{"690583":{"#nid":"690583","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Generating Buzz: World Cup Puts Atlanta Back in Global Spotlight","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Spain and Cabo Verde take the pitch inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium (temporarily renamed Atlanta Stadium) on June 15, Atlanta will become one of two U.S. cities to have hosted the Olympics, a Super Bowl, an NCAA Men\u2019s Basketball Final Four, a College Football National Championship, and a World Cup match, further cementing its status as a global sports city.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/8e6ac738-7497-5f94-ab1a-0c3fd32d15a7\u0022\u003EDeclan Abernethy\u003C\/a\u003E, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to events of the past, how the city\u2019s capacity to host \u201cmega-events\u201d has changed since the 1996 Olympic Games, and expectations for the visitor and viewer experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbernethy teaches courses at the intersection of sport, history, and science and technology studies, with an emphasis on the culture and community around soccer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/05\/world-cup-puts-atlanta-back-global-spotlight\u0022\u003EListen to the full podcast\u003C\/a\u003E on the GT News Center website.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDeclan Abernethy, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to \u0022mega-events\u0022 of the past.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Declan Abernethy, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to \u0022mega-events\u0022 of the past."}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2026-06-01 18:54:52","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 19:00:18","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680394":{"id":"680394","type":"image","title":"World-Cup.jpg","body":null,"created":"1780340099","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 18:54:59","changed":"1780340099","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 18:54:59","alt":"Mercedes-Benz Stadium wrapped with World Cup 2026 promotions.","file":{"fid":"264651","name":"World-Cup.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/World-Cup.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/World-Cup.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1392573,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/World-Cup.jpg?itok=1NUY9oYf"}}},"media_ids":["680394"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Esteven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"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":""}},"688998":{"#nid":"688998","#data":{"type":"news","title":"William Winders Named Associate Dean for Faculty Development","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/63559f51-f83a-5e2d-a859-40c0242295e9\u0022\u003EWilliam (Bill) Winders\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of History and Sociology (HSOC), has been appointed associate dean for faculty development in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, effective July 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe replaces Alasdair Young, professor and Neal Family Chair in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, who has served as interim associate dean since April 2024. Winders will collaborate with human resources and the faculty affairs team this summer to ensure a smooth transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBill\u2019s deep experience with faculty issues and his devotion to shared governance and non-tenure track faculty make him an exciting addition to our College\u2019s leadership team,\u201d said Amanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Regents\u2019 Professor, and Ivan Allen Jr. Chair in Liberal Arts and Technology. \u201cI\u2019d also like to express my appreciation to Alasdair Young for his excellent work as interim associate dean over the past two years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs associate dean for faculty development, Winders will advise the dean, the college\u2019s executive leadership team, and department\/school chairs on matters related to faculty affairs. He will also support the needs of the faculty community and provide resources, mentorship, and leadership that promotes advancement of tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and research faculty, as well as research and teaching postdoctoral fellows.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWinders has many years of experience in administration, leadership, and the Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) process. In HSOC, he served as the director of undergraduate studies from 2008 to 2014 and the director of graduate studies from 2014 to 2020. He has also served on HSOC\u2019s RPT committee since 2009 and currently serves as the chair of the HSOC RPT Committee. He also serves as the Georgia Tech representative to the University System of Georgia Chief Academic Officer Advisory Group for Sociology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWinders has chaired several faculty search committees and was involved in shaping and conducting the annual evaluation process for faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA political sociologist, Winders\u2019 research focuses on national policies, social movements, and inequality in a global context. His courses include Introduction to Sociology, Food and Society, Sociology of Development, and Social Movements. In addition to many journal articles and book chapters, he has written two books and co-edited one book. He is currently working on two projects aimed at producing book manuscripts \u2013 one examines the global meat industry and the other focuses on global food crises in historical perspective.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/63559f51-f83a-5e2d-a859-40c0242295e9\u0022\u003EWilliam (Bill) Winders\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of History and Sociology (HSOC), has been appointed associate dean for faculty development in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, effective July 1.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"William (Bill) Winders, professor in the School of History and Sociology (HSOC), has been appointed associate dean for faculty development in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, effective July 1."}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 18:39:32","changed_gmt":"2026-03-18 13:13:55","author":"cwhittle9","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":{"679660":{"id":"679660","type":"image","title":"Bill-Winders-Associate-Dean.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773772778","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 18:39:38","changed":"1773772778","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 18:39:38","alt":"Bill Winders headshot on decorative background","file":{"fid":"263843","name":"Bill-Winders-Associate-Dean.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/Bill-Winders-Associate-Dean.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/Bill-Winders-Associate-Dean.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1186719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/Bill-Winders-Associate-Dean.jpg?itok=P3E-kxHg"}}},"media_ids":["679660"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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":""}},"686544":{"#nid":"686544","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The 2024-25 Ivan Allen College Dean\u0027s Report","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EExplore the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/features.iac.gatech.edu\/deans-report-2024-25\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/a23jbi\/q69zktg\/a2vd9r\u0022\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts 2025 Dean\u0027s Report\u003C\/a\u003E for highlights from the exciting new initiatives and creative, purpose-driven teaching, scholarship, and community engagement happening across our College.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EExplore the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/features.iac.gatech.edu\/deans-report-2024-25\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/a23jbi\/q69zktg\/a2vd9r\u0022\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts 2025 Dean\u0027s Report\u003C\/a\u003E for highlights from the exciting new initiatives and creative, purpose-driven teaching, scholarship, and community engagement happening across our College.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Explore the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts 2025 Dean\u0027s Report for highlights from the exciting new initiatives and creative, purpose-driven teaching, scholarship, and community engagement happening across our College."}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2025-11-19 21:09:46","changed_gmt":"2025-11-19 21:18:58","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678684":{"id":"678684","type":"image","title":"dean-s-report-2025-16x9.jpg","body":null,"created":"1763587117","gmt_created":"2025-11-19 21:18:37","changed":"1763587117","gmt_changed":"2025-11-19 21:18:37","alt":"Dean\u0027s Report cover image.","file":{"fid":"262745","name":"dean-s-report-2025-16x9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/19\/dean-s-report-2025-16x9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/19\/dean-s-report-2025-16x9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":583548,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/19\/dean-s-report-2025-16x9.jpg?itok=04G5d0W7"}}},"media_ids":["678684"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/features.iac.gatech.edu\/deans-report-2024-25","title":"View Online"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1282","name":"School of Economics"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMegan McRainey\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:megan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emegan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}