA\u2019s potential contributions largely unexplored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j6YaOqKORYY?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ERNA plays a key role in protein synthesis.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy team and I were curious about whether RNA might actively participate in fixing double-strand breaks as a first line of defense. To explore this, we used the gene-editing tool \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nobel-prize-for-chemistry-honors-exquisitely-precise-gene-editing-technique-crispr-a-gene-engineer-explains-how-it-works-147701\u0022\u003ECRISPR-Cas9\u003C\/a\u003E to make breaks at specific spots in the DNA of human and yeast cells. We then analyzed how RNA influences various aspects of the repair process, including efficiency and outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe found that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-51457-9\u0022\u003ERNA can actively guide the repair process\u003C\/a\u003E of double-strand breaks. It does this by binding to broken DNA ends, helping align sequences of DNA on a matching strand that isn\u2019t broken. It can also seal gaps or remove mismatched segments, further influencing whether and how the original sequence is restored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, we found that RNA aids in double-strand break repair in both yeast and human cells, suggesting that its role in DNA repair is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-51457-9\u0022\u003Eevolutionary conserved\u003C\/a\u003E across species. Notably, even low levels of RNA were sufficient to influence the efficiency and outcome of repair, pointing to its broad and previously unrecognized function in maintaining genome stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ERNA in Control\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy uncovering RNA\u2019s previously unknown function to repair DNA damage, our findings show how RNA may directly contribute to the stability and evolution of the genome. It\u2019s not merely a passive messenger, but an active participant in genome maintenance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Diagram of DNA transcription, showing mRNA building from a template strand of DNA\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=750\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=750\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=750\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=942\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=942\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/673463\/original\/file-20250610-68-mu3egb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=942\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EOne type of RNA that has been effectively used in treatments is mRNA.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/illustration\/simple-diagram-of-transcription-elongation-royalty-free-illustration\/1256666027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAldona\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese insights could help researchers develop new ways to target the genomic instability that underlies many diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration. Traditionally, treatments and gene-editing tools have focused almost exclusively on DNA or proteins. Our findings suggest that modifying RNA in different ways could also influence how cells respond to DNA damage. For example, researchers could design \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41419-022-05075-2\u0022\u003ERNA-based therapies\u003C\/a\u003E to enhance the repair of harmful breaks that could cause cancer, or selectively disrupt DNA break repair in cancer cells to help kill them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, these findings could \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12929-023-00943-1\u0022\u003Eimprove the precision of gene-editing technologies\u003C\/a\u003E like CRISPR by accounting for interactions between RNA and DNA at the site of the cut. This could reduce off-target effects and increase editing precision, ultimately contributing to the development of safer and more effective gene therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are still many unanswered questions about how RNA interacts with DNA in the repair process. The evolutionary role that RNA plays in maintaining genome stability is also unclear. But one thing is certain: RNA is no longer just a messenger, it is a molecule with a direct hand in DNA repair, rewriting what researchers know about how cells safeguard their genetic code.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/256429\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/rna-has-newly-identified-role-repairing-serious-dna-damage-to-maintain-the-genome-256429\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInsights could not only pave the way for new treatment strategies for genetic disorders, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, but also enhance gene-editing technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Insights could not only pave the way for new treatment strategies for genetic disorders, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, but also enhance gene-editing technologies."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-06-17 00:43:34","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:17:05","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677239":{"id":"677239","type":"image","title":"Double-strand breaks in DNA can be deadly","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDouble-strand breaks in DNA can be deadly. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/human-dna-structure-with-glass-helix-destroyed-royalty-free-image\/1486775339\u0022\u003EVictor Golmer\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1750121134","gmt_created":"2025-06-17 00:45:34","changed":"1750121134","gmt_changed":"2025-06-17 00:45:34","alt":"Double-strand breaks in DNA can be deadly","file":{"fid":"261120","name":"file-20250610-56-ibwiiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/16\/file-20250610-56-ibwiiz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/16\/file-20250610-56-ibwiiz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":106718,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/16\/file-20250610-56-ibwiiz.jpg?itok=JJGhK1dx"}}},"media_ids":["677239"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/rna-has-newly-identified-role-repairing-serious-dna-damage-to-maintain-the-genome-256429","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/francesca-storici-2391930\u0022\u003EFrancesca Storici\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682797":{"#nid":"682797","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Was the Wheel Invented?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine you\u2019re a copper miner in southeastern Europe in the year 3900 B.C.E. Day after day you haul copper ore through the mine\u2019s sweltering tunnels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ve resigned yourself to the grueling monotony of mining life. Then one afternoon, you witness a fellow worker doing something remarkable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith an odd-looking contraption, he casually transports the equivalent of three times his body weight on a single trip. As he returns to the mine to fetch another load, it suddenly dawns on you that your chosen profession is about to get far less taxing and much more lucrative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat you don\u2019t realize: You\u2019re witnessing something that will change the course of history \u2013 not just for your tiny mining community, but for all of humanity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/669226\/original\/file-20250521-86-2c6okj.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/669226\/original\/file-20250521-86-2c6okj.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022AI-generated image of a wheeled cart inside a mine tunnel.\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of what the original mine carts used in the Carpathian mountains may have looked like in 3900 B.C.E. Kai James via DALL\u00b7E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the wheel\u2019s immeasurable impact, no one is certain as to who invented it, or when and where it was first conceived. The hypothetical scenario described above is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cup.columbia.edu\/book\/the-wheel\/9780231173384\u0022\u003Ebased on a 2015 theory\u003C\/a\u003E that miners in the Carpathian Mountains \u2013 in present-day Hungary \u2013 first invented the wheel nearly 6,000 years ago as a means to transport copper ore.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe theory is supported by the discovery of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ri.abtk.hu\/images\/letoltes_publ\/bondar.maria\/Bondar_Acta_2018_dec_102_tetelhez.pdf\u0022\u003Emore than 150 miniaturized wagons\u003C\/a\u003E by archaeologists working in the region. These pint-sized, four-wheeled models were made from clay, and their outer surfaces were engraved with a wickerwork pattern reminiscent of the basketry used by mining communities at the time. Carbon dating later revealed that these wagons are the earliest known depictions of wheeled transport to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis theory also raises a question of particular interest to me, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=CdazOWQAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Ean aerospace engineer\u003C\/a\u003E who studies the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/kai-james\u0022\u003Escience of engineering design\u003C\/a\u003E. How did an obscure, scientifically naive mining society discover the wheel, when highly advanced civilizations, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/25148110\u0022\u003Esuch as the ancient Egyptians\u003C\/a\u003E, did not?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA controversial idea\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt has long been assumed that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/2841649\u0022\u003Ewheels evolved from simple wooden rollers\u003C\/a\u003E. But until recently no one could explain how or why this transformation took place. What\u2019s more, beginning in the 1960s, some researchers started to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/ojoa.12142\u0022\u003Eexpress strong doubts\u003C\/a\u003E about the roller-to-wheel theory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter all, for rollers to be useful, they require flat, firm terrain and a path free of inclines and sharp curves. Furthermore, once the cart passes them, used rollers need to be continually brought around to the front of the line to keep the cargo moving. For all these reasons, the ancient world \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rsos.240373\u0022\u003Eused rollers sparingly\u003C\/a\u003E. According to the skeptics, rollers were too rare and too impractical to have been the starting point for the evolution of the wheel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut a mine \u2013 with its enclosed, human-made passageways \u2013 would have provided favorable conditions for rollers. This factor, among others, compelled my team to revisit the roller hypothesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA turning point\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe transition from rollers to wheels requires two key innovations. The first is a modification of the cart that carries the cargo. The cart\u2019s base must be outfitted with semicircular sockets, which hold the rollers in place. This way, as the operator pulls the cart, the rollers are pulled along with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis innovation may have been motivated by the confined nature of the mine environment, where having to periodically carry used rollers back around to the front of the cart would have been especially onerous.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discovery of socketed rollers represented a turning point in the evolution of the wheel and paved the way for the second and most important innovation. This next step involved a change to the rollers themselves. To understand how and why this change occurred, we turned to physics and computer-aided engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESimulating the wheel\u2019s evolution\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo begin \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rsos.240373\u0022\u003Eour investigation\u003C\/a\u003E, we created a computer program designed to simulate the evolution from a roller to a wheel. Our hypothesis was that this transformation was driven by a phenomenon called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyeducation.ca\/encyclopedia\/Mechanical_advantage\u0022\u003Emechanical advantage\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d This same principle allows pliers to amplify a user\u2019s grip strength by providing added leverage. Similarly, if we could modify the shape of the roller to generate mechanical advantage, this would amplify the user\u2019s pushing force, making it easier to advance the cart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur algorithm worked by modeling hundreds of potential roller shapes and evaluating how each one performed, both in terms of mechanical advantage and structural strength. The latter was used to determine whether a given roller would break under the weight of the cargo. As predicted, the algorithm ultimately converged upon the familiar wheel-and-axle shape, which it determined to be optimal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/666635\/original\/file-20250508-56-xsvmkr.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/666635\/original\/file-20250508-56-xsvmkr.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022This diagram shows twelve illustrations, progressing from images of rollers to a wheel-and-axle structure.\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA computer simulation of the evolution from a roller to a wheel-and-axle structure. Each image represents a design evaluated by the algorithm. The search ultimately converges upon the familiar wheel-and-axle design. Kai James\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the execution of the algorithm, each new design performed slightly better than its predecessor. We believe a similar evolutionary process played out with the miners 6,000 years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is unclear what initially prompted the miners to explore alternative roller shapes. One possibility is that friction at the roller-socket interface caused the surrounding wood to wear away, leading to a slight narrowing of the roller at the point of contact. Another theory is that the miners began thinning out the rollers so that their carts could pass over small obstructions on the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEither way, thanks to mechanical advantage, this narrowing of the axle region made the carts easier to push. As time passed, better-performing designs were repeatedly favored over the others, and new rollers were crafted to mimic these top performers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsequently, the rollers became more and more narrow, until all that remained was a slender bar capped on both ends by large discs. This rudimentary structure marks the birth of what we now refer to as \u201cthe wheel.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to our theory, there was no precise moment at which the wheel was invented. Rather, just like the evolution of species, the wheel emerged gradually from an accumulation of small improvements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is just one of the many chapters in the wheel\u2019s long and ongoing evolution. More than 5,000 years after the contributions of the Carpathian miners, a Parisian bicycle mechanic \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transportationhistory.org\/2017\/08\/03\/today-in-transportation-history-1869-a-big-little-invention-for-bicycles\/\u0022\u003Einvented radial ball bearings\u003C\/a\u003E, which once again revolutionized wheeled transportation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIronically, ball bearings are conceptually identical to rollers, the wheel\u2019s evolutionary precursor. Ball bearings \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RihQOUNsN9c\u0022\u003Eform a ring around the axle\u003C\/a\u003E, creating a rolling interface between the axle and the wheel hub, thereby circumventing friction. With this innovation, the evolution of the wheel came full circle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis example also shows how the wheel\u2019s evolution, much like its iconic shape, traces a circuitous path \u2013 one with no clear beginning, no end, and countless quiet revolutions along the way.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/244038\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-was-the-wheel-invented-computer-simulations-reveal-the-unlikely-birth-of-a-world-changing-technology-nearly-6-000-years-ago-244038\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EComputer simulations reveal the unlikely birth of a world-changing technology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Computer simulations reveal the unlikely birth of a world-changing technology."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-06-16 14:51:53","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:54","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677232":{"id":"677232","type":"image","title":" The assumption was that the wheel evolved from wooden rollers","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe assumption was that the wheel evolved from wooden rollers. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/new-york-city-ancient-stone-circle-royalty-free-image\/136595864?phrase=ancient%20wheel\u0026amp;searchscope=image%2Cfilm\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003ETetra Images via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1750085808","gmt_created":"2025-06-16 14:56:48","changed":"1750085808","gmt_changed":"2025-06-16 14:56:48","alt":" The assumption was that the wheel evolved from wooden rollers","file":{"fid":"261114","name":"file-20250505-62-prv9gj.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/16\/file-20250505-62-prv9gj.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/16\/file-20250505-62-prv9gj.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":142258,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/16\/file-20250505-62-prv9gj.jpg?itok=AMnnjgfl"}}},"media_ids":["677232"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-was-the-wheel-invented-computer-simulations-reveal-the-unlikely-birth-of-a-world-changing-technology-nearly-6-000-years-ago-244038","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/kai-james-2263500\u0022\u003EKai James\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682320":{"#nid":"682320","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Forensics Tool \u2018Reanimates\u2019 the \u2018Brains\u2019 of AIs That Fail in Order to Understand What Went Wrong","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom drones delivering medical supplies to digital assistants performing everyday tasks, AI-powered systems are becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life. The creators of these innovations promise transformative benefits. For some people, mainstream applications such as ChatGPT and Claude can seem like magic. But these systems are not magical, nor are they foolproof \u2013 they can and do regularly fail to work as intended.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI systems can malfunction due to technical design flaws or biased training data. They can also suffer from vulnerabilities in their code, which can be exploited by malicious hackers. Isolating the cause of an AI failure is imperative for fixing the system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut AI systems are typically opaque, even to their creators. The challenge is how to investigate AI systems after they fail or fall victim to attack. There are techniques for inspecting AI systems, but they require access to the AI system\u2019s internal data. This access is not guaranteed, especially to forensic investigators called in to determine the cause of a proprietary AI system failure, making investigation impossible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=zzJmhKIAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=enough\u0022\u003Ecomputer scientists\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=1GsJvtwAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Ewho study\u003C\/a\u003E digital forensics. Our team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has built a system, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity24\/presentation\/oygenblik\u0022\u003EAI Psychiatry\u003C\/a\u003E, or AIP, that can recreate the scenario in which an AI failed in order to determine what went wrong. The system addresses the challenges of AI forensics by recovering and \u201creanimating\u201d a suspect AI model so it can be systematically tested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUncertainty of AI\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine a self-driving car veers off the road for no easily discernible reason and then crashes. Logs and sensor data might suggest that a faulty camera caused the AI to misinterpret a road sign as a command to swerve. After a mission-critical failure such as an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2024\/apr\/26\/tesla-autopilot-fatal-crash\u0022\u003Eautonomous vehicle crash\u003C\/a\u003E, investigators need to determine exactly what caused the error.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWas the crash triggered by a malicious attack on the AI? In this hypothetical case, the camera\u2019s faultiness could be the result of a security vulnerability or bug in its software that was exploited by a hacker. If investigators find such a vulnerability, they have to determine whether that caused the crash. But making that determination is no small feat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough there are forensic methods for recovering some evidence from failures of drones, autonomous vehicles and other so-called cyber-physical systems, none can capture the clues required to fully investigate the AI in that system. Advanced AIs can even \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.48550\/arXiv.1802.02871\u0022\u003Eupdate their decision-making\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 and consequently the clues \u2013 continuously, making it impossible to investigate the most up-to-date models with existing methods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PcfXjfyPDgE?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EResearchers are working on making AI systems more transparent, but unless and until those efforts transform the field, there will be a need for forensics tools to at least understand AI failures.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPathology for AI\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI Psychiatry applies a series of forensic algorithms to isolate the data behind the AI system\u2019s decision-making. These pieces are then reassembled into a functional model that performs identically to the original model. Investigators can \u201creanimate\u201d the AI in a controlled environment and test it with malicious inputs to see whether it exhibits harmful or hidden behaviors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI Psychiatry takes in as input \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/whatis\/definition\/memory-dump\u0022\u003Ea memory image\u003C\/a\u003E, a snapshot of the bits and bytes loaded when the AI was operational. The memory image at the time of the crash in the autonomous vehicle scenario holds crucial clues about the internal state and decision-making processes of the AI controlling the vehicle. With AI Psychiatry, investigators can now lift the exact AI model from memory, dissect its bits and bytes, and load the model into a secure environment for testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur team tested AI Psychiatry on 30 AI models, 24 of which were intentionally \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/csrc.nist.gov\/glossary\/term\/backdoor\u0022\u003Ebackdoored\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d to produce incorrect outcomes under specific triggers. The system was successfully able to recover, rehost and test every model, including models commonly used in real-world scenarios such as street sign recognition in autonomous vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThus far, our tests suggest that AI Psychiatry can effectively solve the digital mystery behind a failure such as an autonomous car crash that previously would have left more questions than answers. And if it does not find a vulnerability in the car\u2019s AI system, AI Psychiatry allows investigators to rule out the AI and look for other causes such as a faulty camera.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ENot Just for Autonomous Vehicles\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI Psychiatry\u2019s main algorithm is generic: It focuses on the universal components that all AI models must have to make decisions. This makes our approach readily extendable to any AI models that use popular AI development frameworks. Anyone working to investigate a possible AI failure can use our system to assess a model without prior knowledge of its exact architecture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether the AI is a bot that makes product recommendations or a system that guides autonomous drone fleets, AI Psychiatry can recover and rehost the AI for analysis. AI Psychiatry is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/github.com\/CyFI-Lab-Public\/AiP\u0022\u003Eentirely open source\u003C\/a\u003E for any investigator to use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI Psychiatry can also serve as a valuable tool for conducting audits on AI systems before problems arise. With government agencies from law enforcement to child protective services integrating AI systems into their workflows, AI audits are becoming an increasingly common oversight requirement at the state level. With a tool like AI Psychiatry in hand, auditors can apply a consistent forensic methodology across diverse AI platforms and deployments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the long run, this will pay meaningful dividends both for the creators of AI systems and everyone affected by the tasks they perform.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/247769\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/forensics-tool-reanimates-the-brains-of-ais-that-fail-in-order-to-understand-what-went-wrong-247769\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAI-powered systems are not magical, nor are they foolproof \u2013 they can and do regularly fail to work as intended.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AI-powered systems are not magical, nor are they foolproof \u2013 they can and do regularly fail to work as intended."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-04-30 18:06:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:46","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677057":{"id":"677057","type":"image","title":"Tesla crashes are only the most glaring of AI failures. South Jordan Police Department via APPEAR","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETesla crashes are only the most glaring of AI failures. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/TeslaCrashUtah\/e4e84ea27288453ba6950d92d412b2d7\/photo\u0022\u003ESouth Jordan Police Department via APPEAR\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1746814313","gmt_created":"2025-05-09 18:11:53","changed":"1746814313","gmt_changed":"2025-05-09 18:11:53","alt":"Tesla crashes are only the most glaring of AI failures. South Jordan Police Department via APPEAR","file":{"fid":"260919","name":"file-20250429-56-y0chq7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/09\/file-20250429-56-y0chq7.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/09\/file-20250429-56-y0chq7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":824137,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/09\/file-20250429-56-y0chq7.jpg?itok=zaQLBcSx"}}},"media_ids":["677057"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/forensics-tool-reanimates-the-brains-of-ais-that-fail-in-order-to-understand-what-went-wrong-247769","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/david-oygenblik-2299577\u0022\u003EDavid Oygenblik\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/brendan-saltaformaggio-2299579\u0022\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity and Privacy, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682308":{"#nid":"682308","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Decentralized Finance is Booming \u2014 So Are the Security Risks","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bitcoin.org\/bitcoin.pdf\u0022\u003Eproposed in 2008\u003C\/a\u003E, the goal was simple: to create a digital currency free from banks and governments. Over time, that idea evolved into something much bigger: \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2022\/03\/18\/technology\/what-is-defi-cryptocurrency.html\u0022\u003Edecentralized finance\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d or \u201cDeFi.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith decentralized finance, people trade, borrow and earn interest on crypto assets without relying on traditional intermediaries. DeFi services run on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bloomberglaw.com\/external\/document\/X29AE5PK000000\/tech-telecom-professional-perspective-an-introduction-to-blockch\u0022\u003Eblockchains\u003C\/a\u003E, which are essentially digital ledgers, and use \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bloomberglaw.com\/external\/document\/X4SGO17O000000\/tech-telecom-professional-perspective-blockchain-smart-contracts\u0022\u003Esmart contracts\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d \u2212 self-executing code that automates financial transactions. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitsloan.mit.edu\/ideas-made-to-matter\/decentralized-finance-4-challenges-to-consider\u0022\u003ETens of billions of dollars\u003C\/a\u003E have poured into the DeFi market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut with innovation comes risks. The lack of centralized oversight has made crypto, including decentralized finance, a prime target for hackers and scammers. In 2024 alone, people lost \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/downloads.ctfassets.net\/t3wqy70tc3bv\/2LqNkvjajiCS5sPJmWLakc\/9715af967dd95a55da05d2ad373edb0d\/Immunefi_Crypto_Losses_in_2024_Report.pdf\u0022\u003Enearly US$1.5 billion\u003C\/a\u003E due to security exploits and fraud. And unlike traditional finance, there\u2019s usually no way to recover stolen crypto.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mingyiliu.me\u0022\u003Ea computer scientist\u003C\/a\u003E, I wanted to better understand how people perceive and respond to these risks. So my colleagues and I first conducted in-depth interviews with 14 crypto investors, then surveyed nearly 500 others to validate our findings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/system\/files\/usenixsecurity24-liu-mingyi.pdf\u0022\u003EOur study\u003C\/a\u003E found that people often made the same mistakes, driven by recurring misconceptions and gaps in security awareness. Here are some of the most important.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMistake 1: Thinking the blockchain guarantees security\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany people told us they thought decentralized finance was secure \u2013 but their reasoning wasn\u2019t very convincing. Some seemed to confuse decentralized finance with blockchain technology itself, which is designed to ensure transactions are tamper-resistant through so-called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/c\/consensus-mechanism-cryptocurrency.asp\u0022\u003Econsensus mechanisms\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d One told us that DeFi is secure \u201cbecause a hacker would have to override an entire blockchain\u201d to steal funds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut services on the blockchain are still vulnerable to implementation and design flaws. These include smart contract breaches, in which bad guys exploit bugs in a service\u2019s code, and front-end attacks, where a user interface is altered to redirect funds into a hacker\u2019s wallet. A \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/bybit-heist-and-future-us-crypto-regulation\u0022\u003Efront-end attack\u003C\/a\u003E was reportedly to blame for a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-02-24\/bybit-cryptocurrency-hack-what-we-know\/104974512\u0022\u003Erecent $1.5 billion crypto heist\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nCZh9xdp43U?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ECNBC reports on the record-breaking $1.5 billion crypto theft.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMistake 2: Thinking safe keys mean safe funds\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother common misconception is that DeFi is secure if private keys are well stored. A private key is a secret code that allows someone to access their crypto assets. It\u2019s true that in DeFi \u2013 unlike in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/tech\/what-are-centralized-cryptocurrency-exchanges\/\u0022\u003Ecentralized crypto finance\u003C\/a\u003E where an exchange holds private keys \u2013 users have full control over their own private keys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut even with perfect private key management, users can still lose funds by interacting with compromised DeFi platforms. That\u2019s because safeguarding private keys can prevent only direct attacks targeting private key access, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/phishing-scams-7-safety-tips-from-a-cybersecurity-expert-216198\u0022\u003Ephishing attempts\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe people we spoke with also failed to follow best practices for securing their private keys. Using a hardware wallet \u2013 a physical device that stores private keys offline \u2013 is one of the most secure options for protecting keys from online threats. However, our study found that only a handful of participants actually used hardware wallets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMistake 3: Thinking 2-factor authentication is a silver bullet\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo-factor authentication, or 2FA, is a standard security mechanism in which two forms of verification are required to access an account. Think being texted a one-time code before you can log into your bank account.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo prevent account breaches, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/tech\/what-are-centralized-cryptocurrency-exchanges\/\u0022\u003Ecentralized crypto exchanges\u003C\/a\u003E such as Binance and Coinbase use two-factor authentication for logins, account recovery and withdrawal confirmations. But while 2FA is crucial to security in the traditional and centralized crypto finance system, it plays a much smaller role in decentralized finance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeFi wallets give users access based on private key ownership rather than identity verification, which means traditional 2FA can\u2019t be used. Instead, only 2FA-like mechanisms are available in DeFi. For instance, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/multi-signature-wallets-definition-5271193\u0022\u003Emultisignature wallets\u003C\/a\u003E require approval from multiple private key holders. However, if your private key is compromised, attackers can perform wallet operations on your behalf without any additional verification. In addition, even users who adopt 2FA-like measures can\u2019t prevent the security breaches on the DeFi services\u2019 end.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, our participants were overly confident regarding the effectiveness of 2FA, with one saying, \u201cTwo-factor authentication has been one of the best solutions for keeping wallets safe.\u201d In our survey, 57.1% of users relied on 2FA as their only technical countermeasure against \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.coinbase.com\/learn\/tips-and-tutorials\/what-is-a-rug-pull-and-how-to-avoid-it\u0022\u003Erug pulls\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 scams where project creators suddenly withdraw funds \u2013 and 49.3% did so for smart contract exploits. This misplaced trust could lead them to ignore more effective security strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMistake 4: Not managing token approvals\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne such effective strategy is revoking token approvals. In DeFi, tokens are digital assets on a blockchain that represent value or rights, and users often need to approve smart contracts to access or spend them. But if you leave these approvals open, a malicious contract \u2013 or one that\u2019s been hacked \u2013 can drain your wallet. So it\u2019s crucial to routinely check all token approvals you\u2019ve granted to prevent losses caused by fraudulent or hacked DeFi services. Specifically, you should limit spending allowances instead of using the default \u201cunlimited\u201d option, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/support.metamask.io\/more-web3\/learn\/how-to-revoke-smart-contract-allowances-token-approvals\u0022\u003Erevoke approvals\u003C\/a\u003E for apps you no longer use or trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorryingly, we found that only 10.8% and 16.3% of participants regularly checked and revoked token approvals to protect against rug pulls and smart contract exploits, respectively. In light of this, we recommend that wallet providers introduce a reminder feature to prompt users to review their token approvals periodically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMistake 5: Not learning from past incidents\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven after they\u2019re hacked or scammed, people often don\u2019t do anything to improve their security practices, we found. Just 17.6% of those who reported being victims of a DeFi scam regularly checked token approvals afterward. Worse, 26% took no action at all after a scam, and 16.4% doubled down by investing even more in other DeFi services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESurprisingly, more than half of the victims said their belief in DeFi either stayed the same or grew stronger after the incident. One user who lost $4,700 due to a rug-pull incident said, \u201cMy belief in cryptocurrency has grown stronger after that because I made good money from it.\u201d That person added, \u201cAn opportunity to make money is something I believe in.\u201d This suggests that DeFi users\u2019 financial motivations can sometimes outweigh their security concerns \u2013 and, perhaps, their better judgment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s no one-size-fits-all solution to DeFi security. But awareness is the first step. To stay safe, crypto investors should use hardware wallets, revoke unused token approvals and continually learn new techniques to protect themselves from evolving threats. Most importantly, they should stay rational and not let the allure of profits cloud their security practices.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/251305\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/decentralized-finance-is-booming-and-so-are-the-security-risks-my-team-surveyed-nearly-500-crypto-investors-and-uncovered-the-most-common-mistakes-251305\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe lack of centralized oversight has made crypto, including decentralized finance, a prime target for hackers and scammers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The lack of centralized oversight has made crypto, including decentralized finance, a prime target for hackers and scammers."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-05-08 14:58:26","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:39","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677055":{"id":"677055","type":"image","title":"Cryptocurrency Illustration","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECryptocurrency Illustration\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1746805311","gmt_created":"2025-05-09 15:41:51","changed":"1746805311","gmt_changed":"2025-05-09 15:41:51","alt":"Cryptocurrency Illustration","file":{"fid":"260917","name":"file-20250416-62-k0tjqh-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/09\/file-20250416-62-k0tjqh-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/09\/file-20250416-62-k0tjqh-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":137180,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/09\/file-20250416-62-k0tjqh-copy.jpg?itok=hvYp-oXG"}}},"media_ids":["677055"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/decentralized-finance-is-booming-and-so-are-the-security-risks-my-team-surveyed-nearly-500-crypto-investors-and-uncovered-the-most-common-mistakes-251305","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50875","name":"School of Computer Science"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/mingyi-liu-2337663\u0022\u003EMingyi Liu\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. student in Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681793":{"#nid":"681793","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Fill-in-the-Blank Training Primes AI to Interpret Health Data From Smartwatches, Fitness\u00a0Trackers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe human body constantly generates a variety of signals that can be measured from outside the body with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/35684\u0022\u003Ewearable devices\u003C\/a\u003E. These bio-signals \u2013 ranging from heart rate to sleep state and blood oxygen levels \u2013 can indicate whether someone is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41746-024-01333-z\u0022\u003Ehaving mood swings\u003C\/a\u003E or can be used to diagnose a variety of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brighamandwomens.org\/medical-resources\/emg-test#:%7E:text=An%20EMG%20test%20may%20be,by%20pain%20or%20psychological%20reasons.\u0022\u003Ebody\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/eeg\/about\/pac-20393875#:%7E:text=An%20EEG%20records%20the%20electrical,electrical%20activity%20in%20the%20brain.\u0022\u003Ebrain disorders\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt can be relatively cheap to gather a lot of bio-signal data. Researchers can organize a study and ask participants to use a wearable device akin to a smartwatch for a few days. However, to teach a machine learning algorithm to find a relationship between a specific bio-signal and a health disorder, you first need to teach the algorithm to recognize that disorder. That\u2019s where computer engineers like myself come in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany commercial smartwatches, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/afibinstitute.com.au\/atrial-fibrillation-a-guide-to-wearable-ecg-smart-watches\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-3\u0022\u003Eones by Apple, AliveCor, Google and Samsung\u003C\/a\u003E, currently support atrial fibrillation detection. Atrial fibrillation is a common type of irregular heart rhythm, and leaving it untreated can lead to a stroke. One way to automatically detect \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/16765-atrial-fibrillation-afib\u0022\u003Eatrial fibrillation\u003C\/a\u003E is to train a machine learning algorithm to recognize what atrial fibrillation looks like in the data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis machine learning approach requires large bio-signal datasets in which instances of atrial fibrillation are labeled. The algorithm can use the labeled instances to learn to recognize a relationship between the bio-signal and atrial fibrillation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe labeling process can be quite expensive because it requires experts, such as cardiologists, to go through millions of data points and label each instance of atrial fibrillation. The same problem extends to many other bio-signals and disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo resolve this issue, researchers have been developing new ways to train machine learning algorithms with fewer labels. By first training a machine learning model to fill in the blanks of large-scale unlabeled bio-signal data, the machine learning model is primed to learn the relationship between a bio-signal and a disorder with fewer labels. This is called pretraining. Pretraining even helps a machine learning model learn a relationship between a bio-signal and a disorder when it is pretrained on a completely unrelated bio-signal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A silhouette of a person overlaid with text.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=453\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=453\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=453\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=569\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=569\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/657861\/original\/file-20250326-57-i0xtcq.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=569\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EBio-signals are found all over the body and provide information about different bodily functions. Each of these is a bio-signal that measures a specific physiological signal in a noninvasive way.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EEloy Geenjaar\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EChallenges of Working With Bio-Signals\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinding relationships between bio-signals and disorders can be difficult because of noise, or irrelevant data, differences between people\u2019s bio-signals, and because the relationship between a bio-signal and disorder may not be clear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, bio-signals contain a lot of noise. For example, when you\u2019re wearing a smartwatch while running, the watch will move around. This causes the sensor for the bio-signal to record at different locations during the run. Since the locations vary across the run, swings in the bio-signal value may now be due to variations in the recording location instead of due to physiological processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESecond, everyone\u2019s bio-signals are unique. The location of veins, for example, often differ between people. This means that even if smartwatches are worn at exactly the same place on everyone\u2019s wrists, the bio-signal related to those veins is recorded differently from one person to the next. The same underlying signal, such as someone\u2019s heart rate, will lead to different bio-signal values.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe underlying signal itself can also be unique for people or groups of people. The resting heart rate of an average person is around 60-80 beats per minute, but athletes can have resting heart rates \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/athlete-heart-rate\u0022\u003Eas low as 30-40 beats per minute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELastly, the relationship between a bio-signal and a disorder is often complex. This means that the disorder is not immediately obvious from looking at the bio-signal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMachine learning algorithms allow researchers to learn from data and account for the complexity, noise and variability of people. By using large bio-signal datasets, machine learning algorithms are able to find clear relationships that apply to everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELearning to Fill in the Blanks\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers can use unlabeled bio-signal data as a warmup for the machine learning algorithm. This warmup, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/10.5555\/1756006.1756025\u0022\u003Epre-training\u003C\/a\u003E, primes the machine learning algorithm to find a relationship between the bio-signal and a disorder. This is a bit like walking around a park to get the lay of the land before working out a route to go running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are many ways to pretrain a machine learning algorithm. In \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.48550\/arXiv.2412.11695\u0022\u003Emy research\u003C\/a\u003E with Dolby Laboratories researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=EEds7hMAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003ELie Lu\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.48550\/arXiv.2309.05927\u0022\u003Eprevious research\u003C\/a\u003E, the machine learning algorithm is taught \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/CVPR52688.2022.01553\u0022\u003Eto fill in the blanks\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, we take a bio-signal and artificially create gaps of a certain length \u2013 for example, one second. We then teach the machine learning algorithm to fill in the missing piece of bio-signal. This is possible because the machine learning algorithm sees what the bio-signal looks like before and after the gap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the heart rate of a person is around 60 beats per minute before the gap, there will likely be a heartbeat in the one-second gap. In this case, we\u2019re training the machine learning algorithm to predict when that heartbeat will occur.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce we have trained the machine learning algorithm to do this, it will have found a relationship between someone\u2019s heart rate and when the next beat should occur. We can now train the machine learning algorithm with this relationship between a normal heart rate and bio-signal already learned. This makes it easier for the algorithm to learn the relationship between heart rate and atrial fibrillation. Since atrial fibrillation is characterized by fast and irregular heartbeats, and the algorithm is now good at predicting when a heartbeat will happen, it can quickly learn to detect these irregularities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022three rows of horizontal lines with regularly spaced vertical spikes\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=183\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=183\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=183\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=230\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=230\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/655466\/original\/file-20250315-56-nfmqu9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=230\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EMachine learning pre-training on filling in the blanks of a heart bio-signal.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EEloy Geenjaar\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea of filling in the blanks can be generalized to other bio-signals as well. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.nips.cc\/paper_files\/paper\/2022\/hash\/194b8dac525581c346e30a2cebe9a369-Abstract-Conference.html\u0022\u003EPrevious research\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iclr.cc\/virtual\/2024\/23539\u0022\u003Ehas shown\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.48550\/arXiv.2412.11695\u0022\u003Eour work\u003C\/a\u003E reconfirmed, that pretraining a model on one bio-signal without any labels allows it to learn clinically useful relationships from other bio-signals with few labels. This shortcut means that researchers can pretrain on bio-signals that are easy to gather and use the machine learning model on ones that are hard to gather and label.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFaster Disorder Detection Development\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy improving pretraining, researchers can make machine learning algorithms better and more efficient at detecting diseases and disorders. Pretraining improvements reduce cost and time spent by experts labeling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA recent example of machine learning algorithms used for early detection is Google\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/pixel\/pixel-watch-3-loss-of-pulse-detection\/\u0022\u003ELoss of Pulse\u003C\/a\u003E smartwatch feature. The emerging field of bio-signal pretraining can help enable faster development of similar features using a wider range of bio-signals and for a wider range of disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith increasing types of bio-signals and more data, researchers may be able to discover relationships that dramatically improve early detection of disease and disorders. The earlier many diseases and disorders are found, the better a treatment plan works for patients.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/251890\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fill-in-the-blank-training-primes-ai-to-interpret-health-data-from-smartwatches-and-fitness-trackers-251890\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe human body constantly generates a variety of signals that can be measured from outside the body with wearable devices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The human body constantly generates a variety of signals that can be measured from outside the body with wearable devices. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-04-15 14:06:26","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:24","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676841":{"id":"676841","type":"image","title":"AI promises to help wearable devices like smart watches better monitor your health. adamkaz\/E+ via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAI promises to help wearable devices like smart watches better monitor your health. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/senior-black-woman-running-with-a-fitness-tracker-royalty-free-image\/1299849508?phrase=smart+watch\u0022\u003Eadamkaz\/E+ via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1744726069","gmt_created":"2025-04-15 14:07:49","changed":"1744726069","gmt_changed":"2025-04-15 14:07:49","alt":"AI promises to help wearable devices like smart watches better monitor your health. adamkaz\/E+ via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"260686","name":"file-20250321-56-l266vi.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/15\/file-20250321-56-l266vi.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/15\/file-20250321-56-l266vi.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":302589,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/15\/file-20250321-56-l266vi.jpg?itok=4GAqIadE"}}},"media_ids":["676841"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fill-in-the-blank-training-primes-ai-to-interpret-health-data-from-smartwatches-and-fitness-trackers-251890","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/eloy-geenjaar-2343252\u0022\u003EEloy Geenjaar\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. Student in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680804":{"#nid":"680804","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What\u2019s the Shape of the Universe? Mathematicians Use Topology to Study the Shape of the World and Everything in\u00a0it","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like you\u2019re living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around you. This is likely why some people in the past believed the earth to be flat. But most people now know that is far from the truth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou live on the surface of a giant sphere, like a beach ball the size of the Earth with a few bumps added. The surface of the sphere and the plane are two possible 2D spaces, meaning you can walk in two directions: north and south or east and west.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat other possible spaces might you be living on? That is, what other spaces around you are 2D? For example, the surface of a giant doughnut is another 2D space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a field called geometric topology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/scientific-contributions\/John-B-Etnyre-10186406\u0022\u003Emathematicians like me\u003C\/a\u003E study all possible spaces in all dimensions. Whether trying to design \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.math.upenn.edu\/%7Eghrist\/preprints\/noticesdraft.pdf\u0022\u003Esecure sensor networks\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frai.2021.667963\u0022\u003Emine data\u003C\/a\u003E or use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/10037710\/origami-in-space\/\u0022\u003Eorigami to deploy satellites\u003C\/a\u003E, the underlying language and ideas are likely to be that of topology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Shape of the Universe\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you look around the universe you live in, it looks like a 3D space, just like the surface of the Earth looks like a 2D space. However, just like the Earth, if you were to look at the universe as a whole, it could be a more complicated space, like a giant 3D version of the 2D beach ball surface or something even more exotic than that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-left zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A shape with a hole in the middle.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=632\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=632\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614228\/original\/file-20240819-17-hxuf1t.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=632\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA doughnut, also called a torus, is a shape that you can move across in two directions, just like the surface of the Earth.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Simple_Torus.svg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EYassineMrabet via Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-NC-SA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile you don\u2019t need topology to determine that you are living on something like a giant beach ball, knowing all the possible 2D spaces can be useful. Over a century ago, mathematicians figured out \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-642-34364-3\u0022\u003Eall the possible 2D spaces\u003C\/a\u003E and many of their properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the past several decades, mathematicians have learned a lot about all of the possible 3D spaces. While we do not have a complete understanding like we do for 2D spaces, we do \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bookstore.ams.org\/gsm-151\u0022\u003Eknow a lot\u003C\/a\u003E. With this knowledge, physicists and astronomers can try to determine what \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/universe2010001\u0022\u003E3D space people actually live in\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the answer is not completely known, there are many \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.quantamagazine.org\/what-shape-is-the-universe-closed-or-flat-20191104\/\u0022\u003Eintriguing and surprising possibilities\u003C\/a\u003E. The options become even more complicated if you consider time as a dimension.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo see how this might work, note that to describe the location of something in space \u2013 say a comet \u2013 you need four numbers: three to describe its position and one to describe the time it is in that position. These four numbers are what make up a 4D space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, you can consider what 4D spaces are possible and in which of those spaces do you live.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETopology in Higher Dimensions\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt this point, it may seem like there is no reason to consider spaces that have dimensions larger than four, since that is the highest imaginable dimension that might describe our universe. But a branch of physics called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.space.com\/17594-string-theory.html\u0022\u003Estring theory\u003C\/a\u003E suggests that the universe has many more dimensions than four.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are also practical applications of thinking about higher dimensional spaces, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/1-4020-4266-3_05\u0022\u003Erobot motion planning\u003C\/a\u003E. Suppose you are trying to understand the motion of three robots moving around a factory floor in a warehouse. You can put a grid on the floor and describe the position of each robot by their x and y coordinates on the grid. Since each of the three robots requires two coordinates, you will need six numbers to describe all of the possible positions of the robots. You can interpret the possible positions of the robots as a 6D space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the number of robots increases, the dimension of the space increases. Factoring in other useful information, such as the locations of obstacles, makes the space even more complicated. In order to study this problem, you need to study high-dimensional spaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are countless other scientific problems where high-dimensional spaces appear, from modeling the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/CBO9781316410486\u0022\u003Emotion of planets\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/physicists-discover-whopping-13-new-solutions-three-body-problem\u0022\u003Eand spacecraft\u003C\/a\u003E to trying to understand the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ias.edu\/ideas\/2013\/lesnick-topological-data-analysis\u0022\u003E\u201cshape\u201d of large datasets\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETied Up In Knots\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother type of problem topologists study is how one space can sit inside another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, if you hold a knotted loop of string, then we have a 1D space (the loop of string) inside a 3D space (your room). Such loops are called mathematical knots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/knot-theory\u0022\u003Estudy of knots\u003C\/a\u003E first grew out of physics but has become a central area of topology. They are essential to how scientists understand \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bookstore.ams.org\/gsm-20\u0022\u003E3D and 4D spaces\u003C\/a\u003E and have a delightful and subtle structure that researchers are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/B978-0-444-51452-3.X5000-X\u0022\u003Estill trying to understand\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Illustrations of 15 connected loops of string with different crossings\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=562\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=562\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/614230\/original\/file-20240819-17-qmwj95.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=562\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EKnots are examples of spaces that sit inside other spaces.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Knot_table.svg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EJkasd\/Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, knots have many applications, ranging from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ias.edu\/ideas\/2011\/witten-knots-quantum-theory\u0022\u003Estring theory\u003C\/a\u003E in physics to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/bmb.20244\u0022\u003EDNA recombination\u003C\/a\u003E in biology to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/CBO9780511626272\u0022\u003Echirality\u003C\/a\u003E in chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Shape Do You Live On?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeometric topology is a beautiful and complex subject, and there are still countless exciting questions to answer about spaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bookstore.ams.org\/gsm-20\u0022\u003Esmooth 4D Poincar\u00e9 conjecture\u003C\/a\u003E asks what the \u201csimplest\u201d closed 4D space is, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.quantamagazine.org\/mathematicians-prove-this-knot-cannot-solve-major-problem-20230202\/\u0022\u003Eslice-ribbon conjecture\u003C\/a\u003E aims to understand how knots in 3D spaces relate to surfaces in 4D spaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETopology is currently useful in science and engineering. Unraveling more mysteries of spaces in all dimensions will be invaluable to understanding the world in which we live and solving real-world problems.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/235635\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/whats-the-shape-of-the-universe-mathematicians-use-topology-to-study-the-shape-of-the-world-and-everything-in-it-235635\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether trying to design secure sensor networks, mine data or use origami to deploy satellites, the underlying language and ideas are likely to be that of topology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Whether trying to design secure sensor networks, mine data or use origami to deploy satellites, the underlying language and ideas are likely to be that of topology."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-02-28 14:22:35","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:17","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676431":{"id":"676431","type":"image","title":"You can describe the shape you live on in multiple dimensions. vkulieva\/iStock via Getty Images Plus","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYou can describe the shape you live on in multiple dimensions. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/illustration\/green-neon-wireframe-shapes-collection-3d-royalty-free-illustration\/1509927575?phrase=math+torus\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003Evkulieva\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740770532","gmt_created":"2025-02-28 19:22:12","changed":"1740770532","gmt_changed":"2025-02-28 19:22:12","alt":"You can describe the shape you live on in multiple dimensions. vkulieva\/iStock via Getty Images Plus","file":{"fid":"260217","name":"file-20240816-23-nnp9id-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/28\/file-20240816-23-nnp9id-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/28\/file-20240816-23-nnp9id-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":512466,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/28\/file-20240816-23-nnp9id-copy.jpg?itok=bQNfZoeS"}}},"media_ids":["676431"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/whats-the-shape-of-the-universe-mathematicians-use-topology-to-study-the-shape-of-the-world-and-everything-in-it-235635","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/john-etnyre-1553642\u0022\u003EJohn Etnyre\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680695":{"#nid":"680695","#data":{"type":"news","title":" From Ancient Emperors to Modern Presidents, Leaders Have Used Libraries to Cement Their Legacies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere in Atlanta, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov\/\u0022\u003EJimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum\u003C\/a\u003E has been part of my daily life for years. Parks and trails surrounding the center connect my neighborhood to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park downtown and everything in between.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of December 2024, thousands of people walked to the library to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wabe.org\/as-jimmy-carter-lies-in-repose-mourners-keep-coming-well-after-dark\/\u0022\u003Epay their respects to the former president\u003C\/a\u003E as he lay in repose. The cold, snow and darkness of the evening were a stark contrast to the warmth of the volunteers who welcomed us in. Our visit spiraled through galleries exhibiting records of Carter\u2019s life, achievements and lifelong work promoting democracy around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EU.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rbhayes.org\/research\/library\/\u0022\u003Estarting with Rutherford B. Hayes\u003C\/a\u003E. But the urge to shape one\u2019s legacy by building a library runs much deeper. As \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/people\/myrsini-mamoli\u0022\u003Ea scholar of libraries\u003C\/a\u003E in the Greek and Roman world, I was struck by the similarities between presidential \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=-r1nSF0AAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Eand ancient libraries\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 some of which were explicitly designed to honor deceased sponsors and played a significant role in their cities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETrajan\u2019s Library\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/Foro_di_Traiano.html?id=k-yfAAAAMAAJ\u0022\u003EUlpian Library\u003C\/a\u003E, a great library in the center of Rome, was founded by Emperor Trajan, who ruled around the turn of the second century C.E. Referenced often by ancient authors, it could have been the first such memorial library.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A person seen from the back takes a photo of a tall monument with a statue on top, and a domed building in the background.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=915\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=915\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=915\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1150\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1150\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650544\/original\/file-20250221-32-fco7z5.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1150\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ETrajan\u2019s Column now stands at the center of Rome.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/ITALYARTDAMAGED\/c0deee7b056f482c898f89086a071439\/photo?Query=trajan%27s%20column\u0026amp;mediaType=photo\u0026amp;sortBy=creationdatetime:desc\u0026amp;dateRange=Anytime\u0026amp;totalCount=9\u0026amp;currentItemNo=5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Pier Paolo Cito\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, someone visiting Rome can visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/e\/roman\/texts\/cassius_dio\/68*.html\u0022\u003ETrajan\u2019s Column\u003C\/a\u003E, a roughly 100-foot monument to his military and engineering achievements after conquering Dacia, part of present-day Romania. A frieze spirals from bottom to top of the column, depicting his exploits. The monument now stands on its own. Originally, however, it was nestled in a courtyard between two halls of the Ulpian Library complex.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost of what scholars know about the library\u2019s architecture comes from remains of the west hall, an elongated room almost 80 feet long, whose walls were lined with rectangular niches and framed by a colonnade. The niches were lined with marble and appear to have had doors; this is where the books would have been placed. Writers from the first few centuries C.E. describe the library having \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Gellius\/11*.html\u0022\u003Earchival documents\u003C\/a\u003E about the emperor and the empire, including books made of linen and books \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Historia_Augusta\/Tacitus*.html\u0022\u003Ebound with ivory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrajan dedicated the column in 113 C.E. but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2458\/azu_jaei_v10i1_hoff\u0022\u003Edied four years later\u003C\/a\u003E, before the library was complete. Hadrian, his adoptive son and successor, oversaw the shipment of Trajan\u2019s cremated remains back to Rome, where they were placed in Trajan\u2019s Column. Hadrian \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/I_Fori_imperiali_e_i_Mercati_di_Traiano.html?id=mppGAQAAIAAJ\u0022\u003Ecompleted the surrounding library complex\u003C\/a\u003E in 128 C.E. and dedicated it with two identical funerary inscriptions to his adopted parents, Trajan and Plotina. Scholars Roberto Egidi and Silvia Orlandi have argued that Trajan\u2019s remains could later have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ojs.unito.it\/index.php\/historika\/article\/view\/88\/48\u0022\u003Etransferred from the column into the library hall\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMemorial Model\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEither way, I would argue that Trajan\u2019s decision to have his remains included in the library complex, instead of in an imperial mausoleum, established a model adopted by other officials at a smaller scale. In the eastern side of the Roman empire \u2013 what is now Turkey \u2013 at least two other library-mausoleum buildings have been identified.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/2494235\/Paper_Space_The_Library_of_Nysa_Revisited\u0022\u003Ethe library at Nysa on the Maeander\u003C\/a\u003E, a Hellenistic city named for the nearby river. Under the floor of its entry porch is a sarcophagus with the remains of a man and a woman, possibly the dedicators, that dates to the second century C.E., the time of Hadrian\u2019s reign.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Crumbling stones in a two-story structure with arched niches.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650526\/original\/file-20250221-32-mnr9qv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe ruins of the library at Nysa on the Maeander.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EMyrsini Mamoli\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/33780591\/R_Heberdey_Vorl%C3%A4ufiger_Bericht_%C3%BCber_die_Ausgrabungen_in_Ephesus_IV_%C3%96Jh_3_1900_Beibl_Sp_83_96\u0022\u003ELibrary of Celsus\u003C\/a\u003E, the most recognizable ancient library today, found in the ancient city of Ephesus. Named after a regional Roman consul and proconsul during the reign of Trajan, the building was founded by Celsus\u2019 son, designed as both a place of learning and a mausoleum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe library\u2019s ornate, sculpted facade contained life-size female statues, making it an immediately recognizable landmark. Inscriptions identify the statues as the personifications of Celsus\u2019 character, elevating him into a role model: virtue, intelligence, knowledge and wisdom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUpon entering the room, the funerary character of the library became quite literal. The hall was designed like the Ulpian Library, but a door gave access to a crypt underneath. This held the marble sarcophagus with the remains of Celsus, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Library_of_Celsus\/\u0022\u003Ethe patron of the library\u003C\/a\u003E. The sarcophagus itself was visible from the hall, if one stood in front of the central apse and looked down through two slits in the podium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn endowment covered \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/64091244\/Towards_of_a_theory_of_reconstructing_ancient_libraries\u0022\u003Ethe library\u2019s operational expenses\u003C\/a\u003E in ancient times, as well as annual commemorations on Celsus\u2019 birthday, including the wreathing of the busts and statues and the purchasing of additional books.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A statue of a woman in a long dress, set inside a niche in a wall with stone pillars in front of it.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=399\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=501\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=501\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650529\/original\/file-20250221-32-4o8sqn.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=501\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe life-size statues on the facade of the Library of Celsus.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EMyrsini Mamoli\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPower and Knowledge\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese two provincial libraries highlight how sponsors hoped to be associated with the virtues a library fosters. Books represent knowledge, and by dedicating a library, one asserted his possession of it. Providing access to learning was an instrument of power on its own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the handful of memorial libraries, many other ancient Roman public libraries were great cultural centers, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.persee.fr\/doc\/mefr_0223-5102_2002_num_114_2_9731\u0022\u003EForum of Peace\u003C\/a\u003E in Rome, dedicated by Emperor Vespasian; the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epub.lib.uoa.gr\/index.php\/aura\/article\/view\/2201\u0022\u003ELibrary of Hadrian\u003C\/a\u003E in Athens; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/351663664_Side_Gymnasiumu_M_Yapisi_Mimari_Arastirmalar_ve_Arastirmalarin_Sonuclari\u0022\u003Ethe Gymnasium in Side\u003C\/a\u003E, a city in present-day Turkey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most magnificent libraries combined access to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tertullian.org\/fathers\/sidonius_letters_09book9.htm\u0022\u003Emanuscripts and artworks\u003C\/a\u003E with spaces for meetings and lectures. Several had great leisure areas, including landscaped sculptural gardens with elaborate water features and colonnaded walkways. Literary sources and material evidence testify to the treasures that were held there: busts of philosophers, poets and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Historia_Augusta\/Carus_et_al*.html\u0022\u003Eother accomplished literary figures\u003C\/a\u003E; statues of gods, heroes and emperors; treasures confiscated as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lexundria.com\/j_bj\/7.158\/wst\u0022\u003Espoils of war\u003C\/a\u003E and exhibited in Rome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A diorama seen from above, showing a large building with an open courtyard and sloped roof.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=259\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=259\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=259\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=325\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=325\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650532\/original\/file-20250221-32-jyeh98.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=325\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA model of how Hadrian\u2019s Library may have looked, complete with a landscaped courtyard.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Library_of_Hadrian_(Athens)_-_Model_in_Colosseum_-_2.jpg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EJoris\/Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-SA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike the Ulpian Library itself, they continued the long tradition of Hellenistic public libraries, established by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bibalex.org\/hellenisticstudies\/News\/Details.aspx?ID=1005\u0022\u003Emost famous library of antiquity\u003C\/a\u003E: the Library of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/A_Wonder_of_the_Ancient_World.html?id=q6NsoT1akU4C\u0022\u003EAlexandria\u003C\/a\u003E. Founded and lavishly endowed by the Hellenistic kings of Egypt, the Ptolemies, the building was meant to portray the king as a patron of intellectual activities and a powerful ruler, collecting knowledge from conquered civilizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn ancient Greece and Rome, anybody who could read had access to public libraries. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ascsa.edu.gr\/uploads\/media\/hesperia\/146551.pdf\u0022\u003ERules of use varied\u003C\/a\u003E: For example, literary sources imply that the Ulpian Library in Rome was a borrowing library, whereas an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/146551\u0022\u003Einscription from the Library of Pantainos\u003C\/a\u003E in Athens explicitly forbid any book to be taken out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut these buildings were also meant to shape their sponsors\u2019 legacies, portraying them as benevolent and learned. Presidential libraries in the United States today follow the same principle: They become monuments to the former presidents, while giving back to their local communities.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/248423\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-ancient-emperors-to-modern-presidents-leaders-have-used-libraries-to-cement-their-legacies-248423\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EU.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, starting with Rutherford B. Hayes. But the urge to shape one\u2019s legacy by building a library runs much deeper.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. presidents have been building libraries for more than 100 years, starting with Rutherford B. Hayes. But the urge to shape one\u2019s legacy by building a library runs much deeper."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-02-24 14:27:10","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:16:11","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676374":{"id":"676374","type":"image","title":" The Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time \u2013 and today. Myrsini Mamoli","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time \u2013 and today. Myrsini Mamoli\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1740408271","gmt_created":"2025-02-24 14:44:31","changed":"1740408271","gmt_changed":"2025-02-24 14:44:31","alt":" The Library of Celsus was a famous landmark in its time \u2013 and today. Myrsini Mamoli","file":{"fid":"260152","name":"file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/24\/file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/24\/file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":907607,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/24\/file-20250221-32-q9yf3m.jpg?itok=mzndzQl8"}}},"media_ids":["676374"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-ancient-emperors-to-modern-presidents-leaders-have-used-libraries-to-cement-their-legacies-248423","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"48996","name":"School of Architecture"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/myrsini-mamoli-2309727\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003EMyrsini Mamoli\u003C\/a\u003E, Lecturer of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680093":{"#nid":"680093","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Breakbeats to the Dance Floor: How Hip-Hop and House Revolutionized Music and\u00a0Culture","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere was a time when artists representing two of America\u2019s biggest homegrown musical genres wouldn\u2019t get a look in at the Grammys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHip-hop and house both have their origins in the 1970s and early 1980s \u2013 in fact, they recently \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/the50thanniversaryofhip-hop.com\/\u0022\u003Ecelebrated a 50th\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/chicago\/news\/dance-party-daley-plaza-40-years-house-music\/\u0022\u003E40th birthday\u003C\/a\u003E, respectively. But it was only in 1989 that an award category for \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/02\/11\/arts\/music\/the-boycott-before-rap-and-resentment-at-the-1989-grammys.html\u0022\u003Ebest rap performance\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d started recognizing hip-hop\u2019s contribution to U.S. music, and house had to wait another decade, with the introduction of \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.awardsandshows.com\/features\/best-dance-recording-289.html\u0022\u003Ebest dance\/electronic recording\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d in 1998.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt this year\u2019s awards, taking place on Feb. 2, hip-hop and house artists will be among the most talked about. House duo Justice and Kendrick Lamar, a hip-hop superstar who \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.vibe.com\/lists\/best-songs-kendrick-lamar-gnx-album\/\u0022\u003Eincorporates elements of house himself\u003C\/a\u003E, are among those looking to pick up an award. Meanwhile, a nomination for a collaboration between \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jGK3YVmGZ3Y\u0022\u003EDJ Kaytranada and rapper Childish Gambino\u003C\/a\u003E shows how artists from both genres continue to feed off each other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jGK3YVmGZ3Y?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while both genres are now celebrated for their separate contributions to the music landscape, as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/joycelyn-wilson\u0022\u003Escholar of African American culture and music\u003C\/a\u003E, I am interested in their commonality: Both are distinctly Black American artforms that originated on the streets and dance floors of U.S. cities, developing a devoted underground following before being accepted by \u2013 and transforming \u2013 the mainstream.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Pulse of the 1970s\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe roots of hip-hop and house music both lie in the seismic shifts of the late 1970s, a period of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/americanexperience\/features\/blackout-gallery\/\u0022\u003Esociopolitical unrest\u003C\/a\u003E and electronic experimentation that redefined the possibilities of sound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor hip-hop, this was expressed through the turntable manipulation \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/kool-herc-hip-hop-50-august-11-1973-1234802035\/\u0022\u003Epioneered by DJ Kool Herc in 1973\u003C\/a\u003E, when he extended and looped breakbeats to energize crowds. House music\u2019s innovators turned to the drum machine to create the genre\u2019s foundational \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.masterclass.com\/articles\/four-on-the-floor-rhythm-explained\u0022\u003Efour-on-the-floor\u003C\/a\u003E dance rhythm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat rhythm, foreshadowed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TJwcRSClia4\u0022\u003EEddy Grant\u2019s 1977 production of \u201cTime Warp\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d by The Coachouse Rhythm Section, would go on to shape house music\u2019s distinct pulse. The track showed how electronic instruments such as the synthesizer and drum machine could recast traditional rhythmic patterns into something entirely new.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TJwcRSClia4?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis dance vibe \u2013 in which a base drum provides a steady four-four beat \u2013 became the heartbeat of house music, creating an enduring structure for DJs to layer basslines, percussion and melodies. In a similar way, Kool Herc\u2019s breakbeat manipulation provided the scaffolding for MCs and dancers in hip-hop\u2019s formative years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarginalized communities in urban centers like Chicago and New York were at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.designchicago.org\/chicago-home-of-house-at-navy-pier\u0022\u003Eforefront of these innovations\u003C\/a\u003E. Despite experiencing grinding poverty and discrimination, it was Black and Latino youth \u2013 armed with turntables, drum machines and samplers \u2013 who made these groundbreaking advances in music.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor hip-hop, this meant manipulating breakbeats from songs like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DWSceMtAjPw\u0022\u003EKraftwerk\u2019s \u201cTrans-Europe Express\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and \u201cNumbers\u201d to energize \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.redbull.com\/us-en\/b-boy-and-b-girl-vs-breakdancer\u0022\u003Eb-boys and b-girls\u003C\/a\u003E; for house, it meant extending disco\u2019s rhythmic pulse into an ecstatic, inclusive dance floor. Both genres exemplified \u2013 and continue to exemplify \u2013 the ingenuity of predominantly Black and Hispanic communities who turned limited resources into cultural revolutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom this shared origin of technological experimentation, cultural resilience and creative ingenuity, hip-hop and house music grew into distinct yet globally influential movements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Message and the MIDI\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the early 1980s, both genres had found their feet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHip-hop emerged as a powerful voice for storytelling, resistance and identity. Building on the foundations laid down by DJ Kool Herc, artists like Afrika Bambaataa emphasized hip-hop\u2019s cultural and communal aspects. Meanwhile, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/grandmasterflash.com\/\u0022\u003EGrandmaster Flash\u003C\/a\u003E elevated the genre\u2019s technical artistry with innovations like cutting and scratching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy 1984, hip-hop had evolved from its grassroots beginnings in the Bronx into a cultural movement on the cusp of mainstream recognition. Run-DMC\u2019s self-titled debut album released that year introduced a harder, stripped-down sound that departed from disco-influenced beats. Their music, paired with the trio\u2019s Adidas tracksuits and gold chains, established an aesthetic that resonated far beyond New York City. Music videos on MTV gave hip-hop a new medium for storytelling, while films like \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0086946\/\u0022\u003EBeat Street\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0086998\/\u0022\u003EBreakin\u2019\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d showcased the features and tenets of hip-hop culture: DJing, rapping, graffiti, breaking and knowledge of self \u2013 cementing its cultural presence, and presenting it to a world outside the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut at its core, hip-hop remained a voice for the voiceless that sought to address systemic inequities through storytelling. Tracks like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five\u2019s \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PobrSpMwKk4\u0022\u003EThe Message\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d vividly depicted the reality of living in poor, urban communities, while Public Enemy\u2019s \u201cFight the Power\u201d and Tupac Shakur\u2019s \u201cKeep Ya Head Up\u201d became anthems for social justice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether these artists positioned hip-hop as a platform for resistance and empowerment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBecoming a Cultural Force\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike hip-hop\u2019s lyrical storytelling, house music focused on the physicality of rhythm and the collective experience of the dance floor. And as hip-hop moved away from disco, house leaned into it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EItaly\u2019s \u201cfather of disco,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.giorgiomoroder.com\/\u0022\u003EGiorgio Moroder\u003C\/a\u003E, showed the way with his pioneering use of synthesizers in Donna Summer\u2019s \u201cI Feel Love.\u201d Over in New York, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/djhistory.com\/read\/larry-levan-and-the-lost-art-of-djing\/\u0022\u003ELarry Levan\u2019s DJ sets\u003C\/a\u003E at Paradise Garage demonstrated how electronic instruments could create immersive, emotionally charged experiences as a club that centered crowd participation through dance and not lyrics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy 1984, Chicago DJs Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southsideweekly.com\/chicago-legends-debate-the-origins-of-house-music\/\u0022\u003Erepurposing disco tracks with drum machines\u003C\/a\u003E like the Roland TR-808 and 909 to create hypnotic beats. Knuckles, known as the \u201cGodfather of House,\u201d transformed his sets at the Warehouse club into euphoric experiences, giving the genre its name in the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHouse music thrived on inclusivity, served as a safe space for Black and Latino members of the LGBTQ+ communities at a time when hip-hop was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2021\/06\/19\/hip-hop-and-sexuality-is-the-culture-freeing-itself-of-homophobia-14783209\/\u0022\u003Eseverely unwelcoming of gay men\u003C\/a\u003E. Tracks like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qUeMFG4wjJw\u0022\u003EJesse Saunders\u2019 \u201cOn \u0026amp; On\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QAR8cq5Bl94\u0022\u003EMarshall Jefferson\u2019s \u201cMove Your Body\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d celebrated freedom, love and unity, encapsulating its liberatory spirit, as rap music and hip-hop culture embarked on its mainstream journey with songs like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iOKMWSR2Aio\u0022\u003ERun DMC\u2019s \u201cSucker M.C.s (Krush Groove)\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and Salt-N-Pepa debuted their album \u201cHot, Cool, \u0026amp; Vicious.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs with hip-hop, by the the mid-1980s house music had become a cultural force, spreading from Chicago to Detroit, to New York and, eventually, to the U.K.\u2019s rave scene. Its emphasis on repetition, rhythm and electronic instrumentation solidified its global appeal, uniting people across identities and geographies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMainstays in Modern Music\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite their differences, moments of crossover highlight their shared DNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the late 1980s, tracks like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7v7UiDd7wBA\u0022\u003EFast Eddie\u2019s \u201cYo Yo Get Funky\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hOKpUzUXmWU\u0022\u003EJungle Brothers\u2019 \u201cI\u2019ll House You\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d merged house beats with hip-hop\u2019s lyrical flow. Artists like Kaytranada and Doechii continue to blend the two genres today, staying true to the genres\u2019 legacies while pushing their boundaries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd technology continues to drive both genres. Platforms like SoundCloud have democratized music production, allowing emerging artists to build on the decades of innovations that preceded them. Collaborations, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QZrcXTHqQ_c\u0022\u003EDisclosure and Charli XCX\u2019s \u201cShe\u2019s Gone, Dance On\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d highlight their adaptability and enduring appeal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether through hip-hop\u2019s lyrical narratives or house\u2019s rhythmic euphoria, these genres continue to inspire, challenge and transcend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the 2025 Grammy Awards celebrate today\u2019s leading house and hip-hop artists and their contemporary achievements, it is clear that the legacies of these two genres are mainstays in the kaleidoscope of American popular music and culture, having come a long way from back-to-school park jams and underground dance parties. \u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/229336\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe style=\u0022border-radius:12px;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/7o090zY50aXPNLaf4nE7b3?utm_source=generator\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 height=\u0022352\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022 allow=\u0022autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-breakbeats-to-the-dance-floor-how-hip-hop-and-house-revolutionized-music-and-culture-229336\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere was a time when artists representing two of America\u2019s biggest homegrown musical genres wouldn\u2019t get a look in at the Grammys.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"There was a time when artists representing two of America\u2019s biggest homegrown musical genres wouldn\u2019t get a look in at the Grammys."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-01-31 15:58:26","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:15:57","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676177":{"id":"676177","type":"image","title":" Producers Fast Eddie and Joe Smooth mix at DJ International Studios in Chicago in 1990. Innovation was at the forefront of house and hip-hop. Raymond Boyd\/Getty Images","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProducers Fast Eddie and Joe Smooth mix at DJ International Studios in Chicago in 1990. Innovation was at the forefront of house and hip-hop. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/musician-and-producer-fast-eddie-and-producer-and-deejay-news-photo\/1298443671?adppopup=true\u0022\u003ERaymond Boyd\/Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1738339405","gmt_created":"2025-01-31 16:03:25","changed":"1738339405","gmt_changed":"2025-01-31 16:03:25","alt":" Producers Fast Eddie and Joe Smooth mix at DJ International Studios in Chicago in 1990. Innovation was at the forefront of house and hip-hop. Raymond Boyd\/Getty Images","file":{"fid":"259906","name":"file-20250130-17-1ib2ux.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/31\/file-20250130-17-1ib2ux_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/31\/file-20250130-17-1ib2ux_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":500211,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/31\/file-20250130-17-1ib2ux_0.jpg?itok=P65qo7--"}}},"media_ids":["676177"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-breakbeats-to-the-dance-floor-how-hip-hop-and-house-revolutionized-music-and-culture-229336","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/joycelyn-wilson-1531981\u0022\u003EJoycelyn Wilson\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of Ethnographic and Cultural Studies , \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680807":{"#nid":"680807","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Generative AI is Most Useful for the Things We Care About the\u00a0Least","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGenerative AI tools such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/\u0022\u003EChatGPT\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.midjourney.com\/home\u0022\u003EMidjourney\u003C\/a\u003E can produce text, images and videos far more quickly than any one person can accomplish by hand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=TP027oEAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eas someone who studies the societal impacts of AI\u003C\/a\u003E, I\u2019ve noticed an interesting trade-off: The technology can certainly save time, but it does so precisely to the extent that the user is willing to surrender control over the final product.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor this reason, generative AI is probably most useful for things we care about the least.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECeding Creative Control\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s use the example of AI image generators. You probably have a rough idea of how they work. Just type what you want \u2013 \u201ca panda surfing,\u201d \u201ca piece of toast that is also a car\u201d \u2013 and the generative tool draws it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut this glosses over the countless possible iterations of the desired image.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWill the image appear as a watercolor painting or a pencil sketch? How lifelike will the panda be? How big is the wave? Is the toast-car parked or moving? Is there anyone inside of it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the images are generated, these questions have been answered \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/science\/how-ai-makes-images-based-on-a-few-words\u0022\u003Ebut not by the user\u003C\/a\u003E. Rather, the generative AI tool has \u201cdecided.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, the user can be more specific: Imitate the style of Monet. Make the wave twice the height of the panda. Maybe the panda should look worried, since it isn\u2019t used to surfing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can also pop open an image editor and modify the output yourself, down to the individual pixel. But, of course, drafting detailed instructions and revising the image take time, effort and skill. Generative AI promises to lighten the load. But as every manager knows, exercising control is work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Devil is In the Details\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn all art and expression, power lies in the details.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn great paintings, not every brushstroke is planned \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.harvard.com\/book\/9780593297582\u0022\u003Ebut each is carefully considered and accepted\u003C\/a\u003E. And its overall effect on the viewer depends on all those considered brushstrokes together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFilmmakers shoot take after take of the same scene, each subtly or radically different. Only a small fraction of that footage makes it into the final cut \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.taylorfrancis.com\/books\/mono\/10.4324\/9780429506086\/film-editing-edward-dmytryk-mick-hurbis-cherrier-andrew-lund\u0022\u003Ethe fraction that the editors feel does the job best\u003C\/a\u003E. Great artists use their judgment to ensure every detail helps to achieve the effect they want.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, there\u2019s nothing new about putting someone else in charge of the details. People are used to delegating authority \u2013 even about matters of expression \u2013 to marketers, speechwriters, social media managers and the like.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGenerative AI makes a new sort of contractor available. It\u2019s always on call, and in certain ways it is very technically competent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut compared with skilled humans, it has a limited ability to understand what you want. Moreover, it lacks intention, contemplation and the comprehensive mastery of detail that yield great expressive achievements \u2013 or even the comprehensive idiosyncrasy that spawns very unique ones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAsk ChatGPT for a film script, plus casting and shooting instructions. It will give you neither Francis Ford Coppola\u2019s masterpiece \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0068646\/\u0022\u003EThe Godfather\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d nor Tommy Wiseau\u2019s bizarre \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0368226\/\u0022\u003EThe Room\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou could, perhaps, approach a masterpiece, or a true oddity. But to do so, you\u2019d have to exercise more and more time, more and more effort, and more and more control.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAn Era of \u2018Cheap Speech\u2019\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat generative AI makes possible, above all, is low-effort, low-control expression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the time I took to write and revise this article, I could have used ChatGPT to generate 200 grammatically correct, well-structured articles, and then I could have posted them online without even reading them. I wouldn\u2019t have had to carefully parse each word and decide whether it really helped me make my point. I wouldn\u2019t have even had to decide whether I agreed with any of the AI-generated write-ups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is not a merely hypothetical example. Low-quality, AI-generated e-books of ambiguous provenance are already making their way into online vendors\u2019 catalogs \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.404media.co\/ai-generated-slop-is-already-in-your-public-library-3\/\u0022\u003Eand into the libraries those vendors serve\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, using image generators, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-shrimp-jesus-to-fake-self-portraits-ai-generated-images-have-become-the-latest-form-of-social-media-spam-226903\u0022\u003EI could now flood the internet with superficially appealing images\u003C\/a\u003E, dedicating only a fraction of a second to decide whether any of them express what I want them to express or achieve what I want them to achieve.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut in doing so, I would not just be skipping over drudgery. Writing, drawing and painting are not just labor but processes of considering, reviewing and deciding exactly what I want to put out into the world. By skipping over those processes, I surrender that decision-making process to the AI tool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome scholars argue that the internet has produced an era of \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/yalebooks.yale.edu\/book\/9780300274097\/cheap-speech\/\u0022\u003Echeap speech\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d People no longer have to invest a lot of resources \u2013 nor even face the judgment of their neighbors \u2013 to broadcast whatever they want to the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith generative AI, expression is even cheaper. You don\u2019t even have to make things yourself to put them out into the world. For the first time in human history, the ability to produce writing, art and expression has been decoupled from the necessity of actually paying attention to what you\u2019re making or saying.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center \u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Illustration of red maze with small, axe-wielding figure chopping through the walls.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=455\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=455\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=455\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=571\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=571\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/650810\/original\/file-20250223-32-kltoms.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=571\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EGenerative AI allows you to blow through the thousands of little decisions that go into a work of art.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/broken-maze-royalty-free-image\/523566678?phrase=maze%20with%20person%20in%20it\u0026amp;searchscope=image,film\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EC.J. Burton\/The Image Bank via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhen Intention and Effort Matter\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI suspect that great art, journalism and scholarship will still demand great attention and effort. Some of that effort may even include custom-developing AI tools \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2025\/2\/christies-ai-auction-artist-open-letter\u0022\u003Etailored to an individual artist\u2019s concerns\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut unless people become much better at curation, great work will be increasingly difficult to locate amid the flood of low-effort content, which is also known as \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/side-job-self-employed-high-paid-behind-the-ai-slop-flooding-tiktok-and-facebook-237638\u0022\u003EAI slop\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s appropriate that generative AI becomes more useful the sloppier its users are willing to be \u2013 that is, the less they care about the details.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI could end with some dire prognosis \u2013 that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/hollywood-ai-strike-wga-artificial-intelligence-39ab72582c3a15f77510c9c30a45ffc8\u0022\u003Eworking artists and writers\u003C\/a\u003E will \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.politybooks.com\/bookdetail?book_slug=artifictional-intelligence-against-humanitys-surrender-to-computers--9781509504114\u0022\u003Ebe replaced with mediocre automation\u003C\/a\u003E, that online discourse will get even stupider, that people will \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3613904.3642459\u0022\u003Eisolate themselves in personalized cocoons of AI-generated media\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll these things are possible. But it\u2019s probably more useful to offer a suggestion to you, the reader.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you need an image or a piece of writing, take a moment to decide: How important are the details? Would the process of making this yourself, or working with a collaborator or contractor, be useful? Would it yield a better output, or give me the chance to learn, or begin or strengthen a relationship, or help you reflect on something important to you?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn short, is it worth putting in real care and effort? The answer will not always be yes. But it often will.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArt, writing, films \u2013 these are not just products, but acts. They are things humans make, through a process of thousands of little decisions that encompass what we stand for and what we want to say.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo when it comes to art, expression and argument, if you want it done right, it\u2019s probably still best to do it yourself.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/249329\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/generative-ai-is-most-useful-for-the-things-we-care-about-the-least-249329\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe technology can certainly save time, but it does so precisely to the extent that the user is willing to surrender control over the final product.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The technology can certainly save time, but it does so precisely to the extent that the user is willing to surrender control over the final product."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-02-28 19:26:00","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:15:43","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676432":{"id":"676432","type":"image","title":" The creative process involves choices that lead artists to places they couldn\u2019t have imagined. Eoneren\/E+ via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe creative process involves choices that lead artists to places they couldn\u2019t have imagined. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/choice-concept-with-doors-in-maze-royalty-free-image\/1352055964?phrase=maze with person in it\u0026amp;searchscope=image%2Cfilm\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003EEoneren\/E+ via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1740770855","gmt_created":"2025-02-28 19:27:35","changed":"1740770855","gmt_changed":"2025-02-28 19:27:35","alt":" The creative process involves choices that lead artists to places they couldn\u2019t have imagined. Eoneren\/E+ via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"260218","name":"Screenshot-2025-02-28-at-2.27.25-PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/28\/Screenshot-2025-02-28-at-2.27.25-PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/28\/Screenshot-2025-02-28-at-2.27.25-PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3971581,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/28\/Screenshot-2025-02-28-at-2.27.25-PM.png?itok=mbY6P_i-"}}},"media_ids":["676432"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/generative-ai-is-most-useful-for-the-things-we-care-about-the-least-249329","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/john-p-nelson-1458177\u0022\u003EJohn P. Nelson\u003C\/a\u003E, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ethics and Societal Implications of Artificial Intelligence, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678788":{"#nid":"678788","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Music Can Change How You Feel About the Past","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHave you ever noticed how a particular song can bring back a flood of memories? Maybe it\u2019s the tune that was playing during your first dance, or the anthem of a memorable road trip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople often think of these musical memories as fixed snapshots of the past. But recent research \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/maplab.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Emy team\u003C\/a\u003E and I published suggests music may do more than just trigger memories \u2013 it might even \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13415-024-01200-0\u0022\u003Echange how you remember them\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Wbi5_VYAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Epsychology researcher\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Along with my mentor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=DfJix_sAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EThackery Brown\u003C\/a\u003E and University of Colorado Boulder music experts \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=tfZIzOEAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003ESophia Mehdizadeh\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=KK-gSk8AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EGrace Leslie\u003C\/a\u003E, our recently published research uncovered intriguing connections between music, emotion and memory. Specifically, listening to music can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13415-024-01200-0\u0022\u003Echange how you feel about what you remember\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 potentially offering new ways to help people cope with difficult memories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMusic, stories and memory\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you listen to music, it\u2019s not just your ears that are engaged. The areas of your brain responsible for emotion and memory also become active. The hippocampus, which is essential for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0033-295x.99.2.195\u0022\u003Estoring and retrieving memories\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/npp.2015.171\u0022\u003Eworks closely\u003C\/a\u003E with the amygdala, the brain\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev.psych.56.091103.070234\u0022\u003Eemotional center\u003C\/a\u003E. This is partly why certain songs are not only memorable but also deeply emotional.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S0140525X08005293\u0022\u003Emusic\u2019s ability to evoke emotions and trigger memories\u003C\/a\u003E is well known, we wondered whether it could also alter the emotional content of existing memories. Our hypothesis was rooted in the concept of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.nlm.2016.12.012\u0022\u003Ememory reactivation\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 the idea that when you recall a memory, it becomes temporarily malleable, allowing new information to be incorporated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe developed a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13415-024-01200-0\u0022\u003Ethree-day experiment\u003C\/a\u003E to test whether music played during recall might introduce new emotional elements into the original memory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the first day, participants memorized a series of short, emotionally neutral stories. The next day, they recalled these stories while listening to either positive music, negative music or silence. On the final day, we asked participants to recall the stories again, this time without any music. On the second day, we recorded their brain activity with fMRI scans, which measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur approach is analogous to how movie soundtracks can alter viewers\u2019 perceptions of a scene, but in this case, we examined how music might change participants\u2019 actual memories of an event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results were striking. When participants listened to emotionally charged music while recalling the neutral stories, they were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13415-024-01200-0\u0022\u003Emore likely to incorporate new emotional elements\u003C\/a\u003E into the story that matched the mood of the music. For example, neutral stories recalled with positive music in the background were later remembered as being more positive, even when the music was no longer playing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven more intriguing were the brain scans we took during the experiment. When participants recalled stories while listening to music, there was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13415-024-01200-0\u0022\u003Eincreased activity in the amygdala and hippocampus\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 areas crucial for emotional memory processing. This is why a song associated with a significant life event can feel so powerful \u2013 it activates both emotion- and memory-processing regions simultaneously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also saw evidence of strong communication between these emotional memory processing parts of the brain and the parts of the brain \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13415-024-01200-0\u0022\u003Einvolved in visual sensory processing\u003C\/a\u003E. This suggests music might infuse emotional details into memories while participants were visually imagining the stories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMusical memories\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur results suggest that music acts as an emotional lure, becoming intertwined with memories and subtly altering their emotional tone. Memories may also be more flexible than previously thought and could be influenced by external auditory cues during recall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile further research is needed, our findings have exciting implications for both everyday life and for medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor people dealing with conditions such as depression or PTSD, where \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/a0015621\u0022\u003Enegative memories can be overwhelming\u003C\/a\u003E, carefully chosen music might help reframe those memories in a more positive light and potentially reduce their negative emotional impact over time. It also opens new avenues for exploring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/gps.4494\u0022\u003Emusic-based interventions\u003C\/a\u003E in treatments for depression and other mental health conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a day-to-day level, our research highlights the potential power of the soundtrack people choose for their lives. Memories, much like your favorite songs, can be remixed and remastered by music. The music you listen to while reminiscing or even while going about your daily routines might be subtly shaping how you remember those experiences in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next time you put on a favorite playlist, consider how it might be coloring not just your current mood but also your future recollections as well.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/239045\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/music-can-change-how-you-feel-about-the-past-239045\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHave you ever noticed how a particular song can bring back a flood of memories? Maybe it\u2019s the tune that was playing during your first dance, or the anthem of a memorable road trip.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Have you ever noticed how a particular song can bring back a flood of memories? Maybe it\u2019s the tune that was playing during your first dance, or the anthem of a memorable road trip."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2024-12-09 16:29:54","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:15:32","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675791":{"id":"675791","type":"image","title":"Music and Memory","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMusic could alter the emotional tenor of your memories. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/black-and-white-portrait-of-a-beautiful-woman-with-royalty-free-image\/1394844171\u0022\u003ECoffeeAndMilk\/E+ via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1733762076","gmt_created":"2024-12-09 16:34:36","changed":"1733762076","gmt_changed":"2024-12-09 16:34:36","alt":"Music and Memory","file":{"fid":"259457","name":"file-20241105-15-catmz0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/09\/file-20241105-15-catmz0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/09\/file-20241105-15-catmz0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":42175,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/09\/file-20241105-15-catmz0.jpg?itok=pF0O81l6"}}},"media_ids":["675791"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/music-can-change-how-you-feel-about-the-past-239045","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/yiren-ren-2210672\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003EYiren Ren\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdjunct Researcher in Cognitive Brain Science, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678789":{"#nid":"678789","#data":{"type":"news","title":" From Using Plant Rinds to High-Tech Materials, Bike Helmets Have Improved Significantly Over the Past 2 Centuries","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine \u2013 it\u2019s the mid-1800s, and you\u2019re riding your high-wheeled, penny-farthing bicycle down a dusty road. Sure, it may have some bumps, but if you lose your balance, you\u2019re landing on a relatively soft dirt road. But as the years go by, these roads are replaced with pavement, cobblestones, bricks or wooden slats. All these materials are much harder and still quite bumpy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs paved roads grew more common across the U.S. and Europe, bicyclists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/allthatsinteresting.com\/bicycle-history\/2\u0022\u003Estarted to suffer\u003C\/a\u003E gruesome skull fractures and other serious head injuries during falls.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs head injuries became more common, people started seeking out head protection. But the first bike helmets were very different than helmets of today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Hf8dRC4AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EI\u2019m a materials engineer\u003C\/a\u003E who teaches a course at Georgia Tech about materials science and engineering in sports. The class covers many topics, but particularly helmets, as they\u2019re used in many different sports, including cycling, and the materials they\u2019re made of play an important role in how they work. Over the decades, people have used a wide variety of materials to protect their heads while biking, and companies continue to develop new and innovative materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the beginning, there was the pith helmet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPith Helmets\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first head protection concept introduced to the biking world was a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.helmets.org\/history.htm\u0022\u003Ehat made from pith\u003C\/a\u003E, which is the spongy rind found in the stem of sola plants, \u003Cem\u003Eaeschynomene aspera\u003C\/em\u003E. Pith helmet craftsmen would press the pith into sheets and laminate it across dome-shaped molds to form a helmet shape. Then, they\u2019d cover the hats in canvas as a form of weatherproofing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPith helmets were far from what we would consider a helmet today, but they persisted until the early 20th century, when bicycle-racing clubs emerged. Since pith helmets offered little to no ventilation, the racers began to use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gearist.com\/the-evolution-of-bicycle-helmets\/\u0022\u003Ehalo-shaped leather helmets\u003C\/a\u003E. These had better airflow and were more comfortable, although they weren\u2019t much better at protecting the head.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELeather Halo Helmets\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initial concept for the halo helmet used a simple leather strip wrapped around the forehead. But these halo helmets quickly evolved, as riders arranged additional strips longitudinally from front to back. They wrapped the leather bands in wool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor better head protection, the helmet makers then \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.helmets.org\/history.htm\u0022\u003Estarted adding more layers of leather strips\u003C\/a\u003E to increase the helmet\u2019s thickness. Eventually, they added different materials such as cotton, foam and other textiles into these leather layers for better protection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile these had better airflow than the pith hats, the leather \u201chairnet\u201d helmets continued to offer very little protection during a fall on a paved surface. And, like pith, the leather helmets degraded when exposed to sweat and rain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite these drawbacks, leather strip helmets dominated the market \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.helmets.org\/history.htm\u0022\u003Efor several decades\u003C\/a\u003E as cycling continued to evolve throughout the 20th century.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, in the 1970s, a nonprofit dedicated to testing motorcycle helmets called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.smf.org\/\u0022\u003Ethe Snell Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E released new standards for bike helmets. They set their standards so high that only lightweight motorcycle helmets could pass, which most bicyclists refused to wear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ENew Materials and New Helmets\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe motorcycle equipment manufacturing company Bell Motorsports responded to the new standards by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.helmets.org\/history.htm\u0022\u003Ereleasing the Bell Biker in 1975\u003C\/a\u003E. This helmet used expanded polystyrene, or EPS. EPS is the same foam used to manufacture styrofoam coolers. It\u2019s lightweight and absorbs energy well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConstructing the Bell Biker involved \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gearist.com\/the-evolution-of-bicycle-helmets\/\u0022\u003Espraying EPS into a dome shaped mold\u003C\/a\u003E. The manufacturers used small pellets of a very hard plastic \u2013 polycarbonate, or PC \u2013 to mold an outer shell and then adhere it to the outside of the EPS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike the pith and leather helmets, this design was lightweight, load bearing, impact absorbing and well ventilated. The PC shell provided a smooth surface so that during a fall, the helmet would skid along the pavement instead of getting jerked around and caught, which could cause abrupt head rotation and lead to concussions and other head and neck injuries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next two decades, as cycling became more popular, helmet manufacturers tried to strike the perfect balance between lightweight and ventilated helmets, while simultaneously providing impact protection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn order to decrease weight, a company called Giro Sport Design \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gearist.com\/the-evolution-of-bicycle-helmets\/\u0022\u003Ecreated an all-EPS helmet\u003C\/a\u003E covered by a thin lycra fabric cover instead of a hard PC shell. This design eliminated the weight of the PC shell and improved ventilation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 1989, a company called Pro Tec introduced a helmet with a nylon mesh infused in the EPS foam core. The nylon mesh dramatically increased the helmet\u2019s structural support without the added weight of the PC shell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, as cycling became more competitive, many riders and manufacturers started \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gearist.com\/the-evolution-of-bicycle-helmets\/\u0022\u003Edesigning more aerodynamic helmets\u003C\/a\u003E using the existing materials. A revolutionary teardrop style helmet debuted in the 1984 Olympics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, even casual biking enthusiasts will don teardrop helmets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHelmets on the Market Today\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHelmet makers continue to innovate. Today, many commercial brands use a hard polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, shell around the EPS foam in place of a PC shell to increase the helmet\u2019s protection and lifespan, while decreasing cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, some brands still use PC shells. Instead of gluing them to the EPS foam, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.helmets.org\/history.htm\u0022\u003Eshell serves as the mold itself\u003C\/a\u003E, with the EPS expanding to fit inside it. Manufacturing helmets this way eliminates several process steps, as well as any gaps between the foam and shell. This process makes the helmet both stronger and cheaper to manufacture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs helmets evolve to provide more protection with still lighter weight, materials called copolymers, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, are replacing PC and PET shell materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials that are easier and cheaper to manufacture, such as expanded polyurethane and expanded polypropylene, are also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/schifferbooks.com\/products\/modern-sports-helmets\u0022\u003Estarting to replace\u003C\/a\u003E the ubiquitous EPS core.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as the leather and pith helmets would look strange to a cyclist today, a century from now, bike helmets could be made with entirely new and innovative materials.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/233315\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-using-plant-rinds-to-high-tech-materials-bike-helmets-have-improved-significantly-over-the-past-2-centuries-233315\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs head injuries became more common, people started seeking out head protection. But the first bike helmets were very different than helmets of today.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As head injuries became more common, people started seeking out head protection. But the first bike helmets were very different than helmets of today."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2024-12-09 16:37:12","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:15:25","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675792":{"id":"675792","type":"image","title":"Modern bike helmets are made through complex materials engineering.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern bike helmets are made through complex materials engineering. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/people-in-bicycle-helmets-in-forest-royalty-free-image\/1436148369?phrase=biking\u0026amp;searchscope=image%2Cfilm\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003EJohner Images via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1733764031","gmt_created":"2024-12-09 17:07:11","changed":"1733764031","gmt_changed":"2024-12-09 17:07:11","alt":"Modern bike helmets are made through complex materials engineering.","file":{"fid":"259458","name":"file-20241114-15-8pfjcp.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/09\/file-20241114-15-8pfjcp.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/09\/file-20241114-15-8pfjcp.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1153564,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/09\/file-20241114-15-8pfjcp.png?itok=gUca_fA3"}}},"media_ids":["675792"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-using-plant-rinds-to-high-tech-materials-bike-helmets-have-improved-significantly-over-the-past-2-centuries-233315","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jud-ready-1544003\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPrincipal Research Engineer in Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678754":{"#nid":"678754","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Companies Are Still Committing to Net-Zero Emissions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies around the world are increasingly committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions to slow and ultimately reverse climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne indicator is the number of companies that have set emissions targets as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/\u0022\u003EScience Based Targets initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, or SBTi, a global nonprofit organization. That number grew from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/reports\/sbti-monitoring-report-2023\/global-geographic-growth#:%7E:text=Continued%20growth%20in%20the%20number%20of%20companies%20setting%20targets\u0026amp;text=2%2C080%20companies%20had%20validated%20science,institutions%20with%20science%2Dbased%20targets.\u0022\u003E164 companies in late 2018 to over 6,600 by November 2024\u003C\/a\u003E. And thousands more have committed to lower their emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not always a smooth road, however. Some of those companies \u2013 including big names like Microsoft and Walmart \u2013 have had to pull back on some of their SBTi commitments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=bHuI7f0AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=PVgZllAAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Ethe history\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=5nODHdIAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eof SBTi pledges\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=dVu_OZQAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eto understand these commitments\u003C\/a\u003E and what can undermine them. We believe there is more to the story of these pullbacks than meets the eye.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat is Net Zero?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand corporate climate commitments, let\u2019s start with the concept of \u201cnet zero.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unfccc.int\/process-and-meetings\/the-paris-agreement\u0022\u003EParis Agreement\u003C\/a\u003E, an international treaty on climate change, aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and ideally to 1.5 C (2.7 F). Meeting the more ambitious target of 1.5 C will require reaching \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/netzeroclimate.org\/what-is-net-zero-2\/#:%7E:text=The%20Paris%20Agreement%20marked%20the,of%20emissions%20and%20carbon%20removals.\u0022\u003Enet-zero greenhouse gas emissions\u003C\/a\u003E by around 2050.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENet zero is the point at which the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere is balanced by greenhouse gases removed, either through natural sources like forests or technologies such as carbon capture and storage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/\u0022\u003EScience Based Targets initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, developed alongside the Paris Agreement in 2015, provides a framework to help companies align their efforts with the 1.5 C goal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESBTi Commitments Have Grown Quickly\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/docs.sbtiservices.com\/resources\/ProcedureforValidationofTargets.pdf\u0022\u003Ejoin the initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, companies begin by signing a letter of commitment to set near-term (2030) and long-term (2050) targets for reducing their emissions. Companies have 24 months to develop targets that adhere to SBTi guidelines. If the targets are validated and approved by SBTi, the company announces its targets publicly. The targets must be revalidated every five years, or they expire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe number of global companies committing to and setting targets with SBTi has grown rapidly in recent years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the end of 2023, 7,929 companies representing 39% of global market capitalization had committed to set targets, and 4,205 had targets already validated by SBTi. By November 2024, that number had grown to 6,614.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis impressive participation is particularly significant given SBTi\u2019s high expectations. SBTi requires near-term targets to be set so \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/resources\/files\/SBTi-Corporate-Manual.pdf\u0022\u003Ecompanies reduce emissions by at least 42% by 2030\u003C\/a\u003E from 2020 levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Some Companies Have Pulled Back\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, why are companies like, Walmart, Microsoft and Amazon scaling back their commitments with SBTi?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile some people attribute these moves to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.spglobal.com\/marketintelligence\/en\/news-insights\/latest-news-headlines\/texas-lawmakers-houston-controller-say-anti-esg-law-is-government-overreach-83371504\u0022\u003Epolitical pressure from fossil fuel supporters\u003C\/a\u003E, a closer look at data since 2013 reveals a more complex set of factors that may better explain their actions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe found that, over the past decade, 695 companies either withdrew near- or long-term commitments or had a commitment that expired and was terminated by SBTi. These actions were concentrated in two distinct periods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first period followed SBTi\u2019s decision in April 2019 to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/resources\/legacy\/2019\/03\/SBTi-criteria.pdf\u0022\u003Eupdate its criteria\u003C\/a\u003E, including tightening the minimum target from under 2 C to either \u201cwell below 2 C\u201d or 1.5 C. We believe several companies were unprepared to meet the new requirements. Among the 500 companies that had either committed to or set a target by the end of 2018, 94 (18.8%) terminated their initial commitments after the criteria changed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second period was after January 2023, when \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/news\/statement-on-the-end-of-the-commitment-compliance-policy-grace-period\u0022\u003ESBTi introduced a new compliance policy\u003C\/a\u003E and began removing commitments that had expired. In this period, 531 commitments were terminated \u2013 497 of them because the commitment expired, and 16 because the company withdrew.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s important to recognize that SBTi strategically raised the bar to encourage companies to accelerate their progress in addressing climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReasons Some Companies Have Struggled\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a report in March 2024, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/resources\/files\/SBTi-Business-Ambition-final-report.pdf\u0022\u003ESBTi provided a candid look\u003C\/a\u003E at companies\u2019 climate commitments from 2019 to 2021 and, importantly, where they struggled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApproximately half of the companies that responded to its survey identified the complexity of addressing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/climateleadership\/scope-3-inventory-guidance\u0022\u003EScope 3 emissions\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 emissions from a company\u2019s supply chain and use of its products \u2013 as a primary obstacle to setting net-zero targets. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/esg-investing-has-a-blind-spot-that-puts-the-35-trillion-industrys-sustainability-promises-in-doubt-supply-chains-170199\u0022\u003Esupply chain is often considered a blind spot\u003C\/a\u003E for measuring environmental impact and is difficult for companies to control.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the day the report was released, SBTi removed the long-term commitments of 239 companies. About 60% of those companies had near-term targets that remained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis helps explain the news around companies such as Walmart, Microsoft and Amazon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalmart\u2019s and Microsoft\u2019s long-term net-zero commitments were terminated, though both companies still have valid near-term targets with SBTi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, both reaffirm their environmental commitments in their annual reports. Walmart is currently \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainabilitymag.com\/supply-chain-sustainability\/how-walmart-is-successfully-driving-scope-3-decarbonisation\u0022\u003Efinalizing its Scope 3 emissions analysis\u003C\/a\u003E to inform future strategy development, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/16\/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030\/\u0022\u003EMicrosoft is investing in carbon removal\u003C\/a\u003E technologies to become carbon-negative by 2030.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmazon presents a more challenging case. The company may have faced difficulty meeting SBTi\u2019s stringent mandate, particularly around supply chain emissions. Amazon has said it is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aboutamazon.com\/news\/sustainability\/amazons-approach-to-setting-science-based-targets\u0022\u003Estill committed to reaching net-zero emissions\u003C\/a\u003E and plans to explore setting targets with other organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMany Companies are on Track\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur analysis of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/reports\/sbti-monitoring-report-2022\u0022\u003ESBTi\u2019s progress data\u003C\/a\u003E, which includes all companies that had set a target by 2022 for which SBTi has emissions data, reveals that companies are cutting their emissions by a median annual rate of 5.4%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking just at direct emissions from companies\u2019 operations (Scope 1) and their purchased electricity (Scope 2), companies did even better. The median annual emissions decrease was 7.25% for companies with both Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScope 2 emissions are the low-hanging fruit and frequently align with cost-saving measures like improving energy efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScope 3 emissions, those generated by companies\u2019 suppliers and by consumer use of their products, are the biggest challenge. Companies with a separate Scope 3 target only reduced those emissions by a median annual rate of about 3%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, SBTi announced \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/news\/statement-from-the-sbti-board-of-trustees-on-use-of-environmental-attribute-certificates-including-but-not-limited-to-voluntary-carbon-markets-for-abatement-purposes-limited-to-scope-3\u0022\u003Eplans to revise its Net-Zero Standard\u003C\/a\u003E and allow companies to use carbon offsets to meet their Scope 3 emissions targets, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esgdive.com\/news\/sbti-walks-back-carbon-offset-scope-3policy-changes-after-staff-backlash\/713343\/#:%7E:text=The%20move%20was%20initially%20met,clarifying%20statement%20the%20next%20day.\u0022\u003Edrawing intense criticism\u003C\/a\u003E. Carbon offsets allow companies to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/companies-are-buying-up-cheap-carbon-offsets-data-suggest-its-more-about-greenwashing-than-helping-the-climate-238973\u0022\u003Epay projects to reduce emissions on their behalf\u003C\/a\u003E, such as by planting trees or managing forests.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESBTi\u2019s challenge lies in finding a balance that maintains the integrity of its standards while encouraging broader participation, especially from high-impact industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOther Ways Companies are Reducing Emissions\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile setting and achieving SBTi targets signals a strong commitment to combating climate change, many companies are setting emissions goals and working toward them without joining SBTi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn example is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.drawdowngabusiness.org\/\u0022\u003EDrawdown Georgia Business Compact\u003C\/a\u003E. It was created to accelerate the adoption of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.drawdownga.org\/drawdown-georgia-research\/\u0022\u003E20 technology- and market-ready solutions\u003C\/a\u003E and includes nearly 70 companies, from multinationals headquartered in Georgia like Delta and UPS to small- and medium-size enterprises operating in the state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the compact, companies are advancing initiatives with local economic benefits. For example, they are exploring ways to maximize Georgia forests\u2019 ability to remove carbon and discussing effective ways to deploy \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.drawdowngabusiness.org\/news-and-insights\/fueling-the-future-georgia-tech-and-drawdown-georgia-business-compact-convene-experts-to-drive-sustainable-aviation-fuel-in-the-southeast\u0022\u003Esustainable aviation fuels\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe road to net-zero emissions will be bumpy. Yet the rapid growth of global corporate commitments, as well as action by a wider range of companies at the regional level, suggests corporate efforts are nevertheless moving forward.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/239487\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/companies-are-still-committing-to-net-zero-emissions-even-if-its-a-bumpy-road-heres-what-the-data-show-239487\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech experts study the history of SBTi pledges to understand these commitments and what can undermine them. They believe there is more to the story of these pullbacks than meets the eye.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts study the history of SBTi pledges to understand these commitments and what can undermine them. They believe there is more to the story of these pullbacks than meets the eye."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2024-12-04 17:17:39","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:15:14","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675773":{"id":"675773","type":"image","title":" Companies are cutting emissions fastest from energy use.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies are cutting emissions fastest from energy use. Falling solar prices help. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/photovoltaic-panels-installed-on-the-roofs-of-enterprises-news-photo\/2170118102\u0022\u003ECFOTO\/Future Publishing via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1733333134","gmt_created":"2024-12-04 17:25:34","changed":"1733333134","gmt_changed":"2024-12-04 17:25:34","alt":" Companies are cutting emissions fastest from energy use. Falling solar prices help. CFOTO\/Future Publishing via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"259438","name":"file-20241120-19-qf29e9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/04\/file-20241120-19-qf29e9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/04\/file-20241120-19-qf29e9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":235122,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/04\/file-20241120-19-qf29e9.jpg?itok=StiQpiEs"}}},"media_ids":["675773"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/companies-are-still-committing-to-net-zero-emissions-even-if-its-a-bumpy-road-heres-what-the-data-show-239487","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1274","name":"Scheller College of Business"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EL. Beril Toktay\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EProfessor of Operations Management, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbhinav Shubham\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPh.D. Candidate in Operations Management, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDonghyun (Daniel) Choi\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPh.D. Candidate in Operations Management, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManpreet S. Hora\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EProfessor of Operations Management, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678871":{"#nid":"678871","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Cities Are Reinventing the Public-Private Partnership ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECities tackle a vast array of responsibilities \u2013 from building transit networks to running schools \u2013 and sometimes they can use a little help. That\u2019s why local governments have long teamed up with businesses in so-called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ppp.worldbank.org\/public-private-partnership\/about-us\/about-public-private-partnerships\u0022\u003Epublic-private partnerships\u003C\/a\u003E. Historically, these arrangements have helped cities fund big infrastructure projects such as bridges and hospitals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, our analysis and research show an emerging trend with local governments engaged in private-sector collaborations \u2013 what we have come to describe as \u201ccommunity-centered, public-private partnerships,\u201d or CP3s. Unlike traditional public-private partnerships, CP3s aren\u2019t just about financial investments; they leverage relationships and trust. And they\u2019re about more than just building infrastructure; they\u2019re about building resilient and inclusive communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the founding executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pingeorgia.org\u0022\u003EPartnership for Inclusive Innovation\u003C\/a\u003E, based out of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, I\u2019m fascinated with CP3s. And while not all CP3s are successful, when done right they offer local governments a powerful tool to navigate the complexities of modern urban life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether with international climate finance expert \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.c40.org\/our-team\/andrea-fernandez\/\u0022\u003EAndrea Fern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/a\u003E of the urban climate leadership group C40, we analyzed community-centered, public-private partnerships across the world and put together \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/shop.theiet.org\/empowering-smart-cities-through-community-centred-public-private-partnerships-and-innovations\u0022\u003Eeight case studies\u003C\/a\u003E. Together, they offer valuable insights into how cities can harness the power of CP3s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E4 Keys to Success\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough we looked at partnerships forged in different countries and contexts, we saw several elements emerge as critical to success over and over again.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Clear mission and vision\u003C\/strong\u003E: It\u2019s essential to have a mission that resonates with everyone involved. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rutanmedellin.org\u0022\u003ERuta N\u003C\/a\u003E in Medell\u00edn, Colombia, for example, transformed the city into a hub of innovation, attracting 471 technology companies and creating 22,500 jobs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis vision wasn\u2019t static. It evolved in response to changing local dynamics, including leadership priorities and broader global trends. However, the core mission of entrepreneurship, investment and innovation remained clear and was embraced by all key stakeholders, driving the partnership forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Diverse and engaged partners\u003C\/strong\u003E: Successful CP3s rely on the active involvement of a wide range of partners, each bringing their unique expertise and resources to the table. In the U.K., for example, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ohyesnetzero.co.uk\u0022\u003EHull net-zero climate initiative\u003C\/a\u003E featured a partnership that included more than 150 companies, many small and medium-size. This diversity of partners was crucial to the initiative\u2019s success because they could leverage resources and share risks, enabling it to address complex challenges from multiple angles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thinkcity.com.my\u0022\u003EMalaysia\u2019s Think City\u003C\/a\u003E engaged community-based organizations and vulnerable populations in its Penang climate adaptation program. This ensured that the partnership was inclusive and responsive to the needs of all citizens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Robust governance structure\u003C\/strong\u003E: Effective governance is key to ensuring that CP3s operate smoothly and achieve their objectives. For example, in Melbourne, Australia, the City Professorial Chair in Urban Resilience and Innovation includes representatives from the city and a university. It has a formal communication structure where research informs policy and vice versa. It aims to harness the research to better inform and guide policymaking and in turn advance research by putting it into city practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn South Africa, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gcro.ac.za\u0022\u003EGauteng City-Region Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E bridges academia and government to drive urban development. Its governance structure, which includes a diverse board appointed by the province\u2019s premier, ensures that the partnership remains focused and effective. It means that it goes beyond any one organization\u2019s evolving agendas and leadership for longer-term community gains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Commitment to innovation and growth\u003C\/strong\u003E: While we found that securing funding and in-kind support is important, demonstrating economic impact is crucial for the sustainability of CP3s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDublin\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/smartdocklands.ie\u0022\u003ESmart Docklands\u003C\/a\u003E initiative is a prime example of this. By leveraging technology to address community needs, the partnership attracted over 3 million euros (US$3.2 billion) in investments and quadrupled the project\u2019s funding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative not only boosted Dublin\u2019s connectivity and tech infrastructure but also addressed public safety through solutions such as smart ring buoys. The buoys are life preservers with sensors to alert the city when its buoys are tampered with or stolen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe case studies show that CP3s can be a globally applicable model for urban development, not merely a passing trend. By fostering collective action, sharing risks and leveraging multiple sources of funding, CP3s can be a powerful tool for cities navigating the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/239155\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-cities-are-reinventing-the-public-private-partnership-4-lessons-from-around-the-globe-239155\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnalysis and research show an emerging trend with local governments engaged in private-sector collaborations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Analysis and research show an emerging trend with local governments engaged in private-sector collaborations."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2024-12-16 15:27:05","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:15:09","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675859":{"id":"675859","type":"image","title":" The Ruta N partnership in Medell\u00edn, Colombia, generated thousands of jobs. Jorge Calle\/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Ruta N partnership in Medell\u00edn, Colombia, generated thousands of jobs. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/view-of-the-green-wall-in-medellin-colombia-on-may-10-2022-news-photo\/1240640343?adppopup=true\u0022\u003EJorge Calle\/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1734363174","gmt_created":"2024-12-16 15:32:54","changed":"1734363174","gmt_changed":"2024-12-16 15:32:54","alt":" The Ruta N partnership in Medell\u00edn, Colombia, generated thousands of jobs. Jorge Calle\/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"259533","name":"file-20241113-17-3xzgqy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/16\/file-20241113-17-3xzgqy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/16\/file-20241113-17-3xzgqy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":202655,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/16\/file-20241113-17-3xzgqy.jpg?itok=CIbI3DNy"}}},"media_ids":["675859"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-cities-are-reinventing-the-public-private-partnership-4-lessons-from-around-the-globe-239155","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"236531","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/debra-lam-2212654\u0022\u003EDebra Lam\u003C\/a\u003E, Founding Director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678877":{"#nid":"678877","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Does the International Space Station Orbit Earth Without Burning\u00a0Up?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFlying through Earth\u2019s orbit are thousands of satellites and two operational space stations, including the International Space Station, which weighs as much as 77 elephants. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/international-space-station\/\u0022\u003EThe International Space Station\u003C\/a\u003E, or ISS, hosts scientists and researchers from around the world as they contribute to discoveries in medicine, microbiology, Earth and space science, and more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of my first jobs in aerospace engineering was working on the ISS, and the ISS remains one of my favorite aerospace systems. I now work at Georgia Tech, where \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/kelly-griendling\u0022\u003EI teach aerospace engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ISS travels very quickly around the Earth at 5 miles per second (8 kilometers per second), which means it could fly from Atlanta to London in 14 minutes. But at the same time, small chunks of rock called meteoroids shoot through space and burn up when they hit Earth\u2019s atmosphere. How is it that some objects \u2013 such as the International Space Station \u2013 orbit the Earth unscathed, while others, such as asteroids, burn up?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo answer why the ISS can stay in orbit for decades unscathed, you first need to understand why some things, such as meteoroids, do burn up when they enter our planet\u2019s atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Do Meteoroids Burn Up in the Atmosphere?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/meteors-meteorites\/\u0022\u003EMeteoroids are small chunks of rock and metal\u003C\/a\u003E that orbit the Sun. These space rocks can travel between 7 and 25 miles per second (12 to 40 km per second). That\u2019s fast enough to cross the entire United States in about 5 minutes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes, the orbit of a meteoroid overlaps with Earth, and the meteoroid enters Earth\u2019s atmosphere \u2013 where it burns up and disintegrates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though you can\u2019t see them, the atmosphere is full of a combination of particles, primarily nitrogen and oxygen, which make up the air you breathe. The farther you are from the surface of the Earth, the lower the density of particles in the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scied.ucar.edu\/learning-zone\/atmosphere\/layers-earths-atmosphere\u0022\u003Eatmosphere has several layers\u003C\/a\u003E. When something from space enters the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, it must pass through each of these layers before it reaches the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.wustl.edu\/meteoritesite\/items\/meteors\/\u0022\u003EMeteoroids\u003C\/a\u003E burn up in a part of Earth\u2019s atmosphere \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scied.ucar.edu\/learning-zone\/atmosphere\/mesosphere\u0022\u003Ecalled the mesosphere\u003C\/a\u003E, which is 30 to 50 miles (48 to 80 kilometers) above the ground. Even though the air is thin up there, meteoroids still bump into air particles as they fly through.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen meteoroids zoom through the atmosphere at these very high speeds, they are destroyed by a process that causes them to heat up and break apart. The meteoroid pushes the air particles together, kind of like how a bulldozer pushes dirt. This process creates a lot of pressure and heat. The air particles hit the meteoroid \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.howstuffworks.com\/transport\/flight\/modern\/hypersonic-plane.htm\u0022\u003Eat hypersonic speeds\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 much faster than the speed of sound \u2013 causing atoms to break away and form cracks in the meteroid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe high pressure and hot air get into the cracks, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2020JA028229\u0022\u003Emaking the meteoroid break apart\u003C\/a\u003E and burn up as it falls through the sky. This process is called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r4roWT1SD2s\u0022\u003Emeteoroid ablation\u003C\/a\u003E and is what you are actually seeing when you witness a \u201cshooting star.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Doesn\u2019t the Space Station Burn Up?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo why doesn\u2019t this happen to the International Space Station?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ISS does not fly in the mesosphere. Instead, the ISS flies in a higher and much less dense layer of the atmosphere \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spaceplace.nasa.gov\/thermosphere\/en\/\u0022\u003Ecalled the thermosphere\u003C\/a\u003E, which extends from 50 miles (80 km) to 440 miles (708 km) above Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Karman-line\u0022\u003EThe K\u00e1rm\u00e1n line\u003C\/a\u003E, which is considered the boundary of space, is in the thermosphere, 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface of the Earth. The space station flies even higher, at about 250 miles (402 km) above the surface.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe thermosphere has too few particles to transmit heat. At the height of the space station, the atmosphere is so thin that to collect enough particles to equal the mass of just one apple, you would need a box the size of Lake Superior!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, the ISS doesn\u2019t experience the same kind of interactions with atmospheric particles, nor the high pressure and heat that meteoroids traveling closer to Earth do, so it doesn\u2019t burn up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA High-Flying Research Hub\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the ISS doesn\u2019t burn up, it does experience large temperature swings. As it orbits Earth, it is alternately exposed to direct sunlight and darkness. Temperatures can reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) when it\u2019s exposed to the Sun, and then they can drop to as low as -250 degrees F (-156 degrees Celsius) when it\u2019s in the dark \u2013 a swing of 500 degrees F (277 degrees C) as it moves through orbit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe engineers who designed the station carefully selected materials that can handle these temperature swings. The inside of the space station is kept at comfortable temperatures for the astronauts, the same way people on Earth heat and cool our homes to stay comfortable indoors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/station\/20-breakthroughs-from-20-years-of-science-aboard-the-international-space-station\/\u0022\u003EResearch on the ISS\u003C\/a\u003E has led to advancements such as improved \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Science_Exploration\/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration\/International_Space_Station_Benefits_for_Humanity\/Advanced_NASA_Technology_Supports_Water_Purification_Efforts_Worldwide\u0022\u003Ewater filtration technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, a better understanding of Earth\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/earth-science-at-ames\/missions\/water-and-energy-cycle\/\u0022\u003Ewater and energy cycles\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/exploration-research-and-technology\/growing-plants-in-space\/\u0022\u003Etechniques to grow food in space\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/three-space-station-studies-helping-scientists-understand-the-early-universe\/\u0022\u003Einsights into black holes\u003C\/a\u003E, a better understanding of how \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/spending-time-in-space-can-harm-the-human-body-but-scientists-are-working-to-mitigate-these-risks-before-sending-people-to-mars-210761\u0022\u003Ethe human body changes\u003C\/a\u003E during \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/does-a-year-in-space-make-you-older-or-younger-111812\u0022\u003Elong-duration space travel\u003C\/a\u003E, and new studies on a variety of diseases and treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENASA plans to keep the ISS active until 2030, when all of the astronauts will return to Earth and the ISS will be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-selects-international-space-station-us-deorbit-vehicle\/\u0022\u003Edeorbited\u003C\/a\u003E, or brought down from orbit by a specially designed spacecraft.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs it comes down through Earth\u2019s atmosphere in the deorbiting process, it will enter the mesosphere, where many parts of it will heat up and disintegrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome spacecraft, such as the crew capsules that bring astronauts to and from the ISS, can survive reentry into the atmosphere using their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/engineering\/heat-shield\u0022\u003Eheat shield\u003C\/a\u003E. That\u2019s a special layer made up of materials that are able to withstand very high temperatures. The ISS wasn\u2019t designed for that, so it doesn\u2019t have a heat shield.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019d like to see the space station as it passes over your area, you can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spotthestation.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003Echeck out NASA\u2019s website\u003C\/a\u003E to find out when it might be visible near you.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/240412\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-does-the-international-space-station-orbit-earth-without-burning-up-240412\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFlying through Earth\u2019s orbit are thousands of satellites and two operational space stations, including the International Space Station, which weighs as much as 77 elephants.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Flying through Earth\u2019s orbit are thousands of satellites and two operational space stations, including the International Space Station, which weighs as much as 77 elephants."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2024-12-16 15:34:36","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:14:58","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675860":{"id":"675860","type":"image","title":" The International Space Station orbits Earth. NASA\/Roscosmos","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe International Space Station orbits Earth. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/international-space-station\/\u0022\u003ENASA\/Roscosmos\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1734364444","gmt_created":"2024-12-16 15:54:04","changed":"1734364444","gmt_changed":"2024-12-16 15:54:04","alt":" The International Space Station orbits Earth. NASA\/Roscosmos","file":{"fid":"259534","name":"file-20241030-15-lsj7ed.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/16\/file-20241030-15-lsj7ed.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/16\/file-20241030-15-lsj7ed.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1172087,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/16\/file-20241030-15-lsj7ed.png?itok=AXQPMQ19"}}},"media_ids":["675860"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-does-the-international-space-station-orbit-earth-without-burning-up-240412","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/kelly-griendling-2225547\u0022\u003EKelly Griendling\u003C\/a\u003E, Lecturer of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679654":{"#nid":"679654","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Does a Rocket Have to go 25,000 mph to Escape Earth?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy does a rocket have to go 25,000 mph (about 40,000 kilometers per hour) to escape Earth? \u2013 Bo H., age 10, Durham, New Hampshire\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a reason why a rocket has to go so fast to escape Earth. It\u2019s about gravity \u2013 something all of us \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www1.grc.nasa.gov\/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics\/weight-equation\/\u0022\u003Eexperience every moment of every day\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGravity is the force that pulls you toward the ground. And that\u2019s a good thing. Gravity keeps you on Earth; otherwise, you would float away into space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut gravity also makes it difficult to leave Earth if you\u2019re a rocket heading for space. Escaping our planet\u2019s gravitational pull is hard \u2013 not only is gravity strong, but it also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uu.edu\/dept\/physics\/scienceguys\/2004oct.cfm\u0022\u003Eextends far away from Earth\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELike a Balloon\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/benjamin-lee-emerson-ii\u0022\u003Ea rocket scientist\u003C\/a\u003E, one of the things I do is teach students how rockets overcome gravity. Here\u2019s how it works:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEssentially, the rocket has to make thrust \u2013 that is, create force \u2013 by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.grc.nasa.gov\/www\/k-12\/airplane\/rocket.html\u0022\u003Eburning propellant to make hot gases\u003C\/a\u003E. Then it shoots those hot gases out of a nozzle. It\u2019s sort of like blowing up a balloon, letting go of it and watching it fly away as the air rushes out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore specifically, the rocket propellant \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/Rocketology\/tag\/propellant\/#:%7E\u0022\u003Econsists of both fuel and oxidizer\u003C\/a\u003E. The fuel is typically something flammable, usually hydrogen, methane or kerosene. The oxidizer is usually liquid oxygen, which reacts with the fuel and allows it to burn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen going into space and escaping from Earth, rockets need lots of force, so they consume propellant very quickly. That\u2019s a problem, because the rocket can\u2019t carry enough propellant to keep thrusting forever; the amount of propellant needed would make the rocket too heavy to get off the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what happens when the propellant runs out? The thrust stops, and gravity slows the rocket down until it gradually begins to fall back to Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, scientists can launch the rocket with some sideways momentum so that it misses the Earth when it returns. They can even do this so it continuously falls around the Earth forever. In other words, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spaceplace.nasa.gov\/orbits\/en\/\u0022\u003Eit goes into orbit\u003C\/a\u003E, and begins to circle the planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany launches intentionally don\u2019t completely leave Earth behind. Thousands of satellites are orbiting our planet right now, and they help phones and TVs work, display weather patterns for meteorologists, and even let you use a credit card to pay for things at the store or gas at the pump. You can sometimes see these satellites in the night sky, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lompocrecord.com\/ask-the-weather-guys-can-we-see-satellites-at-night\/article_b67eeaa9-f7c5-56df-9646-5a0187c9eb53.html#:%7E\u0022\u003Eincluding the International Space Station\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Lti6a_YYQl0?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAn Atlas V rocket took NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover to Mars.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEscaping Earth\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut suppose the goal is to let the rocket escape from Earth\u2019s gravity forever so it can fly off into the depths of space. That\u2019s when scientists do \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.discovermagazine.com\/the-sciences\/the-how-and-why-of-rockets-staging\u0022\u003Ea neat trick called staging\u003C\/a\u003E. They launch with a big rocket, and then, once in space, discard it to use a smaller rocket. That way, the journey can continue without the weight of the bigger rocket, and less propellant is needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut even staging is not enough; eventually the rocket will run out of propellant. But if the rocket goes fast enough, it can run out of propellant and still continue to coast away from Earth forever, without gravity pulling it back. It\u2019s like riding a bike: build up enough speed and eventually you can coast up a hill without pedaling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd just like there\u2019s a minimum speed required to coast the bike, there\u2019s a minimum speed a rocket needs to coast away into space: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/letstalkscience.ca\/educational-resources\/stem-explained\/escape-velocity\u0022\u003E25,020 mph\u003C\/a\u003E (about 40,000 kilometers per hour).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists call that speed the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/escape-velocity\u0022\u003Eescape velocity\u003C\/a\u003E. A rocket needs to go that fast so that the momentum propelling it away from Earth is stronger than the force of gravity pulling it back. Any slower, and you\u2019ll go into an orbit of Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEscaping Jupiter\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBigger, or more massive, objects have stronger gravitational pull. A rocket launching from a planet bigger than Earth would need to achieve a higher escape speed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, Jupiter is the most massive planet in our solar system. It\u2019s so big, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-can-jupiter-have-no-surface-a-dive-into-a-planet-so-big-it-could-swallow-1-000-earths-231901\u0022\u003Eit could swallow 1,000 Earths\u003C\/a\u003E. So it requires a very high escape speed: 133,100 mph (about 214,000 kilometers per hour), more than five times the escape speed of Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the extreme example is a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/universe\/what-are-black-holes\/#:%7E\u0022\u003Eblack hole\u003C\/a\u003E, an object so massive that its escape speed is extraordinarily high. So high, in fact, that even light \u2013 which has a speed of about 670 million mph (over a billion kilometers per hour) \u2013 is not fast enough to escape. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called a black hole.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/243338\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-does-a-rocket-have-to-go-25-000-mph-to-escape-earth-243338\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a reason why a rocket has to go so fast to escape Earth. It\u2019s about gravity \u2013 something all of us experience every moment of every day.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"There\u2019s a reason why a rocket has to go so fast to escape Earth. It\u2019s about gravity \u2013 something all of us experience every moment of every day."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-01-14 14:36:30","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:14:35","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676051":{"id":"676051","type":"image","title":"falconrocket.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with its Crew Dragon capsule launches from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in January 2024. Chandan Khanna\/AFP via Getty Images\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1737069110","gmt_created":"2025-01-16 23:11:50","changed":"1737069219","gmt_changed":"2025-01-16 23:13:39","alt":"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ","file":{"fid":"259756","name":"falconrocket.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/16\/falconrocket.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/16\/falconrocket.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128028,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/16\/falconrocket.jpg?itok=6JI7e8cL"}}},"media_ids":["676051"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-does-a-rocket-have-to-go-25-000-mph-to-escape-earth-243338","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/benjamin-l-emerson-2255671\u0022\u003EBenjamin L. Emerson\u003C\/a\u003E, Principal Research Engineer, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679708":{"#nid":"679708","#data":{"type":"news","title":" With More Americans Able to Access Legalized Marijuana, Fewer Are Picking Up Prescriptions for Anti-Anxiety Medications","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are filling prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety. That is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2024.32021\u0022\u003Ethe key finding\u003C\/a\u003E of my recent study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/ashley-bradford\u0022\u003Eapplied policy researcher\u003C\/a\u003E who studies the economics of risky behaviors and substance use within the United States. My collaborators and I wanted to understand how medical and recreational marijuana laws and marijuana dispensary openings have affected the rate at which patients fill prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications among people who have private medical insurance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/treatments\/24570-benzodiazepines-benzos\u0022\u003EBenzodiazepines\u003C\/a\u003E, which work by increasing the level of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/22857-gamma-aminobutyric-acid-gaba\u0022\u003Egamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA\u003C\/a\u003E, a neurotransmitter that elicits a calming effect by reducing activity in the nervous system. This category includes the depressants Valium, Xanax and Ativan, among others.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/treatments\/24692-antipsychotic-medications\u0022\u003EAntipsychotics\u003C\/a\u003E, a class of drug that addresses psychosis symptoms in a variety of ways.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/treatments\/9301-antidepressants-depression-medication\u0022\u003EAntidepressants\u003C\/a\u003E, which relieve symptoms of depression by affecting neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. The most well-known example of these is selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/depression\/in-depth\/ssris\/art-20044825\u0022\u003ESSRIs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also included \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/treatments\/23271-barbiturates\u0022\u003Ebarbiturates\u003C\/a\u003E, which are sedatives, and sleep medications \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/taking-z-drugs-insomnia-know-risks\u0022\u003Esometimes called \u201cZ-drugs\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 both of which are used to treat insomnia. In contrast to the other three categories, we did not estimate any policy impacts for either of these types of drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe find consistent evidence that increased marijuana access is associated with reductions in benzodiazepine prescription fills. \u201cFills\u201d refer to the number of prescriptions being picked up by patients, rather than the number of prescriptions doctors write. This is based on calculating the rate of individual patients who filled a prescription in a state, the average days of supply per prescription fill, and average prescription fills per patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENotably, we found that not all state policies led to similar changes in prescription fill patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D5Vsm_Daexg?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe effects of benzodiazepines on the brain have to do with their ability to bind to the receptors of the neurotransmitter GABA.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy it Matters\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2021, nearly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/mental-illness\u0022\u003E23% of the adult U.S. population\u003C\/a\u003E reported having a diagnosable mental health disorder. Yet only 65.4% of those individuals reported receiving treatment within the past year. This lack of treatment can exacerbate current mental health disorders, leading to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mental-health\/about\/index.html\u0022\u003Eincreased risk for additional chronic conditions\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarijuana access introduces an alternative treatment to traditional prescription medication that may provide easier access for some patients. Many state medical laws allow patients with mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/procon\/medical-marijuana-debate#ref395545\u0022\u003Euse medical cannabis\u003C\/a\u003E, while recreational laws expand access to all adults.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur findings have important implications for insurance systems, prescribers, policymakers and patients. Benzodiazepine use, like opioid use, can be dangerous for patients, especially when the two classes of drugs are used together. Given the high level of opioid poisonings that also involve benzodiazepines \u2013 in 2020, they made up \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nida.nih.gov\/research-topics\/opioids\/benzodiazepines-opioids\u0022\u003E14% of total opioid overdose deaths\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 our findings offer insights into potential substitution with marijuana for medications where misuse is plausible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Still Isn\u2019t Known\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur research does not clarify whether the changes in dispensing patterns led to measurable changes in patient outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is some evidence that marijuana acts as an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/can.2017.29009.dpi\u0022\u003Eeffective anxiety treatment\u003C\/a\u003E. If this is the case, moving away from benzodiazepine use \u2013 which is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/neurolint13040059\u0022\u003Eassociated with significant negative side effects\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 toward marijuana use may improve patient outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis finding is critical given that about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1176\/appi.ps.201800321\u0022\u003E5% of the U.S. population\u003C\/a\u003E is prescribed benzodiazepines. Substituting marijuana has the potential to result in fewer negative side effects nationwide, but it\u2019s not yet clear if marijuana will be equally effective at treating anxiety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur study also found evidence of a slight \u2013 albeit somewhat less significant \u2013 increase in antipsychotic and antidepressant dispensing. But it\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1257\/jel.20211635\u0022\u003Enot clear\u003C\/a\u003E yet whether marijuana access, particularly recreational access, increases rates of psychotic disorders and depression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile we found that, overall, marijuana access led to increased antidepressant and antipsychotic fills, some individual states saw decreases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is a lot of variation in the details of state marijuana laws, and it\u2019s possible that some of those details are leading to these meaningful differences in outcomes. I believe this difference in outcomes from state to state is an important finding for policymakers who may want to tailor their laws toward specific goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us\/topics\/research-brief-83231\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch Brief\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is a short take on interesting academic work.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/244646\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/with-more-americans-able-to-access-legalized-marijuana-fewer-are-picking-up-prescriptions-for-anti-anxiety-medications-new-research-244646\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are filling prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are filling prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-01-17 16:22:39","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:14:25","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676054":{"id":"676054","type":"image","title":" New research suggests that in some states, medicinal cannabis use could be leading to a reduction in the use of anxiety medications. Olena Ruban\/Moment via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;New research suggests that in some states, medicinal cannabis use could be leading to a reduction in the use of anxiety medications. Olena Ruban\/Moment via Getty Images\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1737131191","gmt_created":"2025-01-17 16:26:31","changed":"1737131191","gmt_changed":"2025-01-17 16:26:31","alt":" New research suggests that in some states, medicinal cannabis use could be leading to a reduction in the use of anxiety medications. Olena Ruban\/Moment via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"259759","name":"file-20250107-15-tzxryg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250107-15-tzxryg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250107-15-tzxryg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":334933,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250107-15-tzxryg.jpg?itok=6VryVQmx"}}},"media_ids":["676054"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/with-more-americans-able-to-access-legalized-marijuana-fewer-are-picking-up-prescriptions-for-anti-anxiety-medications-new-research-244646","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/ashley-bradford-2269950\u0022\u003EAshley Bradford\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682964":{"#nid":"682964","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cyberattacks Shake Voters\u2019 Trust in Elections, Regardless of\u00a0Party","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAmerican democracy runs on trust, and that trust is cracking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENearly half of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, question whether elections are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/651185\/partisan-split-election-integrity-gets-even-wider.aspx\u0022\u003Econducted fairly\u003C\/a\u003E. Some voters accept election results only \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/worldjusticeproject.org\/our-work\/research-and-data\/rule-law-united-states\u0022\u003Ewhen their side wins\u003C\/a\u003E. The problem isn\u2019t just political polarization \u2013 it\u2019s a creeping \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2018\/10\/29\/elections-in-america-concerns-over-security-divisions-over-expanding-access-to-voting\/\u0022\u003Eerosion of trust\u003C\/a\u003E in the machinery of democracy itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommentators blame ideological tribalism, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/01\/09\/business\/media\/election-disinformation-2024.html\u0022\u003Emisinformation campaigns\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/06\/15\/opinion\/social-media-polarization-democracy.html\u0022\u003Epartisan echo chambers\u003C\/a\u003E for this crisis of trust. But these explanations miss a critical piece of the puzzle: a growing unease with the digital infrastructure that now underpins nearly every aspect of how Americans vote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe digital transformation of American elections has been swift and sweeping. Just two decades ago, most people voted using mechanical levers or punch cards. Today, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/electionlab.mit.edu\/research\/voting-technology\u0022\u003Eover 95% of ballots\u003C\/a\u003E are counted electronically. Digital systems have replaced poll books, taken over voter identity verification processes and are integrated into registration, counting, auditing and voting systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis technological leap has made voting more accessible and efficient, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/voting-has-never-been-more-secure-than-it-is-right-now\/\u0022\u003Esometimes more secure\u003C\/a\u003E. But these new systems are also more complex. And that complexity plays into the hands of those looking to undermine democracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn recent years, authoritarian regimes have refined a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/china-midterms-elections-influence-nord-hacking\/\u0022\u003Echillingly effective strategy\u003C\/a\u003E to chip away at Americans\u2019 faith in democracy by relentlessly sowing doubt about the tools U.S. states use to conduct elections. It\u2019s a sustained \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/misinformation-is-eroding-the-publics-confidence-in-democracy\/\u0022\u003Ecampaign to fracture civic faith\u003C\/a\u003E and make Americans believe that democracy is rigged, especially when their side loses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is not cyberwar in the traditional sense. There\u2019s no evidence that anyone has managed to break into voting machines and alter votes. But cyberattacks on election systems don\u2019t need to succeed to have an effect. Even a single failed intrusion, magnified by sensational headlines and political echo chambers, is enough to shake public trust. By feeding into existing anxiety about the complexity and opacity of digital systems, adversaries create \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/01\/business\/media\/china-online-disinformation-us-election.html\u0022\u003Efertile ground for disinformation and conspiracy theories\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ebhqDNPjitU?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EJust before the 2024 presidential election, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Jen Easterly explains how foreign influence campaigns erode trust in U.S. elections.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETesting Cyber Fears\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test this dynamic, we launched a study to uncover precisely how cyberattacks corroded trust in the vote during the 2024 U.S. presidential race. We surveyed more than 3,000 voters before and after election day, testing them using a series of fictional but highly realistic breaking news reports depicting cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. We randomly assigned participants to watch different types of news reports: some depicting cyberattacks on election systems, others on unrelated infrastructure such as the power grid, and a third, neutral control group.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results, which are under peer review, were both striking and sobering. Mere exposure to reports of cyberattacks \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1M0iGIYk_WsxumppZ4ZEVAANS4CC9lTaQ\/view\u0022\u003Eundermined trust in the electoral process\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 regardless of partisanship. Voters who supported the losing candidate experienced the greatest drop in trust, with two-thirds of Democratic voters showing heightened skepticism toward the election results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut winners too showed diminished confidence. Even though most Republican voters, buoyed by their victory, accepted the overall security of the election, the majority of those who viewed news reports about cyberattacks remained suspicious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe attacks didn\u2019t even have to be related to the election. Even cyberattacks against critical infrastructure such as utilities had spillover effects. Voters seemed to extrapolate: \u201cIf the power grid can be hacked, why should I believe that voting machines are secure?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrikingly, voters who used digital machines to cast their ballots were the most rattled. For this group of people, belief in the accuracy of the vote count fell by nearly twice as much as that of voters who cast their ballots by mail and who didn\u2019t use any technology. Their firsthand experience with the sorts of systems being portrayed as vulnerable personalized the threat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not hard to see why. When you\u2019ve just used a touchscreen to vote, and then you see a news report about a digital system being breached, the leap in logic isn\u2019t far.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur data suggests that in a digital society, perceptions of trust \u2013 and distrust \u2013 are fluid, contagious and easily activated. The cyber domain isn\u2019t just about networks and code. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jogss\/ogac042\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s also about emotions\u003C\/a\u003E: fear, vulnerability and uncertainty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFirewall of Trust\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoes this mean we should scrap electronic voting machines? Not necessarily.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery election system, digital or analog, has flaws. And in many respects, today\u2019s high-tech systems have solved the problems of the past with voter-verifiable paper ballots. Modern voting machines reduce human error, increase accessibility and speed up the vote count. No one misses the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2000\/11\/12\/us\/counting-the-vote-the-ballots-after-cards-are-poked-the-confetti-can-count.html\u0022\u003Ehanging chads\u003C\/a\u003E of 2000.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut technology, no matter how advanced, cannot instill legitimacy on its own. It must be paired with something harder to code: public trust. In an environment where foreign adversaries amplify every flaw, cyberattacks can trigger spirals of suspicion. It is no longer enough for elections to be secure \u2212 voters must also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2018\/apr\/18\/american-elections-hack-bruce-scheier\u0022\u003Eperceive them to be secure\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/22\/learning\/2024-election-teaching-resources.html\u0022\u003Epublic education\u003C\/a\u003E surrounding elections is now as vital to election security as firewalls and encrypted networks. It\u2019s vital that voters understand how elections are run, how they\u2019re protected and how failures are caught and corrected. Election officials, civil society groups and researchers can teach \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/verifiedvoting.org\/audits\/\u0022\u003Ehow audits work\u003C\/a\u003E, host open-source verification demonstrations and ensure that high-tech electoral processes are comprehensible to voters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe believe this is an essential investment in democratic resilience. But it needs to be proactive, not reactive. By the time the doubt takes hold, it\u2019s already too late.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as crucially, we are convinced that it\u2019s time to rethink the very nature of cyber threats. People often imagine them in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/17\/us\/politics\/china-cyber-us-infrastructure.html\u0022\u003Emilitary terms\u003C\/a\u003E. But that framework misses the true power of these threats. The danger of cyberattacks is not only that they can destroy infrastructure or steal classified secrets, but that they chip away at societal cohesion, sow anxiety and fray citizens\u2019 confidence in democratic institutions. These attacks erode the very idea of truth itself by making people doubt that anything can be trusted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf trust is the target, then we believe that elected officials should start to treat trust as a national asset: something to be built, renewed and defended. Because in the end, elections aren\u2019t just about votes being counted \u2013 they\u2019re about people believing that those votes count.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd in that belief lies the true firewall of democracy.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/259368\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cyberattacks-shake-voters-trust-in-elections-regardless-of-party-259368\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENearly half of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, question whether elections are conducted fairly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nearly half of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, question whether elections are conducted fairly. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-06-27 13:20:43","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:14:15","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677317":{"id":"677317","type":"image","title":"Voting Machine","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVoting Machine\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1751376187","gmt_created":"2025-07-01 13:23:07","changed":"1751376187","gmt_changed":"2025-07-01 13:23:07","alt":"Voting Machine","file":{"fid":"261203","name":"file-20250623-68-5uf1q2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/01\/file-20250623-68-5uf1q2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/01\/file-20250623-68-5uf1q2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":395723,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/01\/file-20250623-68-5uf1q2.jpg?itok=_6eV5iP0"}}},"media_ids":["677317"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cyberattacks-shake-voters-trust-in-elections-regardless-of-party-259368","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/ryan-shandler-1527508\u0022\u003ERyan Shandler\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Cybersecurity and International Relations, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/anthony-j-demattee-2416603\u0022\u003EAnthony J. DeMattee\u003C\/a\u003E, Data Scientist and Adjunct Instructor, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/emory-university-1332\u0022\u003EEmory University\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/bruce-schneier-446919\u0022\u003EBruce Schneier\u003C\/a\u003E, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/harvard-kennedy-school-3840\u0022\u003EHarvard Kennedy School\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683265":{"#nid":"683265","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College \u2018General Education\u2019 Requirements Help Prepare Students for Citizenship \u2014 But Critics Say It\u2019s Learning Time Taken Away From Useful Studies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat do Americans think of when they hear the words \u201cgeneral education\u201d?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy definition, general education covers introductory college courses in arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics. It has different names, including core curriculum or distribution requirements, depending on the college or university.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is also sometimes called liberal education, including by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aacu.org\/trending-topics\/what-is-liberal-education\u0022\u003EAmerican Association of Colleges and Universities\u003C\/a\u003E, which describes it as providing \u201ca sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe liberal label can be fodder for conservative groups who argue that today\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ncfamily.org\/general-education-could-be-getting-a-makeover-at-public-universities\/\u0022\u003Egeneral education is part of an indoctrination\u003C\/a\u003E into higher education\u2019s purported left-leaning belief systems. Some other \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/education\/report\/liberal-educations-antidote-indoctrination\u0022\u003Econservatives support\u003C\/a\u003E general education as a concept but want more emphasis on so-called traditional values and less on cross-cultural understanding. These initiatives position general education and college as a space for ideological battles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ritter.lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Escholar of historical connections between literacy and social class\u003C\/a\u003E, I know that general education was designed to provide opportunity for all students without regard for their political preferences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675235\/original\/file-20250618-56-kqchqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675235\/original\/file-20250618-56-kqchqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022A young Black man is sitting in front of students in a lecture hall, gesturing as they smile\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe value of a college education can be shaped by political affiliation. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/professor-engaging-with-students-during-university-royalty-free-image\/2190479100?phrase=college%20education%20for%20all\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003Ebernarddobo\/iStock via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAn Education for All\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEighty years ago, a group of Harvard University faculty created what many colleges and universities still follow as a template for general education. This plan was outlined in the book \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/generaleducation032440mbp\u0022\u003EGeneral Education in a Free Society\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarvard\u2019s plan \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.harvard.edu\/president\/speeches-faust\/2009\/remarks-by-drew-gilpin-faust-at-the-general-education-launch-event\/\u0022\u003Ewas meant for all students\u003C\/a\u003E, including veterans studying under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.va.gov\/education\/about-gi-bill-benefits\/\u0022\u003EGI Bill\u003C\/a\u003E, and others we today refer to as first generation, where neither parent had a college degree.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeneral education made college more accessible to students who were not becoming doctors or lawyers but who also wanted careers outside the vocational trades. It helped make college a place for educating all citizens, not just students of socioeconomic privilege.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExpanding access to higher education was central to the 1947 special report \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acct.org\/advocacy\/legislative-priorities\/college-promise-resources\u0022\u003EHigher Education for American Democracy\u003C\/a\u003E, commissioned by President Harry Truman. The goal was to provide a foundational education for all, especially in math and science. But the report, commonly known as the Truman Commission Report, also included disciplines that help students understand the world \u2013 such as writing and communication, literature, psychology and history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe purposes of general education are central to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chronicle.com\/article\/where-the-public-sees-value-in-higher-ed?sra=true\u0022\u003Etwo competing views of college\u003C\/a\u003E today, views that I also hear expressed by students and parents I\u2019ve met in my 28 years as a professor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne view of college is of an on-campus experience \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/education\/articles\/q-and-a-how-strengthening-liberal-education-can-help-college-students-become-good-citizens\u0022\u003Esteeped in the liberal arts\u003C\/a\u003E that holistically prepares students to live in a functioning democracy. These benefits are seen as worth the time and costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other view is of college as a sum of career-focused credentials that can begin and end anywhere, not specific to one college campus. These benefits are completely financial, to be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/08\/13\/your-money\/college-degree-investment-return.html\u0022\u003Egained via the cheapest, quickest means\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth of these views are informed by national perspectives that further divide citizens on higher education as a whole, such as Vice President \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/fact-check-yes-vance-once-030000127.html\u0022\u003EJD Vance\u2019s 2021 statement\u003C\/a\u003E that \u201cthere was a wisdom in what Richard Nixon said approximately 40, 50 years ago. He said, and I quote, \u2018The professors are the enemy.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth these groups of Americans, however, hope that obtaining a college degree \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/04\/09\/nx-s1-5342479\/survey-college-degree-associate-bachelors\u0022\u003Ewill pay off for graduates\u003C\/a\u003E who find employment and reach a standard of living better than their parents\u2019 generation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the first group, general education is critical to developing the whole student for jobs and life. For the latter, it is an expensive obstacle to it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot surprisingly, these views on education and college often correspond to political party identification and whether a person attended college themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA July 2023 Lumina Foundation and Gallup Poll showed that only 36% of Americans have a \u201cgreat deal\u201d of confidence in higher education, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/646880\/confidence-higher-education-closely-divided.aspx\u0022\u003Esignificant partisan differences\u003C\/a\u003E between the 20% of Republicans who have this confidence, the 56% of Democrats and the 35% of independents who have it. There are also measurable differences between those who have earned a postgraduate degree and those who have not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/679651\/original\/file-20250711-56-pey607.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/679651\/original\/file-20250711-56-pey607.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022A student wearing a hooded sweatshirt slumps over a textbook.\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo cut costs, more students are searching for ways to complete general education requirements before they begin college. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/preparing-for-finals-is-hard-work-royalty-free-image\/186575695?phrase=students%20studying%20hard\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003EPeopleImages\/E+ via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EQuestioning Value\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs college costs continue to rise in 2025, families are struggling \u2013 even taking on payment plans for everyday purchases, also known as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/20\/business\/economy\/pay-later-credit-debt.html\u0022\u003Ephantom debt\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 to make ends meet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeneral education represents about a third of the requirements of a bachelor\u2019s degree and most of an associate degree.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor those who see college as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/gen-z-graduates-college-poll-2064531\u0022\u003Ewaste of money\u003C\/a\u003E, general education courses are a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.lsa.umich.edu\/mje\/2022\/04\/19\/the-deadweight-loss-of-college-general-education-requirements\/\u0022\u003Ecalculable loss on future income\u003C\/a\u003E. In the past two decades, this \u2013 and the increasingly competitive admissions process for college \u2013 has contributed to a tenfold increase in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/11\/18\/us\/college-board-ap-exams-courses.html\u0022\u003Elow-income students who take Advanced Placement courses\u003C\/a\u003E and a 50% increase since 2021 in the number of students in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.newamerica.org\/education-policy\/edcentral\/unpacking-dual-enrollment-benefits-barriers-and-opportunities-for-expansion\/\u0022\u003Edual-credit coursework\u003C\/a\u003E. Both programs allow students to complete general education-equivalent courses for free while still in high school.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComplete College America, a nonprofit advocacy group that works with states to increase college completion rates, supports these moves by students and parents, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/completecollege.org\/momentum\/\u0022\u003Eclassifying general education\u003C\/a\u003E under \u201cgateway courses\u201d to be completed \u201cas soon as possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther groups promote \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mdc.edu\/credentials\/\u0022\u003Estackable units\u003C\/a\u003E of credit toward college degrees. This push to complete general education requirements \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apcentral.collegeboard.org\/about-ap\/ap-a-glance\/discover-benefits\u0022\u003Ebefore entering college\u003C\/a\u003E is gaining momentum, despite studies that show Advanced Placement classes, and exams, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/rethinking-the-goals-of-high-school-rigor-three-experts-weigh-in-on-the-ap-program-and-college-board\/\u0022\u003Efavor and benefit mostly white, middle- to upper-class students\u003C\/a\u003E because these students tend to have more time and resources to devote to AP coursework and also take multiple exams in order to earn college credit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675236\/original\/file-20250618-56-fr5sxd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/675236\/original\/file-20250618-56-fr5sxd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Students sit on steps talking to each other on a sunny day.\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor college students, general education can offer benefits beyond career attainment. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/university-students-hanging-out-in-campus-royalty-free-image\/1759999680?phrase=college%20future%20happy\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003Eferrantraite\/E+ via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUnderstanding the World\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile arguments for streamlining college and its costs are evergreen, foundational lessons taught across fields of study are as relevant in 2025 as they were in 1945. The U.S. faces \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dziblatt.scholars.harvard.edu\/challenges-democracy\u0022\u003Ethreats to its democracy\u003C\/a\u003E, is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/focus-areas\/artificial-intelligence\u0022\u003Enavigating rapid advances in technology\u003C\/a\u003E, and is adapting to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/publication\/59697\u0022\u003Epopulation shifts\u003C\/a\u003E that will change how its residents live and work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeneral education gives students broad foundational knowledge that can be used in a variety of careers. By design, it teaches an understanding of the world outside one\u2019s own and how to live in it \u2013 a core requirement for a functioning democracy.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/257083\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/college-general-education-requirements-help-prepare-students-for-citizenship-but-critics-say-its-learning-time-taken-away-from-useful-studies-257083\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do Americans think of when they hear the words \u201cgeneral education\u201d?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"What do Americans think of when they hear the words \u201cgeneral education\u201d?"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-07-24 17:57:56","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:13:03","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677481":{"id":"677481","type":"image","title":"Students learn about the arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics in general education","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents learn about the arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics in general education. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/graduation-day-achievement-silhouette-of-a-female-royalty-free-image\/2119464372?phrase=basics%20of%20a%20college%20education\u0026amp;searchscope=image%2Cfilm\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003EOlga Pankova\/Moment via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1753380043","gmt_created":"2025-07-24 18:00:43","changed":"1753380043","gmt_changed":"2025-07-24 18:00:43","alt":"Students learn about the arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics in general education","file":{"fid":"261383","name":"file-20250711-56-rqocw4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/24\/file-20250711-56-rqocw4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/24\/file-20250711-56-rqocw4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":62147,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/24\/file-20250711-56-rqocw4.jpg?itok=rZsau8xd"}}},"media_ids":["677481"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/college-general-education-requirements-help-prepare-students-for-citizenship-but-critics-say-its-learning-time-taken-away-from-useful-studies-257083","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/kelly-ritter-1459563\u0022\u003EKelly Ritter\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Writing and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683116":{"#nid":"683116","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI in Healthcare Could Save Lives and Money \u2014 But Change Won\u2019t Happen\u00a0Overnight","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine walking into your doctor\u2019s office feeling sick \u2013 and rather than flipping through pages of your medical history or running tests that take days, your doctor instantly pulls together data from your health records, genetic profile and wearable devices to help decipher what\u2019s wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis kind of rapid diagnosis is one of the big promises of artificial intelligence for use in health care. Proponents of the technology say that over the coming decades, AI has the potential to save hundreds of thousands, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2023\/06\/emerging-tech-like-ai-are-poised-to-make-healthcare-more-accurate-accessible-and-sustainable\/\u0022\u003Eeven millions of lives\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s more, a 2023 study found that if the health care industry significantly increased its use of AI, up to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.healthcaredive.com\/news\/artificial-intelligence-healthcare-savings-harvard-mckinsey-report\/641163\/\u0022\u003EUS$360 billion annually could be saved\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut though artificial intelligence has become nearly ubiquitous, from smartphones to chatbots to self-driving cars, its impact on health care so far has been relatively low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA 2024 American Medical Association survey found that 66% of U.S. physicians had used AI tools in some capacity, up from 38% in 2023. But most of it was for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/press-center\/ama-press-releases\/ama-physician-enthusiasm-grows-health-care-ai#:%7E\u0022\u003Eadministrative or low-risk support\u003C\/a\u003E. And although 43% of U.S. health care organizations had added or expanded AI use in 2024, many implementations \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.advisory.com\/daily-briefing\/2025\/02\/17\/ai-use\u0022\u003Eare still exploratory\u003C\/a\u003E, particularly when it comes to medical decisions and diagnoses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=BY9oaaoAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Eprofessor and researcher\u003C\/a\u003E who studies AI and health care analytics. I\u2019ll try to explain why AI\u2019s growth will be gradual, and how technical limitations and ethical concerns stand in the way of AI\u2019s widespread adoption by the medical industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EInaccurate Diagnoses, Racial Bias\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence excels at finding patterns in large sets of data. In medicine, these patterns could signal early signs of disease that a human physician might overlook \u2013 or indicate the best treatment option, based on how other patients with similar symptoms and backgrounds responded. Ultimately, this will lead to faster, more accurate diagnoses and more personalized care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI can also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bioengineering11040337\u0022\u003Ehelp hospitals run more efficiently\u003C\/a\u003E by analyzing workflows, predicting staffing needs and scheduling surgeries so that precious resources, such as operating rooms, are used most effectively. By streamlining tasks that take hours of human effort, AI can let health care professionals focus more on direct patient care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut for all its power, AI \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hai.stanford.edu\/news\/whos-fault-when-ai-fails-health-care\u0022\u003Ecan make mistakes\u003C\/a\u003E. Although these systems are trained on data from real patients, they can struggle when encountering something unusual, or when data doesn\u2019t perfectly match the patient in front of them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, AI doesn\u2019t always give an accurate diagnosis. This problem is called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-46142-w\u0022\u003Ealgorithmic drift\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 when AI systems perform well in controlled settings but lose accuracy in real-world situations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERacial and ethnic bias is another issue. If \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/noise-in-the-machine-human-differences-in-judgment-lead-to-problems-for-ai-228984\u0022\u003Edata includes bias\u003C\/a\u003E because it doesn\u2019t include enough patients of certain racial or ethnic groups, then AI might give inaccurate recommendations for them, leading to misdiagnoses. Some evidence suggests \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s40615-024-02237-0\u0022\u003Ethis has already happened\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qetKUFDDF4A?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EHumans and AI are beginning to work together at this Florida hospital.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EData-Sharing Concerns, Unrealistic Expectations\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHealth care systems are labyrinthian in their complexity. The prospect of integrating artificial intelligence \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7759\/cureus.46454\u0022\u003Einto existing workflows is daunting\u003C\/a\u003E; introducing a new technology like AI disrupts daily routines. Staff will need extra training to use AI tools effectively. Many hospitals, clinics and doctor\u2019s offices simply don\u2019t have the time, personnel, money or will to implement AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso, many cutting-edge AI systems operate as opaque \u201cblack boxes.\u201d They churn out recommendations, but even its developers might struggle to fully explain how. This opacity clashes with the needs of medicine, where decisions demand justification.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut developers are often reluctant to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fhumd.2024.1421273\u0022\u003Edisclose their proprietary algorithms or data sources\u003C\/a\u003E, both to protect intellectual property and because the complexity can be hard to distill. The lack of transparency feeds skepticism among practitioners, which then slows regulatory approval and erodes trust in AI outputs. Many experts argue that transparency is not just an ethical nicety but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fdgth.2024.1267290\u0022\u003Ea practical necessity for adoption\u003C\/a\u003E in health care settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/healthcare10101878\u0022\u003Eprivacy concerns\u003C\/a\u003E; data sharing could \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/2019\/10\/adopting-ai-in-health-care-will-be-slow-and-difficult\u0022\u003Ethreaten patient confidentiality\u003C\/a\u003E. To train algorithms or make predictions, medical AI systems often require huge amounts of patient data. If not handled properly, AI could expose sensitive health information, whether through data breaches or unintended use of patient records.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, a clinician using a cloud-based AI assistant to draft a note must ensure no unauthorized party can access that patient\u2019s data. U.S. regulations \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/hipaa\/for-professionals\/privacy\/laws-regulations\/index.html\u0022\u003Esuch as the HIPAA law\u003C\/a\u003E impose strict rules on health data sharing, which means AI developers need robust safeguards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrivacy concerns also extend to patients\u2019 trust: If people fear their medical data might be misused by an algorithm, they may be less forthcoming or even refuse AI-guided care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grand promise of AI is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.socscimed.2023.116442\u0022\u003Ea formidable barrier in itself\u003C\/a\u003E. Expectations are tremendous. AI is often portrayed as a magical solution that can diagnose any disease and revolutionize the health care industry overnight. Unrealistic assumptions like that often lead to disappointment. AI may not immediately deliver on its promises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, developing an AI system that works well involves a lot of trial and error. AI systems must go through rigorous testing to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/time.com\/6958868\/artificial-intelligence-safety-evaluations-risks\/\u0022\u003Emake certain they\u2019re safe and effective\u003C\/a\u003E. This takes years, and even after a system is approved, adjustments may be needed as it encounters new types of data and real-world situations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f7SIwZJwmzE?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAI could rapidly accelerate the discovery of new medications.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIncremental Change\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, hospitals are rapidly adopting AI scribes that listen during patient visits and automatically draft clinical notes, reducing paperwork and letting physicians spend more time with patients. Surveys show over 20% of physicians now use AI for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/press-center\/ama-press-releases\/ama-physician-enthusiasm-grows-health-care-ai#:%7E\u0022\u003Ewriting progress notes or discharge summaries\u003C\/a\u003E. AI is also becoming a quiet force in administrative work. Hospitals deploy AI chatbots to handle appointment scheduling, triage common patient questions and translate languages in real time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClinical uses of AI exist but are more limited. At some hospitals, AI is a second eye for radiologists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jacr.2019.05.036\u0022\u003Elooking for early signs of disease\u003C\/a\u003E. But physicians are still reluctant to hand decisions over to machines; only about 12% of them currently \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/digital-health\/2-3-physicians-are-using-health-ai-78-2023\u0022\u003Erely on AI for diagnostic help\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuffice to say that health care\u2019s transition to AI will be incremental. Emerging technologies need time to mature, and the short-term needs of health care still outweigh long-term gains. In the meantime, AI\u2019s potential to treat millions and save trillions awaits.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/241551\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-in-health-care-could-save-lives-and-money-but-change-wont-happen-overnight-241551\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThough artificial intelligence has become nearly ubiquitous, from smartphones to chatbots to self-driving cars, its impact on health care so far has been relatively low.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Though artificial intelligence has become nearly ubiquitous, from smartphones to chatbots to self-driving cars, its impact on health care so far has been relatively low."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-07-11 15:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:12:48","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677407":{"id":"677407","type":"image","title":" AI will help human physicians by analyzing patient data prior to surgery. Boy_Anupong\/Moment via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI will help human physicians by analyzing patient data prior to surgery. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/artificial-intelligence-robot-while-analyzing-royalty-free-image\/2153167997?phrase=AI%20in%20hospital%20setting\u0026amp;searchscope=image%2Cfilm\u0026amp;adppopup=true\u0022\u003EBoy_Anupong\/Moment via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1752508399","gmt_created":"2025-07-14 15:53:19","changed":"1752508399","gmt_changed":"2025-07-14 15:53:19","alt":" AI will help human physicians by analyzing patient data prior to surgery. Boy_Anupong\/Moment via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"261302","name":"file-20250603-68-b488qp.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/14\/file-20250603-68-b488qp.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/14\/file-20250603-68-b488qp.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":204171,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/14\/file-20250603-68-b488qp.jpg?itok=vW2nFiFp"}}},"media_ids":["677407"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-in-health-care-could-save-lives-and-money-but-change-wont-happen-overnight-241551","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"57458","name":"ISyE External News"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/turgay-ayer-2237122\u0022\u003ETurgay Ayer\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679707":{"#nid":"679707","#data":{"type":"news","title":" From Watts to Warheads: Secretary of Energy Oversees Big Science Research and the US Nuclear Arsenal","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Energy was created in 1977 by merging two agencies with different missions: the Atomic Energy Commission, which developed, tested and maintained the nation\u2019s nuclear weapons, and the Energy Research and Development Administration, a collection of domestic energy research programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday the department describes itself, with what some might call understatement, as \u201cone of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/lm\/brief-history-department-energy\u0022\u003Emost interesting and diverse agencies\u003C\/a\u003E in the Federal government.\u201d Its annual budget of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-06\/doe-fy2024-budget-in-brief-v5.pdf\u0022\u003Eroughly US$50 billion\u003C\/a\u003E supports some \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/trumpadministration.archives.performance.gov\/energy\/\u0022\u003E14,000 employees and 95,000 contractors\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe secretary of energy advises the president on energy policy and guides energy and nuclear weapons production initiatives. As researchers who study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=KgIcD3cAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eenergy efficiency\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=0bP6RhYAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Enational security\u003C\/a\u003E and who work with the Energy Department, we have seen that its secretary needs to be able to think long-term and make strategic decisions, sometimes with incomplete information. A good grasp of science, engineering and energy technology is helpful, as are the abilities to lead a large organization and to work with Congress.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EScientific Research and Development\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Department\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\/office-science\u0022\u003EOffice of Science\u003C\/a\u003E supports a large portion of basic U.S. scientific research, including fusion energy, particle physics, chemistry and material science. Together with the agency\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/office-energy-efficiency-and-renewable-energy\u0022\u003EOffice of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy\u003C\/a\u003E, the agency manages a research portfolio with a budget of roughly $12 billion \u2013 nearly as large as that of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the other major federal funder of basic research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany energy secretaries have made their greatest marks by supporting and directing research. For example, during the first Trump administration, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/person\/rick-perry\u0022\u003ERick Perry\u003C\/a\u003E recognized potential cyber-terrorism risks to U.S. energy infrastructure and supported research in artificial intelligence. This led to the creation of the agency\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/ceser\/office-cybersecurity-energy-security-and-emergency-response\u0022\u003EOffice of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/steven-chu-resigns-us-energy-secretary\u0022\u003ESteven Chu\u003C\/a\u003E, who led the department from 2009 to 2013 under former President Barack Obama, initiated the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arpa-e.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Research Projects Agency\u2013Energy, or ARPA-E\u003C\/a\u003E, a division that focuses on new, cutting-edge energy innovations at stages too early to attract private-sector investment. ARPA-E projects have led to the creation of over 100 new companies and to over 1,000 patents on a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arpa-e.energy.gov\/about\/our-impact\/2023-impact-card#\u0022\u003Ewide range of energy technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, including hybrid-electric aircraft, carbon dioxide capture from the air and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arpa-e.energy.gov\/impact-sheet\/smart-wires-geni\u0022\u003Eimproved electricity transmission\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost recently, during the Biden administration, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/person\/jennifer-m-granholm\u0022\u003EJennifer Granholm\u003C\/a\u003E focused on working with business and industry to deploy clean energy technologies in support of U.S. climate goals. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/articles\/remarks-delivered-secretary-jennifer-granholm-new-industrial-revolution-clean-energy\u0022\u003EThis effort\u003C\/a\u003E has included offering grants, loans and rebates, filling gaps in supply chains, and promoting domestic manufacturing of components such as advanced batteries and solar panels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4oMAhpdCIXA?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EDuring the Biden administration, the Energy Department offered large-scale grants and loans to promote domestic manufacturing of clean energy technologies, such as advanced batteries.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EResearch Payoffs\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the research that the Energy Department funds can take years to produce results with commercial applications, but it has had some notable successes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince the late 1970s, the agency has invested significantly in shale oil research. Combined with additional research and development by private energy companies, the Energy Department helped develop \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thebreakthrough.org\/issues\/energy\/us-government-role-in-shale-gas-fracking-history-a-response-to-our-critics\u0022\u003Efracking and horizontal drilling\u003C\/a\u003E. These technologies have revolutionized petroleum and natural gas production and made the U.S. the world\u2019s largest \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/todayinenergy\/detail.php?id=61545\u0022\u003Eproducer of oil\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/264101\/world-natural-gas-production-by-country\/\u0022\u003Enatural gas\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Department funding supported the commercialization of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/energysaver\/led-lighting\u0022\u003ELED lights\u003C\/a\u003E, which are highly efficient and long-lasting. It also has enabled breakthroughs in other \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nap.nationalacademies.org\/catalog\/10165\/energy-research-at-doe-was-it-worth-it-energy-efficiency\u0022\u003Eenergy-efficient technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, solar and wind energy production, battery technology, and geothermal and wave energy. The agency provides critical support for research on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/fusion-energy\u0022\u003Enuclear fusion\u003C\/a\u003E, which promises to be a clean and abundant source of energy, although it is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nuclear-fusion-could-one-day-be-a-viable-clean-energy-source-but-big-engineering-challenges-stand-in-the-way-237544\u0022\u003Efar from commercialization today\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere also are large swaths of U.S. energy policy that the Energy Department doesn\u2019t control. For example, leases and permits for energy production \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.blm.gov\/\u0022\u003Eon public lands\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.boem.gov\/\u0022\u003Ein federal waters\u003C\/a\u003E are awarded by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of the Interior\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ferc.gov\/\u0022\u003EFederal Energy Regulatory Commission\u003C\/a\u003E, an independent agency, controls the siting of oil and natural gas pipelines and interstate electricity transmission lines. Another independent agency, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nrc.gov\/\u0022\u003ENuclear Regulatory Commission\u003C\/a\u003E, licenses and regulates the nuclear power industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, energy secretaries often champion broad strategies that overlap with the mission and authority of other federal departments and agencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ENuclear Weapons and National Security\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Department\u2019s other mission \u2013 developing and maintaining nuclear weapons \u2013 is steered by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/national-nuclear-security-administration\u0022\u003ENational Nuclear Security Administration\u003C\/a\u003E, a semi-autonomous agency within the department. Organizationally, the NNSA is the great-grandchild of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osti.gov\/opennet\/manhattan-project-history\/Events\/1945-present\/med_45-46.htm\u0022\u003EManhattan Engineer District\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 the post-World War II incarnation of the Manhattan Project that developed the first U.S. atomic weapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NNSA is headed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/person\/jill-hruby\u0022\u003Ean administrator\u003C\/a\u003E who also serves as undersecretary of energy for nuclear security, a Senate-confirmed position. When the energy secretary\u2019s background is in domestic energy \u2013 like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/libertyenergy.com\/about\/leadership\/\u0022\u003Eoil executive Chris Wright\u003C\/a\u003E, President-elect Trump\u2019s choice to head the agency \u2013 the leader of the NNSA is likely to be especially influential on national security issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf the Energy Department\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/national-laboratories\u0022\u003E17 national laboratories\u003C\/a\u003E, three \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lanl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELos Alamos\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sandia.gov\/\u0022\u003ESandia\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.llnl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Livermore\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 are officially overseen by the NNSA. Others receive significant NNSA funding and play roles in maintaining the U.S. nuclear arsenal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NNSA also oversees \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nnss.gov\/about-the-nnss\/\u0022\u003Eexperimental and testing facilities\u003C\/a\u003E and other sites involved in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/us-nuclear-weapons-stockpile\u0022\u003Edesign, production and testing of nuclear weapons\u003C\/a\u003E. It is responsible for storing and securing warheads that are not deployed at military installations, and for dismantling retired warheads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA separate office, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/em\/office-environmental-management\u0022\u003EEnvironmental Management\u003C\/a\u003E, oversees the cleanup of nuclear research and production sites, some of which have contamination \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/lm\/about-us\u0022\u003Edating back to World War II\u003C\/a\u003E. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-03\/doe-fy2024-budget-in-brief.pdf\u0022\u003Elargest environmental cleanup program in the world\u003C\/a\u003E, it consumes about $8 billion annually \u2013 one-sixth of the agency\u2019s entire budget. It handles large amounts of radioactive wastes, spent nuclear fuel, excess plutonium and uranium, and contaminated facilities, soil and groundwater.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NNSA plays a critical role in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/nonproliferation\u0022\u003Epreventing the spread of nuclear weapons\u003C\/a\u003E and the materials and technologies needed to make them. It is part of the intelligence community with deep technical expertise, and responds to nuclear and radiological threats globally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, the NNSA designs and supports the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/powering-navy\u0022\u003Enuclear reactors that propel Navy ships and submarines\u003C\/a\u003E around the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHistorically, the NNSA administrator has had a great deal of autonomy. Most administrators bring deep technical and policy expertise to the job. Some are retired Navy or Air Force officers who have worked with nuclear weapons or naval propulsion systems. Others are researchers with long tenures at Department of Energy laboratories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAging Weapons, Sites, and Workers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next energy secretary and NNSA administrator will face major technical, economic and management challenges. The NNSA has been working for years to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/nuclear-weapons-and-forces-sustainment-and-modernization\u0022\u003Emodernize nuclear weapons production infrastructure\u003C\/a\u003E, which is aging and underfunded. At the same time, the Energy Department is working with the Defense Department to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/10\/10\/opinion\/nuclear-weapons-us-price.html\u0022\u003Eupdate U.S. nuclear weapons and strategic nuclear forces\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 bombers, ballistic missiles and submarines \u2013 to deter threats from other nations. This effort \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fas.org\/publication\/nuclear-weapons-2024\/\u0022\u003Ecould cost up to $1.7 trillion\u003C\/a\u003E over several decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VTQ8yZSyrC0?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EReplacing aging Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles is just one component of a large-scale modernization of U.S. nuclear forces.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of the NNSA\u2019s major modernization projects are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-23-104402\u0022\u003Eover budget and years behind schedule\u003C\/a\u003E. The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently reported that the NNSA \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/assets\/gao-24-106342.pdf\u0022\u003Eneeds to improve its program management practices\u003C\/a\u003E in order to control costs and successfully execute these expensive initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe incoming administration will also have to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fas.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2022-Nuclear-Posture-Review.pdf\u0022\u003Erecruit and sustain a highly skilled workforce\u003C\/a\u003E for nuclear security programs. Many retirement-eligible employees have already left the agency. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rand.org\/content\/dam\/rand\/pubs\/research_reports\/RRA1200\/RRA1227-1\/RAND_RRA1227-1.pdf\u0022\u003EMore will exit\u003C\/a\u003E over the next four years, often drawn by private-sector salaries and perceived better working conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Energy Department touts its high-tech laboratories and research facilities, the agency\u2019s people are equally critical to its mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story is part of a \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us\/topics\/cabinet-profile-168416\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eseries of profiles\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E of Cabinet and high-level administration positions.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/245993\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-watts-to-warheads-secretary-of-energy-oversees-big-science-research-and-the-us-nuclear-arsenal-245993\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Energy was created in 1977 by merging two agencies with different missions: the Atomic Energy Commission, which developed, tested and maintained the nation\u2019s nuclear weapons, and the Energy Research and Development Administration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The U.S. Department of Energy was created in 1977 by merging two agencies with different missions: the Atomic Energy Commission, which developed, tested and maintained the nation\u2019s nuclear weapons, and the Energy Research and Development Administration."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-01-17 16:15:19","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:12:36","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676053":{"id":"676053","type":"image","title":" The Energy Department recently finished modernizing the B61-12 nuclear bomb, extending its service life by at least 20 years. Devan Halstead, U.S. Air Force","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Department recently finished modernizing the B61-12 nuclear bomb, extending its service life by at least 20 years. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.whiteman.af.mil\/News\/Art\/igphoto\/2003032217\/\u0022\u003EDevan Halstead, U.S. Air Force\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1737130927","gmt_created":"2025-01-17 16:22:07","changed":"1737130927","gmt_changed":"2025-01-17 16:22:07","alt":" The Energy Department recently finished modernizing the B61-12 nuclear bomb, extending its service life by at least 20 years. Devan Halstead, U.S. Air Force","file":{"fid":"259758","name":"file-20250110-15-d9snhi copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250110-15-d9snhi%20copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250110-15-d9snhi%20copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":368569,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250110-15-d9snhi%20copy.jpg?itok=kZS5u0tT"}}},"media_ids":["676053"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/from-watts-to-warheads-secretary-of-energy-oversees-big-science-research-and-the-us-nuclear-arsenal-245993","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"57458","name":"ISyE External News"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/valerie-thomas-1633560\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Industrial Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/margaret-e-kosal-2280532\u0022\u003EMargaret E. Kosal\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683491":{"#nid":"683491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018AI Veganism\u2019: Some People\u2019s Issues With AI Parallel Vegans\u2019 Concerns About\u00a0Diet","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew technologies usually follow the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/data-visuals\/2024\/03\/the-technology-adoption-life-cycle\u0022\u003Etechnology adoption life cycle\u003C\/a\u003E. Innovators and early adopters \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.13140\/RG.2.2.23573.84969\u0022\u003Erush to embrace new technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, while laggards and skeptics jump in much later.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt first glance, it looks like artificial intelligence is following the same pattern, but a new crop of studies suggests that AI might follow a different course \u2013 one with significant implications for business, education and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis general phenomenon has often been described as \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/51086\u0022\u003EAI hesitancy\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d or \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frai.2022.1006173\u0022\u003EAI reluctance\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d The typical adoption curve assumes a person who is hesitant or reluctant to embrace a technology will eventually do so anyway. This pattern has repeated over and over \u2013 why would AI be any different?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmerging research on the reasons behind AI hesitancy, however, suggests there are different dynamics at play that might alter the traditional adoption cycle. For example, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu\/server\/api\/core\/bitstreams\/961d338d-c058-4fc8-b3e8-3753dc2f171e\/content\u0022\u003Erecent study\u003C\/a\u003E found that while some causes of this hesitation closely mirror those regarding previous technologies, others are unique to AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn many ways, as someone who \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=yaCigtkAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Eclosely watches the spread of AI\u003C\/a\u003E, there may be a better analogy: veganism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAI Veganism\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea of an AI vegan is someone who abstains from using AI, the same way a vegan is someone who abstains from eating products derived from animals. Generally, the reasons people choose veganism do not fade automatically over time. They might be reasons that can be addressed, but they\u2019re not just about getting more comfortable eating animals and animal products. That\u2019s why the analogy in the case of AI is appealing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike many other technologies, it\u2019s important not to assume that skeptics and laggards will eventually become adopters. Many of those refusing to embrace AI actually fit the traditional archetype of an early adopter. The study on AI hesitation focused on college students who are often among the first demographics to adopt new technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is some historical precedent for this analogy. Under the hood, AI is just a set of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-an-algorithm-how-computers-know-what-to-do-with-data-146665\u0022\u003Ealgorithms\u003C\/a\u003E. Algorithmic aversion \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/bdm.2155\u0022\u003Eis a well-known phenomenon\u003C\/a\u003E where humans are biased against algorithmic decision-making \u2013 even if it is shown to be more effective. For example, people \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022243719851788\u0022\u003Eprefer dating advice from humans\u003C\/a\u003E over advice from algorithms, even when the algorithms perform better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the analogy to veganism applies in other ways, providing insights into what to expect in the future. In fact, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.appet.2021.105614\u0022\u003Estudies show\u003C\/a\u003E that three of the main reasons people choose veganism each have a parallel in AI avoidance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEthical Concerns\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne motivation for veganism is concern over the ethical sourcing of animal by-products. Similarly, studies have found that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/informatics11030058\u0022\u003Ewhen users are aware\u003C\/a\u003E that many content creators did not knowingly opt into letting their work be used to train AI, they are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10447318.2023.2178612\u0022\u003Emore likely to avoid using AI\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022a woman in a crowd holds a sign over her head\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=429\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=429\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=429\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=539\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=539\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/682523\/original\/file-20250728-78-kk610m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=539\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EMany vegans have ethical concerns about the treatment of animals. Some people who avoid using AI have ethical concerns about the treatment of content creators.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/protester-holds-a-pro-vegan-placard-during-the-news-photo\/1627640210?adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EVuk Valcic\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese concerns were at the center of the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes in 2023, where the two unions \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1057\/s41599-024-04204-w\u0022\u003Eargued for legal protections\u003C\/a\u003E against companies using creatives\u2019 works to train AI without consent or compensation. While some creators may be protected by such trade agreements, lots of models are instead trained on the work of amateur, independent or freelance creators without these systematic protections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEnvironmental Concerns\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA second motivation for veganism is concern over the environmental impacts of intensive animal agriculture, from deforestation to methane production. Research has shown that the computing resources needed to support AI \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.4887664\u0022\u003Eare growing exponentially\u003C\/a\u003E, dramatically increasing demand for electricity and water, and that efficiency improvements are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cnrs.hal.science\/hal-04839926\/\u0022\u003Eunlikely to lower the overall power usage\u003C\/a\u003E due to a rebound effect, which is when efficiency gains spur new technologies that consume more energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne preliminary study found that increasing users\u2019 awareness of the power demands of AI can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3706599.3719708\u0022\u003Eaffect how they use these systems\u003C\/a\u003E. Another survey found that concern about water usage to cool AI systems \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/uk\/education\/article\/gen-z-students-wont-use-chatgpt-but-not-because-its-cheating-v8rffjlc0\u0022\u003Ewas a factor\u003C\/a\u003E in students\u2019 refusal to use the technology at Cambridge University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022a woman in a crowd holds a hand-painted sign\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/681602\/original\/file-20250722-55-dy0wpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EBoth AI and meat production spark concerns about environmental impact.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/protester-holds-a-placard-saying-vegan-for-the-planet-at-news-photo\/1243489167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EKichul Shin\/NurPhoto via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPersonal Wellness\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA third motivation for veganism is concern for possible negative health effects of eating animals and animal products. A potential parallel concern could be at work in AI veganism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Microsoft Research study found that people who were more confident in using generative AI showed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3706598.3713778\u0022\u003Ediminished critical thinking\u003C\/a\u003E. The 2025 Cambridge University survey found some students avoiding AI out of concern that using \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/uk\/education\/article\/gen-z-students-wont-use-chatgpt-but-not-because-its-cheating-v8rffjlc0\u0022\u003Eit could make them lazy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is not hard to imagine that the possible negative mental health effects of using AI could drive some AI abstinence in the same way the possible negative physical health effects of an omnivorous diet may drive some to veganism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Society Reacts\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVeganism has led to a dedicated industry catering to that diet. Some restaurants feature vegan entrees. Some manufacturers specialize in vegan foods. Could it be the case that some companies will try to use the absence of AI as a selling point for their products and services?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf so, it would be similar to how companies such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/duckduckgo.com\u0022\u003EDuckDuckGo\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mozillafoundation.org\/en\/\u0022\u003EMozilla Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E provide alternative search engines and web browsers with enhanced privacy as their main feature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are few vegans compared to nonvegans in the U.S. Estimates range as high as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.statista.com\/topics\/3377\/vegan-market\/#topicOverview\u0022\u003E4% of the population\u003C\/a\u003E. But the persistence of veganism has enabled a niche market to serve them. Time will tell if AI veganism takes hold.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/260277\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-veganism-some-peoples-issues-with-ai-parallel-vegans-concerns-about-diet-260277\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew technologies usually follow the technology adoption life cycle. Innovators and early adopters rush to embrace new technologies, while laggards and skeptics jump in much later.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New technologies usually follow the technology adoption life cycle. Innovators and early adopters rush to embrace new technologies, while laggards and skeptics jump in much later."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-08-04 14:13:24","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:12:02","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677556":{"id":"677556","type":"image","title":"Ethical concerns \u2013 like the mistreatment of content creators decried by this protester \u2013 drive both veganism and resistance to using AI. Mario Tama\/Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEthical concerns \u2013 like the mistreatment of content creators decried by this protester \u2013 drive both veganism and resistance to using AI. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/sign-refers-to-a-i-as-striking-sag-aftra-members-and-news-photo\/1739395288\u0022\u003EMario Tama\/Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1754318347","gmt_created":"2025-08-04 14:39:07","changed":"1754318347","gmt_changed":"2025-08-04 14:39:07","alt":"Ethical concerns \u2013 like the mistreatment of content creators decried by this protester \u2013 drive both veganism and resistance to using AI. Mario Tama\/Getty Images","file":{"fid":"261467","name":"file-20250722-55-tidvfy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/04\/file-20250722-55-tidvfy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/04\/file-20250722-55-tidvfy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":302034,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/04\/file-20250722-55-tidvfy.jpg?itok=QyOZOg4o"}}},"media_ids":["677556"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-veganism-some-peoples-issues-with-ai-parallel-vegans-concerns-about-diet-260277","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/david-joyner-2424356\u0022\u003EDavid Joyner\u003C\/a\u003E, associate dean and senior research associate, College of Computing,\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683928":{"#nid":"683928","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Twenty Years After Katrina: How Levee Failures Changed America","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, it wasn\u2019t just another storm \u2014 it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Entire neighborhoods disappeared, families were scattered, and lives were split into \u201cbefore\u201d and \u201cafter.\u201d Nearly 20 years later, the haunting images of submerged rooftops and boat rescues remain vivid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Surge That Shattered New Orleans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Aug. 29, 2005, early reports claimed New Orleans had \u201cdodged the bullet.\u201d But offshore winds funneled water into the city\u2019s canals, triggering multiple catastrophic levee failures. The Lower Ninth Ward, where most fatalities occurred, was devastated as many residents, misled by comparisons to Hurricane Camille, chose not to evacuate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cKatrina\u2019s storm surge was exceptional,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/hermann-m-fritz\u0022\u003EHermann Fritz\u003C\/a\u003E, a civil engineering professor at Georgia Tech. \u201cIn some areas, we saw water levels over 27 feet\u0026nbsp;\u2014 that\u2019s like a three-story building.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile much attention focused on New Orleans\u2019 levee failures, Fritz points out that the surge\u2019s sheer height and energy would have overwhelmed even more robust defenses in some areas. \u201cKatrina showed us that nature can produce forces beyond our engineering designs,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Disaster of Inequality\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe storm didn\u2019t strike evenly; it exposed and deepened existing social and economic inequalities. \u201cThe disaster hit lower-income Black neighborhoods hardest,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/allen-hyde\u0022\u003EAllen Hyde\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of history and sociology. He notes how years of segregation, disinvestment, and discriminatory housing policies left these communities uniquely vulnerable. Hyde continues, \u201cMany homes were in low-lying, flood-prone areas, and residents often lacked access to reliable transportation, making evacuation difficult or impossible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia\u2019s Changing Landscape: Migration and Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKatrina displaced hundreds of thousands and claimed a staggering toll of more than 1,800 lives. Georgia quickly absorbed many evacuees, reshaping its demographics and infrastructure. \u201cHurricane Katrina led to one of the largest displacements of people due to a natural disaster,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/shatakshee-dhongde\u0022\u003EShatakshee Dhongde\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of economics. \u201cIt changed the demographics of Georgia in measurable ways, from school enrollment to the labor market.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Census Bureau tracked this migration, noting spikes in Louisiana-born residents in metro Atlanta. Local school districts enrolled hundreds of new students almost overnight, while housing markets saw increased demand from families looking for permanent homes. The arrival of so many displaced residents didn\u2019t just strain schools and housing \u2014 it reshaped the state\u2019s economy. Dhongde notes that evacuees often brought new skills, business ideas, and networks. At the same time, the state and local governments faced the financial burden of expanding social services, healthcare, and housing assistance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDhongde adds, \u201cThe impact of a disaster doesn\u2019t stop at the water\u2019s edge. It travels with people, and those effects can last for years.\u201d While the influx strained services, it also enriched Georgia\u2019s cultural and economic fabric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHyde notes, \u201cGentrification made many neighborhoods unaffordable for former residents,\u201d and adds that many Black evacuees didn\u2019t return to New Orleans due to economic barriers and post-Katrina gentrification. Cultural communities scattered across cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Baton Rouge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELessons the Levees Still Teach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Fritz, Katrina remains a wake-up call for coastal preparedness.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cWe can\u2019t stop hurricanes,\u201d he says, \u201cbut we can improve how we design and maintain our defenses, and how we evacuate people before it\u2019s too late.\u201d He warns that climate change, with its potential to intensify storms, makes those improvements even more urgent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDhongde sees a parallel need for social and economic planning. \u201cDisaster preparedness isn\u2019t just about sandbags and levees,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s also about ensuring the communities receiving evacuees have the resources and support systems to integrate them successfully.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, Hyde stresses the importance of engaging youth and communities in preparedness efforts. \u201cYouth advocacy programs, like those we\u2019re piloting in Georgia, empower young people in marginalized neighborhoods with knowledge and agency to build long-term resilience. Disaster planning must be a community effort, inclusive and forward-looking.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwenty years after Hurricane Katrina\u2019s catastrophic landfall, its legacy of destruction, displacement, and deepened inequality continues to shape communities and challenge disaster preparedness across the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina\u2019s catastrophic landfall, its legacy of destruction, displacement, and deepened inequality continues to shape communities and challenge disaster preparedness across the U.S."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2025-08-18 20:59:51","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:11:54","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677735":{"id":"677735","type":"image","title":"Hurricane Katrina New Orleans","body":null,"created":"1755620033","gmt_created":"2025-08-19 16:13:53","changed":"1755620033","gmt_changed":"2025-08-19 16:13:53","alt":"Flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina","file":{"fid":"261668","name":"AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3672480,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_243012601.jpeg?itok=Mj7riyMS"}},"677737":{"id":"677737","type":"image","title":"Katrina.jpg","body":null,"created":"1755622437","gmt_created":"2025-08-19 16:53:57","changed":"1755622437","gmt_changed":"2025-08-19 16:53:57","alt":"Three changes since Katrina that still have an impact two decades later","file":{"fid":"261671","name":"Katrina.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/Katrina.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/Katrina.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1316301,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/19\/Katrina.jpg?itok=IvnP-aCU"}}},"media_ids":["677735","677737"],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"1647","name":"Hurricane Katrina"},{"id":"1860","name":"hurricane"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685455":{"#nid":"685455","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What Happens When AI Comes to the Cotton\u00a0Fields","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrecision agriculture uses tools and technologies such as GPS and sensors to monitor, measure and respond to changes within a farm field in real time. This includes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/3-ways-ai-can-help-farmers-tackle-the-challenges-of-modern-agriculture-213210\u0022\u003Eusing artificial intelligence\u003C\/a\u003E technologies for tasks such as helping farmers apply pesticides only where and when they are needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, precision agriculture has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/assets\/870\/865822.pdf\u0022\u003Enot been widely implemented\u003C\/a\u003E in many rural areas of the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=Smg8NicAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Esmart communities\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=bRCOhqUAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Eenvironmental health sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholars.georgiasouthern.edu\/en\/persons\/james-e-thomas-2\u0022\u003Ehealth policy and community health\u003C\/a\u003E, and we participated in a research project on AI and pesticide use in a rural Georgia agricultural community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur team, led by Georgia Southern University and the City of Millen, with support from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, local high schools and agriculture technology company \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.farmsense.io\/\u0022\u003EFarmSense\u003C\/a\u003E, is piloting AI-powered sensors to help cotton farmers optimize pesticide use. Georgia is one of the top cotton-producing states in the U.S., with cotton \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.farm-monitor.com\/georgia-cotton-growers-face-challenges-change-in-2025\/\u0022\u003Econtributing nearly US$1 billion\u003C\/a\u003E to the state\u2019s economy in 2024. But \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/assets\/870\/865822.pdf\u0022\u003Eonly 13%\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia farmers use precision agriculture practices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPublic-Private-Academic Partnership\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInnovation drives economic growth, but access to it often stops at major city limits. Smaller and rural communities are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jrurstud.2020.08.042\u0022\u003Efrequently left out\u003C\/a\u003E, lacking the funding, partnerships and technical resources that fuel progress elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, 75% of generative AI\u2019s projected economic impact is concentrated in customer operations, marketing, software engineering and research and development, according to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/capabilities\/mckinsey-digital\/our-insights\/the-economic-potential-of-generative-ai-the-next-productivity-frontier\u0022\u003E2023 McKinsey report\u003C\/a\u003E. In contrast, applications of AI that improve infrastructure, food systems, safety and health remain underexplored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet smaller and rural communities are rich in potential \u2014 home to anchor institutions like small businesses, civic groups and schools that are deeply invested in their communities. And that potential could be tapped to develop AI applications that fall outside of traditional corporate domains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pingeorgia.org\/\u0022\u003EPartnership for Innovation\u003C\/a\u003E, a coalition of people and organizations from academia, government and industry, helps bridge that gap. Since its launch almost five years ago, the Partnership for Innovation has supported \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pingeorgia.org\/all_projects\/\u0022\u003E220 projects\u003C\/a\u003E across Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Alabama, partnering with more than 300 communities on challenges from energy poverty to river safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\u0022tc-infographic-datawrapper\u0022 style=\u0022border-width:0;\u0022 id=\u0022ulmi5\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/ulmi5\/1\/\u0022 height=\u0022400px\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 scrolling=\u0022no\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne Partnership for Innovation program provides seed funding and technical support for community research teams. This support enables local problem-solving that strengthens both research scholarship and community outcomes. The program has recently focused on the role of civic artificial intelligence \u2013 AI that supports communities and local governments. Our project on cotton field pesticide use is part of this program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECotton Pests and Pesticides\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur project in Jenkins County, Georgia, is testing that potential. Jenkins County, with a population of around 8,700, is among the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nass.usda.gov\/Statistics_by_State\/Georgia\/Publications\/County_Estimates\/2023\/GACotton2023.pdf\u0022\u003Etop 25 cotton-growing counties\u003C\/a\u003E in the state. In 2024, approximately \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gfb.org\/news\/ag-news\/post\/georgia-farmers-increase-acreage-for-peanuts-hay-and-oats\u0022\u003E1.1 million acres\u003C\/a\u003E of land in Georgia were planted with cotton, and based on the 2022 agricultural county profiles census, Jenkins County \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nass.usda.gov\/Publications\/AgCensus\/2022\/Online_Resources\/County_Profiles\/Georgia\/cp13165.pdf\u0022\u003Eranked 173rd\u003C\/a\u003E out of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.fcr.2024.109483\u0022\u003E765 counties\u003C\/a\u003E producing cotton in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022a hand holding a white puffy object with leafy plants in the background\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690986\/original\/file-20250915-56-uruwf9.JPEG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ECotton is a major part of Georgia\u2019s agriculture industry.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDaeshjea Mcgee\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe state benefits from fertile soils, a subtropical-to-temperate climate, and abundant natural resources, all of which support a thriving agricultural industry. But these same conditions also foster pests and diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFarmers in Jenkins County, like many farmers, face numerous insect infestations, including stink bugs, cotton bollworms, corn earworms, tarnished plant bugs and aphids. Farmers make heavy use of pesticides. Without precise data on the bugs, farmers end up using more pesticides than they likely need, risking residents\u2019 health and adding costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile there are some existing tools for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/safepestcontrol\/integrated-pest-management-ipm-principles\u0022\u003Eintegrated pest management\u003C\/a\u003E, such as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apps.bugwood.org\/apps\/gacottoninsectadv\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Cotton Insect Advisor\u003C\/a\u003E app, they are not widely adopted and are limited to certain bugs. Other methods, such as traditional manual scouting and using sticky traps, are labor-intensive and time-consuming, particularly in the hot summer climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur research team set out to combine AI-based early pest detection methods with existing integrated pest management practices and the insect advisor app. The goal was to significantly improve pest detection, decrease pesticide exposure levels and reduce insecticide use on cotton farms in Jenkins County. The work compares different insect monitoring methods and assesses pesticide levels in both the fields and nearby semi-urban areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe selected eight large cotton fields operated by local farmers in Millen, four active and four control sites, to collect environmental samples before farmers began planting cotton and applying pesticides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022a triangular open-sided structure\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690987\/original\/file-20250915-56-h06lha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EPest insects are identified by AI as they fly through a light sensor inside this trap.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDaeshjea Mcgee\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team was aided by a new AI-based insect monitoring system called the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.farmsense.io\/our-product-farmsense-flightsensor\/\u0022\u003EFlightSensor\u003C\/a\u003E by FarmSense. The system uses a machine learning algorithm that was trained to recognize the unique wingbeats of each pest insect species. The specialized trap is equipped with infrared optical sensors that project an invisible infrared light beam \u2013 called a light curtain \u2013 across the entrance of a triangular tunnel. A sensor monitors the light curtain and uses the machine learning algorithm to identify each pest species as insects fly into the trap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFlightSensor provides information on the prevalence of targeted insects, giving farmers an alternative to traditional manual insect scouting. The information enables the farmers to adjust their pesticide-spraying frequency to match the need.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat We\u2019ve Learned\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are three things we have learned so far:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Predictive pest control potential\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 AI tools can help farmers pinpoint exactly where pest outbreaks are likely \u2013 before they happen. That means they can treat only the areas that need it, saving time, labor and pesticide costs. It\u2019s a shift from blanket spraying to precision farming \u2013 and it\u2019s a skill farmers can use season after season.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Stronger decision-making for farmers\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 The preliminary results indicate that the proposed sensors can effectively monitor insect populations specific to cotton farms. Even after the sensors are gone, farmers who used them get better at spotting pests. That\u2019s because the AI dashboards and mobile apps help them see how pest populations grow over time and respond to different field conditions. Researchers also have the ability to access this data remotely through satellite-based monitoring platforms on their computers, further enhancing the collaboration and learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Building local agtech talent\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Training students and farmers on AI pest detection is doing more than protecting cotton crops. It\u2019s building digital literacy, opening doors to agtech careers and preparing communities for future innovation. The same tools could help local governments manage mosquitoes and ticks and open up more agtech innovations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBlueprint for Rural Innovation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy using AI to detect pests early and reduce pesticide use, the project aims to lower harmful residues in local soil and air while supporting more sustainable farming. This pilot project could be a blueprint for how rural communities use AI generally to boost agriculture, reduce public health risks and build local expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as important, this work encourages more civic AI applications \u2013 grounded in real community needs \u2013 that others can adopt and adapt elsewhere. AI and innovation do not need to be urban or corporate to have a significant effect, nor do you need advanced technology degrees to be innovative. With the right partnerships, small towns, too, can harness innovations for economic and community growth.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/261526\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-happens-when-ai-comes-to-the-cotton-fields-261526\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech team is piloting AI-powered sensors to help cotton farmers optimize pesticide use.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech team is piloting AI-powered sensors to help cotton farmers optimize pesticide use."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-10-02 14:24:54","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:11:47","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678243":{"id":"678243","type":"image","title":"A researcher works in a cotton field in Jenkins County, Georgia, as part of a project on AI and pesticide use. Dorothy Seybold","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA researcher works in a cotton field in Jenkins County, Georgia, as part of a project on AI and pesticide use. Dorothy Seybold\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759415309","gmt_created":"2025-10-02 14:28:29","changed":"1759415309","gmt_changed":"2025-10-02 14:28:29","alt":"A researcher works in a cotton field in Jenkins County, Georgia, as part of a project on AI and pesticide use. Dorothy Seybold","file":{"fid":"262245","name":"file-20250915-56-jv2dth1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/02\/file-20250915-56-jv2dth1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/02\/file-20250915-56-jv2dth1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1517991,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/02\/file-20250915-56-jv2dth1.jpg?itok=V8ZMFMfm"}}},"media_ids":["678243"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-happens-when-ai-comes-to-the-cotton-fields-261526","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660368","name":"Tech AI (Artificial Intelligence)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/debra-lam-2212654\u0022\u003EDebra Lam\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/atin-adhikari-2437419\u0022\u003EAtin Adhikari\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/james-e-thomas-2437420\u0022\u003EJames E. Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, senior lecturer in Health Policy and Community Health, Georgia Southern University\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684611":{"#nid":"684611","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI\u2019s Ballooning Energy Consumption Puts Spotlight On Data Center\u00a0Efficiency","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is growing fast, and so are the number of computers that power it. Behind the scenes, this rapid growth is putting a huge strain on the data centers that run AI models. These facilities are using \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-supercharges-data-center-energy-use-straining-the-grid-and-slowing-sustainability-efforts-232697\u0022\u003Emore energy than ever\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI models are getting larger and more complex. Today\u2019s most advanced systems have billions of parameters, the numerical values derived from training data, and run across thousands of computer chips. To keep up, companies have responded by adding more hardware, more chips, more memory and more powerful networks. This brute force approach has helped AI make big leaps, but it\u2019s also created a new challenge: Data centers are becoming energy-hungry giants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome tech companies are responding by looking to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.ucs.org\/mike-jacobs\/power-hungry-why-data-centers-are-developing-their-own-energy-sources-to-fuel-ai\/\u0022\u003Epower data centers on their own\u003C\/a\u003E with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/08\/21\/gas-power-plants-approved-for-metas-10b-data-center-and-not-everyone-is-happy\/\u0022\u003Efossil fuel\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/pro\/google-is-building-a-small-nuclear-reactor-in-tennessee-to-power-its-data-centers\u0022\u003Enuclear power plants\u003C\/a\u003E. AI energy demand has also spurred efforts to make \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/tech\/ai\/the-new-chips-designed-to-solve-ais-energy-problem-1ba9cac1\u0022\u003Emore efficient computer chips\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en\u0026amp;user=HmBa_6gAAAAJ\u0026amp;view_op=list_works\u0026amp;sortby=pubdate\u0022\u003Ecomputer engineer\u003C\/a\u003E and a professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/divya-mahajan\u0022\u003Eat Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E who specializes in high-performance computing. I see another path to curbing AI\u2019s energy appetite: Make data centers more resource aware and efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEnergy and Heat\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern AI data centers can use as much electricity as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/11\/23\/data-centers-powering-ai-could-use-more-electricity-than-entire-cities.html\u0022\u003Esmall city\u003C\/a\u003E. And it\u2019s not just the computing that eats up power. Memory and cooling systems are major contributors, too. As AI models grow, they need more storage and faster access to data, which generates more heat. Also, as the chips become more powerful, removing heat becomes a central challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/688784\/original\/file-20250902-56-s2j1vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/688784\/original\/file-20250902-56-s2j1vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Small blue and green lights arranged in columns glow behind black mesh screens\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData centers house thousands of interconnected computers. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/data-servers-during-an-open-day-at-the-digital-realty-data-news-photo\/1475272476\u0022\u003EAlberto Ortega\/Europa Press via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECooling isn\u2019t just a technical detail; it\u2019s a major part of the energy bill. Traditional cooling is done with specialized air conditioning systems that remove heat from server racks. New methods like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blogs.nvidia.com\/blog\/blackwell-platform-water-efficiency-liquid-cooling-data-centers-ai-factories\/\u0022\u003Eliquid cooling\u003C\/a\u003E are helping, but they also require careful planning and water management. Without smarter solutions, the energy requirements and costs of AI could become unsustainable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven with all this advanced equipment, many data centers aren\u2019t running efficiently. That\u2019s because \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/proceedings.mlr.press\/v235\/wang24bp.html\u0022\u003Edifferent parts of the system don\u2019t always talk\u003C\/a\u003E to each other. For example, scheduling software might not know that a chip is overheating or that a network connection is clogged. As a result, some servers sit idle while others struggle to keep up. This lack of coordination can lead to wasted energy and underused resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Smarter Way Forward\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAddressing this challenge requires rethinking how to design and manage the systems that support AI. That means moving away from brute-force scaling and toward smarter, more specialized infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are three key ideas:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAddress variability in hardware.\u003C\/strong\u003E Not all chips are the same. Even within the same generation, chips vary in how fast they operate and how much heat they can tolerate, leading to heterogeneity in both performance and energy efficiency. Computer systems in data centers should recognize differences among chips in performance, heat tolerance and energy use, and adjust accordingly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdapt to changing conditions.\u003C\/strong\u003E AI workloads vary over time. For instance, thermal hotspots on chips can trigger the chips to slow down, fluctuating grid supply can cap the peak power that centers can draw, and bursts of data between chips can create congestion in the network that connects them. Systems should be designed to respond in real time to things like temperature, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.canarymedia.com\/articles\/utilities\/google-ai-data-center-flexibility-help-grid\u0022\u003Epower availability\u003C\/a\u003E and data traffic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreak down silos.\u003C\/strong\u003E Engineers who design chips, software and data centers should work together. When these teams collaborate, they can find new ways to save energy and improve performance. To that end, my colleagues, students and I at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/academics\/ai-for-engineering\/ai-makerspace\u0022\u003EAI Makerspace\u003C\/a\u003E, a high-performance AI data center, are exploring these challenges hands-on. We\u2019re working across disciplines, from hardware to software to energy systems, to build and test AI systems that are efficient, scalable and sustainable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EScaling With Intelligence\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI has the potential to transform science, medicine, education and more, but risks hitting limits on performance, energy and cost. The future of AI depends not only on better models, but also on better infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo keep AI growing in a way that benefits society, I believe it\u2019s important to shift from scaling by force to scaling with intelligence.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/254192\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ais-ballooning-energy-consumption-puts-spotlight-on-data-center-efficiency-254192\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is growing fast, and so are the number of computers that power it. Behind the scenes, this rapid growth is putting a huge strain on the data centers that run AI models.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Artificial intelligence is growing fast, and so are the number of computers that power it. Behind the scenes, this rapid growth is putting a huge strain on the data centers that run AI models. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-09-08 13:34:41","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:11:42","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677940":{"id":"677940","type":"image","title":"These \u2018chillers\u2019 on the roof of a data center in Germany, seen from above, work to cool the equipment inside the building. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThese \u2018chillers\u2019 on the roof of a data center in Germany, seen from above, work to cool the equipment inside the building. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/GermanyDataCenter\/ff354b47c6a34682b8a76f9ca89613ed\/photo\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Michael Probst\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1757338556","gmt_created":"2025-09-08 13:35:56","changed":"1757338556","gmt_changed":"2025-09-08 13:35:56","alt":"These \u2018chillers\u2019 on the roof of a data center in Germany, seen from above, work to cool the equipment inside the building. ","file":{"fid":"261898","name":"file-20250902-56-fgh9og.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/08\/file-20250902-56-fgh9og.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/08\/file-20250902-56-fgh9og.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":547761,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/08\/file-20250902-56-fgh9og.jpg?itok=LJ6j5HUe"}}},"media_ids":["677940"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ais-ballooning-energy-consumption-puts-spotlight-on-data-center-efficiency-254192","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/divya-mahajan-2366440\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003EDivya Mahajan\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686049":{"#nid":"686049","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Flexible Lens Controlled By Light-Activated Artificial Muscles Promises to Let Soft Machines\u00a0See","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInspired by the human eye, our biomedical engineering \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/thejialab\/home?authuser=2\u0022\u003Elab at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E has designed an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/scirobotics.adw8905\u0022\u003Eadaptive lens\u003C\/a\u003E made of soft, light-responsive, tissuelike materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdjustable camera systems usually require a set of bulky, moving, solid lenses and a pupil in front of a camera chip to adjust focus and intensity. In contrast, human eyes perform these same functions using soft, flexible tissues in a highly compact form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur lens, called the photo-responsive hydrogel soft lens, or PHySL, replaces rigid components with soft polymers acting as artificial muscles. The polymers are composed of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/explainer-what-is-a-hydrogel\u0022\u003Ehydrogel\u003C\/a\u003E \u2212 a water-based polymer material. This hydrogel muscle changes the shape of a soft lens to alter the lens\u2019s focal length, a mechanism analogous to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK470669\/figure\/myopia.F7\/\u0022\u003Eciliary muscles\u003C\/a\u003E in the human eye.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe hydrogel material contracts in response to light, allowing us to control the lens without touching it by projecting light onto its surface. This property also allows us to finely control the shape of the lens by selectively illuminating different parts of the hydrogel. By eliminating rigid optics and structures, our system is flexible and compliant, making it more durable and safer in contact with the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy it Matters\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial vision using cameras is commonplace in a variety of technological systems, including robots and medical tools. The optics needed to form a visual system are still typically restricted to rigid materials using electric power. This limitation presents a challenge for emerging fields, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/B978-0-12-801238-3.99907-0\u0022\u003Esoft robotics\u003C\/a\u003E and biomedical tools that integrate soft materials into flexible, low-power and autonomous systems. Our soft lens is particularly suitable for this task.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESoft robots are machines made with compliant materials and structures, taking inspiration from animals. This additional flexibility makes them more durable and adaptive. Researchers are using the technology to develop \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/rcs.2010\u0022\u003Esurgical endoscopes\u003C\/a\u003E, grippers for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.sna.2024.115380\u0022\u003Ehandling delicate objects\u003C\/a\u003E and robots for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1115\/1.4063669\u0022\u003Enavigating environments\u003C\/a\u003E that are difficult for rigid robots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same principles apply to biomedical tools. Tissuelike materials can soften the interface between body and machine, making biomedical tools safer by making them move with the body. These include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1063\/5.0217328\u0022\u003Eskinlike wearable sensors\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cis.2024.103358\u0022\u003Ehydrogel-coated implants\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022three photos showing a rubbery disk held between two hands\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=191\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=191\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=191\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=240\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=240\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/697600\/original\/file-20251021-56-2geixz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=240\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThis variable-focus soft lens, shown viewing a Rubik\u2019s Cube, can flex and twist without being damaged.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003ECorey Zheng\/Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Other Research is Being Done in This Field\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work merges concepts from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frobt.2021.678046\u0022\u003Etunable optics\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.macromol.3c00967\u0022\u003Esoft \u201csmart\u201d materials\u003C\/a\u003E. While these materials are often used to create soft actuators \u2013 parts of machines that move \u2013 such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/am507339r\u0022\u003Egrippers\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/scirobotics.aax7112\u0022\u003Epropulsors\u003C\/a\u003E, their application in optical systems has faced challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany existing soft lens designs depend on liquid-filled pouches or actuators \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frobt.2021.678046\u0022\u003Erequiring electronics\u003C\/a\u003E. These factors can increase complexity or limit their use in delicate or untethered systems. Our light-activated design offers a simpler, electronics-free alternative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat\u2019s Next\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe aim to improve the performance of the system using advances in hydrogel materials. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/gels11010030\u0022\u003ENew research\u003C\/a\u003E has yielded several types of stimuli-responsive hydrogels with faster and more powerful contraction abilities. We aim to incorporate the latest material developments to improve the physical capabilities of the photo-responsive hydrogel soft lens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also aim to show its practical use in new types of camera systems. In our current work, we developed a proof-of-concept, electronics-free camera using our soft lens and a custom light-activated, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/microfluidics-the-tiny-beautiful-tech-hidden-all-around-you-160436\u0022\u003Emicrofluidic chip\u003C\/a\u003E. We plan to incorporate this system into a soft robot to give it electronics-free vision. This system would be a significant demonstration for the potential of our design to enable new types of soft visual sensing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us\/topics\/research-brief-83231\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch Brief\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is a short take on interesting academic work.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/268064\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-flexible-lens-controlled-by-light-activated-artificial-muscles-promises-to-let-soft-machines-see-268064\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInspired by the human eye, our biomedical engineering lab at Georgia Tech has designed an adaptive lens made of soft, light-responsive, tissuelike materials.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Inspired by the human eye, our biomedical engineering lab at Georgia Tech has designed an adaptive lens made of soft, light-responsive, tissuelike materials."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-10-22 16:30:23","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:10:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678481":{"id":"678481","type":"image","title":"This rubbery disc is an artificial eye that could give soft robots vision. Corey Zheng\/Georgia Institute of Technology","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis rubbery disc is an artificial eye that could give soft robots vision. Corey Zheng\/Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1761669214","gmt_created":"2025-10-28 16:33:34","changed":"1761669214","gmt_changed":"2025-10-28 16:33:34","alt":"This rubbery disc is an artificial eye that could give soft robots vision. Corey Zheng\/Georgia Institute of Technology","file":{"fid":"262519","name":"file-20251021-66-cq8adm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/28\/file-20251021-66-cq8adm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/28\/file-20251021-66-cq8adm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":226505,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/28\/file-20251021-66-cq8adm.jpg?itok=6C34XOVb"}}},"media_ids":["678481"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-flexible-lens-controlled-by-light-activated-artificial-muscles-promises-to-let-soft-machines-see-268064","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/corey-zheng-2509386\u0022\u003ECorey Zheng\u003C\/a\u003E, PhD Student in Biomedical Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/shu-jia-2509377\u0022\u003EShu Jia\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686436":{"#nid":"686436","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NASA Goes On an ESCAPADE \u2013 Twin Small, Low-Cost Orbiters Will Examine Mars\u2019\u00a0Atmosphere","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That\u2019s the future that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/escapade\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u2019s ESCAPADE\u003C\/a\u003E, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, mission will help unleash: one where small, low-cost spacecraft enable researchers to learn rapidly, iterate, and advance technology and science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ESCAPADE \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.space.com\/space-exploration\/launches-spacecraft\/blue-origin-new-glenn-escapade-mars-launch-webcast\u0022\u003Emission launched\u003C\/a\u003E on Nov. 13, 2025 on a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/bezos-blue-origin-has-successfully-launched-its-new-glenn-rocket-to-orbit-a-feat-15-years-in-the-making-247424\u0022\u003EBlue Origin New Glenn rocket\u003C\/a\u003E, sending two small orbiters to Mars to study its atmosphere. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=N38VZzsAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EAs aerospace engineers\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=EFUhzfYAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Ewe\u2019re excited\u003C\/a\u003E about this mission because not only will it do great science while advancing the deep space capabilities of small spacecraft, but it also will travel to the red planet on an innovative new trajectory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ESCAPADE mission is actually \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/escapade.ssl.berkeley.edu\/about\/\u0022\u003Etwo spacecraft instead of one\u003C\/a\u003E. Two identical spacecraft will take simultaneous measurements, resulting in better science. These spacecraft are smaller than those used in the past, each \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/space-missions\/escapade\u0022\u003Eabout the size of a copy machine\u003C\/a\u003E, partly enabled by an ongoing miniaturization trend in the space industry. Doing more with less is very important for space exploration, because it typically takes most of the mass of a spacecraft simply to transport it where you want it to go.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A patch with a drawing of two spacecraft, one behind the other, on a red background and the ESCAPADE mission title.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=715\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=715\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=715\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=899\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=899\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701200\/original\/file-20251108-64-8hs1g2.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=899\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe ESCAPADE mission logo shows the twin orbiters.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ESCAPADE#\/media\/File:EscaPADE_logo.png\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ETRAX International\/Kristen Perrin\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving two spacecraft also acts as an insurance policy in case one of them doesn\u2019t work as planned. Even if one completely fails, researchers can still do science with a single working spacecraft. This redundancy enables each spacecraft to be built more affordably than in the past, because the copies allow for more acceptance of risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStudying Mars\u2019 History\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELong before the ESCAPADE twin spacecraft Blue and Gold were ready to go to space \u2013 billions of years ago, to be more precise \u2013 Mars \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ancient-mars-may-have-had-a-carbon-cycle-a-new-study-suggests-the-red-planet-may-have-once-been-warmer-wetter-and-more-favorable-for-life-255207\u0022\u003Ehad a much thicker atmosphere\u003C\/a\u003E than it does now. This atmosphere would have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/our-mostly-dry-planetary-neighbors-once-had-lots-of-water-what-does-that-imply-for-us-43817\u0022\u003Eenabled liquids to flow\u003C\/a\u003E on its surface, creating the channels and gullies that scientists can still observe today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut where did the bulk of this atmosphere go? Its loss turned Mars into the cold and dry world it is today, with a surface air pressure \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/marsed.asu.edu\/mep\/atmosphere\u0022\u003Eless than 1% of Earth\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMars also once \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/articles\/mars-has-the-remnants-of-a-lopsided-magnetic-field\u0022\u003Ehad a magnetic field\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/earths-magnetic-field-protects-life-on-earth-from-radiation-but-it-can-move-and-the-magnetic-poles-can-even-flip-216231\u0022\u003Elike Earth\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E, that helped to shield its atmosphere. That atmosphere and magnetic field would have been critical to any life that might have existed on early Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A view of Mars\u0026apos; crater-flecked surface from above.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=464\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=464\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=464\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=583\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=583\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701201\/original\/file-20251108-56-6kgb3p.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=583\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EToday, Mars\u2019 atmosphere is very thin. Billions of years ago, it was much thicker.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/192271236@N03\/52252929420\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E\u00a9UAESA\/MBRSC\/HopeMarsMission\/EXI\/AndreaLuck\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-ND\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE will measure remnants of this magnetic field that have been preserved by ancient rock and study the flow and energy of Mars\u2019 atmosphere and how it interacts with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-are-solar-storms-and-the-solar-wind-3-astrophysicists-explain-how-particles-coming-from-the-sun-interact-with-earth-264013\u0022\u003Ethe solar wind\u003C\/a\u003E, the stream of particles that the sun emits along with light. These measurements will help to reveal where the atmosphere went and how quickly Mars is still losing it today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWeathering Space on a Budget\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace is not a friendly place. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-space-made-of-an-astrophysics-expert-explains-all-the-components-from-radiation-to-dark-matter-found-in-the-vacuum-of-space-235402\u0022\u003EMost of it is a vacuum\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 that is, mostly empty, without the gas molecules that create pressure and allow you to breathe or transfer heat. These molecules keep things from getting too hot or too cold. In space, with no pressure, a spacecraft can easily get too hot or too cold, depending on whether it is in sunlight or in shadow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the Sun and other, farther astronomical objects \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/radtown\/cosmic-radiation\u0022\u003Eemit radiation\u003C\/a\u003E that living things do not experience on Earth. Earth\u2019s magnetic field protects you from the worst of this radiation. So when humans or our robotic representatives leave the Earth, our spacecraft must survive in this extreme environment not present on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE will overcome these challenges with a shoestring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/nasa-mars-escapade-mission-launch-date?\u0022\u003Ebudget totaling US$80 million\u003C\/a\u003E. That is a lot of money, but for a mission to another planet it is inexpensive. It has kept costs low by leveraging commercial technologies for deep space exploration, which is now possible because of prior investments in fundamental research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/grail\/\u0022\u003EGRAIL mission\u003C\/a\u003E, launched in 2011, previously used two spacecraft, Ebb and Flow, to map the Moon\u2019s gravity fields. ESCAPADE takes this concept to another world, Mars, and costs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/new-nasa-mission-to-reveal-moons-internal-structure-and-evolution\/\u0022\u003Ea fraction as much as GRAIL\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Rob Lillis of UC Berkeley\u2019s Space Sciences Laboratory, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/blogs\/escapade\/2025\/09\/22\/nasas-escapade-spacecraft-return-to-florida-to-prepare-for-launch\/\u0022\u003Ethis collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E between spacecraft builders Rocket Lab, trajectory specialists Advanced Space LLC and launch provider Blue Origin \u2013 all commercial partners funded by NASA \u2013 aims to show that deep space exploration is now faster, more agile and more affordable than ever before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jJpt0MPmr7Y?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ENASA\u2019s ESCAPADE represents a partnership between a university, commercial companies and the government.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Will ESCAPADE Get to Mars?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE will also use a new trajectory to get to Mars. Imagine being an archer in the Olympics. To hit a bull\u2019s-eye, you have to shoot an arrow through a 15-inch \u2013 40-centimeter \u2013 circle from a distance of 300 feet, or 90 meters. Now imagine the bull\u2019s-eye represents Mars. To hit it from Earth, you would have to shoot an arrow through the same 15-inch bull\u2019s-eye at a distance of over 13 miles, or 22 kilometers. You would also have to shoot the arrow in a curved path so that it goes around the Sun.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot only that, but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.space.com\/16875-how-far-away-is-mars.html\u0022\u003EMars won\u2019t be at the bull\u2019s-eye\u003C\/a\u003E at the time you shoot the arrow. You must shoot for the spot that Mars will be in 10 months from now. This is the problem that the ESCAPADE mission designers faced. What is amazing is that the physical laws and forces of nature are so predictable that this was not even the hardest problem to solve for the ESCAPADE mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt takes energy to get from one place to another. To go from Earth to Mars, a spacecraft has to carry the energy it needs, in the form of rocket fuel, much like gasoline in a car. As a result, a high percentage of the total launch mass has to be fuel for the trip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen going to Mars orbit from Earth orbit, as much as 80% to 85% of the spacecraft mass has to be propellant, which means not much mass is dedicated to the part of the spacecraft that does all the experiments. This issue makes it important to pack as much capability into the rest of the spacecraft as possible. For ESCAPADE, the propellant is only about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/advspace.publicshare\/Papers-Presentations\/2022\/Parker_ESCAPADE-A-Low-Cost-Formation-at-Mars.pdf\u0022\u003E65% of the spacecraft\u2019s mass\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE\u2019s route is particularly fuel-efficient. First, Blue and Gold will go to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/resource\/what-is-a-lagrange-point\/\u0022\u003EL2 Lagrange point\u003C\/a\u003E, one of five places where gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth cancel out. Then, after about a year, during which they will collect data monitoring the Sun, they will fly by the Earth, using its gravitational field \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/learn\/basics-of-space-flight\/primer\/\u0022\u003Eto get a boost\u003C\/a\u003E. This way, they will arrive at Mars in about 10 more months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis new approach has another advantage beyond needing to carry less fuel: Trips from Earth to Mars are typically favorable to save fuel about every 26 months due to the two planets\u2019 relative positions. However, this new trajectory makes the departure time more flexible. Future cargo and human missions could use a similar trajectory to have more frequent and less time-constrained trips to Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESCAPADE is a testament to a new era in spaceflight. For a new generation of scientists and engineers, ESCAPADE is not just a mission \u2013 it is a blueprint for a new collaborative era of exploration and discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article was updated on Nov. 13, 2025 to reflect the ESCAPADE launch\u2019s date and success.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/269321\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nasa-goes-on-an-escapade-twin-small-low-cost-orbiters-will-examine-mars-atmosphere-269321\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnvision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That\u2019s the future that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/escapade\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u2019s ESCAPADE\u003C\/a\u003E, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, mission will help unleash: one where small, low-cost spacecraft enable researchers to learn rapidly, iterate, and advance technology and science.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Envision a time when hundreds of spacecraft are exploring the solar system and beyond. That\u2019s the future that NASA\u2019s ESCAPADE, or Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, mission will help unleash."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-11-13 16:09:40","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:09:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678629":{"id":"678629","type":"image","title":"This close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations. James Rattray\/Rocket Lab USA\/Goddard Space Flight Center","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/svs.gsfc.nasa.gov\/vis\/a010000\/a014600\/a014635\/RL_ESCAPADE_Beauty_Shot002.00001_print.jpg\u0022\u003EJames Rattray\/Rocket Lab USA\/Goddard Space Flight Center\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1763136688","gmt_created":"2025-11-14 16:11:28","changed":"1763136688","gmt_changed":"2025-11-14 16:11:28","alt":"This close-up illustration shows what one of the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will look like conducting its science operations. James Rattray\/Rocket Lab USA\/Goddard Space Flight Center","file":{"fid":"262687","name":"file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/14\/file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/14\/file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":89601,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/14\/file-20251107-56-snlt6f.jpg?itok=RBt9xq0n"}}},"media_ids":["678629"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nasa-goes-on-an-escapade-twin-small-low-cost-orbiters-will-examine-mars-atmosphere-269321","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/christopher-carr-2251684\u0022\u003EChristopher Carr\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/glenn-lightsey-1519875\u0022\u003EGlenn Lightsey\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Space Systems Technology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686647":{"#nid":"686647","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Women\u2019s Soccer Sets Sights on Atlanta","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 2028, Atlanta will be home to a yet-to-be-named National Women\u2019s Soccer League team, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nwslsoccer.com\/news\/nwsl-awards-expansion-franchise-to-atlanta\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eannounced Nov. 12.\u003C\/a\u003E The announcement comes at a time when soccer is building momentum in Atlanta and across the U.S. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf history tells us anything, it\u2019s the right place at the right time.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis team steps into a void,\u201d said Declan Abernethy, lecturer in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of History and Sociology\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see women\u2019s soccer be valued as a commercial spectacle and exciting for fans in Atlanta.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta holds a place in women\u2019s soccer history as host of the 1996 Summer Olympics, where the U.S. Women\u2019s National Team won its first gold medal \u2014 the introduction to women\u2019s soccer for many Americans.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince then, the soccer ecosystem has expanded exponentially, in Atlanta and beyond. Atlanta United began playing in 2017, winning the MLS Cup in its second year as a franchise. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Business of Soccer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArthur Blank, who owns Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons and purchased the rights for the new women\u2019s team, paid $165 million for this expansion team. Just two years ago, that cost was nearly a third. The total investment will ultimately be more than $330 million. But as Abernethy points out, the purchase price and timing show that this is a serious endeavor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt shows Blank is a smart business owner \u2014 he\u2019s willing to invest in doing things the right way,\u201d said Abernethy, who has studied and published about both Atlanta United and the U.S. Women\u2019s National Team. \u201cIn five years, this team could be a leader in how it is run and how it spends money. We have such a strong legacy of professional women\u2019s soccer in Atlanta and so much youth talent, it could get very competitive.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Atlanta Is Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not the first time a women\u2019s soccer team has made its home in Atlanta. The Atlanta Beat played at Georgia Tech\u2019s Bobby Dodd Stadium in the early 2000s, and the Atlanta Silverbacks Women followed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince those attempts, Atlanta has welcomed a professional men\u2019s team in Atlanta United, along with its ATL UTD 2 reserve team and extensive youth development programs. A $50 million contribution from Arthur Blank is helping build a new home for U.S. Soccer south of the city in Fayetteville with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ussoccer.com\/ntchq\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EArthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s hitting at this opportune time with the U.S. training facility, sparks of excitement for the men\u2019s national team, a strong run by the women\u2019s national team with players from Atlanta, and six World Cup games being hosted in Atlanta next year. It could have a nice impact on the soccer ecosystem here,\u201d said Kirk Bowman, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBowman also points to the culture that has grown from Atlanta United and the infrastructure that supports it. Team flags adorn houses, the BeltLine and MARTA connect in-town fans to a downtown stadium that is surrounded by new development at the Gulch \u2014 not to mention a growing pool of legacy soccer players around the metro area, and the surrounding perennial success of ACC women\u2019s soccer teams. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou\u2019ve now had cohort after cohort of female soccer players of all ages, and families with mothers and daughters who have played soccer and are eager to go to games,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they brand it correctly, there\u2019s a lot of enthusiasm and a built-in audience that loves the game.\u201d The WNBA also had record-high viewership last year, with its most-watched game garnering nearly 3 million viewers, demonstrating the increasing popularity of women\u0027s professional sports.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team also enters an open market for fans, without another professional women\u2019s team nearby. Abernethy notes that it takes time to build economic success and fandom, and with more than 50 years of women\u2019s soccer now played, it may have finally hit its stride.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 2028, Atlanta will be home to a yet-to-be-named National Women\u2019s Soccer League team, announced Nov. 12. The announcement comes at a time when soccer is building momentum in Atlanta and across the U.S. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In 2028, Atlanta will be home to a yet-to-be-named National Women\u2019s Soccer League team, announced Nov. 12. The announcement comes at a time when soccer is building momentum in Atlanta and across the U.S.  "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-12-01 14:22:47","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:08:55","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678728":{"id":"678728","type":"image","title":"Arthur Blank and NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman announce an Atlanta soccer franchise ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EArthur Blank and NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman announce an Atlanta soccer franchise during the \u201cEmpower Her. Inspire All.\u201d event hosted by AMB Sports and Entertainment at The Interlock on Nov. 11, 2025. (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/sports\/2025\/11\/atlantas-new-nwsl-team-has-an-mls-playbook-to-follow\/\u0022\u003EAbbey Cutrer\/AJC\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1764600073","gmt_created":"2025-12-01 14:41:13","changed":"1764600141","gmt_changed":"2025-12-01 14:42:21","alt":"Arthur Blank and NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman announce an Atlanta soccer franchise ","file":{"fid":"262800","name":"SVXRBCMFHJHPFCK2K2JQYK3YO4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/01\/SVXRBCMFHJHPFCK2K2JQYK3YO4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/01\/SVXRBCMFHJHPFCK2K2JQYK3YO4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5687311,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/01\/SVXRBCMFHJHPFCK2K2JQYK3YO4.jpg?itok=1-JeCqYq"}}},"media_ids":["678728"],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686886":{"#nid":"686886","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Industry Standards and Tech Advances Make Pre-Owned Electronics a Viable Holiday Gift\u00a0Option","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectronic gifts are very popular, and in recent years, retailers have been offering significant discounts on smartphones, e-readers and other electronics labeled as \u201cpre-owned.\u201d Research I have co-led finds that these pre-owned options are becoming increasingly viable, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/msom.2023.0444\u0022\u003Ethanks in part to laws and policies that encourage recycling and reuse\u003C\/a\u003E of devices that might previously have been thrown away.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmazon, Walmart and Best Buy have dedicated pages on their websites for pre-owned devices. Manufacturers like Apple and Dell, as well as mobile service providers like AT\u0026amp;T and Verizon, offer their own options for customers to buy used items. Their sales rely on the availability of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2023\/03\/the-enormous-opportunity-of-e-waste-recycling\/\u0022\u003Elarge volume of used products\u003C\/a\u003E, which are supplied by the emergence of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/second-hand-electronic-products-market-090000899.html\u0022\u003Ean entire line of businesses\u003C\/a\u003E that process used, discarded or returned electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose developments are some of the results of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/msom.2023.0444\u0022\u003Ewidespread innovations across the electronics industry\u003C\/a\u003E that supply chain researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.psu.edu\/suresh\/\u0022\u003ESuresh Muthulingam\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/suvrat\/\u0022\u003EI\u003C\/a\u003E have linked to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calrecycle.ca.gov\/electronics\/statutes\/\u0022\u003ECalifornia\u2019s Electronic Waste Recycling Act\u003C\/a\u003E, passed in 2003.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ERecycling Innovation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOriginally intended to reduce the amount of electronic waste flowing into the state\u2019s landfills, California\u2019s law did far more, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/msom.2023.0444\u0022\u003Eunleashing a wave of innovation\u003C\/a\u003E, our analysis found.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe analyzed the patent-filing activity of hundreds of electronics firms over a 17-year time span from 1996 to 2012. We found that the passage of California\u2019s law not only prompted electronics manufacturers to engage in sustainability-focused innovation, but it also sparked a surge in general innovation around products, processes and techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaced with new regulations, electronics manufacturers and suppliers didn\u2019t just make small adjustments, such as tweaking their packaging to ensure compliance. They fundamentally rethought their design and manufacturing processes, to create products that use recycled materials and that are easily recyclable themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, Samsung\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.samsung.com\/global\/samsung-galaxy-s25-receives-2025-rema-design-for-recycling-award\u0022\u003EGalaxy S25\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003Esmartphone\u003C\/strong\u003E is a new product that, when released in May 2025, was made of eight different recycled materials, including aluminum, neodymium, steel, plastics and fiber.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECombined with advanced recycling technologies and processes, these materials can be recovered and reused several times in new devices and products. For example, Apple invented the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CrTd3VKLSrz\/?hl=en\u0022\u003EDaisy Robot\u003C\/a\u003E, which disassembles old iPhones in a matter of seconds and recovers a variety of precious metals, including copper and gold. These materials, which would otherwise have to be mined from rock, are reused in Apple\u2019s manufacturing process for new iPhones and iPads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Do Consumers Benefit?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the past two decades, 25 U.S. states and Washington D.C. have passed laws requiring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/electronics-batteries-management\/regulations-electronics-stewardship\u0022\u003Eelectronics recycling and refurbishing\u003C\/a\u003E, the process of restoring a pre-owned electronic device so that it can function like new.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe establishment of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ctia.org\/news\/ctia-establishes-industry-standard-for-grading-pre-owned-wireless-devices\u0022\u003Eindustry guidelines and standards\u003C\/a\u003E also means that all pre-owned devices are thoroughly tested for functionality and cosmetic appearance before resale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies\u2019 deeper engagement with innovation appears to have created organizational momentum that carried over into other areas of product development. For example, in our study, we found that the passage of California\u2019s law directly resulted in a flurry of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/msom.2023.0444\u0022\u003Epatents related to semiconductor materials, data storage and battery technology\u003C\/a\u003E, among others. These scientific advances have made devices more durable, repairable and recyclable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the average consumer, the recycling laws and the resulting industry responses mean used electronics are available with similar reliability, warranties and return policies as new devices \u2013 and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mordorintelligence.com\/industry-reports\/us-refurbished-and-used-mobile-phones-market\u0022\u003Eat prices as much as 50% lower\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/270347\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/new-industry-standards-and-tech-advances-make-pre-owned-electronics-a-viable-holiday-gift-option-270347\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPre-owned options are becoming increasingly viable, thanks in part to laws and policies that encourage recycling and reuse of devices that might previously have been thrown away.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Pre-owned options are becoming increasingly viable, thanks in part to laws and policies that encourage recycling and reuse of devices that might previously have been thrown away."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 14:23:37","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 13:08:45","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678840":{"id":"678840","type":"image","title":"It\u2019s easier than ever to repair or recycle electronic devices. Elisa Schu\/picture alliance via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s easier than ever to repair or recycle electronic devices. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/november-2025-berlin-an-employee-checks-a-cell-phone-in-the-news-photo\/2248755177\u0022\u003EElisa Schu\/picture alliance via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765808873","gmt_created":"2025-12-15 14:27:53","changed":"1765808873","gmt_changed":"2025-12-15 14:27:53","alt":"It\u2019s easier than ever to repair or recycle electronic devices. Elisa Schu\/picture alliance via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"262929","name":"file-20251204-56-npm444.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/15\/file-20251204-56-npm444.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/15\/file-20251204-56-npm444.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":250466,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/15\/file-20251204-56-npm444.jpg?itok=Kc2LvIpM"}}},"media_ids":["678840"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/new-industry-standards-and-tech-advances-make-pre-owned-electronics-a-viable-holiday-gift-option-270347","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1274","name":"Scheller College of Business"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/suvrat-dhanorkar-579449\u0022\u003ESuvrat Dhanorkar\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Operations Management, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689012":{"#nid":"689012","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cohort of Computing Students Named Squarepoint Foundation Scholars","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive Georgia Tech computer science (CS) students have been named Squarepoint Foundation Scholars, receiving merit- and need-based scholarships for their undergraduate studies. The Squarepoint Foundation is providing $100,000 to fund the awards, which offer $10,000 per year for two years to rising third-year students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow in its second year of supporting the College of Computing, the Squarepoint Foundation continues to expand opportunities, enabling students to focus fully on their studies and pursue activities outside the classroom. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA selection committee led by \u003Cstrong\u003EMary Hudachek-Buswell\u003C\/strong\u003E, interim chair of the School of Computing Instruction (SCI), chose this year\u2019s cohort.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese students exemplify the curiosity, talent, and determination we strive to cultivate in computer science,\u201d Hudachek-Buswell said. \u201cThe Squarepoint Foundation Scholarships will give them the opportunity to focus fully on their studies while pursuing research and projects that have the potential to make a real-world impact.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scholars have demonstrated strong leadership across campus, with all five serving as teaching assistants (TAs) and earning faculty honors. The cohort is also engaged in\u0026nbsp;research and study abroad opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 2021, the Squarepoint Foundation supports STEM education and research while partnering with organizations worldwide to expand opportunity and access.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are proud to continue our partnership with Georgia Tech, as we extend our support to a number of students working towards achieving their academic goals,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EAllison Henry\u003C\/strong\u003E, Squarepoint Foundation manager.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Squarepoint Foundation aims to increase access to education, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to pursue the degree of their choice, no matter their circumstances. We wish these talented students the best of luck as they undertake their studies and recognize them for their hard work and dedication to the STEM field.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeet the Scholars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaria Cymbalyuk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECymbalyuk studies \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/threads-better-way-learn-computing\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECybersecurity and Information Internetwork threads\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, focusing on how technical systems shape who is protected or exposed in digital environments. She\u2019s interested in supporting public defenders and improving access to justice through technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis scholarship made this semester feel less financially stressful and more like I can focus on building the skills and experiences I care about,\u201d Cymbalyuk said. \u201cI want to use my skills to build tools and do research that supports public interest organizations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarziah Islam\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIslam concentrates on the People and Intelligence threads, exploring how humans interact with technology. She is developing a sign-language learning mobile app through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVertically Integrated Project\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and hopes to build accessible, reliable systems in healthcare technology. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am fascinated by the intersection of humans and computing, and I want to design technology that better supports real people,\u201d Islam said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESahadev Bharath\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBharath studies Architecture and Information Internetworks threads, with interests in low-level programming, operating systems, and large-scale systems. He plans to begin his career in software engineering, focusing on distributed systems and AI infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cComing from India, being able to afford out-of-state tuition has been a challenge. This scholarship relieves financial stress and gives me more time to focus on my academics and career,\u201d Bharath said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am passionate about teaching and sharing my knowledge with fellow students. Being a TA has been extremely fulfilling and motivates me to continue contributing to education.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoie Yeung\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYeung studies Information Internetworks and Intelligence threads, with a focus on data and artificial intelligence. She has received the President\u2019s Volunteer Service Award for completing more than 100 service hours in one year. In addition to pursuing a career in software engineering, she is passionate about mentoring younger girls and addressing the gender gap in STEM. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to create meaningful and impactful technology while giving back to my communities. I also aim to show younger girls that they can succeed in computing despite the gender gap,\u201d Yeung said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJun Hong Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang studies system architecture and intelligence with a minor in mathematics, concentrating on computer architecture and low-level optimization. He is considering careers in software engineering, research, or entrepreneurship at the intersection of hardware and software.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m especially interested in how hardware and software intersect, and I hope to use my work to create solutions that are meaningful and helpful for the world,\u201d Wang said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scholarships offer vital support as these students keep advancing research, leadership, and influence in computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Squarepoint Foundation is providing $100,000 to fund the awards, which offer $10,000 per year for two years to rising third-year students.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Squarepoint Foundation is providing $100,000 to fund the awards, which offer $10,000 per year for two years to rising third-year students. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 16:23:48","changed_gmt":"2026-03-18 17:11:18","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679669":{"id":"679669","type":"image","title":"sp2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA new cohort of computing students has been named Squarepoint Foundation scholars.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773851158","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 16:25:58","changed":"1773851158","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 16:25:58","alt":"A new cohort of computing students has been named Squarepoint Foundation scholars.","file":{"fid":"263855","name":"sp2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/sp2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/sp2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2146822,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/sp2.jpg?itok=kj6YWko0"}}},"media_ids":["679669"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmily Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688961":{"#nid":"688961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Honorees Announced for Campus Installation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne year after the opening of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/celebratingwomen.alumni.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the newest honorees have been selected for the permanent campus installation. \u003Cem\u003EPathway of Progress\u003C\/em\u003E recognizes alumnae, students, faculty, and staff\u202fwho have made significant contributions to campus, their chosen fields, and their communities. Following a nomination and selection process, individuals will continue to be added to this living installation each year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPathway of Progress\u003C\/em\u003E was made possible by significant philanthropic support from Andrea Laliberte, IE 1982, M.S. IE 1984, HON Ph.D. 2025, and designed by Merica May Jensen, MGT 2008, M. ARCH 2011. The 2026 honorees embody the Institute\u2019s motto of Progress and Service and have made a lasting impact on the world around them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPathway of Progress\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E Honorees\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENiesha Alice Butler, INTA 2016,\u003C\/strong\u003E is the founder and CEO of S.T.E.A.M. CHAMPS.\u0026nbsp;Her multifaceted career has included serving as a software engineer and computer science instructor. She has founded multiple companies focused on teaching coding, robotics, and engineering to underserved communities. While a student at Georgia Tech, she played basketball and was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 1999.\u202f\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMary\u0026nbsp;Ann Gordon, EE 1981,\u003C\/strong\u003E is a retired vice president of quality compliance at Altria Group. Her work in engineering and manufacturing\u0026nbsp;has influenced industry standards and operational excellence. A leader in her community, she also serves the Institute through her involvement on multiple boards, including the College of Engineering Advisory Board and the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees. She has given back to Georgia Tech through her support of undergraduate scholarships and Roll Call, among other areas of interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMargie Ann Morse, NE 1979,\u003C\/strong\u003E is\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ea pioneer in the field of nuclear engineering. She co-founded the engineering firm Parallax in 1992 and grew it into a multimillion-dollar\u0026nbsp;nuclear\u0026nbsp;logistics\u0026nbsp;service company.\u0026nbsp;She has remained involved with the Institute and served on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeather Smith Rocker, IE 1998,\u003C\/strong\u003E is the CEO of Women in Technology, an organization dedicated to creating more opportunities for women and girls to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology. She has served with organizations focused on advancing Georgia through STEM-focused education, workplace development, and leadership development, and was a member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarilyn Jones Smith, AE 1982, M.S. AE 1985, Ph.D. AE 1994,\u003C\/strong\u003E is the David S. Lewis Professor in the Daniel\u0026nbsp;Guggenheim\u0026nbsp;School of Aerospace Engineering and director of the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence. She is a pioneer in the aerospace industry and leads award-winning research teams focused on critical aeromechanics issues. In addition to mentoring hundreds of students, she serves as a caregiver to the many cats who call the Georgia Tech campus home.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERidhi\u0026nbsp;Tariyal, IE 2002,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eis the co-founder and CEO of NextGen Jane. A leader in health science, she developed a method for using menstrual fluid for diagnostic testing, advancing the science of women\u2019s health and making testing more accessible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiz\u0026nbsp;Harriss\u0026nbsp;York, ARCH 1990, M. ARCH 1995,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eis a managing principal at HDR. A recognized leader in sustainability, architecture, and public health, she\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewas the first chief sustainability officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has demonstrated her commitment to Georgia Tech through her volunteer leadership and service on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees, \u0026nbsp;as well as through her philanthropic support across campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne year after the opening of \u003Cem\u003EPathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women\u003C\/em\u003E, the newest honorees have been selected for the permanent campus installation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"One year after the opening of Pathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women, the newest honorees have been selected for the permanent campus installation. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 11:13:26","changed_gmt":"2026-03-18 12:57:48","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679652":{"id":"679652","type":"image","title":"pathway_honorees_2026.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPathway of Progress\u003C\/em\u003E 2026 Honorees. (L-R): Niesha Alice Butler, Mary\u0026nbsp;Ann Gordon, Margie Ann Morse, Heather Smith Rocker, Marilyn Jones Smith, Ridhi\u0026nbsp;Tariyal, Liz\u0026nbsp;Harriss\u0026nbsp;York\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773753953","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 13:25:53","changed":"1773840419","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 13:26:59","alt":"Pathway of Progress 2026 Honorees","file":{"fid":"263852","name":"pathway_honorees_2026.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/pathway_honorees_2026.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/pathway_honorees_2026.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1089094,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/pathway_honorees_2026.jpg?itok=Gpj4_EkO"}}},"media_ids":["679652"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/celebratingwomen.alumni.gatech.edu\/","title":"Pathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2025\/02\/pathway-progress-open-march-8","title":"Pathway of Progress Opening"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1262","name":"Office of Development"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:janet.kinard@alumni.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJanet Kinard\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EVice President of Engagement\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Alumni Association\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688960":{"#nid":"688960","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Campus Traffic Advisory: NCAA Women\u2019s Swimming and Diving Championships ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the Georgia Tech community should prepare for increased traffic congestion and limited parking availability on West Campus during two periods in March as Georgia Tech hosts the\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/2026-ncaa-division-i-womens-swimming-diving-championships\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming and Diving Championships\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChampionship events will take place throughout the day on the following dates:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, March 18 \u2013 Saturday, March 21.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, March 25 \u2013 Saturday, March 28.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis large-scale event will bring a significant influx of student-athletes, coaches, and spectators to campus, resulting in increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic throughout these weeks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAreas of Expected Congestion\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeak congestion is expected around the CRC and nearby parking areas. Be sure to make a plan, allow extra travel time, and consider alternative routes or transportation options when possible. Additionally, the intersection of 10th Street and Hemphill Avenue will be closed during this time for critical pipe repair beginning Monday, March 13, and will further complicate campus traffic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParking and Transportation Information\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParking demand will be higher than usual during these dates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParking and Transportation Services (PTS) has communicated directly with affected permit holders about increased traffic volume, alternative parking options, and potential delays.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECongestion and relocation advisories\u003C\/strong\u003E have been sent to permit holders in the following parking areas:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW02:\u003C\/strong\u003E Student Center Deck.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW06: \u003C\/strong\u003ETech Parkway Street Spaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW10: \u003C\/strong\u003ECRC Deck.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW22: \u003C\/strong\u003EDalney Deck.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional event-specific updates and transportation information are available on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/11\/2026-ncaa-swim-dive-championships-parking-info\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPTS website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the Georgia Tech community should prepare for increased traffic congestion and limited parking availability on West Campus during two periods in March as Georgia Tech hosts the NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Campus Recreation Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Members of the Georgia Tech community should prepare for increased traffic congestion and limited parking availability on West Campus during two periods in March as Georgia Tech hosts the NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming and Diving Championships."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 01:23:46","changed_gmt":"2026-03-17 12:05:01","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679651":{"id":"679651","type":"image","title":"McAuley Aquatic Center","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMcAuley Aquatic Center\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773749071","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 12:04:31","changed":"1773749071","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 12:04:31","alt":"McAuley Aquatic Center","file":{"fid":"263834","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-8.03.46-AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-8.03.46-AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-8.03.46-AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":7513245,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-8.03.46-AM.png?itok=8x9aopoK"}}},"media_ids":["679651"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/emergency","title":"10th Street and Hemphill Avenue Closed Starting Monday, March 16"}],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"1303","name":"GT Police Department"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Specialevents@police.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Especialevents@police.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Support@pts.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esupport@pts.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688855":{"#nid":"688855","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Apply for Education Assistance Now Through April 15","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEligible Georgia Tech employees can apply for summer semester tuition assistance now through April 15. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EFull-time faculty and staff have the following options:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003ETuition Assistance Program (TAP) \u003C\/strong\u003Eprovides a tuition waiver to full-time, benefits-eligible employees who have worked for at least six months within the University of System of Georgia. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00222\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003EStaff Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Program (STRAP)\u003C\/strong\u003E provides partial tuition reimbursement at any accredited private institution. Employees are eligible for STRAP if they have worked for at least 12 months at Georgia Tech. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ETime worked in a temporary position \u003Cem\u003Edoes not\u003C\/em\u003E count toward the eligibility requirement for either assistance program. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApplication Process\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDuring their designated application dates, apply for school through the admissions office of the institution you plan to attend.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00222\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOpen a TAP or STRAP application via the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/asc\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdministrative Services\u003C\/a\u003E portal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00223\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003EList the courses you plan to take. If you are not sure, put your best guess (you can request to change it later via your application).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00224\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESubmit your application. It will automatically route for approval.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00225\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERegister for classes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease ensure your application is submitted and approved by\u003Cstrong\u003E April 15 at 5 p.m\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u003Cstrong\u003EApplications received after this date cannot be honored.\u003C\/strong\u003E A new application must be completed for each semester by the deadline.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResources\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ft.e2ma.net%2Fclick%2Fdlbjbgb%2Fx8epvx3%2F13tknaq\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cagauker6%40gatech.edu%7Cfacb2de5de1d4d49487b08de792d39fa%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639081432327159987%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=caN8LuWpkzOFzkFpehU%2BOU7tHb2NLNJfAs%2B%2F8a8VPe4%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEducation Assistance Application Toolkit\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mediaspace.gatech.edu\/media\/Summer+2026+Education+Assistance+Info+Session%3A+Applying+for+TAP+and+STRAP\/1_nxkvsssq\/267634322\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApplying Session Recording\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mediaspace.gatech.edu\/media\/Summer+2026+Education+Assistance+Info+Session%3A+Approving+TAP+and+STRAP+%28managers+and+supervisors%29\/1_1qytc618\/267634322\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApproving Session Recording\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/gtasc\/files\/2024\/09\/TAP-and-STRAP-Flyer.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEducation Assistance Flyer\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/policylibrary.gatech.edu\/employment\/tap\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETAP Policy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/policylibrary.gatech.edu\/employment\/strap\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESTRAP Policy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQuestions?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/asc\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdministrative Services Center\u003C\/a\u003E for assistance:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECall 404.385.1111\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEmail support@asc.gatech.edu\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESubmit a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/hr?id=sc_cat_item\u0026amp;sys_id=dcaaa4161bbdc950a8622f4b234bcbd6\u0026amp;referrer=popular_items\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Egeneral HR request\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEligible Georgia Tech employees can apply for summer semester tuition assistance now through April 15. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Eligible Georgia Tech employees can apply for tuition assistance now through April 15. "}],"uid":"36515","created_gmt":"2026-03-11 15:54:03","changed_gmt":"2026-03-16 16:48:12","author":"agauker6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676111":{"id":"676111","type":"image","title":"Education Assistance Promo","body":null,"created":"1737660654","gmt_created":"2025-01-23 19:30:54","changed":"1737660654","gmt_changed":"2025-01-23 19:30:54","alt":"Georgia Tech student receives diploma at commencement ceremony.","file":{"fid":"259831","name":"18NE10502-P1-052.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/23\/18NE10502-P1-052.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/23\/18NE10502-P1-052.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1817617,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/23\/18NE10502-P1-052.JPG?itok=brifgYo4"}}},"media_ids":["676111"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/benefits.hr.gatech.edu\/education-assistance\/","title":"Education Assistance Webpage"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/asc?id=sc_category","title":"Apply for Education Assistance (TAP or STRAP)"}],"groups":[{"id":"660358","name":"Administrative Services Center"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193133","name":"educational assistance"},{"id":"67881","name":"Tuition Assistance Program"},{"id":"171275","name":"Staff Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Program"},{"id":"8254","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"190282","name":"administrative Services center"},{"id":"192222","name":"GT Georgia Tech Human Resources"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlicia Gauker\u003Cbr\u003EAdministrative Services Center\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["agauker6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688619":{"#nid":"688619","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Celebrate STEAM Launches Atlanta Science Festival ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo kick off the 13th annual \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta Science Festival\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ASF), Georgia Tech hosted Celebrate STEAM on March 7, welcoming thousands of visitors to experience hands-on demonstrations and interactive displays showcasing the innovation and excitement at the intersection of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESetting the stage for the festival, which runs through March 21, Celebrate STEAM saw over 4,000 attendees take part in more than 50 activities on Tech\u2019s campus, from exploring the human brain with Georgia Tech neuroscience experts to creating art with robots. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAria Washington, a 9-year-old student, first attended Celebrate STEAM in 2024. Intrigued by a robotic dog demonstration, Washington set out to build her own. Two years later, she built her own robotic K-9 and earned first place in several competitions for her work and presentation skills.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022560\u0022 height=\u0022315\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tMKgEefBWp4?si=iT1_RzEXMtuArJlc\u0022 title=\u0022YouTube video player\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allow=\u0022accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022strict-origin-when-cross-origin\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCelebrate STEAM inspired me because when I saw the different exhibits, I thought, \u2018I can do that.\u2019 What made me decide to build my own was that I wanted to see how they worked. No one ever told me I was too young, but if someone did, I would try anyway,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJust Getting Started\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECelebrate STEAM was the first of more than 150 Atlanta Science Festival events across the city, culminating with the Exploration Expo at Piedmont Park on the festival\u2019s final day. Georgia Tech, Emory University, Delta Air Lines, and other presenting sponsors will host events throughout the festival, with Tech experts and others providing engaging and informative demonstrations at various events. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2026\/1094-from-crisis-to-innovation\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFrom Crisis to Innovation: 50 Years of Renewable Energy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. \u2013 1 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom President Jimmy Carter\u2019s 1970s solar panels on the White House to today\u2019s high-tech solar vehicles, the look and efficiency of clean energy have been rapidly changing. Join the Carter Library and the Georgia Tech Solar Racing team for an engaging panel discussion on the evolution of clean energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHear from experts about how Carter\u2019s early response to the energy crisis helped spark a clean energy revolution and see modern innovations in action. The racing team will bring their solar vehicles on-site for the public to view and interact with, offering a hands-on look at the future of sustainable transportation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2026\/976-animals-in-motion\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAnimals in Motion: Biomechanics at Zoo Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. \u2013 2 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Zoo Atlanta\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEver wonder how orangutans swing, or how an elephant\u0027s trunk works? This event at Zoo Atlanta celebrates the diversity of animals on Earth and the incredible ways they move. With help from biomechanics experts at Georgia Tech and other universities, visitors can participate in live demonstrations and presentations designed to engage and inspire them to learn more about biomechanics and its applications in bio-inspired design. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2026\/973-guthman-musical-instrument-competition\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGuthman Musical Instrument Competition\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Saturday, March 14, 7 \u2013 9:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Ferst Center for the Arts\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAttendees will see the world\u0027s most innovative new musical instruments, meet the creators, hear them in concert, and vote on their favorites. The Guthman Musical Instrument Competition is a celebration of how science, engineering, art, and design help us imagine new ways to express ourselves through music.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org\/events-2026\/1041-the-sound-of-molecules-with-the-musical-chemist\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThe Sound of Molecules\u2019 With the Musical Chemist\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Friday, March 20, 7 \u2013 8 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Room 103, Instructional Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Musical Chemist Walker Smith turns atomic spectra into sound through data sonification, allowing visitors to hear a variety of elements and the ethereal chords they create together. His live show, \u003Cem\u003EThe Sound of Molecules\u003C\/em\u003E, features lasers, live music, and audience interaction, so \u201cbuckle your seatbelts, because things are about to get elemental.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Over 50 demonstrations took place throughout the day, and guest speakers shared insights into how STEAM is shaping the future.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOver 50 demonstrations took place throughout the day, and guest speakers shared insights into how STEAM is shaping the future. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Over 50 demonstrations took place throughout the day, and guest speakers shared insights into how STEAM is shaping the future.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-02 17:46:24","changed_gmt":"2026-03-13 17:07:42","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679582":{"id":"679582","type":"image","title":"2026 Celebrate STEAM","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChildren participate in a demo during the 2026 Celebrate STEAM event at Georgia Tech. Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773257460","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 19:31:00","changed":"1773257460","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 19:31:00","alt":"2026 Celebrate STEAM","file":{"fid":"263760","name":"DSC_7946.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/DSC_7946.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/DSC_7946.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5687378,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/11\/DSC_7946.jpeg?itok=_xSZnGaq"}}},"media_ids":["679582"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/atlantasciencefestival.org","title":"Atlanta Science Festival"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"66491","name":"Atlanta Science Festival"},{"id":"178737","name":"annual events"},{"id":"167487","name":"STEM education"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688897":{"#nid":"688897","#data":{"type":"news","title":"An Ear for Innovation: Hearo Wins InVenture Prize With At-Home Ear Exam","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter\u0026nbsp;some of the most intense competition in the program\u2019s history, team Hearo\u0026nbsp;won first place at the 18th annual \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInVenture Prize\u003C\/a\u003E competition,\u0026nbsp;which\u0026nbsp;began with a record 72 teams and culminated in six finalists pitching live to a panel of judges and a packed\u0026nbsp;audience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHearo\u2019s invention\u0026nbsp;reimagines the\u0026nbsp;otoscope\u0026nbsp;for parents,\u0026nbsp;enabling caregivers to conduct\u0026nbsp;an at-home ear exam and capture physician-usable images to help\u0026nbsp;identify\u0026nbsp;ear infections without a trip to the doctor\u2019s office.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on their variety of skills and\u0026nbsp;backgrounds, teammates Ander DeOnaindia (computer engineering), Vasileios Kouloumentas (biomedical engineering), Luis Lujan (biomedical engineering), Agustin\u0026nbsp;Munyau\u0026nbsp;(biomedical engineering), Marilyn Pelayo-Montufar (computer science), and Luke Towery (mechanical engineering) saw an opportunity to make a big change in healthcare.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s\u0026nbsp;so huge,\u201d Towery said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWinning this really shows what can happen when a team finds a problem in the world to solve and sticks together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst place comes with a $20,000 prize and\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;coveted spot in Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch, a 12-week summer program in which participants work with experienced entrepreneurs and Tech alumni to launch their ideas into fully functioning startups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNext, we\u2019ll take Hearo through CREATE-X and start getting it into parents\u2019 hands,\u201d said Pelayo-Montufar.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe know how hard it is to be stuck in waiting rooms and doctors\u2019\u0026nbsp;offices, and so getting Hearo to other parents is extremely important to us.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPedalSwap\u0026nbsp;Takes Second Place\u0026nbsp;With\u0026nbsp;Modular Guitar Pedal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPedalSwap\u0026nbsp;finished second and earned a $10,000 prize\u0026nbsp;for their configurable guitar pedal. Featuring swappable effect cartridges and controls, their invention\u0026nbsp;makes\u0026nbsp;it easier and more affordable for amateur musicians to customize their tone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of musicians, Wylam DeSimone (electrical engineering), Zephyr Smith (music technology), and Tony Wu (electrical engineering), drew on their collective technical experience to find a way to\u0026nbsp;help\u0026nbsp;guitarists\u0026nbsp;explore and experiment with their sound\u0026nbsp;\u2014 without\u0026nbsp;breaking the bank.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe tried to tackle a fun problem, and something that we all care about,\u201d DeSimone said. \u201cWinning second place means we can get our patent as well as fund our invention.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EDoorTix\u0026nbsp;Voted\u0026nbsp;People\u2019s Choice\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe People\u2019s Choice Award\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;selected through audience voting that opened\u0026nbsp;a week before the finale and closed\u0026nbsp;just before the competition\u2019s end\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;went to team\u0026nbsp;DoorTix, an automated ticket-purchasing platform for fair, predictable pricing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoorTix\u0026nbsp;teammates\u0026nbsp;Shinhai\u0026nbsp;Chen (industrial engineering), Dhruv Narang (mechanical engineering), and\u0026nbsp;Arayna Saxena (computer science)\u0026nbsp;wanted to restore transparency, fairness, and trust to\u0026nbsp;a ticketing market that currently disadvantages millions of fans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re literally built for the people,\u201d Saxena said. \u201cWe want to make it easier for our customers to get cheap tickets, and winning People\u2019s Choice hopefully means we can get them for you, too.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECelebrating\u0026nbsp;Student Innovation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreated in 2009, the\u0026nbsp;InVenture\u0026nbsp;Prize is a\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EShark Tank\u003C\/em\u003E-style competition that\u0026nbsp;fosters creativity, invention, and entrepreneurship by bringing together student innovators from all academic backgrounds.\u0026nbsp;From healthcare to creative expression and consumer technology, this year\u0027s top teams demonstrated\u0026nbsp;how student-driven inventions can\u0026nbsp;meaningfully improve\u0026nbsp;everyday life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about all of the 2026 finalists on the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInVenture Prize website\u003C\/a\u003E, and if you missed the live show,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gpb.org\/events\/education\/2026\/03\/11\/the-2026-georgia-tech-inventure-prize\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to watch the recording. You can also tune in\u0026nbsp;at 4 p.m.\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;Sunday, March 15,\u0026nbsp;and at 7:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;Monday,\u0026nbsp; March\u0026nbsp;16,\u0026nbsp;on Georgia Public Broadcasting.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s 2026 InVenture Prize concluded with Hearo winning first place, alongside runner-up PedalSwap and People\u0027s Choice winner DoorTix.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s 2026 InVenture Prize concluded with Hearo winning first place, alongside runner-up PedalSwap and People\u0027s Choice winner DoorTix."}],"uid":"36773","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 12:49:01","changed_gmt":"2026-03-12 15:43:11","author":"choward85","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679597":{"id":"679597","type":"image","title":"2026 InVenture Prize- Winning Team Hearo","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETeam Hearo wins the 2026 InVenture Prize with an easy-to-use, at-home ear exam.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773319757","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 12:49:17","changed":"1773319757","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 12:49:17","alt":"Team Hearo hold their prize after winning first place at the 2026 InVenture Prize competition.","file":{"fid":"263777","name":"Hearo-2026-InVenture-Prize-Winners.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Hearo-2026-InVenture-Prize-Winners.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Hearo-2026-InVenture-Prize-Winners.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":634293,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Hearo-2026-InVenture-Prize-Winners.jpg?itok=XEQ4mC1N"}},"679598":{"id":"679598","type":"image","title":"2026 InVenture Prize Runners-Up PedalSwap","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERunner-up, PedalSwap, holds award following the 2026 InVenture Prize.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773319757","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 12:49:17","changed":"1773319757","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 12:49:17","alt":"PedalSwap holds second-place prize at 2026 InVenture Prize competition.","file":{"fid":"263778","name":"PedalSwap-2026-InVenture-Prize-Runners-Up.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/PedalSwap-2026-InVenture-Prize-Runners-Up.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/PedalSwap-2026-InVenture-Prize-Runners-Up.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":649571,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/PedalSwap-2026-InVenture-Prize-Runners-Up.jpg?itok=WzbIGRdE"}},"679599":{"id":"679599","type":"image","title":"2026 InVenture Prize People\u0027s Choice Winner DoorTix","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETeam DoorTix received the People\u0027s Choice Award.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773319757","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 12:49:17","changed":"1773319757","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 12:49:17","alt":"Team DoorTix holds People\u0027s Choice Award following 2026 InVenture Prize competition.","file":{"fid":"263779","name":"DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":663270,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg?itok=eTvyzCd4"}}},"media_ids":["679597","679598","679599"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech InVenture Prize"},{"url":"https:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\/competition\/2026","title":"2026 InVenture Prize Finalists"},{"url":"https:\/\/experiential.learning.gatech.edu\/","title":"Office of Experiential and Engaged Learning"}],"groups":[{"id":"281961","name":"Office of Undergraduate Education \u0026 Student Success"}],"categories":[{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7764","name":"InVenture Prize"},{"id":"171056","name":"student innovation"},{"id":"3472","name":"entrepreneurship"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:choward85@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAlex Howard\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Undergraduate Education and Student Success\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688837":{"#nid":"688837","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Recognized as a Leader in Sustainable Transportation  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is consistently ranked among the top cities for congestion, but new projects and a commitment to improving transportation on campus and in the city have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Cycle Track \u2013 Best New Bike Lanes of 2025\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince the celebratory opening ride, led by Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera, in August 2025, the campus cycle track has signaled a new phase of transportation at Tech. Linking the Campus Recreation Center and Tech Parkway along Ferst Drive to Tech Square, the track was named among the Best New U.S. Bike Lanes of 2025 by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.peopleforbikes.org\/news\/best-new-bike-lanes-2025\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPeopleForBikes\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe concept for the track, which promotes eco-friendly commuting options such as bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, and skateboards, and offers a dedicated, bidirectional path separated from vehicular traffic, was developed in a 2019 award-winning senior capstone project by a group of civil engineering students.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Institutional Leadership in Mobility Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecognizing the Institute\u0027s\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eleadership in creating infrastructure and public spaces that support safe, sustainable, and accessible transportation options, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.letspropelatl.org\/2025_blinkie_awards_meet_the_winners\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPropel ATL\u003C\/a\u003E awarded Tech a 2025 Institutional Leadership in Mobility Award.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParking and Transportation Services (PTS), together with\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EPlanning, Design, and Construction, partners with Propel ATL to conduct \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.letspropelatl.org\/city_cycling\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emonthly group rides and bike safety classes\u003C\/a\u003E, and offers an online bike and scooter \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/commute\/commute-options\/bicycling-pmds\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esafety course\u003C\/a\u003E, in which students receive a free helmet upon completion. To date, PTS has given hundreds of free helmets to students, and the next class will take place on Wednesday, March 18. These courses, along with the Georgia Tech Police Department\u2019s efforts to educate the campus community on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/05\/how-safely-use-micromobility-campus\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esafe use of micromobility\u003C\/a\u003E, have helped Tech create a model for the city in micromobility safety and access.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest Workplace for Commuters\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute has also been recognized by Georgia Commute Options as one of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacommuteoptions.com\/flexwork\/redefining-the-commute-5-metro-atlanta-organizations-win-2026-best-workplaces-for-commuters\/?utm_source=Businesses\u0026amp;utm_campaign=ffc386b1b3-B2B+Newsletter%2C+June+2022_COPY_01\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_term=0_78c87c69f5-ffc386b1b3-434952870\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMetro Atlanta\u2019s top 5 best workplaces for commuters\u003C\/a\u003E. The group highlights Tech\u2019s partnership with the Midtown Alliance as an example of how the Institute \u201cplays a critical role in advancing sustainable commuting both on campus and across Midtown Atlanta\u201d through subsidized transit passes, extensive bike infrastructure, on-site showers and changing areas for cyclists, a robust campus shuttle network, carpool and electric vehicle parking, and dedicated transportation staff who provide personalized commute support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPTS is continually working to promote sustainable travel to and from campus, seeking input from the community through its annual Campus Commute Survey. The survey has become increasingly revealing as campus infrastructure changes, leading to the creation of new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/2025\/10\/30\/new-bike-room-in-w02-student-center-parking-deck\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebike storage facilities\u003C\/a\u003E, and the results will be used in the planning phase of future projects.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOngoing Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Tech retained its status as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/2024-10\/georgia-tech-named-gold-bicycle-friendly-university-league-american-bicyclists\u0022\u003EGold-level Bicycle Friendly University\u003C\/a\u003E, as issued by the League of American Bicyclists. The prestigious distinction, which Tech has held since 2016, is awarded to institutions that successfully promote and establish safe and accessible campus bicycling programs and amenities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor five consecutive years, Georgia Tech has won Love to Ride\u2019s Atlanta Bicycle \u201cBiketober\u201d Challenge, with employees cycling 22,132 miles in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/04\/georgia-tech-places-first-in-atlanta-bicycle-challenge\/\u0022\u003EOctober 2025\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach of these honors and awards tells us that we are moving in the right direction and are doing our part to make it easier and safer to get to our campus and move throughout it,\u201d said Lisa Safstrom, PTS transportation program specialist. \u201cWe know we are able to take on these projects and continue to step up our efforts, and that\u2019s because of the expertise that exists on our campus and the input we receive from the community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The campus cycle track and other projects have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe campus cycle track and other projects have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The campus cycle track and other projects have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-10 18:29:35","changed_gmt":"2026-03-11 02:06:40","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679573":{"id":"679573","type":"image","title":"Cycle Track","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA cyclist riding on the cycle track on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773194182","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 01:56:22","changed":"1773194388","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 01:59:48","alt":"Cyclist on cycle track","file":{"fid":"263749","name":"26-R10410-P52-004.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/26-R10410-P52-004.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/26-R10410-P52-004.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2449902,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/10\/26-R10410-P52-004.JPG?itok=lC0ZKe1Z"}}},"media_ids":["679573"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu","title":"Parking and Transportation Services "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192185","name":"Ferst Drive Realignment and Cycle Track"},{"id":"8106","name":"Georgia Tech Parking and Transportation"},{"id":"71811","name":"Office of Parking and Transportation Services"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano \u003C\/a\u003E\u2013 Institute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688719":{"#nid":"688719","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Registration Open for Speaker Series That Spotlights Creativity in Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe chief arts and music officer for The Ludacris Foundation will share his experience and expertise in digital audio tools, immersive media, and creative expression with the Georgia Tech community this spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/geraldkeys\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGerald Keys\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;chief of production for\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChris \u0022Ludacris\u0022 Bridges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019 media company, Karma\u0027s World LLC, will be on campus April 14 as part of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ECTRL+CM Speaker Series.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event is one of three in the series scheduled this spring. The series will bring together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals from Georgia Tech and the Atlanta region to explore the evolving creative technology landscape. Events are scheduled for March 11, March 31, and April 14.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CTRL + CM Speaker Series, developed by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/constellations.gatech.edu\/cict-collective-impact-creative-technology-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Collective Impact of Creative Technology (CICT)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is open to all. The events are free, but registration is required. Registration links for each event are included below.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe series was created with students in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/bachelor-science-computational-media\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ecomputational media\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dm.lmc.gatech.edu\/program\/ms-program\/?doing_wp_cron=1772555490.2302570343017578125000\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Edigital media\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/master-science-human-computer-interaction\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehuman-computer interaction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;programs in mind,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAneesah\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAllen\u003C\/strong\u003E, an education outreach manager with the College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHowever, due to its popularity and success, we have expanded the audience for the speaker series to include the broader Georgia Tech community, students from other Atlanta-area colleges, and anyone interested in creative technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesigned to help students take greater control of their academic and professional paths, the CTRL+CM Speaker Series exposes attendees to career fields on the creative side of technology. Each event will feature a moderated panel discussion with industry leaders, alumni, and faculty, followed by networking opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETopics will span emerging tools and workflows, creative practice, professional development, and ethical considerations surrounding AI, generative media, and other emerging technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe spring CTRL + CM Speaker Series lineup includes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECode That Creates: AI, Generative Media, and the Future of Creative Practice\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;will take place on March 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Coda at Tech Square, 9th Floor Atrium. The discussion will explore how creative coding and generative systems are reshaping artistic practice and the ethical responsibilities of AI-driven creative work.\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeatured panelists include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eilab.gatech.edu\/mark-riedl.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMark Riedl\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cas.gsu.edu\/profile\/elizabeth-strickler\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth Strickler\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jelaniliddell\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJelani Liddell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/judithu.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJudith Uchidiuno\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Moderated by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bryan-cox-432bb84\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBryan Cox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERSVP link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/zGMYdqUemZ\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/zGMYdqUemZ\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWorlds in Motion: Exploring Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;is scheduled for March 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Price Gilbert Library\u2019s Scholars Event Theater. Panelists will examine developments in augmented, virtual, and extended reality technologies, immersive storytelling, and interactive systems, and how these developments are impacting design and research.\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeatured panelists:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/library.gatech.edu\/alison-valk\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlison Valk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.communicationcenter.gatech.edu\/williams\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKelly Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/c21u.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/meryem-yilmaz-soylu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeryem Yilmaz Soylu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERSVP link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/Cdp0vxG22u\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/Cdp0vxG22u\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EComposing with Technology: Digital Tools, Interactive Sound, and Creative Expression\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;will be held on April 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at the Price Gilbert Library. The session will focus on digital audio tools, interactive sound, and innovative approaches to composition and storytelling across games, film, and immersive media.\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeatured panelist: Gerald Keys, chief of production for Chris \u0022Ludacris\u0022 Bridges media company, Karma\u0027s World LLC\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERSVP link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/exLGwYMTgF\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/exLGwYMTgF\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECICT draws on expertise from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The collective is housed in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/constellations.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstellations Center for Education in Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, which has worked since 2017 to expand access to computing education through research, advocacy, and community building.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe CTRL + CM Speaker Series is designed to help students take greater control of their academic and professional paths. Each event will feature a moderated panel discussion with industry leaders, alumni, and faculty, followed by networking opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u0027CTRL + CM\u0027 Speaker Series will bring together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals to explore the evolving creative technology landscape."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2026-03-04 14:56:50","changed_gmt":"2026-03-11 01:20:10","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679523":{"id":"679523","type":"image","title":"CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn Adobe Stock graphic illustrating the creative side of computing as colorful geometric streams of thought flow from a young woman\u0027s mind.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772644910","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 17:21:50","changed":"1772644910","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 17:21:50","alt":"Creativity and Computing connect at GT\u0027s CTRL + CM Speaker Series","file":{"fid":"263696","name":"CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":113108,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg?itok=YvdzjJLq"}}},"media_ids":["679523"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"606703","name":"Constellations Center"}],"categories":[{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"175066","name":"constellations"},{"id":"168831","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"174523","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"124","name":"Digital Media"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker, Sr. Communications Mgr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688605":{"#nid":"688605","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Take the Lead in Campus Energy Decisions Through Hands-On VIP Course","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students are playing a direct role in shaping the Institute\u2019s energy future thanks to a unique hands\u2011on opportunity offered through the Georgia Tech Energy Solutions Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) course. In the fall, the class stepped out of the traditional classroom and into the mechanical rooms, rooftops, and hallways of campus buildings to conduct real energy audits \u2014 work that will help guide actual decisions about future building upgrades and operational improvements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability, and Jairo Garcia, resilience specialist in the Office of Sustainability, the course gives students not only technical training, but also meaningful influence over how campus energy systems evolve as well as a greater understanding of campus infrastructure systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur students are incredibly capable, and this course shows just how much they can contribute when given the opportunity. Their recommendations actively support Georgia Tech\u2019s long-term sustainability goals and help drive real change in improving our campus energy performance,\u201d Chirico said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter learning the fundamentals of building energy use and audit methodology in class, students partnered with Building Managers Eric Denison and Ross Bongiovi for an interactive walkthrough of four buildings on Marietta Street. The tour introduced them to the technologies behind campus operations, from HVAC controls to lighting systems, and demonstrated how real\u2011world building conditions affect energy performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents then performed deeper assessments of each building, focusing on core areas such as:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHeating and cooling systems (HVAC).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELighting technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWater usage and plumbing fixtures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EConstruction design and building envelope performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese observations formed the basis for recommendations aimed at improving efficiency, reducing emissions, and lowering operating costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the walkthrough, students identified actionable opportunities for campus energy savings, including:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETransitioning fluorescent bulbs to LED lighting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectrifying gas\u2011powered space heaters.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInstalling motion sensors for sinks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReducing energy loss from building envelope leakage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EImproving HVAC zoning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EConsidering renovation strategy and construction approach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUsing building standards like LEED to guide upgrades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir findings reflect classroom learning and fresh perspectives that building managers and sustainability staff value in long\u2011term planning efforts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experience sparked inspiration and awareness among participating students. \u201cIt was interesting to see the different HVAC systems and the temperatures they are constantly maintaining. I didn\u2019t think about how these systems are always going even when we aren\u2019t in the building,\u201d\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003Esaid electrical engineering student Noah Mitchell.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cJoining the VIP allowed me to see the behind\u2011the\u2011scenes steps of building maintenance, which added a human component to how campus operations work,\u201d environmental engineering student Calina Leavy said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese perspectives show how the course deepens students\u2019 understanding of the systems that power campus \u2014 and empowers them to help shape improvements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the on\u2011site assessments, students conducted full ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Level 1 energy audits on each building and presented their findings at the end of the semester. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese reports are now supporting campus planning for: \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFuture building upgrades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnergy efficiency strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECost\u2011saving opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELong\u2011term return on investment (ROI) calculations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShivangi Ranjan and Calina Levy, both second year students, will present their work during this week\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sdg-week\/\u0022\u003ESustainable Development Goals calendar of events\u003C\/a\u003E on Thursday from 1 \u2013 1:30 p.m. at the Kendeda Building For Sustainable Design, Room 118. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_O8eOdtz7RPGrJ-mOiz14yQ#\/registration\u0022\u003EVirtual attendance\u003C\/a\u003E is available. For these students, their work doesn\u2019t end in the classroom. Their recommendations are helping to guide real institutional decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Solutions VIP course demonstrates the power of experiential learning: Students gain industry\u2011relevant skills while directly influencing how Georgia Tech advances its sustainability goals. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents are shaping how campus uses energy by participating in a hands-on, project-based course.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students are shaping how campus uses energy by participating in a hands-on, project-based course."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-02-27 19:19:01","changed_gmt":"2026-03-04 16:25:48","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679501":{"id":"679501","type":"image","title":"P1000288.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudent participants in the Energy Solutions VIP course.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772483594","gmt_created":"2026-03-02 20:33:14","changed":"1772483594","gmt_changed":"2026-03-02 20:33:14","alt":"Student participants in the Energy Solutions VIP course.","file":{"fid":"263670","name":"P1000288.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/02\/P1000288.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/02\/P1000288.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4107640,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/02\/P1000288.JPG?itok=VFtj9idg"}}},"media_ids":["679501"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190615","name":"Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"191427","name":"Jennifer Chirico"},{"id":"194949","name":"Jairo Garcia"},{"id":"194950","name":"energy audits"},{"id":"194097","name":"IS News"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688539":{"#nid":"688539","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Five Georgia Tech Faculty Named to NAI Senior Members Class of 2026 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive faculty members from\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;have been elected as\u0026nbsp;senior\u0026nbsp;members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).\u0026nbsp;As members, they are recognized as distinguished academic inventors with a strong record of patenting technologies, licensing IP, and commercializing their research. Their innovations have made, or have the potential to make, meaningful impacts on society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe election of our faculty members to this prestigious association is a powerful affirmation of the innovative research happening at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Raghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar, chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech. \u201cTheir work to take research to market reflects the growing importance of invention in addressing society\u2019s most complex challenges. This recognition signals the strength of the commercialization ecosystem at Georgia Tech to advance impactful research, encourage innovation, and prepare the next generation of inventors.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Georgia Tech NAI\u0026nbsp;senior\u0026nbsp;members are:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJason David Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering School and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJaydev Prataprai Desai,\u003C\/strong\u003E professor and cardiovascular biomedical engineering distinguished chair, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E, Elizabeth and Bill Higginbotham Professor and Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur,\u0026nbsp;School of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Dunn Family Professor of Physics, School of Physics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Young\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/jason-azoulay\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJason David Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAzoulay is recognized for pioneering new classes of functional materials through innovative polymer synthesis, heterocycle chemistry, and polymerization reactions. His work spans electronic, photonic, and quantum materials, device fabrication, and chemical sensing for environmental monitoring. He has\u0026nbsp;demonstrated\u0026nbsp;new classes of organic semiconductors with infrared functionality and holds nine issued U.S. patents. Azoulay is the Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Distinguished Investigator and holds a joint appointment in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/jaydev-p-desai\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJaydev\u0026nbsp;Prataprai\u0026nbsp;Desai\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesai is recognized for advancing medical robotics and translational biomedical innovation with inventions spanning robotically steerable guidewires for endovascular interventions, minimally invasive surgical tools, MEMS sensors for cancer diagnosis, and rehabilitation robotics for people with motor impairments. He is the founding\u0026nbsp;editor-in-chief of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Medical Robotics Research\u003C\/em\u003E, has authored more than 225 peer-reviewed publications, and serves as the\u0026nbsp;Director of Georgia Center for Medical Robotics at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;Desai holds 15 U.S. and International patents.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/j-david-frost\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid\u0026nbsp;Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrost\u0026nbsp;has built a career at the intersection of civil engineering research\u0026nbsp;and entrepreneurship. A leader in the study of natural and human-made disasters and their impacts on infrastructure, he has founded two Georgia Tech-based software companies:\u0026nbsp;Dataforensics, which offers tools for subsurface data collection and infrastructure project management, and Filio,\u0026nbsp;an\u0026nbsp;AI-powered mobile platform\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;supports visual asset management in construction and post-disaster reconnaissance. In 2023, Frost was named a Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur by the University System of Georgia\u2019s Board of Regents, a designation reserved for tenured faculty who have successfully taken their research into a commercial setting.\u0026nbsp;He holds four U.S. patents.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/chandra-raman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaman\u0026nbsp;is a physicist, inventor, and technology entrepreneur whose research on ultracold atoms is enabling a new generation of ultraprecise quantum sensing devices. He is the co-inventor of chip-scale atomic beam technology \u2014 a breakthrough that makes it possible to miniaturize quantum sensors for navigation and timing applications in environments where GPS fails, with uses spanning autonomous vehicles, aerospace, and national security. Raman holds six U.S. patents, three of which have been issued and two licensed. To bring his inventions to market, he founded 8Seven8 Inc., Georgia\u2019s first quantum hardware company. He is a\u0026nbsp;fellow of the American Physical Society and an advisor to national and space-based quantum initiatives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/young\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Young\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYoung directs the Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Controls Lab, where he develops robotic exoskeletons and intelligent control systems to improve walking function and physical capability for people with mobility impairments and industrial safety applications. His research has been supported by major federal grants from the National Institutes of Health, and he holds three U.S. patents. Young works with Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing and Quadrant-i\u0026nbsp;to advance promising technologies toward real-world adoption.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Commercialization\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;Office of Commercialization is\u0026nbsp;the nexus of research commercialization and entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;bringing\u0026nbsp;leading-edge research\u0026nbsp;and innovation to market.\u0026nbsp;It\u0026nbsp;comprises\u0026nbsp;six\u0026nbsp;key units\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;ATDC,\u0026nbsp;CREATE-X,\u0026nbsp;VentureLab,\u0026nbsp;Quadrant-i,\u0026nbsp;Technology Licensing, and Velocity\u0026nbsp;Startups \u2014\u0026nbsp;that empower students and faculty to launch startups, manage intellectual property, and transform research ideas into positive societal impact. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecommercialization.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the National Academy of Inventors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe National Academy of Inventors is a member organization\u0026nbsp;comprising\u0026nbsp;U.S. and international universities, and governmental and nonprofit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, and translate the inventions of its members to\u0026nbsp;benefit\u0026nbsp;society.\u202fLearn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eacademyofinventors.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe professors have been\u0026nbsp;recognized for patenting and commercializing technologies with real-world impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The professors have been recognized for patenting and commercializing technologies with real-world impact. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 12:21:15","changed_gmt":"2026-03-03 22:20:24","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679445":{"id":"679445","type":"image","title":"nai.jpg.png","body":null,"created":"1772112951","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 13:35:51","changed":"1772112951","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 13:35:51","alt":"Five professors named senior members of NAI. ","file":{"fid":"263609","name":"nai.jpg.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/nai.jpg.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/nai.jpg.png","mime":"image\/png","size":910902,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/nai.jpg.png?itok=02M_s5UD"}}},"media_ids":["679445"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2026-Senior-Member-List.pdf","title":"2026 Class of NAI Senior Members (pdf)"}],"groups":[{"id":"660356","name":" Technology Licensing Group"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688641":{"#nid":"688641","#data":{"type":"news","title":"State to Invest $88M in New Georgia Tech Aerospace Building ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is set to advance one of its most significant academic and research infrastructure projects in recent years following Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s release of the amended budget for the current fiscal year. The budget includes $88 million for the design and construction of a new aerospace engineering building.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe investment represents a major step forward for both the Institute and the state of Georgia, reinforcing the state\u2019s position as a national leader in aerospace innovation, workforce development, and economic growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAerospace Engineering Building\u003C\/a\u003E will serve as the home of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, which is ranked No. 1 among public institutions and No. 2 overall by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report. The building will feature advanced laboratories; dedicated space for flight research and propulsion systems; expanded instructional studios; and new collaborative areas for students, faculty, industry partners, and interdisciplinary research teams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u2019s aerospace sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing in the nation, and it is expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2040. Companies range from major global manufacturers to startups choosing to locate and expand their operations in the region. The industry employs tens of thousands of Georgians and supports critical areas such as aviation, defense, spaceflight, and advanced manufacturing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresident \u00c1ngel Cabrera expressed gratitude for the state\u2019s support and emphasized the impact of the investment on the Institute and Georgia\u2019s long-term economic competitiveness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are profoundly grateful to Gov. Kemp, Lt. Gov. Jones, Speaker Burns, the State House of Representatives, and the State Senate for their continued confidence in Georgia Tech and what we do to keep our state competitive,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cThis investment will help us create world-class facilities to drive innovation and develop the workforce that Georgia needs to stay at the forefront of the aerospace industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Delta Air Lines Foundation has also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/25\/delta-air-lines-foundation-makes-5m-commitment-new-aerospace-engineering-building\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecommitted $5 million to the project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech enrolls more than 2,300 students in aerospace engineering and leads $54.5 million in annual aerospace\u2011related research activity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe new facility will fundamentally reshape how we conduct research and educate our students,\u201d said Mitchell Walker, William R.T. Oakes Jr. School Chair in the Guggenheim School. \u201cNext-generation research spaces combined with hands-on learning environments and modern classrooms will enable work our current footprint can\u2019t support. This investment\u0026nbsp;propels our initiatives forward, sustains our leadership across all aerospace disciplines, and expands our industry collaboration.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about the future building\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn $88 million state investment will propel building plans and advance Georgia\u2019s growing aerospace sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An $88 million state investment will propel building plans and advance Georgia\u2019s growing aerospace sector. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-03 18:15:59","changed_gmt":"2026-03-03 22:14:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679512":{"id":"679512","type":"image","title":"Gov. Brian Kemp signs the amended FY26 budget on March 3.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGov. Brian Kemp signs the amended FY26 budget on March 3.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772575999","gmt_created":"2026-03-03 22:13:19","changed":"1772575999","gmt_changed":"2026-03-03 22:13:19","alt":"Gov. Brian Kemp signs the amended FY26 budget on March 3.","file":{"fid":"263684","name":"IMG_9787.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/IMG_9787.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/IMG_9787.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1422396,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/03\/IMG_9787.jpg?itok=iw2HYAAe"}},"679508":{"id":"679508","type":"image","title":"Gov. Kemp Signs the Amended FY26 Budget on March 3","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGov. Kemp Signs the Amended FY26 Budget on March 3, which includes $88.2 million for a new Aerospace Engineering Building for Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772561646","gmt_created":"2026-03-03 18:14:06","changed":"1772561646","gmt_changed":"2026-03-03 18:14:06","alt":"Gov. Kemp Signs the Amended FY26 Budget on March 3","file":{"fid":"263680","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-03-at-12.54.33-PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-03-at-12.54.33-PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-03-at-12.54.33-PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2338889,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-03-at-12.54.33-PM.png?itok=HtlqyRPV"}},"679505":{"id":"679505","type":"image","title":"Aerospace Engineering professor Adam Steinberg works with a student in the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAerospace Engineering professor Adam Steinberg works with a student in the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772558504","gmt_created":"2026-03-03 17:21:44","changed":"1772558926","gmt_changed":"2026-03-03 17:28:46","alt":"Aerospace Engineering professor Adam Steinberg works with a student in the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory.","file":{"fid":"263677","name":"_MG_5855.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/_MG_5855.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/_MG_5855.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1511499,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/03\/_MG_5855.jpg?itok=h1TmmAjI"}}},"media_ids":["679512","679508","679505"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering","title":"Building the Future of Aerospace Engineering"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/25\/delta-air-lines-foundation-makes-5m-commitment-new-aerospace-engineering-building","title":" The Delta Air Lines Foundation Makes $5M Commitment for New Aerospace Engineering Building "},{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/","title":"Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech\u00a0","title":"New Space Startups Take Off at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688614":{"#nid":"688614","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alumnus\u2019 Commitment Establishes Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is launching the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kepanocenter.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ETony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate\u003C\/a\u003E, a collaborative hub that will elevate real estate education, industry engagement, and alumni involvement across campus. The center is being made possible through a significant commitment from accomplished real estate leader Tony Kepano, who graduated from Georgia Tech in 1986 with a degree in industrial management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe center will bring together the strengths of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Design\u2019\u003C\/a\u003Es \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Building Construction\u003C\/a\u003E, serving as the Institute\u2019s primary platform for preparing students to pursue careers in the real estate industry. The center is a priority for the leaders of the two Colleges: Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the Scheller College and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair, and Ellen Bassett, dean of the College of Design and John Portman Chair. Designed to support both undergraduate and graduate students, the center will provide academic support, professional development opportunities, academic research, and deeper connections with industry partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKepano credits the lessons he learned at Georgia Tech with profoundly influencing his life and career.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would not be where I am without my Tech experience,\u201d said Kepano. As an out-of-state football and track-and-field student-athlete, he carried a full academic load while working night shifts at Delta Air Lines. The discipline, perseverance, and problem-solving mindset he honed at Tech laid the foundation for his successful four-decade career in commercial real estate. Today, Kepano serves as vice chairman at CBRE\u2019s Industrial and Logistics Advisory \u0026amp; Transaction Services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis latest commitment builds upon Kepano\u2019s previous philanthropy directed to Georgia Tech, including support for scholarships and fellowships for business students and for athletics. He also provides volunteer leadership to his alma mater and currently serves on the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees and Scheller College Advisory Board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKepano sees the center\u2019s interdisciplinary model, which integrates business, design, architecture, city planning, and building construction, as uniquely powerful. Students, he said, will graduate with a \u201c360\u2011degree understanding of development\u201d and a significant advantage in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy vision is for Georgia Tech to become one of the top thought leaders in commercial real estate, producing students who are uniquely qualified, prepared, and capable of driving the next wave of innovation in the industry,\u201d said Kepano. \u201cI hope that 10 or 20 years from now, we can look back at all the people this program has influenced, and how they\u2019ve gone out and impacted their environments and communities in a positive way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a focus on offering students a pathway into one of the state\u2019s most dynamic fields, the center will serve as a bridge between academic study and real-world practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding from Kepano\u2019s commitment will support a wide range of activities, including student programming and collaboration, faculty and industry outreach, operational needs, technology, and conference participation. His support will allow Georgia Tech to respond nimbly to emerging opportunities in the real estate sector.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt Georgia Tech, we have a broad base of offerings that are related and connected to real estate. That gives us a competitive edge in providing a well\u2011rounded education and a portfolio of courses and activities that most universities can\u2019t offer. The center brings all of this together \u2014 engineering, design, construction, business \u2014 so students can experience the full range of real estate opportunities across the Institute,\u201d said Rick Porter, director of the College of Design\u2019s Master of Real Estate Development program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and expanding opportunities for students interested in real estate, the center aligns with Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to preparing leaders who can shape the built environment and the business landscape surrounding it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJonathan Clarke, senior associate dean for strategic initiatives at Scheller College, said, \u201cThe future of real estate will be shaped by rapid advances in technology and innovation. Success in this evolving industry will require an integrated understanding of finance, design, and technology. The Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate will play a vital role in preparing students with this multidisciplinary foundation so they\u2019re ready to lead where real estate is headed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKepano\u2019s investment is included in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The $2 billion comprehensive campaign, running through 2027, is\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ea generational effort to make a lasting impact across campus, providing essential resources for Georgia Tech students, faculty, and programs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is launching the Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate, a collaborative hub that will elevate real estate education, industry engagement, and alumni involvement across campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is launching the Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate, a collaborative hub that will elevate real estate education, industry engagement, and alumni involvement across campus. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-02 16:25:32","changed_gmt":"2026-03-03 00:47:47","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679485":{"id":"679485","type":"image","title":"Tony Kepano","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETony Kepano\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772470564","gmt_created":"2026-03-02 16:56:04","changed":"1772470564","gmt_changed":"2026-03-02 16:56:04","alt":"Tony Kepano","file":{"fid":"263654","name":"tonykepano-EDIT2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/02\/tonykepano-EDIT2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/02\/tonykepano-EDIT2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13601648,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/02\/tonykepano-EDIT2.jpg?itok=ryexmuQz"}}},"media_ids":["679485"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/kepanocenter.gatech.edu\/","title":"Tony Kepano Joint Center for Real Estate"}],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1262","name":"Office of Development"},{"id":"1274","name":"Scheller College of Business"},{"id":"1223","name":"School of Building Construction"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"168831","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"167089","name":"Scheller College of Business"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"},{"id":"4097","name":"real estate"},{"id":"1461","name":"Building Construction"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anne.stanford@dev.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Stanford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Development\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688608":{"#nid":"688608","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Promoting the Safety and Welfare of Minors on Campus","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is estimated that, on an annual basis, more than 33,000 minors, age 17 and under, attend programs sponsored by the Institute or conducted on campus, and a special duty of care and supervision is required to protect Georgia Tech\u2019s youngest learners. To help support a safe and engaging environment for all who participate, volunteer, or work in these youth programs, the University System of Georgia and Georgia Tech require that all programs serving minors be registered at Georgia Tech\u2019s Youth Programs website, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/youthprograms.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eyouthprograms.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E. This registration, along with required safety protocols outlined in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.policylibrary.gatech.edu\/youth-programs-policy\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EYouth Programs Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, helps mitigate risk and support everyone involved in working with minors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYouth programs are vital to campus,\u201d says Jordan Baxter, senior compliance officer in the Office of Ethics and Compliance. \u201cI admire the dedication that Georgia Tech faculty and staff put in to showcase the Institute and inspire the next generation of Yellow Jackets.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYouth programs include internships with high school students, student organization outreach activities, summer camps, mentoring and tutoring in local schools, and more. Campus and lab tours, as well as school field trips to the Georgia Tech campus, are generally not considered youth programs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrograms are required to register every calendar year, at least 30 days in advance of the program start date. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of programming. By registering, programs that work with minors will proactively receive information on the resources and policies developed for the protection of minors and the program staff.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/youthprograms.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVisit Youth Programs\u003C\/a\u003E to learn more and register your program. Questions may be sent directly to Jordan Baxter at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jordanb@gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ejordanb@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt is estimated that, on an annual basis, more than 33,000 minors, age 17 and under, attend programs sponsored by the Institute or conducted on campus, and a special duty of care and supervision is required to protect Georgia Tech\u2019s youngest learners.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A special duty of care and supervision is required to protect Tech\u2019s youngest learners."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-03-02 14:54:29","changed_gmt":"2026-03-02 15:03:37","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679480":{"id":"679480","type":"image","title":"YpPhoto.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1772463556","gmt_created":"2026-03-02 14:59:16","changed":"1772463556","gmt_changed":"2026-03-02 14:59:16","alt":"Two young leaners in a robotic lab.","file":{"fid":"263649","name":"YpPhoto.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/02\/YpPhoto.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/02\/YpPhoto.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8216759,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/02\/YpPhoto.jpeg?itok=r1sofNRk"}}},"media_ids":["679480"],"groups":[{"id":"652096","name":"Ethics and Compliance"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"173886","name":"youth programs"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJordan Baxter\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Compliance Officer for Youth Programs\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Ethics and Compliance\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jordanb@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687946":{"#nid":"687946","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Commercialize New Technology for Faster Water and Environmental Monitoring","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMicrobial monitoring includes tracking bacteria and other microorganisms that affect water quality, food production, and environmental systems. It\u2019s traditionally been slow, expensive, and often restricted to specialized laboratories. Water samples often need to be shipped off-site, where testing could take days or even weeks. During that time, contamination risks grow, and critical decisions about water safety, food production, or environmental health are delayed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn response, researchers in the Pinto Lab at Georgia Tech set out to reimagine the monitoring process. They began developing a portable technology that allows teams to see and understand what microorganisms are present in a sample almost immediately. That work has now moved beyond the lab and into the marketplace through a newly launched startup called\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003ESkopii.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Driven by Real-World Needs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESkopii was launched by the research group of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/ameet-pinto\u0022\u003EAmeet J. Pinto\u003C\/a\u003E, the Carlton S. Wilder Associate Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. Pinto also serves as the faculty director for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea for Skopii grew directly from challenges Pinto encountered in his environmental microbiology research. Traditional tools used to study microorganisms often cost tens of thousands of dollars and require specialized facilities, putting them out of reach for many professionals responsible for water safety and environmental monitoring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe needed a way to quickly understand what was in a sample without investing days of lab work,\u201d said Pinto, co-founder of Skopii. \u201cThe existing tools were too expensive and too stationary. We wanted something small, affordable, and smart enough to provide real-time insight wherever the sample is collected.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Skopii Does\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESkopii helps\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ewater utilities, environmental teams, and industry partners quickly understand what is happening with microbiology in the environment and engineered systems without waiting for complex lab tests. The platform combines a compact imaging device with built-in artificial intelligence that analyzes samples on the spot.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of sending samples away for sequencing or advanced lab work, operators can place a sample directly into the device and receive fast, visual information about the microorganisms present. This early insight helps communities, utilities, and industry partners make informed decisions sooner, whether they are monitoring drinking water, wastewater systems, algae growth, or biological processes used in manufacturing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow the Technology Works\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESkopii\u2019s technology pairs a small, modular, portable imaging device with built-in artificial intelligence. The imaging tool, called ARTiMiS, captures detailed pictures of microorganisms in a sample, much like a microscope that can be taken into the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose images are analyzed immediately by Skopii\u2019s AI software, PhycoSight, which identifies and counts microorganisms without the need for lab testing or long processing times.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these tools, licensed through Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing, allow\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eoperators and researchers to see microorganisms, measure changes, and identify potential issues within minutes rather than days or weeks. The goal is not to replace advanced laboratory testing, but to provide fast, early information that helps guide decisions before more time-consuming analysis is needed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, a water utility operator could use Skopii\u2019s technology to quickly assess phytoplankton in their drinking water sources to determine the presence and quantities of harmful algae, or engineers could monitor large-scale biological processes to evaluate the health and productivity of microalgal cultures for biofuel production or wastewater treatment instead of waiting for days for results.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing From Lab to Market\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESkopii\u2019s development has been supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Water Research Foundation. This support allowed the team to refine the imaging system, train its artificial intelligence models, and test the platform with real-world partners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work also gained national recognition in 2023 when two of Pinto\u2019s students, Benjamin Gincley (co-founder and CEO of Skopii) and Farhan Khan (co-founder and CTO of Skopii), were named national champions in the Department of Energy\u2019s Algae Prize competition, helping accelerate early development and visibility for the venture. They also received the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u2019s Higginbotham Entrepreneurship Award in 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents played a key role in moving Skopii from research toward commercialization. Two team members advanced the startup through CREATE-X and VentureLab, applying customer discovery, market validation, and early business modeling to help prepare the technology for market use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupported by Georgia Tech\u2019s Commercialization Ecosystem\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESkopii\u2019s progress reflects the strength of Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem and the coordinated support researchers receive as they move innovations from the lab to the market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter refining the technology through research and field testing, the team worked with the Office of Technology Licensing, part of Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Commercialization, to protect intellectual property and outline a clear path forward. Licensing associate Ali Asgar Yunus supported the team through the patent process and the early commercialization steps.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur role is to help researchers protect their work and create the right pathway for real-world use,\u201d said Mary Albertson, director of the Office of Technology Licensing. \u201cSkopii is a strong example of Georgia Tech innovation moving toward meaningful market impact.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is already in early discussions with bioprocessing and algae reactor manufacturers interested in integrating Skopii\u2019s technology into commercial equipment. They are also supported by the Georgia Research Alliance and Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing to advance their technology and its commercialization. They are seeking support from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Small Business Innovation Research program as they continue expanding the platform\u2019s reach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Pinto, long-term success is measured by adoption and sustained use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen people are using Skopii\u2019s technology in the field and relying on its insights as part of their daily work, that\u2019s when we know we\u2019ve made an impact,\u201d he said. \u201cOur goal is to help people make better decisions about water systems and biological processes in ways that were not possible at this cost or speed before.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have commercialized a new portable, AI-powered technology that allows teams to rapidly assess microorganisms in water and environmental systems without relying on slow, costly lab testing. Developed in the Pinto Lab and launched through the startup Skopii, the platform combines compact imaging hardware with artificial intelligence to deliver near real-time insight directly at the point of sample collection. By dramatically reducing the time between sampling and decision-making, the technology helps water utilities, environmental teams, and industry partners identify potential risks earlier and respond more effectively, translating academic research into practical, real-world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through the startup Skopii, Georgia Tech researchers are translating lab-developed imaging and AI technology into a market-ready platform for faster, more accessible microbial monitoring."}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2026-02-02 21:38:35","changed_gmt":"2026-02-27 16:31:39","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679166":{"id":"679166","type":"image","title":"Skopii-founders.jpg","body":null,"created":"1770068337","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 21:38:57","changed":"1770068337","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 21:38:57","alt":"Skopii Founders","file":{"fid":"263294","name":"Skopii-founders.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Skopii-founders.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Skopii-founders.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":412985,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/Skopii-founders.jpg?itok=96Quj33E"}},"679168":{"id":"679168","type":"image","title":"Skopii.jpg","body":null,"created":"1770068379","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 21:39:39","changed":"1770068379","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 21:39:39","alt":"Skopii: Microbial Monitoring Technology ","file":{"fid":"263295","name":"Skopii.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Skopii.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Skopii.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":314067,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/Skopii.jpg?itok=ieSNllr5"}}},"media_ids":["679166","679168"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"192930","name":"gt-commercializationnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lcameron30@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELacey Cameron\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Commercialization\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lcameron30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688282":{"#nid":"688282","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches Pilot Program to Support Rural Arts Organizations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeginning this March in Perry, Georgia, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/gain\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Arts Innovation Network (GAIN)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;will support arts\u2011related nonprofits and small businesses in\u0026nbsp;Perry, Houston County, and surrounding counties in Middle Georgia. The six\u2011month pilot is funded by a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.arts.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENational Endowment for the Arts (NEA)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Our Town\u0026nbsp;grant and is the first EI\u00b2 program dedicated specifically to the arts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArts organizations contribute so much to the vibrancy of a community,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Caley Landau, program manager for GAIN and marketing strategist at EI\u00b2. \u201cThey help create a sense of place and provide the \u2018something to do\u2019 that small cities and towns want to offer residents, new workers, and prospective businesses. Our hope is to enhance the arts and cultural ecosystem in Middle Georgia by providing training and technical assistance to the organizations that produce art in the region.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Rural Community Already Investing in Placemaking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry was selected as the pilot location in part for its active downtown revitalization work and commitment to placemaking. Through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiacitiesfoundation.org\/placemaking\u0022\u003EGeorgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative\u003C\/a\u003E, Perry city staff partnered with EI\u00b2\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cedr.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Economic Development Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to develop strategies for arts\u2011based community development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWorking alongside the Georgia Tech team has been a wonderful experience,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Alicia Hartley, downtown manager for the City of Perry. \u201cWe hope that participants walk away from the cohort inspired and empowered to activate their organizations in creative and meaningful ways.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EListening First, Then Providing Targeted Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program will begin with a listening session to understand participating organizations\u2019 needs. EI\u00b2 will then design tailored workshops drawing from experts at Georgia Tech and beyond. Every other month, cohort members will meet for sessions on business practices, digital tools, operational efficiency, marketing, placemaking partnerships, and other areas that support long\u2011term sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey sound like great ideas \u2014 murals, pop\u2011up exhibits, outdoor performances \u2014 but how do you really get down to the nuts and bolts of making them happen?\u201d Landau said. \u201cAnd how do you bring the right partners to the table? That\u2019s what we\u2019ll explore together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Statewide Mission, Strengthened Through the Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia Tech\u2019s economic development arm, EI\u00b2 administers programs that support entrepreneurs, manufacturers, communities, and municipalities across the state and around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGAIN represents an important part of EI\u00b2\u2019s comprehensive approach to economic development,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;David Bridges, vice president of EI\u00b2. \u201cIt gives us another way to create impact in Georgia by applying our expertise to serve arts organizations that are vital to Georgia communities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJason Freeman, associate vice provost for Georgia Tech Arts, noted that the pilot aligns with the Institute\u2019s broader commitment to supporting arts, culture, and creativity statewide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough GAIN, I\u2019m excited to learn more about the arts ecosystem in Middle Georgia,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cThe lessons we learn will inform both statewide collaborations and new initiatives emerging through our\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arts.gatech.edu\/creative-quarter\u0022\u003ECreative Quarter\u003C\/a\u003E innovation district on campus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProgram Funding and Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pilot is funded through the NEA\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Our Town\u0026nbsp;program, which supports projects integrating arts, culture, and design into community development. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gaarts.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Council for the Arts\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is partnering with EI\u00b2 on cohort recruitment, curriculum development, and arts\u2011based placemaking strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecruitment has begun.\u0026nbsp;Arts nonprofits and arts\u2011based businesses in Middle Georgia may apply at\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/gain\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Einnovate.gatech.edu\/gain\/\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"NEA Our Town grant supports Middle Georgia initiative"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (EI\u00b2) is launching a new pilot program to help rural arts organizations strengthen operations, adopt new technologies, and deepen their role in local community and economic development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NEA \u201cOur Town\u201d grant supports Middle Georgia initiative"}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2026-02-16 19:23:27","changed_gmt":"2026-02-27 14:01:22","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"PERRY, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679410":{"id":"679410","type":"image","title":"Perry Players","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA production of the Perry Players, in Perry, Ga.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771954765","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 17:39:25","changed":"1771956406","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 18:06:46","alt":"Theater group on stage.","file":{"fid":"263572","name":"600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":714495,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg?itok=GY5ckgdk"}}},"media_ids":["679410"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"194568","name":"Arts and Performance"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194917","name":"Georgia Arts Innovation Network"},{"id":"194918","name":"Caley Landau"},{"id":"3671","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"194919","name":"Middle Georgia"},{"id":"184294","name":"Center for Economic Development Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMEDIA CONTACT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EP\u00e9ralte Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peralte@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eperalte@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAIN PROGRAM CONTACT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECaley Landau\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:caley.landau@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ecaley.landau@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688536":{"#nid":"688536","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Plant Library Growing On Students","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalking down the stairs in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, you might look up to discover a set of letters made out of construction paper. Backlit by blue and red light, it reads, \u201cPlant Library: Fridays 3:30 \u2013 4:30\u201d. This sign has caught the eye of many students, who walk inside to discover a bustling scene. Instead of books lining shelves, plants of all sorts are gathered in the windows, drinking in the sunlight. A group of students browses for a few moments before leaving with a plant of their own to nurture. The majority are gathered around a table, cutting up English ivy to propagate in recycled containers. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe plant library began as a collection of plants in a Clough Commons lab, but as of Fall 2025, it developed into a weekly event, inviting students to learn environmental concepts and spend the hour connecting with other students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have a lot of people who come through,\u201d said Liana Boop, senior lecturer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and manager of the plant library. \u201cSome of them are taking a plant and leaving. Some of them want to talk about plants, but also a lot of people just really want to get their hands dirty.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach plant has a story behind it. Some come from students or faculty who find themselves unable to keep up with their own houseplant and hope it can find a home somewhere else. Others come from around Tech\u2019s campus as part of invasive species removal. And, at times, they\u2019ve come from the Atlanta Botanical Garden.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with the Botanical Garden as they took down their holiday display, Boop filled a car with white orchids and commercial-grade pots. At the plant library, the orchids were gone almost instantly. Seeing the enthusiasm for the program, Boop expanded plant library access to any interested students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne Friday, the plant library rooted propagations of English ivy that Students Organizing for Sustainability had collected from around The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. They put the plant cuttings in jars of water, hoping they would multiply for students to take home. It had become more than just yard work. It was a space to meet new people and, even if they were new to propagation, at least they weren\u2019t the only ones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want this to be a space for people to come in and relax and get a plant, or not get a plant, but just, you know, get some dirt under their fingernails and have fun. And I think it\u2019s a nice way to end the week,\u201d Boop said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents entered with the stresses of midterms and college life, but over the course of an hour, that began to fade. Those who entered the library out of curiosity began exploring new environmental concepts and plant propagation and discussing them with fellow newcomers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the plant library is associated with the lab for EAS1600, any student who goes practices principles of environmental science, through the recycled pasta jars and rescuing a plant that may have been left to die. Even beyond that, each student has helped a plant to grow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoop explained her approach. \u201cI\u0027m taking my Friday afternoon. I could be sitting on my couch watching Netflix,\u201d she said, but \u201cI\u0027m going to plant some plants. I don\u0027t know who they\u0027re going to go to, but think about how many individual cuttings your hands touched. That\u0027s a lot of plants, right? And so, when we keep coming back, when we keep taking care of them \u2014 your actions matter, and they can put a smile on somebody\u0027s face.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Plant Library enables the campus community to learn environmental concepts, unwind, and help new plants take root. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Plant Library enables the campus community to learn environmental concepts, unwind, and help new plants take root.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Plant Library enables the campus community to learn environmental concepts, unwind, and help new plants take root. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 19:57:41","changed_gmt":"2026-02-27 13:44:34","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679439":{"id":"679439","type":"image","title":"Students participate in the Plant Library. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents participate in the Plant Library, held in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons at Georgia Tech. 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ACC-ALN is designed to foster cross-institutional networking and collaboration among ACC institutions while increasing leadership capacity among the academic leaders at each institution.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new cohort includes:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETansu Celikel\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor and Chair, School of Psychology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJ. Brandon Dixon\u003C\/strong\u003E, Woodruff Professor and Associate Chair, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJulie Ju-Youn Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E, William H. Harrison Jr. Professor and Chair, School of Architecture\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn B. Lyon\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor and Charles A. Smithgall Jr. Institute Chair, School of Modern Languages\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFranz H. Reneau\u003C\/strong\u003E, Interim Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness and Senior Academic Professional, Office of Academic Effectiveness\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2026, fellows will participate in three in-person conferences at Southern Methodist University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Pittsburgh. Fellows form project teams coalesced around topics of interest to multiple universities, develop a paper or other deliverable, and present their findings at the final conference in November.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about the ACC-ALN program and past fellows\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.gatech.edu\/acc-academic-leaders-network\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;leaders have been selected for the 2026 ACC Academic Leaders Network (ACC-ALN) Fellows program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Celikel, Dixon, Kim, Lyon, and Reneau have been named ACC Academic Leaders Network (ACC-ALN) Fellows for 2026."}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:38:47","changed_gmt":"2026-02-26 15:34:00","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679367":{"id":"679367","type":"image","title":"Celikel--Dixon--Kim--Lyon--and-Reneau.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771522732","gmt_created":"2026-02-19 17:38:52","changed":"1771522732","gmt_changed":"2026-02-19 17:38:52","alt":"Pictured left to right: Celikel, Dixon, Kim, Lyon, and Reneau","file":{"fid":"263517","name":"Celikel--Dixon--Kim--Lyon--and-Reneau.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/Celikel--Dixon--Kim--Lyon--and-Reneau.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/Celikel--Dixon--Kim--Lyon--and-Reneau.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":121394,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/19\/Celikel--Dixon--Kim--Lyon--and-Reneau.jpg?itok=b6QlMvyQ"}}},"media_ids":["679367"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/faculty.gatech.edu\/acc-academic-leaders-network","title":"ACC-ALN Program Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"619192","name":"Faculty Affairs"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193550","name":"ACC ALN"},{"id":"188662","name":"Tansu Celikel"},{"id":"136911","name":"Brandon Dixson"},{"id":"194939","name":"Julie Ju-Youn Kim"},{"id":"194940","name":"Franz Reneau"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJocelyn Lopez Escamilla, Program Manager, Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jocelyn.lopez@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688494":{"#nid":"688494","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sustainable Development Goals Week Highlights Commitment to Advancing Sustainability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sdg-week\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable Development Goals Action and Awareness Week\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E brings a variety of sustainable development-focused activities to campus the week of March 2. Coordinated by the Office of Sustainability (OOS), this annual week of engagement and learning helps showcase the ways that Georgia Tech is advancing the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (SDGs) through teaching, research, operations, and partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UN General Assembly adopted the SDGs in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They address the world\u2019s most monumental challenges, including poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and peace and justice. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKey events this year include:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA Sustainable Tasting and Zero Waste Exhibit hosted by OOS and Campus Services, featuring sustainable food bites from Tech Dining and Tech Catering and displays of low-waste event practices and tips.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA Climate Teach-In hosted by the Community of Practice on Transformative Teaching With the SDGs, featuring speakers from the Atlanta Regional Commission, the City of Atlanta, and Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEngaging Students Through Authentic, Real-World Teaching, an instructor workshop hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Community of Practice on Transformative Teaching With the SDGs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGT Student Energy Audits, hosted by students enrolled in a VIP Energy Solutions course focused on sustainable campus operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral additional events will be hosted by campus units and student organizations. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sdg-week\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EView a full listing of the week\u2019s events for details and registration (only required for some events)\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESDG Action and Awareness Week is part of a larger global effort through the University Global Coalition (UGC), which Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera helped found. The UGC comprises higher education leaders from around the world who work to advance the SDGs through system change and global partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESDG Action and Awareness Week is an annual event occurring in the first week of March. To collaborate next year, contact the Office of Sustainability at sustain@gatech.edu.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe campus community is invited to participate in a week of events that increase awareness and actions to advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The campus community is invited to participate in a week of events that increase awareness and actions to advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 17:26:29","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 16:38:30","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679426":{"id":"679426","type":"image","title":"SDGWeekPosterSession3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents, faculty, and research faculty share their sustainable development projects at an SDG poster session during 2025\u0027s SDG Week.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772036713","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 16:25:13","changed":"1772036713","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 16:25:13","alt":"Image of students, faculty, and research faculty at a poster session for SDG Week 2025.","file":{"fid":"263589","name":"SDGWeekPosterSession3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/SDGWeekPosterSession3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/SDGWeekPosterSession3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4735275,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/SDGWeekPosterSession3.jpg?itok=uC0KD-pQ"}},"679427":{"id":"679427","type":"image","title":"sdg_header_2024.PNG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EUN Sustainable Development Goals\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772037432","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 16:37:12","changed":"1772037432","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 16:37:12","alt":"UN SDG logo","file":{"fid":"263590","name":"sdg_header_2024.PNG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/sdg_header_2024.PNG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/sdg_header_2024.PNG","mime":"image\/png","size":25839,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/sdg_header_2024.PNG?itok=mj-BcUsc"}}},"media_ids":["679426","679427"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187156","name":"United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"194911","name":"sustainability hub"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"},{"id":"193728","name":"I\u0026S News"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDrew Cutright\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector Sustainability Engagement\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Drew.cutright@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688514":{"#nid":"688514","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Welcome Wreck: Building Community for Georgia Tech Research Faculty","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen research faculty arrive at Georgia Tech, they bring bold ideas, deep expertise, and the drive to build something meaningful. They step into labs, lead sponsored projects, mentor students, write proposals, manage teams, and push the boundaries of innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut alongside the excitement of a new role comes questions:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWho do I call when I am unsure about a process?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHow do I find collaborators outside my unit?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat is written policy, and what is simply how things are done?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many research faculty, the first few months at Georgia Tech are a mix of opportunity and uncertainty.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is where Welcome Wreck comes in.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.gatech.edu\/faculty-resources\/research-faculty\/welcome-wreck\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWelcome Wreck\u003C\/a\u003E is a peer-to-peer initiative designed to ensure that new research faculty do not have to navigate those early months alone. Instead of proffering another checklist or formal training session, the program offers something simple and powerful: a conversation with a peer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA key predictor of research faculty success and retention is appropriate onboarding from the beginning of their employment with us,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EMaribeth Coleman\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant vice provost for research faculty. \u201cA priority for my office is to provide orientation opportunities to our new colleagues that help them understand the role of research faculty, the importance we have to the Institute, and to welcome them into our vibrant research faculty community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWelcome Wreck is the first step of this process. It is designed to ensure that new research faculty feel supported, are aware of the resources available to help them succeed in their role, and are connected to a senior colleague who can provide mentorship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cParticipating in Welcome Wreck was an incredibly meaningful experience,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Djalali\u003C\/strong\u003E, senior research engineer at Tech AI. \u201cIt offered a genuine introduction to Georgia Tech not only as a world-class institution but as a vibrant and supportive community. Because of the program, I felt truly welcomed, built new connections, and gained a deeper appreciation for the many opportunities Georgia Tech provides its students, faculty, and employees.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach newly hired research faculty member who participates is matched with an experienced research faculty ambassador from across campus. These ambassadors understand the nuances of this career pathway because they have walked it themselves. They know the formal systems and the informal ones. They know the policies and the unwritten norms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZerrin Ondin-Fraser\u003C\/strong\u003E, a research scientist at the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, serves as lead ambassador for Welcome Wreck. She explains that the program is rooted in lived experience:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first joined Georgia Tech as research faculty, I quickly realized how much of the role you learn by doing,\u201d explained Ondin-Fraser. \u201cThere are formal processes and policies, but there are also unwritten norms, informal networks, and everyday questions that do not always fit into an onboarding checklist. Welcome Wreck was created to bridge that gap. It is about making sure that new research faculty do not have to navigate those first months alone. By connecting colleagues who have lived this pathway, we are building a culture of mentorship, shared insight, and belonging that strengthens not only individuals but Georgia Tech\u2019s entire research enterprise.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe format of Welcome Wreck is intentionally flexible. Meetings can happen over coffee, in an office, or virtually. Some conversations focus on grant strategy, while others explore career pathways, interdisciplinary collaboration, or simply how to make a large campus feel smaller. The goal is that they all, no matter the format, create the feeling of being welcomed into a community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose early connections matter. Research faculty often work across disciplines, centers, and institutes. Building networks beyond one\u2019s immediate unit can open doors to collaboration, new funding opportunities, and long-term partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a new research faculty member navigating the Georgia Tech ecosystem, Welcome Wreck provided helpful guidance [for me] to understand my role and how I could connect with other research faculty on campus,\u201d explained \u003Cstrong\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/strong\u003E, extension professional at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. \u201cThe impact extended well beyond that first meeting. Since participating in Welcome Wreck about five months ago, I have already had the opportunity to participate in multiple grants with other Georgia Tech research faculty and learn about initiatives on campus that may have gone unnoticed without the guidance I received from the Welcome Wreck team.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWelcome Wreck complements formal HR onboarding by adding a human layer of connection grounded in shared experience and peer guidance. It creates space for honest questions, real stories, and practical insight. Welcome Wreck turns what could feel like a solitary transition into a connected beginning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpen to all newly hired research faculty across Georgia Tech, Welcome Wreck reflects a simple perspective: Strong research communities are built not only through projects and proposals but through relationships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhether you\u2019re in your first week or a few months into your role, it is never too late to connect,\u201d said Ondin-Fraser.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program operates on a rolling basis, allowing new research faculty to join at any point during the year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew research faculty interested in participating are encouraged to reach out at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zondin6@gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ezondin6@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E or visit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.gatech.edu\/faculty-resources\/research-faculty\/welcome-wreck\u0022\u003EWelcome Wreck program page\u003C\/a\u003E to learn more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many research faculty, the first few months at Georgia Tech are a mix of opportunity and uncertainty. That is where Welcome Wreck comes in.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The peer\u2011to\u2011peer onboarding program connects new faculty with experienced colleagues."}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 15:16:09","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 15:20:58","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679425":{"id":"679425","type":"image","title":"FacultyOrientation.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1772032716","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 15:18:36","changed":"1772032716","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 15:18:36","alt":"A photo of a new faculty member at orientation, holding a folder that reads \u0022GT Research.\u0022","file":{"fid":"263588","name":"FacultyOrientation.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/FacultyOrientation.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/FacultyOrientation.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":192999,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/FacultyOrientation.jpeg?itok=3S3icALO"}}},"media_ids":["679425"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/faculty.gatech.edu\/faculty-resources\/research-faculty\/welcome-wreck","title":"Welcome Wreck Program Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"619192","name":"Faculty Affairs"},{"id":"660365","name":"Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"85401","name":"research faculty"},{"id":"1646","name":"New Faculty"},{"id":"172775","name":"Maribeth Gandy Coleman"},{"id":"194946","name":"zerrin ondin-fraser"},{"id":"194947","name":"faculty community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EZerrin Ondin-Fraser, Research Scientist, CIDI\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["zondin6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688499":{"#nid":"688499","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Delta Air Lines Foundation Makes $5M Commitment for New Aerospace Engineering Building","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Delta Air Lines Foundation has made a $5 million commitment to advance the construction of Georgia Tech\u2019s new Aerospace Engineering Building. The ambitious capital project will elevate one of the nation\u2019s top-ranked aerospace programs, fuel the state\u2019s economy, and accelerate innovation across the aviation industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering\u0022\u003EAerospace Engineering Building\u003C\/a\u003E will expand research capabilities in areas such as advanced aircraft design, propulsion, materials, cybersecurity, autonomy, and emerging technologies like hydrogen and eVTOL concepts. These efforts will help drive innovation benefiting the aerospace ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am deeply grateful to The Delta Air Lines Foundation for their support of this new world-class facility that will house one of the best aerospace engineering programs in the world,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cTheir help and participation will be key to the development of the talent, research, and innovation that will secure our state\u2019s position as a global hub for aerospace technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new building will serve as the home for Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, which is ranked No. 1 among public institutions and No. 2 overall by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report. Enrolling more than 2,300 students and leading $54.5 million in annual aerospace related research activity, the School is one of the largest and most influential aerospace engineering programs in the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt The Delta Air Lines Foundation, we are committed to supporting education to advance the future of aviation. Our collaboration with Georgia Tech reflects our belief in the impact of innovation and sustainable technologies. This investment will help equip students to explore new ideas, develop more efficient solutions, and contribute to a stronger, forward\u2011looking aerospace industry,\u201d said John Laughter, trustee of The Delta Air Lines Foundation and Georgia Tech graduate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Delta Air Lines Foundation\u2019s commitment aligns with Georgia Tech\u2019s goals to expand the aerospace engineering program, bolster the talent pipeline, and drive economic impact for Georgia and the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMitchell Walker, William R.T. Oakes Jr. School Chair in the Guggenheim School, said,\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u201cThis commitment from The Delta Air Lines Foundation strengthens our ability to deliver a rigorous, hands-on aerospace engineering education through modern spaces for research, instruction, and collaboration. It will also convene leaders in aerospace technology to accelerate our work in sustainable aviation and the workforce development needed to achieve cleaner and more efficient flight.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis investment builds on the longstanding collaboration between The Delta Air Lines Foundation, Delta Air Lines, and Georgia Tech, supporting research, innovation, and workforce development that strengthens Georgia\u2019s economy and contributes to progress across the global aviation industry. Aligned with Georgia Tech\u2019s mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition, this significant commitment is included in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and propelling its success. By supporting Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in aerospace education and research, The Delta Air Lines Foundation is helping catalyze the ideas, technologies, and talent that will shape the future of aviation in Georgia and beyond.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Delta Air Lines Foundation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Delta Air Lines Foundation is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1968 to enhance Delta\u2019s charitable giving. The Foundation is focused on the key areas of environment, equity,\u0026nbsp;education,\u0026nbsp;and entire wellness. In the past decade, the Foundation has awarded more than $150\u0026nbsp;million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe ambitious capital project will elevate one of the nation\u2019s top-ranked aerospace programs, fuel the state\u2019s economy, and accelerate innovation across the aviation industry.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The ambitious capital project will elevate one of the nation\u2019s top-ranked aerospace programs, fuel the state\u2019s economy, and accelerate innovation across the aviation industry."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 12:52:29","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 12:48:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679414":{"id":"679414","type":"image","title":"Proposed rendering of new Aerospace Engineering Building","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProposed rendering of new Aerospace Engineering Building, subject to change.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771960898","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 19:21:38","changed":"1771960898","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 19:21:38","alt":"Proposed rendering of new Aerospace Engineering Building","file":{"fid":"263576","name":"_SW-Twilight-FINAL_QL_PS.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/_SW-Twilight-FINAL_QL_PS.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/_SW-Twilight-FINAL_QL_PS.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2071714,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/_SW-Twilight-FINAL_QL_PS.jpg?itok=8biFMKKW"}}},"media_ids":["679414"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering","title":"Building the Future of Aerospace Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1262","name":"Office of Development"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"6317","name":"AE"},{"id":"2082","name":"aerospace engineering"},{"id":"351","name":"development"},{"id":"194752","name":"transforming tomorrow"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anne.stanford@dev.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Stanford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Development\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688493":{"#nid":"688493","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Augusta Positioned to Become a Leader in Medical Device Entrepreneurship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Augusta University have launched a collaborative effort to boost the city\u2019s medical device innovation ecosystem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Augusta region is already a major hub for health and life sciences, boasting five hospitals and the Medical College of Georgia, the nation\u2019s 13th oldest medical school and one of its largest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the advocacy nonprofit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.galifesciences.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Life Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E designated the region a BioReady Gold community. This ratings system recognizes its existing bioscience assets and its commitment to expanding infrastructure and commercialization, marking Augusta as a desired choice for biotech companies looking for suitable sites to expand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeading the work at Georgia Tech are the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E (GaMEP) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E (ATDC).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaMEP is a program of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, Tech\u2019s chief economic development arm. It brings a\u0026nbsp;dedicated team with the unique skills required to help innovators clearly understand the requirements needed to bring medical devices to market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen entrepreneurs gain insight into the regulatory and quality requirements early in development, they can make informed, strategic decisions that can significantly reduce both time and cost,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Sarah Jo Tucker, industry manager for GaMEP\u2019s medical device group. \u201cWe partner closely with innovators throughout the process and bring deep expertise in the regulatory requirements while they bring expertise in their technology. Together, we can move products efficiently and confidently from concept to commercialization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EADTC, part of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Commercialization\u003C\/a\u003E, is the state\u2019s premier technology incubator and the oldest university-based incubator in the country. ATDC provides guidance and resources for entrepreneurs and founders to successfully launch and scale their technology companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its founding in 1980, ATDC\u2019s startup graduates have attracted more than $6.2 billion in investment and generated over $14 billion in revenue in Georgia. Through the partnership with Augusta University, ATDC uses its expertise to serve\u0026nbsp;entrepreneurs in the medical device field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Medical innovation across the state of Georgia is critical for our health tech industries to thrive,\u201d said Chris Dickson, ATDC\u2019s startup catalyst in the Augusta region. \u201cWe identify investment-ready medical technology startups and provide the support needed while they are scaling their businesses.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA major hub for the life sciences, Augusta University is home to a wealth of researchers in the biomedical and related fields. This makes the institution ideally situated to help facilitate medical device commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGuido Verbeck understands this dynamic firsthand. A\u0026nbsp;professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Augusta University, he is also an entrepreneur and medical device innovator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAcademia is a fantastic platform for launching ideas, but there must be an understanding of how to bring a device to market,\u201d said Verbeck. \u201cPhysicians and practitioners who are also academics are solving problems in real time, but they often lack the resources and support to get their ideas to production and commercialization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELynsey\u0026nbsp;Steinberg, director of innovation for Augusta University\u2019s strategic partnerships and economic development team, summed up collaboration\u2019s goal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we tap our depth of talent, innovation, and community collaboration, this region has what it takes to become a launchpad for medical device startups \u2014 a place where bold ideas find the purpose they need to succeed to solve real-world problems,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s GaMEP medical device commercialization team\u0026nbsp;and the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC)\u0026nbsp;are now working directly with Augusta researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to help move medical device ideas from concept to commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A partnership between Georgia Tech and Augusta University supports the effort ."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 17:16:53","changed_gmt":"2026-02-24 17:25:03","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Augusta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679409":{"id":"679409","type":"image","title":"Downtown Augusta ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe city of Augusta is a major hub for health and life sciences, boasting five hospitals and the Medical College of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771953448","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 17:17:28","changed":"1771953675","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 17:21:15","alt":"Aerial view of downtown Augusta","file":{"fid":"263570","name":"AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10707782,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg?itok=SgNSyEj_"}}},"media_ids":["679409"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"16331","name":"GaMEP"},{"id":"3671","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"2579","name":"commercialization"},{"id":"9535","name":"medical device"},{"id":"172575","name":"Augusta University"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEve Tolpa\u003Cbr\u003Eeve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688364":{"#nid":"688364","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Merge Analytics and Public Policy to Build Legislative AI Tool","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKeeping pace with the rapid movement of state and federal legislation is a high-stakes challenge for organizations and policymakers. To address this, a pair of Georgia Tech data analytics students developed Politheon, an AI agent-driven legislative tracking platform shaped by rigorous data analytics, a boost from Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X, and critical insights from data scientists in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECo-founded by Daniel Forcade and Hanna Bodnar, recent graduates of Georgia Tech\u2019s Master of Science in Analytics program, Politheon is designed to overcome the limitations of standard artificial intelligence in providing businesses and other organizations with accurate and actionable information about legislative activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBodnar credits the team\u0027s collaboration with Associate Professor Omar Asensio\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/datasciencepolicy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EData Science and Policy Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy \u003C\/a\u003Efor helping shape the platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Collaborating with Professor Asensio\u2019s lab was pivotal,\u0022 Bodnar said. \u0022As engineers, we had to expand our perspective beyond the technical implementation and deeply understand how public policy researchers and practitioners interpret legislative data. That interdisciplinary feedback helped us design a system that is both technically rigorous and policy-aware.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForcade agreed, saying it took the combined resources of CREATE-X and the collaboration with Asensio\u2019s lab to make Politheon what it is.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCREATE-X gave us the business foundation to build and scale, while our collaboration with Professor Asensio\u2019s lab helped us strengthen the scientific rigor behind the system. In policy, it\u0027s incredibly important to have testing, validation, and empirical grounding behind what you build.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to understanding the potential impact of sometimes obliquely written legislation, precision and insight are vital. Publicly available large language models often struggle in these environments, sounding authoritative but often hallucinating in place of facts and failing to reason out the hidden impacts of legislation. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/politheon.com\/\u0022\u003EPolitheon\u003C\/a\u003E, however, offers a potential solution, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/omar-isaac-asensio\u0022\u003EAsensio \u003C\/a\u003Esaid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a very exciting use case for agentic AI in the context of evidence-informed policy,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project originally started as the final project for Bodnar and Forcade\u2019s analytics program. Forcade said their instructors encouraged them to apply to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/createx.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E to take the project further.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForcade said CREATE-X liked the idea but asked them to talk to more experts. Forcade and Bodnar then reached out to Asensio.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAsensio was enthusiastic and invited them to present at his lab, where his team spent two and a half hours offering Forcade and Bodnar intensive constructive feedback. The duo has been collaborating with the lab ever since.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAsensio noted that this kind of cross-pollination is an embedded feature of his lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We often start with data or policy solutions to guide technical development, and not the other way around,\u0022 Asensio said. \u0022This means our technologists learn to do causal inference and policy impact evaluation, and our policy scholars learn to code and train models and algorithms as part of their work.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat focus on critical evaluation aligns seamlessly with the founders\u0027 technical training.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My background in mathematics and Georgia Tech\u2019s Analytics program gave me a strong foundation in statistical modeling and machine learning systems,\u0022 Bodnar said. \u0022The program emphasizes not just building models but evaluating them rigorously. That mindset shaped how we designed Politheon, especially how we validate outputs and measure accuracy in a space where precision really matters.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform is already demonstrating its capabilities. Recent agent outputs include a large-scale scan of more than 25,000 Oregon bills, drawn from a broader searchable database of over 1.6 million state and federal bills, identifying emerging trends in artificial intelligence regulation. The system has also delivered validated, cross-jurisdictional analysis of \u201cbuy-now-pay-later\u201d legislation in New York and Congress, with findings reviewed by senior government affairs professionals, tracing how the issue emerged and how it evolved over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe startup recently secured $100,000 in funding which helped build complete, and near real-time, data coverage across the federal government and \u0026nbsp;all U.S. states.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe raise enabled us to bring in the live data stream,\u201d Forcade said. \u201cWith real-time coverage in place, we\u2019re now advancing pricing discussions and pilot rollouts with multiple organizations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the platform is designed to provide clarity amid the noise of modern governance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Policy moves quickly, and missing a compliance date or legislative shift can be costly,\u0022 Bodnar said. \u0022Our goal is to surface what\u2019s relevant, explain why it matters, and provide clear citations to the original bills so teams can make informed decisions with confidence.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo Georgia Tech alums have built an AI-agent-driven tool to track legislation with extensive help from the Data Science and Policy Lab in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Two Georgia Tech alums have built an AI-agent-driven tool to track legislation with extensive help from the Data Science and Policy Lab in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 17:31:10","changed_gmt":"2026-02-23 01:39:56","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679342":{"id":"679342","type":"image","title":"demoDay-sign-founders-169.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPolitheon co-founders Daniel Forcade and Hannah Bodnar at the CREATE-X Demo Day in August 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771436259","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 17:37:39","changed":"1771436259","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 17:37:39","alt":"Politheon co-founders Daniel Forcade and Hannah Bodnar stand in front of a lighted sign reading \u0022Demo Day\u0022 at the CREATE-X Demo Day in August 2025.","file":{"fid":"263491","name":"demoDay-sign-founders-169.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/demoDay-sign-founders-169.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/demoDay-sign-founders-169.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1692209,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/demoDay-sign-founders-169.jpg?itok=NMFxh_RQ"}}},"media_ids":["679342"],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688376":{"#nid":"688376","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Alumna Goes for Graphic Design Gold With Team USA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPreparation and execution \u2014 two factors that can lead to gold medal performances by the athletes of Team USA in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Those same factors help Team USA\u2019s graphic designers, including Georgia Tech alumna McLain Broussard, to seamlessly share unforgettable moments from the Games with fans around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom crafting the winter-themed design language for Team USA\u2019s social media feeds a year in advance to prepping graphics for the events still to come, Broussard and her team strive to have all the necessary elements at their fingertips so they\u2019re able to execute their vision for a gold medal moment or capture a historic performance as it plays out on the world stage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA former Georgia Tech cheerleader, Broussard found her passion for graphic design while helping to manage the team\u2019s social media account. She changed her major from computational media to literature, media, and communication, and when she stepped onto the field one Saturday and saw her design being worn by students in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, she knew she\u2019d found her path.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I just remember seeing all of those shirts I designed and thinking that this is a feeling I\u2019m going to hold onto forever,\u201d she said. \u201cGeorgia Tech taught me so much about time management and about what drives me. It was at Tech that I realized I loved celebrating passion, and not just my own. I love working in sports because I get to share athletes\u2019 stories and make them accessible to everyone. With the Olympics, especially the Paralympics, I\u2019m so proud to elevate the hard work that these athletes do behind the scenes and share that with fans.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating from Tech in 2020 and spending time with Georgia Tech Athletics as a postgraduate intern, Broussard spent a year with the University of Missouri football program before joining Team USA. She was hired as a full-time contractor in 2024 before the Paris Summer Olympics and stayed on to become one of the team\u2019s three graphic designers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a cheerleader, Broussard knew what resonated with fans, but as a designer, she has found other ways to measure success in place of the roar of a live crowd. She recalls a graphic of hers posted during the Paris Games, highlighting Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, that was shared by President Joe Biden, as well as Barack and Michelle Obama.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving her graphics go viral or reach a high-profile audience, she finds, \u0022are the moments that reignite my passion each day,\u0022 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Milan Cortina Games continue through Sunday, Feb. 22, and the Paralympics take place March 6 \u2013 15, so there are still more graphics to be created. But Broussard\u2019s favorite graphic from the Games thus far, reaching over 50,000 likes on Instagram, celebrates snowboarder Chloe Kim for becoming the first woman to medal at three straight Olympics in the halfpipe event. Another of her favorites showcases the U.S. Biathlon team in various stages of competition, and while it has a unique look, Broussard says design is about trusting her instincts and finding ways to differentiate their graphics from other teams.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe may end up with five versions of the same graphic while trying to figure out how to make it work. I am a Georgia Tech graduate at heart, so my math guided me on the composition of the biathlon graphic. But knowing the brand so well and knowing where to push it is one of my favorite parts about working in sports,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work continues after the closing ceremony of the Paralympics, as Broussard\u2019s team will immediately begin preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech graduate and former Yellow Jacket cheerleader, McLain Broussard is guiding the visual identity for Team USA as a graphic designer.   "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech graduate and former Yellow Jacket cheerleader, McLain Broussard is guiding the visual identity for Team USA as a graphic designer.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech graduate and former Yellow Jacket cheerleader, McLain Broussard is guiding the visual identity for Team USA as a graphic designer.   "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 21:21:28","changed_gmt":"2026-02-20 15:06:12","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679376":{"id":"679376","type":"image","title":"McLain Broussard outside of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with one of her graphics from the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Submitted photo.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMcLain Broussard outside of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with one of her graphics from the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Submitted photo.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771599860","gmt_created":"2026-02-20 15:04:20","changed":"1771599860","gmt_changed":"2026-02-20 15:04:20","alt":"McLain Broussard outside of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with one of her graphics from the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Submitted photo.","file":{"fid":"263528","name":"broussard.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/20\/broussard.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/20\/broussard.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":961086,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/20\/broussard.jpg?itok=gx8H9Ye4"}},"679372":{"id":"679372","type":"image","title":"McLain Broussard - Pic","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMcLain Broussard cheering during a 2019 football game in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on the Georgia Tech campus. Photo courtesy: Danny Karnik\/Georgia Tech Athletics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771556147","gmt_created":"2026-02-20 02:55:47","changed":"1771556147","gmt_changed":"2026-02-20 02:55:47","alt":"McLain Broussard","file":{"fid":"263523","name":"IMG_2493.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/IMG_2493.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/IMG_2493.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":423861,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/19\/IMG_2493.jpg?itok=CEWP6wfP"}}},"media_ids":["679376","679372"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"177015","name":"winter olympics"},{"id":"108651","name":"goergia tech cheerleading"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"5325","name":"Georgia Tech Alumni Association"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687708":{"#nid":"687708","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Researchers Warn AI \u2018Blind Spot\u2019 Could Allow Attackers to Hijack Self-Driving Vehicles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA newly discovered vulnerability could allow cybercriminals to silently hijack the artificial intelligence (AI) systems in self-driving cars, raising concerns about the security of autonomous systems increasingly used on public roads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech cybersecurity researchers discovered the vulnerability, dubbed VillainNet, and found it can remain dormant in a self-driving vehicle\u2019s AI system until triggered by specific conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce triggered, VillainNet is almost certain to succeed, giving attackers control of the targeted vehicle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research finds that attackers could program almost any action within a self-driving vehicle\u2019s AI super network to trigger VillainNet. In one possible scenario, it could be triggered when a self-driving taxi\u2019s AI responds to rainfall and changing road conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce in control, hackers could hold the passengers hostage and threaten to crash the taxi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers discovered this new backdoor attack threat in the AI super networks that power autonomous driving systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSuper networks are designed to be the Swiss Army knife of AI, swapping out tools, or in this case sub networks, as needed for the task at hand,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/davidoygenblik.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Oygenblik\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech and the lead researcher on the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022However, we found that an adversary can exploit this by attacking just one of those tiny tools. The attack remains completely dormant until that specific subnetwork is used, effectively hiding across billions of other benign configurations.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis backdoor attack is nearly guaranteed to work, according to Oygenblik. This blind spot is nearly undetectable with current tools and can impact any autonomous vehicle that runs on AI. It can also be hidden at any stage of development and include billions of scenarios.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith VillainNet, the attacker forces defenders to find a single needle in a haystack that can be as large as 10 quintillion straws,\u0022 said Oygenblik.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our work is a call to action for the security community. As AI systems become more complex and adaptive, we must develop new defenses capable of addressing these novel, hyper-targeted threats.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe hypothetical fix to the problem was to add security measures to the super networks. These networks contain billions of specialized subnetworks that can be activated on the fly, but Oygenblik wanted to see what would happen if he attacked a single subnetwork tool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn experiments, the VillainNet attack proved highly effective. It achieved a 99% success rate when activated while remaining invisible throughout the AI system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research also shows that detecting a VillainNet backdoor would require 66x more computing power and time to verify the AI system is safe. This challenge dramatically expands the search space for attack detection and is not feasible, according to the researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H1fyPD8vWDo\u0022\u003Epresented\u003C\/a\u003E at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) in October 2025. The paper, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/davidoygenblik.github.io\/pdfs\/VNET.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EVillainNet: Targeted Poisoning Attacks Against SuperNets Along the Accuracy-Latency Pareto Frontier\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was co-authored by Oygenblik, master\u0027s students \u003Cstrong\u003EAbhinav Vemulapalli \u003C\/strong\u003Eand \u003Cstrong\u003EAnimesh Agrawal\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EDebopam Sanyal\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EAlexey Tumanov\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA newly discovered vulnerability could allow cybercriminals to silently hijack the artificial intelligence (AI) systems in self-driving cars, raising concerns about the security of autonomous systems increasingly used on public roads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech cybersecurity researchers discovered the vulnerability, dubbed VillainNet, and found it can remain dormant in a self-driving vehicle\u2019s AI system until triggered by specific conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce triggered, VillainNet is almost certain to succeed, giving attackers control of the targeted vehicle.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A newly discovered vulnerability could allow cybercriminals to silently hijack the artificial intelligence (AI) systems in self-driving cars, raising concerns about the security of autonomous systems increasingly used on public roads."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-01-27 14:51:58","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:34:58","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679102":{"id":"679102","type":"image","title":"Car-Blind-Spot.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1769525530","gmt_created":"2026-01-27 14:52:10","changed":"1769525530","gmt_changed":"2026-01-27 14:52:10","alt":"A car\u0027s side view mirror with a alert in the center of the mirror. ","file":{"fid":"263221","name":"Car-Blind-Spot.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/27\/Car-Blind-Spot.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/27\/Car-Blind-Spot.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":467609,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/27\/Car-Blind-Spot.jpeg?itok=6bYsIEkx"}}},"media_ids":["679102"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"182941","name":"cc-research; ic-cybersecurity; ic-hcc"},{"id":"175307","name":"Brendan Saltaformaggio"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"188667","name":"go-"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688132":{"#nid":"688132","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Obstacle or Accelerator? How Imperfections Affect Material Strength","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EImagine a material cracking \u2014 now imagine what happens if there are small inclusions in the material. Do they create an obstacle course for the crack to navigate, slowing it down? Or do they act as weak points, helping the crack spread faster?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHistorically, most engineers believed the former, using heterogeneities, or differences, in materials to make materials stronger and more resilient. However, research from Georgia Tech is showing that, in some cases, heterogeneities make materials weaker and can even accelerate cracks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELed by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/itamar-kolvin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EItamar Kolvin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.aps.org\/prl\/abstract\/10.1103\/j4vb-y1ng\u0022\u003EDual Role for Heterogeneity in Dynamic Fracture\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethis fall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile Kolvin\u2019s work is theoretical, the results of the research are widely applicable. \u201cPredicting this type of toughening effect helps engineers decide how much reinforcement to add to a material, and the best way to do so,\u201d he says. \u201cCracks are complex \u2014 they interact with the material, change shape, and respond dynamically. All of this affects the overall toughness, which impacts safety.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBuilding Strong Materials\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study found that the key to crack behavior starts at the microscopic level where the material\u2019s microscopic structure influences how it resists cracks running at different speeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cCracks propagate by breaking bonds, and that costs energy,\u201d he explains. \u201cOn top of this, materials experience extreme deformations close to where the crack runs, which costs additional energy. In some materials, the amount of this energy cost can depend on the crack\u2019s speed because of microscopic friction between molecules.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOther materials, like window glass, are mostly indifferent to the crack speed. These materials are made of simple molecules, allowing a crack to propagate slowly or quickly using the same amount of energy. The researchers found that including heterogeneities can help strengthen these materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMaterials made of more complex molecules, like polymer plastics and gels, on the other hand,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eare\u003C\/em\u003E velocity dependent: it takes more energy for a crack to propagate faster. In these materials, heterogeneities are less effective at toughening, and if the crack is fast enough, heterogeneities could help it advance. \u201cThat\u2019s something we didn\u2019t expect when we started,\u201d Kolvin says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDisorder Versus Design\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter discovering which types of materials can benefit from heterogeneities, Kolvin wanted to investigate the best way to add them. \u201cNatural materials like rocks are usually very messy and disordered,\u201d he explains, \u201cbut in engineering, heterogenous materials tend to be patterned.\u201d For example, imagine a manufactured material: heterogeneities may be added in a grid-like or other patterned way. Now, contrast that with the irregular freckles and inclusions you might see in a rock found in a streambed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKolvin\u2019s question was simple: which material was stronger? The results, again, were surprising. The disordered case \u2014 similar to what is found in nature \u2014 created the toughest material.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmong the patterned materials the team tested, only one was as tough as the disordered case \u2014 and every other pattern tested made the material weaker.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrom Lab to Landscape\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Kolvin\u2019s lab focuses on the mechanics of materials \u2014 both solid and fluid. \u201cWe are using our expertise in physics to explore questions across different fields,\u201d he says. \u201cA common concept is treating materials as continua \u2014 zooming out from molecular detail to look at how materials deform and flow at the large scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis current research follows suit with applications ranging from investigating the smallest material microstructures to predicting earthquake fractures. \u201cEarthquake faults are highly disordered, and simulating these ruptures is a major challenge, usually requiring supercomputers to solve crack propagation in three dimensions,\u201d Kolvin says. \u201cBut with the tools our study has developed, we can simulate similar conditions and large systems using just a desktop computer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis opens the doors for scientists, engineers, physicists, and geologists to explore problems right from their own computer, allowing more researchers access to more tools,\u201d he adds. \u201cAnd new tools often lead to new discoveries.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1103\/j4vb-y1ng\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1103\/j4vb-y1ng\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch from Georgia Tech is showing how cracks occur and spread through materials \u2014 and how best to prevent them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Research from Georgia Tech is showing how cracks occur and spread through materials \u2014 and how best to prevent them. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-09 17:14:44","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:33:17","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679225":{"id":"679225","type":"image","title":"\u201cCracks are complex \u2014 they interact with the material, change shape, and respond dynamically,\u0022 says Kolvin. \u0022All of this affects the overall toughness, and that impacts safety.\u201d (Adobe Stock)","body":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cCracks are complex \u2014 they interact with the material, change shape, and respond dynamically,\u0022 says Kolvin. \u0022All of this affects the overall toughness, and that impacts safety.\u201d (Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770657667","gmt_created":"2026-02-09 17:21:07","changed":"1770657667","gmt_changed":"2026-02-09 17:21:07","alt":"A crack in a building wall.","file":{"fid":"263358","name":"AdobeStock_494169649.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/09\/AdobeStock_494169649.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/09\/AdobeStock_494169649.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2360933,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/09\/AdobeStock_494169649.jpeg?itok=Q7lTZSc8"}},"679224":{"id":"679224","type":"image","title":"Itamar Kolvin","body":"\u003Cp\u003EItamar Kolvin\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770657296","gmt_created":"2026-02-09 17:14:56","changed":"1770657296","gmt_changed":"2026-02-09 17:14:56","alt":"Itamar Kolvin","file":{"fid":"263357","name":"Itamar-Kolvin.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/09\/Itamar-Kolvin_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/09\/Itamar-Kolvin_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":154592,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/09\/Itamar-Kolvin_0.jpeg?itok=e0T6C0ih"}}},"media_ids":["679225","679224"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688133":{"#nid":"688133","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biophysicist Lynn Kamerlin Becomes Institute of Physics Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser Woolley Chair in Molecular Design\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has become an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iop.org\/\u0022\u003EInstitute of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E (IOP) Fellow. It is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022The IOP has a long and distinguished history as the primary learned society and professional body for physicists in the U.K., Ireland, and beyond,\u201d says Kamerlin, who completed both a Master of Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Organic Chemistry\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.birmingham.ac.uk\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Birmingham\u003C\/a\u003E in the United Kingdom. \u201cAs a society, it plays an important role in building community, promoting science, advancing advocacy for our discipline, and supporting the next generation of physicists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin joins a list of distinguished Fellows that includes legendary physicists such as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iop.org\/about\/support-grants\/bell-burnell-fund\/woman-behind-fund\u0022\u003EDame\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJocelyn Bell Burnell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a preeminent astrophysicist responsible for the discovery of pulsars (a previously unknown type of star) and the first female president of the IOP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt is a great honor to be awarded Fellowship of the IOP, particularly as women more broadly remain vastly underrepresented in physics,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cI look forward to giving back to the physics community, supporting the mission of the society, and working to remind the next generation that physics is for everyone.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Lynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kamerlinlab.com\/\u0022\u003Eresearch in computational biophysics\u003C\/a\u003E is at the intersection of chemistry and biology, where she focuses on investigating fundamental physical chemistry and using computational tools to understand complex biomolecular problems. Currently, she is interested in leveraging machine learning tools to design new enzymes and in predicting protein structures and behaviors using large language models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to her roles at Georgia Tech, Kamerlin\u0026nbsp;is a senior editor of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/journal\/1469896x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProtein Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the editor-in-chief of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org\/journals\/electronic-structure\/about-electronic-structure\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EElectronic Structure\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and was named a 2025-27 visiting professor at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/portal.research.lu.se\/en\/persons\/lynn-kamerlin\/\u0022\u003ELund University\u003C\/a\u003E. She\u0026nbsp;was also named a\u0026nbsp;Fellow of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rsc.org\/\u0022\u003ERoyal Society of Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, received the 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/lynn-kamerlin-receives-biochemical-society-honor\u0022\u003EInspiration and Resilience Award\u003C\/a\u003E from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biochemistry.org\/\u0022\u003EBiochemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E, and was the 2023\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biophysics.org\/\u0022\u003EBiophysical Society\u003C\/a\u003E Theory \u0026amp; Computation Subgroup Mid-Career Award Winner.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EIt is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society. \u0022I look forward to giving back to the physics community, supporting the mission of the society, and working to remind the next generation that physics is for everyone,\u0022 says Kamerlin.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" It is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-09 17:30:13","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:32:36","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}}},"media_ids":["677019"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"673068":{"#nid":"673068","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sciences Faculty Awarded Sloan Research Fellowships ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Mathematics Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/people\/alex-blumenthal\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlex Blumenthal\u003C\/a\u003E and School of Physics Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/chunhui-du\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChunhui (Rita) Du\u003C\/a\u003E have been selected to receive the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship for 2024. The annual awards from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/fellowships\/2024-Fellows\u0022\u003EAlfred P. Sloan Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E honor early-career researchers whose \u201ccreativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders in the fields.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn total, four Georgia Tech faculty are among the 126 individuals selected from a pool of over 1,000 North American researchers nominated this year, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/02\/correa-baena-tapped-sloan-fellowship\u0022\u003EJuan-Pablo Correa-Baena\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/juan-pablo-correa-baena\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/science-breaking-things-security-faculty-earns-prestigious-research-fellowship\u0022\u003EDaniel Genkin\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Sloan Research Fellowships are extraordinarily competitive awards involving the nominations of the most inventive and impactful early-career scientists across the U.S. and Canada,\u201d says Adam F. Falk, president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecipients will receive a two-year $75,000 Fellowship in support of their cutting-edge research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cI am thrilled to be a recipient of the Sloan Fellowship this year, and I am thrilled for what can be done with it,\u201d says Blumenthal. \u201cI am immensely grateful for the support of my colleagues and that of SoM at large, without whom this would not have been possible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlumenthal was also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/chasing-chaos-alex-blumenthal-awarded-career-grant-research-chaos-fluid-dynamics\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Erecently awarded an NSF CAREER grant\u003C\/a\u003E to study chaotic fluid dynamics, one of the most challenging problems in his field. His research focuses on dynamic systems, and their statistical properties.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany systems and nature exhibit these seemingly random behaviors \u2014 imagine smoke rising from a candle and mixing with the air in a room, or the ripples of cream as they\u2019re swirled into coffee. While extremely difficult to mathematically model and solve, Blumenthal explains that solving these types of problems could lead to innovations ranging from atmospheric modeling and weather predictions, to economics, to creating better salinity profiles in oceans.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDu is developing quantum sensing and imaging techniques to study quantum materials at very small scales. Quantum materials are a large set of materials that have intriguing, unusual properties, which differ from that of traditional materials.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cIt is my great honor to be elected as a new Sloan Research Fellow in Physics,\u201d Du says. \u201cI appreciate the tremendous support from my colleagues, collaborators, mentors, and team members over my career development. This prestigious grant will support my research on developing state-of-the-art quantum sensing techniques to explore novel quantum materials and electronic devices for next-generation information technology.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe is involved with designing and engineering hybrid quantum devices, which have applications for quantum information. Her research into spintronics is at the forefront of information technology applications. Du was also recently selected for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nre.navy.mil\/education-outreach\/sponsored-research\/yip\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Naval Research Young Investigator Program\u003C\/a\u003E, a distinction given to her for her exceptional potential and creative research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty including School of Mathematics faculty \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/computational-neuroscience-digging-deep-georgia-tech\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHannah Choi\u003C\/a\u003E in 2022, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-research-busy-year-grants-fy20\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EYao Yao\u003C\/a\u003E in 2020, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/sloan-foundation-awards-fellowships-four-georgia-tech-emory-faculty\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKonstantin Tikhomirov\u003C\/a\u003E in 2019, Lutz Warnke in 2018, Zaher Hani in 2016, Jen Hom in 2015, and Greg Blekherman in 2012; along with School of Chemistry\u0027s Vinayak Agarwal in 2018, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027 Christopher Reinhard in 2015; and School of Physics\u2019 Tamara Bogdanovi\u0107 in 2013 have previously received Sloan Research Fellowships.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMathematician Alex Blumenthal and Physicist Chunhui (Rita) Du are among 126 early-career researchers who have been awarded prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships for 2024. This year\u2019s appointees also include Georgia Tech faculty Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena of the College of Engineering, and Daniel Genkin of the College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alex Blumenthal and Chunhui (Rita) Du are among 126 early-career researchers who have been awarded Sloan Research Fellowships for 2024."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2024-02-20 15:29:46","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:31:46","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673158":{"id":"673158","type":"image","title":"Chunhui (Rita) Du and Alex Blumenthal","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChunhui (Rita) Du and Alex Blumenthal\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1708452482","gmt_created":"2024-02-20 18:08:02","changed":"1708452437","gmt_changed":"2024-02-20 18:07:17","alt":"Chunhui (Rita) Du and Alex Blumenthal","file":{"fid":"256516","name":"Rita-Du-Alex-Blumental-Sloans.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/20\/Rita-Du-Alex-Blumental-Sloans.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/20\/Rita-Du-Alex-Blumental-Sloans.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":371641,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/20\/Rita-Du-Alex-Blumental-Sloans.jpg?itok=_mc_U61A"}}},"media_ids":["673158"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sloan.org\/fellowships\/2024-Fellows","title":"2024 Sloan Research Fellowships "},{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/02\/correa-baena-tapped-sloan-fellowship","title":"Correa-Baena Tapped for Sloan Fellowship "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/science-breaking-things-security-faculty-earns-prestigious-research-fellowship","title":"The Science of Breaking Things: Security Faculty Earns Prestigious Research Fellowship "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"193356","name":"cos-math"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687813":{"#nid":"687813","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Fusion to Self-Driving Cars, High Performance Computing and AI are Everywhere in 2026","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile not as highlight-reel worthy as the Winter Olympics and the World Cup, experts expect high-performance computing (HPC) to have an even bigger impact on daily life in 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers say HPC and artificial intelligence (AI) advances this year are poised to improve how people power their homes, design safer buildings, and travel through cities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tangqi.github.io\/\u0022\u003EQi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, scientists will take progressive steps toward cleaner, sustainable energy through nuclear fusion in 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am very hopeful about the role of advanced computing and AI in making fusion a clean energy source,\u201d said Tang, an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFusion systems involve many interconnected processes happening across different scales. Modern simulations, combined with data-driven methods, allow us to bring these pieces together into a unified picture.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang\u2019s research connects HPC and machine learning with fusion energy and plasma physics. This year, Tang is continuing work on large-scale nuclear fusion models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnly a few experimental fusion reactors exist worldwide compared to more than 400 nuclear fission reactors. Tang\u2019s work supports a broader effort to turn fusion from a promising idea into a practical energy source.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENuclear fusion occurs in plasma, the fourth state of matter, where gas is heated to millions of degrees. In this extreme state, electrons are stripped from atoms, creating a hot soup of fast-moving ions and free electrons. In plasma, hydrogen atoms overcome their natural electrical repulsion, collide, and fuse together. This releases energy that can power cities and homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputers interpret extreme temperatures, densities, pressures, and plasma particle motion as massive datasets. Tang works to assimilate these data types from computer models and real-world experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, he and other researchers rely on machine learning approaches to analyze data across models and experiments more quickly and to produce more accurate predictions. Over time, this will allow scientists to test and improve fusion reactor designs toward commercial use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond energy and nuclear engineering,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pk.linkedin.com\/in\/umarkhayaz\u0022\u003EUmar Khayaz\u003C\/a\u003E sees broader impacts for HPC in 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHPC is the need of the day in every field of engineering sciences, physics, biology, and economics,\u201d said Khayaz, a CSE Ph.D. student in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHPC is important enough to say that we need to employ resources to also solve social problems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKhayaz studies dynamic fracture and phase-field modeling. These areas explore how materials break under sudden, rapid loads.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike nuclear fusion, Khayaz says dynamic fracture problems are complex and data-intensive. In 2026, he expects to see more computing resources and computational capabilities devoted to understanding these problems and other emerging civil engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSE Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ahren09.github.io\/\u0022\u003EYiqiao (Ahren) Jin\u003C\/a\u003E sees a similar relationship between infrastructure and self-driving vehicles. He believes AI will innovate this area in 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Jin develops efficient multimodal AI systems. An autonomous vehicle is a multimodal system that uses camera video, laser sensors, language instructions, and other inputs to navigate city streets under changing scenarios like traffic and weather patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJin says multimodal research will move beyond performance benchmarks this year. This shift will lead to computer systems that can reason despite uncertainty and explain their decisions. In result, engineers will redefine how they evaluate and deploy autonomous systems in safety-critical settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany foundational problems in perception, multimodal reasoning, and agent coordination are being actively addressed in 2026. These advances enable a transition from isolated autonomous systems to safer, coordinated autonomous vehicle fleets,\u201d Jin said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs these systems scale, they have the potential to fundamentally improve transportation safety and efficiency.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile not as highlight-reel worthy as the Winter Olympics and the World Cup, experts expect high-performance computing (HPC) to have an even bigger impact on daily life in 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers say HPC and artificial intelligence (AI) advances this year are poised to improve how people power their homes, design safer buildings, and travel through cities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers say HPC and artificial intelligence (AI) advances this year are poised to improve how people power their homes, design safer buildings, and travel through cities."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-01-29 14:30:57","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:53:29","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679125":{"id":"679125","type":"image","title":"CSE-in-2026_2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1769704332","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 16:32:12","changed":"1769704332","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 16:32:12","alt":"CSE in 2026","file":{"fid":"263246","name":"CSE-in-2026_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/CSE-in-2026_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/CSE-in-2026_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":348721,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/CSE-in-2026_2.jpg?itok=JDq9Sr_p"}}},"media_ids":["679125"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/fusion-self-driving-cars-high-performance-computing-and-ai-are-everywhere-2026","title":"From Fusion to Self-Driving Cars, High Performance Computing and AI are Everywhere in 2026"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"172288","name":"School of Computational Science Engineering"},{"id":"167864","name":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"15030","name":"high-performance computing"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"194384","name":"Tech AI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39541","name":"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\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687824":{"#nid":"687824","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cyber Risk is Business Risk: A Georgia Tech Alum on What Leaders Must Learn in 2026","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen \u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher Craig\u003C\/strong\u003E arrived at Georgia Tech as an undergraduate in 1995, the campus and the field of cybersecurity looked very different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was the era of look left and look right, and one of you will not be here at graduation,\u201d Craig said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig worked hard and graduated with his computer science (CS) bachelor\u2019s degree in 2000, just as the dot-com bubble burst. He returned to Georgia Tech about a year later and has been here ever since.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig is the enterprise cybersecurity architect in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.oit.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Information Technology\u003C\/a\u003E and has spent nearly three decades at Tech as a student, employee, and instructor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong the way, he has earned three degrees from the Institute and helped shape how Georgia Tech approaches cybersecurity in an increasingly complex digital landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig began his career at Tech supporting student registration and other core IT systems. He moved fully into cybersecurity about 15 years ago. His technical background was strong, but he saw a gap in his experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI had a lot of technical background and work experience, but not much policy experience,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig enrolled in Georgia Tech\u2019s Master of Science in Information Security to fill in this gap. He said his decision to enroll in the policy track was intentional.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you\u2019ve been doing the technical work for 10 years, a technical master\u2019s helps some,\u201d Craig said. \u201cBut it is much more useful to study the areas you do not already know well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig moved into management as his GT career progressed. This path led him once again to the classroom. This time, he pursued an MBA from Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/index.html\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig believes the combination of cybersecurity and business education is increasingly important for leaders and others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is a big gap in the industry,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need people who understand cybersecurity and the business side, and people in business leadership who understand cybersecurity risk.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig is an instructor in the online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program. He teaches incident response and often sees this gap among his students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany business professionals do not know how to respond to a cybersecurity incident,\u201d Craig said. \u201cThey are not trained in it. At the same time, many cybersecurity professionals are learning business impacts on the job.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig said business knowledge is essential for aspiring chief information security officers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt that level, understanding how cybersecurity supports business goals is more important than deep technical detail,\u201d he said. \u201cYou still need the basics, but you also need to talk to the CFO.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Craig focuses on cybersecurity architecture. His work centers on the design and protection of enterprise systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor example, student information systems have a design,\u201d he said. \u201cWe look at how firewalls and other controls fit into that design to protect the data.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis role continues to evolve as the Institute\u2019s cybersecurity needs change. That evolution mirrors the field itself, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI has impacted cybersecurity for longer than people want to admit,\u201d Craig said. \u201cUnderstanding what is unusual is a big part of security, and AI can be very good at that. It can also be very good at avoiding detection.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig said AI introduces new architectural risks, particularly around data privacy. Tools that analyze student or employee data must be carefully designed to prevent sensitive information from leaking through training or outputs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou have to understand the inputs and outputs,\u201d he said. \u201cOtherwise, you can accidentally release data you really care about.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrivacy has been a recurring theme throughout Craig\u2019s career. He credits courses such as the privacy policy class taught by Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peterswire.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeter Swire\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the J.Z. Liang Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E, with shaping his thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSo much of security is about personal data,\u201d Craig said. \u201cUnderstanding what actually makes data anonymous or not is critical.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECraig believes that privacy protection depends on training and system design within an institution as large and decentralized as Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTraining can only get you so far,\u201d Craig said. \u201cPeople make mistakes. Strong processes limit exposure even when human error happens.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking back, Craig describes his time at Georgia Tech as one of constant growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe industry has massively changed,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat you learn becomes outdated quickly. You have to keep growing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom undergraduate student to cybersecurity leader, Craig\u2019s career reflects both the evolution of Georgia Tech and the fast-changing world of cybersecurity. For him, the learning never stops.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alum Christopher Craig\u2019s nearly three-decade journey as a student, employee, and instructor shows how combining cybersecurity, policy, and business education is essential for leaders navigating evolving risks\u2014from incident response to AI and data privacy\u2014in an increasingly complex digital landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech alum Christopher Craig\u2019s nearly three-decade journey as a student, employee, and instructor shows how combining cybersecurity, policy, and business education is essential for leaders navigating evolving risks\u2014from incident response to AI and "}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-01-29 16:39:45","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:53:07","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679126":{"id":"679126","type":"image","title":"Christopher-Craig_1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1769704813","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 16:40:13","changed":"1769704813","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 16:40:13","alt":"A man looks up from his laptop computer and into a camera. There is a whiteboard with illegible writing on it behind him. ","file":{"fid":"263247","name":"Christopher-Craig_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Christopher-Craig_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Christopher-Craig_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1938873,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/Christopher-Craig_1.jpg?itok=FFcaJWfX"}}},"media_ids":["679126"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687892":{"#nid":"687892","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Computing Hosts Venture Capital Summit to Push Research Beyond the Lab","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Computing is forging new relationships with Atlanta\u2019s venture capital community to advance entrepreneurial opportunities for students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENearly two dozen venture capital (VC) leaders based in Atlanta and the Southeast participated in a half-day summit at the College on Jan. 21.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECo-hosts Dean of Computing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vsarkar\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Noro-Moseley Partners General Partner\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alantaetle\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlan Taetle\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E organized the invitation-only summit. Their goals were to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShowcase the College\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/research-areas\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eresearch strengths\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/entrepreneurship-gt-computing\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eentrepreneurial culture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDeepen connections between academic innovation and startups\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EExplore opportunities for collaboration, commercialization, and startup growth\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe summit\u2019s guest list included founders, partners, and leaders from VC firms. Many of these firms focus on early-stage startups in SaaS, fintech, cybersecurity, and other emerging technology markets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch With Commercial Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarkar outlined the College of Computing\u2019s academic mission and research priorities during his opening remarks. He emphasized the College\u2019s role in advancing innovation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging research areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the College\u2019s strategic pillars is what I call \u2018X to the power of Computing\u2019,\u201d Sarkar said. \u201cLook at any discipline or industry X to see where they\u0027re innovating and where their advances are being made, and that\u2019s where Computing meets that discipline.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with remarks from the dean, the summit featured presentations highlighting Georgia Tech\u2019s entrepreneurial ecosystem and College-led research initiatives with strong commercialization potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Support for Student Founders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jenniferwhitlow\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJen Whitlow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E leads Community Partnerships at Fusen, a global platform for student founders created by Atlanta philanthropist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chklaus\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher W. Klaus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. She described Klaus\u2019s support for student entrepreneurship, including GT Computing\u2019s annual\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/klaus-startup-challenge\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKlaus Startup Challenge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. In 2025,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/klaus-startup-challenge-showcases-georgia-techs-rising-entrepreneurial-talent\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKlaus awarded five winning teams $150,000 each\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to cover startup costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhitlow also updated guests on Klaus\u2019s commitment, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/02\/tech-visionary-chris-klaus-empowers-georgia-tech-grads-launch-startups\u0022\u003Eannounced in May 2025\u003C\/a\u003E, to covering the incorporation costs for any graduating student who aspires to launch a startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMore than 600 graduates from last year\u2019s Spring and Fall Commencements have accepted the gift, and more than 225 recent graduates have completed their incorporation to date,\u201d Whitlow said. She added that a second cohort of Fall 2025 graduates is being processed over the next few weeks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffering an enterprise-level view, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/saxenar\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERahul Saxena\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Epresented recent updates to commercialization at Georgia Tech and efforts to streamline entrepreneurial processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaxena emphasized the launch of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/velocity\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVelocity Startups\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an accelerator that provides the resources and infrastructure student startups need to bring their innovations to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding the Pipeline From Research to Startup\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollowing these updates, GT Computing faculty delivered lightning-round presentations highlighting the College\u2019s research strengths in AI, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe tighter the local investing community is with Georgia Tech, the better off both are,\u201d said Taetle, who has been a member of the College\u2019s Advisory Board for more than 20 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s critical in this super-competitive world that we do everything that we can to support this fantastic university.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaetle added that the summit was part of a broader effort to strengthen the College\u2019s entrepreneurial pipeline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are some really big ideas here, which could turn into really big companies,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve made some great strides on the commercialization front, but we still have that opportunity and challenge in front of us.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe afternoon concluded with a discussion of next steps and engagement opportunities, led by Sarkar and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jzwang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJason Zwang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, GT Computing\u2019s senior director of development. The discussion focused on research partnership opportunities, startup formation, and student involvement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZwang emphasized the importance of investing in Atlanta\u2019s innovation ecosystem, citing the city\u2019s strong fundamentals and pro-growth climate for entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis gives us a unique opportunity to start working more closely with the local VC community, and it\u2019s also great for our students,\u201d Zwang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarkar agreed, saying, \u201cThere\u2019s no downside for students to get involved in a startup. It might take off and be a bonanza. If not, the experience makes you a more competitive hire because of the breadth of experience you gain at a startup.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo foster these opportunities for students, Zwang said that a key priority is to establish earlier, more intentional connections among students, startups, and investors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a pivotal moment,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can determine how to connect students with the VC and startup community earlier and ensure these investors remain involved with the College.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollege leaders said the summit underscored Computing\u2019s commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial culture and to building lasting relationships that can help accelerate the real-world impact of its research beyond the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is a force multiplier for entrepreneurship,\u201d said Sarkar. \u201cWe\u2019re here to change the world. We want to inspire a culture of bold, big entrepreneurial thinking, and look forward to the next steps that will follow this VC summit.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENearly two dozen venture capital leaders from Atlanta and across the Southeast joined the College of Computing on Jan. 21 for a half-day VC summit focused on research, innovation, and collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Computing is working to connect student and faculty entrepreneurs with early-development startup support."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2026-02-02 15:57:16","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:52:21","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679150":{"id":"679150","type":"image","title":"GT Computing 2026 Venture Capital Summit group photo","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETop executives from Atlanta\u0027s venture capital community participated in the College of Computing\u0027s first VC summit, held on Jan. 21. Photo by Terence Rushin\/GT Computing\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770047844","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 15:57:24","changed":"1770047844","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 15:57:24","alt":"Top executives from Atlanta\u0027s venture capital community participated in the College of Computing\u0027s first VC summit, held on Jan. 21.","file":{"fid":"263273","name":"Venture-Capitalists-_86A0835-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Venture-Capitalists-_86A0835-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Venture-Capitalists-_86A0835-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":205876,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/Venture-Capitalists-_86A0835-copy.jpg?itok=McAV65N9"}}},"media_ids":["679150"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"137161","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"194105","name":"aspiring entrepreneurs"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:albert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBen Snedeker\u003C\/a\u003E, Senior Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688224":{"#nid":"688224","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vinayak Agarwal Wins Bridge Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/vinayak-agarwal\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVinayak Agarwal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has received the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/\u0022\u003EResearch Corporation for Science Advancement\u003C\/a\u003E (RCSA) Bridge Award. The award provides up to $100,000 in continuity funding to support early-career researchers \u0022pursuing exciting and productive programs that are training the next generation of scientists,\u0022 according to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/2026\/01\/11-cottrell-scholars-win-rcsa-bridge-awards\/\u0022\u003Eorganization\u2019s press release\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSupport from the RCSA is much appreciated right now to maintain our research productivity and pedagogic service to our student body,\u201d says Agarwal. \u201cThe focus of RCSA extends beyond scientific research to include student success, which is in excellent concert with Georgia Tech\u2019s mission.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAgarwal, who joined Georgia Tech in 2017, holds joint appointments in the Schools of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBiological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. His research group studies natural products\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;small molecules created by living\u0026nbsp;organisms\u0026nbsp;\u2014 to understand how they are made and explore potential\u0026nbsp;uses. In 2021, Agarwal was named an RCSA Cottrell Scholar in recognition of his study of natural products found in oceans and his efforts to develop new curricula for undergraduates related to this research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHis additional professional recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, the American Society of Pharmacognosy Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and the Sloan Research Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECreated by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the award provides continuity funding to support early-career researchers pursuing programs focused on training the next generation of scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Created by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the award provides continuity funding to support early-career researchers pursuing programs focused on training the next generation of scientists."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-02-12 17:12:05","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:19:57","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"602393":{"id":"602393","type":"image","title":"Vinayak Agarwal","body":null,"created":"1518706912","gmt_created":"2018-02-15 15:01:52","changed":"1518706912","gmt_changed":"2018-02-15 15:01:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"229589","name":"Vinayak Agarwal.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Vinayak%20Agarwal_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Vinayak%20Agarwal_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":476665,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Vinayak%20Agarwal_0.jpg?itok=IuHJMGwW"}}},"media_ids":["602393"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/theagarwallab\/","title":"Agarwal Research Group"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/making-medicines-vinayak-agarwal-awarded-nsf-career-grant-peptide-research","title":"Vinayak Agarwal Awarded NSF CAREER Grant for Peptide Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/vinayak-agarwal-wins-2021-cottrell-scholar-award-ocean-studies","title":"Vinayak Agarwal Wins 2021 Cottrell Scholar Award for Ocean Studies"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lvidal7@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687826":{"#nid":"687826","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yellow Jacket Connection Sparks Glaucoma Research Fund at Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAn estimated 4 million Americans have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that can lead to irreversible blindness.\u0026nbsp;Now, Georgia Tech is home to a Glaucoma Research Fund that will\u0026nbsp;support cutting-edge work to understand and advance treatments for the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new initiative was sparked by ongoing research at Georgia Tech \u2014 and a Yellow Jacket connection: when\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Youngblood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brightfocus.org\/news\/a-key-protein-could-alter-risk-for-pseudoexfoliation-glaucoma\/\u0022\u003Ework on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG)\u003C\/a\u003E was featured by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brightfocus.org\/\u0022\u003EBrightFocus Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;it caught the attention of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Rucker,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EExcited that the research could change outcomes for people like her \u2014 and proud that it\u2019s happening at her husband\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPhilip Rucker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s, EE 72, alma mater \u2014 Jennifer Rucker reached out to Youngblood and her advisor,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor and Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Ph.D. Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/raquel-lieberman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaquel Lieberman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAs the wife of a Georgia Tech graduate and an individual with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, I was inspired to support the scientists whose efforts may help me and others,\u201d Jennifer Rucker says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhat followed was a meaningful dialogue and a shared sense of purpose \u2014 and the creation of the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund (Wreck Glaucoma! Fund).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt meant so much that Jennifer took the initiative to reach out to learn more about our research,\u201d says Lieberman. \u201cMoments like this remind me how deeply meaningful it is to connect with people in the broader community who are navigating glaucoma. Opportunities for such personal connections are rare, but they inspire and further motivate us to achieve our lab\u2019s mission to improve the lives of individuals suffering from blindness diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Personal Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYoungblood\u2019s interest in glaucoma research also stems from a personal connection: her father\u0026nbsp;was diagnosed with glaucoma as a young adult.\u0026nbsp;Now, Youngblood\u0026nbsp;studies the genetic and molecular factors behind XFG in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lieberman.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELieberman research lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cXFG is an aggressive form of the disease with no known cure,\u201d Youngblood says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhile scientists know that XFG is the result of abnormal accumulation of proteins in the eye, current treatments only address symptoms rather than treating the root cause of the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe know XFG is driven by protein buildup, but we still don\u2019t know\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ewhy\u003C\/em\u003E it happens,\u201d she explains. \u201cMy work studying specific genetic variants aims to uncover this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Genetics of Glaucoma\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn particular, Youngblood is researching the role of LOXL1, a protein that plays a role in soft tissue throughout the body, including the eyes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cResearch has shown that people with variants in the genes responsible for this protein are more likely to have XFG,\u201d she says. \u201cThat made me curious to see if the variants might be impacting the structure of the LOXL1 protein itself and how those variants might lead to disease.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYoungblood is currently testing her theory in the lab. \u201cMy hope is that new insight into proteins like LOXL1 will bring us closer to treatments that address XFG at its source,\u201d she says. \u201cThe new Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund is a tremendous step forward in making that hope a reality.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupport the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPlease visit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/59801\/donations\/new?designation_id=a000015611000\u0026amp;\u0022\u003EGlaucoma Research Fund support page\u003C\/a\u003E to give to this specific program. To discuss additional philanthropic opportunities, please contact the College of Sciences Development Team:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:development@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edevelopment@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour investment ensures that these scholars and researchers have world-class resources, facilities, and mentors to excel in this critical work. Thank you for helping us shape the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Youngblood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp;work on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) was featured by the\u0026nbsp;BrightFocus Foundation,\u0026nbsp;it caught the attention of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Rucker,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago. What followed was a meaningful dialogue and a shared sense of purpose \u2014 and the creation of the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund (Wreck Glaucoma! Fund).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"When\u00a0Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u00a0Hannah Youngblood\u2019s\u00a0work on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) was featured by the\u00a0BrightFocus Foundation,\u00a0it caught the attention of\u00a0Jennifer Rucker,\u00a0an Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-01-29 17:23:21","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:19:24","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679130":{"id":"679130","type":"image","title":"Hannah Youngblood","body":null,"created":"1769722230","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 21:30:30","changed":"1769722339","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 21:32:19","alt":"Hannah Youngblood","file":{"fid":"263251","name":"Headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":42055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg?itok=1PjOSH2M"}},"679127":{"id":"679127","type":"image","title":"Raquel Lieberman","body":null,"created":"1769707506","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 17:25:06","changed":"1769722356","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 21:32:36","alt":"Raquel Lieberman","file":{"fid":"263248","name":"083.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14074756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg?itok=qPG_sbYX"}}},"media_ids":["679130","679127"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/59801\/donations\/new?designation_id=a000015611000\u0026","title":"Make a Gift to Support the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"193234","name":"Campaign Stories"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"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:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688239":{"#nid":"688239","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Humanoid Robots Make Confident Strides Toward Walking Stability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHumanoid robots are coming.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile this statement might cause anxiety for some, for one Georgia Tech research team, working with humanlike robots couldn\u2019t be more exciting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBipedal \u2014 or two-legged \u2014 autonomous robots can be quite agile. This makes them useful for performing tasks on uneven terrain, such as carrying equipment through outdoor environments or performing maintenance on an ocean-going ship. However, unstable or unpredictable conditions also increase the possibility of a robot wipeout.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/ye-zhao\u0022\u003EYe Zhao\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lab-idar.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELaboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots\u003C\/a\u003E (LIDAR), and Zhaoyuan Gu, a robotics Ph.D. student, wanted to develop a real-time planning and control framework that guarantees a robot\u0027s safety and recovery when traversing difficult terrain. The autonomous nature of this framework means the robots can make their own decisions without direct assistance from a human. For example, if an unexpected obstacle appears in its path, a robot equipped with this new framework could catch itself instead of falling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUntil now, there\u2019s been a significant lack of research into how a robot recovers when its direction shifts \u2014 for example, a robot losing balance when a truck makes a quick turn. The team aims to fix this research gap.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting the Project Pieces Together\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/TRO.2025.3582820\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIEEE Transactions on Robotics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E paper, the researchers describe a first-of-its-kind strategy that gives robots a clear set of rules for reacting when something changes in its path. These rules help the robot make quicker decisions and take more confident steps. When the robot senses that its current plan might not keep it stable, it uses these rules to adjust its next few steps, so it can continue moving safely. In earlier experiments, which lacked this framework, two-legged robots struggled to identify a solution for stability and were prone to falling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers implemented the new framework with Cassie, a two-legged robot. Inside Tech\u2019s 3,000-square-foot \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/robotics\/human-augmentation-core\u0022\u003EHuman Augmentation Core Facility\u003C\/a\u003E, the Cassie robot confidently walks on a Computer-Aided Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) \u2014 a treadmill system that can be programmed to move in any direction at different times. When the team realized CAREN is limited in how much force it can inflict, they added a BumpEm system, which creates a stronger jerk to further stress-test Cassie\u2019s gait.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Results\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough these experiments, the researchers found that their new programming framework outperforms state-of-the-art methods with more certainty, faster decision-making, higher collision avoidance, and the ability to reliably walk on moving platforms and varying types of terrain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhao said, \u201cThe results we got through this project are very impressive. They\u2019re the most comprehensive and extensive hardware results we\u2019ve published so far.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough significant, the real-world results weren\u2019t perfect. The robot doesn\u2019t perform as well when moving downhill, which requires it to take riskier steps and walk less efficiently. However, the only time Cassie completely failed to recover its gait was during a difficult scenario involving a very wide step and a cross-legged maneuver. Recovery simply wasn\u2019t feasible given the spatial limits of the narrow treadmill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENext Steps for Walking Robots\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOverall, the researchers\u2019 framework increases by 81% Cassie\u2019s ability to recover from instability. The team noted that bipedal stability in robotics needs further research. If these walking robots are to be fully integrated into our society, they must be reliable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis paper may serve as a foundation for continued work on walking robots,\u201d said Zhao. \u201cOur work may inspire further research that can imitate or learn from the framework we\u2019ve created.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther ways of walking recovery are yet to be tested. For example, humans often hop to counteract instability or uneven footing; mirroring this with two-legged robots could be the next step in the team\u2019s research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey would like to eventually enable the use of autonomous two-legged robots in marine environments, where ship maintenance and operations require risky, strenuous labor. Ideally, these robots could reliably, safely, and efficiently perform these kinds of tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project will be tested at sea through the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHumanoid robots are coming to your homes, coming to the factories, coming to logistics. They\u0027re going to show up on the street. It\u2019s exciting,\u201d said Gu.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobotics engineers should consider not only a robot\u2019s mechanical design, but also its algorithms, intelligence, and brain. Being able to safely and regularly interact with these robots requires this foundational work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2014 By Chloe Morris\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRobust-Locomotion-By-Logic: Perturbation-Resilient Bipedal Locomotion via Signal Temporal Logic Guided Model Predictive Control.\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ieeexplore.ieee.org\/document\/11049016\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1109\/TRO.2025.3582820\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding for this research is provided by the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program and the National Science Foundation CAREER Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearchers on this project include LIDAR Director Ye Zhao, Ph.D. student Zhaoyuan Gu, and master\u2019s students Yuntian Zhao, Yipu Chen, and Rongming Guo. Other contributors from the\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/power.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Physiology of Wearable Robotics Lab\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E include \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-sawicki\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGregory Sawicki\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, director, and Jennifer Leestma (Ph.D. ROBO, 2024).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is also supported by the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/teams\/entry\/1281\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAgile Locomotion and Manipulation team\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, part of Georgia Tech\u2019s Vertically Integrated Projects program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a new \u201cthinking\u201d technology for two-legged robots, increasing their balance and agility.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a new \u201cthinking\u201d technology for two-legged robots, increasing their balance and agility.\u00a0"}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2026-02-13 14:34:19","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:05:30","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679321":{"id":"679321","type":"image","title":"humanoid-robotos.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYipu Chen (seated) and Zhaoyuan Gu (standing) on the CAREN treadmill system\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771337425","gmt_created":"2026-02-17 14:10:25","changed":"1771337425","gmt_changed":"2026-02-17 14:10:25","alt":"Two individuals on a large circular motion platform in a research lab, with one person seated cross\u2011legged on the platform and another suspended in a harness wearing a Georgia Tech exoskeleton system.","file":{"fid":"263464","name":"humanoid-robotos.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/17\/humanoid-robotos.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/17\/humanoid-robotos.png","mime":"image\/png","size":13065997,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/17\/humanoid-robotos.png?itok=xpm563Bv"}},"679359":{"id":"679359","type":"video","title":"Cassie Robot Walking on the CAREN Treadmill","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Cassie robot walks confidently on the CAREN treadmill, making adjustments to its gait as the platform moves.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771444600","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 19:56:40","changed":"1771444600","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 19:56:40","video":{"youtube_id":"klhX6qFRZEs","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/klhX6qFRZEs"}}},"media_ids":["679321","679359"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"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\u003EMedia contact:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:swundersmith3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688310":{"#nid":"688310","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mapping Mountain Birds in a Changing World: Benjamin Freeman Awarded Sloan Fellowship For Mountain Bird Ecology Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/benjamin%20freeman\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benjamingfreeman.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBenjamin Freeman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been named a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/fellowships\/2026-Fellows\u0022\u003E2026 Sloan Research Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/\u0022\u003EAlfred P. Sloan Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. Regarded as one of the\u0026nbsp;most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career scholars, the Fellowship recognizes researchers\u0026nbsp;\u201cwhose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Sloan Research Fellows are among the most promising early-career researchers in the U.S. and Canada, already driving meaningful progress in their respective disciplines,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/storage\/app\/media\/files\/press_releases\/2026_Sloan%20Research%20Fellowship_Announcement.pdf\u0022\u003Esays\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EStacie Bloom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, president and chief executive officer of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. \u201cWe look forward to seeing how these exceptional scholars continue to unlock new scientific advancements, redefine their fields, and foster the wellbeing and knowledge of all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This is a wonderful and welcome surprise that will support my ongoing research on mountains across the globe,\u201d says Freeman. \u201cIt\u0027s a vote of confidence and will let me get out there and get to work.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman is one of 126 scientists selected this year for the honor and will receive a two-year $75,000 grant of flexible funding to support his research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe joins the ranks of nearly 50 faculty from Georgia Tech who have received Sloan Research Fellowships, including School of Mathematics\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Blumenthal\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2024,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Choi\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2022,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYao Yao\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2020,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKonstantin Tikhomirov\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2019,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELutz Warnke\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2018,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EZaher Hani\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2016,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJen Hom\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2015, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGreg Blekherman\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2012; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EVinayak Agarwal\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2018; School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher Reinhard\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2015; and School of Physics\u2019\u003Cstrong\u003E Chunhui (Rita) Du\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2024 and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETamara Bogdanovi\u0107\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2013.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman joined the Institute in 2023 and\u0026nbsp;was also recently named a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/research-takes-flight-benjamin-freeman-named-2024-packard-fellow\u0022\u003E2024 Packard Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u0026nbsp;David and Lucile Packard Foundation and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/benjamin-freeman-named-early-career-fellow-ecological-society-america\u0022\u003E2025 Early Career Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the Ecological Society of America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUnderstanding the \u2018escalator to extinction\u2019\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKnown for his groundbreaking research in climate change and bird ecology, Freeman studies birds worldwide from Appalachia to Ecuador. He specializes in tropical populations where his work is centered on understanding how mountain species respond to a changing climate \u2014 and how to facilitate their survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTropical mountains are some of Earth\u2019s largest biodiversity hotspots; they harbor an extraordinary number of species,\u201d shares Freeman. \u201cAdditionally, tropical mountain birds are particularly sensitive to environmental change, so they can serve as an early warning system for global conservation efforts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, his research has shown that some species are on an \u2018escalator to extinction\u2019 with vulnerable groups moving to higher elevations to escape warming temperatures. At the top of the escalator, some summit-dwelling species are disappearing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe know that many species are on this escalator,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cThe next step is to figure out which species are most vulnerable and why. In order to direct conservation efforts, we need to know who\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eis vulnerable, why\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Esmall increases in temperature have dramatic effects, and what\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ecan be done to help.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA worldwide early warning system\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo uncover those answers, Freeman is taking two approaches: mapping global patterns with big picture data and conducting on-the-ground research in the tropics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo target the former, he created the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benjamingfreeman.com\/mountainbirdnetwork\u0022\u003EMountain Bird Network\u003C\/a\u003E, which supports community scientists in conducting bird surveys on their local mountains. The goal is to create a system that allows researchers to diagnose vulnerable species before they are too sparse to save.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EWhen a species is in trouble, we need to know as soon as possible,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cOnce a population is small enough to be at risk of extinction, it\u2019s very hard to reverse that process. The Mountain Bird Network collects data on mountain bird abundances and distributions across the globe, which, when used with data from a global citizen science program called eBird, can be leveraged to build models to identify which species might be vulnerable before those populations become critically small.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA living lab on Tech Mountain\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman\u2019s other avenue of research involves building an ambitious living laboratory in Pinchincha, Ecuador. The research site will span thousands of meters along the flanks of a local mountain, spanning lowland rainforest, foothill rainforest, and cloud forest ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe mountain is home to thousands of birds from hundreds of species,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cMy goal is to track and understand their daily lives \u2014 and how climate changes impact them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUsing cutting-edge tracking technology, he will tag and monitor their daily movements, mapping those against microclimate sensors placed at different elevations along the mountain\u2019s slopes. The challenge of placing and maintaining thousands of tiny sensors in rugged conditions means that it has never been done before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ll track these birds for at least five years \u2013- but hopefully for decades,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cThe data we gather at Tech Mountain will be the first of its kind, and my hope is that it makes a real difference in conservation efforts worldwide.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe fellowship is one of the\u0026nbsp;most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career scholars, and will support Freeman as he studies birds worldwide from Appalachia to Ecuador, investigating how mountain species respond to a changing climate \u2014 and how to facilitate their survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The fellowship is one of the\u00a0most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career scholars."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-17 14:36:04","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 14:23:25","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675323":{"id":"675323","type":"image","title":"Benjamin Freeman","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Benjamin Freeman\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1729016793","gmt_created":"2024-10-15 18:26:33","changed":"1729016793","gmt_changed":"2024-10-15 18:26:33","alt":"Benjamin Freeman","file":{"fid":"258934","name":"BenjaminFreeman.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/15\/BenjaminFreeman.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/15\/BenjaminFreeman.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2771976,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/15\/BenjaminFreeman.png?itok=fugaKOaT"}}},"media_ids":["675323"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sloan.org\/storage\/app\/media\/files\/press_releases\/2026_Sloan%20Research%20Fellowship_Announcement.pdf","title":"2026 Sloan Research Fellows Announced"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/30-year-snapshot-pacific-northwestern-birds-shows-their-surprising-resilience","title":"A 30-Year \u201cSnapshot\u201d of Pacific Northwestern Birds Shows Their Surprising Resilience"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/research-takes-flight-benjamin-freeman-named-2024-packard-fellow","title":"Research Takes Flight: Benjamin Freeman Named 2024 Packard Fellow"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/benjamin-freeman-named-early-career-fellow-ecological-society-america","title":"Benjamin Freeman Named Early Career Fellow by Ecological Society of America"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688373":{"#nid":"688373","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yellow Jacket Alumnus Pulls off Gold Medal Proposal  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EIt was already a memorable trip to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics for skier Breezy Johnson, who captured a gold medal in the Alpine Skiing Women\u2019s Downhill, but there was one more celebration to come days later. After the\u0026nbsp;super-G\u0026nbsp;race on Feb. 12, Johnson\u2019s boyfriend, Connor Watkins, a Georgia Tech alumnus, dropped to one knee in the finish area of the course and proposed to the Olympic gold medalist.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWatkins, a business administration graduate, says that his experience as a Tech student \u2014 learning to listen carefully and how to find creative solutions \u2014 helped him plan his proposal. When Johnson mentioned that she wanted an Olympic proposal, Watkins listened and took note. From there, he says it took \u201ca village and some proper planning\u201d with Team USA and NBC to make the moment happen.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EAs to the timing of the proposal, Watkins knew he wanted to wait until Johnson\u2019s competitions had wrapped up to ensure the focus stayed on the sport.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m just so proud of Breezy and what she\u2019s accomplished with her downhill gold medal,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EIn the days since, the couple has been showered with support from friends, family, teammates, and social media. Even Taylor Swift commented on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DUqdckZjDd1\/?utm_source=ig_embed\u0026amp;ig_rid=865a47ae-6296-470f-8c1a-94db31c9b961\u0022\u003EJohnson\u2019s Instagram post\u003C\/a\u003E with a congratulatory message in response to the lyrics of the pop star\u2019s song \u201cThe Alchemy\u201d being printed on the ring box Watkins presented to Johnson.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EWith Johnson done competing, the newly engaged couple has been splitting time between Cortina, Livigno, and Milan, Italy, to watch other Olympic events. After the Games are over, they\u2019ll have downtime as Johnson rests before the FIS Ski World Cup Season. When they have time in their schedule, Watkins looks forward to bringing Johnson to Tech and getting her a ride in the Ramblin\u2019 Wreck.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Gold medalist Breezy Johnson and Georgia Tech graduate Connor Watkins are celebrating Johnson\u2019s achievements on the slopes and their recent engagement. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGold medalist Breezy Johnson and Georgia Tech graduate Connor Watkins\u0026nbsp;are celebrating Johnson\u2019s achievements on the slopes and their recent engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Gold medalist Breezy Johnson and Georgia Tech graduate Connor Watkins are celebrating Johnson\u2019s achievements on the slopes and their recent engagement. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 19:49:50","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 19:54:31","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679358":{"id":"679358","type":"image","title":"Connor Watkins and Breezy Johnson","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alumnus Connor Watkins and Team USA gold medalist Breezy Johnson after getting engaged at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771444245","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 19:50:45","changed":"1771444245","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 19:50:45","alt":"Connor Watkins and Breezy Johnson","file":{"fid":"263508","name":"IMG_2658.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/IMG_2658.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/IMG_2658.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":319099,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/IMG_2658.jpeg?itok=FGsEsEjn"}}},"media_ids":["679358"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"177015","name":"winter olympics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688222":{"#nid":"688222","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Ranks Among the Top 20 Universities Worldwide for U.S. Utility Patents","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EATLANTA (Feb. 12, 2026) --\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThe National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has ranked Georgia Tech among the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/nai-announces-top-100-patenting-universities-worldwide-of-2025\/\u0022\u003Etop 20 universities\u003C\/a\u003E worldwide for U.S. utility patents granted in 2025. The Institute climbed to No.\u0026nbsp;19 internationally and 13 nationally\u0026nbsp;as a result of its technology licensing office generating 128 patents. The recognition underscores the Institute\u2019s success in moving research breakthroughs from the laboratory into the commercial marketplace, reflecting a coordinated intellectual property (IP) strategy that supports faculty, staff, and student inventors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur global ranking is a testament to the culture of research innovation we are fostering at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Raghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar, Georgia Tech\u2019s vice president of Commercialization and chief commercialization officer. \u201cOur goal is to ensure that every breakthrough in the lab has a clear, protected pathway to become a startup or product that changes lives. Breaking into the top 20 for the first time demonstrates the impact of our commercialization ecosystem in taking IP to market.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past five years, Georgia Tech has shown steady growth in its patent output, issuing more than double the number of patents as in 2020. With utility patents as a key indicator of bench-to-market success, they serve as the legal foundation for licensing agreements, industry partnerships, and the launch of new ventures. Through Technology Licensing at Georgia Tech, researchers receive guidance on disclosure, patent strategy, and protection pathways that help translate research outcomes into real-world applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur team\u2019s mission is to serve as the gateway to smoothly transfer technologies from the lab to the real world,\u201d said Mary Albertson, director of Technology Licensing at Georgia Tech. \u201cBy partnering with researchers early in the discovery process and navigating the complexities of patent protection, we help ensure Georgia Tech innovations are positioned for meaningful economic and societal impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReleased annually since 2013, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/nai-announces-top-100-patenting-universities-worldwide-of-2025\/\u0022\u003ETop 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents ranking\u003C\/a\u003E highlights the critical role academic institutions play in the global innovation ecosystem. Through the translation of research into protected technologies, these institutions advance societal progress, while strengthening national and global economies.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThe National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has ranked Georgia Tech among the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/top-100-worldwide-universities\/\u0022\u003Etop 20 universities\u003C\/a\u003E worldwide for U.S. utility patents granted in 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has ranked Georgia Tech among the top 20 universities\u00a0worldwide for U.S. utility patents granted in 2025. "}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2026-02-12 14:53:06","changed_gmt":"2026-02-13 21:31:37","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679266":{"id":"679266","type":"image","title":"Space-Commercialization_040925-07.jpg","body":null,"created":"1770908150","gmt_created":"2026-02-12 14:55:50","changed":"1770908150","gmt_changed":"2026-02-12 14:55:50","alt":"Commercialization Utility Patent","file":{"fid":"263399","name":"Space-Commercialization_040925-07.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/Space-Commercialization_040925-07.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/Space-Commercialization_040925-07.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10724949,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/12\/Space-Commercialization_040925-07.jpg?itok=HrceV5_X"}}},"media_ids":["679266"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"},{"id":"192930","name":"gt-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lcameron30@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELacey Cameron\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688253":{"#nid":"688253","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches Institute-Wide Campus Security Authority Training ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo support ongoing efforts to strengthen campus safety, transparency, and federal compliance under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, Georgia Tech will launch mandatory Campus Security Authority (CSA) training in March.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe training is designed for employees designated as CSAs \u2014 individuals whose roles make them likely to receive reports of crimes or serious incidents from students, employees, or visitors. The initiative represents a significant step in strengthening Georgia Tech\u2019s institutional Clery compliance framework and ensuring consistent, accurate campus safety reporting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When a student or employee comes forward with a safety concern, it\u2019s essential that we respond quickly and appropriately,\u201d said Pamisa Scott, Clery compliance coordinator. \u201cCSA training ensures that reports are handled consistently, meet federal requirements, and support our shared commitment to a safe and transparent campus environment.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe online, role-based training will:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EExplain CSA responsibilities under the Clery Act.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EClarify what types of incidents must be reported.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProvide guidance on how and where to submit reports.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReinforce the importance of timely and accurate reporting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional details, including access instructions and completion deadlines, will be shared via email with designated CSAs ahead of the training launch. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding the Clery Act\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, commonly known as the Clery Act, is a federal law that requires colleges and universities participating in federal student financial aid programs to disclose information about campus crime, safety policies, and emergency response procedures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe law is intended to promote transparency, improve campus safety, and ensure that campus communities have access to accurate, timely information about crime and safety conditions. Compliance with the Clery Act is mandatory and enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a federally funded institution, Georgia Tech is required to maintain a comprehensive campus safety and crime disclosure program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eoc.gatech.edu\/jeanne-clery-act\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about Clery requirements and reporting\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECSA Roles and Responsibilities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe Clery Act requires Georgia Tech to:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIdentify employees with significant responsibility for student and campus activities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENotify those individuals of their CSA designation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETrain CSAs on their reporting responsibilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSAs may include professionals in student affairs, housing, athletics, academic advising, conduct administration, and other designated roles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSAs are not responsible for investigating incidents or determining whether a crime occurred. Their responsibility is to ensure that information shared with them is promptly reported through Georgia Tech\u2019s designated Clery reporting channels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eoc.gatech.edu\/jeanne-clery-act\/campus-security-authorities\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about the role of CSAs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy CSA Reporting Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSA reporting helps Georgia Tech:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaintain accurate and complete crime statistics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIdentify trends and emerging safety concerns.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDetermine when Timely Warnings or Emergency Notifications are required.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMeet federal reporting and disclosure obligations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo support ongoing efforts to strengthen campus safety, transparency, and federal compliance under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, Georgia Tech will launch mandatory Campus Security Authority training in March.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"To support ongoing efforts to strengthen campus safety, transparency, and federal compliance under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, Georgia Tech will launch mandatory Campus Security Authority training in March. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-02-13 15:14:16","changed_gmt":"2026-02-13 16:30:13","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679277":{"id":"679277","type":"image","title":"Person using laptop","body":null,"created":"1770999324","gmt_created":"2026-02-13 16:15:24","changed":"1770999324","gmt_changed":"2026-02-13 16:15:24","alt":"Person using laptop","file":{"fid":"263412","name":"21C10302-P34-003-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/13\/21C10302-P34-003-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/13\/21C10302-P34-003-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":477705,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/13\/21C10302-P34-003-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg?itok=5xWZpxbo"}}},"media_ids":["679277"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/eoc.gatech.edu\/jeanne-clery-act","title":"Clery Requirements and Reporting"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPamisa Scott\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EClery Compliance Coordinator\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:clery@gatech.edu \u0022\u003Eclery@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688174":{"#nid":"688174","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Learn More About Education Assistance Programs for Employees","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEligible full-time faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for education assistance through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Staff Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Program (STRAP). These programs are designed to support your professional development and help you achieve your educational goals by providing tuition and mandatory fee waivers or reimbursements.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipating in TAP and STRAP not only enhances your skills and knowledge but also demonstrates the Institute\u0027s commitment to your growth and success. By investing in your education, you contribute to the overall excellence and innovation within our community.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe application period for the summer semester is March 15 \u2013 April 15.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Administrative Services Center has compiled comprehensive resources to guide you through the application and approval process. We invite you to join an upcoming information session to learn more about how to apply for TAP or STRAP and how to approve applications as a manager.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClick the links below to register for an upcoming session. Additional information on this employee benefit can be found \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benefits.hr.gatech.edu\/education-assistance\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation Assistance Info Session: Applying for TAP and STRAP\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETuesday, Feb. 17, 10 - 10:45 a.m.\u202f (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/687576\u0022\u003ERegister Here\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThursday, Feb. 19, 10 \u2013 10:45 a.m. (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/687579\u0022\u003ERegister Here\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation Assistance: Approving TAP and STRAP (managers and supervisors)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWednesday, Feb. 18, 11 \u2013 11:30 a.m.\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/node\/687581\u0022\u003ERegister Here\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEligible full-time faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for education assistance through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Staff Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Program (STRAP) beginning March 15.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Join the Administrative Services Center for educational assistance information sessions this summer."}],"uid":"36515","created_gmt":"2026-02-10 21:04:30","changed_gmt":"2026-02-12 14:08:25","author":"agauker6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679265":{"id":"679265","type":"image","title":"19NE10510-P3-074.jpg","body":null,"created":"1770905233","gmt_created":"2026-02-12 14:07:13","changed":"1770905233","gmt_changed":"2026-02-12 14:07:13","alt":"Georgia Tech student waives at commencement ceremony.","file":{"fid":"263398","name":"19NE10510-P3-074.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/19NE10510-P3-074.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/19NE10510-P3-074.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5284168,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/12\/19NE10510-P3-074.jpg?itok=iMquXym2"}}},"media_ids":["679265"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/benefits.hr.gatech.edu\/education-assistance\/","title":"Education Assistance Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"660358","name":"Administrative Services Center"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193133","name":"educational assistance"},{"id":"67881","name":"Tuition Assistance Program"},{"id":"171275","name":"Staff Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Program"},{"id":"8254","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"190282","name":"administrative Services center"},{"id":"192222","name":"GT Georgia Tech Human Resources"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlicia Gauker\u003Cbr\u003Eagauker6@gatech.edu\u003Cbr\u003EAdministrative Services Center\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["agauker6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688180":{"#nid":"688180","#data":{"type":"news","title":"National Academy of Engineering Elects David McDowell","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMechanical engineer \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mcdowell\u0022\u003EDavid McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E is among the newest members of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nae.edu\/\u0022\u003ENational Academy of Engineering (NAE)\u003C\/a\u003E, the organization announced Feb. 10.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDowell is one \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nae.edu\/345149\/NAENewClass2026\u0022\u003E130\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Enew members and 28 international members in the 2026 class\u003C\/a\u003E. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional recognitions for engineers and an honor bestowed on just 2,900 professionals worldwide. New members are nominated and voted on by the Academy\u2019s existing membership.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDowell is Georgia Tech\u2019s 50th NAE member. He is Regents\u2019 Professor Emeritus in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/national-academy-engineering-elects-david-mcdowell\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story about McDowell on the College of Engineering website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor emeritus and founding executive director of the Institute for Materials is recognized for his computational work modeling metal alloys and designing materials.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor emeritus and founding executive director of the Institute for Materials is recognized for his computational work modeling metal alloys and designing materials."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2026-02-11 14:31:09","changed_gmt":"2026-02-11 14:33:17","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"632634":{"id":"632634","type":"image","title":"David McDowell, director of Institute for Materials","body":null,"created":"1582061091","gmt_created":"2020-02-18 21:24:51","changed":"1582061091","gmt_changed":"2020-02-18 21:24:51","alt":"Portrait of Dave McDowell","file":{"fid":"240706","name":"dave-mcdowell-portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dave-mcdowell-portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dave-mcdowell-portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":433259,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dave-mcdowell-portrait.jpg?itok=nrWuXVEC"}}},"media_ids":["632634"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"70331","name":"David McDowell"},{"id":"1141","name":"national academy of engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jstewart@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jstewart@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688044":{"#nid":"688044","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Grading 2025\u2019s Biggest Predictions and What They Signal for 2026","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt the start of 2025, forecasts were confident: Automation would accelerate, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption would surge, and the economic picture would clarify. A year later, the report card is mixed. Predictions were directionally right but overly optimistic about the speed of change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConsumer Behavior: Confidence Lagged; Spending Did Not\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrade: C\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsumer forecasts were among the least accurate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cConsumer confidence started the year at low levels,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/bond\/index.html\u0022\u003ESamuel Bond\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of marketing in the Scheller College of Business. Many analysts expected households to pull back, particularly on discretionary spending. Instead, consumers kept spending \u2014 especially on travel, dining, and entertainment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBond notes a persistent gap between sentiment and behavior. \u201cPeople expressed worry, but they did not significantly reduce spending.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also points to a major 2025 shift: the rise of AI \u201cshopping assistants.\u201d Rather than using search engines or retailer sites, consumers increasingly turned to tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and other bots that consolidate search, comparison, and advice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAutomation Expectations: Progress Without the Breakthrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrade: B-\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupply chain automation was expected to leap forward in 2025, but progress came in targeted pockets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c2025 did not deliver a broad, step-change leap in automation performance,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of the practice in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE). \u201cInstead, it delivered selective progress.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAutomation delivered the most value in tightly scoped environments with clear ownership, particularly in new distribution and manufacturing facilities. Semi-automated systems that supported human judgment and stabilized throughput outperformed complex retrofits that promised full automation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForecasts missed by assuming technology alone could overcome workforce readiness, data gaps, and organizational complexity. \u201cThe gap between expectation and reality was less about technology and more about readiness to operate automated systems day-to-day,\u201d Gaffney says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, Gaffney gives 2025 a B-, calling it \u201ca healthy, if humbling, outcome\u201d that reset expectations and clarified what actually matters heading into 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArtificial Intelligence: Adoption Advanced; Hype Outran Reality\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrade: Hard to define\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo trend attracted more hype in 2025 than AI, and predictions routinely overshot reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s been so much hype around AI that keeping track of specific forecasts is difficult,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/jorge-alberto-huertas-patino\u0022\u003EJorge Huertas\u003C\/a\u003E, a researcher in the ISyE. \u201cAI has grown in many different areas and scopes, but not at the pace it was hyped.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome applications matured quickly, particularly code generation and AI tools embedded into existing platforms. \u201cClaude has grown very well with code generation, and Gemini has grown by integrating across the Google ecosystem,\u201d Huertas says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther highly touted areas lagged. \u201cAgentic AI was hyped, only to see many cases where engineers spent two or three times longer fixing errors from AI-generated code,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI delivered the most value when narrowly applied to the right problems. Looking ahead, Huertas points to accuracy, guardrails, and regulation, rather than model capability, as the key constraints shaping AI\u2019s 2026 trajectory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/hsu\/index.html\u0022\u003EAlex Hsu\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Scheller College of Business, notes that business adoption is accelerating regardless. \u201cThe AI revolution is here to stay,\u201d he says. \u201cTech companies are investing hundreds of billions in large language models and data centers, while companies outside tech are using models to improve margins. This will heighten competition and put downward pressure on the labor market.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomic Outlook: Forecasts Tested by Policy Volatility\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrade: C+\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEconomic predictions faced unusual turbulence in 2025, driven largely by rapid policy shifts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c2025 was a difficult year to forecast gross domestic product (GDP) growth given the immense number of changes in policy at the federal level,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/b76871d2-194b-510a-b3cb-f6d4c7b16f0f\u0022\u003EDanny Woodbury\u003C\/a\u003E, lecturer in the School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly forecasts projected solid growth in the first quarter, but GDP instead contracted slightly as government spending fell and imports surged following tariff announcements. \u201cForecasters did not foresee the magnitude of the shift in trade policy,\u201d Woodbury says, noting that projections only converged with reality weeks before official data releases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater in the year, export growth pushed GDP forecasts sharply higher, again catching analysts off guard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHsu adds that inflation and unemployment will be the key indicators to watch in 2026 as the Federal Reserve balances price stability with employment amid rising bond yields and global fiscal pressures complicating the outlook.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Forecasters Should Adjust Going Forward\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross sectors, 2025 revealed a common blind spot: Predictions assumed smoother execution than reality allowed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor 2026, experts point to discipline over hype, operational readiness over technology promises, policy risk over static models, and actual behavior over stated intentions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Gaffney puts it: \u201c2026 will reward operators who treat automation as a system to be run, not a solution to be bought.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt the start of 2025, experts predicted rapid advances in automation, artificial intelligence adoption, consumer pullbacks, and clearer economic signals, but a year later the results are mixed. A review of 2025 forecasts shows that while predictions across AI, supply chain automation, consumer behavior, and the U.S. economy were largely directionally correct, they overstated the speed of change. Consumers continued spending despite low confidence, automation advanced in targeted applications rather than delivering broad breakthroughs, and AI adoption grew unevenly as hype outpaced real-world performance. Economic forecasts were repeatedly disrupted by policy volatility, trade shifts, and inflation pressures. Together, these outcomes suggest that 2026 will reward disciplined execution, operational readiness, and realistic expectations over overly optimistic predictions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Experts provide a measured review of forecasts across automation, AI, consumer behavior, and the economy"}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-02-05 16:17:54","changed_gmt":"2026-02-05 16:31:45","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679193":{"id":"679193","type":"image","title":"2026 predictions","body":null,"created":"1770306898","gmt_created":"2026-02-05 15:54:58","changed":"1770308012","gmt_changed":"2026-02-05 16:13:32","alt":"Businessman holding magnifying glass focusing on year 2026 with digital icons of innovation, AI, analytics, and global strategy. Concept of future planning, technology trends and vision. ","file":{"fid":"263324","name":"AdobeStock_1684428911.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/AdobeStock_1684428911.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/AdobeStock_1684428911.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":554430,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/05\/AdobeStock_1684428911.jpeg?itok=8Qk89EKv"}}},"media_ids":["679193"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"113741","name":"predictions"},{"id":"188571","name":"consumer behavior"},{"id":"290","name":"Economy"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688027":{"#nid":"688027","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Adjustments Ahead for Travel Around Tech Green ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the coming weeks, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/police.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Police Department\u003C\/a\u003E (GTPD) will begin enforcing changes to mobility around Tech Green. These changes support the continued growth at the heart of campus and are designed to ensure a safer experience for the campus community. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs campus activity and foot traffic in the area continues to increase, the walkways around Tech Green will be designated for pedestrians and ADA mobility devices. Cyclists, scooters, and other micromobility users will be required to dismount and walk their devices during peak pedestrian traffic, generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; exceptions or extensions may be made at the discretion of GTPD. Additionally, golf cart users will need to use alternate pathways around campus rather than these walkways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDuring peak times throughout the week, Tech Green experiences its highest level of activity \u2014 from events and food trucks to heavy foot traffic and class transitions,\u201d said Chief Robert Connolly. \u201cManaging the safe exchange between micromobility users and pedestrians during these high-density periods is essential to protecting everyone who shares the space.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWhat to Expect:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next few weeks, physical bollards will be installed around portions of Tech Green. These barriers are designed to:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EControl access.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGuide movement and traffic flow through the area.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProtect pedestrians on sidewalks, paths, and green spaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESupport the safe use of Tech Green, as campus density increases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWhat Is Allowed:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPedestrians.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMicromobility users\u003Cstrong\u003E walking \u003C\/strong\u003Etheir devices (such as bicycles and scooters).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWheelchairs and other mobility aids.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWhat Is Not Allowed:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDriving golf carts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERiding on micromobility devices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWhat Is Allowed With GTPD Approval:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFood trucks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGeorgia Tech service vehicles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EContractors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEvent access.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation signage, pathway decals, and public safety personnel will be installed to assist in adopting this new safety initiative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project is part of a broader, phased approach to improving safety and accessibility in high-traffic areas. Additional details, including timelines and guidance, will be shared as the initiative moves forward.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the coming weeks, the Georgia Tech Police Department will begin enforcing changes to mobility around Tech Green.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In the coming weeks, the Georgia Tech Police Department will begin enforcing changes to mobility around Tech Green."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-02-04 19:44:09","changed_gmt":"2026-02-05 16:30:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679195":{"id":"679195","type":"image","title":"Tech Green Walkways","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe walkways around Tech Green are some of the busiest on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770308917","gmt_created":"2026-02-05 16:28:37","changed":"1770308917","gmt_changed":"2026-02-05 16:28:37","alt":"Tech Green Walkways","file":{"fid":"263326","name":"TechArts-Festival-004.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/TechArts-Festival-004.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/TechArts-Festival-004.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1303999,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/05\/TechArts-Festival-004.jpg?itok=sBWUUmA5"}},"679191":{"id":"679191","type":"image","title":"Tech Green Dismount Zone Map","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETech Green Dismount Zone Map\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770298538","gmt_created":"2026-02-05 13:35:38","changed":"1770298538","gmt_changed":"2026-02-05 13:35:38","alt":"Tech Green Dismount Zone Map","file":{"fid":"263322","name":"Tech-Green-Dismount-Zone-Ma--Solid-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/Tech-Green-Dismount-Zone-Ma--Solid-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/Tech-Green-Dismount-Zone-Ma--Solid-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":271454,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/05\/Tech-Green-Dismount-Zone-Ma--Solid-.jpg?itok=VofkjgYV"}},"679190":{"id":"679190","type":"image","title":"walkyourwheels.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWalk Your Wheels signage will be installed around Tech Green.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770298482","gmt_created":"2026-02-05 13:34:42","changed":"1770379714","gmt_changed":"2026-02-06 12:08:34","alt":"Walk Your Wheels","file":{"fid":"263334","name":"walkyourwheels.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/06\/walkyourwheels.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/06\/walkyourwheels.png","mime":"image\/png","size":574309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/06\/walkyourwheels.png?itok=XaLibu_u"}}},"media_ids":["679195","679191","679190"],"groups":[{"id":"1303","name":"GT Police Department"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gena.snead@police.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGena Snead\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Police Department\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687672":{"#nid":"687672","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe Leads Effort to Revolutionize Artifact Preservation ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the basement of the Louvre, scientists at the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF) work at the frontier of cultural heritage preservation. Their challenge is to find non-invasive ways to probe ancient and precious artifacts to understand their structural integrity and optimal restoration paths. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough cultural heritage scientists already use an array of advanced scientific techniques, the data from these methods cannot yet be fully integrated to provide a comprehensive, multidimensional view of each artifact. Without a holistic view of structural integrity and design, decision-making about conservation remains complex and risk-laden. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis challenge is one that Alexandre Locquet, Georgia Tech-Europe professor and research scientist at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Georgia Tech-Europe Professor David S. Citrin will address in an upcoming Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks research grant project, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unveil-dn.eu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUNVEIL\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (Unified Nondestructive Evaluation of Historical Artifacts), as part of the IRL 2958 Georgia Tech-CNRS, a joint research partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/irl2958.georgiatech-europe.eu\/terahertznde-nonlineardynamicsgroup\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETerahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs coordinator of UNVEIL, Locquet will head a consortium of 21 European organizations, whose diverse areas of expertise will combine to advance nondestructive evaluation methods for cultural heritage preservation. With a budget of 3.7 million euros, the project brings together partners such as the C2RMF, with its advanced techniques in cultural heritage science, and the IRL 2958 Georgia Tech-CNRS. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUNVEIL\u0027s goal is not only to integrate data across multiple techniques to understand cultural artifacts, but also to introduce advanced, engineering-grade methods (e.g., terahertz imaging, ultrasound, and infrared thermography) into cultural heritage science. This dual approach will provide new insights to guide conservation and restoration work, from uncovering an artist\u0027s first sketches, hidden inscriptions, and signatures to detecting structural weaknesses invisible to the naked eye.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UNVEIL project will combine data from these non-invasive methods to create a 3D augmented-reality digital twin that shows an artifact\u0027s structural integrity and layers, revealing hidden elements, such as inscriptions and underdrawings. Collaborations with European museums and heritage institutions will bring these advances to the public, offering interactive 3D exhibits that allow visitors to explore artifacts beyond their visible surfaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocquet\u2019s research focuses on terahertz (THz) imaging and spectroscopy for nondestructive evaluation. THz imaging has already demonstrated unique scientific advancements in examining cultural heritage objects, such as deciphering illegible inscriptions on an 18th-century funerary cross, reconstructing the stratigraphy of ancient paper stacks, and revealing hidden signatures and underdrawings beneath layers of paint. These results demonstrate the potential of THz imaging to uncover details inaccessible by other means. As coordinator of UNVEIL, Locquet\u0027s role extends well beyond research. He will guide the consortium as a whole and ensure the integration of all techniques into a unified approach for cultural heritage diagnostics and restoration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UNVEIL project will begin in March. Locquet and his team are currently seeking doctoral students in physics and electrical and computer engineering to join the multidisciplinary research team. Interested students are encouraged to send their CV and a letter of interest to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:alocquet@georgiatech-metz.fr\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ealocquet@georgiatech-metz.fr\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unveil-dn.eu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elearn more about UNVEIL\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe, in collaboration with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and a consortium of 21 European organizations, is leading the UNVEIL project to advance the preservation of cultural artifacts.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech-Europe, in collaboration with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and a consortium of 21 European organizations, is leading the UNVEIL project to advance the preservation of cultural artifacts."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-01-26 17:03:40","changed_gmt":"2026-02-04 19:32:26","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679147":{"id":"679147","type":"image","title":"Research partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the Terahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/irl2958.georgiatech-europe.eu\/terahertznde-nonlineardynamicsgroup\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETerahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770042831","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 14:33:51","changed":"1770042831","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 14:33:51","alt":"Research partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the Terahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group.","file":{"fid":"263270","name":"locquet-research.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/locquet-research.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/locquet-research.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3777174,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/locquet-research.jpg?itok=ID5k9MLm"}}},"media_ids":["679147"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trdsc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETina Rousselot de Saint Ceran\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687117":{"#nid":"687117","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe FYSA Film Festival Highlights Transformative Learning Abroad","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst-year undergraduate students studying at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en\/undergraduate-get-started\/undergraduate-programs\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/a\u003E in the First Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) program showcased their learning outcomes at a film festival on Dec. 2, in Metz, France. The event served as the culminating activity for the FYSA course, Communication and Culture, led by Jennifer Orth-Veillon, FYSA faculty director at Georgia Tech-Europe. The course offers a chronological, comprehensive exploration of European history and society through guided tours of key historical sites.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrth-Veillon explains that the film project provides a framework for students to reflect on their intercultural communication experiences and make connections between places, cultural identities, and histories. The course is designed to foster adaptive skills and confidence in navigating uncertainty and unfamiliar situations in an international setting. For the first eight weeks, students participate in hands-on experiential learning about international travel. With guidance from Orth-Veillon, they plan trips, navigate public transit, and deal with unexpected travel challenges. Later, they use these skills during independent travel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Jayson Gonzalez, a student in the program, this marks his first experience traveling outside of the U.S. The experience has broadened his perspective and helped him move beyond cultural stereotypes and initial apprehensions about engaging with people in an unfamiliar culture. Tommy Vo, another first-year student, noted that the film project required him to \u201ctalk to people and understand their culture from their point of view.\u201d He emphasized that this method is more effective for learning than simply reading about cultures in textbooks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth Gonzalez and Vo credit their experiences with helping them gain the self-confidence to live independently for the first time. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m sustaining myself, and I\u2019m enriching myself,\u201d Gonzalez said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrth-Veillon views the FYSA program as often transformative for students. \u201cThey have a richer vision of the world and more confidence in their abilities to navigate cultural differences and ambiguity,\u201d she said. According to research from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forumea.org\/alumni-study-2025.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EForum on Education Abroad\u003C\/a\u003E, 90% of education abroad alumni surveyed reported that their experiences helped them build job skills, including adaptability and intercultural communication, which significantly affected their overall career trajectory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the FYSA program comes to an end, Vo shared his mixed feelings about leaving Metz.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to stay and continue experiencing all these things. But I also know there\u2019s way more in the world to discover and explore,\u201d he said. Gonzalez echoed the sentiment. \u201cThis world is so much bigger than any of us, any of our problems, and it is worth seeing,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reason our degrees and careers are meaningful is that they contribute to this world. I don\u2019t think any program could have shown me that better than this one. To experience all that while also furthering my academic enrichment has been the most rewarding thing.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrth-Veillon\u2019s vision for the film festival project stems from her interest in sharing the transformative learning outcomes of cohort travel more broadly with the Georgia Tech community. Georgia Tech-Europe recently celebrated 35 years of operation and is hosting its fifth FYSA cohort. To learn more about Georgia Tech-Europe and the FYSA program, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/firstyearabroad.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efirstyearabroad.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFirst-year students in the Georgia Tech-Europe FYSA program showcased their growth in intercultural communication and independent living through a culminating film festival in Metz, France.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"First-year students in the Georgia Tech-Europe FYSA program showcased their growth in intercultural communication and independent living through a culminating film festival in Metz, France."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-01-08 19:35:24","changed_gmt":"2026-02-04 17:22:04","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679075":{"id":"679075","type":"image","title":"FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFYSA Students in Metz, France\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769184118","gmt_created":"2026-01-23 16:01:58","changed":"1769184118","gmt_changed":"2026-01-23 16:01:58","alt":"FYSA Students in Metz, France","file":{"fid":"263191","name":"FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7912222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg?itok=3OqYvQ6P"}},"679076":{"id":"679076","type":"image","title":"FYSA Students at film festival","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFYSA Students at film festival\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769184173","gmt_created":"2026-01-23 16:02:53","changed":"1769184173","gmt_changed":"2026-01-23 16:02:53","alt":"FYSA Students at film festival","file":{"fid":"263192","name":"FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6845903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg?itok=7X2CglmD"}}},"media_ids":["679075","679076"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"194248","name":"International Education"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"},{"id":"190213","name":"First-year Semester Abroad"},{"id":"194890","name":"transformative learning"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trdsc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETina Rousselot de Saint Ceran\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688019":{"#nid":"688019","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Proposed Institute to Focus on Technology and Civic Leadership","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is exploring the development of a new Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership. This proposal is part of a larger institutional effort to provide new opportunities for civil discourse education that will prepare students to lead in the face of complex technological and societal challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAaron Levine, associate dean for research and outreach in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, has been named interim executive director for a six-month appointment to lead the exploration. In this role, Levine will engage stakeholders across Georgia Tech and the University System of Georgia to assess how the new Institute could best serve students and the state of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe proposed Institute reflects Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to educating leaders who create new possibilities at the intersection of technology and human flourishing. It will draw on rigorous research to develop and support civic-minded, technological leaders and policy-aware innovators, equipping them to lead in a pluralistic democracy and an interconnected, innovation-driven world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new Institute will give students the chance to explore a broad range of ideas about how innovation shapes communities, the economy, and public life. It aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another and find common ground \u2014 all anchored in open debate, scientific inquiry and evidence-based problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will also serve as a hub for bringing together leaders from government, industry, academia and other sectors to tackle pressing challenges and pursue science- and data-driven solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is an opportunity for Georgia Tech to further its mission of developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition,\u201d said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. \u201cThe new Institute will prepare students to lead in an increasingly complex and pluralistic democracy, and guide society through the implications of transformative technologies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe State of Georgia has granted initial seed funding to Georgia Tech to support this exploration. The funding will help assess the potential Institute\u2019s role in developing students and fostering critical, wide-ranging discussions about the impact of technology on individuals and society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re excited to work alongside faculty from across Georgia Tech as we shape this new Institute,\u201d said Amanda Murdie, dean of Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. \u201cOur College is proud to play a leading role in an effort that will draw on contributions from every part of campus. Together, our collective expertise will strengthen students\u2019 ability to engage with multifaceted societal questions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will host a symposium in April 2026 to bring together campus and community leaders to further explore the Institute\u0027s development. The symposium will focus on opportunities for the new Institute and explore how to best prepare current and future leaders to engage with the most pressing issues shaping society today and in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe development of this center will also rely on input from the Georgia Tech community. If you are interested in advising on this effort, please email Interim Executive Director Aaron Levine at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aaron.levine@pubpolicy.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eaaron.levine@pubpolicy.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is exploring the creation of an institute that will equip students to rigorously engage with emerging issues at the intersection of technology and communities."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is exploring the creation of an institute that will equip students to rigorously engage with emerging issues at the intersection of technology and communities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is exploring the creation of an institute that will equip students to rigorously engage with emerging issues at the intersection of technology and communities."}],"uid":"36640","created_gmt":"2026-02-04 16:34:01","changed_gmt":"2026-02-04 17:11:31","author":"kconley9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679184":{"id":"679184","type":"image","title":"Georgia-Tech-Tech-Tower.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETech Tower on the Georgia Tech campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770217747","gmt_created":"2026-02-04 15:09:07","changed":"1770224848","gmt_changed":"2026-02-04 17:07:28","alt":"Tech Tower at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a red-brick academic building with white trim and arched windows, rising above surrounding trees under a blue sky.","file":{"fid":"263314","name":"Georgia-Tech-Tech-Tower.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/04\/Georgia-Tech-Tech-Tower.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/04\/Georgia-Tech-Tech-Tower.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":619399,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/04\/Georgia-Tech-Tech-Tower.jpg?itok=m_7wFM8D"}}},"media_ids":["679184"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"183059","name":"civic leadership"},{"id":"11435","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kconley9@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKathleen Conley\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687668":{"#nid":"687668","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Making a Difference: EMTs Juggle Schoolwork and Emergency Medicine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMany Georgia Tech students spend their free time studying, relaxing, or working part-time jobs. But for students who work as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), their time outside the classroom includes responding to medical emergencies \u2014\u0026nbsp;and helping patients when every minute counts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s literally life or death sometimes,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBrandon Brigner\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fall 2025 biochemistry graduate now pursuing a master\u2019s in chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFour Georgia Tech students share their experiences on the front lines of medicine as EMTs, including Brigner;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELianna Homrich\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year biology major;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDaeun \u201cEsther\u201d Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year biomedical engineering major; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKrishna Monroe\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year neuroscience major. Brigner, Homrich, and Monroe work as EMTs on ambulances while Lee serves as a technician at Emory University Hospital Midtown. Each plans a career in medicine and serves on the leadership team for\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/emsat\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;EMS at Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, a student organization dedicated to expanding access to and knowledge of emergency medical services on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy become an EMT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAll four agree that EMT work offers unmatched medical experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cYou can show up on someone\u2019s worst day and immediately make a difference\u003Cem\u003E,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E says Lee.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHomrich started exploring EMT work after realizing she needed clinical hours for the pre-health track. \u201cThe adrenaline and lifesaving aspect appealed to me. I knew I\u2019d learn so much from living the hands-on side of medicine.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBrigner began working as an EMT in high school.\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u201cI wanted to get started on my pre-med journey,\u201d\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehe explains\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u201cBecoming an EMT is one of the most powerful medical experiences you can have \u2014\u0026nbsp;and it\u2019s definitely solidified my decision to pursue medicine as a career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s the job like?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe first joined an ambulance crew with American Medical Response in DeKalb County and now works for Grady Health System. \u201cAt a basic level, our job is to stabilize patients and get them to the hospital safely,\u201d says Monroe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBrigner explains that most ambulance EMTs split time between emergency calls, special events, and transfers. \u201cIt can be intense,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen everything goes well, you can seriously change someone\u2019s life trajectory.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe adds that there is no typical shift on an ambulance. \u201cWe\u2019ve had anything from people shot in the chest to someone struggling to breathe to someone experiencing abdominal pain because they are hungry. You respond where the public needs you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you like best about being an EMT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHomrich appreciates the people. \u201cYou\u2019re on a truck for 12 hours with career paramedics who spend their lives saving others. Many are former military; I learn something new every shift. They\u2019re heroes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee values the teamwork she finds at the hospital. \u201cUsually when something very high acuity comes in, like a cardiac arrest,\u0026nbsp;you have everyone in the emergency room acting as a team. We\u2019re doing chest compressions, checking in with each other, and switching out when needed. Everyone is there in this very stressful time, working together to save someone\u2019s life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does EMT work prepare you for careers in medicine?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEMT work offers solid medical experience and critical soft skills. \u201cYou\u2019re making decisions about real patients,\u201d says Monroe. \u201cYou have your own patient, sometimes with no help for 30-45 minutes, depending on how long it takes to get to the hospital. It\u2019s the best clinical experience you can get.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee adds, \u201cIt teaches creativity, problem solving, and composure under pressure \u2014\u0026nbsp;skills you can\u2019t learn from a textbook. You learn to stay composed in chaos.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow do you balance school and work?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAll four agree that it takes a lot of organization and discipline. \u201cHaving a good calendar system is key, and strategically scheduling classes really helps,\u201d says Homrich. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely fallen into traps where I get really into EMS \u2014\u0026nbsp;picking up cool events or overnight shifts for bonuses \u2014\u0026nbsp;but I\u2019ve learned to make schoolwork a priority. Academics come first.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee primarily works weekends to accommodate her school schedule. \u201cI work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays,\u201d she says. \u201cI get most of my studying done during the week.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat kind of training does it take to become an EMT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe is an Advanced EMT while Brigner, Homrich, and Lee hold the EMT Basic designation. Training includes coursework, skills testing, and clinical ride-alongs. To become an EMT, students must complete training, earn National Registry EMT certification, and apply for a state license.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe real learning happens during clinicals or \u2018third rides,\u2019 where you ride along as the third person on the truck,\u201d says Homrich.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe estimates that he has spent more than 600 hours studying and training to earn both certifications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you describe a meaningful moment in your EMT career?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBeyond the life-saving thrills, these students encounter moments that stay with them forever.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBrigdon remembers an incident from his very first day as an EMT:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe were transporting a patient up from the depths of the D.C. subway. After putting him on the gurney, we took the escalator instead of the elevator. The fire crew saw us and immediately let us know that wasn\u2019t the right move. Listening to their angry feedback put into perspective how serious this job is and the life-changing implications of doing it right. That moment taught me that every decision matters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHomrich remembers leading an \u201chonor walk,\u201d a ceremony to honor organ donors and support their families, for a deceased teenage patient being transferred for organ donation:\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cAt 19 years old, I wheeled a son away from his mother for the last time, knowing she\u2019d never see him again. It was heavy but also meaningful because his sacrifice would create so much life. That moment reminded me how much trust people place in us \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003Eand the importance of what we do.\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is Emergency Medical Services at Tech (EMS at Tech)?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA student organization dedicated to improving emergency medical care on campus, the club partners with Grady EMS and the Georgia Tech Police Department to respond to medical emergencies, lead CPR and first aid classes, and provide clinical opportunities for members.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEMS at Tech is a community where you can nerd out and share your passion for emergency medicine,\u201d says Homrich, the club\u2019s vice president.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u201c\u003C\/em\u003EWhen you\u2019re with friends at lunch, no one wants to hear about applying a tourniquet for an arterial bleed. But at EMS at Tech, everyone is an emergency medicine enthusiast who wants to share experiences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELast semester, the group trained more than 160 students, faculty, and staff in CPR\/AED and supported campus events like Homecoming and Halloween. EMS at Tech also guides students pursuing EMS certifications and helps administer the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/emsat\/todd-family-fund-scholarship\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Todd Family Fund EMS Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E, which covers tuition for Grady EMS Academy classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia Tech students share what it\u2019s like to balance rigorous coursework with the high-stakes world of emergency medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four Georgia Tech students share what it\u2019s like to balance rigorous coursework with the high-stakes world of emergency medicine."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-01-26 16:35:54","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 15:11:29","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679085":{"id":"679085","type":"image","title":"From L to R: Krishna Monroe, president of EMS at GT; Lianna Homrich, vice president of EMS at GT;\u00a0 Daeun \u201cEsther\u201d Lee, outreach director of EMS at GT; and Brandon Brigner, CPR officer of EMS at GT.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom L to R: Krishna Monroe, president of EMS at GT; Lianna Homrich, vice president of EMS at GT;\u0026nbsp; Daeun \u201cEsther\u201d Lee, outreach director of EMS at GT; and Brandon Brigner, CPR officer of EMS at GT.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769446300","gmt_created":"2026-01-26 16:51:40","changed":"1769540357","gmt_changed":"2026-01-27 18:59:17","alt":"Four students stand in front of emergency sign.","file":{"fid":"263217","name":"cropped2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/cropped2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/cropped2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2519783,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/26\/cropped2.jpg?itok=8KDP-jjh"}},"679090":{"id":"679090","type":"image","title":"EMS at Tech members provide medical support during campus events like Halloweekend.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEMS at Tech members provide medical support during campus events like Halloweekend.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769454300","gmt_created":"2026-01-26 19:05:00","changed":"1769455091","gmt_changed":"2026-01-26 19:18:11","alt":"Students stand in front of an ambulance.","file":{"fid":"263207","name":"IMG_0843.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/IMG_0843.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/IMG_0843.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4198068,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/26\/IMG_0843.jpeg?itok=a2uRzRK_"}}},"media_ids":["679085","679090"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/bill-todd-grady-emergency-medical-technician-scholarship.html","title":" Professor Bill Todd Creates Grady Emergency Medical Technician Scholarship for Georgia Tech Students"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_bmyFvzfsUGiuGsm","title":"Pre-Health Advising"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"5170","name":"pre-health"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura Segraves Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687991":{"#nid":"687991","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Recognized as a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;Fulbright Program\u0026nbsp;has\u0026nbsp;recognized\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u0026nbsp;Institute of\u0026nbsp;Technology\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;one of the\u0026nbsp;colleges and universities with the highest number of\u202fstudents and recent alumni selected for\u202fthe\u202fFulbright\u0026nbsp;U.S. Student\u0026nbsp;Program.\u0026nbsp;Fulbright Top Producing Institutions such as\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;value global connections\u0026nbsp;and support members of their campus communities\u0026nbsp;across the United States\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;pursuing\u0026nbsp;international opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThirty-five years ago, a Fulbright award changed my life and put me on the path I\u2019m still on today,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cFulbright\u0026nbsp;students\u0026nbsp;benefit from unrivaled opportunities for education, personal development, and intercultural leadership, and they return home as globally aware problem-solvers with new perspectives and a renewed commitment to address humanity\u2019s most pressing challenges. This program is dear to my heart and truly one of the greatest assets of American higher education, and I am immensely proud of Georgia Tech for becoming one of the foremost producers of Fulbright talent.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis\u0026nbsp;academic year,\u0026nbsp;two\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u0026nbsp;Tech\u0026nbsp;students\u0026nbsp;and alumni\u0026nbsp;were selected for Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, and two were\u0026nbsp;named as alternates.\u0026nbsp;Among\u0026nbsp;this year\u2019s\u0026nbsp;recipients\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;alumna Nethra Rammohan,\u0026nbsp;who\u0026nbsp;serves as an\u0026nbsp;English\u0026nbsp;teaching assistant at\u0026nbsp;a preparatory high school in Zurich, Switzerland.\u0026nbsp;Rammohan, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Literature, Media, and Communication in 2021, credits Georgia Tech\u2019s Prestigious Fellowships Advising team\u0026nbsp;for guiding her through the application process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program receive comprehensive support and mentorship from Prestigious Fellowships\u0026nbsp;advisor\u0026nbsp;Georgia Brunner.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNot only does Fulbright provide students a way to conduct research, study, or gain valuable teaching experience,\u201d Brunner said,\u0026nbsp;\u201cbut the program also offers a unique chance to\u0026nbsp;engage and immerse\u0026nbsp;in other cultures and communities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo expand access and encourage more student participation, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;launched\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;summer\u0026nbsp;Fulbright Application Boot Camp, contributing\u0026nbsp;to an increase in applications for the 2025-26\u0026nbsp;cycle and\u0026nbsp;even greater\u0026nbsp;growth\u0026nbsp;for 2026-27.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Fulbright Program\u0026nbsp;and How to Apply\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government\u2019s premier international academic exchange program, providing\u0026nbsp;opportunities for exceptional Americans and participants from 160 countries and locations to study, teach, and conduct research abroad.\u0026nbsp;Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors, and the world and have included 44 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 83 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;all sectors and industries across the U.S.\u0026nbsp;and around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFulbright\u0026nbsp;is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the\u0026nbsp;federal government. Participating governments and\u0026nbsp;partner\u0026nbsp;institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVisit\u0026nbsp;the Fulbright Program\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fulbrightprogram.org\/\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;more information.\u0026nbsp;Students interested in applying can\u0026nbsp;visit the Prestigious Fellowships \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.success.gatech.edu\/prestigious-fellowships\/\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or contact the team at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:fellowshipsadvising@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efellowshipsadvising@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Fulbright Program has recognized the Georgia Institute of Technology as one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of\u202fstudents and recent alumni selected for\u202fthe\u202fFulbright U.S. Student Program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Fulbright Program has recognized the Georgia Institute of Technology as one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of\u202fstudents and recent alumni selected for\u202fthe\u202fFulbright U.S. Student Program."}],"uid":"36773","created_gmt":"2026-02-03 14:35:07","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 14:57:59","author":"choward85","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679173":{"id":"679173","type":"image","title":"Fulbright designation article header","body":null,"created":"1770129320","gmt_created":"2026-02-03 14:35:20","changed":"1770129320","gmt_changed":"2026-02-03 14:35:20","alt":"Tech tower framed with Fulbright designation badge","file":{"fid":"263301","name":"Fulbright-designation-article-header.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/Fulbright-designation-article-header.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/Fulbright-designation-article-header.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1393575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/03\/Fulbright-designation-article-header.png?itok=zwLfWupR"}}},"media_ids":["679173"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.success.gatech.edu\/prestigious-fellowships\/","title":"Prestigious Fellowships Advising"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"281961","name":"Office of Undergraduate Education \u0026 Student Success"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"12116","name":"Fulbright Scholarship"},{"id":"194030","name":"prestigious fellowships"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPrestigious Fellowships Advising\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:fellowshipsadvising@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efellowshipsadvising@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687990":{"#nid":"687990","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Smaller, Smarter, Speedier, Stacked: Engineering Next-Gen Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe power of modern computing is hard to overstate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour smartphone has more than 100,000 times the power of the computer that guided Apollo 11 to the moon. It\u2019s about 5,000 times faster than 1980s supercomputers. And that\u2019s just processing power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApple\u2019s original iPod promised \u201c1,000 songs in your pocket\u201d in 2001. Today\u2019s average smartphone has enough memory to store 25,000, along with thousands more photos, apps, and videos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis exponential leap in capability traces a prediction made in 1965 by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. He suggested the number of transistors \u2014 tiny electronic switches \u2014 on a computer chip would double roughly every two years. Moore\u2019s Law, as it became known, has served as a benchmark and guiding principle for the tech industry, influencing the trajectory of innovation for nearly six decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut now miniaturizing transistors has slowed. Headlines regularly declare Moore\u2019s Law dead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/a\u003E sees it differently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said Moore\u2019s Law was never just about shrinking transistors. It was about making computing better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMoore\u2019s Law is fundamentally economic,\u201d said Raychowdhury, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EElectrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u2019s not about the physics of making transistors smaller. It\u2019s about the business imperative to deliver better performance, lower power consumption, smaller form factors, or reduced costs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/magazine\/2025\/fall\/engineering-next-gen-computing\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story in \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHelluva Engineer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E magazine.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESome technologists suggest we\u2019re nearing the limits of packing ever-more computing power into ever-smaller chips. At Georgia Tech, engineers are finding new ways to shrink transistors, make systems more efficient, and design better computers to power technologies not yet imagined.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech, engineers are finding new ways to shrink transistors, make systems more efficient, and design better computers to power technologies not yet imagined."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2026-02-03 13:53:26","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 13:56:40","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679172":{"id":"679172","type":"image","title":"asif-khan-cleanroom-wafer-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAsif Khan holds a silicon wafer in Georgia Tech\u2019s cleanroom facility. Khan is trying to build new kinds of computer memory using fundamentally different mechanisms to store data. (Photo: Candler Hobbs)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1770126819","gmt_created":"2026-02-03 13:53:39","changed":"1770126819","gmt_changed":"2026-02-03 13:53:39","alt":"Asif Khan holds a silicon wafer in a cleanroom.","file":{"fid":"263300","name":"asif-khan-cleanroom-wafer-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/asif-khan-cleanroom-wafer-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/asif-khan-cleanroom-wafer-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":950536,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/03\/asif-khan-cleanroom-wafer-thumb.jpg?itok=7WYIKZna"}}},"media_ids":["679172"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687930":{"#nid":"687930","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Major Events Affecting Campus Traffic ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the Georgia Tech community should prepare for increased traffic congestion and limited parking availability on campus from Wednesday, Feb. 4, through Saturday, Feb. 7. Multiple large-scale events taking place simultaneously will bring a significant influx of visitors throughout the week.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExpect peak congestion near the Campus Recreation Center (CRC), Exhibition Hall, and surrounding parking facilities. Be sure to make a plan, allow extra travel time, and consider alternative routes or transportation options when possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe primary driver of increased activity is the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Swimming and Diving State Championship, hosted at the CRC throughout the week. Each day of the championship is expected to attract more than 1,500 student-athletes and guests, significantly increasing vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional concurrent events include:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe Buzz Classic Softball Tournament.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe Georgia FIRST LEGO League Challenge, taking place in the Exhibition Hall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParking and Transportation Information\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParking for the GHSA event will be directed to the following locations:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW10\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CRC presale parking.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW06\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Tech Parkway to Northside Drive.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW22\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Dalney Deck.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParking and Transportation Services will communicate directly with affected permit holders:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMove-vehicle notices\u003C\/strong\u003E will be sent to permit holders in \u003Cstrong\u003EW06 and W10\u003C\/strong\u003E, with temporary access provided to \u003Cstrong\u003EW23 (North Deck)\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECongestion advisories\u003C\/strong\u003E will be issued to permit holders in \u003Cstrong\u003EW04, W02, W22, and W23\u003C\/strong\u003E, advising of increased traffic and potential delays throughout the week.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional event-specific updates and transportation information are available \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/2026\/01\/28\/ghsa-swimming-and-dive-state-championship-parking-info\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere.\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, the campus community should also anticipate parking and traffic impacts later in the month when the \u003Cstrong\u003EACC Swimming and Diving Championship\u003C\/strong\u003E takes place \u003Cstrong\u003EFeb. 15 \u2013 21\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"From Wednesday, Feb. 4, through Saturday, Feb. 7, multiple large-scale events taking place will bring an influx of visitors to campus. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom Wednesday, Feb. 4, through Saturday, Feb. 7, multiple large-scale events taking place will bring an influx of visitors to campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From Wednesday, Feb. 4, through Saturday, Feb. 7, multiple large-scale events taking place will bring an influx of visitors to campus. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-02-02 19:44:04","changed_gmt":"2026-02-02 22:03:41","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679161":{"id":"679161","type":"image","title":"Cars in Traffic","body":null,"created":"1770062475","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 20:01:15","changed":"1770062475","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 20:01:15","alt":"Campus traffic","file":{"fid":"263284","name":"26-R10410-P52-002.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/26-R10410-P52-002.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/26-R10410-P52-002.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2510823,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/26-R10410-P52-002.JPG?itok=TkIySbJb"}}},"media_ids":["679161"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.police.gatech.edu","title":"GTPD"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu","title":"Parking and Transportation Services"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2543","name":"GTPD"},{"id":"1047","name":"Atlanta traffic"},{"id":"5481","name":"campus event"},{"id":"8556","name":"FISRT LEGO League"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:specialevents@police.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Police Department\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pts.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParking and Transportation\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EServices\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E or call 404.894.0061 \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687932":{"#nid":"687932","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Build Something That Matters This Summer: Apply to Startup Launch by March 17","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery year, hundreds of Georgia Tech students take a leap that changes their careers forever: They decide to spend their summer building a startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat opportunity is here again. \u003Cstrong\u003EApplications for the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Summer Startup Launch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E cohort are now open.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019ve identified a meaningful problem, have begun talking to real users, or feel a pull to build something bigger than a class project, this is your moment. Startup Launch gives you the structure, support, and ecosystem to take your idea further than you ever thought possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Launchpad With a Proven Track Record\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the past year alone, CREATE\u2011X founders have:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELed their startup to successful acquisitions. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERaised six-figure funding rounds.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGained acceptance into highly selective Y Combinator. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBuilt products used by customers, communities, and companies across industries.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to identify a problem, validate real user needs, build something that works, and communicate that value \u2014 that combination makes students stand out in a competitive job market. Employers notice it. Graduate programs notice it. And investors notice it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is why Startup Launch isn\u2019t just a summer project.\u003Cbr\u003EIt becomes a defining career asset.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat You Get in Startup Launch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Launch is intentionally built to give students every advantage while they build their venture. This year, we\u2019ve expanded support even further.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipants receive:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E$200,000 in-kind services like accounting and cloud credits.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDedicated coaching and mentorship\u003C\/strong\u003E from experienced founders and startup experts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExclusive workshops and founder-focused programming.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAccess to the CREATE-X network,\u003C\/strong\u003E a community of builders, investors, and potential customers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ll spend the summer fully immersed in your startup, surrounded by peers also tackling ambitious problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd you\u2019ll leave with something real to show for it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApplications for the Summer 2026 cohort close March 17.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApply to Startup Launch today\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECREATE-X\u2019s Summer 2026 Startup Launch is open for students, faculty, alumni, and researchers to build real startups over 12-weeks with funding, mentorship, and proven entrepreneurial infrastructure. The program has a strong track record, with past founders raising funding, achieving acquisitions, and earning acceptance into highly selective accelerators. Participants receive $5k in optional seed funding, up to $200,000 in in-kind services, hands-on coaching, founder-focused workshops, and access to the CREATE\u2011X network. More than a summer experience, Startup Launch helps students build real ventures and stand out to employers, graduate programs, and investors.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CREATE-X\u2019s Summer 2026 Startup Launch program invites students, faculty, alumni, and researchers to build meaningful startups with funding, mentorship, and access to the CREATE-X network."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-02-02 20:48:17","changed_gmt":"2026-02-02 20:48:28","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679162":{"id":"679162","type":"image","title":"Startup-Launch-2026-Promo-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px---1-_0.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVarious founders pitch at Demo Day. \u0022Apply for today. Get the advantage in the market.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770064835","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 20:40:35","changed":"1770065289","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 20:48:09","alt":"Various founders pitch at Demo Day. \u0022Apply for today. Get the advantage in the market.\u0022","file":{"fid":"263288","name":"Startup-Launch-2026-Promo-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px---1-_0.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Startup-Launch-2026-Promo-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px---1-_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Startup-Launch-2026-Promo-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px---1-_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":540636,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/Startup-Launch-2026-Promo-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px---1-_0.png?itok=eEM4uLiZ"}}},"media_ids":["679162"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form","title":" Apply to Startup Launch "}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687878":{"#nid":"687878","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Navigating the Partial Federal Government Shutdown","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of Jan. 31, the U.S. government has failed to reach a spending agreement in time to avoid a partial shutdown of the federal government. Due in part to planning efforts, the Institute does not expect any significant effect on its operations in the immediate term. As in previous situations, a Georgia Tech working group has been assessing the potential of a shutdown and planning mitigation strategies to help ensure business continuity as lawmakers negotiate to reach an agreement.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the partial shutdown is prolonged, mitigation strategies will need to be implemented to preserve cash and maintain campus operations. Similar to the previous shutdown, mitigation strategies will include accelerating federal invoicing; monitoring cash balances; and assessing the need to defer\u202fcertain purchases, hiring, and\u202fnon-essential travel.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe working group is closely monitoring this situation, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/af.gatech.edu\/federal-shutdown\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFederal Shutdown Resources webpage\u003C\/a\u003E will be updated with information as the situation develops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs of Jan. 31, the U.S. government has failed to reach a spending agreement in time to avoid a partial shutdown of the federal government.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As of Jan. 31, the U.S. government has failed to reach a spending agreement in time to avoid a partial shutdown of the federal government."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-01-31 13:57:53","changed_gmt":"2026-02-02 18:55:48","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679141":{"id":"679141","type":"image","title":"US-Capital-Building-with-Snowy-Trees.jpg","body":null,"created":"1769868792","gmt_created":"2026-01-31 14:13:12","changed":"1769868792","gmt_changed":"2026-01-31 14:13:12","alt":"U.S. Capital Building after a snow storm","file":{"fid":"263263","name":"US-Capital-Building-with-Snowy-Trees.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/31\/US-Capital-Building-with-Snowy-Trees.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/31\/US-Capital-Building-with-Snowy-Trees.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1721697,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/31\/US-Capital-Building-with-Snowy-Trees.jpg?itok=Uwo5vXTu"}}},"media_ids":["679141"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/af.gatech.edu\/federal-shutdown","title":"Federal Shutdown Resources"},{"url":"https:\/\/osp.gatech.edu\/federal-government-shutdown-guidance","title":"Federal Government Shutdown Guidance"}],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"220261","name":"Finance and Planning"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"193108","name":"federal shutdown"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERachael Pocklington\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rpocklington@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687590":{"#nid":"687590","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Campus Prepares for Winter Weather Threat","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch4\u003EView updated information about campus operations at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/emergency\/weather\/updates\u0022\u003Egatech.edu\/emergency\/weather\/updates\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA significant winter storm is forecast for metro Atlanta and the surrounding region beginning on Saturday.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the duration of the storm, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gema.georgia.gov\/winter-weather-driving\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elimit travel as much as possible\u003C\/a\u003E. If you must travel in an emergency, proceed with extreme caution, driving at half speed and maintaining plenty of distance between vehicles. Icy patches can be difficult to spot, so beware of black ice, especially on bridges, overpasses, and shady areas. If your windshield is frozen, do not pour warm water over it, as the drastic temperature difference could cause the glass to crack.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn preparation for winter weather, the Office of Emergency Management recommends that you assemble an emergency kit and take precautions to prepare your home. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWhat Goes in Your Emergency Kit:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENon-perishable foods (at least a three-day supply of protein bars, nut butters, bread, and canned meats such as tuna or chicken).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBottled water (1 gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPrescription medicine and a first aid kit.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFlashlights.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EToiletries.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESleeping bag and\/or extra blankets, hats, and gloves.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EExtra batteries and chargers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENOAA weather radio (as well as a weather radio cellphone app).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EOther Preparations:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKeep devices charged as long as possible.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInsulate pipes and let faucets drip, and leave cabinet doors open.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBring plants and pets indoors.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKeep doors and windows closed to keep cold air out and warm air inside.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIf you have a vehicle, make sure it has gas.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe forecast for the winter storm can change, so continue to stay alert for updates from OEM and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forecast.weather.gov\/MapClick.php?x=138\u0026amp;y=108\u0026amp;site=ffc\u0026amp;zmx=\u0026amp;zmy=\u0026amp;map_x=138\u0026amp;map_y=108\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Weather Service\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA major storm is expected to hit the region Saturday, with possible effects over the course of the weekend and next week.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A major storm is expected to hit the region Saturday, with possible effects over the course of the weekend and next week."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-01-30 15:50:36","changed_gmt":"2026-01-30 20:13:51","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679057":{"id":"679057","type":"image","title":"Buzz Walks on Campus With Ice and Snow","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBuzz walks on campus amid ice and snow.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769097197","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:53:17","changed":"1769097197","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:53:17","alt":"Buzz walks on campus amid ice and snow.","file":{"fid":"263171","name":"25-R10410-P28-012-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/25-R10410-P28-012-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/25-R10410-P28-012-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":531688,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/25-R10410-P28-012-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide_0.jpg?itok=fK5485dE"}}},"media_ids":["679057"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/prepare.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Emergency Management and Communications"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8185","name":"winter weather"},{"id":"185530","name":"emergency management"},{"id":"85341","name":"winter storm"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:prepare@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EOffice of Emergency Management\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687825":{"#nid":"687825","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Monitors for Potential Partial Federal Government Shutdown","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. government is approaching its\u202fFriday, Jan. 30, deadline to reach an agreement on remaining federal spending for\u202fthe\u202ffiscal year, which began on Oct. 1. If an agreement is not reached by this deadline, it will\u202fresult in a partial federal government shutdown, which, because of the agencies involved, could affect many programs, including the federal contracting work performed by Georgia Tech.\u202f \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe actively plan for these types of situations, and the Institute is well-positioned in the short term,\u201d said\u202fKim Toatley, vice president for Finance and Planning and chief financial officer. \u201cWe understand that these situations can create uncertainty across our community, especially for those whose work and research depend on federal funding. Should a partial federal shutdown occur, leadership is committed to minimizing its impact on students, faculty, and staff.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith guidance from a cross-functional working group, executive leadership continues to monitor the developing situation and is ready to implement strategies to help ensure continuity in the event of a partial federal government shutdown. Similar to the previous shutdown, mitigation strategies will include accelerating federal invoicing; monitoring cash balances; and assessing the need to defer\u202fcertain purchases, hiring, and\u202fnon-essential travel.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/af.gatech.edu\/federal-shutdown\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFederal Shutdown Resources webpage\u003C\/a\u003E will be updated with information as the situation develops. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInstitute operations are not expected to be immediately affected by a partial federal shutdown, due to financial planning by Georgia Tech\u2019s working group.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Institute operations are not expected to be immediately affected by a partial federal shutdown, due to financial planning by Georgia Tech\u2019s working group. "}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-01-29 16:50:40","changed_gmt":"2026-01-29 16:55:01","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675903":{"id":"675903","type":"image","title":"U.S Capital Building ","body":null,"created":"1734714040","gmt_created":"2024-12-20 17:00:40","changed":"1734714040","gmt_changed":"2024-12-20 17:00:40","alt":"Image of the U.S. Capital Building in Washington D.C. ","file":{"fid":"259577","name":"GettyImages-583737782.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/20\/GettyImages-583737782.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/20\/GettyImages-583737782.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4629408,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/20\/GettyImages-583737782.jpg?itok=pE9HA4dv"}}},"media_ids":["675903"],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"220261","name":"Finance and Planning"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"193108","name":"federal shutdown"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERachael Pocklington\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rpocklington@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687624":{"#nid":"687624","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Wearing the Future","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you walked through the Smithsonian American History Museum in the mid-2000s, you might have seen the \u201cSmart Shirt,\u201d the very first garment to seamlessly combine textiles and electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDubbed a \u201cwearable motherboard,\u201d it acted as a hub for sensors that could collect a range of biometric data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat shirt foretold a future where health and biometric data could be collected unobtrusively through wearable technology. And it was created by engineers at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we have is all these nice data buses that are the fabric threads. And we can connect any kind of sensors to them,\u201d said Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/sundaresan-jayaraman\u0022\u003ESundaresan Jayaraman\u003C\/a\u003E, the shirt\u2019s co-creator. \u201cWe were able to route information in a fabric for the first time, just like a typical computer motherboard. That\u2019s why we called it the \u2018wearable motherboard.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJayaraman and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/sungmee-park\u0022\u003ESungmee Park\u003C\/a\u003E created the shirt in response to a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) call for ideas to protect soldiers in battle. They envisioned a comfortable, flexible garment infused with fiber optics to detect gunshot wounds and vital signs. The data would help medics rapidly triage battlefield injuries in the critical minutes when emergency care is the difference between life and death.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreating a shirt made it easy: no bulky electronics to add to the gear soldiers carried. Just a piece of clothing to wear under their fatigues. Park and Jayaraman developed a way to weave the garment on a loom, making mass production and consistency far easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe original sleeveless shirt is tucked into the Smithsonian archives now. But it\u2019s possible to follow the thread of that first smart textile to the work happening in the pair\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (MSE) lab today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/magazine\/2025\/fall\/wearing-future\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story in Helluva Engineer magazine.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom smart textiles to brain-computer links, Georgia Tech engineers are designing wearables that connect humans and machines more closely than ever to sense, respond, and heal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From smart textiles to brain-computer links, Georgia Tech engineers are designing wearables that connect humans and machines more closely than ever to sense, respond, and heal."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2026-01-22 22:08:09","changed_gmt":"2026-01-29 15:14:33","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679067":{"id":"679067","type":"image","title":"matt-flavin-haptic-patch-neck-web.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWorn on the neck, and paired with a smartphone, these haptic actuators designed in Matt Flavin\u0027s lab can help people with vision loss navigate their environment. (Photo: Chris McKenney)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769119705","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 22:08:25","changed":"1769119705","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 22:08:25","alt":"a patch of haptic actuators shown on a user\u0027s neck","file":{"fid":"263183","name":"matt-flavin-haptic-patch-neck-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/matt-flavin-haptic-patch-neck-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/matt-flavin-haptic-patch-neck-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":979324,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/matt-flavin-haptic-patch-neck-web.jpg?itok=tBqR766K"}}},"media_ids":["679067"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"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:jstewart@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jstewart@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687795":{"#nid":"687795","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Better Brain-Machine Interfaces Could Allow the Paralyzed to Communicate Again","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast summer, a team of researchers reported using a brain-computer interface to detect words people with paralysis imagined saying, even without them physically attempting to speak. They also found they could differentiate between the imagined words they wished to express and the person\u2019s private inner thoughts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a significant step toward helping people with diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, reconnect with language after they\u2019ve lost the ability to talk. And it\u2019s part of a long-running clinical trial on brain-computer interfaces involving biomedical engineers from Georgia Tech and Emory University alongside collaborators at Stanford University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brown University, and the University of California, Davis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, they\u2019re exploring how implanted devices can read brain signals and help patients use assistive devices to recover some of their lost abilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpeech has become one of the hottest areas for these interfaces as scientists leverage the power of artificial intelligence, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/chethan-pandarinath\u0022\u003EChethan Pandarinath\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory and one of the researchers involved in the trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can place electrodes in parts of the brain that are related to speech,\u201d he said, \u201cand even if the person has lost the ability to talk, we can pick up the electrical activity as they try to speak and figure out what they\u2019re trying to say.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/magazine\/2025\/fall\/allowing-paralyzed-communicate-again\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story in Helluva Engineer magazine.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBiomedical engineer Chethan Pandarinath collaborates with neurosurgeons and scientists across the country in a massive project to help patients with ALS or stroke damage reconnect with the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biomedical engineer Chethan Pandarinath collaborates with neurosurgeons and scientists across the country in a massive project to help patients with ALS or stroke damage reconnect with the world."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2026-01-28 20:16:09","changed_gmt":"2026-01-28 20:19:50","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679122":{"id":"679122","type":"image","title":"Pandarinath-Brain-Interface_web.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a research session, a participant imagines saying the text cue on the screen. The bottom text is the brain-computer interface\u2019s prediction of the imagined words. (Photo courtesy: Chethan Pandarinath)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1769631407","gmt_created":"2026-01-28 20:16:47","changed":"1769631407","gmt_changed":"2026-01-28 20:16:47","alt":"During a research session, a participant looks at a monitor and imagines saying the text cue displayed on screen. Text below the cue shows the brain-computer interface\u2019s prediction of her imagined words.","file":{"fid":"263243","name":"Pandarinath-Brain-Interface_web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/28\/Pandarinath-Brain-Interface_web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/28\/Pandarinath-Brain-Interface_web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":738032,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/28\/Pandarinath-Brain-Interface_web.jpg?itok=B3-ADFDu"}}},"media_ids":["679122"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"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:jstewart@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jstewart@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687756":{"#nid":"687756","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nominations Open for 2026 Faculty Governance Positions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has opened nominations for faculty representatives to serve on the Faculty Executive Board and the Institute\u2019s Faculty Standing Committees for the 2026 to 2029 term. Academic and research faculty are encouraged to engage in the Institute\u2019s long-standing practice of shared governance by nominating themselves or colleagues for available seats.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/19\/shared-governance-why-it-matters-georgia-tech\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EShared governance at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E is a model in which administration, faculty, staff, and students share responsibility for the Institute\u2019s operations. Faculty play a crucial role in this structure, with responsibility not only for their own governance, but also for shaping matters that directly affect students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach spring, faculty elect representatives to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facultygovernance.gatech.edu\/standing-committees\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estanding committees\u003C\/a\u003E responsible for core areas of Institute functioning. These areas include academics, research, student life, and faculty affairs. Participation in Faculty Governance enables faculty members to help set Institute policy, contribute their expertise, and guide Georgia Tech\u2019s strategic direction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to Nominate Yourself or Others\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpring 2026 elections are scheduled for \u003Cstrong\u003EApril 2026. \u003C\/strong\u003ENominations, including self\u2011nominations, are now being accepted for seats. Elected representatives will begin their \u003Cstrong\u003Ethree\u2011year term in Fall 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E. Membership in the Faculty Senate is only necessary for Faculty Executive Board membership, not for standing committees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty may submit nominations through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8raBg8igpd0gAVo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2026 Faculty Governance Nomination Form\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cstrong\u003ENominations are due March 31, 2026.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENomination Review\u003C\/strong\u003E: The nominating committee will confirm nominees\u2019 interest and eligibility for their committee(s) of interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittees\u003C\/strong\u003E: For descriptions of the Faculty Executive Board and the standing committees with available seats, see the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.policylibrary.gatech.edu\/faculty-handbook\/2.1-faculty-executive-board\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Handbook Section 2: Faculty Executive Board\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.policylibrary.gatech.edu\/faculty-handbook\/2.6-standing-committees-faculty\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStanding Committees\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuestions about the nomination or election process may be directed to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:secfac@gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Esecfac@gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s nomination process is being led by:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKaren Feigh\u003C\/strong\u003E, Faculty Executive Board Vice Chair,\u0026nbsp;Nominating Committee Chair, and David S. Lewis Professor in the College of Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDima Nazzal\u003C\/strong\u003E, Faculty Executive Board Chair and Associate Chair for Academic Administration in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdam Steinberg\u003C\/strong\u003E, Secretary of the Faculty and Pratt and Whitney Chair in the College of Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy participate?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech encourages all eligible faculty to stand for election. Participation strengthens the Institute\u2019s commitment to shared governance and academic excellence and is also a way to fulfill service requirements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/strong\u003E, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, on the essential function of Faculty Governance:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFaculty Governance is a defining strength of Georgia Tech. It ensures that the voices, experience, and expertise of our faculty guide the Institute\u2019s priorities and help us navigate both opportunities and challenges. I encourage all faculty to participate at some point during their time here. Your leadership is vital to the well-being and continued excellence of our community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdam Steinberg\u003C\/strong\u003E, secretary of the faculty, on the importance of faculty engagement:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cParticipating in Faculty Governance gives each of us a meaningful opportunity to help shape Georgia Tech\u2019s path forward. Whatever your interests or strengths, there is a committee that can benefit from your insight. I encourage every faculty member to engage in this work and help lead the Institute into the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKaren Feigh\u003C\/strong\u003E, vice chair of Faculty Executive Board and nominating committee chair, on the impact of participation:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen faculty serve in governance roles, they help ensure that the concerns and needs of all our faculty are appropriately reflected. I encourage faculty of all ranks to participate. We have a particular lack of representation from full professors that I would like to see rectified. Your participation truly matters in shaping the Institute\u2019s future as new and junior faculty look to you to understand what activities are important.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWriter: Brittany Aiello, Faculty Communications Program Manager, Institute Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has opened nominations for faculty representatives to serve on the Faculty Executive Board and the Institute\u2019s Faculty Standing Committees for the 2026 to 2029 term.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"March 31 is the deadline to nominate yourself or a colleague for a role in Faculty Governance."}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2026-01-28 14:42:56","changed_gmt":"2026-01-28 20:00:24","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679114":{"id":"679114","type":"image","title":"26-R10410-P84-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1769611455","gmt_created":"2026-01-28 14:44:15","changed":"1769611455","gmt_changed":"2026-01-28 14:44:15","alt":"Inside George | Sheller Tower","file":{"fid":"263235","name":"26-R10410-P84-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/28\/26-R10410-P84-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/28\/26-R10410-P84-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":231047,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/28\/26-R10410-P84-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpeg?itok=7i7ZtHL4"}}},"media_ids":["679114"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/facultygovernance.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Faculty Governance Website"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/19\/shared-governance-why-it-matters-georgia-tech","title":"Shared Governance: Why It Matters at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"619192","name":"Faculty Affairs"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12022","name":"faculty governance"},{"id":"194369","name":"Adam Steinberg"},{"id":"64561","name":"Dima Nazzal"},{"id":"11039","name":"Karen Feigh"},{"id":"9475","name":"elections"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdam Steinberg, Secretary of the Faculty and Pratt and Whitney Chair in the College of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["secfac@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686169":{"#nid":"686169","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Accelerator to Propel Startup Innovation at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EToday, Velocity Startups joins Georgia Tech\u2019s comprehensive commercialization ecosystem, solidifying the Institute\u2019s role as a national leader and premier hub for research commercialization and startup growth. Velocity Startups serves as a bridge between early-stage startup founders who are focused on scaling their businesses and readying themselves for late-stage accelerators such as the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Engage, Fusen, and Atlanta Tech Village within the City of Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo support emergent startups, the early-stage accelerator will establish a collaborative facility at The Biltmore in Atlanta\u2019s Tech\u0026nbsp;Square, the national innovation district and dedicated area in the city that fosters community growth and meaningful innovation at the heart of the city\u2019s tech scene.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta is where innovation becomes opportunity, and Velocity Startups will make that journey even faster,\u201d said Donnie Beamer, senior technology advisor in the Atlanta Mayor\u2019s Office of Technology and Innovation. \u201cBy connecting entrepreneurs to the critical resources they need to scale, we are fueling more startups, creating more jobs, and driving economic growth. Ultimately, this will secure Atlanta\u2019s place as a top global destination for innovation, investment, and entrepreneurial success.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs an early-stage accelerator, Velocity Startups provides resources \u2014 including mentorship support, space, tools, networks, and infrastructure \u2014 to Georgia Tech students, faculty, researchers, and the greater Atlanta community, bridging the gap from spinoff to viable startup. At Georgia Tech, many startups that complete the CREATE-X Startup Launch program and present at the Demo Day event will gain access to Velocity Startups. The accelerator will also offer strategic programming, funding, and access to Georgia Tech\u2019s research resources and serve as a coordinating entity for Metro Atlanta\u2019s entrepreneurial ecosystem, engaging more than 50 colleges and advocating for policies that support startup success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cVelocity Startups represents a pivotal step in bringing together the resources, expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit within our ecosystems as we look to further establish Atlanta as a top national tech hub. By uniting these elements, Velocity Startups will help startups scale from their first customer to long-term growth,\u201d said Raghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar, vice president of commercialization and chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech and president of Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures. \u201cThis accelerator enables the communities at Georgia Tech and beyond to translate groundbreaking research into high-impact ventures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVelocity Startups is a subsidiary of Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures and will operate in partnership with the City of Atlanta. A national search is currently underway for a director to lead the accelerator.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor additional information about Velocity Startups, visit\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/velocity\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ecommercialization.gatech.edu\/velocity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"As Atlanta\u2019s ecosystem grows, early-stage startups turn into high-impact ventures."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVelocity Startups will provide the infrastructure needed for early-stage businesses to take advantage of the talent and funding readily available to the city of Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Velocity Startups joins Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem, solidifying the Institute\u2019s role as a national leader and premier hub for startup growth. "}],"uid":"34602","created_gmt":"2025-11-04 12:47:53","changed_gmt":"2026-01-27 19:42:06","author":"Georgia Parmelee","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678527":{"id":"678527","type":"image","title":"Biltmore","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe historic Biltmore will house co-working space for Velocity Startups.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762260368","gmt_created":"2025-11-04 12:46:08","changed":"1762260457","gmt_changed":"2025-11-04 12:47:37","alt":"Biltmore house building in Atlanta ","file":{"fid":"262577","name":"Biltmore.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/04\/Biltmore.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/04\/Biltmore.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":409776,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/04\/Biltmore.jpg?itok=KoiJocwT"}}},"media_ids":["678527"],"groups":[{"id":"660356","name":" Technology Licensing Group"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Parmelee\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Commercialization\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["grobert6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687658":{"#nid":"687658","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Strengthening Georgia Tech\u2019s Commitment to Accessibility","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is committed to fostering an accessible environment where all members of our community can learn, engage, and thrive. Creating accessible digital experiences is a critical component of this commitment and reflects our institutional values of excellence and community well-being.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a public institution, Georgia Tech also has a legal responsibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that our websites, digital content, online services, and digital communication tools are accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile Georgia Tech has already established protocols to provide accessible services to our students, faculty, and staff, there is more we can do to provide exceptional digital resources to our community,\u201d said Jarmon DeSadier, vice president for Equal Opportunity, Compliance, and Conflict Management (EOCCM). \u201cAccessibility is not a one-time checklist; it is an ongoing, shared responsibility where all members of the Georgia Tech community who create, manage, or share digital content help ensure an accessible learning and working environment. We realize this effort will add to people\u2019s workload in the short-term, and we are taking a strategic approach to digital accessibility and working to ensure the right tools and resources are in place to best support the community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUpdated Guidance on Accessible Digital Content\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued updated guidance under Title II of the ADA, clarifying that public universities must ensure that their digital content and services are accessible. As such, Georgia Tech is working toward the goal of making digital content accessible to all community members by the DOJ\u2019s deadline of April 24.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Digital Accessibility Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAccessible digital content benefits everyone who engages with Georgia Tech. Specifically, it reduces barriers to access to information and helps accomplish the following:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESupports individuals who use assistive technologies such as screen readers, captioning, keyboard navigation, or voice recognition software.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EImproves usability for everyone, including users on mobile devices or in low-bandwidth environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStrengthens Georgia Tech\u2019s ability to serve the entirety of our evolving community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho This Applies To\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAll Georgia Tech faculty, staff, and student employees are expected to understand and follow digital accessibility requirements as part of their roles, particularly if they:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate or edit websites or web content.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDevelop or share digital documents, forms, or presentations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETeach or support instruction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProduce or manage videos, audio, or multimedia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate, post, or manage social media content for Georgia Tech accounts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUse digital tools to communicate with students, employees, or any external audiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETypes of Digital Content Included in the Requirement\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ETitle II explicitly adopts \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/WCAG21\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWCAG\u202f2.1 Level AA\u003C\/a\u003E as the\u202fminimum\u202ftechnical standard for digital accessibility and defines the scope of what public entities must make accessible. This includes, but is not limited to:\u202f \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWebsites and web-based learning platforms\u202f(intended for both internal and external audiences). \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESocial media content and posts (including text, images, videos, stories, and livestreams shared on behalf of Georgia Tech).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDigital documents (e.g., word processing files, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMultimedia content, including audio and video content.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThird-party tools, platforms, and applications (including mobile) used to provide programs or services.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, if a digital resource is used to communicate information or deliver a program or service on behalf of Georgia Tech, it is generally covered by Title II.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow You Can Prepare, Starting Today\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe campus community is expected to make strides toward meeting WCAG 2.1 AA accessible digital content standards. While additional resources, including tools for testing and remediation, will be forthcoming, there are key steps you can take today. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese include:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIdentify accessibility leads.\u003C\/strong\u003E Within your department or unit, identify personnel who will help manage this process for your digital assets. This could be a webpage manager and\/or someone who creates and manages your digital content. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00222\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssess your digital resources.\u003C\/strong\u003E Take inventory of all your digital assets, including website content (photos, forms, tables, etc.), e-documents (PDFs, word processing\/presentation\/spreadsheet documents, etc.), audio and video content, and mobile applications. Prioritize public-facing and high-use website content; content required for instruction, employment, or services; and new or actively maintained digital materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00223\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeverage training and resources.\u003C\/strong\u003E There\u202fare\u202fseveral training workshops and online\u202flearning\u202fresources designed to help you\u202funderstand Title II of the ADA requirements as well as how to\u202fassess, create, and\u202fmaintain\u202faccessible digital content. Learn more about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digitalaccess.gatech.edu\/workshops\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etraining workshops\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digitalaccess.gatech.edu\/online-resources\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eonline learning resources\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00224\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreate an action plan for existing digital content.\u003C\/strong\u003E Determine which digital content will be deleted, archived, or remediated to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. \u003Cem\u003ERemove content that is no longer relevant\u003C\/em\u003E. Content that remains published will need to be tested against WCAG 2.1 AA standards and remediated if necessary. While there are exceptions to the updated Title II regulations, they are limited and must meet specific criteria. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digitalaccess.gatech.edu\/title-ii\/exceptions\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about Title II exceptions\u003C\/a\u003E. Content may also be archived via one of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/technology?id=kb_article_view\u0026amp;sysparm_article=KB0044310\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eapproved website archive services\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col start=\u00225\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnsure that new digital content meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards. \u003C\/strong\u003EThis will help mitigate the remediation process moving forward.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat To Expect Next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESubject matter experts from the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Information Technology\u2019s Digital Learning Team, the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, and EOCCM are working together to develop an enhanced set of tools for testing and remediation, advanced training and workshops, and individualized support to assist you in meeting the updated Title II requirements.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the meantime, the Digital Access website \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digitalaccess.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edigitalaccess.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E has been established to serve as the central hub for updated guidance for Title II of the ADA; training resources; and support related to websites, instructional materials, multimedia, and more. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore information will be shared as it becomes available, including direct communications to affected groups with training and resources.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is committed to fostering an accessible environment where all members of our community can learn, engage, and thrive. Creating accessible digital experiences is a critical component of this commitment and reflects our institutional values of excellence and community well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is committed to fostering an accessible environment where all members of our community can learn, engage, and thrive."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-01-24 00:55:40","changed_gmt":"2026-01-24 00:55:40","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678976":{"id":"678976","type":"image","title":"Web-accessibility-image.jpg","body":null,"created":"1768344323","gmt_created":"2026-01-13 22:45:23","changed":"1768344323","gmt_changed":"2026-01-13 22:45:23","alt":"Students at their computer accessing digital content","file":{"fid":"263081","name":"Web-accessibility-image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/13\/Web-accessibility-image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/13\/Web-accessibility-image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":173247,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/13\/Web-accessibility-image.jpg?itok=D9RsAl7s"}}},"media_ids":["678976"],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"660400","name":"Digital Accessibility"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194896","name":"digital accessibility"},{"id":"194897","name":"WCAG 2.1 AA digital accessibility requirements"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERachael Pocklington\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rpocklington@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687102":{"#nid":"687102","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How a Race Car Project Is Transforming Rural STEM Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents in rural Georgia are discovering new possibilities through Georgia Tech\u2019s new Advanced Manufacturing Pathways program, where they design, build, and race custom cars while learning real manufacturing skills. With local educators and industry partners behind it, AMP is reshaping how communities imagine their future workforce.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/44711\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Inside Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pathways program, high school students learn to design, build, test, and dream big through a collaboration that\u2019s reshaping classrooms and communities."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents in rural Georgia are discovering new possibilities through Georgia Tech\u2019s new Advanced Manufacturing Pathways program, where they design, build, and race custom cars while learning real manufacturing skills. With local educators and industry partners behind it, AMP is reshaping how communities imagine their future workforce.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Inside Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pathways program, high school students learn to design, build, test, and dream big through a collaboration that\u2019s reshaping classrooms and communities."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-01-07 16:28:03","changed_gmt":"2026-01-22 18:29:55","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679063":{"id":"679063","type":"image","title":"AMP Students","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBainbridge High School students in the AMP program gathered in October 2025 to race their cars and put their manufacturing skills to the test.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769106564","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 18:29:24","changed":"1769106564","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 18:29:24","alt":"Bainbridge High School students in the AMP program gathered in October 2025 to race their cars and put their manufacturing skills to the test.","file":{"fid":"263178","name":"AMP-students-candid-GTMI.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/AMP-students-candid-GTMI.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/AMP-students-candid-GTMI.png","mime":"image\/png","size":884236,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/AMP-students-candid-GTMI.png?itok=pYT1gafc"}}},"media_ids":["679063"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687358":{"#nid":"687358","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New LLMs Could Provide Strength-based Job Coaching for Autistic People","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople with autism seeking employment may soon have access to a new AI-based job-coaching tool thanks to a six-figure grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-kim\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eilab.gatech.edu\/mark-riedl.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMark Riedl\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E recently received a $500,000 NSF grant to develop large language models (LLMs) that provide strength-based job coaching for autistic job seekers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two Georgia Tech researchers work with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/excel.gatech.edu\/excel-staff\/heather-dicks\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeather Dicks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a career development advisor in Georgia Tech\u2019s EXCEL program, and other nonprofit organizations to provide job-seeking resources to autistic people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDicks said the average job search for people with autism can take three to six months in a good economy. It can take up to 18 months in a bad one. However, the new LLMs from Georgia Tech could help to reduce stress and fast-track these job seekers into employment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim is an assistant professor who specializes in human-computer interaction technology that benefits neurodivergent people. Riedl is a professor and an expert in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s goal is to identify job-search pain points and understand how job coaches create better employment prospects for their autistic clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLarge-language models have an opportunity to support this kind of work if we can have more data about each different individual strength,\u201d Kim said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to know what worked for them in specific settings at work, what didn\u2019t work, and what kind of accommodations can better help them. That includes how they should prepare for interviews, how they can better represent their skills, how they can address accommodations they need, and how to write a cover letter. It\u2019s a broad range.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDicks has advocated for neurodivergent people and helped them find employment for 20 years. She worked at the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta before coming to Georgia Tech in 2017.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe said most nonprofits that support neurodivergent people offer career development programs and many contract job coaches, but limited coach availability often leads to long waitlists. However, LLMs could fill this availability gap to address the immediate needs of job seekers who may not have access to a job coach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese organizations often run at a slow pace, and there\u2019s high turnover,\u201d Dicks said. \u201cAn AI tool could get the job seeker quicker support. Maybe they don\u2019t even need to wait on the government system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf they\u2019re on a waitlist, it can help the user put together a resume and practice general interview questions. When the job coach is ready to work with them, they\u2019re able to hit the ground running.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENailing the Interview\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDicks said the job interview is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey have trouble picking up on visual and nonverbal cues \u2014 the tone of the interview, figuring out the nuances that a question is hinting at,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re not giving the warm and fuzzy vibes that allow them to connect on a personal level.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why Kim wants the models to reflect a strength-based coaching approach. Strength-based coaching is particularly effective for individuals with autism. Many possess traits that employers value. These include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EClose attention to detail\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStrong technical proficiency\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUnique problem-solving perspectives\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe issue is that they don\u2019t know how these strengths can be applied in the workplace,\u201d Kim said. \u201cOnce they understand this, they can communicate with employers about their strengths and the accommodations employers should provide to the job seeker so they can successfully apply their skills at work.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHandling Rejection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, Kim understands that candidates will need to handle rejection to make it through the search process. She envisions LLMs that help them refocus their energy and regain their confidence after being turned down.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you get a lot of rejection emails, it\u2019s easy to feel you\u2019re not good enough,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing constantly reminded about your strengths and their prior successes can get them through the stressful job-seeking process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDicks said the models should also be able to provide feedback so that candidates don\u2019t repeat mistakes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt can tell them what would\u2019ve been a better answer or a better way to say it,\u201d Dicks said. \u201cIt can also encourage them with reminders that you get 100 noes before you get a yes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019re Hired, Now What?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDicks said the role of a job coach doesn\u2019t end the moment a client is hired. Government-contracted job coaches may work with their clients for up to 90 days after they start a new job to support their transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, she said, sometimes that isn\u2019t enough. Many companies have probationary periods exceeding three months. Autistic individuals may struggle with on-the-job training or communicating what accommodations they need from their new employer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are just a few gaps an AI tool can fill for these individuals after they\u2019re hired.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI could see these models evolving to being supportive at those critical junctures of the probationary period being over or the one-year job review or the annual evaluation that everyone dreads,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDicks has an average caseload of 15 students, whom she assists in landing jobs and internships through the EXCEL program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEXCEL provides a mentorship program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the time they set foot on campus through graduation and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information and to apply, visit EXCEL\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/excel.gatech.edu\/home\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are using an NSF grant to create new large-language models that help autistic job seekers understand their strengths and how to leverage them during the application process.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are using an NSF grant to create new large-language models that help autistic job seekers understand their strengths and how to leverage them during the application process."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-01-15 19:04:04","changed_gmt":"2026-01-22 13:41:09","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679012":{"id":"679012","type":"image","title":"Jennifer-Kim_86A4154-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1768503854","gmt_created":"2026-01-15 19:04:14","changed":"1768503854","gmt_changed":"2026-01-15 19:04:14","alt":"Jennifer Kim","file":{"fid":"263123","name":"Jennifer-Kim_86A4154-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/Jennifer-Kim_86A4154-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/Jennifer-Kim_86A4154-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":71820,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/15\/Jennifer-Kim_86A4154-copy.jpg?itok=hbn_0e9T"}}},"media_ids":["679012"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6053","name":"Autism"},{"id":"191680","name":"neurodiverse"},{"id":"780","name":"employment"},{"id":"174112","name":"excel program"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"193556","name":"large language models"},{"id":"7011","name":"NSF grant"},{"id":"6957","name":"Job Search"},{"id":"13786","name":"job search strategies"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687371":{"#nid":"687371","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Wins Fifth Straight NSA Codebreaker Challenge","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe United States Air Force\u0027s Cyber Operations Squadron was in a crisis. A sophisticated foreign adversary was threatening national security, and it was up to the National Security Agency to help.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis was the fictional \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nsa-codebreaker.org\/challenge\u0022\u003Escenario\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nsa-codebreaker.org\/leaderboard\u0022\u003E2025 NSA Codebreaker Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E, which was once again dominated by Georgia Tech students, faculty, and alumni. With a score of nearly 300,000 points, they took first among Division I schools.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech continues to win this highly challenging competition each year because of our outstanding students and the excellence of the cybersecurity and privacy curriculum that has been developed by SCP faculty,\u201d said Mustaque Ahamad, Interim Chair for the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur courses provide not only foundational knowledge of the discipline, but also give students experience with tools and techniques that help them shine at this competition.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the keys to Georgia Tech\u2019s success is that it integrates the challenge into students\u2019 coursework. Professor Taesoo Kim has included it in his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/omscs.gatech.edu\/cs-6265-information-security-lab\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECS 6265: Information Security Lab\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E every year to give students real-life experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe NSA Codebreaker Challenge highlights the strength of Georgia Tech\u2019s cybersecurity program and the hands-on, mission-driven training our students receive. Through courses like CS 6265 and others like it, students apply advanced security concepts to real-world problems, reinforcing Georgia Tech\u2019s long-standing excellence and leadership in cybersecurity education.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year was the first time the NSA broke the Codebreaker Challenge for colleges and universities into divisions based on the number of participants. The winners of divisions one, two, and three were considered the winners of the challenge. Georgia Tech was in the top division with 272 students, four instructors, 27 alumni, and two in the other category. The Institute had a total of 305 participants, the second largest in the competition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSA Codebreaker Challenge is open to anyone with an email address from a recognized U.S. school or university. All players register and log in individually. Students, professors, and alumni can participate, but only students earn points and awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2025 NSA Codebreaker Challenge, which was once again dominated by Georgia Tech students, faculty, and alumni. With a score of nearly 300,000 points, they took first among Division I schools.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2025 NSA Codebreaker Challenge, which was once again dominated by Georgia Tech students, faculty, and alumni."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-01-16 13:50:02","changed_gmt":"2026-01-22 13:40:45","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mailto;jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686983":{"#nid":"686983","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Gazing Into the Mind\u2019s Eye With Mice \u2013 How Neuroscientists Are Seeing Human Vision More\u00a0Clearly","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the nursery rhyme about three blind mice, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.31209\u0022\u003Emouse eyesight is surprisingly sensitive\u003C\/a\u003E. Studying how mice see has helped researchers discover unprecedented details about how individual brain cells communicate and work together to create a mental picture of the visual world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=P5IKL5UAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EI am a neuroscientist\u003C\/a\u003E who studies how brain cells drive visual perception and how these processes can fail in conditions \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/cercor\/bhab025\u0022\u003Esuch as autism\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haider.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMy lab\u003C\/a\u003E \u201clistens\u201d to the electrical activity of neurons in the outermost part of the brain called the cerebral cortex, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.17-18-07079.1997\u0022\u003Elarge portion of which\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7551\/mitpress\/7131.003.0038\u0022\u003Eprocesses visual information\u003C\/a\u003E. Injuries to the visual cortex can lead to blindness and other visual deficits, even when the eyes themselves are unhurt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the activity of individual neurons \u2013 and how they work together while the brain is actively using and processing information \u2013 is a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/mapping-how-the-100-billion-cells-in-the-brain-all-fit-together-is-the-brave-new-world-of-neuroscience-170182\u0022\u003Elong-standing goal of neuroscience\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers have moved much closer to achieving this goal thanks to new technologies aimed at the mouse visual system. And these findings will help scientists better see how the visual systems of people work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Mind in the Blink of an Eye\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers long thought that vision in mice appeared \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/s0042-6989(00)00081-x\u0022\u003Esluggish with low clarity\u003C\/a\u003E. But it turns out visual cortex neurons in mice \u2013 just like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.pneurobio.2024.102656\u0022\u003Ethose in humans, monkeys, cats and ferrets\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 require \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.0623-08.2008\u0022\u003Especific visual features to trigger activity\u003C\/a\u003E and are particularly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nature11665\u0022\u003Eselective in alert and awake conditions\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy colleagues and I and others have found that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-021-24311-5\u0022\u003Emice are especially sensitive to\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-021-24311-5\u0022\u003Evisual stimuli directly in front of them\u003C\/a\u003E. This is surprising, because mouse eyes face outward rather than forward. Forward-facing eyes, like those of cats and primates, naturally have a larger area of focus straight ahead compared to outward-facing eyes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;rect=0%2C0%2C2048%2C1787\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Microscopy image of stacks of neurons\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;rect=0%2C0%2C2048%2C1787\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=524\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=524\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=524\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=658\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=658\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708514\/original\/file-20251212-56-z8h8ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=658\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThis image shows neurons in the mouse retina: cone photoreceptors (red), bipolar neurons (magenta), and a subtype of bipolar neuron (green).\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nihgov\/35882593476\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EBrian Liu and Melanie Samuel\/Baylor College of Medicine\/NIH via Flickr\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis finding suggests that the specialization of the visual system to highlight the frontal visual field appears to be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/361719a0\u0022\u003Eshared between mice and humans\u003C\/a\u003E. For mice, a visual focus on what\u2019s straight ahead may help them be more \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cub.2021.06.094\u0022\u003Eresponsive to shadows or edges\u003C\/a\u003E in front of them, helping them avoid looming predators or better \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neuron.2021.03.010\u0022\u003Ehunt and capture insects for food\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, the center of view is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm14155266\u0022\u003Emost affected in aging and many visual diseases\u003C\/a\u003E in people. Since mice also rely heavily on this part of the visual field, they may be particularly useful models to study and treat visual impairment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Thousand Voices Drive Complicated Choices\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvances in technology have greatly accelerated scientific understanding of vision and the brain. Researchers can now routinely record the activity of thousands of neurons at the same time and pair this data with real-time video of a mouse\u2019s face, pupil and body movements. This method can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aav7893\u0022\u003Eshow how behavior interacts with brain activity\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s like spending years listening to a grainy recording of a symphony with one featured soloist, but now you have a pristine recording where you can hear every single musician with a note-by-note readout of every single finger movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing these improved methods, researchers like me are studying how specific types of neurons work together during complex visual behaviors. This involves analyzing how factors such as movement, alertness and the environment influence visual activity in the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, my lab and I found that the speed of visual signaling is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cub.2025.02.009\u0022\u003Ehighly sensitive to what actions are possible\u003C\/a\u003E in the physical environment. If a mouse rests on a disc that permits running, visual signals travel to the cortex faster than if the mouse views the same images while resting in a stationary tube \u2013 even when the mouse is totally still in both conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn order to connect electrical activity to visual perception, researchers also have to ask a mouse what it thinks it sees. How have we done this?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe last decade has seen researchers debunking long-standing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnsys.2014.00173\u0022\u003Emyths about mouse learning and behavior\u003C\/a\u003E. Like other rodents, mice are also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/im-a-neuroscientist-who-taught-rats-to-drive-their-joy-suggests-how-anticipating-fun-can-enrich-human-life-239029\u0022\u003Esurprisingly clever\u003C\/a\u003E and can learn how to \u201ctell\u201d researchers about the visual events they perceive through their behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, mice can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1523\/jneurosci.3560-13.2013\u0022\u003Elearn to release a lever\u003C\/a\u003E to indicate they have detected that a pattern has brightened or tilted. They can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.celrep.2017.08.047\u0022\u003Erotate a Lego wheel left or right\u003C\/a\u003E to move a visual stimulus to the center of a screen like a video game, and they can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.50340\u0022\u003Estop running on a wheel\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnbeh.2020.00104\u0022\u003Eand lick a water spout\u003C\/a\u003E when they detect the visual scene has suddenly changed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Mouse drinking from a metal water spout\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/708526\/original\/file-20251212-56-ccqnav.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EMice can be trained to drink water as a way to \u2018tell\u2019 researchers they see something.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/mouse-drinking-from-a-spout-royalty-free-image\/178825439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003Efelixmizioznikov\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMice can also use visual cues to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cub.2018.01.038\u0022\u003Efocus their visual processing\u003C\/a\u003E to specific parts of the visual field. As a result, they can more quickly and accurately respond to visual stimuli that appear in those regions. For example, my team and I found that a faint visual image in the peripheral visual field is difficult for mice to detect. But once they do notice it \u2013 and tell us by licking a water spout \u2013 their subsequent responses are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-020-14355-4\u0022\u003Efaster and more accurate\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese improvements come at a cost: If the image unexpectedly appears in a different location, the mice are slower and less likely to respond to it. These findings resemble those found in studies on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/00335558008248231\u0022\u003Espatial attention in people\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy lab has also found that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41593-025-01888-4\u0022\u003Eparticular types of inhibitory neurons\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 brain cells that prevent activity from spreading \u2013 strongly control the strength of visual signals. When we activated certain inhibitory neurons in the visual cortex of mice, we could effectively \u201cerase\u201d their perception of an image.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese kinds of experiments are also revealing that the boundaries between perception and action in the brain are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41593-025-02114-x\u0022\u003Emuch less separate than once thought\u003C\/a\u003E. This means that visual neurons will respond differently to the same image in ways that depend on behavioral circumstances \u2013 for example, visual responses differ if the image will be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-019-1787-x\u0022\u003Esuccessfully detected\u003C\/a\u003E, if it appears \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neuron.2025.06.001\u0022\u003Ewhile the mouse is moving\u003C\/a\u003E, or if it appears \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aav3932\u0022\u003Ewhen the mouse is thirsty or hydrated\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how different factors shape how cortical neurons rapidly respond to visual images will require advances in computational tools that can separate the contribution of these behavioral signals from the visual ones. Researchers also need technologies that can isolate how specific types of brain cells carry and communicate these signals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EData Clouds Encircling the Globe\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis surge of research on the mouse visual system has led to a significant increase in the amount of data that scientists can not only gather in a single experiment but also publicly share among each other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMajor national and international research centers focused on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/brain-map.org\/\u0022\u003Eunraveling the circuitry of the mouse visual system\u003C\/a\u003E have been leading the charge in ushering in new optical, electrical and biological \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.internationalbrainlab.com\/\u0022\u003Etools to measure large numbers of visual neurons\u003C\/a\u003E in action. Moreover, they make \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/brain-map.org\/atlases#mouse\u0022\u003Eall the data publicly available\u003C\/a\u003E, inspiring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mouse.digital-brain.cn\/projectome\/pfc\u0022\u003Esimilar efforts around the globe\u003C\/a\u003E. This collaboration accelerates the ability of researchers to analyze data, replicate findings and make new discoveries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnological advances in data collection and sharing can make the culture of scientific discovery more efficient and transparent \u2013 a major \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fninf.2023.1276407\u0022\u003Edata informatics goal\u003C\/a\u003E of neuroscience in the years ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the past 10 years are anything to go by, I believe such discoveries are just the tip of the iceberg, and the mighty and not-so-blind mouse will play a leading role in the continuing quest to understand the mysteries of the human brain.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/268334\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gazing-into-the-minds-eye-with-mice-how-neuroscientists-are-seeing-human-vision-more-clearly-268334\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudying how mice see has helped researchers discover unprecedented details about how individual brain cells communicate and work together to create a mental picture of the visual world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Studying how mice see has helped researchers discover unprecedented details about how individual brain cells communicate and work together to create a mental picture of the visual world."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 13:42:12","changed_gmt":"2026-01-21 19:21:40","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678887":{"id":"678887","type":"image","title":" Mice have complex visual systems that can clarify how vision works in people. Westend61\/Getty Images","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMice have complex visual systems that can clarify how vision works in people. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/germany-research-laboratory-mouse-climbing-out-of-royalty-free-image\/544546223\u0022\u003EWestend61\/Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1766065654","gmt_created":"2025-12-18 13:47:34","changed":"1766065654","gmt_changed":"2025-12-18 13:47:34","alt":" Mice have complex visual systems that can clarify how vision works in people. Westend61\/Getty Images","file":{"fid":"262977","name":"file-20251213-56-fdaib6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/18\/file-20251213-56-fdaib6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/18\/file-20251213-56-fdaib6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":80137,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/18\/file-20251213-56-fdaib6.jpg?itok=21uzzcB5"}}},"media_ids":["678887"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gazing-into-the-minds-eye-with-mice-how-neuroscientists-are-seeing-human-vision-more-clearly-268334","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/bilal-haider-2512267\u0022\u003EBilal Haider\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687408":{"#nid":"687408","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clark Named Vice Provost for Enrollment Management","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter a national search, Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Cstrong\u003ERick Clark\u003C\/strong\u003E has been appointed vice provost for Enrollment Management, effective Jan. 22.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClark currently serves as Georgia Tech\u0027s executive director of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2024\/01\/09\/expanding-student-access-new-executive-director\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStrategic Student Access\u003C\/a\u003E, an inaugural position at the Institute. He brings significant enrollment expertise and a history of campus leadership to this new role. A respected voice in the field of college admissions, he has served on numerous advisory and governing boards at the state, regional, and national levels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRick is a trusted leader whose experience, strategic thinking, and commitment to access and student success make him exceptionally well-suited to guide Georgia Tech\u2019s enrollment efforts,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/strong\u003E, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. \u201cHis long-standing dedication to Georgia Tech students and their families, combined with his understanding of the national higher education landscape, uniquely positions him to lead Enrollment Management into the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his time at Georgia Tech, Clark has worked extensively with campus partners to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/admission.gatech.edu\/transfer\/transfer-pathway-programs\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estrengthen transfer pathways\u003C\/a\u003E for prospective students and create innovative policies and practices that expand access, ensure affordability, and build the Institute\u2019s national reputation. He is also the co\u2011author of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.press.jhu.edu\/books\/title\/53665\/truth-about-college-admission?srsltid=AfmBOormi34Lhxq0gtLxa2o04E7WUuNPc8yFCokvcQ4IOsIAEdLzDJgF\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u003C\/em\u003E and a companion workbook under the same title, widely used by high school students and their families, as well as admissions counselors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA native of Atlanta, Clark earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.Ed. from Georgia State University. Before joining Georgia Tech, he held roles on the admission teams at Georgia State University, McCallie School, and Wake Forest University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs vice provost for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/enrollment.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnrollment Management\u003C\/a\u003E, Clark will oversee Undergraduate Admission, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Scholar Programs, Enrollment Marketing and Communications, the Bill Moore Student Success Center, and Enrollment Management Administration. Together, these offices ensure that students receive the guidance and resources they need to thrive at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are energized by the vision and leadership Rick will bring to this role,\u201d Beyah said. \u201cWe are also profoundly grateful to \u003Cstrong\u003EReta Pikowsky\u003C\/strong\u003E, whose exceptional service as interim vice provost for Enrollment Management has guided this community with steadiness and heart. Her dedication during a pivotal moment not only ensured continuity but helped propel Georgia Tech into one of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/05\/tech-admits-georgia-students-2026-class\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eour most successful enrollment years in history\u003C\/a\u003E. Reta\u2019s leadership has strengthened us and inspired the teams she led.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVisit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/enrollment.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnrollment Management\u003C\/a\u003E website to learn more about how these teams enhance the student experience through recruitment, enrollment services, and integrated financial aid support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWriter: Brittany Aiello, Faculty Communications Program Manager, Executive Communications, Institute Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERick Clark currently serves as Georgia Tech\u0027s executive director of Strategic Student Access, an inaugural position at the Institute. He brings significant enrollment expertise and a history of campus leadership to this new role\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The current executive director of Strategic Student Access will step into his new role as VP for Enrollment Management on Jan. 22."}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2026-01-20 14:57:38","changed_gmt":"2026-01-20 16:03:34","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679039":{"id":"679039","type":"image","title":"24-R10400-P13-006-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","body":null,"created":"1768921075","gmt_created":"2026-01-20 14:57:55","changed":"1768921075","gmt_changed":"2026-01-20 14:57:55","alt":"Rick Clark speaks with Georgia Tech staff.","file":{"fid":"263150","name":"24-R10400-P13-006-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/20\/24-R10400-P13-006-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/20\/24-R10400-P13-006-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":243903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/20\/24-R10400-P13-006-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg?itok=p-hCgzSF"}}},"media_ids":["679039"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/enrollment.gatech.edu","title":"Enrollment Management at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"619192","name":"Faculty Affairs"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194316","name":"enrollment management"},{"id":"27271","name":"Rick Clark"},{"id":"1838","name":"Admissions"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBecky Tankersley\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector of Communications, Enrollment Management\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["becky.tankersley@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687381":{"#nid":"687381","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Names Mike Gazarik Director of Georgia Tech Research Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology has named Michael \u201cMike\u201d Gazarik as the new director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and a Georgia Tech senior vice president, effective February 16.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA nationally respected aerospace and research leader, Gazarik has led large, complex research organizations across government, industry, and academia, shaping strategy, driving growth, and building institutions that deliver mission-critical innovation. With more than three decades of experience, his career reflects a deep ability to align technology with national priorities and guide organizations through periods of change and opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alumnus, Gazarik currently serves as faculty director of the Engineering Management Program at the University of Colorado Boulder and as a part\u2011time staff member at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. He previously held senior leadership roles at NASA, including director of engineering at NASA Langley Research Center and inaugural associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). In industry, he spent eight years as vice president of engineering at Ball Aerospace, leading its strategic growth from an elite science contractor into a strategic national security asset that doubled in size.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMike Gazarik brings a rare combination of technical depth, executive leadership, and deep government experience,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for Research. \u201cHe knows large research enterprises operate within the realities of policy and budget and has a proven ability to align technology with mission priorities while earning trust across stakeholders. We are excited to welcome Mike back to Georgia Tech to lead GTRI at a pivotal moment for research and innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI employs more than 3,000 employees, conducting nearly $1 billion in annual research in areas such as autonomous systems, cybersecurity, electromagnetics, electronic warfare, modeling and simulation, sensors, systems engineering, and threat systems. GTRI\u2019s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, and policy to address challenges facing national security, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor nearly a century, GTRI has partnered with government and industry to deliver solutions to the most mission-critical challenges facing our nation,\u201d said Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera. \u201cWe are proud to welcome Mike Gazarik to lead a crown jewel of our research enterprise and a crucial component of our nation\u2019s science and technology fabric. His experience and leadership will strengthen GTRI\u2019s ability to deliver on its mission and help make our nation safer, healthier, and more competitive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGazarik is widely recognized for leading complex research enterprises with a focus on stability, strategic alignment, and mission impact. At NASA, he helped shape the agency\u2019s science and technology enterprise during periods of fiscal constraint and technical risk, maintaining balance across broad mission areas and forming STMD to consolidate technology development. At Ball Aerospace, he guided significant growth and aligned strategy with evolving national security and civil space needs. His academic work has focused on preparing engineering leaders for mission-driven organizations \u2014 experience that aligns closely with GTRI\u2019s role as a trusted partner to government and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe earned a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech. Gazarik is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a former chair of AIAA\u2019s Corporate Strategic Committee, and was elected to the AIAA Board of Trustees in 2025. His honors include NASA\u2019s Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Silver Snoopy Award, the 2023 AIAA Rocky Mountain Section Educator of the Year, and recognition as Engineering Manager of the Year by the American Society of Engineering Management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGTRI has a remarkable legacy of delivering solutions that matter for the nation,\u201d said Gazarik. \u201cI\u2019m honored to return to Georgia Tech and lead an organization that combines deep technical expertise with a mission-driven culture. My focus will be on listening, building on GTRI\u2019s strengths, and ensuring we continue to advance research that makes a real difference for our partners and society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs director, Gazarik will lead GTRI\u2019s multidisciplinary research enterprise, advancing its mission to deliver high\u2011impact science and technology solutions in support of national security, space systems, and critical societal needs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology has named Michael \u201cMike\u201d Gazarik as the new director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and a Georgia Tech senior vice president, effective February 16.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Names Mike Gazarik Director of Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2026-01-16 17:02:08","changed_gmt":"2026-01-20 00:11:54","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679025":{"id":"679025","type":"image","title":"Mike-Gazarik_Header_v1.png","body":null,"created":"1768584873","gmt_created":"2026-01-16 17:34:33","changed":"1768584873","gmt_changed":"2026-01-16 17:34:33","alt":"GTRI Welcomes New Director Mike Gazarik","file":{"fid":"263136","name":"Mike-Gazarik_Header_v1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/16\/Mike-Gazarik_Header_v1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/16\/Mike-Gazarik_Header_v1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":616973,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/16\/Mike-Gazarik_Header_v1.png?itok=-gqMgrzn"}}},"media_ids":["679025"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:angela.ayers@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAngela Ayers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssistant Vice President of Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687359":{"#nid":"687359","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Science for Public Good: Introducing the Community Engagement Graduate Fellows ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFour graduate students from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E were recently selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google. This one-year research opportunity awards up to $5,000 for each fellow to develop a project with local partners that aims to build stronger communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt has been a pleasure for the Center for Programs to Increase Engagement in the Sciences (C-PIES) to collaborate with Google and the College of Sciences Advisory Board to bring this fellowship, which will positively impact our community and highlight how science can align with public good,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELewis A. Wheaton\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and director of C-PIES.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn the year ahead, the fellows will work with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cpies.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EC-PIES\u003C\/a\u003E and community partners on campus and in the metro Atlanta area to develop projects in one of three priority areas: civic and policy engagement, community-engaged research, and K-12 research outreach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe fellowship was open to all graduate students in the College of Sciences, and four inaugural fellows \u2014 Aniruddh Bakshi, Katherine Slenker, Miriam Simma, and Nikolai Simonov \u2014 were named based on their exciting, yet feasible applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Aniruddh Bakshi: Strengthening trust in science\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPh.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAniruddh Bakshi\u003C\/strong\u003E studies the problem of drug delivery at the intersections of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and immunology. As mRNA vaccines are closely related to his area of research, he sees the need for a grassroots outreach movement from young academics to help bolster public confidence in rigorous scientific methodology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn collaboration with local hospitals and nonprofits, his proposed project is to start a social media content series, titled \u201cA Day in the Life of a Ph.D. Student,\u201d to show the realities of graduate school for those interested in this career path while connecting his research to broader public issues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cScience has the power to solve urgent problems, but only if people understand and trust it,\u201d says Bakshi. \u201cThrough this fellowship, I will use my research and outreach efforts to help strengthen that trust \u2014 showing how discoveries in drug delivery and vaccine design can make a real difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Katherine Slenker: Creating a biodiversity data network\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAtlanta is often referred to as \u201cthe city in a forest,\u201d but according to Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKatherine Slenker\u003C\/strong\u003E, wildlife has a difficult time navigating across roads and housing developments, often resulting in human-wildlife conflict.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cConservation ecologists have long recommended that the movement of wildlife could be eased through the creation of \u2018ecological corridors,\u2019 which connect greenspaces and wildlife populations,\u201d she explains. \u201cDetermining the movement patterns of wildlife, and where such corridors may be best situated, requires that we first understand what species reside in the metro Atlanta area as well as how they are expected to disperse.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a fellow, Slenker plans to build a biodiversity data network by comparing wildlife monitoring at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Stone Mountain Park and increasing the coalition of metro Atlanta researchers. This data can be used in the development of ecological corridors to reduce clashing between humans and wildlife, notably animals struck by vehicles, and improve ecosystem health at these parks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Miriam Simma: Making structural biology research more accessible\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study of crystallography is vital in academia, industry, and medicine because it enables researchers to decipher the atomic structures of proteins, but it is scarcely taught outside of graduate school. Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMiriam Simma\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewants to change that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer proposed project is to introduce protein crystallography to K-12 students and teachers through hands-on activities in local high school classrooms and to the public during the Atlanta Science Festival at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMy vision is to make structural biology research accessible, so everyone can engage with cutting-edge scientific research \u2014 fostering curiosity and interest in STEM careers,\u201d says Simma. \u201cLong term, I will synthesize these activities into a chemical education article that introduces K-12 students to protein structure and function.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Nikolai Simonov: Mentoring middle school scientists\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELast year, Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENikolai Simonov\u003C\/strong\u003E became involved in the GoSTEM Club at Lilburn Middle School \u2014 leading student activities and recruiting other graduate student volunteers. In partnership with Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing\u003C\/a\u003E, the club is a weekly afterschool program for students, many of whom come from underserved backgrounds, to grow their scientific curiosity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI assembled a team of 10 Tech graduate students who could explain complex scientific concepts in approachable ways for middle school students. Through this fellowship, we are excited to enrich the GoSTEM Club with an ongoing mentorship program and materials for more ambitious science fair projects,\u201d shares Simonov.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs part of the program, club members can meet one-on-one with Georgia Tech mentors to discuss their educational and career goals. \u201cBy sharing their stories and connecting scientific ideas to real-world applications, our mentors aim to show students that STEM is not only accessible but a path toward a fulfilling life,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour graduate students from the College of Sciences were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google, to develop projects that positively impact the metro Atlanta area and\u0026nbsp;highlight how science can align with public good.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four graduate students from the College of Sciences were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google, to develop projects that positively impact the metro Atlanta area. "}],"uid":"27465","created_gmt":"2026-01-15 19:17:05","changed_gmt":"2026-01-15 20:30:07","author":"Annette Filliat","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679014":{"id":"679014","type":"image","title":"Community Engagement Graduate Fellows","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFour graduate students from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768507734","gmt_created":"2026-01-15 20:08:54","changed":"1768508071","gmt_changed":"2026-01-15 20:14:31","alt":"Community Engagement Graduate Fellows ","file":{"fid":"263125","name":"C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4108784,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg?itok=EDpa4s4k"}},"679016":{"id":"679016","type":"image","title":"C-PIES and Community Engagement Graduate Fellows","body":"\u003Cp\u003EC-PIES Director Lewis A. Wheaton (far left) and Director of Programs Lea Marzo (far right) stand with the inaugural Community Engagement Graduate Fellows (left to right): Nikolai Simonov, Miriam Simma, Aniruddh Bakshi, and Katherine Slenker.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768508133","gmt_created":"2026-01-15 20:15:33","changed":"1768508664","gmt_changed":"2026-01-15 20:24:24","alt":"C-PIES and Community Engagement Graduate Fellows","file":{"fid":"263126","name":"C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4321309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg?itok=rj-DkhiR"}}},"media_ids":["679014","679016"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/step-eases-transfer-transition","title":"STEP Eases Transfer Transition"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1182","name":"General"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185591","name":"campus and community"},{"id":"188933","name":"Atlanta community."},{"id":"191866","name":"C-PIES"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"192552","name":"College of Sciences Advisory Board"},{"id":"3165","name":"google"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: Annette Filliat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["afilliat@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687355":{"#nid":"687355","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dean Search Begins for Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has launched a national search for the next Dean and Southern Company Chair of the College of Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHome to eight Schools and 21,867 students, the College of Engineering is consistently ranked among \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/about\/facts-and-rankings\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe nation\u2019s top engineering programs\u003C\/a\u003E and aspires to develop talent, ideas, and solutions with unmatched impact and scale. The new dean will play a pivotal role in advancing the College\u2019s mission to educate future engineers, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and drive technological breakthroughs that address society\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProvost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs \u003Cstrong\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/strong\u003E has convened a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering\/committee\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esearch committee\u003C\/a\u003E to guide the process and ensure broad engagement from the Georgia Tech community. The search will be chaired by \u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E, John P. Imlay Jr. Chair and Dean of the College of Computing. Georgia Tech has retained the services of the executive search firm WittKieffer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are looking for a visionary dean who will champion excellence in research and education, foster collaboration across disciplines, and strengthen the College of Engineering\u2019s global impact,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EBeyah\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cEqually important, the next dean will advance our public mission and expand access to communities across our city and state. This role comes at a pivotal time for the College as it builds on recent milestones, such as transformative investments in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, to prepare the next generation of leaders. I encourage the Georgia Tech community to take part in this important search process.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo provide opportunities for input, the committee will host a series of town hall sessions beginning on Jan. 20, offering Georgia Tech staff, faculty, and students a chance to share their perspectives:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETuesday, Jan. 20, 11 \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013\u003Cstrong\u003E 11:50 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013 Open to all Georgia Tech community members (Virtual - \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/_fVslcXrRKK4zIPY2Yhelw\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegister\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to receive the Zoom details)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, Jan. 21, 1 \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013\u003Cstrong\u003E 1:50 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Open to Georgia Tech staff, Centennial Room, Exhibition Hall (2nd Floor)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, Jan. 21, 2 \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013\u003Cstrong\u003E 2:50 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Open to all Georgia Tech faculty members, Centennial Room, Exhibition Hall (2nd Floor)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, Jan. 21, 4 \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013\u003Cstrong\u003E 4:50 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Open to all Georgia Tech community members, Centennial Room, Exhibition Hall (2nd Floor)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, Jan. 21, 5 \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013\u003Cstrong\u003E 5:50 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u2013 Piedmont Room, John Lewis Student Center (1st Floor) \u2013\u0026nbsp;Open to all Georgia Tech students\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the search, including position details and updates, visit the Office of the Provost\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDean of Engineering Search\u003C\/a\u003E page. A full list of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering\/committee\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esearch committee members\u003C\/a\u003E is also available on the provost\u2019s website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech community members can share feedback about the search process by filling out the anonymous \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/r\/GTEngineeringDean\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECommunity Feedback Survey\u003C\/a\u003E or emailing \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:GTEngineering@wittkieffer.com\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGTEngineering@wittkieffer.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWriter: Julian Hills, Executive Communications, Institute Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has launched a national search for the next Dean and Southern Company Chair of the College of Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The search committee, chaired by College of Computing Dean Vivek Sarkar, will host a series of community town hall sessions beginning on Jan. 20."}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2026-01-15 18:05:15","changed_gmt":"2026-01-15 19:52:21","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679013":{"id":"679013","type":"image","title":"24-R10400-011-Web-Use--Wide.jpg","body":null,"created":"1768505860","gmt_created":"2026-01-15 19:37:40","changed":"1768505860","gmt_changed":"2026-01-15 19:37:40","alt":"people walking through tall grass","file":{"fid":"263124","name":"24-R10400-011-Web-Use--Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/24-R10400-011-Web-Use--Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/24-R10400-011-Web-Use--Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":478416,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/15\/24-R10400-011-Web-Use--Wide.jpg?itok=EeSvxl4N"}}},"media_ids":["679013"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering","title":"College of Engineering Dean Search Information"},{"url":"https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/search\/dean-of-engineering\/committee","title":"College of Engineering Dean Search Committee"}],"groups":[{"id":"619192","name":"Faculty Affairs"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"194899","name":"Dean and Southern Company Chair"},{"id":"16481","name":"executive search"},{"id":"67741","name":"Raheem Beyah"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWittkieffer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["GTEngineering@wittkieffer.com"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687107":{"#nid":"687107","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Square 3 Reaches Major Milestone ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech Square 3, officially named George Tower | Scheller Tower, will reach a major milestone on Monday, Jan. 12, offering the campus community access to the first three floors of the new facility.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will be open during the week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the following amenities available to students, faculty, and staff:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA main lobby with a student-staffed information desk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKaldi\u2019s Coffee, opening Tuesday, Jan. 20.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe Porch, a street-level gathering area with kinetic doorways opening along Fifth Street.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA cantilevered monumental stairway, a signature architectural element connecting the lobby to the second floor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E11 classrooms across the second and third floors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHuddle rooms and conference rooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA blue, green, and earth-tone interior color palette with an assortment of furniture styles, providing a variety of spaces for both individual study and group collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERestrooms on all three floors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElevator access to the second and third floors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA landscaped gravel courtyard providing bistro seating and shade trees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EParking is\u0026nbsp;available,\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;31\u0026nbsp;daily visitor spaces\u0026nbsp;bookable through\u0026nbsp;ParkMobile,\u0026nbsp;including\u0026nbsp;two ADA-accessible spaces\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;six\u0026nbsp;electric vehicle charging\u0026nbsp;spaces. Additional Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;permit\u0026nbsp;parking options\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;located\u0026nbsp;nearby.\u0026nbsp;For more information, contact\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pts.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esupport@pts.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or call 404.894.0061.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe two towers \u2014 the 14\u2011story Scheller Tower housing graduate and executive business programs, and the 18\u2011story George Tower, home to the H.\u202fMilton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering \u2014 are expected to be fully operational by fall semester 2026, contributing more than 400,000 square feet of new research and collaboration space and expanding Georgia Tech\u2019s capacity for interdisciplinary innovation in the heart of Midtown.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new facility serves as a model for sustainable, low-carbon design and houses key environmental and performance features:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELow-Carbon Construction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe carbon emissions embedded in the structural materials are half that of typical construction for a similarly sized Atlanta building.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe concrete mix incorporates fly ash in place of a significant portion of cement, reducing carbon output and diverting fly ash from the landfill.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe unitized portion of the curtain wall was shop-fabricated and glazed in North Georgia by Georgia residents, supporting the local economy and allowing better construction quality and a quicker delivery time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEfficient Energy Performance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMost interior spaces are designed to receive ample natural daylight, making electric lighting optional during daytime hours.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe building is designed for all-electric operation. As Georgia Tech and the state of Georgia transition toward zero-carbon electricity sources, the building\u2019s operations will easily transfer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhen the facility fully opens in the fall, it is expected to use about one-quarter of the energy of a comparably sized existing building in Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIntegrated monitoring systems will track energy and water usage in real time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA central operations platform will allow Infrastructure and Sustainability teams to fine-tune performance and maintain an eco-efficient environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInnovative Water Reuse\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEvery drop of water within the building footprint will be captured, recycled, and reused for cooling and toilet flushing. This includes rainwater, HVAC condensation, and water from irrigated areas such as the fourth-floor green roof.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAs a result, the building\u2019s consumption of municipal water is projected to be one-seventh that of a typical non-residential Georgia Tech building.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA dedicated stormwater cistern stores clean water and releases sediment-laden water slowly into the Atlanta storm sewer system, improving downstream water quality.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupport for Low-Impact Transportation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETo encourage walking, biking, and transit use, the building includes a secure indoor bike storage room accommodating more than 180 bicycles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBird-Safe Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETo support urban wildlife and reduce hazards for migratory birds, the first four floors of the building feature bird-safe window striping, a proven mitigation strategy that makes glass more visible to birds in flight.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThese subtle patterns help prevent collisions, especially during migration seasons when reflections and transparency can disorient birds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECombined with the building\u2019s extensive daylighting strategy, these measures create a safe and ecologically responsible presence along Fifth Street and Tech Square.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of these features, the building will be submitted for LEED Platinum and Four Peach certification, the highest Georgia Peach Green Building Rating, which recognizes buildings owned or managed by the state of Georgia that optimize energy performance, increase the demand for materials and furnishings produced in Georgia, improve environmental quality in the state, conserve energy, protect the state\u2019s natural resources, and reduce the burden on the state\u2019s water supply.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore information:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/about-scheller\/tech-square\/tech-square-phase-3.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/isye-george-tower\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOfficially named George Tower | Scheller Tower, the first three floors of the new facility open to the campus community Monday, Jan. 12.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Officially named George Tower | Scheller Tower, the first three floors of the new facility open to the campus community Monday, Jan. 12."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-01-07 20:42:28","changed_gmt":"2026-01-15 19:32:48","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678941":{"id":"678941","type":"image","title":"A staircase inside George Tower | Scheller Tower","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA staircase inside George Tower | Scheller Tower\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767901258","gmt_created":"2026-01-08 19:40:58","changed":"1767966122","gmt_changed":"2026-01-09 13:42:02","alt":"A staircase inside George Tower | Scheller Tower","file":{"fid":"263039","name":"dramatic_stair.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/dramatic_stair.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/dramatic_stair.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":557909,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/08\/dramatic_stair.jpg?itok=7dnsXhSy"}},"678943":{"id":"678943","type":"image","title":"main_stair.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech logo reigns over the George Tower | Scheller Tower first floor lobby.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767901390","gmt_created":"2026-01-08 19:43:10","changed":"1767901390","gmt_changed":"2026-01-08 19:43:10","alt":"The Georgia Tech logo reigns over the George Tower | Scheller Tower first floor lobby.","file":{"fid":"263041","name":"main_stair.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/main_stair.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/main_stair.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":653055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/08\/main_stair.jpg?itok=1XBm8Hdr"}},"678946":{"id":"678946","type":"image","title":"George Tower | Scheller Tower","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorge Tower | Scheller Tower\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767915326","gmt_created":"2026-01-08 23:35:26","changed":"1767915326","gmt_changed":"2026-01-08 23:35:26","alt":"George Tower | Scheller Tower","file":{"fid":"263045","name":"26-R10410-P58-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/26-R10410-P58-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/26-R10410-P58-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":531553,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/08\/26-R10410-P58-002-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg?itok=HUCIdJEp"}}},"media_ids":["678941","678943","678946"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192181","name":"Tech Square Phase 3"},{"id":"194888","name":"George Tower | Scheller Tower"},{"id":"43101","name":"Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business"},{"id":"69451","name":"College of Engineering; H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial \u0026 Systems Engineering"},{"id":"61411","name":"Campus Construction"},{"id":"194097","name":"IS News"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications | Infrastructure and Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687248":{"#nid":"687248","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biannual Compliance Training Launching Soon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Spring Biannual Compliance Training will help Georgia Tech employees uphold the University System of Georgia\u2019s (USG) and the Institute\u2019s policies and compliance obligations.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are grateful to the campus community for strong participation in the 2025 Fall Biannual Compliance Training,\u201d said Georgia Tech\u2019s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Joshua Toas. \u201cGeorgia Tech is required to conduct training twice a year \u2014 in the fall and in the spring. As we start the spring compliance training, we appreciate everyone\u2019s continued commitment to the training and to compliance across the Institute.\u0022\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeginning Wednesday, Feb. 4, all faculty, staff, and students who are active employees as of Jan. 12 will be required to complete the 2026 Spring Biannual Compliance Training by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 27. The training is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/b.gatech.edu\/genius\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/b.gatech.edu\/genius\u003C\/a\u003E.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s training will include the following and should take no more than 50 minutes to complete:\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Spring Biannual Compliance Training\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPart 1: Identifying and Responding to Sexual Misconduct\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPart 2: 2026 Your Role: Internet Security and You\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPart 3: Deepfakes, Scams, and Disinformation\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPart 4: AI and Sensitive Info Don\u2019t Mix \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPart 5: Insider Threats for End Users\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCybersecurity training and the understanding of its shared responsibility are key to combating evolving cyberthreats,\u201d added Georgia Tech\u2019s Chief Information Security Officer Joe Lewis. \u201cThe spring cybersecurity modules will help Georgia Tech employees learn to detect deepfakes, phishing attempts, and artificial intelligence-based scams. These training sessions will help keep the Institute\u2019s digital assets and information secure.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe USG mandates the training for all employees. It can be completed on a desktop or laptop and does not need to be finished all at once. Employees who do not complete the training by the deadline may face disciplinary action by the Institute.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/generalcounsel.gatech.edu\/ethics-and-compliance\/biannual-compliance-campaign\u0022\u003ELearn more\u0026nbsp;about the\u0026nbsp;2026 Spring\u0026nbsp;Biannual Compliance Training\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBiannual Compliance Training opens for all Georgia Tech employees on Feb. 4.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biannual Compliance Training opens for all Georgia Tech employees on Feb. 4."}],"uid":"36813","created_gmt":"2026-01-13 18:18:30","changed_gmt":"2026-01-13 21:53:19","author":"kward64","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675217":{"id":"675217","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETech Tower\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728048469","gmt_created":"2024-10-04 13:27:49","changed":"1728048469","gmt_changed":"2024-10-04 13:27:49","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"258818","name":"24-R10400-P49-018-Web Use - 1,000px Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/24-R10400-P49-018-Web%20Use%20-%201%2C000px%20Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/24-R10400-P49-018-Web%20Use%20-%201%2C000px%20Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":721570,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/04\/24-R10400-P49-018-Web%20Use%20-%201%2C000px%20Wide.jpg?itok=wrdAZ5DU"}}},"media_ids":["675217"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/b.gatech.edu\/genius","title":"Access training here"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/home?id=kb_article_view\u0026sysparm_article=KB0043774","title":"How-To Guide: Navigating the 2026 Spring Biannual Compliance Training Campaign"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/training_support?id=sc_cat_item\u0026sys_id=019056431b76ce10d1f9cb751a4bcb9f","title":"Training Support Portal"}],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"186035","name":"compliance training"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ethicsfirst@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKelly Cross\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Policy Manager\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of the General Counsel\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ethicsfirst@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687251":{"#nid":"687251","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yellow Jackets Featured Among Most Influential Georgians ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor their leadership across various industries and positive contributions to their communities, 12 Georgia Tech alumni are among \u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Trend\u003C\/em\u003E\u2019s 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian Blake, EE 1994 \u2013 President, Georgia State University\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGuided by his BluePrint to 2033, Blake recently announced that 16 of the plan\u2019s 20 initiatives are underway, including work on the new Panther Quad and Campus Greenway expansion on the Atlanta campus. Georgia State recently received an $80 million donation from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation \u2014 the largest in the university\u2019s history.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00c1ngel Cabrera, M.S. PSY 1993, Ph.D. PSY 1995 \u2013 President, Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder Cabrera\u2019s leadership, Georgia Tech has become the state\u0027s largest university. With record enrollment, campaign fundraising, and research expenditures, Tech is delivering on the president\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/04\/georgia-techs-big-bets-delivering-record-results\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBig Bets strategy\u003C\/a\u003E. A $100 million bequest from alumnus John Durstine in September 2025 is the largest in Tech history and will transform the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Cupid, ME 2000 \u2013 Chair, Cobb County Board of Supervisors\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst elected in 2020, the second-term chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners declared her \u201cunwavering commitment to forward motion\u201d in a 2025 address that highlighted economic growth, improving equity, and the expansion of critical resources in Cobb County. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndre Dickens, ChE 1998 \u2013 Mayor, City of Atlanta\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReelected to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/04\/dickens-elected-second-term-atlanta-mayor\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esecond term as Atlanta\u2019s mayor\u003C\/a\u003E, Dickens has led the city since 2021, establishing positive working relationships with state leadership, reducing violent crime rates, and building affordable housing. Under his leadership, the city achieved an AAA bond rating, the highest in the city\u2019s history. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERoderick McLean, M.S. EE 1993 \u2013 Vice President and General Manager, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions, Lockheed Martin\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcLean is the vice president of Lockheed Martin\u2019s Air Mobility and Maritime Missions division and site general manager of the company\u2019s 5,000-employee Marietta facility. The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, built at the facility, was named the winner of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce\u2019s inaugural \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gachamber.com\/news\/lockheed-martin-c-130j-super-hercules-wins-coolest-thing-made-in-georgia-competition\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECoolest Thing Made in Georgia competition\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJannine Miller, MBA 2013 \u2013 Executive Director, SRTA, GRTA, and Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2023, Miller has led the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, and the State Road and Tollway Authority. Her team continues to work toward easing congestion around metro Atlanta, including 16 miles of planned express lanes on GA 400, expected to be completed in 2031.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValerie Montgomery Rice, Chem 1983 \u2013 President and Dean, Morehouse School of Medicine\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERice has led the Morehouse School of Medicine since 2014, and under her leadership, the number of Morehouse\u0027s M.D. candidates has doubled. She has also worked to expand access to education with regional medical campuses in Albany and Columbus. In 2025, Rice was elected to the Georgia Power board of directors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHonorary:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEd Bastian, HON Ph.D. 2024 \u2013 CEO, Delta Air Lines\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the CEO of metro Atlanta\u2019s largest private employer, Bastian was named \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tonyjannus.com\/awards\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe 2025 Tony Jannus Award recipient\u003C\/a\u003E by the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society.\u0026nbsp; The award is given annually to individuals who have made major and lasting contributions to the commercial aviation industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaphael Bostic, HON Ph.D. 2022 \u2013 President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta since 2017, Bostic has beenresponsible for overseeing monetary policy, bank supervision, and payment services. He will retire at the end of his term in February. \u0026nbsp;He also serves on the Federal Open Market Committee, the monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve System.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Quincey, HON Ph.D. 2020 \u2013 Chair and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter serving as Coca-Cola\u2019s CEO since 2017, Quincey announced his intention to step down in December. He will remain with the beverage giant as its executive chairman after reshaping the company\u2019s strategy and adding more than 10 billion-dollar brands during his tenure as CEO. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarole Tom\u00e9\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EHON Ph.D. 2025 \u2013 CEO, UPS\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2025, Tom\u00e9 began leading the company through what she called the \u201cmost significant strategic shift in the company\u2019s history,\u201d while helping customers navigate the most\u201cprofound shift in trade policy in a century.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChris Womack, HON Ph.D. 2023 \u2013 President, CEO, and Chair, Southern Company\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWomack leads the energy provider that serves over 9 million customers. In 2025, he was awarded the title of Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society \u2014 the highest honor the state can confer.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Twelve Georgia Tech alumni are among \u0027Georgia Trend\u2019s\u0027 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2026.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwelve Georgia Tech alumni are among \u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Trend\u2019s\u003C\/em\u003E 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2026. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Twelve Georgia Tech alumni are among \u0027Georgia Trend\u2019s\u0027 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2026.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-01-13 19:28:14","changed_gmt":"2026-01-13 19:32:14","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678972":{"id":"678972","type":"image","title":"GA-Trend-2026-FINAL_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETop: Brian Blake, \u00c1ngel Cabrera, Lisa Cupid, Andre Dickens, Roderick McLean, Jannine Miller. Bottom: Valerie Montgomery Rice, Ed Bastian, Raphael Bostic, James Quincey, Carole Tom\u00e9, Chris Womack.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768332211","gmt_created":"2026-01-13 19:23:31","changed":"1768332453","gmt_changed":"2026-01-13 19:27:33","alt":"2026 Georgia Trend Honorees","file":{"fid":"263077","name":"GA-Trend-2026-FINAL_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/13\/GA-Trend-2026-FINAL_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/13\/GA-Trend-2026-FINAL_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1217704,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/13\/GA-Trend-2026-FINAL_0.jpg?itok=LaHAQtEU"}}},"media_ids":["678972"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.georgiatrend.com\/2025\/12\/31\/2026-100-most-influential-georgians\/","title":"2026 100 Most Influential Georgians"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11644","name":"Georgia Trend"},{"id":"190533","name":"state impact"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684147":{"#nid":"684147","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Campus Construction Update: What\u2019s New, What\u2019s Next? ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe term \u201cunprecedented\u201d aptly characterizes the scope and momentum of campus construction over the past year. Georgia Tech is undertaking a series of transformative projects, including the development of a premier athletics performance center, the installation and completion of a dedicated cycle track, the construction of a new residence hall, and the elevation of a state-of-the-art academic facility. Each initiative represents a strategic investment in the Institute\u2019s infrastructure and reflects Georgia Tech\u2019s enduring commitment to fostering an optimal environment for scholarship, innovation, and community engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecently Completed\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAerospace Engineering Aircraft Hangar (Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESituated in the North Avenue Research Area, Georgia Tech\u2019s cutting-edge 10,000-square-foot aircraft hangar is set to become a hub for innovation in electric aviation. The facility will feature an electric powertrain laboratory, a propulsion system test cell, an avionics lab, composite fabrication zones, and dedicated space for integrating prototype aircraft.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key focus of the hangar will be the development and testing of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, along with other advanced electric aviation technologies \u2014 positioning Georgia Tech at the forefront of sustainable aerospace research. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/08\/georgia-tech-breaks-ground-new-hangar?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Full%20Story%0A\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20Aug.%2020%2C%202024\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead more here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFerst Drive Realignment and Cycle Track \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EA grand opening celebration and critical swarm bike and micromobility ride took place Aug. 13 during Week of Welcome. More than 100 students, faculty, and staff participated in a vibrant celebration for the culmination of this long-awaited campus infrastructure project. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/08\/campus-cycle-track-complete-and-ready-roll\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead more here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarrison Square Infrastructure Improvements for Campus Chilled Water System\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EIn July 2024, a pipe failure 20 feet beneath Harrison Square disrupted the campus chilled water distribution system, cutting off air conditioning to numerous buildings. Following extensive repairs and infrastructure upgrades, the system is now fully restored \u2014 more efficient, resilient, and better equipped to support campus cooling needs. These improvements mark a significant step forward in ensuring reliable climate control for Georgia Tech\u2019s built environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESoon to Wrap Up\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ED.M. Smith Building Renewal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERenovations are progressing steadily on the building, with transformative upgrades underway to enhance accessibility, functionality, and sustainability. Key infrastructure improvements include the addition of wheelchair access, a new elevator, and updated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Inside, finishes such as millwork, tile, and paint are actively being installed, while exterior enhancements include brick repointing, window replacements, and structural repairs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn alignment with Georgia Tech\u2019s campus climate goals, the building is being electrified and will no longer rely on steam from the central plant for daily operations \u2014 marking a significant step toward campus carbon reduction. Renovations are on track for completion this fall, with a dedication ceremony planned for Nov. 13.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn Progress\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArtificial Intelligence Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF), part of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute, serves as a cutting-edge research and development hub. As a translational research facility, AMPF bridges the gap between laboratory-scale innovations and pilot-scale industrial applications, accelerating the deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on this foundation, the Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AIMPF\u003Cstrong\u003E)\u003C\/strong\u003E represents the next evolution in the program. This new phase will integrate artificial intelligence, robotics, and augmented reality to design, test, and refine the next generation of manufacturing systems and processes. As a cornerstone of the Georgia AI Manufacturing Technology Corridor, AIMPF will drive innovation and talent development across all manufacturing sectors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, structural steel framing and utility infrastructure for AIMPF have been completed. The installation of partitions and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is in progress. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ai-and-automation-converge-expansion-georgia-techs-advanced-manufacturing-pilot-facility\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead more here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECurran Street Residence Hall\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe first new residence hall on campus since 2005 is designed specifically for first-year students. Located on the west side of campus along Northside Drive between Eighth and Ninth Streets, this state-of-the-art facility will span 191,000 square feet and offer 862 beds in double-occupancy rooms. Each room will feature flexible furniture layouts to accommodate individual preferences and needs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to living spaces, the building will include collaborative learning areas, community lounges, and a shared kitchen to foster connection and support among students. Both tower structures are complete with roofing and systems installation in progress. The residence hall remains on track to open for the Fall 2026 semester. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/16\/georgia-tech-moves-forward-plans-construct-new-student-housing\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead more here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEast Campus Streetscapes\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAlong Techwood Drive and the east side of campus, the renovation of sidewalks and roadways has improved campus connectivity and the safety of pedestrian and micromobility users (bicycles, scooters, and skateboards). The project remains active as the remaining elements along Techwood Drive are contingent upon the completion of the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELi Labs \u2013 Paper Tricentennial Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ERenovation of eight labs located on the first and fifth floors will prepare for a high-end microscope which uses open-beam lasers for illumination on a vibration isolation table. Accommodating both students and researchers in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, the labs will be used for the study of intelligent soft materials involving living organisms. Expected completion is first quarter 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EWork continues on the new 100,000-square-foot facility, which will house a comprehensive range of amenities including strength and conditioning areas, nutrition stations, sports medicine offices, ticketing services, dining options, and academic support spaces. The building will also feature cutting-edge sports science and analytics labs designed to enhance performance and research capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterior progress includes ongoing framing and installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. On the exterior, brickwork is advancing steadily, and glass installation is currently underway.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease note: The southbound lane of Techwood Drive adjacent to the construction site will remain closed through the project\u2019s anticipated completion in 2026. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/student-athlete-performance-center-to-be-named-in-honor-of-fanning\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead more here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETech Square Phase 3 \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ENow proudly bearing two Georgia Tech logos, the high-rise towers in Tech Square have officially topped out. Interior work is well underway as this transformative addition to campus takes shape. Spanning 415,000 square feet, the development features two striking towers connected by a vibrant plaza and street-level retail space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 14-story Scheller Tower will serve as the new home for the MBA and Executive Education programs of the Scheller College of Business. It is named in honor of Roberta and Ernest Scheller Jr., IM 1952, HON Ph.D. 2013, in recognition of their generous philanthropic support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 18-story George Tower, named for Penny and Bill George, IE 1964, HON Ph.D. 2008, will house the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, reinforcing Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in innovation and education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOccupancy on the lower three levels is anticipated in early 2026, marking a major milestone in the continued evolution of Tech Square as a hub for academic excellence and industry collaboration. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/10\/21\/georgia-tech-breaks-ground-tech-square-phase-3\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead more here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOn the Horizon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBaptist Collegiate Ministry Building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EWhile not a Georgia Tech-owned project, this new 5-story mixed-use building is set to rise in the footprint of the original building on the west side of Techwood Drive near Fourth Street. The development will provide upgraded ministry facilities along with 55 one- and two-bedroom student residences and gathering and retail space. Construction is planned to begin in the fall with a targeted completion date of fall 2027.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Recreation Center Athletic Therapy Center and Esports Arena\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECurrently in the design phase, the renovation of a section on Level 2 of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) will transform an existing conference room and retail dining area into a dedicated physical therapy space, enhancing services for students. Adjacent to this, a new esports suite will support competitive gaming for student clubs, casual play for the campus community, and host special events. The project is close to design completion and is estimated to open in early 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EA new 200,000-gross-square-foot building for the School of Aerospace Engineering will provide advanced instructional space, new research capabilities, and an improved student experience. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpecialty research and fabrication space will include a multistory drop tower for microgravity research; high bay space for new modernized wind tunnels; indoor flight laboratory and state-of-the-art flight simulators; clean room and secure mission control center for satellite assembly and operations; high bay shop space for advanced computer-aided design, manufacturing, and milling functions, as well as dedicated fabrication and assembly areas for student-led research and competition work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmith and Howell Residence Halls\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EWith the goal of preserving their historic character, both residence halls will be renovated to meet projected housing needs. Current plans are to update building systems and interior spaces. A new connecting structure will join the two buildings, creating a central entry point. In addition to refreshed finishes, new lighting, and improved amenities, restroom privacy will be enhanced by implementing a modified communal restroom model. Also planned are improved ADA accessibility to all floors, upgraded building systems, and building envelope performance. This project is currently in the design phase. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedical Innovation Building\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s upcoming Medical Innovation Building will bring together experts from bioscience, computer science, engineering, and social sciences to drive breakthroughs in medicine. Spanning about 200,000 square feet, the building will serve as a collaborative hub where researchers can turn innovative ideas into real-world medical solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal is to help faculty and students apply their research in clinical and community settings, with a focus on improving health outcomes through equitable access to biotechnology. Key research areas will include regenerative medicine, neurotechnology, immunoengineering, cell manufacturing, medical devices, wearable sensors, robotics, and AI-powered diagnostics.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocated on the northern edge of campus, the building will primarily house labs for 40 faculty-led research teams, organized into themed \u201cneighborhoods\u201d to encourage collaboration. It will also feature advanced core facilities, support life sciences and bioengineering research, and host the new Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society. Programs to support biotech entrepreneurship will also be included.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkiles Renovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe Georgia Board of Regents approved $20 million towards the renovation of the Skiles Building. Built in 1959, Skiles houses several centrally scheduled classrooms as well as multiple faculty offices. The scope will focus on the most pressing need by improving indoor air quality through the replacement and upgrade of the building\u2019s mechanical systems. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project marks the beginning of a broader, multiphase effort to modernize and revitalize the Skiles Building over time, aligning with Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to providing safe, sustainable, and innovative learning environments.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo stay up-to-date on campus construction projects, use our \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/construction-updates\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInteractive Construction Project Viewer.\u003C\/a\u003E This dynamic tool combines a map and calendar interface, allowing users to easily track project start and end dates. ADA-accessible routes can also be located by zooming in on individual projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor behind-the-scenes updates, follow Infrastructure and Sustainability on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/105498147\/admin\/page-posts\/published\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 where you\u2019ll find exclusive sneak peeks, progress photos, and insights into the ongoing construction efforts that are shaping the future of Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe campus construction journey continues with several projects wrapping up and a few more on the horizon.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The campus construction journey continues with several projects wrapping up and a few more on the horizon."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2025-08-25 21:48:56","changed_gmt":"2026-01-13 15:39:59","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677816":{"id":"677816","type":"image","title":"Curran Street Residence Hall Exterior Rendering","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERendering of the exterior of Curran Street Residence Hall.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1756298732","gmt_created":"2025-08-27 12:45:32","changed":"1756299946","gmt_changed":"2025-08-27 13:05:46","alt":"Rendering of the exterior of Curran Street Residence Hall","file":{"fid":"261757","name":"Capture-2-_editpng.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/27\/Capture-2-_editpng.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/27\/Capture-2-_editpng.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1088786,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/27\/Capture-2-_editpng.png?itok=vF_OfXwn"}},"677812":{"id":"677812","type":"image","title":"Interior of Tech Square Phase 3","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERendering of Tech Square Commons: The open and airy entryway to the building where visitors access stairs, elevators, and the covered porch.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1756232123","gmt_created":"2025-08-26 18:15:23","changed":"1756299866","gmt_changed":"2025-08-27 13:04:26","alt":"image of the interior of Tech Square Phase 3 looking west over lobby","file":{"fid":"261752","name":"23_0516_GTech_CAM011_INT_Post_revised_1--1-_cropped_forDDarticle.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/26\/23_0516_GTech_CAM011_INT_Post_revised_1--1-_cropped_forDDarticle.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/26\/23_0516_GTech_CAM011_INT_Post_revised_1--1-_cropped_forDDarticle.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":423595,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/26\/23_0516_GTech_CAM011_INT_Post_revised_1--1-_cropped_forDDarticle.jpg?itok=9lv0F5RI"}},"677813":{"id":"677813","type":"image","title":"Rendering of the Dining Hall in the Thomas A. Fanning Student Athlete Performance Center","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERendering of the dining hall in the Thomas A. Fanning Student Athlete Performance Center.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1756233360","gmt_created":"2025-08-26 18:36:00","changed":"1756300068","gmt_changed":"2025-08-27 13:07:48","alt":"Rendering of the dining hall in the Thomas A. Fanning Student Athlete Performance Center","file":{"fid":"261753","name":"rendering1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/26\/rendering1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/26\/rendering1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":444911,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/26\/rendering1.png?itok=P_MYPNs5"}}},"media_ids":["677816","677812","677813"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194097","name":"IS News"},{"id":"61411","name":"Campus Construction"},{"id":"194376","name":"Curran Street Residence Hall"},{"id":"192186","name":"Student Athlete Performance Center"},{"id":"29071","name":"medical innovation"},{"id":"186313","name":"Aerospace Engineering School"},{"id":"192182","name":"Aerospace Engineering Aircraft Hangar"},{"id":"192185","name":"Ferst Drive Realignment and Cycle Track"},{"id":"192184","name":"East Campus Streetscape"},{"id":"192183","name":"D.M. Smith Building Renewal"},{"id":"95781","name":"esports"},{"id":"188464","name":"Baptist College Ministries"},{"id":"194735","name":"Smith and Howell Residence Halls"},{"id":"174985","name":"Skiles Classroom Building"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:cathy.brim@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687059":{"#nid":"687059","#data":{"type":"news","title":"At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Prototype Wins I2P Showcase","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis fall, the Marcus Nanotechnology Building overflowed with energy as 35 student teams unveiled their prototypes during the Ideas to Prototype (I2P) Showcase. Attendees from the Georgia Tech community and beyond got a firsthand look at prototyped solutions that addressed problems across industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe showcase featured a diverse mix of innovators: Startup Launch alumni, returning I2P students refining earlier concepts, and first-time participants stepping into the entrepreneurial arena.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETop Three Teams\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst Place\u003C\/strong\u003E: Gorginea Care\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShalom Ejiwunmi \u2013 Applied Biotechnology, Fourth-Year, University of Georgia\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERakeb Tesfassellasie \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Third-Year, Georgia Tech\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESophia Bereket \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year, Kennesaw State University\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA cross-institutional team from Georgia Tech, UGA, and Kennesaw State introduced an at-home cervical cancer screening kit, designed to give women privacy and control over their health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETaking the Leap\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeam Gorginea Care started their journey at Georgia State University\u2019s Perimeter College, where they participated in the MESA program (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) \u2014 a dedicated study and research space located on Perimeter College\u2019s Clarkston campus. The team was sparked by a simple question: Why isn\u2019t there a better way to test for cervical cancer? The founders were planning on getting pap smears themselves, but they had heard about painful experiences from other women.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were hesitant to go through the process since it seemed uncomfortable,\u201d Tesfassellasie said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, Tesfassellasie, Bereket, and Ejiwunmi decided to consider alternatives to the plastic speculum used during standard exams and develop a tampon-like device.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s just giving women a choice basically to be able to take the samples and solve without having to be so vulnerable and uncomfortable,\u201d Tesfassellasie said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team joined the summer I2P and continued to develop their prototype in the fall semester course. Bereket said CREATE-X gave them resources and space without taking ownership.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe point of us being engineers is to make a difference in the world,\u201d Tesfassellasie said. \u201cCREATE-X gives you the chance to do that, and they don\u0027t take any intellectual property. You might be really passionate about whatever you\u0027re majoring in, but this is where you can start implementing what you learn in classes in real-life projects. CREATE-X is allowing you to do this without limiting you by Schools or where you\u0027re coming from.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInitially, the team hesitated to enter the InVenture Prize competition, worried they weren\u2019t ready.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe thought we could work on more things and find more ways to improve,\u201d Bereket said. \u201cWe can give ourselves a year. By next year, maybe we\u0027ll be ready to do Inventure Prize.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut I2P changed that. Bereket said she was shocked by the win, as the team had thought they\u2019d try Startup Launch first.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow it\u0027s the other way around,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u0027re excited to be part of the InVenture Prize, and we\u0027re going to see how everything works out as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you have an idea, or even if you don\u0027t have an idea but you feel very strongly about working on something, go to showcases like this and talk to teams and professors. Half the time, teams are looking for somebody to help,\u201d Ejiwunmi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdditional winning teams include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond Place\u003C\/strong\u003E: PedalSwap\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWylam DeSimone \u2013 Electrical Engineering, Third-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EZephyr Smith \u2013Music Technology, Third-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis team reimagined guitar effects pedals by creating one main pedal case with interchangeable magnetic parts, reducing cost and increasing flexibility for musicians looking to experiment with new sounds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThird Place\u003C\/strong\u003E: Matareal\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELily Chisholm \u2013 Computer Science (Media and Systems), Fourth-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENicholas Castles \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMegan Liu \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Second-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGloria Goudjinou \u2013 Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity), Second-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETackling inefficiencies in mural painting, Matareal developed a paint estimation tool that cuts planning time from two days to two minutes, saving artists thousands of dollars in wasted materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the Winners Take Home\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond recognition, winners earn a golden ticket into CREATE-X Startup Launch, Georgia Tech\u2019s summer accelerator program. This includes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPriority admission to Startup Launch.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$5,000 in optional seed funding.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAccess to $200,000 in in-kind services, including legal and accounting credits.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMentorship from faculty and industry experts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVisibility from Demo Day.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAutomatic advancement to the InVenture Prize semifinals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype\u0022\u003ERegistration for Spring 2026 I2P\u003C\/a\u003E is open. Whether you have a fully formed idea or just a spark, I2P offers a $500 reimbursement, mentorship, and research credit to support you in making your ideas real.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe I2P Showcase at Georgia Tech featured 35 student teams presenting innovative prototypes, with first place going to Gorginea Care for their at\u2011home cervical cancer screening kit designed to offer women a more comfortable, private alternative to traditional exams. The team, made up of students from Georgia Tech, UGA, and Kennesaw State, developed a tampon\u2011like device after hearing about painful pap smear experiences. Second place went to PedalSwap, which created modular guitar pedals, and third place went to Matareal, which built a tool that drastically speeds up mural paint estimation. Winners earned entry into CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch, seed funding, mentorship, and a spot in the InVenture Prize semifinals.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Gorginea Care won the I2P Showcase for developing an at\u2011home cervical cancer screening kit, leading a lineup of innovative student teams who earned entry into CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch and advancement to the InVenture Prize."}],"uid":"36810","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 15:39:45","changed_gmt":"2026-01-12 19:08:08","author":"zzhang860","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678920":{"id":"678920","type":"image","title":"Fall 2025 I2P Showcase","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI2P Showcase Winners\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst Place: \u003C\/strong\u003EGorginea Care\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShalom Ejiwunmi \u2013 Applied Biotechnology, Fourth-Year, University of Georgia\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERakeb Tesfassellasie \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Third-Year, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESophia Bereket \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year, Kennesaw State University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond Place: \u003C\/strong\u003EPedalSwap\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWylam DeSimone \u2013 Electrical Engineering, Third-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZephyr Smith \u2013Music Technology, Third-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThird Place:\u003C\/strong\u003E Matareal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELily Chisholm \u2013 Computer Science (Media and Systems), Fourth-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENicholas Castles \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMegan Liu \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Second-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGloria Goudjinou \u2013 Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity), Second-Year\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1767633739","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 17:22:19","changed":"1767633955","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 17:25:55","alt":"Pictured, the winners of the Fall 2025 I2P Showcase stand in Marcus Nano Tech atrium with their certificates","file":{"fid":"263017","name":"20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6866646,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg?itok=qJs46R_i"}}},"media_ids":["678920"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype","title":"Apply to I2P"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003Cbr\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bdurham31@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686615":{"#nid":"686615","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Look to Maker Safer AI Through Google Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople seeking mental health support are increasingly turning to large language models (LLMs) for advice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, most popular AI-powered chatbots are not trained to recognize when someone is in crisis. LLMs also cannot determine when to refer someone to a human specialist.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew Georgia Tech research projects that address these issues may soon provide people seeking mental health support with safer experiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoogle has awarded research grants to three faculty members from the School of Interactive Computing to study artificial intelligence (AI), trust, safety, and security. The grants were among dozens awarded by the company to researchers across the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.munmund.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/riarriaga\/home\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERosa Arriaga\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aritter.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlan Ritter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E are among the recipients of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.google\/programs-and-events\/google-academic-research-awards\/google-academic-research-award-program-recipients\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Google Academic Research Awards\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir projects will explore questions like:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat harms could occur if people consult LLMs for mental health advice?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhich groups are most at risk of receiving harmful guidance?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhen should an LLM stop responding and refer someone to a human professional?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury and Arriaga will examine how LLMs might harm people seeking mental health care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury\u2019s work focuses on spotting when chatbot conversations go wrong and lead users toward self-harm. She is also studying design changes that could prevent these situations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer project,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EExiting Harmful Reliance: Identifying Crises \u0026amp; Care Escalation Needs\u003C\/em\u003E, is in partnership with Angel Hsing-Chi Hwang from the University of Southern California. Together, they will review real and synthetic chat transcripts with clinicians to find language patterns that signal risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA chatbot will always give a response and keep talking to you for however long you want,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cThat may not be a good thing for someone in crisis. We need to know when the right response is to stop and suggest talking to a human.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Risks for Low-Income Users\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArriaga\u2019s project,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EDull, Dirty, Dangerous: Investigating Trust of Digital Resources Among Low-SES Mental Health Care Seekers\u003C\/em\u003E, looks at how LLMs affect people with low socioeconomic status (SES).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDull, dirty, and dangerous is a phrase used to describe work that is well-suited for robot automation because they are repetitive, physically taxing, or hazardous for humans. Arriaga said she adapted these terms for her research to create a taxonomy of the harms AI can cause to people seeking mental health care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArriaga also wants to label the trust factors that chatbots have that attract low-SES users to seek their advice, and how these may differ for adults and adolescents across contexts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe know one of the reasons some users go to LLMs is because they aren\u2019t insured and can\u2019t afford a therapist,\u201d she said. \u201cLLMs are available 24-7. Maybe it doesn\u2019t start as a trust issue. Maybe it starts with availability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome of these human-AI conversations that result in harmful mental health advice didn\u2019t begin on the topic of mental health. In one case, the person started going to the machine for help with homework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThen this relationship evolved into personal matters. Should we constrain the system to limit itself to helping someone with their homework and not wander off that subject into mental health matters?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManaging Privacy Risks for Social Media\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERitter will use the Google award to advance research on social media privacy tools, including interactive AI agents that help people make more informed decisions about what they share online.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis project, \u003Cem\u003EAI Tools to Help Users Make Informed Decisions About Online Information Sharing\u003C\/em\u003E, focuses on reducing privacy risks in both text and images by identifying when posts reveal more than users intend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve been developing methods to assess risks in text, and now we\u2019re extending that work to images,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cPeople post photos without realizing how easily they can be geolocated by advanced AI systems. A casual selfie near home might contain subtle cues about where you live, like a street sign, that reveal private details.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project aims to create AI agents that review content within user posts, flag elements that pose risk, and suggest safer alternatives. Ritter said he wants people to maintain control over their privacy without limiting freedom of expression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERitter will deploy advanced reasoning models capable of probabilistic privacy estimation. These systems can infer how identifiable a piece of text might be or how likely an image is to reveal a user\u2019s location.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor images, Ritter and his collaborators will use models that identify geolocatable features, allowing users to edit or hide them before posting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more on Ritter\u2019s research,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-large-language-model-can-protect-social-media-users-privacy\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eread how an LLM he co-developed protects the privacy of users on social media.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree Georgia Tech faculty members from the School of Interactive Computing received Google Academic Research Awards to study how to make AI safer, focusing on minimizing harm to users seeking \u003Cstrong\u003Emental health support\u003C\/strong\u003E from large language models (LLMs) and improving \u003Cstrong\u003Esocial media privacy\u003C\/strong\u003E tools.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Three Georgia Tech faculty members received Google Academic Research Awards to study how to make AI safer."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2025-11-24 20:28:32","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:38:21","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678716":{"id":"678716","type":"image","title":"437249_Google-Research-Award-Graphic.jpg","body":null,"created":"1764016128","gmt_created":"2025-11-24 20:28:48","changed":"1764016128","gmt_changed":"2025-11-24 20:28:48","alt":"Google Research Awards","file":{"fid":"262784","name":"437249_Google-Research-Award-Graphic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/24\/437249_Google-Research-Award-Graphic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/24\/437249_Google-Research-Award-Graphic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":120957,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/24\/437249_Google-Research-Award-Graphic.jpg?itok=QmSwvwkp"}}},"media_ids":["678716"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"192524","name":"ChatGPT"},{"id":"184554","name":"Google Research Award"},{"id":"167007","name":"health \u0026 well-being"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"169137","name":"chatbot"},{"id":"167543","name":"social media"},{"id":"114791","name":"Data Privacy"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686197":{"#nid":"686197","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Software Center Director to Lead Next Wave of Scientific Discovery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists across Georgia Tech rely on powerful software tools to propel breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics to biology. Now, software experts who make that research possible are gaining a new leader.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Computing named Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vuduc.org\/v2\/\u0022\u003ERich Vuduc\u003C\/a\u003E as director of the Center for Scientific Software Engineering (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ssecenter.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECSSE\u003C\/a\u003E). The Georgia Tech hub is dedicated to building reliable, high-performance software for scientists. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder Vuduc\u2019s leadership, CSSE strives to accelerate the pace and increase the quality of scientific discovery by developing custom software tools and best practices tailored to researchers\u2019 needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is a reproducibility and reliability problem right now with scientific software,\u201d Vuduc said. \u201cThe promise of CSSE is to leverage capabilities shared between Georgia Tech, Schmidt Sciences, and industry experts to address this problem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIssues arise because scientists often need to develop their own software for experiments or data analysis. However, troubleshooting coding issues and other bugs can slow down research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo assist these scientists, CSSE receives their input to create custom software tools and best practices. The center employs professional software engineers who build and deliver products tailor-made to the needs of researchers at Georgia Tech and broader scientific communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond its research focus, CSSE helps Georgia Tech fulfill its educational mission. The center provides students with direct access and exposure to real-world software engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the center enters its third year, Vuduc wants to better prepare students for employment by enhancing their hands-on experience while learning from CSSE engineers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve this goal, Vuduc is working to establish a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.infoready4.com\/#competitionDetail\/1999204\u0022\u003EPh.D. fellowship program\u003C\/a\u003E in which CSSE engineers mentor students. This program would connect academic inquiry with industry expertise, creating the next generation of dynamic leaders in computational science. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc also envisions pairing CSSE with Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects (VIP) program\u003C\/a\u003E. This approach would allow undergraduate students to earn class credit while working with CSSE engineers on large software engineering projects spanning multiple semesters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe center gives our students access to something that is very unique to find in a university environment,\u201d Vuduc said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe software engineers in CSSE mostly come from industry. They have over 65 years of combined experience doing real-world software engineering that students can learn from.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc is a 2010 recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/awards.acm.org\/bell\u0022\u003EGordon Bell Prize\u003C\/a\u003E and a leading expert in high-performance computing (HPC). He was a finalist for the award in 2020 and 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Gordon Bell Prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize in supercomputing due to the scope and magnitude of research it recognizes, celebrates achievement in HPC research and application.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc joined Georgia Tech in 2007 as one of the first faculty hired for the new Division of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). Not a stranger of leading new units, he saw CSE begin offering M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 2008 and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/founding-school\u0022\u003Eattain school status in 2010\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2021, Vuduc has served as co-director of the Center for Research into Novel Computing Hierarchies (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crnch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECRNCH\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECRNCH is an interdisciplinary research center at Georgia Tech that explores technologies and approaches that will usher the next generation of computing. Areas CRNCH studies include quantum computing, brain-inspired computing, and approximate computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc will step down as CRNCH co-director to fulfill his role as CSSE director. The College of Computing will lead a search for CRNCH\u2019s next co-director.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn a sense, the CRNCH to CSSE transition was partly a natural one because one thing that contributes to software challenges is that hardware platforms are also changing and evolving very rapidly,\u201d said Vuduc.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople are exploring radically new hardware systems and we will have to write software configured for those too. Centers, like CRNCH and CSSE, strongly position Georgia Tech to lead these endeavors.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlessandro (Alex) Orso\u003C\/strong\u003E, the previous CSSE director, departed Georgia Tech earlier this year to become\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.uga.edu\/alex-orso-named-dean-of-ugas-college-of-engineering\/\u0022\u003Edean of the University of Georgia\u2019s College of Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. Orso and Distinguished Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EIrfan Essa\u003C\/strong\u003E wrote the proposal to bring CSSE to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech formed CSSE in 2022 after securing an $11 million grant from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.schmidtsciences.org\/\u0022\u003ESchmidt Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his spouse, Wendy Schmidt, founded the philanthropic venture that funds science and technology research and talent networking programs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s CSSE is part of Schmidt Sciences\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.schmidtsciences.org\/viss\/\u0022\u003EVirtual Institute for Scientific Software (VISS) program\u003C\/a\u003E. This network helps scientists obtain more robust, flexible, scalable open-source software.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchmidt Sciences is investing $40 million in VISS over five years at four universities: Georgia Tech, University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Cambridge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSSE uses the funding to employ a software engineering lead, three senior and two junior software engineers. The Schmidt Sciences grant equips these engineers with computing resources to build scientific software. Along with the director, an advisory board guides the group\u2019s work to meet the point of need for scientists in the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am grateful to Schmidt Sciences for their support of CSSE. It aligns with our college\u2019s strategic goals and expertise in scientific software, and I am delighted that Rich has agreed to take on this important role,\u201d said Vivek Sarkar, Dean and John P. Imlay Jr. Chair of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI know that Rich is committed to growing CSSE\u0027s internal and external visibility and long-term sustainability. I am confident that he will also help further socialize CSSE among internal stakeholders across Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists across Georgia Tech rely on powerful software tools to propel breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics to biology. Now, software experts who make that research possible are gaining a new leader.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Computing named Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vuduc.org\/v2\/\u0022\u003ERich Vuduc\u003C\/a\u003E as director of the Center for Scientific Software Engineering (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ssecenter.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECSSE\u003C\/a\u003E). The Georgia Tech hub is dedicated to building reliable, high-performance software for scientists. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder Vuduc\u2019s leadership, CSSE strives to accelerate the pace and increase the quality of scientific discovery by developing custom software tools and best practices tailored to researchers\u2019 needs.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Computing named Professor Rich Vuduc as director of the Center for Scientific Software Engineering (CSSE). The Georgia Tech hub is dedicated to building reliable, high-performance software for scientists.  "}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-11-05 14:01:46","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:38:07","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678546":{"id":"678546","type":"image","title":"Vuduc-CSSE-Director.jpg","body":null,"created":"1762351373","gmt_created":"2025-11-05 14:02:53","changed":"1762351373","gmt_changed":"2025-11-05 14:02:53","alt":"Rich Vuduc CSSE Director","file":{"fid":"262598","name":"Vuduc-CSSE-Director.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/05\/Vuduc-CSSE-Director.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/05\/Vuduc-CSSE-Director.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":82857,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/05\/Vuduc-CSSE-Director.jpg?itok=o-JZUe-T"}}},"media_ids":["678546"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-software-center-director-lead-next-wave-scientific-discovery","title":"New Software Center Director to Lead Next Wave of Scientific Discovery"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"172288","name":"School of Computational Science Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"183717","name":"Center for Research into Novel Computing Hierarchies"},{"id":"15030","name":"high-performance computing"},{"id":"170965","name":"software engineering"},{"id":"194841","name":"Center for Scientific Software Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686843":{"#nid":"686843","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF Grant Funds Protein Research for Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProteins, including antibodies, hemoglobin, and insulin, power nearly every vital aspect of life. Breakthroughs in protein research are producing vaccines, resilient crops, bioenergy sources, and other innovative technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite their importance, most of what scientists know about proteins only comes from a small sample size. This stands in the way of fully understanding how most proteins work and unlocking their full potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~yunan\/\u0022\u003EYunan Luo\u003C\/a\u003E believes artificial intelligence (AI) could fill this knowledge gap. The National Science Foundation agrees. Luo is the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003ECAREER\u003C\/a\u003E) award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSo much of biology depends on knowing what proteins do, but decades of research have concentrated on a relatively small set of well-studied proteins. This imbalance in scientific attention leads to a distorted view of the biological landscape that\u0026nbsp;quietly shapes our data and our algorithms,\u201d Luo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy group\u2019s goal is to build machine learning (ML) models that actively close this gap by generating trustworthy\u0026nbsp;function predictions for the many proteins that remain understudied.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/faculty-use-ai-protein-design-and-discovery-support-18-million-nih-grant\u0022\u003EYunan Luo to use AI for Protein Design and Discovery with Support of $1.8 Million NIH Grant\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award\/?AWD_ID=2442063\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003Eproposal to NSF\u003C\/a\u003E, Luo coined this rich-get-richer effect \u201cannotation inequality.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne problem of annotation inequality is that it slows progress in disease prognosis, drug discovery, and other critical biomedical areas. It is challenging to innovate the few proteins that scientists already know so much about.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA cascading effect of annotation inequality is that it diminishes the effectiveness of studying proteins with\u0026nbsp;AI. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI methods learn from existing experimental data. Datasets skewed toward well-known proteins propagate and become entrenched in models. Over time, this makes it harder for computers to research understudied proteins.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cProtein annotation inequality creates an effect analogous to a vast library where 95% of patrons only read the top 5% popular books, leaving the rest of the collection to gather dust,\u201d Luo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis has resulted in knowledge disparities across proteins in current literature and databases, biasing our understanding of protein functions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER award will fund Luo with over $770,000 for the next five years to tackle head-on the problem of protein annotation inequality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo will use the grant to build an accurate, unbiased protein function prediction framework at scale. His project aims to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReveal how annotation inequality affects protein function prediction systems\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate ML techniques suited for biological data, which is often noisy, incomplete, and imbalanced \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIntegrate data and ML models into a scalable framework to accelerate discoveries involving understudied proteins\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore enduring than the ML framework, Luo will leverage the NSF award to support educational and outreach programs. His goal is to groom the next generation of researchers to study other challenges in computational biology, not just the annotation inequality problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo teaches graduate and undergraduate courses focused on computational biology and ML. Problems and methods developed through the CAREER project can be used as course material in his classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo also championed collaboration with Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E) in his proposal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this partnership, local high school teachers and students would gain access to his data and models. This promotes deeper learning of biology and data science through hands-on experience with real-world tools. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo sees reaching students and the community as a way of paying forward the support he received from Georgia Tech colleagues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am incredibly grateful for this recognition from the NSF,\u201d said Luo, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (CSE).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis would not have been possible without my students and collaborators, whose hard work laid the groundwork for this proposal.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo praised CSE faculty members \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~badityap\/\u0022\u003EB. Aditya Prakash\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/xiuweizhang.wordpress.com\/\u0022\u003EXiuwei Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chaozhang.org\/\u0022\u003EChao Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E for their guidance. All three study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning\u0022\u003Emachine learning\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/computational-bioscience-and-biomedicine\u0022\u003Ecomputational bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, two of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/research\u0022\u003ECSE\u2019s five core research areas\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo also thanked \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~hpark\/\u0022\u003EHaesun Park\u003C\/a\u003E for her support and recommendation for the CAREER award. Park is a Regents\u2019 Professor and the chair of the School of CSE.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProteins, including antibodies, hemoglobin, and insulin, power nearly every vital aspect of life. Breakthroughs in protein research are producing vaccines, resilient crops, bioenergy sources, and other innovative technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite their importance, most of what scientists know about proteins only comes from a small sample size. This stands in the way of fully understanding how most proteins work and unlocking their full potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~yunan\/\u0022\u003EYunan Luo\u003C\/a\u003E believes artificial intelligence (AI) could fill this knowledge gap. The National Science Foundation agrees. Luo is the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003ECAREER\u003C\/a\u003E) award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Yunan Luo is the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to use artificial intelligence to solve the protein annotation inequality problem."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 16:57:22","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:37:31","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678817":{"id":"678817","type":"image","title":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1765385865","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:57:45","changed":"1765385865","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:57:45","alt":"Yunan Luo NSF CAREER Award","file":{"fid":"262902","name":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":108350,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg?itok=j83dW4Sn"}},"678818":{"id":"678818","type":"image","title":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1765385967","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:59:27","changed":"1765385967","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:59:27","alt":"Yunan Luo NSF CAREER Award","file":{"fid":"262903","name":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":100260,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg?itok=CShGR6nJ"}}},"media_ids":["678817","678818"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/nsf-grant-funds-protein-research-drug-discovery-and-personalized-medicine","title":"NSF Grant Funds Protein Research for Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"191934","name":"National Science Foundation (NSF)"},{"id":"170447","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"176858","name":"machine learning center"},{"id":"173894","name":"ML@GT"}],"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":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686871":{"#nid":"686871","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet CSE Profile: Ph.D. Graduate Ziqi Zhang","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EZiqi Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E has built a career blending machine learning with single-cell biology. His work helps scientists study cellular mechanisms that advance disease research and drug development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/award-winning-computer-models-propel-research-cellular-differentiation\u0022\u003Edecorated with awards\u003C\/a\u003E and appearances in leading journals, Zhang will achieve his greatest accomplishment tonight at McCamish Pavilion. He will join the Class of 2025 in walking across the stage, receiving diplomas, and graduating from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore he \u201cgets out\u201d of Georgia Tech, we interviewed Zhang to learn more about his Ph.D. journey and where his degree will take him next.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGraduate:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peterzzq.github.io\/\u0022\u003EZiqi Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Interests:\u003C\/strong\u003E Machine learning, foundational models, cellular mechanisms, single-cell gene sequencing, gene regulatory networks\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E: School of CSE J.Z. Liang Early-Career Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/xiuweizhang.wordpress.com\/\u0022\u003EXiuwei Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat persuaded you to study at Georgia Tech?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI chose Georgia Tech because it is one of the top engineering institutions in the United States, known for its strength in machine learning and data science. The university offers exceptional research resources and the opportunity to work with leading scholars in my field. Georgia Tech also has very good research infrastructure. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/coda\u0022\u003ECoda Building\u003C\/a\u003E is one of the most well-designed and productive research environments I have experienced. Having access to such a space has been a genuine privilege.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow has working on your CSE degree helped you so far in your career?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking toward my CSE degree has been instrumental in my career development. As an interdisciplinary program, CSE has equipped me with strong computational skills while also deepening my understanding of key application domains. This breadth of training has opened more opportunities during my job and internship searches. In addition, CSE community events, such as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hotcse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EHotCSE\u003C\/a\u003E, the weekly coffee hour, and faculty recruiting activities, have helped me strengthen my scientific communication skills, which are essential for my long-term career growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat research project from Georgia Tech are you most proud of?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy favorite research project was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-023-36066-2\u0022\u003EscMoMaT\u003C\/a\u003E, a matrix tri-factorization algorithm for single-cell data integration. I invested a significant amount of time and effort into this work, iterating on the model many times. I\u2019m very proud that it ultimately evolved into a clean, robust, and elegant algorithm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give someone interested in graduate school?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is important to find an advisor who is supportive and genuinely invested in your career development. A Ph.D. is not an easy journey, and you will inevitably encounter challenges along the way. Having an advisor who can provide thoughtful guidance and dedicated mentorship is one of the most crucial factors in helping you navigate those difficulties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your most favorite memory from Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSE\u2019s new student campus visit day every year was one of my favorite times of the year. It was always fun to meet new people, have good food, and enjoy the beautiful view from the Coda rooftop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your plans after graduation?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI plan to keep working in academia after graduation. I\u2019m on the job hunt, currently applying for positions and preparing for interviews.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EZiqi Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E has built a career blending machine learning with single-cell biology. His work helps scientists study cellular mechanisms that advance disease research and drug development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/award-winning-computer-models-propel-research-cellular-differentiation\u0022\u003Edecorated with awards\u003C\/a\u003E and appearances in leading journals, Zhang will achieve his greatest accomplishment tonight at McCamish Pavilion. He will join the Class of 2025 in walking across the stage, receiving diplomas, and graduating from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore he \u201cgets out\u201d of Georgia Tech, we interviewed Zhang to learn more about his Ph.D. journey and where his degree will take him next.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. graduate Ziqi Zhang will join the Class of 2025 in walking across the stage, receiving diplomas, and graduating from Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-12-11 15:58:37","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:36:26","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678827":{"id":"678827","type":"image","title":"Meet-CSE_Ziqi-Zhang.jpg","body":null,"created":"1765468731","gmt_created":"2025-12-11 15:58:51","changed":"1765468731","gmt_changed":"2025-12-11 15:58:51","alt":"Meet CSE Ziqi Zhang","file":{"fid":"262915","name":"Meet-CSE_Ziqi-Zhang.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/Meet-CSE_Ziqi-Zhang.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/Meet-CSE_Ziqi-Zhang.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":119733,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/11\/Meet-CSE_Ziqi-Zhang.jpg?itok=LsnALgbn"}}},"media_ids":["678827"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"194880","name":"2025 fall commencement"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"}],"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":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686865":{"#nid":"686865","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Shaping Tomorrow\u2019s Talent: Alumna and CNN VP on Giving Back, Leadership, and Real-World Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elbanks\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EErica Banks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, vice president of technology for CNN\u2019s platforms group, oversees the teams that alert millions of people worldwide to breaking news. She\u2019s also a computer science alumna who credits her Georgia Tech education with shaping her problem-solving skills and preparing her for a fast-paced career in global media technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer own financial challenges as a student inspired her to establish a needs-based scholarship supporting first-generation and underrepresented students in the College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBanks shares her story and why she wants to expand opportunity and help future technologists build their own paths forward in the following Q\u0026amp;A.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did your time at Georgia Tech influence the trajectory that brought you to your current role with CNN?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine millions of people rushing to\u0026nbsp;CNN.com\u0026nbsp;and CNN apps the moment breaking news happens, all while your teams are deploying a major platform update! That is my world. My B.S. in computer science taught me to think in systems and logic, not just write software code.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, I lead an organization of 80+ engineers and technical leaders building CNN\u0027s news publishing platforms and frameworks. As a VP of Software Engineering, I balance system design, crisis response, organization strategy, and diverse problem-solving all at scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt sounds like your team hires many early-career software engineers. What skills or qualities do you look for in new talent, and how do Georgia Tech students stand out?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcademic achievements matter because they demonstrate your technical intellect and prove you can master complex concepts. Georgia Tech students naturally excel in pushing through intellectual challenges and rigorous curricula. What stands out beyond your GPA are curiosity, willingness to learn, ability to collaborate, and resilience. Can you go from abstract ideas to tactical software directions? Can you debug your own thinking? Do you ask great questions to understand risks and uncertainties? How well do you work on project teams? The best technologists I have hired have strong technical fundamentals, the ability to collaborate, and the humility to learn. This self-awareness is invaluable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u0027re helping expand internship\u2014and potentially co-op\u2014pipelines in Atlanta, New York, and Ottawa. What opportunities do you hope these pathways will create for students?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring my undergraduate years at Georgia Tech, I worked as an intern and co-op at IBM. Transitioning to full-time at IBM after graduating was significantly easier with this real-world work experience. I was already experienced with shipping \u0022real\u0022 code, understanding production systems, and learning how corporate organizations operate. I hope to create the same real impact through new hiring pathways, where early experience across different industries equips students with sufficient real-world experience and career jump-starts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAs a HOPE Scholar who faced challenges with living expenses, how did those experiences shape your perspective on access and affordability in higher education?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027m incredibly grateful to have been a HOPE Scholar during my undergraduate years at Georgia Tech. The program had just started 2 years prior to my entry, so I knew my tuition, fees, and books were covered for 4+ years as long as I maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher. However, I did not qualify for need-based aid because I came from a middle-class family. I did not have the resources to cover my room and board to live on campus. This taught me the lesson that \u0022access\u0022 requires far more than admission. I was fortunate to have supportive parents and income from my internships and co-op experiences. But I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for brilliant students to fill financial gaps each semester. Financial stress doesn\u0027t just limit opportunities. It steals focus from learning and creates a \u0022ceiling\u0022 for how far you can go academically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYour existing scholarship fund supports\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efirst-generation and\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;underrepresented students. Why is this focus especially meaningful to you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderrepresented students often carry what I call an \u0022invisible\u0022 weight: how to navigate environments without a clear roadmap on what\/who\/why\/when\/how, all while trying to build their own future. During my undergraduate years, I was frequently the only, or one of a few, women and\/or people of color in my computer science classes. This same pattern has continued throughout my 25+ year career, especially as I have climbed higher on the tech leadership career ladder. As a VP, I have personally met only 10 or so other black female VPs in technology (ever). I established my scholarship fund at Georgia Tech to help change this narrative for future generations. I want to support underrepresented students in pursuing their dream degree at one of the best schools in this country!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u0027ve made a new commitment\u2014$100K over five years\u2014that will qualify your scholarship for the Invest in the Best match. What inspired you to expand your support at this moment?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am very grateful that the Invest in the Best Match will help my scholarship fund reach a level where a significant financial impact can be achieved every academic year. I am at a stage in my career where I can accelerate what I wish had existed for me. I am personal proof that only one semester of financial security can change a student\u0027s entire trajectory. This commitment is also a huge stepping stone toward my ultimate goal of my scholarship fund reaching the $1 million level in future years, creating sustainable support that outlasts my own contributions and my lifetime.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen you think about the long-term impact of a $200K need-based endowed scholarship, what outcomes or student stories do you hope to see?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI hope scholarship recipients will graduate and then find rewarding careers or seek entrepreneurship that changes their lives. This is how my personal journey has progressed: I continue to seek life-fulfilling challenges, overcome any hurdles, and fulfill my life\u0027s purpose by helping others. I hope they reach a point in their life where they look back with gratitude and choose to pay it forward. I am looking forward to reading their alumni newsletter feature one day, where they announce their new self-named scholarship fund and tell the next generation of students, \u0022Someone invested in me. Now I am investing in you.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMany alumni want to give back but aren\u0027t sure where to start. What advice would you offer to donors who want their philanthropy to be meaningful and aligned with their values?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI had the idea of starting a scholarship fund at Georgia Tech for over 10 years. I feared making the financial commitment and kept deferring the decision for years. Finally, in 2021, I decided to reach out and request information on the starting steps. There is flexibility in how to meet the initial commitment, including funding sources and the timeframe. Start with this, then focus on scaling the fund later.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe bigger picture is that you are helping future students with their financial needs and letting them know that a Georgia Tech alum believes in them. This profound impact is far greater than any fears over starting a fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking ahead, how do you envision partnerships between industry leaders like CNN and academic institutions like Georgia Tech shaping the next generation of computing talent?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe best partnerships treat students as colleagues, not just pipelines of talent. We need stronger two-way connections between academia and industry, where theoretical boundaries merge with real-world opportunities. Take streaming video delivery as a concrete example: millions of simultaneous viewers need to watch a live presidential debate or a live March Madness game on their iPhones. How do you maintain quality when network bandwidth drops during a debate? How do you scale real-time infrastructure when traffic spikes from 10 million viewers to 20 million viewers at one time? How do you personalize video delivery by various factors without introducing latency? The next generation of technologists will greatly benefit from learning to solve these problems while actively earning their degrees.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EComputer science alumna and CCN VP Erica Banks has endowed a needs-based scholarship for the College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A computer science alumna has endowed a needs-based scholarship for the College of Computing."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2025-12-11 15:00:45","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:36:15","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678834":{"id":"678834","type":"image","title":"Erica Banks at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1765558853","gmt_created":"2025-12-12 17:00:53","changed":"1765559002","gmt_changed":"2025-12-12 17:03:22","alt":"Erica Banks at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"262923","name":"EB-georgia-tech-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/EB-georgia-tech-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/EB-georgia-tech-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":92118,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/12\/EB-georgia-tech-2.jpg?itok=86eVZS9t"}}},"media_ids":["678834"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"193234","name":"Campaign Stories"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"596","name":"Alumni Association"},{"id":"194752","name":"transforming tomorrow"},{"id":"2284","name":"Giving"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker, Communications Mgr. II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686854":{"#nid":"686854","#data":{"type":"news","title":" In Her Own Words: A First-Gen Grad on Perseverance, Parenthood, and Possibility","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPursuing a master\u2019s degree had always been a dream, but becoming a new mom during the pandemic shifted everything.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a newborn and the world in lockdown, I paused my software engineering career and applied to Georgia Tech\u2019s Master of Science in Computer Science program to continue learning without leaving my baby behind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy journey became a true test of resilience. I completed assignments late at night after my daughters had fallen asleep. I welcomed my second baby in the middle of the program, balancing late-night feedings with project deadlines and Sunday night submissions. It wasn\u2019t easy, but it was worth every moment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, I graduate with a master\u2019s degree, two beautiful daughters, and overwhelming gratitude for my husband, whose unwavering support made this possible, and for my parents in Bangladesh, whose blessings carried me from afar. I\u2019m proud to be the first in my family to graduate from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs I step into the next chapter, I am building my tech startup in Austin, combining my expertise in Industrial Engineering with practical, real-world AI to help businesses evaluate, optimize, and automate their workflows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a mom of two balancing family, work, and grad school, earning this degree has been one of the most transformative chapters of my life. To every mother, dreamer, and non-traditional student: you don\u2019t have to do it all at once; you just have to keep going.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith her MS degree in hand, new alumna Karina Islam is ready for her next chapter.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With her MS degree in hand, new alumna Karina Islam is ready for her next chapter."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 20:14:38","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:36:06","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678835":{"id":"678835","type":"image","title":"Karina Islam is graduating in Fall 2025 with an MS degree in computer science from Georgia Tech.","body":null,"created":"1765560284","gmt_created":"2025-12-12 17:24:44","changed":"1765560284","gmt_changed":"2025-12-12 17:24:44","alt":"Karina Islam is graduating in Fall 2025 with an MS degree in computer science from Georgia Tech.","file":{"fid":"262924","name":"Karina-Islam-MSCSgraduate-fall2025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/Karina-Islam-MSCSgraduate-fall2025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/Karina-Islam-MSCSgraduate-fall2025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":632732,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/12\/Karina-Islam-MSCSgraduate-fall2025.jpg?itok=0e2aCg-3"}}},"media_ids":["678835"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"627","name":"commencement"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker, Communications Mgr. II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686884":{"#nid":"686884","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Collaborating with Nonprofit to Reduce Bird Collisions with Buildings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 2015, before the cleaning crews hit the sidewalks of downtown Atlanta and before scavenger animals arose to snag an easy meal, Adam Betuel would venture into the darkness of the early mornings to look for birds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome were still alive, but most of the birds were dead. They were all too easy to find.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI knew birds hit buildings, but I didn\u2019t know much more about the issue at that time, and I was surprised how easily I just found birds,\u201d Betuel said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBirds flying into windows aren\u2019t isolated events. Environmentalists estimate between 365 million and one billion birds die each year from colliding with structures in the U.S. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat statistic is hard for most people to comprehend,\u201d Betuel said. \u201cWhen you think about the millions of homes we have and these high-rise buildings, and if each one is killing a few a year, that number can get big pretty quick.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBetuel is the executive director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.birdsgeorgia.org\/mission-and-programs.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBirds Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a nonprofit affiliate of the Audubon network that leads bird conservation efforts in Georgia. For 10 years, volunteers from the organization have combed Atlanta\u2019s streets, collecting bird specimens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBirds Georgia launched Project Safe Flight in 2015 to reduce bird building-collision mortality through data collection. Through legislation, the group aims to make building construction bird-friendly and reduce light pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmentalists who study the issue have ranked Atlanta, which sits squarely on a migration route, as the fourth-most dangerous city for birds during fall migration. It is the ninth-most dangerous city during spring migration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe number of bird deaths from collisions in Atlanta and across the state remains unknown. However, new data tools developed by student researchers in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech are helping Birds Georgia get a clearer picture of the issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve been working with different folks at Georgia Tech for years now, but it\u2019s really picked up lately,\u201d Betuel said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of momentum and interest on campus to try to make the city safer for birds.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPushing for Policy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/abooneportfolio.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAshley Boone\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student in human-centered computing in Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, has led the student effort to help Birds Georgia organize its data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoone said organizing data and knowing how to use it is critical to spark conversations about adopting legislation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe often see a gap between data collection and data advocacy,\u201d she said. \u201cBirds Georgia has done an amazing job of tracking collisions in Atlanta over the last 10 years. My goal is to understand the role technology can play in making data useful for policy change.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUser-interface tools designed by computer science undergraduate students James Kemerait and Ian Wood have\u0026nbsp;ramped\u0026nbsp;up that process. One tool converts data input into visualizations optimized for social media, while another consolidates the data collected by volunteers and external sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoone said the desired legislation would mirror policies implemented by New York City. Those policies require the use of bird-safe materials \u2014 like window film with patterned designs that break up reflections \u2014 in new buildings and buildings undergoing significant renovations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Can Residents Do?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResidents, whose homes account for about 40% of bird collision deaths in the U.S., can also make an impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHouseholds are an underexamined cause of bird collisions,\u201d Boone said. \u201cWe focus on the big buildings because it\u2019s easier to convince one manager of a large building to use bird-safe materials, and it\u2019s easier for a policy to address a commercial building. But the sheer volume of residential buildings in the U.S. has a tremendous impact on the number of collisions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteps that homeowners can take include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBuying bird-safe film or making do-it-yourself versions of it to put on windows.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPlacing attractive objects like birdhouses and birdfeeders very close or very far away from windows.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETurning off lights after 9 p.m. on the busiest migration nights of the year.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBetuel said millions of birds can fly over Atlanta on a single night during migration, and they are attracted to the city lights.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey\u2019ll come into urban centers and collide with an illuminated building, or maybe they overnight somewhere that isn\u2019t safe,\u201d he said. \u201cThe next day, they\u2019re surrounded by glass, and birds don\u2019t understand reflection.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResidents can visit the Birds Georgia website to sign up for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.birdsgeorgia.org\/lights-out-georgia.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELights Out Pledge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Those who sign up will receive a text on the 10 busiest migratory nights of the year, and they will be asked to turn their lights off early.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tools provided by Georgia Tech gave Birds Georgia insight into the number of bird species affected by collisions \u2014 more than 140, according to Betuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBetuel said that when the organization reaches an estimate of bird collisions, he hopes the number will raise alarms and turn people\u2019s attention to the ecological impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll these birds being lost results in fewer birds to eat pest insects, fewer birds to pollinate flowers, fewer birds to disperse seeds \u2014 all the ecological functions that we need, that they\u2019re doing in the background that most people aren\u2019t keen to,\u201d he said. \u201cIf this decline in bird life continues to happen, at some point, there will be issues with our ecosystems functioning as they always have.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is one of the country\u0027s deadliest cities for migratory birds. Human-centered computing students in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing are helping Birds Georgia organize its data to better understand how to reduce the likelihood of birds flying into tall buildings..\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Interactive computing students are developing new data tools to reduce bird\/building strikes in Atlanta, which is among the country\u0027s deadliest cities for migratory birds."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2025-12-12 22:04:38","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:35:54","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678838":{"id":"678838","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech human-centered computing Ph.D. student Ashley Boone is building data tools to reduce the likelihood of birds flying into buildings.","body":null,"created":"1765577088","gmt_created":"2025-12-12 22:04:48","changed":"1765577088","gmt_changed":"2025-12-12 22:04:48","alt":"Georgia Tech human-centered computing Ph.D. student Ashley Boone is building data tools to reduce the likelihood of birds flying into buildings.","file":{"fid":"262927","name":"Ashley-Boone_86A1373-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/Ashley-Boone_86A1373-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/Ashley-Boone_86A1373-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":66310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/12\/Ashley-Boone_86A1373-copy.jpg?itok=iPD3xf3i"}}},"media_ids":["678838"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENathan Deen, Communications Officer I\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech School of Interactive Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Endeen6@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686803":{"#nid":"686803","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Earning a Ph.D. When Your Plate is More than Full","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Yuchen Zhao, who is graduating this week, the path to a Ph.D. in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dm.lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDigital Media\u003C\/a\u003E wasn\u2019t just about mastering code or theory. It was about mastering time itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMidway through her doctoral studies in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ethe School of Literature, Media, and Communication\u003C\/a\u003E, Zhao\u2019s commitments expanded in two demanding directions: she became a mother and a business co-owner with her husband. Suddenly, time for research became a particularly precious commodity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAfter becoming a mother, my available working time each day became extremely limited \u2014 sometimes only two hours,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/zhaoyuchen8877\/?locale=en_US\u0022\u003EZhao\u003C\/a\u003E said. \u201cI had to become very efficient and focused with the time I had.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was within those tight constraints \u2014 balancing the rigors of entrepreneurship and parenthood \u2014 that Zhao developed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biovr.tech\/\u0022\u003EBioVR\u003C\/a\u003E, which looks to reimagine how humans interact with technology. The technology is at the heart of Zhao\u2019s other startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInnovating from the Inside Out\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhao\u2019s research moves beyond the standard handheld controllers and head-tracking used in many virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. BioVR, on the other hand, is all about how internal physiological signals such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rhythm can control a virtual environment in real time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I wanted to investigate what happens when the interaction comes from inside the body,\u0022 Zhao said. \u0022BioVR demonstrates how internal states can become meaningful, expressive input for interactive systems.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe applications of her work are myriad, from horror games that adapt to a player\u2019s fear levels to rehabilitation systems that automatically adjust difficulty based on a patient\u0027s physiological response.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhao credits the pressure of her personal life with sharpening her academic focus. Running a business while pursuing a degree prevented her from staying in an \u0022academic bubble.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Running a business opened my eyes to another path \u2014 how research can connect to real societal needs,\u0022 she said. \u0022Becoming a mother also reshaped my values. It reminded me that health and family relationships should never be taken for granted.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENext Steps\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhao is now headed to Yale University, where she will work as a postdoctoral associate and continue her research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore she goes, however, she has advice to other Georgia Tech students facing similar juggling acts: success is built on sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I learned that physical and mental health are the foundation of everything,\u0022 she said. \u0022No matter how many tasks you have, try not to panic or rush. Organize priorities step by step, and most importantly, protect your sleep.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile balancing the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship, Digital Media Ph.D. Yuchen Zhao, who graduates this week, developed BioVR, a system that utilizes internal physiological signals to control virtual environments.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While balancing the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship, Digital Media Ph.D. graduate Yuchen Zhao developed BioVR, a system that utilizes internal physiological signals to control virtual environments."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2025-12-09 16:43:40","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:35:16","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678805":{"id":"678805","type":"image","title":"yuchen-zhao-family.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuchen Zhao, left, with her daughter, Qianyu Ma, and husband, Mile Ma. Zhao juggled her responsibilities as a researcher trying to commercialize her work, as a new mom, and business co-owner with her husband, all while studying for her Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765298633","gmt_created":"2025-12-09 16:43:53","changed":"1765309676","gmt_changed":"2025-12-09 19:47:56","alt":"A young family poses for a photo in front of green vegetation","file":{"fid":"262888","name":"yuchen-zhao-family.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/09\/yuchen-zhao-family.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/09\/yuchen-zhao-family.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":446524,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/09\/yuchen-zhao-family.jpg?itok=IEHh6IjK"}},"678809":{"id":"678809","type":"image","title":"yuchen-zhao-research.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EZhao\u0027s BioVR uses internal physiological signals such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rhythm to control a virtual environment in real time.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765308949","gmt_created":"2025-12-09 19:35:49","changed":"1765308949","gmt_changed":"2025-12-09 19:35:49","alt":"A woman on an exercise machine wearing a VR headset in an office or lab.","file":{"fid":"262892","name":"yuchen-zhao-research.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/09\/yuchen-zhao-research.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/09\/yuchen-zhao-research.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":884850,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/09\/yuchen-zhao-research.jpg?itok=Chkd-R2Q"}}},"media_ids":["678805","678809"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686935":{"#nid":"686935","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Shouldn\u2019t Try to Be Your Friend, According to New Georgia Tech Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWould you follow a chatbot\u2019s advice more if it sounded friendly?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat question matters as artificial intelligence (AI) spreads into everything from customer service to self-driving cars. These autonomous agents often have human names \u2014 Alexa or Claude, for example \u2014 and speak conversationally, but too much familiarity can backfire.\u0026nbsp;Earlier this year, OpenAI scaled down its \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/sycophancy-in-gpt-4o\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/sycophancy-in-gpt-4o\/\u0022\u003Esycophantic\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d ChatGPT model, which could cause problems for users with mental health issues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew research from Georgia Tech suggests that users may like more personable AI, but they are more likely to obey AI that sounds robotic. While following orders from Siri may not be critical, many AI systems, such as robotic guide dogs, require human compliance for safety reasons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese surprising findings are from research by Sidney Scott-Sharoni, who recently received her Ph.D. from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Psychology\u003C\/a\u003E. Despite years of previous research suggesting people would be socially influenced by AI they liked, Scott-Sharoni\u2019s research showed the opposite.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven though people rated humanistic agents better, that didn\u0027t line up with their behavior,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELikability vs. Reliability\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScott-Sharoni ran four experiments. In the first, participants answered trivia questions, saw the AI\u2019s response, and decided whether to change their answer. She expected people to listen to agents they liked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I found was that the more humanlike people rated the agent, the less they would change their answer, so, effectively, the less they would conform to what the agent said,\u201d she noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESurprised, Scott-Sharoni studied moral judgments with an AI voice agent next. For example, participants decided how to handle being undercharged on a restaurant bill.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce again, participants liked the humanlike agent better but listened to the robotic agent more.\u0026nbsp;The unexpected pattern led Scott-Sharoni to explore why people behave this way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBias Breakthrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy the gap? Scott-Sharoni\u2019s findings point to automation bias \u2014 the tendency to see machines as more objective than humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScott-Sharoni continued to test this with a third experiment focused on the prisoner\u2019s dilemma, where participants cooperate with or retaliate against authority. In her task, participants played a game against an AI agent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI hypothesized that people would retaliate against the humanlike agent if it didn\u2019t cooperate,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I found: Participants interacting with the humanlike agent became less likely to cooperate over time, while those with the robotic agent stayed steady.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe final study, a self-driving car simulation, was the most realistic and troubling for safety concerns. Participants didn\u2019t consistently obey either agent type, but across all experiments, humanlike AI proved less effective at influencing behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesigning the Right AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications are pivotal for AI engineers. As AI grows, designers may cater to user preferences \u2014 but what people want isn\u2019t always best.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany people develop a trusting relationship with an AI agent,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/bruce-n-walker\u0022\u003EBruce Walker\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of psychology and interactive computing and Scott-Sharoni\u2019s Ph.D. advisor. \u201cSo, it\u2019s important that developers understand what role AI plays in the social fabric and design technical systems that ultimately make humans better. Sidney\u0027s work makes a critical contribution to that ultimate goal.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen safety and compliance are the point, robotic beats relatable.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Ph.D. graduate\u2019s research shows that the more humanlike an AI agent is, the less likely a user is to follow it.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Ph.D. graduate\u2019s research shows that the more humanlike an AI agent is, the less likely a user is to follow it."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2025-12-17 18:40:12","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:34:32","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678917":{"id":"678917","type":"image","title":"Sidney Scott-Sharoni","body":null,"created":"1767628889","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 16:01:29","changed":"1767628889","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 16:01:29","alt":"Sidney Scott-Sharoni","file":{"fid":"263014","name":"Sidney-Scott-Sharoni.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Sidney-Scott-Sharoni.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Sidney-Scott-Sharoni.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":947371,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/Sidney-Scott-Sharoni.jpg?itok=dYOo9RWi"}},"678870":{"id":"678870","type":"image","title":"50414610_00201_0273_Large.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESidney Scott-Sharoni at Ph.D. commencement December 2025\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765996863","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 18:41:03","changed":"1765996863","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 18:41:03","alt":"Sidney Scott-Sharoni","file":{"fid":"262960","name":"50414610_00201_0273_Large.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/50414610_00201_0273_Large.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/50414610_00201_0273_Large.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":713143,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/50414610_00201_0273_Large.jpg?itok=1aEFLR_7"}}},"media_ids":["678917","678870"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"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\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687121":{"#nid":"687121","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Georgia Tech Is Transforming Advanced Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s hybrid manufacturing breakthroughs are reshaping how industries \u2014 from the U.S. Navy to aerospace and rail \u2014 repair and build critical parts. Fast, precise, and scalable, GTMI\u2019s innovations turn complex problems into real world solutions, showcasing how cutting edge research becomes game changing impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/44714\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s hybrid manufacturing breakthroughs are reshaping how industries \u2014 from the U.S. Navy to aerospace and rail \u2014 repair and build critical parts. Fast, precise, and scalable, GTMI\u2019s innovations turn complex problems into real world solutions, showcasing how cutting edge research becomes game changing impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s hybrid manufacturing innovations are transforming defense and industry alike, turning complex repair challenges into fast, scalable solutions that boost performance, resilience, and real world impact."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-01-08 21:23:39","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:33:30","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678945":{"id":"678945","type":"image","title":"mazak-machine-people.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGTMI researchers work beside a Mazak machine inside Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, continuing a partnership with Mazak that has advanced hybrid manufacturing innovation for more than a decade.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767907437","gmt_created":"2026-01-08 21:23:57","changed":"1767907437","gmt_changed":"2026-01-08 21:23:57","alt":"Three individuals standing at a workbench in front of a large Mazak hybrid manufacturing machine, discussing components and technical drawings.","file":{"fid":"263043","name":"mazak-machine-people.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/mazak-machine-people.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/08\/mazak-machine-people.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1184429,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/08\/mazak-machine-people.jpg?itok=CmbEVqcc"}}},"media_ids":["678945"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686231":{"#nid":"686231","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Diatoms, Big Climate Impact: How Microscopic Skeletons Rapidly Shape Ocean Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you know what diatoms are, it\u2019s probably for their beauty. These single-celled algae found on the ocean floor have ornate glassy shells that shine like jewels under the microscope.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir pristine geometry has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aeon.co\/videos\/amazing-hidden-worlds-become-visible-through-a-forgotten-victorian-art-form\u0022\u003Einspired art\u003C\/a\u003E, but diatoms also play a key role in ocean chemistry and ecology. While they are alive, these algae contribute to the climate by drawing down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis, while fueling marine food webs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, a team led by Georgia Tech scientists has revealed that diatoms leave a chemical fingerprint long after they die, playing an even more dynamic role in regulating Earth\u2019s climate than once thought.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adt3374\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E published in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers found that diatoms\u2019 intricate, silica-based skeletons transform into clay minerals in as little as 40 days. Until the 1990s, scientists believed that this enigmatic process took hundreds to thousands of years. Recent studies whittled it down to single-digit years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve known that reverse weathering shapes ocean chemistry, but no one expected that it happens this fast,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/4478\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and senior author of the study. \u201cThis shows that the molecular-scale reactions can reverberate all the way up to influence ocean carbon cycling and, ultimately, climate.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Glass to Clay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a diatom dies, most of its silica skeleton dissolves on the seafloor, returning silica to the seawater. The rest can undergo reverse weathering \u2014 a process that transforms the silica into new clay minerals containing trace metals, while turning naturally sequestered carbon back to the atmosphere as sediments react with seawater. This recycling links silicon, carbon, and trace-metal cycles, influencing ocean chemistry and stabilizing the planet\u2019s climate over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang and her team set out to uncover how, and how quickly, reverse weathering happens. Using a custom-built, two-chamber reactor, they recreated seafloor conditions in the lab. One chamber held diatom silica, while the other contained iron and aluminum minerals. A thin membrane allowed dissolved elements to mix while keeping the solids separate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing advanced microscopy, spectroscopy, and chemical analyses, the researchers tracked the full transformation from the dissolution of diatom shells to the formation of new clays.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results were striking. Within just 40 days, the diatom silica became iron-rich clay minerals \u2014 the same minerals naturally found in marine sediments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang noted that this rapid transformation means that reverse weathering isn\u2019t a slow background process, but rather an active part of the modern ocean\u2019s chemistry. It can control how much silica stays available for diatoms to grow, how much carbon dioxide is released or stored, and how trace metals and nutrients are recycled in marine ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was remarkable to see how quickly diatom skeletons could turn into completely new minerals and to decipher the mechanisms behind this process,\u201d said Simin Zhao, the paper\u2019s first author and a former Ph.D. student in Tang\u2019s lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cThese transformations are small in size but are enormous in their implications for global elemental cycles and climate,\u201d she added.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results suggest that the influence of reverse weathering on the coupled silicon-carbon cycles may also respond on far shorter timescales, making the ocean\u2019s chemistry more dynamic \u2014 and potentially more sensitive to modern environmental changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDiatoms are central to marine ecosystems and the global carbon pump,\u201d said Jeffrey Krause, co-author and oceanographer at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.disl.edu\/\u0022\u003EDauphin Island Sea Lab\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southalabama.edu\/colleges\/artsandsci\/marinesciences\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of South Alabama\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe already knew their importance to ocean processes while living.\u0026nbsp; Now we know that even after they die, diatoms\u2019 remains continue to shape ocean chemistry in ways that affect carbon and nutrient cycling. That\u2019s a game-changer for how we think about these processes.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discovery also helps solve a long-standing mystery about what happens to silica in the ocean, Tang says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists have long known that more silica enters the ocean than gets buried on the seafloor. The findings suggest that rapid reverse weathering transforms much of it into new minerals instead, keeping ocean chemistry in balance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Atoms to Earth Systems and Beyond\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe findings offer new data for climate modelers studying how the ocean regulates atmospheric carbon. The research also lays the groundwork for improving models of ocean alkalinity and coastal acidification \u2014 key tools for predicting how the planet will respond to climate change. \u201cThis study changes how scientists think about the seafloor, not as a passive burial ground, but as a dynamic chemical engine,\u201d Tang said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang sees the study as a powerful reminder of why basic research matters. \u201cThis is where chemistry meets Earth systems,\u201d she said. \u201cBy understanding how minerals form and exchange elements at the atomic level, we can see how the ocean shapes global cycles of carbon, silicon, and metals.\u0026nbsp;Even molecular-scale reactions within hair-sized organisms can ripple outward to shape planet-level dynamics.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s next steps are to explore how environmental factors such as water chemistry influence these transformations. They also plan to use samples from coastal and deep-sea sites to see how these lab discoveries translate to natural environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s easy to overlook what\u2019s happening quietly in marine sediments,\u201d Tang said. \u201cBut these subtle mineral reactions are part of the machinery that regulates Earth\u2019s climate, and they\u2019re faster and more beautiful than we ever imagined.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation\u003C\/strong\u003E: Simin Zhao \u003Cem\u003Eet al\u003C\/em\u003E., Rapid transformation of biogenic silica to authigenic clay: Mechanisms and geochemical constraints. \u003Cem\u003ESci. Adv\u003C\/em\u003E. 11, eadt3374 (2025).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adt3374\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adt3374\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: National Science Foundation (OCE-1559087; OCE-1558957)\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThese tiny seafloor transformations are reshaping our understanding of how ocean sediments regulate carbon and climate.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"These tiny seafloor transformations are reshaping our understanding of how ocean sediments regulate carbon and climate."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2025-11-05 19:54:47","changed_gmt":"2026-01-08 21:08:18","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678550":{"id":"678550","type":"image","title":"diatoms.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDiatoms, the beautiful baubles of the sea, boast form and function in ocean ecosystems. (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762372499","gmt_created":"2025-11-05 19:54:59","changed":"1762372499","gmt_changed":"2025-11-05 19:54:59","alt":"Colorful diatoms under a microscope. ","file":{"fid":"262602","name":"diatoms.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/05\/diatoms.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/05\/diatoms.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9385200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/05\/diatoms.png?itok=A24CNYNQ"}},"678551":{"id":"678551","type":"image","title":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762373386","gmt_created":"2025-11-05 20:09:46","changed":"1762373386","gmt_changed":"2025-11-05 20:09:46","alt":"Yuanzhi Tang, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and senior author of the study","file":{"fid":"262603","name":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/05\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/05\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1451744,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/05\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg?itok=KA_43jNt"}}},"media_ids":["678550","678551"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687042":{"#nid":"687042","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Climbs to No. 2 University in Federally Sponsored Research Expenditures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUniversity research drives U.S. innovation, and Georgia Institute of Technology is leading the way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe latest \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ncses.nsf.gov\/surveys\/higher-education-research-development\/2024#data\u0022\u003EHigher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey\u003C\/a\u003E from the National Science Foundation (NSF) places Georgia Tech as No. 2 nationally for federally sponsored research expenditures in 2024. This is Georgia Tech\u2019s highest-ever ranking from the NSF HERD survey and a 70% increase over the Institute\u0027s 2019 numbers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn total expenditures from all externally funded dollars (including the federal government, foundations, industry, etc.), Georgia Tech is ranked at No. 6.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech remains ranked No. 1 among universities without a medical school \u2014 a major accomplishment, as medical schools account for a quarter of all research expenditures nationally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s rise to No. 2 in federally sponsored research expenditures reflects the extraordinary talent and commitment of our faculty, staff, students, and partners. This achievement demonstrates the confidence federal agencies have in our ability to deliver transformative research that addresses the nation\u2019s most critical challenges,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOverall, the state of Georgia maintained its No. 8 position in university research and development, and for the first time, the state topped the $4 billion mark in research expenditures. Georgia Tech provides $1.5 billion, the largest state university contribution. In the last five years, federal funding for higher education research in the state of Georgia has grown an astounding 46% \u2014 10 points higher than the U.S. rate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen said, \u201cGeorgia Tech is proud to lead the state in research contributions, helping Georgia surpass the $4 billion mark for the first time. Our work doesn\u2019t just advance knowledge \u2014 it saves lives, creates jobs, and strengthens national security. This growth reflects our commitment to drive innovation that benefits Georgia, our country, and the world.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the NSF HERD Survey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF HERD Survey is an annual census of U.S. colleges and universities that expended at least $150,000 in separately accounted for research and development (R\u0026amp;D) in the fiscal year. The survey collects information on R\u0026amp;D expenditures by field of research and source of funds and also gathers information on types of research, expenses, and headcounts of R\u0026amp;D personnel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0027s Research Enterprise\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research enterprise at Georgia Tech is led by the Executive Vice President for Research, Tim Lieuwen, and directs a portfolio of research, development, and sponsored activities. This includes leadership of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, 11 interdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs), Office of Commercialization, Office of Corporate Engagement, plus research centers, and related research administrative support units. Georgia Tech routinely ranks among the top U.S. universities in volume of research conducted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"This is the Institute\u2019s best ranking in the National Science Foundation\u2019s annual survey."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUniversity research drives U.S. innovation, and Georgia Institute of Technology is leading the way. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This is the Institute\u2019s best ranking in the National Science Foundation\u2019s annual survey."}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2026-01-02 15:18:43","changed_gmt":"2026-01-08 20:52:49","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678906":{"id":"678906","type":"image","title":"20250911_IBB_ChipLung-08.jpg","body":null,"created":"1767367131","gmt_created":"2026-01-02 15:18:51","changed":"1767367131","gmt_changed":"2026-01-02 15:18:51","alt":"Two Georgia Tech researchers looking at a biomedical chip.","file":{"fid":"263002","name":"20250911_IBB_ChipLung-08.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/02\/20250911_IBB_ChipLung-08_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/02\/20250911_IBB_ChipLung-08_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":89262,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/02\/20250911_IBB_ChipLung-08_0.jpg?itok=65G0LzgZ"}}},"media_ids":["678906"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"39541","name":"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:angela.ayers@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAngela Ayers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssistant Vice President of Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686761":{"#nid":"686761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Techwood Drive Lane Closures Jan. 8 through Jan. 10 for Baptist Collegiate Ministries Crane Staging Near Bobby Dodd Way ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUPDATE Thursday, Jan. 8:\u003C\/strong\u003E Due to scheduling conflicts, the road closure on Techwood Drive will now begin on Thursday, Jan. 8, and continue through Saturday, Jan. 10. Traffic should resume on Sunday, Jan. 11. Dates are subject to weather conditions and may change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E************\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ETo allow for the installation of a crane on the Baptist Collegiate Ministries property, Techwood Drive between Bobby Dodd Way and Fourth Street will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic beginning Wednesday, Dec. 17. This section will be closed 24 hours a day and is expected to reopen to traffic on Saturday, Dec. 20. Detour signage will be installed around the location for the duration of the closure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech is not managing this construction project. However, Infrastructure and Sustainability will coordinate with the Baptist Collegiate Ministries\u0027 construction team throughout the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThank you for your patience as this campus addition progresses. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/christianindex.org\/stories\/new-ministry-center-and-student-housing-planned-for-georgia-tech-bcm-site,102423\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about the project.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELane closures of a section of Techwood Drive will occur for three days.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lane closures of a section of Techwood Drive will occur for three days."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2025-12-05 20:54:38","changed_gmt":"2026-01-08 20:51:24","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678828":{"id":"678828","type":"image","title":"baptist_techwood_closure_dec2025.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EImage of Techwood Drive lane closure Dec. 17 through Dec. 20.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765471116","gmt_created":"2025-12-11 16:38:36","changed":"1765471116","gmt_changed":"2025-12-11 16:38:36","alt":"Image of Techwood Drive lane closure Dec. 17 through Dec. 20.","file":{"fid":"262916","name":"baptist_techwood_closure_dec2025.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/baptist_techwood_closure_dec2025.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/baptist_techwood_closure_dec2025.png","mime":"image\/png","size":542468,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/11\/baptist_techwood_closure_dec2025.png?itok=hI1a60Fh"}}},"media_ids":["678828"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185151","name":"Georgia Tech Baptist Collegiate Ministry"},{"id":"10641","name":"buidling construction"},{"id":"188001","name":"Techwood Drive"},{"id":"182121","name":"construction updates"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\/Infrastructure and Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686762":{"#nid":"686762","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Earns Spot in Princeton Review\u0027s 2026 Guide to Green Colleges","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is included in The Princeton Review\u2019s Guide to Green Colleges for 2026, furthering the momentum from its recognition in last year\u2019s report.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Princeton Review evaluates colleges based on sustainability initiatives through surveys completed by both administrators and students. These surveys targeted more than 400 institutions, reviewing policies, practices, and programs related to sustainability. The guide also considers factors such as campus renewable energy sources, recycling, conservation, and the availability of academic offerings for students looking to participate in sustainability activities or to major in sustainability-related careers. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability, emphasized Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to a sustainable future. \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech remains committed to being an innovative leader in the Southeast. We have advanced the goals outlined in our first comprehensive \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/climate-action-plan\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, published last year, and are proud to operate our campus with expanded clean energy strategies, zero-emissions mobility options, and the continued growth of our award-winning \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/ecocommons\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEcoCommons.\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;These notable advancements were factored into the decision to include Georgia Tech:\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the first\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livingbuilding.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiving Building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fChallenge-certified research and academic building in the Southeast.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E30 LEED-certified\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/leed-buildings\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ebuildings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fon campus.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe award-winning \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/ecocommons\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEcoCommons\u003C\/a\u003E, 80 acres of regeneratively designed greenspace.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/aashe-stars\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAASHE Stars GOLD rating\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPublication of the Institute\u2019s\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/climate-action-plan\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA public\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/3c8a2d9c337c4cd08baa056c027357b8\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Story Map\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/arboretum\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Arboretum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fcertified as Arbnet Level II.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dining.gatech.edu\/greenforks\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGreen Forks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u202finitiative, aimed at reducing food waste and supporting student food security.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENew \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/07\/new-composter-enhance-campus-waste-reduction\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein-vessel composting machine\u003C\/a\u003E installed for food waste diversion directly on campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Princeton Review highlights the important work of institutions across the country, recommending those included in the report to \u201cstudents who want their \u2018best-fit\u2019 college to also be a green one.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on the recognition from last year, Georgia Tech again makes the cut.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Building on the recognition from last year, Georgia Tech again makes the cut."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2025-12-05 21:00:27","changed_gmt":"2026-01-08 20:49:45","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678811":{"id":"678811","type":"image","title":"guidetogreen2026-300x200--1-.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELogo of The Princeton Review Guide to Green Schools 2026\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765320172","gmt_created":"2025-12-09 22:42:52","changed":"1765320172","gmt_changed":"2025-12-09 22:42:52","alt":"Logo of The Princeton Review Guide to Green Schools 2026","file":{"fid":"262894","name":"guidetogreen2026-300x200--1-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/09\/guidetogreen2026-300x200--1-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/09\/guidetogreen2026-300x200--1-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":20930,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/09\/guidetogreen2026-300x200--1-.png?itok=fpTzPPsC"}}},"media_ids":["678811"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1882","name":"Princeton Review"},{"id":"194043","name":"Guide to Green Colleges"},{"id":"194097","name":"IS News"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETimothy Sterling\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESustainability Coordinator\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tsterling7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687108":{"#nid":"687108","#data":{"type":"news","title":"State Business Transactions Disclosure Reports Due Jan. 31","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis requirement applies to transactions by the employee or any business in which the employee, spouse, or dependent has more than a 25% interest. There is an exception for transactions less than $250 where the total of all transactions does not exceed $9,000 in the calendar year.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EIf an employee has no business transactions to report, that employee doesn\u0027t need to file the State Business Transaction Disclosure Report.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese reports must be filed with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ethics.ga.gov\/\u0022\u003EState Ethics Commission\u003C\/a\u003E on their new filing system, which can be accessed at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peachfile.ethics.ga.gov\/login\u0022\u003EState Ethics Commission \u2013 PeachFile website\u003C\/a\u003E. If you have any questions regarding the filing requirements or accessing the electronic filing system, please reach out to the State Ethics Commission at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gaethics@ethics.ga.gov\u0022\u003Egaethics@ethics.ga.gov\u003C\/a\u003E or call 404.463.1980.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefinitions:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBusiness Transactions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe sale or leasing of any personal property, real property, or services on behalf of oneself or any third party as an agency, broker, dealer, or representative. It also applies to the purchase of surplus real or personal property on behalf of oneself or any third party as an agency, broker, dealer, or representative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAny Business\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAny corporation, partnership, proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, organization, self-employed individual, trust, or other legal entity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia law requires that all Institute employees disclose business transactions \u2014 conducted by themselves or family members \u2014 with the state or any state agency.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia law requires that all Institute employees disclose business transactions \u2014 conducted by themselves or family members \u2014 with the state or any state agency."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-01-07 20:55:36","changed_gmt":"2026-01-07 21:03:12","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"591418":{"id":"591418","type":"image","title":"Georgia State Seal","body":null,"created":"1493991823","gmt_created":"2017-05-05 13:43:43","changed":"1493991823","gmt_changed":"2017-05-05 13:43:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225377","name":"gaseal2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaseal2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaseal2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":52165,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gaseal2.jpg?itok=ygsw2x98"}}},"media_ids":["591418"],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194188","name":"state disclosures"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETerry Grumley Bridges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EConflict of Interest Director\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Office of Ethics and Compliance\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of the General Counsel\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tj38@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687080":{"#nid":"687080","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Six Yellow Jackets Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESix Georgia Tech alumni are among the top entrepreneurs, leaders, and change-makers named in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/30-under-30\/2026\/\u0022\u003EForbes\u2019 30 Under 30 list for 2026\u003C\/a\u003E. The honorees were selected from a pool of more than 10,000 candidates across 20 industries. The 600 honorees have raised a total of $3.8 billion in funding for their companies\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;the most in the 15-year history of the list. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETransportation and Aerospace\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Ingersoll, AE 2018, M.S. AE 2019, Senior Manager, Government Lasercom Products, Amazon Leo \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoshua Ingersol leads development for Amazon Leo\u2019s portfolio of lasercom products, enhancing global connectivity for 10 million users. One of the largest satellite telecom projects in history, Amazon Leo is backed by a $10 billion investment from Amazon. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIngersol feels a responsibility to make sure the product delivers what the mission demands, whether it\u2019s for government communication, disaster response, or secure communications.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen he arrived at Georgia Tech, Ingersol knew that he wanted to pursue a career in aerospace, but a Systems Engineering and Space Policy course helped him narrow his scope.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI fell in love with this niche within my field the moment I realized you could sit at the intersection of engineering, policy, and business and not just do one thing,\u201d he said. \u201cGeorgia Tech gave me the foundation to do that: a place where I could dive deep into aerospace, work alongside people who pushed me, and learn how to turn ambitious ideas into practical outcomes. Tech didn\u2019t just teach me the technical side; it taught me how to lead, communicate, and navigate big, messy space problems with confidence.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStef Crum, M.S. AE 2025, Ph.D. AE 2025, Co-founder of Reditus Space; and Will Sherman, M.S. AE 2023, Co-founder of Reditus Space \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese Georgia Tech graduates co-founded Reditus Space, which is working to build reusable satellites to host microgravity research and manufacturing. Crum says the technology can \u201crevolutionize how we produce pharmaceuticals, medical treatments, semiconductor substrates, and much more. We are building the infrastructure to get people to space and back faster.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Forbes, a capsule designed by the company is designed to survive reentry, carry 40 kilograms of payload, and support in-orbit manufacturing of materials impossible to produce on Earth. A launch is scheduled for April 2026. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrum had a background in satellite development before arriving at Tech, where he completed his doctorate in orbital mechanics. Sherman earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Alabama before earning a master\u2019s degree in aerospace engineering from Tech.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy and Green Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGabriella Dweck, BME 2019, Co-founder of Oleo\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing microbial fermentation, Gabriella Dweck\u2019s company, Oleo, hopes to preserve forests while cutting emissions. According to Forbes, it intends to accomplish this by transforming plant waste into biofuel feedstocks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDweck earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in biomedical engineering from Tech before earning a master\u2019s from Stanford University in design impact.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBuilding Oleo has been a challenging and rewarding experience, and this milestone is truly a testament to the dedication of our team and those who have supported us along the way. A special thank you to my co-founder, Kelly Redmond, whose leadership, perseverance, and heart make Oleo what it is. I couldn\u2019t ask for a better partner on this journey,\u201d she said in a post on LinkedIn.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForbes reports that Oleo has raised over $1.6 million in venture capital and grants.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJade Marcus, ChBE 2019, Co-founder of Mafix\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the co-founder of Mafix, Jade Marcus developed a new fertilizer designed to solve two challenges: \u201csoil degradation that lowers agricultural productivity and the urgent need for scalable, durable carbon removal.\u201d The fertilizer has the potential to restore soil health and boost crop yields while removing up to 1 net ton of carbon dioxide per ton through an energy-efficient thermal process that converts abundant rocks into fast-weathering minerals. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy creating a product that aligns farmer incentives with climate action, Mafix enables affordable, gigaton-scale carbon removal while strengthening global food security,\u201d Marcus said. \u201cGeorgia Tech empowered me by providing me with incredible opportunities through co-ops, where I was able to work on the exact equipment and principles I was learning about in class. This helped reinforce my learning as a chemical engineer, and it solidified my excitement to work in hard tech.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarcus credits several mentors from Tech \u2014 Victor\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EBreedveld, Yonathan Thio, Matthew Realff, and Shannon Yee \u2014 with inspiring her to pursue a Ph.D., which led to her scaling the technology for Mafix. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoseph Mooney, Research Engineer in Tech\u2019s Energy Innovation Lab, Co-founder of WattAir\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a research engineer in Georgia Tech\u2019s Energy Innovation Lab alongside Director Bachir El Fil, Joseph Mooney\u2019s work is at the intersection of sustainable water and energy systems, with research focused on capturing water from the atmosphere. By using heat exchanger-based technologies that can pull moisture from air and use low-grade heat, the goal is to make water and thermal resilience more accessible for climate-stressed applications, from agriculture and buildings to critical digital infrastructure. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis company, WattAir, is planning pilots with vineyards and data centers as well as decentralized water provisioning in Kenya, South Sudan, and Tanzania.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMooney grew up with a curiosity for water and how access to it shapes lives, and he credits Georgia Tech with \u201cturning that curiosity into real-world momentum.\u201d \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve benefited enormously from the support and advice within the College of Engineering and from the faculty who have helped shape both the technical direction and the broader impact of the work. I\u2019m also deeply grateful for the Office of Commercialization and the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Georgia Tech, especially Quadrant-i and Richard Gruber, for guidance on translating research into practical solutions. The Strategic Energy Institute has further helped connect this work to a wider network and mission around energy and sustainability. Collectively, this support has empowered me to bridge rigorous engineering with deployment-focused thinking and to mentor students working across water harvesting, dehumidification, and next-generation thermal management.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The honorees were selected from a pool of more than 10,000 candidates across 20 industries. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe honorees were selected from a pool of more than 10,000 candidates across 20 industries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The honorees were selected from a pool of more than 10,000 candidates across 20 industries. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 21:03:08","changed_gmt":"2026-01-07 15:13:35","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678927":{"id":"678927","type":"image","title":"Forbes-2026.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETop: Joshua Ingersoll, Stef Crum, Will Sherman. Bottom: Gabriella Dweck, Jade Marcus, Joseph Mooney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767647159","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 21:05:59","changed":"1767647159","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 21:05:59","alt":"Georgia Tech Forbes\u0027 30 Under 30 Honorees","file":{"fid":"263024","name":"Forbes-2026.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Forbes-2026.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Forbes-2026.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5104380,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/Forbes-2026.jpg?itok=5Tv4SAL1"}}},"media_ids":["678927"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/30-under-30\/2026\/","title":"Forbes 30 Under 30 2026"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"173123","name":"Forbes 30 Under 30"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Institute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686920":{"#nid":"686920","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Energy Insecurity Linked to Higher Rates of Anxiety and Depression, School of Public Policy Study Finds","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2840540\u0022 title=\u0022null\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy identifies energy insecurity \u2014 the inability to meet basic household energy needs \u2014 as a critical, yet often overlooked, social determinant of health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile we often talk about food and housing insecurity, fewer people recognize energy as a basic necessity that shapes not only comfort, but also safety and stress,\u201d said Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/f276dd8a-0e13-5b66-b4cf-3d2960e01b2d\u0022 title=\u0022null\u0022\u003EMichelle Graff\u003C\/a\u003E, who co-authored the paper published in \u003Cem\u003EJAMA Network Open\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s Household Pulse Survey, the researchers found that 43% of households experienced energy insecurity in the past year. Among respondents who reduced spending on necessities to cover energy bills, nearly 39% reported symptoms of anxiety and 32% reported symptoms of depression \u2014 more than twice the incidence among respondents who didn\u2019t need to make that tradeoff.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing able to afford your home does not guarantee you can afford to safely heat, cool, or power it,\u201d Graff said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuch instability disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic households, renters, and families dependent on electronic medical devices, Graff said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while the study was not designed to explain whether energy insecurity causes mental health issues or some other dynamic is at work, Graff said it\u2019s incontrovertible that these groups face compounding stressors. Living in inefficient housing can lead to higher bills and unsafe temperatures, disrupting sleep and health. When combined with the financial anxiety of potential utility shutoffs and the need to sacrifice food or medicine to pay bills, these trade-offs create a cycle of chronic stress, she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong other recommendations, Graff said healthcare providers should start screening for energy insecurity just as they do for food insecurity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe view this primarily as a data-collection initiative designed to generate the evidence needed to inform future policy recommendations and program improvements,\u201d Graff said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraff is continuing to explore these issues with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=spp.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022null\u0022\u003ECarter School\u003C\/a\u003E graduate students, including recent \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1040619025000661?via%3Dihub\u0022\u003Ework\u003C\/a\u003E on state-level aid implementation with Ph.D. student Ryan Anthony and upcoming research with other students on how energy insecurity impacts eviction rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe article, \u201cEnergy Insecurity and Mental Health Symptoms in US Adults,\u201d was published Oct. 27, 2025, in JAMA Network Open. It is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi:10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2025.39479\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi:10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2025.39479\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe study links energy insecurity to significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression in U.S. households.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The study links energy insecurity to significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression in U.S. households."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 20:44:16","changed_gmt":"2026-01-06 14:02:04","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678862":{"id":"678862","type":"image","title":"energy-insecurity-mental-health.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy insecurity is a significant financial problem, and potentially a major mental health issue, for millions of Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765917961","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 20:46:01","changed":"1765917961","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 20:46:01","alt":"A woman wearing a hat and warm clothing prepares food in her kitchen.","file":{"fid":"262952","name":"energy-insecurity-mental-health.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/energy-insecurity-mental-health.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/energy-insecurity-mental-health.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":979742,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/energy-insecurity-mental-health.jpg?itok=FVTsWXlA"}},"678864":{"id":"678864","type":"image","title":"Michelle Graff","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Michelle Graff.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765918275","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 20:51:15","changed":"1765918275","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 20:51:15","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"262954","name":"fb50e65939f4bc3d6cdd1f16.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/fb50e65939f4bc3d6cdd1f16.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/fb50e65939f4bc3d6cdd1f16.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":15260,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/fb50e65939f4bc3d6cdd1f16.jpg?itok=MqO7ho_j"}}},"media_ids":["678862","678864"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687060":{"#nid":"687060","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Y Combinator Backing and $30M Investment\u202f Take Startup Greptile to the Next Level\u202f","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreptile, founded by three current and former Georgia Tech students, has quickly emerged as one of Silicon Valley\u2019s most promising young technology companies. The startup, led by Daksh Gupta, CS 2023; Soohoon Choi, CS 2023, MTH 2023; and computer science major Vaishant Kameswaran, builds artificial intelligence tools that help engineering teams review, analyze, and improve their code.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its launch in 2023, the company has gained traction with more than 2,000 customers, including Brex, Whoop, and Substack. In 2024, Greptile raised $25 million in Series A funding from Benchmark, bringing its total capital raised to $30 million and valuing the company at $180 million.\u202fThat same year, Greptile was also accepted into the winter 2024 cohort of Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that helped launch Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Gupta, the road to building Greptile began at Georgia Tech. The founders entered Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch program with an entirely different idea: an AI shopping assistant called Tabnam. But through the program\u2019s customer-discovery process \u2014 an intensive cycle of testing, feedback, and rapid iteration \u2014 the team realized their technology had stronger potential when applied to software development. That pivot became the foundation for Greptile.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCREATE-X did two things without which Greptile would not exist,\u201d Gupta said. \u201cIt introduced me to my co-founder, Soohoon, and it gave us the confidence to consider starting a company as a real career path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe founders credit the program with shaping their entrepreneurial thinking, but they describe Y Combinator as the force that helped propel their company to the next stage. Gupta says Y Combinator\u2019s value mirrors some of what they found at Georgia Tech. \u201cLike Georgia Tech, a lot of Y Combinator\u2019s value comes from three things: being surrounded by ambitious people, gaining credibility, and having smart, accomplished people believe in you before you fully believe in yourself,\u201d he said. \u201cThat combination does wonders for your self-esteem, which in turn has enormous compounding effects.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s recent fundraising experience reflects this momentum. Gupta describes their investor pitches as \u201cfast and painless,\u201d noting that they entered the process with compelling metrics and a refined story. Today, the team is supported by an impressive roster of founders-turned-investors \u2014 including partners from Initialized Capital and Benchmark \u2014 who have helped the company hire talent and make key strategic decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking back, Gupta says the lessons from CREATE-X continue to guide their approach to building technology and scaling a company. \u201cY Combinator helped us scale, but Georgia Tech is where it started,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022\u003EApplications for the next CREATE-X Startup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003Ecohort are now open, \u003C\/strong\u003Ewith limited spots available. Early applicants receive priority consideration and feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGreptile, founded by three Georgia Tech students, has quickly become a standout Silicon Valley startup building AI tools that help engineering teams understand and improve their code. After pivoting from an earlier idea during Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE\u2011X program, the company launched in 2023 and now serves more than 2,000 customers, including major tech firms. In 2024, it raised a $25\u202fmillion Series A from Benchmark, reached a $180\u202fmillion valuation, and joined Y Combinator\u2019s winter cohort. The founders credit both CREATE\u2011X and Y Combinator for shaping their trajectory, from discovering their true product to scaling with confidence.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Greptile, a fast\u2011growing AI startup founded by Georgia Tech students, has rapidly scaled from a CREATE\u2011X pivot to a Y Combinator\u2013backed, $180\u202fmillion\u2013valued company serving thousands of customers with tools that help engineering teams analyze and improve"}],"uid":"36810","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 16:20:16","changed_gmt":"2026-01-05 20:01:59","author":"zzhang860","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678924":{"id":"678924","type":"image","title":"Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","body":null,"created":"1767642907","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 19:55:07","changed":"1767642907","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 19:55:07","alt":"Students smiling","file":{"fid":"263021","name":"Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":901544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png?itok=Jlt7JUpq"}}},"media_ids":["678924"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form","title":"Apply to Startup Launch"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Amanda Dudley\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternal Contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003Cbr\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bdurham31@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679709":{"#nid":"679709","#data":{"type":"news","title":" 2024\u2019s Extreme Ocean Heat Breaks Records Again, Leaving 2 Mysteries to Solve","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe oceans are heating up as the planet warms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis past year, 2024, was the warmest ever measured for the global ocean, following a record-breaking 2023. In fact, every decade since 1984, when satellite recordkeeping of ocean temperatures started, has been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climatereanalyzer.org\/clim\/sst_daily\/?dm_id=world2\u0022\u003Ewarmer than the previous one\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA warmer ocean means increased evaporation, which in turn results in heavier rains in some areas and droughts in others. It can power hurricanes and downpours. It can also harm the health of coastal marine areas and sea life \u2013 coral reefs suffered their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/environment\/global-coral-bleaching-event-expands-now-largest-record-2024-10-17\/\u0022\u003Emost extensive bleaching event on record in 2024\u003C\/a\u003E, with damage in many parts of the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWarming ocean water also affects temperatures on land by changing weather patterns. The EU\u2019s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on Jan. 10 that data showed 2024 had also broken the record for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climate.copernicus.eu\/global-climate-highlights-2024\u0022\u003Ewarmest year globally\u003C\/a\u003E, with global temperatures about 2.9 degrees Fahrenheit (1.6 Celsius) above pre-industrial times. That would mark the first full calendar year with average \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/science\/climate-issues\/degrees-matter\u0022\u003Ewarming above 1.5 C\u003C\/a\u003E, a level countries had \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/after-cop27-all-signs-point-to-world-blowing-past-the-1-5-degrees-global-warming-limit-heres-what-we-can-still-do-about-it-195080\u0022\u003Eagreed to try to avoid\u003C\/a\u003E passing long-term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClimate change, by and large, takes the blame. Greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere trap heat, and about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/understanding-climate\/climate-change-ocean-heat-content\u0022\u003E90% of the excess heat caused by emissions\u003C\/a\u003E from burning fossil fuels and other human activities is absorbed by the ocean.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut while it\u2019s clear that the ocean has been warming for quite some time, its temperatures over the past two years have been far above the previous decades. That leaves two mysteries for scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIt\u2019s Not Just El Ni\u00f1o\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cyclic climate pattern of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/blogs\/enso\/what-el-ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93southern-oscillation-enso-nutshell\u0022\u003EEl Ni\u00f1o Southern Oscillation\u003C\/a\u003E can explain part of the warmth over the past two years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/el-nino-is-starting-to-lose-strength-after-fueling-a-hot-stormy-year-but-its-still-powerful-an-atmospheric-scientist-explains-whats-ahead-for-2024-223013\u0022\u003EEl Ni\u00f1o periods\u003C\/a\u003E, warm waters that usually accumulate in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean move eastward toward the coastlines of Peru and Chile, leaving the Earth slightly warmer overall. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/el-nino-is-back-thats-good-news-or-bad-news-depending-on-where-you-live-205974\u0022\u003Elatest El Ni\u00f1o began in 2023\u003C\/a\u003E and caused global average temperatures to rise well \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/blogs\/enso\/july-2024-enso-update-summer-vacation\u0022\u003Einto early 2024\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the oceans have been even warmer than scientists expected. For example, global temperatures in 2023-2024 followed a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climatereanalyzer.org\/clim\/sst_daily\/?dm_id=world2\u0022\u003Esimilar growth and decline pattern\u003C\/a\u003E across the seasons as the previous El Ni\u00f1o event, in 2015-2016, but they were about 0.36 degrees Fahrenheit (0.2 Celsius) higher at all times in 2023-2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists are puzzled and left with two problems to solve. They must figure out whether something else contributed to the unexpected warming and whether the past two years have been a sign of a sudden acceleration in global warming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Role of Aerosols\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn intriguing idea, tested using climate models, is that a swift \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-023-42891-2\u0022\u003Ereduction in aerosols\u003C\/a\u003E over the past decade may be one of the culprits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAerosols are solid and liquid particles emitted by human and natural sources into the atmosphere. Some of them have been shown to partially counteract the impact of greenhouse gases by reflecting solar radiation back into space. However, they also are responsible for poor air quality and air pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of these particles with cooling properties are generated in the process of burning fossil fuels. For example, sulfur aerosols are emitted by ship engines and power plants. In 2020, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/MediaCentre\/PressBriefings\/pages\/34-IMO-2020-sulphur-limit-.aspx\u0022\u003Eshipping industry implemented\u003C\/a\u003E a nearly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2024GL109077\u0022\u003E80% cut in sulfur emissions\u003C\/a\u003E, and many companies shifted to low-sulfur fuels. But the larger impact has come from power plants reducing their emissions, including a big shift in this direction in China. So, while technologies have cut these harmful emissions, that means a brake slowing the pace of warming is weakened.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIs This a Warming Surge?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second puzzle is whether the planet is seeing a warming surge or not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETemperatures are clearly rising, but the past two years have not been warm enough to support the notion that we may be seeing an acceleration in the rate of global warming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalysis of four temperature datasets covering the 1850-2023 period has shown that the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-024-01711-1\u0022\u003Erate of warming has not shown a significant change\u003C\/a\u003E since around the 1970s. The same authors, however, noted that only a rate increase of at least 55% \u2013 about half a degree Celsius and nearly a full degree Fahrenheit over one year \u2013 would make the warming acceleration detectable in a statistical sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a statistical standpoint, then, scientists cannot exclude the possibility that the 2023-2024 record ocean warming resulted simply from the \u201cusual\u201d warming trend that humans have set the planet on for the past 50 years. A very strong El Ni\u00f1o contributed some natural variability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a practical standpoint, however, the extraordinary impacts the planet has witnessed \u2013 including extreme weather, heat waves, wildfires, coral bleaching and ecosystem destruction \u2013 point to a need to swiftly reduce carbon dioxide emissions to limit ocean warming, regardless of whether this is a continuation of an ongoing trend or an acceleration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article has been updated with Copernicus Climate Change Service\u2019s global 2024 temperature data.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/246843\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/2024s-extreme-ocean-heat-breaks-records-again-leaving-2-mysteries-to-solve-246843\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, every decade since 1984, when satellite recordkeeping of ocean temperatures started, has been warmer than the previous one.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In fact, every decade since 1984, when satellite recordkeeping of ocean temperatures started, has been warmer than the previous one."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-01-17 16:27:48","changed_gmt":"2026-01-01 18:35:52","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676055":{"id":"676055","type":"image","title":" The global ocean\u2019s surface temperature was still well above average going into 2025. Meaghan Skinner Photography\/Moment via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;The global ocean\u2019s surface temperature was still well above average going into 2025. Meaghan Skinner Photography\/Moment via Getty Images\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1737131416","gmt_created":"2025-01-17 16:30:16","changed":"1737131416","gmt_changed":"2025-01-17 16:30:16","alt":" The global ocean\u2019s surface temperature was still well above average going into 2025. Meaghan Skinner Photography\/Moment via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"259762","name":"file-20250109-19-4cps5m.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250109-19-4cps5m_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250109-19-4cps5m_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":240626,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/17\/file-20250109-19-4cps5m_0.jpg?itok=tEB_EbXq"}}},"media_ids":["676055"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/2024s-extreme-ocean-heat-breaks-records-again-leaving-2-mysteries-to-solve-246843","title":"Read This Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/annalisa-bracco-1447820\u0022\u003EAnnalisa Bracco\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Ocean and Climate Dynamics, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679801":{"#nid":"679801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"At the Intersection of Climate and AI, Machine Learning is Revolutionizing Climate Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EExponential growth in big data and computing power is transforming climate science, where machine learning is playing a critical role in mapping the physics of our changing climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cWhat is happening within the field is revolutionary,\u201d\u0026nbsp;says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAssociate Chair and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/annalisabracco\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnnalisa Bracco\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, adding that because many climate-related processes\u0026nbsp;\u2014 from ocean currents to melting glaciers and weather patterns\u0026nbsp;\u2014 can be described with physical equations, these advancements have the potential to help us understand and predict climate in critically important ways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBracco is the lead author of a new review paper providing a comprehensive look at the intersection of AI and climate physics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe result of an international collaboration between Georgia Tech\u2019s Bracco,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJulien Brajard\u003C\/strong\u003E (Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHenk A. Dijkstra\u003C\/strong\u003E (Utrecht University),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPedram Hassanzadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E (University of Chicago),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChristian Lessig\u003C\/strong\u003E (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClaire Monteleoni\u003C\/strong\u003E (University of Colorado Boulder), the paper, \u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s42254-024-00776-3\u0022\u003EMachine learning for the physics of climate\u003C\/a\u003E,\u2019\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Physics\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOne of our team\u2019s goals was to help people think deeply on how climate science and AI intersect,\u201d Bracco shares. \u201cMachine learning is allowing us to study the physics of climate in a way that was previously impossible. Coupled with increasing amounts of data and observations, we can now investigate climate at scales and resolutions we\u2019ve never been able to before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnecting hidden dots\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team showed that ML is driving change in three key areas: accounting for missing observational data, creating more robust climate models, and enhancing predictions, especially in weather forecasting. However, the research also underscores the limits of AI \u2014 and how researchers can work to fill those gaps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMachine learning has been fantastic in allowing us to expand the time and the spatial scales for which we have measurements,\u201d says Bracco, explaining that ML could help fill in missing data points \u2014 creating a more robust record for researchers to reference. However, like patching a hole in a shirt, this works best when the rest of the material is intact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMachine learning can extrapolate from past conditions when observations are abundant, but it can\u2019t yet predict future trends or collect the data we need,\u201d Bracco adds. \u201cTo keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling climate, predicting weather\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMachine learning is often used when improving climate models that can simulate changing systems like our atmosphere, oceans, land, biochemistry, and ice. \u201cThese models are limited because of our computing power, and are run on a three-dimensional grid,\u201d Bracco explains: below the grid resolution, researchers need to approximate complex physics with simpler equations that computers can solve quickly, a process called \u2018parameterization\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMachine learning is changing that, offering new ways to improve parameterizations, she says. \u201cWe can run a model at extremely high resolutions for a short time, so that we don\u2019t need to parameterize as many physical processes \u2014 using machine learning to derive the equations that best approximate what is happening at small scales,\u201d she explains. \u201cThen we can use those equations in a coarser model that we can run for hundreds of years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile a full climate model based solely on machine learning may remain out of reach, the team found that ML is advancing our ability to accurately predict weather systems and some climate phenomena like El Ni\u00f1o.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, weather prediction was based on knowing the starting conditions \u2014 like temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure \u2014 and running a model based on physics equations to predict what might happen next. Now, machine learning is giving researchers the opportunity to learn from the past. \u201cWe can use information on what has happened when there were similar starting conditions in previous situations to predict the future without solving the underlying governing equations,\u201d Bracco says. \u201cAnd all while using orders-of-magnitude less computing resources.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe human connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBracco emphasizes that while AI and ML play a critical role in accelerating research, humans are at the core of progress. \u201cI think the in-person collaboration that led to this paper is, in itself, a testament to the importance of human interaction,\u201d she says, recalling that the research was the result of a workshop organized at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kitp.ucsb.edu\/\u0022\u003EKavli Institute for Theoretical Physics\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 one of the team\u2019s first in-person discussions after the Covid-19 pandemic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMachine learning is a fantastic tool \u2014 but it\u0027s not the solution to everything,\u201d she adds. \u201cThere is also a real need for human researchers collecting high-quality data, and for interdisciplinary collaboration across fields.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EI see this as a big challenge, but a great opportunity for computer scientists and physicists, mathematicians, biologists, and chemists to work together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Office of Naval Research, US Department of Energy, European Space Agency, Choose France Chair in AI.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42254-024-00776-3\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42254-024-00776-3\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA Georgia Tech-led review paper recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Physics\u003C\/em\u003E is exploring the ways machine learning is revolutionizing the field of climate physics \u2014 and the role human scientists might play.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led review paper recently published in\u00a0Nature Reviews Physics is exploring the ways machine learning is revolutionizing the field of climate physics \u2014 and the role human scientists might play."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-01-22 17:43:30","changed_gmt":"2026-01-01 18:31:44","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676086":{"id":"676086","type":"image","title":"Researchers launch a a lightweight, balloon-borne instrument to collect data. \u0022To keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems,\u0022 Bracco says. (NOAA)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers launch a a lightweight, balloon-borne instrument to collect data. \u0022To keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems,\u0022 Bracco says. (NOAA)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1737567826","gmt_created":"2025-01-22 17:43:46","changed":"1737567826","gmt_changed":"2025-01-22 17:43:46","alt":"Researchers launch a a lightweight, balloon-borne instrument to collect data. \u0022To keep advancing, we need scientists who can determine what data we need, collect that data, and solve problems,\u0022 Bracco says. (NOAA)","file":{"fid":"259801","name":"noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/22\/noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/22\/noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2094496,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/22\/noaa-5hZJVGPG6vo-unsplash.jpg?itok=KR8SZhoH"}}},"media_ids":["676086"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"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\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682699":{"#nid":"682699","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Army Awards Tech-Led Project $20M to Develop Aluminum Manufacturing for Hydrogen Energy Production","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAluminum scrap is one of the most common materials found on military bases and aircraft carriers worldwide. Now, the U.S. Army has tapped Georgia Tech to help turn that waste into power that can be generated off the grid and on demand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Army Research Office awarded Georgia Tech and its partners $20 million to develop scalable, efficient methods for transforming aluminum into hydrogen energy. The project could lead to a new, low-cost, clean, and efficient energy source powered by discarded materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/stebner\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, will oversee the multi-year effort at Georgia Tech together with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-mcwhorter\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScott McWhorter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, lead for Federal Initiatives at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to several team members from Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the project includes researchers from Fort Valley State University, the 21st Century Partnership, MatSys, and Drexel University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAluminum already reacts with water \u2014 even wastewater and floodwater \u2014 to create hydrogen gas, power, and thermal energy,\u201d McWhorter said. \u201cIf aluminum can be efficiently upcycled into stored energy, it could be a game-changer.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s goal is to experiment with aluminum\u2019s material properties so it can be inexpensively manufactured to create a highly effective reaction that produces low-cost, clean hydrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHaving this ability would allow military bases to be less dependent on the use of a foreign country\u2019s electrical grids,\u201d said Stebner, who is also co-director of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and faculty at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/manufacturing\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManufacturing Aluminum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral years ago, the Army Research Lab discovered and patented the basic technology for recycling aluminum to produce hydrogen gas. However, current manufacturing methods require too much energy for the amount of hydrogen energy produced. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make the technology viable and effective, Stebner and his colleagues will research alternate manufacturing processes and then develop automated methods for safely producing and storing stable aluminum. They also plan to optimize these processes using digital twin technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, manufacturers use large machines to grind up and tumble the aluminum in very controlled environments, because stray aluminum powder can be explosive. These methods are very costly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStebner and the team are looking into small, modular technologies that could allow for convenient, onsite energy generation. According to Stebner, they are interested in determining how these smaller machines could be so efficient that they could be powered using solar panels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStebner envisions that a field of solar panels could power the aluminum-processing modules \u2014 the aluminum recycling could be done while the sun shines and produce power 24\/7.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable Impact\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce they have developed the manufacturing techniques and processes, the team plans to test their efficacy by generating power for rural Georgia communities. Success here would prove the technology could be viable for military deployments and other off-grid scenarios.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Deep South \u2014 especially middle and southern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana \u2014 often has enormous energy disruptions during hurricanes or power outages due to flooding and severe rains,\u201d Stebner said. \u201cManufacturers can be hesitant to build big plants there, because the grids aren\u2019t as stable. This same technology that the Army plans to use for remote military bases could be a game-changer in rural Georgia.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf power is unexpectedly cut in those areas, floodwater could then be used to make hydrogen gas. While hydrogen has not yet had its day in the sun, it has great potential as an alternative to fossil fuels, Stebner says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom a sustainability perspective, any time you can take something that\u2019s already waste \u2014 like scrap aluminum and wastewater \u2014 and turn it into a high-value product that can be used to power communities, that is a huge win.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: Army Research Office\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Army Research Office awarded Georgia Tech and its partners $20 million to develop scalable, efficient methods for transforming aluminum into hydrogen energy. The project could lead to a new, low-cost, clean, and efficient energy source powered by discarded materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The multi-year research project could make scalable off-grid power sources a reality for rural communities and the military."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2025-06-05 16:10:27","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 17:42:15","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677196":{"id":"677196","type":"image","title":"aluminum powder.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists at the Army Research Laboratory found that an aluminum-based powder prompts hydrogen to split from water. Now, a Georgia Tech-led partnership will carry that research forward. Credit: US Army\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749139837","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","changed":"1749139837","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","alt":"a small vial of white powder","file":{"fid":"261070","name":"1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":608105,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg?itok=nhqnY83a"}},"677194":{"id":"677194","type":"image","title":"Aaron Stebner.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749139837","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","changed":"1749139837","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","alt":"A man with glasses and a beard in a dark vest and dress shirt","file":{"fid":"261068","name":"Media-e1740408363490.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Media-e1740408363490.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Media-e1740408363490.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":169800,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/Media-e1740408363490.jpeg?itok=UOfQe7cb"}},"677195":{"id":"677195","type":"image","title":"Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScott McWhorter\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749139837","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","changed":"1749139837","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","alt":"A headshot of a man in a blue shirt and dark blazer","file":{"fid":"261069","name":"Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":40865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg?itok=RTFiwlqs"}}},"media_ids":["677196","677194","677195"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186857","name":"go-gtmi"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682938":{"#nid":"682938","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ready Named Inaugural Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Space Research Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEffective July 1,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2885\u0022\u003EW. Jud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewill serve as the inaugural executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;new\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI), which will officially launch on the same date.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SRI builds upon Georgia Tech\u2019s long and distinguished history in space research and exploration. By uniting experts across disciplines \u2014 from aerospace engineering to planetary science, astrophysics, robotics, policy, the arts, and origin of life explorations \u2014 the SRI aims to create a resilient ecosystem for space research that can adapt and thrive, even in an era of fiscal uncertainty. It is composed of faculty, staff, and students whose collaborative research spans a broad spectrum of space-related topics, all deeply connected to advancing our understanding of space and its impact on the human experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe launch of the SRI comes at a pivotal moment for the scientific community,\u201d said Vice President of Interdisciplinary Research Julia Kubanek. \u201cAs the federal government proposes major cuts to funding agencies, our interdisciplinary research institutes are striving to support faculty and make them more competitive across disciplinary boundaries. This institute will publicly showcase impactful research led by Georgia Tech faculty, attract new collaborators, and pursue alternative funding strategies via philanthropic and industry partners.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Space Research Institute will consist of an interdisciplinary community of faculty across Georgia Tech\u2019s schools, colleges, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is an honor to be appointed executive director of the Space Research Institute,\u201d said Ready. \u201cMy plan is to provide internal and external space researchers with access to Georgia Tech\u2019s world class facilities and turbocharge the space activities already underway. We\u2019re committed to empowering our existing community while forging new partnerships that will expand our reach and impact across the global space ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady, a\u0026nbsp;principal research engineer in GTRI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/laboratories\/electro-optical-systems-laboratory\u0022\u003EElectro-Optical Systems Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;is the\u0026nbsp;first GTRI faculty member to serve in a long-term capacity as an IRI executive director. Prior to his appointment, he served as\u0026nbsp;associate\u0026nbsp;director of external engagement\u0026nbsp;for the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E and director of the Georgia Tech Center for Space Technology and Research (CSTAR).\u0026nbsp;He is also an adjunct professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining the Georgia Tech faculty, Ready worked for General Dynamics and MicroCoating\u0026nbsp;Technologies. Throughout his career,\u0026nbsp;he has served as PI or co-PI for grants totaling more than $25M awarded by the Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, NASA, NSF, NIST,\u0026nbsp;DOE, other federal sponsors,\u0026nbsp;industry, charitable foundations, private citizens, and\u0026nbsp;the States of Georgia and Florida.\u0026nbsp;His current research focuses primarily on energy capture, storage, and delivery enabled by nanomaterial design. His research has been included on three missions to the International Space Station, two others to low earth orbit, and one perpetually in heliocentric orbit (Lunar Flashlight). His future space missions include MISSE-21 to the International Space Station and SSTEF-1 to the Lunar surface. A half dozen solar cells from his past missions to the International Space Station will be included in the permanent At Home in Space exhibit opening on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum\u0027s 50th Anniversary.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady has received numerous awards and honors for his work. His most recent awards include the Class of 1934 Outstanding Innovative Use of Education Technology award in 2025 and the Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development award in 2023, both from Georgia Tech. He also received the One GTRI Collaboration Award in 2022, which he was awarded during GTRI\u2019s annual Distinguished Performance Awards celebration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional articles of interest:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/magazine\/2025\/spring\/10-questions-jud-ready\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10 Questions with Jud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/space-station-testing-will-evaluate-photovoltaic-materials\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpace Station Testing Will Evaluate Photovoltaic Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Effective July 1, Ready will serve as the inaugural executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s new Space Research Institute, which will officially launch on the same date."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEffective July 1, Ready will serve as the inaugural executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s new Space Research Institute, which will officially launch on the same date.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Effective July 1, Ready will serve as the inaugural executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s new Space Research Institute, which will officially launch on the same date."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2025-06-30 14:27:59","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 17:22:59","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677316":{"id":"677316","type":"image","title":"Jud Ready","body":null,"created":"1751374763","gmt_created":"2025-07-01 12:59:23","changed":"1751374791","gmt_changed":"2025-07-01 12:59:51","alt":"Jud Ready","file":{"fid":"261202","name":"Ready-recropped.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/01\/Ready-recropped.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/01\/Ready-recropped.png","mime":"image\/png","size":498883,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/01\/Ready-recropped.png?itok=Gk_6TGDx"}}},"media_ids":["677316"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaurie Haigh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682962":{"#nid":"682962","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches Two New Interdisciplinary Research Institutes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has launched two new Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs): The Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) and the Space Research Institute (SRI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new institutes focus on expanding breakthroughs in neuroscience and space, two areas where research and federal funding are anticipated to remain strong. Both fields are poised to influence research in everything from healthcare and ethics to exploration and innovation. This expansion of Georgia Tech\u2019s research enterprise represents the Institute\u2019s commitment to research that will shape the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt Georgia Tech, innovation flourishes where disciplines converge. With the launch of the Space Research Institute and the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society, we\u2019re uniting experts across fields to take on some of humanity\u2019s most profound questions. Even as we are tightening our belts in anticipation of potential federal R\u0026amp;D budget actions, we also are investing in areas where non-federal funding sources will grow and where big impacts are possible,\u201d said Executive Vice President for Research Tim Lieuwen. \u0022These institutes are about advancing knowledge \u2014 and using it to improve lives, inspire future generations, and help shape a better future for us all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth INNS and SRI grew out of faculty-led initiatives shaped by a strategic planning process and campus-wide collaboration. Their evolution into formal institutes underscores the strength and momentum of Georgia Tech\u2019s interdisciplinary research enterprise.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s 11 IRIs support collaboration between researchers and students across the Institute\u2019s seven colleges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), national laboratories, and corporate entities to tackle critical topics of strategic significance for the Institute as well as for local, state, national, and international communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022IRIs bring together Georgia Tech researchers making them more competitive and successful in solving research challenges, especially across disciplinary boundaries,\u201d said Julia Kubanek, vice president of interdisciplinary research. \u201cWe\u0027re making these new investments in neuro- and space-related fields to publicly showcase impactful discoveries and developments led by Georgia Tech faculty, attract new partners and collaborators, and pursue alternative funding strategies at a time of federal funding uncertainty.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Space Research Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E will connect faculty, students, and staff who share a passion for space exploration and discovery. They will investigate a wide variety of space-related topics, exploring how space influences and intersects with the human experience. The SRI fosters a collaborative community including scientific, engineering, cultural, and commercial research that pursues broadly integrated, innovative projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESRI is the hub for all things space-related at Georgia Tech. It connects the Institute\u2019s schools, colleges, research institutes, and labs to lead conversations about space in the state of Georgia and the world. Working in partnership with academics, business partners, philanthropists, students, and governments, Georgia Tech is committed to staying at the forefront of space-related innovation.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SRI will build upon the collaborative work of the Space Research Initiative, the first step in formalizing Georgia Tech\u2019s broad interdisciplinary space research community. The Initiative brought together researchers from across campus and was guided by input from Georgia Tech stakeholders and external partners. It was led by an executive committee including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/4313\u0022\u003EGlenn Lightsey\u003C\/a\u003E, John W. Young Chair Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/21316\u0022\u003EMariel Borowitz\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2804\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Beginning July 1, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/s1.space.research.gatech.edu\/w-jud-ready\u0022\u003EW. Jud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E, a principal research engineer in GTRI\u2019s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory, will serve as the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ready-named-inaugural-executive-director-georgia-tech-space-research-institute\u0022\u003Einaugural executive director of the Space Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo receive the latest updates on space research and innovation at Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.e2ma.net\/app2\/audience\/signup\/2015041\/1983075\/\u0022\u003Ejoin the SRI mailing list\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS) is dedicated to advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology to improve society through discovery, innovation, and engagement. INNS brings together researchers from neuroscience, engineering, computing, ethics, public policy, and the humanities to explore the brain and nervous system while addressing the societal and ethical dimensions of neuro-related research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EINNS builds on a foundation established over a decade ago, which first led to the GT-Neuro Initiative and later evolved into the Neuro Next Initiative. Over the past two years, this effort has culminated in the development of a comprehensive plan for an IRI, guided by an executive committee composed of faculty and staff from across Georgia Tech. The committee included \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3736\u0022\u003ESimon Sponberg,\u003C\/a\u003E Dunn Family Associate Professor in the School of Physics and the School of Biological Sciences; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3728\u0022\u003EChristopher Rozell,\u003C\/a\u003E Julian T. Hightower Chaired Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/11576\u0022\u003EJennifer Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the School of History and Sociology; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/sarah-peterson\u0022\u003ESarah Peterson\u003C\/a\u003E, Neuro Next Initiative program manager. Their leadership shaped the vision for a research community both scientifically ambitious and socially responsive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EINNS will serve as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary collaboration across the full spectrum of brain-related research \u2014 from biological foundations to behavior and cognition, and from fundamental research to medical innovations that advance human flourishing. Research areas will encompass the foundations of human intelligence and movement, bio-inspired design and neurotechnology development, and the ethical dimensions of a neuro-connected future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy integrating technical innovation with human-centered inquiry, INNS is committed to ensuring that advances in neuroscience and neurotechnology are developed and applied ethically and responsibly. Through fostering innovation, cultivating interdisciplinary expertise, and engaging with the public, the institute seeks to shape a future where advancements in neuroscience and neurotechnology serve the greater good. INNS also aims to deepen Georgia Tech\u2019s collaborations with clinical, academic, and industry partners, creating new pathways for translational research and real-world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn internal search for INNS\u2019s inaugural executive director is in the final stages, with an announcement expected soon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/eepurl.com\/iX8jss\u0022\u003EJoin our mailing list\u003C\/a\u003E to receive the latest updates on everything neuro at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy uniting experts across disciplines, Georgia Tech is positioning itself at the forefront of neuroscience and space research.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By uniting experts across disciplines, Georgia Tech is positioning itself at the forefront of neuroscience and space research."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2025-07-01 11:53:04","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 16:58:27","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677315":{"id":"677315","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1751369747","gmt_created":"2025-07-01 11:35:47","changed":"1751369782","gmt_changed":"2025-07-01 11:36:22","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"261201","name":"tech-tower.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/01\/tech-tower.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/01\/tech-tower.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3688196,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/01\/tech-tower.png?itok=k1paARgU"}}},"media_ids":["677315"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"187582","name":"go-ibb"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaurie Haigh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683264":{"#nid":"683264","#data":{"type":"news","title":" How the World\u2019s Nuclear Watchdog Monitors Facilities Around the World \u2013 and What it Means That Iran Kicked it Out","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat happens when a country seeks to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program? Every peaceful program starts with a promise not to build a nuclear weapon. Then, the global community verifies that stated intent via the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/disarmament.unoda.org\/wmd\/nuclear\/npt\/\u0022\u003ETreaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce a country signs the treaty, the world\u2019s nuclear watchdog, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/\u0022\u003EInternational Atomic Energy Agency\u003C\/a\u003E, provides continuous and technical proof that the country\u2019s nuclear program is peaceful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IAEA ensures that countries operate their programs within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/topics\/safeguards-legal-framework\/more-on-safeguards-agreements\u0022\u003Elimits of nonproliferation agreements\u003C\/a\u003E: low enrichment and no reactor misuse. Part of the agreement allows the IAEA to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/topics\/additional-protocol\u0022\u003Einspect nuclear-related sites\u003C\/a\u003E, including unannounced surprise visits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are not just log reviews. Inspectors know what should and should not be there. When the IAEA is not on site, cameras, tamper-revealing seals on equipment and real-time radiation monitors are working full-time to gather or verify inside information about the program\u2019s activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESafeguards Toolkit\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IAEA safeguards toolkit is designed to detect proliferation activities early. Much of the work is fairly technical. The safeguards toolkit combines physical surveillance, material tracking, data analytics and scientific sampling. Inspectors are chemists, physicists and nuclear engineers. They count spent fuel rods in a cooling pond. They check tamper seals on centrifuges. Often, the inspectors walk miles through hallways and corridors carrying heavy equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s how the world learned in April 2021 about Iran pushing uranium enrichment from reactor-fuel-grade to near-weapons-grade levels. IAEA inspectors were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/govinf2021-26.pdf\u0022\u003Eable to verify\u003C\/a\u003E that Iran was feeding uranium into a series of centrifuges designed to enrich the uranium from 5%, used for energy programs, to 60%, which is a step toward the 90% level used in nuclear weapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAround the facilities, whether for uranium enrichment or plutonium processing, closed-circuit surveillance cameras monitor for undeclared materials or post-work activities. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/newscenter\/news\/new-seals-to-verify-the-use-of-nuclear-material-and-technology-demonstrated-at-iaea-general-conference\u0022\u003ESeals around the facilities\u003C\/a\u003E provide evidence that uranium gas cylinders have not been tampered with or that centrifuges operate at the declared levels. Beyond seals, online enrichment monitors allow inspectors to look inside of centrifuges for any changes in the declared enrichment process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeals verify whether nuclear equipment or materials have been used between onsite inspections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the inspectors are on-site, they collect environmental swipes: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/newscenter\/news\/swipe-check-collecting-and-analysing-environmental-samples-nuclear-verification\u0022\u003Esamples of nuclear materials on surfaces\u003C\/a\u003E, in dust or in the air. These can reveal if uranium has been enriched to levels beyond those allowed by the agreement. Or if plutonium, which is not used in nuclear power plants, is being produced in a reactor. Swipes are precise. They can identify enrichment levels from a particle smaller than a speck of dust. But they take time, days or weeks. Inspectors analyze the samples at the IAEA\u2019s laboratories using sophisticated equipment called mass spectrometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to physical samples, IAEA inspectors look at the logs of material inventories. They look for diversion of uranium or plutonium from normal process lines, just like accountants trace the flow of finances, except that their verification is supported by the ever-watching online monitors and radiation sensors. They also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/topics\/verification-and-other-safeguards-activities\u0022\u003Ecount items of interest\u003C\/a\u003E and weigh them for additional verification of the logs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond accounting for materials, IAEA inspectors verify that the facility \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/topics\/verification-and-other-safeguards-activities\u0022\u003Ematches the declared design\u003C\/a\u003E. For example, if a country is expanding centrifuge halls to increase its enrichment capabilities, that\u2019s a red flag. Changes to the layout of material processing laboratories near nuclear reactors could be a sign that the program is preparing to produce unauthorized plutonium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELosing Access\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIran announced on June 28, 2025, that it has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/iran-ban-iaea-chief-rafael-grossi-surveillance-camera-nuclear-plant\/\u0022\u003Eended its cooperation with the IAEA\u003C\/a\u003E. It removed the monitoring devices, including surveillance cameras, from centrifuge halls. This move followed the news by the IAEA that Iran\u2019s enrichment activities are well outside of allowed levels. Iran now operates \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-the-us-bombed-a-bunch-of-metal-tubes-a-nuclear-engineer-explains-the-importance-of-centrifuges-to-iranian-efforts-to-build-nuclear-weapons-259883\u0022\u003Esophisticated uranium centrifuges\u003C\/a\u003E, like models IR-6 and IR-9.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERemoving IAEA access means that the international community loses insight into how quickly Iran\u2019s program can accumulate weapon-grade uranium, or how much it has produced. Also lost is information about whether the facility is undergoing changes for proliferation purposes. These processes are difficult to detect with external surveillance, like satellites, alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/680796\/original\/file-20250717-56-yh9yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/680796\/original\/file-20250717-56-yh9yjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022a satellite view of a complex of buidlings on a desert landscape\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA satellite view of Iran\u2019s Arak Nuclear Complex, which has a reactor capable of producing plutonium. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/maxar-satellite-imagery-shows-the-arak-heavy-water-reactor-news-photo\/2220199432\u0022\u003ESatellite image (c) 2025 Maxar Technologies via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn alternative to the uranium enrichment path for producing nuclear weapons material is plutonium. Plutonium can\u2019t be mined, it has to be produced in a nuclear reactor. Iran built a reactor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/isis-online.org\/uploads\/isis-reports\/documents\/Plutonium_Pathway_Final.pdf\u0022\u003Ecapable of producing plutonium\u003C\/a\u003E, the IR-40 Heavy Water Research Reactor at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nti.org\/education-center\/facilities\/arak-nuclear-complex\/\u0022\u003EArak Nuclear Complex\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIran modified the Arak reactor under the now-defunct \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-the-Iran-nuclear-deal-and-why-was-it-scrapped\u0022\u003EJoint Comprehensive Plan of Action\u003C\/a\u003E to make plutonium production less likely. During the June 2025 missile attacks, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/defence-blog.com\/israel-hits-irans-arak-reactor\/\u0022\u003EIsrael targeted Arak\u2019s facilities\u003C\/a\u003E with the aim of eliminating the possibility of plutonium production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith IAEA access suspended, it won\u2019t be possible to see what happens inside the facility. Can the reactor be used for plutonium production? Although a lengthier process than the uranium enrichment path, plutonium provides a parallel path to uranium enrichment for developing nuclear weapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EContinuity of Knowledge\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENorth Korea \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/newscenter\/pressreleases\/iaea-inspectors-depart-dprk\u0022\u003Eexpelled IAEA inspectors\u003C\/a\u003E in 2009. Within a few years, they \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/carnegieendowment.org\/posts\/2021\/09\/what-the-restarting-of-north-koreas-yongbyon-reactor-means?lang=en\u0022\u003Erestarted activities\u003C\/a\u003E related to uranium enrichment and plutonium production in the Yongbyon reactor. The international community\u2019s information about North Korea\u2019s weapons program now relies solely on external methods: satellite images, radioactive particles like xenon \u2013 airborne fingerprints of nuclear activities \u2013 and seismic data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is lost is the continuity of the knowledge, a chain of verification over time. Once the seals are broken or cameras are removed, that chain is lost, and so is confidence about what is happening at the facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to IAEA inspections, there is no single tool that paints the whole picture. Surveillance plus sampling plus accounting provide validation and confidence. Losing even one weakens the system in the long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe existing safeguards regime is meant to detect violations. The countries that sign the nonproliferation treaty know that they are always watched, and that plays a deterrence role. The inspectors can\u2019t just resume the verification activities after some time if access is lost. Future access won\u2019t necessarily enable inspectors to clarify what happened during the gap.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/260689\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-worlds-nuclear-watchdog-monitors-facilities-around-the-world-and-what-it-means-that-iran-kicked-it-out-260689\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat happens when a country seeks to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"What happens when a country seeks to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program?"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-07-24 17:48:38","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 16:40:29","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677480":{"id":"677480","type":"image","title":"This travel case holds a toolkit containing equipment for inspecting nuclear facilities","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis travel case holds a toolkit containing equipment for inspecting nuclear facilities. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/iaea_imagebank\/30483028477\/\u0022\u003EDean Calma\/IAEA\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\u0022\u003ECC BY\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1753379503","gmt_created":"2025-07-24 17:51:43","changed":"1753379503","gmt_changed":"2025-07-24 17:51:43","alt":"This travel case holds a toolkit containing equipment for inspecting nuclear facilities","file":{"fid":"261382","name":"file-20250717-56-7a42gj.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/24\/file-20250717-56-7a42gj.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/24\/file-20250717-56-7a42gj.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":313068,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/24\/file-20250717-56-7a42gj.jpg?itok=oZugr_QX"}}},"media_ids":["677480"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-worlds-nuclear-watchdog-monitors-facilities-around-the-world-and-what-it-means-that-iran-kicked-it-out-260689","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/anna-erickson-2420881\u0022\u003EAnna Erickson\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683422":{"#nid":"683422","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mapping Georgia\u2019s Urban Forest: Georgia Tech Tools Help Planners Prioritize Tree Canopy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor more than 15 years, Georgia Tech has provided the City of Atlanta with the foundational data and insight that shape how the city tracks, understands, and plans for changes in its tree canopy. The latest cycle of this research \u2014 delivered through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics (CURA)\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 continues that legacy by offering a high-resolution, citywide canopy assessment using satellite imagery and field validation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe assessment, funded by the city\u2019s Tree Recompense Fund, uses advanced remote sensing tools such as WorldView-2 satellite data and a random forest classification model to categorize land into three land cover types. These include tree canopy, non-tree vegetation (grass, shrubs, and low lying vegetation) and non-vegetation (water, pervious surface). The methodology delivers a detailed spatial picture of land cover across the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is simply a tool in their planning arsenal,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/tony-giarrusso\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnthony Giarrusso\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who has led every canopy study since 2008. \u201cBefore they did any of this work in 2008, everything was anecdotal. It was reactionary.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new study is not advocacy \u2014 it\u2019s information. Giarrusso emphasized that while researchers stay neutral in the politics of urban growth and conservation, their work equips city leaders with science-based knowledge to make more effective zoning and planning decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to mapping existing conditions, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/b53452fbad5c4cc6a237940bcd08bd7d\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech team developed the Potential Planting Index (PPI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a scalable tool that identifies where tree planting is physically possible based on current land cover. The tool quantifies the difference between tree canopy and non-tree vegetation, indicating zones with restoration potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother key insight is the challenge of interpreting canopy change without understanding land use patterns. \u201cIt gives you a false sense of stability if you don\u2019t understand the underlying land use,\u201d said Giarrusso. \u201cYou might see canopy regrowth on paper, but that land could be cleared again tomorrow.\u201d He explained that this false signal is particularly common in stalled development sites: \u201cWe saw a lot of properties where trees had regrown after initial clearing, but it was temporary and monoculture, low quality canopy. Several of those areas were cleared again for construction later.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso pointed to these \u201closs-gain-loss\u201d cycles as one of the more misleading aspects of tree canopy analysis without strong land use context. \u201cSome of them were pipe farms \u2014 land cleared for development with infrastructure like water and sewer lines installed, but then construction never happened. So trees grow back, and you get a canopy gain that doesn\u2019t last and is nowhere near the quality of the trees originally cleared.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe stressed that policymakers need to consider the permanence of canopy when using the data. \u201cIf it\u2019s just going to be cleared again in two years, it\u2019s not really a gain. That\u2019s why long-term tracking and land use analysis together are so important.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe city has incorporated these tools into broader planning efforts, including zoning reform and tree ordinance revisions. The research supports recommendations such as restricting full lot clearing in certain zoning categories and adjusting setback or lot coverage limits to better preserve existing canopy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso underscored the urgency of protecting larger, intact forested tracts. \u201cIf you can see it from space and it\u2019s still forest \u2014 save it,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce it\u2019s cleared, you don\u2019t get it back.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers developed new statewide canopy assessment tools to help urban planners, policymakers, and communities make data-informed decisions for climate resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed new statewide canopy assessment tools to help urban planners, policymakers, and communities make data-informed decisions for climate resilience."}],"uid":"36761","created_gmt":"2025-07-31 19:26:56","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 16:38:16","author":"malonso35","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"587356":{"id":"587356","type":"image","title":"Trees around Einstein Statue","body":null,"created":"1487015393","gmt_created":"2017-02-13 19:49:53","changed":"1487015393","gmt_changed":"2017-02-13 19:49:53","alt":"Trees around Einstein","file":{"fid":"223847","name":"16C10400-P15-015.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2802823,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg?itok=uBcC4GSz"}}},"media_ids":["587356"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"179325","name":"urban canopy"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["Melissa.Alonso@design.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683964":{"#nid":"683964","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Farming for the Future of the Planet: How Liming Could Be Key for Carbon Removal","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOverly acidic soils can mean the difference between feeding a region and famine. Each crop needs the right soil pH to thrive, and acidic conditions, produced primarily by industrial emissions and application of fertilizers,\u0026nbsp;can harm growing conditions. It has recently been estimated that sub-Saharan Africa, for example, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43016-025-01194-z\u0022\u003Eloses\u003C\/a\u003E billions of dollars annually in crop yield because of poor agricultural conditions. But there is a possible solution \u2014 and it could even help the Earth\u2019s climate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor centuries, farmers have neutralized soil acidity with a practice called liming. It involves mixing crushed calcium- or magnesium-rich rocks, known as limestone, into the soil to balance pH. But liming has long been an assumed tradeoff in which removing acid also meant increasing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew research from Georgia Tech shows that the opposite may be true. Agricultural liming can actually reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\/em\u003E improve crop yield.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe current thinking about liming is that farmers must choose between doing something that could benefit them economically or reducing their greenhouse gas emissions,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reinhard.gatech.edu\/chris-reinhard.html\u0022\u003EChris Reinhard\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBut this is often a false choice. They can do both.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers published a new framework for the potential role of liming in food security and greenhouse gas mitigation in August in the paper, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s44221-025-00473-0\u0022\u003EUsing Carbonates for Carbon Removal,\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d in \u003Cem\u003ENature Water\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollecting Carbon Data\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe framework is based in part on ongoing work Reinhard and his collaborators are pursuing on the impacts of agricultural liming in the Upper Midwest\u2019s Corn Belt for a Department of Energy study. With funding from the Grantham Foundation, they\u2019re now turning their attention to local farms in southern Georgia and North Carolina.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor each farm, the researchers measure data that most farmers would collect already, like soil pH and nutrients. But the team also tracks more specialized measurements, including trace elements and greenhouse gas fluxes in the soil. All this data is matched to a high-resolution, machine learning grid of the farm\u2019s geography to determine exactly which crops might benefit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are using the data to build a computer model that predicts how carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will move through any particular soil system. Liming won\u2019t universally absorb carbon dioxide \u2014 or if it does, there may be an occasional time delay between carbon emissions and absorption \u2014 which is why the researchers factor soil, crop rotation, climate, and other management practices into their calculations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to develop a way that farmers can monitor and plan cheaply, and largely through techniques they are already using, so we don\u0027t have to send out a whole team to gather data,\u201d Reinhard said. \u201cWe are trying to develop a predictive model architecture for planning agricultural practice across scales, but it\u2019s important that the techniques required on the field are actually feasible for farmers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis data could be pivotal for farmers, and it could also help policymakers as they address farming subsidies and foreign aid funding. Globally, food-insecure regions like sub-Saharan Africa could become more self-sufficient with more liming. Farmers in parts of the U.S. could also improve their yields and, in effect, their profits, if they limed more fields.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe added benefit of lowering carbon could get even more farmers on board, and there is extensive exploration and implementation of agricultural practices already on voluntary and governmental carbon markets. Carbon dioxide is only one greenhouse gas that liming can lower; researchers are also exploring how liming can reduce methane and nitrous oxide \u2014 the latter of which is a key climate impact of human agriculture and is often considered a \u201chard-to-abate\u201d emission.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELiming may be a centuries-old practice, but its applications are potentially much wider than initially believed. In the future, farming may be part of the answer to reducing carbon emissions, instead of part of the problem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiming, a centuries-old agricultural practice, can improve crop yield and greenhouse gas reduction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Liming, a centuries-old agricultural practice, can improve crop yield and greenhouse gas reduction. "}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2025-08-19 17:57:58","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 16:35:44","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677739":{"id":"677739","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_445557503.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA tractor applying lime to mitigate acidity in the soil. [Adobe Stock]\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1755626294","gmt_created":"2025-08-19 17:58:14","changed":"1755626294","gmt_changed":"2025-08-19 17:58:14","alt":"A tractor applying lime","file":{"fid":"261673","name":"AdobeStock_445557503.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_445557503.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_445557503.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11458364,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/19\/AdobeStock_445557503.jpeg?itok=4fZDo7bg"}}},"media_ids":["677739"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"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\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684959":{"#nid":"684959","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Links in Air Pollution and Dementia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EScientists at Georgia Tech have teamed up with researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Columbia University to better understand how certain types of air pollution increase the risk of developing dementia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETheir findings, published this month in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adu4132\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, help explain how small particle pollution \u2014 think industrial emissions and car exhaust, wildfires and burning wood for heat and cooking \u2014 can lead to Lewy body dementia, a devastating disease that causes toxic clumps of protein to destroy nerve cells in the brain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Epidemiological studies have suggested a strong link between air pollution and dementia, but what sets this study apart is that we also provide a convincing biological mechanism,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/liu-pengfei-0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPengfei Liu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and one of the study\u2019s co-authors. \u201cThis collaborative work shows that fine particulate matter from different geographic regions consistently triggers a specific stain of misfolded protein that drives Lewy body dementia.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe work has \u201cprofound implications\u201d for helping scientists and policy makers better understand measures to prevent this type of dementia, which is among the most common forms of the disease and affects millions of people around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAlong with Liu, the research team from Georgia Tech includes\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rweber.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERodney Weber\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMinhan Park\u003C\/strong\u003E, a postdoctoral research fellow co-advised by Liu and Weber;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBin Bai\u003C\/strong\u003E, a graduate student in Liu\u2019s lab; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMa Cristine Faye Denna\u003C\/strong\u003E, a graduate student in Weber\u2019s lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFiguring out how exposure to atmospheric aerosols might be linked to dementia, and what mechanisms are involved, is a complex and challenging problem \u2014\u0026nbsp;and as this study shows, it takes a large team with many different areas of expertise,\u201d Weber adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn more:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adu4132\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E: Lewy body dementia promotion by air pollutants\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/news\/newsroom\/news-releases\/2025\/09\/researchers-reveal-potential-molecular-link-between-air-pollutants-and-increased-risk-of-lewy-body-dementia\u0022\u003EJohns Hopkins Medicine newsroom\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.publichealth.columbia.edu\/news\/potential-molecular-link-between-air-pollutants-increased-risk-lewy-body-dementia-revealed\u0022\u003EColumbia University newsroom\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/sep\/04\/fine-particulate-air-pollution-trigger-forms-dementia-study-lewy-body\u0022\u003EPress: \u003Cem\u003EThe Guardian\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists at Georgia Tech have teamed up with researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Columbia University to better understand how certain types of air pollution increase the risk of developing dementia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists team up to better understand how certain types of air pollution increase the risk of developing dementia.\u00a0"}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2025-09-16 21:26:52","changed_gmt":"2025-12-30 19:50:28","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678035":{"id":"678035","type":"image","title":"Car exhaust (Adobe: elcovalana)","body":null,"created":"1758058019","gmt_created":"2025-09-16 21:26:59","changed":"1758058019","gmt_changed":"2025-09-16 21:26:59","alt":"Car exhaust (Adobe: elcovalana)","file":{"fid":"262013","name":"Car-exhaust---elcovalana.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Car-exhaust---elcovalana.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Car-exhaust---elcovalana.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":952683,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/16\/Car-exhaust---elcovalana.jpeg?itok=UiPeGoBL"}}},"media_ids":["678035"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"184361","name":"brain health"},{"id":"5076","name":"dementia"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"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:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684913":{"#nid":"684913","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Microbes: What a Warming Wetland Reveals About Earth\u2019s Carbon Future","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBetween a third and half of all soil carbon on Earth is stored in peatlands, says\u0026nbsp;Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. These wetlands \u2014 formed from layers and layers of decaying plant matter \u2014 span from the Arctic to the tropics, supporting biodiversity and regulating global climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cPeatlands are essential carbon stores, but as temperatures warm, this carbon is in danger of being released as carbon dioxide and methane,\u201d says Kostka, who is also the\u0026nbsp;associate chair for Research in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and the director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/04\/college-sciences-launches-new-center-georgia-tech-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E. Understanding the ratio of carbon dioxide to methane is critical, he adds, because while both are greenhouse gasses, methane is significantly more potent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka is the corresponding author of a new study unearthing how and why peatlands are producing carbon dioxide and methane.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe research, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-025-61664-7\u0022\u003ENorthern peatland microbial communities exhibit resistance to warming and acquire electron acceptors from soil organic matter\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published this summer in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E, and was led by co-first authors\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBorja Aldeguer-Riquelme,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ea\u0026nbsp;postdoctoral research associate in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\/people\/\u0022\u003EEnvironmental Microbial Genomics Laboratory,\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E Katherine Duchesneau\u003C\/strong\u003E, a\u0026nbsp;Ph.D. student in the School of Biological Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study builds on a decade of research at the Oak Ridge National Lab\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mnspruce.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003ESpruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment\u003C\/a\u003E, a long-term research project in Minnesota that allows researchers to warm whole sections of wetland from tree top to bog bottom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOver the past 10 years, we\u2019ve shown that warming in this large-scale climate experiment increases greenhouse gas production,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cBut while warming makes the bog produce more methane, we still observe a lot more CO2 production than methane. In this paper, we take a critical step towards discovering why \u2014 and describing the mechanisms that determine which gases are released and in what amounts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMethane mystery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe subdued methane production in peatlands has been a long-standing mystery. In water-saturated wetlands, oxygen is scarce, but microbes still need to respire \u2014 a type of \u2018breathing\u2019 that allows them to produce energy for metabolic function. Without oxygen, microbes use nitrate, sulfate, or metals to respire \u2014 still releasing carbon dioxide in the process. However, if these ingredients aren\u2019t present, microbes \u2018breathe\u2019 in a way that releases methane.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESince nitrate, sulfate, and metals are relatively rare in peatlands, methane production should be the most likely pathway, but surprisingly, observations show the opposite. \u201cIn both fieldwork and lab experiments, peatlands produce much more carbon dioxide than methane,\u201d Kostka explains. \u201cIt\u2019s puzzling because the soil conditions should help methane production dominate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo solve this mystery, the team leveraged a suite of cutting-edge genetic tools called \u201comics\u201d \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;metagenomics (studying DNA), metatranscriptomics (studying RNA), and metabolomics (a technique used to study the \u201cleftovers\u201d of metabolism), providing a detailed look under the hood of the microbial \u201cengine\u201d that cycles organic matter in wetlands. It also gave a new window into the diversity of soil microbes in wetlands: 80 percent of the organisms identified in the study were new at the genus level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2018Omics\u2019 innovations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOver the course of several years, the team collected samples from a peatland enclosed in an experimental chamber that was slowly warmed, then analyzed the samples using omics to see how they changed. Initially, they hypothesized that warming the soil would cause microbial communities to change quickly. \u201cMicrobes can evolve and grow rapidly,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cBut that didn\u2019t happen.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe DNA-based methods showed that while the microbial communities stayed largely stable, the bog did release more greenhouse gasses as it warmed. To assess the metabolic potential of the microbes, Duchesneau and Aldeguer-Riquelme constructed microbial genomes, investigating how they were decomposing the organic matter in peatlands and cycling carbon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe found that microbial activity increases with warming, but the growth response of microbial communities lags behind these changes in physiological or metabolic activity,\u201d Kostka says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EHe cautions that this doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that wetland communities won\u2019t change as climates warm\u0026nbsp;\u2014 just that these shifts might come behind metabolic ones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA diversity of discoveries\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAnd the methane? The team believes that microbes may be breaking down organic matter to access the key ingredients for producing carbon dioxide \u2014 nitrate, sulfate, and metals \u2014 though more research is currently underway to investigate this.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDoing this type of integrated omics research in soil systems is still incredibly difficult,\u201d Kostka says. The challenge is multifaceted: the research leverages years of experiments, long-term datasets, advanced laboratory techniques, and fieldwork innovations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt SPRUCE, experimental chambers are about 1,000 square feet. While it\u2019s an impressive experimental setup, researchers still must be careful: \u201cWe need to take soil samples for many years, so if we take too many, there\u2019d be no soil left!\u201d Kostka explains. \u201cPart of our research involves developing better, non-destructive sampling techniques.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe other challenge lies in what makes these peatlands so unique: it\u2019s very hard to detect small changes because of the sheer diversity of organisms present. \u201cEvery time we conduct this type of research, we learn more about these incredible systems,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s always something new.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-025-61664-7\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-025-61664-7\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Program and Genomic Science programs, under the US Department of Energy (DOE); the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science User Facility sponsored by the Biological and Environmental Research program. The SPRUCE experiment is funded by the Biological and Environmental Research program in the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Science.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBetween a third and half of all soil carbon on Earth is stored in peatlands, but as temperatures warm, this carbon is in danger of being released. A new study is unearthing the ratio of carbon dioxide to methane released \u2014 because while both are greenhouse gasses, methane is significantly more potent.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study is unearthing how and why peatlands are producing carbon dioxide and methane.\u00a0"}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-09-16 16:55:49","changed_gmt":"2025-12-30 19:46:51","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678030":{"id":"678030","type":"image","title":"An aerial photo of the SPRUCE experiment.","body":"An arial photo of the SPRUCE experiment.","created":"1758051069","gmt_created":"2025-09-16 19:31:09","changed":"1758054915","gmt_changed":"2025-09-16 20:35:15","alt":"An aerial photo of the SPRUCE 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2023.","file":{"fid":"262008","name":"Caitlin_Borja_chamber_23.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Caitlin_Borja_chamber_23.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Caitlin_Borja_chamber_23.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":37221,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/16\/Caitlin_Borja_chamber_23.jpg?itok=o_Yq6q6C"}},"678026":{"id":"678026","type":"image","title":"Ph.D. student Katherine Duchesneau sampling porewater inside an experimental SPRUCE chamber.","body":"Ph.D. student Katherine Duchesneau sampling porewater inside an experimental SPRUCE chamber.","created":"1758051069","gmt_created":"2025-09-16 19:31:09","changed":"1758051069","gmt_changed":"2025-09-16 19:31:09","alt":"Ph.D. student Katherine Duchesneau sampling porewater inside an experimental SPRUCE 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Noble-Kuchera in a SPRUCE chamber.","file":{"fid":"261999","name":"IMG_6748.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/IMG_6748.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/IMG_6748.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8678062,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/16\/IMG_6748.jpg?itok=DoMRfPfd"}},"678028":{"id":"678028","type":"image","title":"Joel Kostka at the SPRUCE experiment.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJoel Kostka at the SPRUCE experiment.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758051069","gmt_created":"2025-09-16 19:31:09","changed":"1758055048","gmt_changed":"2025-09-16 20:37:28","alt":"Joel Kostka at the SPRUCE experiment.","file":{"fid":"262000","name":"Joel-Kostka.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Joel-Kostka.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Joel-Kostka.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1324030,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/16\/Joel-Kostka.jpg?itok=eUOwhCkK"}}},"media_ids":["678030","678031","678026","678027","678028"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"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\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684993":{"#nid":"684993","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Do Big Oil Companies Invest in Green\u00a0Energy?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome major oil companies such as Shell and BP that once were touted as leading the way in clean energy investments are now \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c3374ekd11po\u0022\u003Epulling back from those projects\u003C\/a\u003E to refocus on oil and gas production. Others, such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron, have concentrated on oil and gas but announced recent investments in carbon capture projects, as well as in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/carboncredits.com\/chevron-joins-other-oil-majors-to-boost-the-u-s-lithium-supply-chain\/\u0022\u003Elithium\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/09\/business\/energy-environment\/exxon-mobil-graphite-electric-vehicles.html\u0022\u003Egraphite production for electric vehicle batteries\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENational oil companies have also been investing in renewable energy. For example, Saudi Aramco has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energypolicy.columbia.edu\/saudi-arabias-renewable-energy-initiatives-and-their-geopolitical-implications\/\u0022\u003Einvested in clean energy\u003C\/a\u003E while at the same time asserting that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/03\/18\/saudi-aramco-ceo-says-energy-transition-is-failing-give-up-fantasy-of-phasing-out-oil.html\u0022\u003Eit\u2019s unrealistic to phase out oil and gas entirely\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the larger question is why oil companies would invest in clean energy at all, especially at a time when many \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/energy-environment\/5417842-trump-administration-cuts-green-energy\/\u0022\u003Efederal clean energy incentives are being eliminated\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/time.com\/7314000\/trump-administration-climate-report-scientists\/\u0022\u003Eclimate science is being dismantled\u003C\/a\u003E, at least in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome answers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/18\/business\/energy-environment\/cop-oil-gas-green-energy.html\u0022\u003Edepend on whom you ask\u003C\/a\u003E. More traditional petroleum industry followers would urge the companies to keep focused on their core fossil fuel businesses to meet growing energy demand and corresponding near-term shareholder returns. Other shareholders and stakeholders concerned about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/e\/environmental-social-and-governance-esg-criteria.asp\u0022\u003Esustainability\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/articles\/press-release\/new-analysis-what-ipcc-energy-pathways-tell-us-about-paris-aligned-policies\u0022\u003Eclimate\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 including an increasing number of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.erm.com\/globalassets\/insights\/ermsi_annual_trends_report_2025_2.pdf#page=10\u0022\u003Ecompanies with sustainability goals\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 would likely point out the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.deloitte.com\/us\/en\/insights\/industry\/renewable-energy\/renewable-energy-industry-outlook.html\u0022\u003Ebusiness opportunities for clean energy to meet global needs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther answers depend on the particular company itself. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ipaa.org\/independent-producers\/\u0022\u003EVery small producers\u003C\/a\u003E have different business plans than very large private and public companies. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu\/commentary\/podcast\/why-oil-companies-support-renewable-energy\/\u0022\u003EGeography and regional policies can also play a key role\u003C\/a\u003E. And \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.numberanalytics.com\/blog\/national-oil-companies-energy-economics\u0022\u003Egovernment-owned companies\u003C\/a\u003E such as Saudi Aramco, Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corp. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/publications\/report\/energy-transitions-national-oil-companies\u0022\u003Econtrol the majority\u003C\/a\u003E of the world\u2019s oil and gas resources with revenues that support their national economies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the relatively \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/world-energy-investment-2024\/overview-and-key-findings\u0022\u003Emodest scale of investment in clean energy\u003C\/a\u003E by oil and gas companies so far, there are several business reasons oil companies would increase their investments in clean energy over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe oil and gas industry has provided energy that has helped create much of modern society and technology, though those advances have also come with significant environmental and social costs. My own experience in the oil industry gave me insight into how at least some of these companies try to reconcile this tension and to make \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.erss.2022.102800\u0022\u003Estrategic portfolio decisions regarding what \u201cgreen\u201d technologies to invest in\u003C\/a\u003E. Now the managing director and a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/oxman\/index.html\u0022\u003Eprofessor of the practice\u003C\/a\u003E at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech, I seek ways to eliminate the boundaries and identify mutually reinforcing innovations among \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2024\/01\/climate-action-for-profitable-business-growth\u0022\u003Ebusiness interests and environmental concerns\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022People march holding signs objecting to fossil fuels.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687570\/original\/file-20250826-55-mka3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EProtesters call for companies and international organizations to reduce their spending on fossil fuels.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/protesters-march-in-protest-outside-of-the-imf-world-bank-news-photo\/2147931402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EKent Nishimura\/Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EDiversification and Financial Drivers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust like financial advisers tell you to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/viewpoints\/investing-ideas\/guide-to-diversification\u0022\u003Ediversify your 401(k) investments\u003C\/a\u003E, companies do so to weather different kinds of volatility, from commodity prices to political instability. Oil and gas markets are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.numberanalytics.com\/blog\/maximizing-returns-diversification-petroleum-economics\u0022\u003Enotoriously cyclical\u003C\/a\u003E, so investments in clean energy can hedge against these shifts for companies and investors alike.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClean energy can also provide opportunities for new revenue. Many customers want to buy clean energy, and oil companies want to be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.erss.2023.103253\u0022\u003Epositioned to cash in\u003C\/a\u003E as this transition occurs. By developing employees\u2019 expertise and investing in emerging technologies, they can be ready for commercial opportunities in biofuels, renewable natural gas, hydrogen and other pathways that may overlap with their existing, core business competencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFossil fuel companies have also found what other companies have: Clean energy can reduce costs. Some oil companies not only invest in energy efficiency for their buildings but use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research-hub.nrel.gov\/en\/publications\/approaches-for-integrating-renewable-energy-technologies-in-oil-a-3\u0022\u003Esolar or wind to power their wells\u003C\/a\u003E. And adding renewable energy to their activities can also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/systemschangelab.org\/finance\/scale-down-investment-harmful-climate-and-nature\/cost-capital-fossil-fuel-production\u0022\u003Elower the cost of investing in these companies\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPublic Pressure\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll companies, including those in oil and gas, are under \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/wcc.919\u0022\u003Egrowing pressure to address climate change\u003C\/a\u003E, from the public, from other companies with whom they do business and from government regulators \u2013 at least outside the U.S. For example, campaigns seeking to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/trellis.net\/article\/how-the-fossil-fuel-industry-is-fighting-for-legitimacy-by-using-big-tobaccos-playbook\u0022\u003Ereduce investment in fossil fuels\u003C\/a\u003E are increasing along with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/22\/climate\/oil-industry-anti-slapp-climate-lawsuits.html\u0022\u003Eclimate-related lawsuits\u003C\/a\u003E. Government policies focused on both \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/topics\/energy\/repowereu_en\u0022\u003Emitigating carbon emissions and enhancing energy independence\u003C\/a\u003E are also making headway in some locations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn response, many oil companies are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.woodmac.com\/news\/opinion\/how-will-oil-and-gas-companies-get-to-scope-3-net-zero\/\u0022\u003Ereducing their own operational emissions\u003C\/a\u003E and setting targets to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.woodmac.com\/news\/opinion\/infographic-scope-for-improvement\/\u0022\u003Eoffset or eliminate emissions from products\u003C\/a\u003E that they sell \u2013 though many observers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transitionpathwayinitiative.org\/publications\/uploads\/2024-setting-the-standard-assessing-oil-and-gas-companies-transition-plans\u0022\u003Equestion the viability of these commitments\u003C\/a\u003E. Other companies are investing in emerging technologies such as hydrogen and methods to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/carboncredits.com\/prairie-operating-co-and-the-oil-industrys-shift-toward-sustainable-energy-practices-prop\/\u0022\u003Eremove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome companies, such as BP and Equinor, have previously even gone so far as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.qbco.io\/insights\/strategic-rebranding-in-the-energy-sector-lessons-from-the-past-and-present\u0022\u003Erebranding themselves\u003C\/a\u003E and acquiring clean energy businesses. But those efforts have also been criticized as \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/science\/climate-issues\/greenwashing\u0022\u003Egreenwashing\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d taking actions for public relations value rather than real results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A net containing fish is pulled aboard a fishing vessel.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/687571\/original\/file-20250826-55-ciyuy3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EFishing, like energy production, does not have to be done in ways that damage the environment.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/net-full-of-salmon-being-hauled-onto-purse-seiner-royalty-free-image\/1200731386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EThomas Barwick\/DigitalVision via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Far Can This Go?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is even possible for a fossil fuel company to reinvent itself as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2214629623002712\u0022\u003Eclean energy operation\u003C\/a\u003E. Denmark\u2019s Orsted \u2013 formerly known as Danish Oil and Natural Gas \u2013 transitioned from fossil fuels to become a global leader in offshore wind. The company, whose majority owner is the Danish government, made the shift, however, with the help of significant public and political support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut most large oil companies \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.erss.2023.103194\u0022\u003Earen\u2019t likely to completely reinvent themselves\u003C\/a\u003E anytime soon. Making that change requires leadership, investor pressure, customer demand and shifts in government policy, such as putting a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/carbonpricingdashboard.worldbank.org\/what-carbon-pricing\u0022\u003Eprice or tax on carbon emissions\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo show students in my sustainability classes how companies\u2019 choices affect both the environment and the industry as a whole, I use the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitsloan.mit.edu\/teaching-resources-library\/fishbanks-a-renewable-resource-management-simulation\u0022\u003EMIT Fishbanks simulation\u003C\/a\u003E. Students run fictional fishing companies competing for profit. Even when they know the fish population is finite, they overfish, leading to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/online.hbs.edu\/blog\/post\/tragedy-of-the-commons-impact-on-sustainability-issues\u0022\u003Ecollapse of the fishery and its businesses\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rpc.cfainstitute.org\/policy\/positions\/short-termism\u0022\u003EShort-term profits\u003C\/a\u003E cause long-term disaster for the fishery and the businesses that depend on it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe metaphor for oil and gas is clear: As fossil fuels continue to be extracted and burned, they release \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg1\/resources\/climate-change-in-data\/\u0022\u003Eplanet-warming emissions\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/overshoot.footprintnetwork.org\u0022\u003Eharming the planet as a whole\u003C\/a\u003E. They also pose substantial \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.3390\/infrastructures4040074\u0022\u003Ebusiness risks to the oil and gas industry itself\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet students in a recent class showed me that a more collective way of thinking may be possible. Teams voluntarily reduced their fishing levels to preserve long-term business and environmental sustainability, and they even cooperated with their competitors. They did so without in-game regulatory threats, shareholder or customer complaints, or lawsuits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir shared understanding that the future of their own fishing companies was at stake makes me hopeful that this type of leadership may take hold in real companies and the energy system as a whole. But the question remains about how fast that change can happen, amid the accelerating global demand for more energy along with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/science\/causes-effects-climate-change\u0022\u003Eincreasing urgency and severity of climate change and its effects\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/260855\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-do-big-oil-companies-invest-in-green-energy-260855\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDespite the relatively modest scale of investment in clean energy by oil and gas companies so far, there are several business reasons oil companies would increase their investments in clean energy over time.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Despite the relatively modest scale of investment in clean energy by oil and gas companies so far, there are several business reasons oil companies would increase their investments in clean energy over time."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-09-17 16:20:15","changed_gmt":"2025-12-30 19:44:36","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678053":{"id":"678053","type":"image","title":"A flare burns natural gas at an oil well on Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA flare burns natural gas at an oil well on Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/BidenMethaneEmissions\/bd59009031284cb2be9e346df5201077\/photo\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Matthew Brown\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758126088","gmt_created":"2025-09-17 16:21:28","changed":"1758126088","gmt_changed":"2025-09-17 16:21:28","alt":"A flare burns natural gas at an oil well on Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. ","file":{"fid":"262031","name":"file-20250826-75-dih7vn.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/17\/file-20250826-75-dih7vn.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/17\/file-20250826-75-dih7vn.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":203831,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/17\/file-20250826-75-dih7vn.jpg?itok=rUJ21cdd"}}},"media_ids":["678053"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-do-big-oil-companies-invest-in-green-energy-260855","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/michael-oxman-2431432\u0022\u003EMichael Oxman\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of the Practice of Sustainable Business, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685297":{"#nid":"685297","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Decades in the Making: Seeing the Full Impact From Air Pollution Reductions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech have analyzed the seasonal differences of sulfate aerosols \u2014 a major pollutant in the United States \u2014 to examine the long-term impact from sulfur dioxide (SO\u2082) emission reductions since the enactment of the Clean Air Act amendments in 1990.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EYuhang Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E and his team studied the factors affecting SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;and sulfate concentrations during winter and summer in the \u201cRust Belt\u201d \u2014 from New York through the Midwest \u2014 and the Southeast regions of the U.S. over two decades (2004 to 2023). Supported by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E and Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/sustainability\u0022\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems\u003C\/a\u003E, the team also developed an ensemble machine learning approach to project seasonal patterns until 2050.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPower plants, particularly those burning coal and oil, are a major source of SO\u2082 emissions in these regions,\u201d says Wang, who co-authored, with Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EFanghe Zhao\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EShengjun Xi\u003C\/strong\u003E, the study recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acs.estlett.5c00731\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeasonal differences in atmospheric chemistry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the U.S., the chemistry in the atmosphere varies among the seasons. During summer, solar radiation from ample sunlight activates oxidant reactions that produce hydrogen peroxide (H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E) in the atmosphere. The supply of H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E is determined by the amount of emitted air pollution, and once in the atmosphere, H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E can oxidize SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;quickly into sulfate aerosols in the aqueous phase.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESulfate aerosols from the oxidation of SO\u2082 contribute to the formation of particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). Particulate sulfate poses significant environmental and public health risks, including air pollution, acid rain, and circulatory and respiratory issues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe supply of H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;in summer is eight times greater than in winter \u2014 a huge difference \u2014 which means sulfate concentrations are generally higher in summer and a reduction in SO\u2082 emissions leads to a proportional decrease in sulfate concentrations,\u201d explains Wang. \u201cWhen SO\u2082 emissions exceed the available supply of H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E in winter, the reduction in sulfate concentrations can be much smaller because of a \u2018chemical damping\u2019 effect that causes sulfate levels to decline more slowly than SO\u2082 emissions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENarrowing the disparities between seasonal sulfate levels\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u2019s two-decade observations revealed distinct patterns in the reduction of SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emissions and sulfate concentrations during winter and summer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emissions significantly decreased in both seasons\u00ad over time \u2014 primarily from the Clean Air Act and more power plants transitioning from coal to natural gas \u2014 the reduction of sulfate concentrations initially showed large seasonal differences. However, over the past decade, the disparity between winter and summer sulfate levels narrowed as SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emissions decreased.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Wang, the seasonal disparity of sulfate was caused by changing chemical regimes in winter over time. Although the lower supply of H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E remained stable in winter, SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;wintertime emissions were higher from 2004 to 2013, then dropped below the level of H\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003EO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;after 2013 \u2014 reaching parity with the levels of reduced SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emissions in the summer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you have this complexity of atmospheric chemistry, there is a non-linear effect in winter \u2014 as SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emissions decreased, sulfate aerosol production efficiency increased until 2013, then flattened as of today. The reduction in sulfate aerosols initially lagged behind the decrease in SO\u2082 emissions but eventually caught up as a result of sustained air quality control efforts,\u201d says Wang. \u201cConversely, there is a simple, linear effect in summer \u2014 the more SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emissions, the more sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere \u2014 and if you reduce one, the other is reduced by the same proportion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDecades-long full impact\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom now until 2050, the researchers\u2019 machine learning projections indicate a continuing decrease of winter and summer sulfate levels, which are currently around 20 percent, as SO\u2082\u0026nbsp;emission controls achieve comparable efficacy across the seasons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re now seeing the full impact from the Clean Air Act,\u201d concludes Wang, \u201cand the nation\u2019s sustained effort in pollution reduction is key to improving air quality and health outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers analyze seasonal differences of SO\u2082 and sulfate concentrations in the atmosphere over decades to determine the long-term impact of sustained air quality control efforts.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers analyze seasonal differences of SO\u2082 and sulfate concentrations in the atmosphere over decades to determine the long-term impact of sustained air quality control efforts."}],"uid":"27465","created_gmt":"2025-09-25 21:44:42","changed_gmt":"2025-12-30 19:40:19","author":"Annette Filliat","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678151":{"id":"678151","type":"image","title":"NOAA Iridescent Clouds","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIridescent clouds before sunset \/ Source: NOAA\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758842239","gmt_created":"2025-09-25 23:17:19","changed":"1758842239","gmt_changed":"2025-09-25 23:17:19","alt":"NOAA Iridescent Clouds","file":{"fid":"262138","name":"NOAA-North-Carolina-Clouds.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/NOAA-North-Carolina-Clouds.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/NOAA-North-Carolina-Clouds.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3019658,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/25\/NOAA-North-Carolina-Clouds.png?itok=aC8m6MF-"}},"678152":{"id":"678152","type":"image","title":"Yuhang Wang ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Yuhang Wang and his team co-authored the study, \u201cChemically Induced Decline in Wintertime SO\u003Cem\u003E\u2082\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Emission Control Efficacy,\u201d which was published in \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758842459","gmt_created":"2025-09-25 23:20:59","changed":"1758842459","gmt_changed":"2025-09-25 23:20:59","alt":"Yuhang Wang ","file":{"fid":"262139","name":"GT-CoS-Yuhang-Wang-Headshot.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Yuhang-Wang-Headshot.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Yuhang-Wang-Headshot.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6600933,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Yuhang-Wang-Headshot.png?itok=Wga0XlvH"}},"678153":{"id":"678153","type":"image","title":"Fanghe Zhao","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student Fanghe Zhao\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758843155","gmt_created":"2025-09-25 23:32:35","changed":"1758843155","gmt_changed":"2025-09-25 23:32:35","alt":"Fanghe Zhao","file":{"fid":"262141","name":"GT-CoS-Fanghe-Zhao-Headshot.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Fanghe-Zhao-Headshot_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Fanghe-Zhao-Headshot_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":10158591,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Fanghe-Zhao-Headshot_0.png?itok=rmCNXJa_"}},"678154":{"id":"678154","type":"image","title":"Shengjun Xi","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EPh.D. student Shengjun Xi\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1758843283","gmt_created":"2025-09-25 23:34:43","changed":"1758843283","gmt_changed":"2025-09-25 23:34:43","alt":"Shengjun Xi","file":{"fid":"262142","name":"GT-CoS-Shengjun-Xi-Headshot.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Shengjun-Xi-Headshot.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Shengjun-Xi-Headshot.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3927326,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/25\/GT-CoS-Shengjun-Xi-Headshot.png?itok=ut8CDG5t"}}},"media_ids":["678151","678152","678153","678154"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/study-reveals-wintertime-formation-large-pollution-particles-chinas-skies","title":"Study Reveals Wintertime Formation of Large Pollution Particles in China\u2019s Skies"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/everlasting-african-wildfires-fueled-aerosol-feedback","title":"Everlasting African Wildfires Fueled by Aerosol Feedback"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"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"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: Annette Filliat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor: Lindsay Vidal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686802":{"#nid":"686802","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Family Affair: Father and Daughter Celebrate Triple Jacket Milestone","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Sophia Mavris crosses the stage during one of Georgia Tech\u2019s three Fall 2025 graduation ceremonies, she won\u2019t be the only member of her family in regalia. Her father, Georgia Tech Class of 1934 Distinguished Regents\u2019 Professor, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/dimitri-mavris\u0022\u003EDimitri Mavris\u003C\/a\u003E will be on stage as part of the faculty \u2014 and as the proud parent of a brand-new biomedical engineering Ph.D. graduate. The moment will also cement a unique family distinction \u2014 with both father and daughter having attained\u0026nbsp;three Georgia Tech degrees, making them a pair of Triple Jackets. Dimitri earned his bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s, and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering from Tech in the 1980s. Sophia began amassing her Tech credentials some 30 years later.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrowing up, Sophia says her father\u2019s academic career gave her early exposure to the world of engineering, but she never felt pressured to follow in his footsteps.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was always around it,\u201d said Sophia, who earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering in 2020 and her master\u2019s degree in biomedical engineering in 2024. \u201cBut I was allowed to pave my own pathway. We were both engineers at Georgia Tech, but we were in two separate domains.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Dimitri, whose arrival at Georgia Tech began almost by chance, the Institute quickly became a defining force in his life. Nearly 45 years ago, he left his native Greece \u2014 where aerospace engineering wasn\u2019t offered \u2014 after his sister married a Tech graduate research assistant who encouraged him to attend the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat he found was a rigorous curriculum, outstanding faculty, and peers who shared his passion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the last four decades, Georgia Tech has evolved quite a bit,\u201d he says. \u201cIt is one of the premier institutions \u2014 in terms of excellence, the caliber of students we attract, and the reputation we have. I thought that this was the best place for me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs did Sophia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer academic journey began with a love of math and science in high school. Combined with an early introduction to Tech\u2019s chemical and biomedical engineering programs through her father\u2019s \u0026nbsp;colleague, her decision to pursue that journey was easy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is the best in the state and the Southeast for STEM,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was a no-brainer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile they shared a campus, the two enjoyed their own \u201cbubbles,\u201d as Sophia describes them. With biomedical engineering on one side of campus and aerospace on the other, they built their identities independently, but Sophia found comfort in knowing support was never far.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf I ever had a bad day or needed advice, he was just a walk away,\u201d she says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Dimitri, his presence on campus positioned him to offer mentorship and counsel to Sophia as she navigated her Tech path, including the timing of internships and progress through research milestones. \u201cBy knowing the system,\u201d he says, \u201csometimes you can avoid wrong moves.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth recall fond Tech memories \u2014 from family trips; to volleyball, football, and basketball games; to Dimitri\u2019s experience during the 1996 Olympics, when the Institute helped the city prepare its hosting bid by\u0026nbsp;creating virtual representations of possible venues. This ultimately led to Atlanta hosting the 1996 Games and\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech hosting Olympic athletes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Sophia reflects on her years at the Institute, she acknowledges the rigor that defines the Georgia Tech experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe coursework is very challenging \u2014 it\u2019s a badge of honor to say you made it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd at this year\u2019s Fall Commencement, Dimitri will be at the finish line, once again donning his regalia to hood his Ph.D. graduates for almost the 70th time. Gesturing to the rows of bound dissertations on his bookshelves, he says, \u201cI hold the record, with 310 Ph.D.s graduated. So having one for my daughter is very special.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Sophia Mavris crosses the stage during one of Georgia Tech\u2019s three Fall 2025 graduation ceremonies, she won\u2019t be the only member of her family in regalia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"When Sophia Mavris crosses the stage during one of Georgia Tech\u2019s three Fall 2025 graduation ceremonies, she won\u2019t be the only member of her family in regalia. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 15:38:59","changed_gmt":"2025-12-19 20:04:31","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678815":{"id":"678815","type":"image","title":"Dimitri and Sophia Mavris","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDimitri and Sophia Mavris. Photo by Rob Felt.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765384093","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:28:13","changed":"1765384093","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:28:13","alt":"Dimitri and Sophia Mavris","file":{"fid":"262900","name":"26-R10410-P77-008-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/26-R10410-P77-008-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/26-R10410-P77-008-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1761852,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/26-R10410-P77-008-web.jpg?itok=C3DQVjPN"}},"678816":{"id":"678816","type":"image","title":"Dimitri and Sophia Mavris. Photo by Rob Felt.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDimitri and Sophia Mavris. Photo by Rob Felt.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765384124","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:28:44","changed":"1765384124","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:28:44","alt":"Dimitri and Sophia Mavris. Photo by Rob Felt.","file":{"fid":"262901","name":"26-R10410-P77-009-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/26-R10410-P77-009-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/26-R10410-P77-009-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1796363,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/26-R10410-P77-009-web.jpg?itok=j3CVjAF9"}}},"media_ids":["678815","678816"],"groups":[{"id":"660364","name":"Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kadams85@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKelly Adams\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686944":{"#nid":"686944","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cybersafety\u202fDuring the Holiday Season","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the 2025 holiday season in swing, the\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.oit.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Information Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u202f(OIT) would like to remind the Georgia Tech community to remain alert against cyberthreats. The OIT Cybersecurity department has reported an uptick in phishing activity across the campus as digital interactions peak during this time of year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help you stay vigilant, OIT offers these holiday\u202fcybersafety\u202ftips:\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThink Before You Click:\u003C\/strong\u003E Do not\u202fclick on links or open attachments in suspicious emails or text messages.\u202fCyber attackers may\u202fattempt\u202fto gather personal information through phishing and other fraudulent attempts by asking you to confirm purchase or account information, including passwords. Never provide sensitive information through these methods. Legitimate businesses and organizations will never ask for your personal information through email or text.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETwo-Factor Authentication Scams: \u003C\/strong\u003ENever approve \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oit.gatech.edu\/two-factor-authentication\u0022\u003EDuo\u202ftwo-factor authentication\u003C\/a\u003E requests you did not\u202finitiate.\u202fIf you receive an unexpected prompt, deny it\u202fimmediately.\u202f \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShop Smart and Secure\u003C\/strong\u003E: Use only reputable websites that you know and trust. Type URLs directly into your browser instead of clicking on links in messages, especially from unfamiliar retailers. Always verify the legitimacy of a company before supplying your financial information, such as credit\/debit card numbers. Also, if an offer seems too good to be true \u2014 it often is.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUse a Credit Card for Online Transactions\u003C\/strong\u003E: There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, but you may not have the same level of protection when using debit cards. Always check your card statements for fraudulent or unrecognizable charges. Immediately\u202fnotify your financial institution and local law enforcement if you discover fraud.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students, faculty, and staff are urged to report suspicious\u202femails through Microsoft Outlook\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/phishing-and-suspicious-behavior-in-outlook-0d882ea5-eedc-4bed-aebc-079ffa1105a3\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EReport Phishing\u003C\/a\u003E, even if the message appears to come from someone with an Institute email address. Campus members who believe their Georgia Tech account has been compromised should immediately contact OIT\u2019s Cybersecurity Operations Center at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:soc@gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esoc@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe hope the Georgia Tech community remains vigilant against cyberthreats this holiday season \u2014 and throughout 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Office of Information Technology reminds the Georgia Tech community to remain alert against cyberthreats as online interactions -- and phishing -- peak during the holiday season.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Office of Information Technology reminds the Georgia Tech community to remain alert against cyberthreats as online interactions -- and phishing -- peak during the holiday season."}],"uid":"34932","created_gmt":"2025-12-17 20:27:54","changed_gmt":"2025-12-17 21:27:38","author":"Courtney Hill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"174291","name":"OIT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"193779","name":"oitfeature"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["courtney.hill@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686924":{"#nid":"686924","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Outside the Box: The Adaptation of Georgia Tech\u2019s Beekeeper in Residence From Advertising to Apiaries ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDuring her years working in the advertising and marketing industry,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDeb DeWitt\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ebecame increasingly intrigued by beekeeping. The timing, however, was never quite right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBusy with her career and family, DeWitt tucked the idea away \u2014 until she stepped back from the professional world and knew it was time to pursue keeping bees. She enrolled in a one-day beekeeping class that was offered by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/metroatlantabeekeepers.org\/\u0022\u003EMetro Atlanta Beekeepers Association\u003C\/a\u003E. From there, DeWitt learned the fundamentals, purchased her first honey bees, and began the fascinating \u2014 and sometimes mystifying \u2014 work of caring for them in her backyard.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELike many new beekeepers, she faced steep challenges: sick bees, failing colonies, secondary pests, and ensuring her hives had enough resources to survive winter. But DeWitt says that she also discovered how remarkably generous and supportive the beekeeping community is. She connected with mentors and attended local bee club meetings and state conferences where researchers shared their latest findings. Beekeeping became meaningful in ways she had never anticipated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI fell in love with honey bees and all things related. There is an innate spirituality in keeping bees,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce I put the veil on, life slows to a standstill and becomes a walking meditation into a delicately complex and endlessly fascinating world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer marketing background came full circle too. \u201cLike any creative endeavor, beekeepers must be keenly observant,\u201d DeWitt explains. \u201cWe have to think outside the box, pivot quickly, anticipate problems, and plan ahead.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs her colony numbers grew, so did her reach. DeWitt established apiaries at several metro Atlanta schools and at sites in Chattahoochee Hills, Grant Park, Brookhaven, Arabia Mountain, and Brevard, North Carolina. Along the way, she earned her Master Beekeeper certification from Cornell University, served as the central regional director for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gabeekeeping.com\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Beekeepers Association\u003C\/a\u003E, taught beekeeping to incarcerated individuals through the Georgia Department of Corrections, and partnered with tree companies to rescue wild honey bee colonies living in trees slated for removal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EServing as the Beekeeper in Residence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis breadth of experience prepared her for a unique opportunity: becoming Georgia Tech\u2019s 2025 Beekeeper in Residence with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/bees\/\u0022\u003EUrban Honey Bee Project\u003C\/a\u003E. The one-year residency, DeWitt says, offered \u201ca rare opportunity to be part of the Georgia Tech community,\u201d allowing her to explore new ideas in beekeeping while tending to and expanding the rooftop hives at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livingbuilding.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Urban Honey Bee Project, an interdisciplinary initiative of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E, established the Beekeeper in Residence program to maintain colonies at The Kendeda Building and in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/ecocommons\u0022\u003EEcoCommons\u003C\/a\u003E, mentor student beekeepers, and enrich the program with diverse expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDeb did so much this year \u2014 working closely with the Beekeeping Club, keeping our hives healthy, and even rehoming a wild hive from a dead tree on campus,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/jennifer-leavey\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Leavey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant dean for faculty mentoring in the College of Sciences and director of the Urban Honey Bee Project. \u201cMost importantly, Deb showed our students how an expert beekeeper approaches hive care. She took every opportunity to include them, and it made a real impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech undergraduate\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlyssa Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E agrees. \u201cThe Beekeeping Club loved working with Deb. She was always happy to teach us \u2014 whether it was managing Varroa mites last summer, when she helped reduce counts from 17% to below 1%, or preparing the hives for winter.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProtecting intelligent pollinators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Varroa mite is one of many pressures beekeepers face. \u201cThe biggest challenges affecting honey bees \u2014 as well as native bees and other pollinators \u2014 are climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, pests, and pathogens,\u201d DeWitt explains. \u201cThese factors contributed to U.S. commercial beekeepers losing a devastating average of 62% of their colonies last year.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHoney bees play a critical role in pollinating food crops and producing honey and beeswax. These threats fuel DeWitt\u2019s passion for education, mentorship, and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. Yet, the most meaningful rewards are personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHoney bee colonies are superorganisms \u2014 tens of thousands of individuals working together for the good of the hive,\u201d she adds. \u201cBees are intelligent, endlessly fascinating creatures, and I never stop learning from them. Beekeeping has made me a better gardener, horticulturist, ecologist, conservationist, carpenter, biologist, scientist, student, teacher, problem solver\u2026 you name it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecognized across Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer passion for the craft is unmistakable. In 2025, DeWitt received one of the state\u2019s highest honors: Georgia Beekeepers Association\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gabeekeeping.com\/Beekeeper-of-the-Year\u0022\u003EBeekeeper of the Year Award\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI am profoundly grateful to the state\u2019s beekeeping community for recognizing my efforts over the past eight years,\u201d says DeWitt. \u201cThis award reflects the mentorship I\u2019ve received from some truly exceptional beekeepers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMarketer-turned-beekeeper Deb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u0027s Beekeeper in Residence and receives the Georgia Beekeepers Association\u2019s Beekeeper of the Year Award.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Marketer-turned-beekeeper Deb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u0027s Beekeeper in Residence and receives the Georgia Beekeepers Association\u2019s Beekeeper of the Year Award."}],"uid":"27465","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 22:19:18","changed_gmt":"2025-12-17 20:36:58","author":"Annette Filliat","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678876":{"id":"678876","type":"image","title":"Deb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s 2025 Beekeeper in Residence with the Urban Honey Bee Project. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDeb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s 2025 Beekeeper in Residence with the Urban Honey Bee Project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766001431","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 19:57:11","changed":"1766002974","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:22:54","alt":"Woman standing with a honeycomb.","file":{"fid":"262966","name":"Deb-DeWitt.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Deb-DeWitt.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Deb-DeWitt.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6215201,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/Deb-DeWitt.jpg?itok=L_TiZuFL"}},"678878":{"id":"678878","type":"image","title":"Left to right: Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt, alumna Tosin Adedipe (BME 2025), and Jennifer Leavey, assistant dean for faculty mentoring in the College of Sciences and director of the Urban Honey Bee Project","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELeft to right: Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt, alumna Tosin Adedipe (BME 2025), and Jennifer Leavey, assistant dean for faculty mentoring in the College of Sciences and director of the Urban Honey Bee Project\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766001666","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 20:01:06","changed":"1766003099","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:24:59","alt":"Three women with one of them holding beekeeping equipment.","file":{"fid":"262968","name":"DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":762068,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg?itok=3PPC0_Gs"}},"678882":{"id":"678882","type":"image","title":"Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt (center) educates undergraduate students Omar Malik (left) and Alyssa Zhang (right). ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBeekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt\u0026nbsp;(center) educates undergraduate students Omar Malik (left) and Alyssa Zhang (right).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766003609","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 20:33:29","changed":"1766003609","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:33:29","alt":"Three people, including a woman in a bee-keeping hat.","file":{"fid":"262972","name":"Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":676158,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-_0.jpg?itok=EFEO_Mfn"}},"678883":{"id":"678883","type":"image","title":"Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt discusses important pollinators at Georgia Tech\u0027s Honeypalooza. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBeekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt discusses important pollinators at Georgia Tech\u0027s Honeypalooza.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766003727","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 20:35:27","changed":"1766003727","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:35:27","alt":"Woman teaching a class and holding a honeycomb.","file":{"fid":"262973","name":"Honeypalooza_Kendeda.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Honeypalooza_Kendeda_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Honeypalooza_Kendeda_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3074892,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/Honeypalooza_Kendeda_0.jpg?itok=IVXudvBm"}}},"media_ids":["678876","678878","678882","678883"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/happy-world-bee-day-inside-urban-honey-bee-project","title":"Happy World Bee Day: Inside the Urban Honey Bee Project\u00a0"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/janelle-dunlap-turns-beekeeping-art","title":"Janelle Dunlap Turns Beekeeping Into Art "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"177142","name":"beekeeping"},{"id":"180897","name":"honey bees"},{"id":"70141","name":"Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project"},{"id":"187127","name":"Georgia Tech College of Sciences"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"},{"id":"177739","name":"Kendeda Building"},{"id":"79481","name":"ecocommons"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"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:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: Annette Filliat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor: Selena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["afilliat@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686926":{"#nid":"686926","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Winter Break Festivities Around Atlanta ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECampus is quiet for winter break, but before the fall semester begins, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday season around Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHoliday Experiences\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitzvahouse.com\/eventsn\/works\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGrand Menorah Lighting\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Dec. 17\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.christkindlmarket.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAtlanta Christkindl Market\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Through Dec. 24\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.legodiscoverycenter.com\/atlanta\/whats-inside\/events\/holiday-bricktacular\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHoliday Bricktacular at LEGO Discovery Center\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Through Dec. 24\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/puppet.org\/programs\/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer\u003C\/em\u003E at the Center for Puppetry Arts\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Through Dec. 28\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com\/events\/690e6c2a683f18f7608cd38c\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAuburn Avenue Research Library\u2019s Annual Kwanzaa Celebration\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Dec. 30\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/stonemountainpark.com\/activity\/events\/stone-mountain-christmas\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStone Mountain Christmas\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Through Jan. 4\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantabg.org\/plan-your-visit\/atlanta-garden-calendar\/garden-lights-holiday-nights\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGarden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Through Jan. 11\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fernbankmuseum.org\/experiences\/exhibits\/special-exhibits\/winter-wonderland\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWinter Wonderland at Fernbank\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Through Jan. 11\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHoliday Pop-Ups\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dadsatl.com\/christmas-at-dads\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristmas at Dad\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Virginia Highlands\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sostiki.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETiki Holiday at the S.O.S. Tiki Bar\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Decatur\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.westsidemotorlounge.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWestside Sleigh Ride at Westside Motor Lounge\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 West Midtown\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poncecityroof.com\/holidays-2025\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHolidays on the Roof at Ponce City Market\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Poncey-Highland\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/beetlecatatl.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHoliday Bar in the Den at BeetleCat\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Old Fourth Ward\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dailychewatl.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChrismukkah Bar at Daily Chew\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Piedmont Heights\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theworksatl.com\/event\/jingle-bar-holiday-cocktail-bar-2025\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJingle Bar! Holiday Cocktail Bar\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Upper Westside\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlanta.eater.com\/maps\/best-holiday-christmas-bars-atlanta\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECheck out more holiday pop-ups in Atlanta.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIce Skating\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELace up your skates at various locations around metro Atlanta. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlanticstation.com\/event\/skate-the-station\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAtlantic Station\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/experienceavalon.com\/events\/avalon-on-ice\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAvalon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.parktavern.com\/ice-rink\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPark Tavern\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/citysprings.com\/skate\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESkate City Springs\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECheer on the Yellow Jackets\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Yellow Jacket football team prepares its trip to Orlando for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/bowl\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPop-Tarts Bowl\u003C\/a\u003E to take on BYU on Saturday, Dec. 27, there are plenty of sporting events on campus during the break. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2025\/12\/20\/mens-basketball-vs-lafayette\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESaturday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. \u2013 Men\u0027s basketball vs. Lafayette\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2025\/12\/28\/womens-basketball-vs-wofford\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESunday, Dec 28, noon \u2013 Women\u2019s basketball vs. Wofford\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2025\/12\/28\/mens-basketball-vs-florida-am\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESunday, Dec 28, 2:30 p.m. \u2013 Men\u0027s basketball vs. Florida A\u0026amp;M\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/01\/01\/womens-basketball-vs-notre-dame\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThursday, Jan 1, 4 p.m. \u2013 Women\u2019s basketball vs. Notre Dame\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/01\/03\/mens-basketball-vs-boston-college\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESaturday, Jan. 3, 2 p.m. \u2013 Men\u2019s basketball vs. Boston College\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/01\/06\/mens-basketball-vs-syracuse\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETuesday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m. \u2013 Men\u2019s basketball vs. Syracuse\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2026\/01\/08\/womens-basketball-vs-virginia\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThursday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. \u2013 Women\u2019s basketball vs. Virginia\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew Year\u2019s Eve\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;rct=j\u0026amp;opi=89978449\u0026amp;url=https:\/\/batteryatl.com\/event\/new-years-eve-bash-at-the-battery-atlanta-presented-by-xfinity\/\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjm8KW4qcCRAxV0STABHffFB70QFnoECCEQAQ\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw3NxFaI3dSUdKRCxB5I7A_l\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENew Year\u2019s Eve Bash at the Battery\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;rct=j\u0026amp;opi=89978449\u0026amp;url=https:\/\/www.georgiaaquarium.org\/events\/event\/new-years-eve-2025\/\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjm8KW4qcCRAxV0STABHffFB70QFnoECB8QAQ\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw2MYUmGrF41bdKxnxxQSvbw\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Aquarium New Year\u2019s Eve Celebration\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ecom.roller.app\/theroof\/skylineparkcheckout\/en-us\/product\/1690533?date=2025-12-31\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPonce City Market\u2019s Noon Year\u2019s Eve Celebration\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.atlantaga.gov\/Home\/Components\/News\/News\/15592\/672\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECountdown Over ATL New Year\u0027s Eve Celebration\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Campus is closed through Dec. 26 for winter break, and classes resume on Jan. 12, 2026.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECampus is closed through Dec. 26 for winter break, and classes resume on Jan. 12, 2026. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Campus is closed through Dec. 26 for winter break, and classes resume on Jan. 12, 2026.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 22:40:20","changed_gmt":"2025-12-16 22:46:21","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678866":{"id":"678866","type":"image","title":"Garden Lights, Holiday Nights","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGarden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765924940","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 22:42:20","changed":"1765924940","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 22:42:20","alt":"Garden Lights, Holiday Nights","file":{"fid":"262956","name":"IMG_0387.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_0387.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_0387.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2651888,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_0387.jpg?itok=67iMn9_N"}}},"media_ids":["678866"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"52371","name":"winter break"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686887":{"#nid":"686887","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Can Scientists Detect Life Without Knowing What it Looks Like? Research Using Machine Learning Offers a New\u00a0Way","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen NASA scientists opened the sample return canister from the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample mission in late 2023, they found something astonishing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDust and rock collected from the asteroid Bennu \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/bennu-asteroid-reveals-its-contents-to-scientists-and-clues-to-how-the-building-blocks-of-life-on-earth-may-have-been-seeded-248096\u0022\u003Econtained many of life\u2019s building blocks\u003C\/a\u003E, including all five nucleobases used in DNA and RNA, 14 of the 20 amino acids found in proteins, and a rich collection of other \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/organic-compound\u0022\u003Eorganic molecules\u003C\/a\u003E. These are built primarily from carbon and hydrogen, and they often form the backbone of life\u2019s chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, scientists have predicted that early asteroids may have delivered the ingredients of life to Earth, and these findings seemed like promising evidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven more surprising, these amino acids from Bennu were split almost evenly between \u201cleft-handed\u201d and \u201cright-handed\u201d forms. Amino acids come in two mirror-image configurations, just like our left and right hands, called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/life14030341\u0022\u003Echiral forms\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Earth, almost all biology requires the left-handed versions. If scientists had found a strong left-handed excess in Bennu, it would have suggested that life\u2019s molecular asymmetry might have been inherited directly from space. Instead, the near-equal mixture points to a different story: Life\u2019s left-handed preference likely emerged later, through processes on Earth, rather than being pre-imprinted in the material delivered by asteroids.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Two hands with two molecules that are mirror images of each other shown over them.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=407\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=407\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=407\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=512\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=512\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707490\/original\/file-20251209-56-nmnai5.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=512\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA \u2018chiral\u2019 molecule is one that is not superposable with another that is its mirror image, even if you rotate it.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chirality#\/media\/File:Chirality_with_hands.svg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ENASA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf space rocks can carry familiar ingredients but not the chemical \u201csignature\u201d that life leaves behind, then identifying the true signs of biology becomes extremely complicated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese discoveries raise a deeper question \u2013 one that becomes more urgent as new missions \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nasas-search-for-life-on-mars-a-rocky-road-for-its-rovers-a-long-slog-for-scientists-and-back-on-earth-a-battle-of-the-budget-207698\u0022\u003Etarget Mars\u003C\/a\u003E, the Martian moons and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/saturns-ocean-moon-enceladus-is-able-to-support-life-my-research-team-is-working-out-how-to-detect-extraterrestrial-cells-there-226286\u0022\u003Eocean worlds\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/jupiters-moons-hide-giant-subsurface-oceans-europa-clipper-is-one-of-2-missions-on-their-way-to-see-if-these-moons-could-support-life-203207\u0022\u003Eof our solar system\u003C\/a\u003E: How do researchers detect life when the chemistry alone begins to look \u201clifelike\u201d? If nonliving materials can produce rich, organized mixtures of organic molecules, then the traditional signs we use to recognize biology may no longer be enough.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=87wBxzUAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Ea computational scientist\u003C\/a\u003E studying biological signatures, I face this challenge directly. In my astrobiology work, I ask how to determine whether a collection of molecules was formed by complex geochemistry or by extraterrestrial biology, when exploring other planets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a new study in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/pnasnexus\/pgaf334\u0022\u003EPNAS Nexus\u003C\/a\u003E, my colleagues and I developed a framework called LifeTracer to help answer this question. Instead of searching for a single molecule or structure that proves the presence of biology, we attempted to classify how likely mixtures of compounds preserved in rocks and meteorites were to contain traces of life by examining the full chemical patterns they contain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIdentifying Potential Biosignatures\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key idea behind our framework is that life produces molecules with purpose, while nonliving chemistry does not. Cells must store energy, build membranes and transmit information. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ebsco.com\/research-starters\/biology\/biotic-and-abiotic-factors\u0022\u003EAbiotic chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E produced by nonliving chemical processes, even when abundant, follows different rules because it is not shaped by metabolism or evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional biosignature approaches focus on searching for specific compounds, such as certain amino acids or lipid structures, or for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.chemrev.9b00474\u0022\u003Echiral preferences, like left-handedness\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese signals can be powerful, but they are based entirely on the molecular patterns \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/extraterrestrial-life-may-look-nothing-like-life-on-earth-so-astrobiologists-are-coming-up-with-a-framework-to-study-how-complex-systems-evolve-243531\u0022\u003Eused by life on Earth\u003C\/a\u003E. If we \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-do-astronomers-look-for-signs-of-life-on-other-planets-based-on-what-life-is-like-on-earth-227658\u0022\u003Eassume that alien life uses the same chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, we risk missing biology that is similar \u2013 but not identical \u2013 to our own, or misidentifying nonliving chemistry as a sign of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Bennu results highlight this problem. The asteroid sample contained molecules familiar to life, yet nothing within it appears to have been alive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo reduce the risk of assuming these molecules indicate life, we assembled a unique dataset of organic materials right at the dividing line between life and nonlife. We used samples from eight \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/ast.2025.0017\u0022\u003Ecarbon-rich meteorites\u003C\/a\u003E that preserve abiotic chemistry from the early solar system, as well as 10 samples of soils and sedimentary materials from Earth, containing the degraded remnants of biological molecules from past or present life. Each sample contained tens of thousands of organic molecules, many present in low abundance and many whose structures could not be fully identified.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt NASA\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/goddard\/\u0022\u003EGoddard Space Flight Center\u003C\/a\u003E, our team of scientists crushed each sample, added solvent and heated it to extract the organics \u2014 this process is like brewing tea. Then, we took the \u201ctea\u201d containing the extracted organics and passed it through two filtering columns that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43586-024-00379-3\u0022\u003Eseparated the complex mixture of organic molecules\u003C\/a\u003E. Then, the organics were pushed into a chamber where we bombarded them with electrons until they broke into smaller fragments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditionally, chemists use these mass fragments as puzzle pieces to reconstruct each molecular structure, but having tens of thousands of compounds in each sample presented a challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELifeTracer\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/life-tracer.github.io\u0022\u003ELifeTracer\u003C\/a\u003E is a unique approach for data analysis: It works by taking in the fragmented puzzle pieces and analyzing them to find specific patterns, rather than reconstructing each structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt characterizes those puzzle pieces by their mass and two other chemical properties and then organizes them into a large matrix describing the set of molecules present in each sample. It then trains a machine learning model to distinguish between the meteorites and the terrestrial materials from Earth\u2019s surface, based on the type of molecules present in each.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most common forms of machine learning is called supervised learning. It works by taking many input and output pairs as examples and learns a rule to go from input to output. Even with only 18 samples as those examples, LifeTracer performed remarkably well. It consistently separated abiotic from biotic origins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat mattered most to LifeTracer was not the presence of a specific molecule but the overall distribution of chemical fingerprints found in each sample. Meteorite samples tended to contain more volatile compounds \u2013 they evaporate or break apart more easily \u2013 which reflected the type of chemistry most common in the cold environment of space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A graph showing a cluster of dots representing molecules, some in red and some in blue.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=412\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=412\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=412\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=517\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=517\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/707922\/original\/file-20251210-74-oq0jdu.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=517\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThis figure shows compounds identified by LifeTracer, highlighting the most predictive molecular fragments that distinguish abiotic from biotic samples. The compounds in red are linked to abiotic chemistry, while the blue compounds are linked to biotic chemistry.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/view-large\/figure\/540004590\/pgaf334f3.jpg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ESaeedi et al., 2025\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-NC-ND\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome types of molecules, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were present in both groups, but they had distinctive structural differences that the model could parse. A sulfur-containing compound, 1,2,4-trithiolane, emerged as a strong marker for abiotic samples, while terrestrial materials contained products formed through biological process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese discoveries suggest that the contrast between life and nonlife is not defined by a single chemical clue but by how an entire suite of organic molecules is organized. By focusing on patterns rather than assumptions about which molecules life \u201cshould\u201d use, approaches like LifeTracer open up new possibilities for evaluating samples returned from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-sample-return\/\u0022\u003Emissions to Mars\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mmx\/\u0022\u003Eits moons Phobos and Deimos\u003C\/a\u003E, Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa and Saturn\u2019s moon Enceladus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022The sample return capsule, a black box, sitting on the ground after touching down.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=502\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=502\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/581381\/original\/file-20240312-16-j4zf1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=502\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EThe Bennu asteroid sample return capsule used in the OSIRIS-REx mission.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/AsteroidSampleReturn\/41553ebc203040c283889e3d2e03f760\/photo?Query=bennu%20sample%20capsule\u0026amp;mediaType=photo\u0026amp;sortBy=\u0026amp;dateRange=Anytime\u0026amp;totalCount=33\u0026amp;currentItemNo=30\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EKeegan Barber\/NASA via AP\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFuture samples will likely contain mixtures of organics from multiple sources, some biological and some not. Instead of relying only on a few familiar molecules, we can now assess whether the whole chemical landscape looks more like biology or random geochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELifeTracer is not a universal life detector. Rather, it provides a foundation for interpreting complex organic mixtures. The Bennu findings remind us that life-friendly chemistry may be widespread across the solar system, but that chemistry alone does not equal biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo tell the difference, scientists will need all the tools we can build \u2014 not only better spacecraft and instruments, but also smarter ways to read the stories written in the molecules they bring home.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/271066\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/can-scientists-detect-life-without-knowing-what-it-looks-like-research-using-machine-learning-offers-a-new-way-271066\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInstead of searching for a single molecule or structure that proves the presence of biology, researchers attempted to classify how likely mixtures of compounds preserved in rocks and meteorites were to contain traces of life by examining the full chemical patterns they contain.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Instead of searching for a single molecule or structure that proves the presence of biology, researchers attempted to classify how likely mixtures of compounds preserved in rocks and meteorites were to contain traces of life by examining the full chemical"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-12-12 14:32:48","changed_gmt":"2025-12-15 19:32:54","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678841":{"id":"678841","type":"image","title":"Many carbon-rich meteorites contain ingredients commonly found in life, but no evidence of life itself. James St. John, CC BY","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMany carbon-rich meteorites contain ingredients commonly found in life, but no evidence of life itself. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/47445767@N05\/50887737538\/\u0022\u003EJames St. John\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\u0022\u003ECC BY\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765809264","gmt_created":"2025-12-15 14:34:24","changed":"1765809264","gmt_changed":"2025-12-15 14:34:24","alt":"Many carbon-rich meteorites contain ingredients commonly found in life, but no evidence of life itself. James St. John, CC BY","file":{"fid":"262930","name":"file-20251209-56-sy1vo9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/15\/file-20251209-56-sy1vo9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/15\/file-20251209-56-sy1vo9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":680535,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/15\/file-20251209-56-sy1vo9.jpg?itok=_qq5ZV78"}}},"media_ids":["678841"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/can-scientists-detect-life-without-knowing-what-it-looks-like-research-using-machine-learning-offers-a-new-way-271066","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/amirali-aghazadeh-2538692\u0022\u003EAmirali Aghazadeh\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686847":{"#nid":"686847","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Graduation Gift Empowers Rising Entrepreneurs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Georgia Tech alumnus Christopher W. Klaus\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/02\/tech-visionary-chris-klaus-empowers-georgia-tech-grads-launch-startups\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E he would personally cover the incorporation costs for graduating Tech students who sought to launch a startup, he wanted the gift to ignite their entrepreneurial spirit and elevate Atlanta\u0027s startup culture.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs, including Raghav Balasubramaniam, founder and CEO of Overcast, and Shreyas Mavanoor, co-founder of Cortexa Labs, the gift helped turn ideas into action.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The incorporation gift genuinely shaped the future of my company,\u0022 said Balasubramaniam, who graduated in the spring with a master\u2019s in computer science. \u0022It allowed me to formalize Overcast at a time when it was just an idea on paper, and that legitimacy changed our trajectory for the better. The network that comes with this opportunity played an equally important role, giving me the space, mentorship, and push I needed to learn quickly, refine the product, and accelerate the company in a matter of months.\u0022\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Klaus\u2019 offer, which includes access to GT Spark \u2014 a curated, community-driven experience with workshops, hands-on support, and mentorship from experienced founders and operators \u2014 will be extended to this semester\u0027s Georgia Tech graduates.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMavanoor, who graduated with a master\u2019s degree in cybersecurity, and his co-founder viewed the gift as a \u0022chance to supercharge\u0022 their startup\u0027s ability to engage with customers and potential investors, as well as a commitment to creating a collaborative and vibrant startup culture in Atlanta. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Boston Consulting Group\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media-publications.bcg.com\/Leveling-Up-Unlocking-Entrepreneurship-Growth-Potential-for-Atlanta.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E found that increasing the number of local startups and graduate retention are key components of the city\u0027s goal to become a top-five U.S. tech hub. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This type of support for graduates signals that they\u0027re serious about fostering a strong startup ecosystem within the Atlanta area and retaining the talent that graduates from Tech,\u0022 Mavanoor said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the leader of Fusen, a startup accelerator that connects students with founders, mentors, investors, and early-stage funding to launch new ventures, Klaus remains a driving force behind Atlanta\u2019s technology sector growth. His philanthropic support helped establish\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E, Tech\u2019s flagship entrepreneurship program, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024 and has launched more than 500 student startups. This gift is made in memory of Klaus\u0027 son, Will, a fellow Yellow Jacket who was passionate about technology, startups, and helping others get started. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Take the leap,\u0022 Balasubramaniam advises this semester\u2019s graduates who will benefit from Klaus\u2019 philanthropy. \u0022Incorporating provides a legitimate structure to what would otherwise just be a whiteboard idea. The earlier you start, the more time you have to iterate, make mistakes, and discover what the company should become. The risk may seem large at first, but the upside of starting now outweighs it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMavanoor offered similar advice, telling graduates not to let uncertainty stop them from taking advantage of joining the GT Spark community.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMake use of it, because if not now, then when? I wouldn\u0027t worry about trying to solve every problem before incorporating because there is so much to learn when starting a business, and this is a great advantage to join this professional network that can help you along the way,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe priority deadline to apply for the gift is Dec. 19, and the final deadline is Jan. 13, 2026. For more information on the application,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu\/node\/598\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eclick here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Renowned tech entrepreneur and Georgia Tech alumnus Christopher W. Klaus will continue covering the incorporation costs for graduating Tech students seeking to launch a startup. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenowned tech entrepreneur and Georgia Tech alumnus Christopher W. Klaus will continue covering the incorporation costs for graduating Tech students seeking to launch a startup.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Renowned tech entrepreneur and Georgia Tech alumnus Christopher W. Klaus will continue covering the incorporation costs for graduating Tech students seeking to launch a startup. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 17:36:22","changed_gmt":"2025-12-12 14:37:15","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678820":{"id":"678820","type":"image","title":"Students at Commencement","body":null,"created":"1765388947","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 17:49:07","changed":"1765388947","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 17:49:07","alt":"Students at Commencement","file":{"fid":"262905","name":"54491028517_03c0c5def6_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/54491028517_03c0c5def6_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/54491028517_03c0c5def6_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4259670,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/54491028517_03c0c5def6_o.jpg?itok=2MWhU9Lx"}}},"media_ids":["678820"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu","title":"Commencement Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"40171","name":"fall commencement"},{"id":"84471","name":"Chris Klaus"},{"id":"194496","name":"incorporation costs"},{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686866":{"#nid":"686866","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Divan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENational Academy of Inventors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is honoring two Georgia Tech faculty members for their contributions to technology and society: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/deepakraj-m-divan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeepakraj \u201cDeepak\u201d Divan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Both are in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaychowdhury is a semiconductor pioneer whose patented circuit and system-on-chip designs have advanced computing efficiency and commercialization. Divan is a global leader in power electronics and grid modernization, whose innovations and ventures have transformed how electricity is delivered and managed worldwide.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCongratulations to Deepakraj and Arijit on earning one of the most esteemed accolades in technology and discovery. Their groundbreaking work, with nearly 100 patents between them, advances solutions to global challenges,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/raghupathy-sivakumar\u0022\u003ERaghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar\u003C\/a\u003E, chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech. \u201cTheir success exemplifies how research commercialization drives real-world impact, and we\u2019re proud to see them honored as academy fellows.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElection to NAI is the highest professional distinction specifically awarded to inventors. With this recognition, Georgia Tech\u2019s roster of NAI Fellows grows to 24. Divan and Raychowdhury join a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-Fellows-List.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 class of 169 new fellows\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E representing university, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. They will be inducted at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeepakraj\u202f\u201cDeepak\u201d Divan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Emeritus (2004-2025)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFounder, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cde.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Center for Distributed Energy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeepakraj\u202f\u201cDeepak\u201d Divan is a globally recognized innovator in power electronics and grid transformation. He was awarded the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/divan-selected-ieee-medal-power-engineering-recipient\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIEEE Medal in\u202fPower Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe holds over 85 U.S. and international patents and has authored 400 refereed publications. His pioneering work on soft\u2011switching converters\u2014integral for efficient energy storage, EV charging, and industrial controls\u2014has spurred a global $70\u202fbillion power electronics industry.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDivan laid the groundwork for grid\u2011forming inverter control, enabling high-renewables integration. He is the co-author of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy-2040.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy 2040: Aligning Innovation, Economics and Decarbonization\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, named by Forbes as one of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/globalcitizen\/2024\/12\/28\/10-essential-books-and-podcasts-every-leader-needs-in-2025\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201c10 Essential Books and Podcasts Every Leader Needs in 2025\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing named an NAI Fellow is a tremendous honor,\u201d said Divan. \u201cIt reflects years of effort to rethink how electricity is delivered and managed to solve real problems and to drive practical innovations that matter.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;As the founder of Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Distributed Energy, he led research that transforms electricity delivery through analytics, monitoring, and optimization.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn entrepreneur, Divan co-founded Varentec (backed by Bill Gates and Khosla Ventures) and seeded ventures including GridBlock, Soft Switching Technologies, Innovolt, and Smart Wires\u2014raising over $500\u202fmillion. A National Academy of Engineering member and IEEE Fellow, he champions scalable energy-access solutions worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EDirector, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cocosys.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for the Co-Design of Cognitive Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArijit Raychowdhury has been the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of ECE since 2021. He is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies, holding more than 27 U.S. and international patents and authoring over 350 publications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis work spans low-power circuits, specialized accelerators, and system-on-chip design, with breakthroughs widely adopted in industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis recognition reflects the collective effort of students, colleagues, and partners who share a vision for advancing microelectronics,\u201d said Raychowdhury. \u201cI am honored that NAI champions the same mission to lead through research, education, and innovation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Texas Instruments, he developed the world\u2019s first adaptive echo-cancellation network for integrated Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL)\u2014a patented technology that enabled high-speed internet over traditional phone lines that received the EDN Innovation of the Year award. At Intel, he developed and incorporated foundational memory and logic technologies that shaped commercial products across global markets for more than a decade.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research on fine-grain power management of systems-on-chip at Georgia Tech has been licensed and widely adopted by the semiconductor industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe directs Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for the Co-Design of Cognitive Systems \u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for the Co-Design of Cognitive Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and leads initiatives to advance microelectronics design with applications to AI. Over the years, he has served as a founding advisor and board member to multiple startups in the areas of edge-computing and low power design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaychowdhury\u2019s research bridges invention and real-world impact, earning him numerous honors, including IEEE\u0026nbsp;Fellow, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/raychowdhury-chosen-src-technical-excellence-award\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESemiconductor Research Corporation Technical Excellence Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and multiple industry awards. Through pioneering designs and mentorship, he continues to drive innovation in computing systems, influencing both academic research and industrial commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Divan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDivan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Divan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows"}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2025-12-11 14:36:38","changed_gmt":"2025-12-12 14:36:15","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678826":{"id":"678826","type":"image","title":"Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","body":null,"created":"1765463811","gmt_created":"2025-12-11 14:36:51","changed":"1765463811","gmt_changed":"2025-12-11 14:36:51","alt":"Deepak and Arijit headshot","file":{"fid":"262914","name":"Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3056772,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/11\/Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png?itok=WD-DCWjq"}}},"media_ids":["678826"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"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\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686880":{"#nid":"686880","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mastering Environmental Engineering for the Future ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntonia Kopp had planned to become a high school math teacher, but an AP environmental science class set her on a new path that led her to Georgia Tech, where she will become a Double Jacket after graduating with her master\u2019s degree in environmental engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMath was always Kopp\u2019s favorite subject, so even as she sought to learn more about the natural world and how humans interact with it, she wanted to find a program that blended her fascination with numbers and science.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s what propelled Georgia Tech\u2019s environmental engineering program to the top of my list when I was looking at schools,\u201d the Macon, Georgia, native said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter earning her bachelor\u2019s degree in May 2024, she started her full-time job with Freese and Nichols\u2019 Transmission and Utilities group, designing pipelines and pump stations to convey water and wastewater in and out of metro Atlanta. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree months later, she returned to Tech to pursue a master\u2019s degree part-time, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of water and wastewater treatment systems and how to develop resilient urban infrastructure. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen there\u2019s a water main break or a boil water notice is issued, you realize how reliant we are on our water and how lucky we are that when we turn on the taps, we trust what comes out. It would bring the city to a halt without reliable, high-quality water. Using the knowledge I\u2019ve gained at Tech, I want to make sure that continues to be the case,\u201d she said. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKopp says that Tech\u2019s location in Midtown provides on-the-job education, allowing students to study the challenges and strains on aging infrastructure. As Atlanta\u2019s and other cities\u2019 water pipes reach the end of their life cycles, Kopp believes technology will play an increasingly important role in developing new systems for the next generation. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPart of my job is taking lessons learned from the past and applying them to improve systems in the future. Technological advancements help us to plan our infrastructure for the present and allow us to account for population growth, climate change, and other factors to ensure these systems last for decades to come,\u201d she said. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith her master\u2019s degree in hand, Kopp intends to work toward earning her Professional Engineer license, allowing her to sign and seal engineering designs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKopp wasn\u2019t the first Yellow Jacket in her family. Her brother graduated from Tech with a bachelor\u2019s degree and a master\u2019s degree in civil engineering in 2022 and 2023, but she is proud to be the first woman in her family to earn a STEM degree.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Antonia Kopp knows that clean water is vital for cities, and she wants to use her degree to ensure that Atlanta\u2019s water system flows as it should.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAntonia Kopp knows that clean water is vital for cities, and she wants to use her degree to ensure that Atlanta\u2019s water system flows as it should. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Antonia Kopp knows that clean water is vital for cities, and she wants to use her degree to ensure that Atlanta\u2019s water system flows as it should.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-12-12 11:04:36","changed_gmt":"2025-12-12 11:21:34","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678833":{"id":"678833","type":"video","title":"Antonia Kopp Pulls Double Duty to Become a Double Jacket","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis new Double Jacket found harmony working a fulltime job as en Environmental Engineer, while obtaining her masters.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765538437","gmt_created":"2025-12-12 11:20:37","changed":"1765538437","gmt_changed":"2025-12-12 11:20:37","video":{"youtube_id":"l00lW5-f6WI","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l00lW5-f6WI"}},"678832":{"id":"678832","type":"image","title":"Antonia Kopp","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAntonia Kopp on a site visit. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765537865","gmt_created":"2025-12-12 11:11:05","changed":"1765537865","gmt_changed":"2025-12-12 11:11:05","alt":"Antonia Kopp","file":{"fid":"262921","name":"Site-visit-10.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/Site-visit-10.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/12\/Site-visit-10.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":616388,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/12\/Site-visit-10.jpg?itok=O6jNSeaR"}}},"media_ids":["678833","678832"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"40171","name":"fall commencement"},{"id":"1922","name":"environmental engineering"},{"id":"17331","name":"water infrastructure"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685663":{"#nid":"685663","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Method Uses Collisions to Break Down Plastic for Sustainable Recycling","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile plastics help enable modern standards of living, their accumulation in landfills and the overall environment continues to grow as a global concern.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPolyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the world\u2019s most widely used plastics, with tens of millions of tons produced annually in the production of bottles, food packaging, and clothing fibers. The durability that makes PET so useful also means that it is more difficult to recycle efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers have developed a method to break down PET using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals. Published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EChem\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2451929425003456\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etheir findings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E demonstrate how a \u201cmechanochemical\u201d method \u2014 chemical reactions driven by mechanical forces such as collisions \u2014 can rapidly convert PET back into its basic building blocks, opening a path toward faster, cleaner recycling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by postdoctoral researcher Kinga Go\u0142\u0105bek and Professor Carsten Sievers of Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the research team hit solid pieces of PET with metal balls with the same force they would experience in a machine called a ball mill. This can make the PET react with other solid chemicals such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), generating enough energy to break the plastic\u2019s chemical bonds at room temperature, without the need for hazardous solvents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re showing that mechanical impacts can help decompose plastics into their original molecules in a controllable and efficient way,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sievers.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESievers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E said. \u201cThis could transform the recycling of plastics into a more sustainable process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMapping the Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn demonstrating the process, the researchers used controlled single-impact experiments along with advanced computer simulations to map how energy from collisions distributes across the plastic and triggers chemical and structural transformations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese experiments showed changes in structure and chemistry of PET in tiny zones that experience different pressures and heat. By mapping these transformations, the team gained new insights into how mechanical energy can trigger rapid, efficient chemical reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis understanding could help engineers design industrial-scale recycling systems that are faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient,\u201d Go\u0142\u0105bek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreaking Down Plastic\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach collision created a tiny crater, with the center absorbing the most energy. In this zone, the plastic stretched, cracked, and even softened slightly, creating ideal conditions for chemical reactions with sodium hydroxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHigh-resolution imaging and spectroscopy revealed that the normally ordered polymer chains became disordered in the crater center, while some chains broke into smaller fragments, increasing the surface area exposed to the reactant. Even without sodium hydroxide, mechanical impact alone caused minor chain breaking, showing that mechanical force itself can trigger chemical change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also showed the importance of the amount of energy delivered by each impact. Low-energy collisions only slightly disturb PET, but stronger impacts cause cracks and plastic deformation, exposing new surfaces that can react with sodium hydroxide for rapid chemical breakdown.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding this energy threshold allows engineers to optimize mechanochemical recycling, maximizing efficiency while minimizing unnecessary energy use,\u201d Sievers explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClosing the Loop on Plastic Waste\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese findings point toward a future where plastics can be fully recycled back into their original building blocks, rather than being downcycled or discarded. By harnessing mechanical energy instead of heat or harsh chemicals, recycling could become faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis approach could help close the loop on plastic waste,\u201d Sievers said. \u201cWe could imagine recycling systems where everyday plastics are processed mechanochemically, giving waste new life repeatedly and reducing environmental impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team now plans to test real-world waste streams and explore whether similar methods can work for other difficult-to-recycle plastics, bringing mechanochemical recycling closer to industrial use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith millions of tons of PET produced every year, improving recycling efficiency could significantly reduce plastic pollution and help protect ecosystems worldwide,\u201d Go\u0142\u0105bek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Kinga Go\u0142\u0105bek, Yuchen Chang, Lauren R. Mellinger, Mariana V. Rodrigues, Cau\u00ea de Souza Coutinho Nogueira, Fabio B. Passos, Yutao Xing, Aline Ribeiro Passos, Mohammed H. Saffarini, Austin B. Isner, David S. Sholl, Carsten Sievers, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2451929425003456\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpatially-resolved reaction environments in mechanochemical upcycling of polymers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d \u003Cem\u003EChem\u003C\/em\u003E, 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a method to break down polyethylene terephthalate, one of the world\u2019s most widely used plastics, using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals. Published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EChem\u003C\/em\u003E, their findings demonstrate how a \u201cmechanochemical\u201d method \u2014 chemical reactions driven by mechanical forces such as collisions \u2014 can rapidly convert PET back into its basic building blocks, opening a path toward faster, cleaner recycling.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a method to break down PET, one of the world\u2019s most widely used plastics, for sustainable recycling using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2025-10-10 16:09:50","changed_gmt":"2025-12-10 20:34:48","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678329":{"id":"678329","type":"image","title":"sieversballmachine.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe high impact between the metal balls in a ball mill reactor and the polymer surface is suffi\u0002cient to momentarily liquefy the polymer and facilitate chemical reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760112196","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 16:03:16","changed":"1760112196","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 16:03:16","alt":"The high impact between the metal balls in a ball mill reactor and the polymer surface is suffi\u0002cient to momentarily liquefy the polymer and facilitate chemical reactions.","file":{"fid":"262342","name":"sieversballmachine.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sieversballmachine.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sieversballmachine.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":240481,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/sieversballmachine.jpg?itok=WPkvqn7-"}},"678330":{"id":"678330","type":"image","title":"Kinga-Golabek.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EKinga Go\u0142\u0105bek\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760112262","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 16:04:22","changed":"1760112262","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 16:04:22","alt":"Kinga Golabek","file":{"fid":"262343","name":"Kinga-Golabek.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/Kinga-Golabek.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/Kinga-Golabek.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/Kinga-Golabek.jpg?itok=ZljPVPOR"}},"678331":{"id":"678331","type":"image","title":"sievers2023webcrop.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProf. Carsten Sievers\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760116175","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 17:09:35","changed":"1760116175","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 17:09:35","alt":"Professor Carsten Sievers","file":{"fid":"262347","name":"sievers2023webcrop.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sievers2023webcrop.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/sievers2023webcrop.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":116072,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/sievers2023webcrop.jpg?itok=QeQj0eFu"}}},"media_ids":["678329","678330","678331"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5607","name":"chemical recycling"},{"id":"14536","name":"plastic"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"},{"id":"171925","name":"mechanochemistry"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"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\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}