The new Aerospace Engineering Building 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.
“I 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,” said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “Their help and participation will be key to the development of the talent, research, and innovation that will secure our state’s position as a global hub for aerospace technology.”
The new building will serve as the home for Georgia Tech’s Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, which is ranked No. 1 among public institutions and No. 2 overall by U.S. News & 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.
“At 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‑looking aerospace industry,” said John Laughter, trustee of The Delta Air Lines Foundation and Georgia Tech graduate.
The Delta Air Lines Foundation’s commitment aligns with Georgia Tech’s goals to expand the aerospace engineering program, bolster the talent pipeline, and drive economic impact for Georgia and the Southeast.
Mitchell Walker, William R.T. Oakes Jr. School Chair in the Guggenheim School, said, “This 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.”
This 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’s economy and contributes to progress across the global aviation industry. Aligned with Georgia Tech’s mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition, this significant commitment is included in Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech and propelling its success. By supporting Georgia Tech’s 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.
The Delta Air Lines Foundation is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1968 to enhance Delta’s charitable giving. The Foundation is focused on the key areas of environment, equity, education, and entire wellness. In the past decade, the Foundation has awarded more than $150 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the United States.
]]>The Eshelby Mechanics Award was established in 2012 in memory of Professor John Douglas Eshelby to promote the field of mechanics, among young researchers. The award will be formally presented at the 2026 Applied Mechanics Division Awards Banquet during the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in November.
Athanasiou and his team advance the fundamental mechanics and physics of materials and translates these insights into systems-level design strategies that address global challenges in resource efficiency and sustainable development. His research integrates advanced experimental methods capable of capturing material behavior under realistic operational conditions, mechanics-based design principles, and tailored AI- and physics-informed modeling frameworks.
Together, these efforts enable the development of life-cycle-efficient, cost-effective materials and structures for applications ranging from sustainable packaging to aerospace systems and space construction. His recent work published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) introduced a bioinspired framework to improve plastic recycling while addressing a foundational mechanics question: how can we build reliable structures from inherently variable materials?
Athanasiou is also the recipient of the 2024 NSF CAREER Award and the ASME Orr Early Career Award, and is a Climate Tech Fellow at the New York Climate Exchange.
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