Tuesday, June 30 at 12PM EST

Register for Turnitin's Webinar

This workshop is intended for students, faculty, and staff at Georgia Tech and guests interested in learning more about patent searching. The session will cover patent classification systems and focus on the following two patent databases: Espacenet (Open access) and PatSnap (Georgia Tech only). We will provide an overview of the database platforms and examine the unique search features of each database. Attendees are encouraged to follow along with tool demonstrations.

Patents provide valuable and cutting-edge information for innovators and researchers. This workshop will begin with a brief introduction to intellectual property and then will focus on patents. The presenter will demonstrate how to conduct preliminary patent searches using publicly accessible patent tools. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in hands-on learning activities.

Date, time, location: Wednesday, July 8th, 2026, 1 pm, Ford ES&T L1255

Names of committee members: Dr. Christopher Carr (Advisor), Dr. James Wray, Dr. Amanda Stockton, Dr. David Sherrill, and Dr. Bernd Moosmann

Abstract: Identifying signs of life beyond Earth remains one of the defining quests in the field of astrobiology. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are among the most promising biosignature targets due to their universal role in life as we know it, their stability over geologic timescales, and their detectability with existing instrumentation. However, amino acids also form through abiotic chemistry throughout the solar system, and existing methods for distinguishing biotic from abiotic origins are limited by overlapping signatures between the two, or by degradation of the biotic signature under environmental conditions. This dissertation explores the HOMO-LUMO gap, a chemical property reflecting molecular electron reactivity, as a biosignature capable of overcoming these limitations. Three lines of work support this investigation: (i) demonstrating that this property can be measured directly using single-molecule nanogap instrumentation, including a flight-validated prototype tested under space-analog conditions; (ii) characterizing how pH, temperature, and solvent polarity influence this property across a broad set of amino acids, and evaluating its stability under the geochemical conditions predicted for Enceladus, Europa, and Mars; and (iii) constructing a quantitative framework that applies this property to distinguish biotic from abiotic amino acid samples with high accuracy. Taken together, this dissertation establishes a biosignature framework grounded in the fundamental electronic chemistry of life. It further finds that the electronic landscape of amino acids reflects the biochemical stages proposed for early genetic code diversification, consistent with environmental selection shaping life's amino acid repertoire, and offering an insight into the chemical logic underlying life as we know it. The developed framework is also measurable with flight-ready instrumentation, and applicable to current and future missions in the search for life across the solar system.

Thesis Title: "Metabolomic Analysis of Antibiotic-Mediated Secondary Metabolism and Interkingdom Interactions in Burkholderia cenocepacia"

Date and time: Wednesday, July 1st, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Location: Krone Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) - CHOA Seminar Room 1005

Or join via zoom: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/94014774805?pwd=QaJjcoZKr9Q4lGK8nGtz0FnYcxEloI.1

Meeting ID: 940 1477 4805

Passcode: 446913

Committee Members:

Dr. Neha Garg (Advisor) - School of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

Dr. Ronghu Wu - School of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

Dr. Amanda Stockton - School of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

Dr. Steve Diggle - School of Biological Science 

Dr. Joanna Goldberg - Emory University

Student Name: Georgios Alexios Marinis

Thesis Title: Zeolite Poisoning by Non-Polyolefinic Pyrolysis Compounds

Thesis Advisor: Carsten Sievers

Thesis Co-Advisor: N/A

Committee Members: Christopher W. Jones (ChBE), Bjarne Kreitz (ChBE), Patritsia M. Stathatou (ChBE), Phanish Suryanarayana (CEE)

Date: 7/8/2026

Time: 10 AM

Location: 109 Classroom, Paper Tricentennial Building

1. Go to Genius LMS and use your GT Login
2. Click "View Course Catalog"
3. Search for Laser
4. Click "Register" for your preferred date
5. Click "Proceed to Checkout" and follow the instructions

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE REGISTERING, or IF YOU DON'T GET AN EMAIL IMMEDIATELY AFTER REGISTERING, please contact ors@ors.gatech.edu.

1. Go to Genius LMS and use your GT Login
2. Click "View Course Catalog"
3. Search for Laser
4. Click "Register" for your preferred date
5. Click "Proceed to Checkout" and follow the instructions

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE REGISTERING, or IF YOU DON'T GET AN EMAIL IMMEDIATELY AFTER REGISTERING, please contact ors@ors.gatech.edu.

The club brings together students, researchers, and practitioners to discuss reports and articles that challenge assumptions, introduce new ideas, and inform policy and practice. 

Featured Reading

Date: Thursday, June 25th, 2026

Time: 10:30AM to 12:30PM ET

Location: Montgomery Knight Rm 317 or via Teams (Meeting ID: 258 609 310 252 58, Passcode: n6jV6mE6)

Juan-Diego Florez

Robotics Ph.D. Student

Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee:

Dr. Panagiotis Tsiotras (advisor) -- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering

Dr. Danfei Xu -- School of Interactive Computing

Dr. Frank Dellaert -- School of Interactive Computing

Dr. John Christian -- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering

Dr. Mehregan Dor -- SpaceX

Abstract:

Safe proximity operations near defunct, tumbling, or debris resident space objects (RSOs) demand onboard relative navigation without cooperative markers, target models, or IMU-based odometry. This research develops a physics-informed monocular visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) framework that embeds the coupled orbital and rigid-body equations of motion as factor-graph constraints, so that a single passive camera, aided by an attitude reference, recovers both the inspector’s relative trajectory and the target’s angular velocity, inertia tensor, and center of mass (COM) location. The objective is to characterize and extend the observability of these quantities across the full inspection regime, from well-resolved close range to partially resolved long range where the target subtends only a few tens of pixels, for passively tumbling, non-cooperative targets. The methodology combines analytic and empirical observability studies, ablations on photo-realistically rendered inspection sequences, and a trust-gated dynamics propagator that quantifies when a dynamics-based estimate is safe to consume. The work culminates in a decentralized cooperative formulation in which multiple inspectors share dynamics-consistent estimates, transfer custody across observation gaps, and establish a common target frame across viewpoints. The significance is a model-free, infrastructure-independent navigation capability for the unstructured proximity operations that future servicing, active debris removal, and space-domain-awareness missions require.

Student Name: Logan Brabson

Thesis Title: Datasets, models, and concepts to advance computational discovery of metal-organic frameworks for direct air capture

Thesis Advisor: AJ Medford

Thesis Co-Advisor: David Sholl

Committee Members: Matthew Realff (CHBE), Chris Jones (CHBE), Jesse McDaniel (Chemistry)

Date: 07/09/2026

Time: 10 AM EDT

Location: Ford ES&T L1205

Student Name: Youngsu Shin

Thesis Title: RADIATION-TRIGGERED DEPOLYMERIZATION OF POLY(ALDEHYDE) FOR PHASE CHANGE, PAYLOAD RELEASE, AND DRY-DEVELOP LITHOGRAPHY

Thesis Advisor: Paul Kohl

Thesis Co-Advisor: N/A

Committee Members: Dr. Satish Kumar, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Dr. Will Gutekunst, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Dr. Fani Boukouvala, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Dr. Julia Yang, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Date: 06/26/2026

Time: 10 am

Location: Bunger-Henry 388

Student Name: Sucharita Vijayaraghavan

Thesis Title: Tuning Active Site Structure and Reactivity of Pd-based Catalysts for Thermochemical Oxygen Reduction Reactions

Thesis Advisor: David W. Flaherty

Thesis Co-Advisor: N/A

Committee Members: Faisal M. Alamgir (MSE), Marta C. Hatzell (ChBE), Andrew J. Medford (ChBE), Micah S. Ziegler (ChBE)

Date: 06/29/2026

Time: 1 PM

Location: Ford ES&T L1255

Register now.

Thank you for taking a moment to share your interest. Your responses will help us create a meaningful and engaging experience that reflects the interests and experiences of our alumni community. We look forward to bringing Ivan Allen College alumni together for networking, fellowship, and an opportunity to learn more about the exciting things happening across the College.

Register now.

EndNote software is available to the Georgia Tech community, as part of your Georgia Tech Technology Fee.

At the end of this session you will be able to add references to EndNote from databases and online sources, manage references and PDFs in EndNote, and use Cite While You Write to add citations from EndNote to MS Word documents.

No prior experience with EndNote required.

Georgia Tech’s Unified ERP team will begin hosting monthly office hours – “Inside the Build” – to help answer questions and provide insights on this transformative project.  These virtual Teams sessions will be conducted on the third Thursday of every month from 11 a.m. to noon, with the first session planned for Thursday, July 16. 

Date: Tuesday, July 14th, 2026

Time: 12PM to 2PM ET

Location: GTMI 114 or via Teams

Kathryn Kelly

Robotics Ph.D. Student

Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee:

Dr. Christopher Saldaña (advisor) -- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Thomas Kurfess -- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Shreyes Melkote -- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Kyle Saleeby -- Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute

Dr. Sean Wilson -- Georgia Tech Research Institute

Abstract:

Wire-arc additive manufacturing has been widely studied in the pursuit of large-scale metal additive processes. Compared to other additive methods that deposit material at grams-per-hour, wire-arc can deposit material at kilograms-per-hour. The addition of a robot manipulator allows for the development of more complex and much larger geometries than traditional machining platforms. When depositing large amounts of material, many variables become more critical to the process effecting final product quality. Many of these variables, such as heat input, are directly controlled by the thermal properties fo the material selected. While trajectories for robotic additive manufacturing have been studied, the design of optimal trajectories that prioritize local thermomechanical conditions are not as well understood. This dissertation aims to address this gap through: (1) exploration of the efficacy of intersecting path-plan strategies for the infill of wire-arc parts, (2) investigating the impact of various intersecting path-plan strategies on thermomechanical response and part quality, and (3) studying how these strategies might be implemented for closed-loop online control algorithms. This work is impactful in providing new tools and methods for manufacturing process developers to optimize trajectories that enable deposition during the cooling process, while reducing thermal gradients and improving geometric accuracy and surface finish. Most importantly, it reduces the time needed to print large-scale components over current robotic additive methods.  

Date: Thursday, July 2nd (7/2), 2026

Time: 12:00-2:00pm ET

Location: Coda C1315 (Grant Park)

Zoom: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/95337401341?pwd=UA3HGBasOpWtv4JIanQFoBKtyovP9y.1

Benjamin Cobb

Computer Science Ph.D. Candidate

School of Computational Science and Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

https://www.ben-cobb.com/

Committee:

Dr. Richard W. Vuduc (co-advisor), CSE, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Haesun Park (co-advisor), CSE, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Edmond Chow, CSE, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Grey M. Ballard, CS, Wake Forest University

Dr. Ramakrishnan Kannan, Discrete Algorithms, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Abstract:

As our capacity to collect and generate data continues to outpace our capacity to store and analyze said data, low-rank tensor factorizations offer a solution to alleviate this issue for tensorized data. The process of computing low-rank tensor factorizations is computationally expensive and requires efficiently leveraging computational resources to enable feasibility. This thesis proposes several novel algorithms for low-rank tensor factorizations to enable interpretable analysis and compression of massive multiway datasets. To this end, we focus on three overarching themes: efficiently leveraging computational resources to compute large-scale tensor decompositions, efficiently enforcing nonnegativity constraints to improve interpretability, and incorporating additional information into the factorization to improve solution quality.

We start by proposing the Fused In-place Sequentially Truncated Higher Order Singular Value Decomposition (FIST-HOSVD) algorithm as the first in-place method for computing the dense Tucker decomposition, increasing the problem size that can be factorized by up to 3x. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed FIST-HOSVD algorithm by decreasing the auxiliary memory consumption by over 135x when computing the dense Tucker decomposition on two combustion simulation compression applications. We then provide an in-depth study of several state-of-the-art methods for Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF). As part of this, we provide a comprehensive survey of Nonnegative Least Squares (NNLS) solvers used to enforce the nonnegativity of the factors. In doing so, we propose a Fast Active-Set Thresholding NNLS (FAST-NNLS) solver which outperforms existing NNLS methods for broad classes of problems. We then introduce a GPU-accelerated Hierarchical NMF K-Means initialization method for large-scale protein clustering on commodity-grade hardware. We then propose the Low Rank Approximations with Constraints at Exascale (LORACX) framework for computing large-scale distributed NMF. We demonstrate that LORACX yields unprecedented performance and scalability by achieving 0.67 exaflops in double-precision on 8,192 nodes of the Frontier supercomputer when computing NMF of a 2.1 petabyte matrix. We then extend the NMF objective function to incorporate additional multiway data, culminating in a Joint Nonnegative Coupled Matrix-Tensor Factorization (Joint-NCMTF) framework. We demonstrate that the proposed Joint-NCMTF method yields improved clustering quality and additional dimensions of insight relative to traditional matrix-based methods.

Committee:

Dr. Ralph, Advisor

Dr. Cai, Chair

Dr. Pestourie

Committee:

Dr. Daniel Molzahn, ECE, Chair, Advisor

Dr. Saman Zonouz, ECE

Dr. Constance Crozier, ISyE

Dr. Jean-Paul Watson, Lawrence Livermore Nat Lab

Dr. Santiago Grijalva, ECE

Committee:

Dr. Jennifer Hasler, ECE, Chair, Advisor

Dr. Callie Hao, ECE

Dr. Sung-Kyu Lim, ECE

Dr. Aaron Lanterman, ECE

Dr. Sahil Shah, U of Maryland

Date: Monday, July 6, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET

Location: TSRB523A + Remote 

Remote Meeting Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/99856255882?pwd=hgnvB6OKoETUl5k8DZGsXbioS7k43o.1

Remote Meeting ID: 998 5625 5882 | Passcode: 318520

Cem Okan Yaldiz

Robotics Ph.D. Candidate

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee

Dr. Omer Inan (Advisor) - School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Thomas Ploetz - School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Vince Calhoun - School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Reza Sameni - Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Aaron Young – George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract

This dissertation develops data-driven frameworks for cardiac-centered physiological analysis across multiple time horizons, leveraging multi-modal data acquired from wearable devices. At its core, the work emphasizes rigorous temporal modeling to capture the evolving dynamics of physiological states, enabling the design of predictive systems. The first contribution focuses on the early prediction of exertional heat stroke, a problem that inherently requires long-horizon inference to capture degradation in physiological state. By integrating deep learning with anomaly detection, the results show that multi-modal fusion achieves strong predictive performance, allowing the models to more faithfully represent the progression of physiological strain and stress. The dissertation then shifts to a short-horizon forecasting setting, targeting the precise timing of impending cardiac events such as aortic opening and closing. In this context, incorporating multi-modal inputs into a Kalman filter-based autoregressive framework is shown to significantly enhance accuracy, robustness, and computational efficiency. The work then examines the structural relationships among cardiac signals without target-based supervision to characterize a shared latent representation. By scaling the training data and primarily exploiting short windows of cardiac signals, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of structural self-supervised learning, particularly for distinguishing blood volume status levels. Finally, the scope is extended to cross-modal analysis of neural and cardiac signals, where multi-modal interactions are leveraged to enable the classification of major depressive disorder and preconscious responses. Taken together, this dissertation establishes that combining multi-modal fusion with principled temporal learning is key to modeling the complexity of physiological systems. Centered on cardiac data, the proposed approaches offer adaptable methodological frameworks, yielding both deeper physiological insight and robust, practical modeling strategies.

Advisor: Prof. Karl Jacob

will propose a doctoral thesis entitled,

Manufacturing-Aware Deviation Encoding for Robust Inverse Design of Additively Manufactured Lattice Metamaterials

On

Friday, June 26th, 2026

1:00 pm EST

Zoom Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/98511662676

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) of lattice metamaterials enables fabrication of diverse structures with highly tunable mechanical responses, but process-induced geometric deviations and variability create uncertainty when comparing as-fabricated performance to predictions. Conventional inverse design and topology optimization frameworks often assume ideal reproductions of as-designed geometries, while methods that address uncertainty often treat manufacturing variability as stochastic noise to be managed probabilistically rather than as structured geometric information to be directly encoded. As a result, current workflows struggle to deliver robust, uncertainty-aware designs where predicted properties remain accurate under real process variability. This dissertation introduces the Manufacturing-Aware Deviation Encoding (MADE) vector: a compact, empirically-derived descriptor that encodes the process-specific geometric deviation fingerprint, which can be embedded directly into surrogate modeling and the inverse design loop. MADE is derived from a minimal set of CT-extracted geometric deviation features that explain dominant variance in mechanical performance over a range of lattice geometries. Demonstrated on fused filament fabrication (FFF)-printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) re-entrant auxetic lattice samples, this framework enables surrogate models that propagate manufacturing uncertainty through the inverse design loop, helping bridge the gap between computational design intent and reality.

Committee

Abstract: Enhanced weathering (EW) is a promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy that could contribute to meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. EW involves the application of crushed silicate or carbonate rocks to terrestrial or marine environments to accelerate naturally slow weathering processes through increasing reactive surface area. During weathering, atmospheric CO₂ reacts with minerals and water to form dissolved bicarbonate and cations, which are ultimately transported to the ocean for storage on timescales of millennia. However, several challenges and uncertainties lingers and raises concerns around deploying EW at large scales. These include feedstock availability, the fate of weathering-derived carbon during riverine transport, and uncertainties in ocean biogeochemical feedbacks that may alter long-term carbon storage. This dissertation employs Earth system model of intermediate complexity cGENIE as a main tool to address these challenges through three complementary studies. First, it demonstrates that industrial by-products, including steel slag and cement waste, can serve as alternative EW feedstocks, with a cumulative carbon removal potential of ~ 400 Gt CO₂ by 2100. Second, it shows that riverine carbon loss through carbonate-system re-equilibration of different river/stream systems has a negligible impact on long-term carbon removal efficiency, because ocean uptake largely compensates for riverine carbon loss when alkalinity is retained and delivered to the ocean. Third, it evaluates the sensitivity of EW performance to uncertainties in ocean circulation and biogeochemistry, identifying key physical and biogeochemical controls on carbon removal efficiency and climate response.

Date, time, and location: 24 June 2026, 9:30am., L1114 and  https://gatech.zoom.us/j/9267172570?omn=94533274204

Committee members: Dr. Christopher Reinhard (advisor), Dr. Shuang Zhang (external), Dr. Takamitsu Ito, Dr. Martial Taillefert, Dr. Yuanzhi Tang.

Title: Impact of Leakage due to Ill-fitting Earplugs on the Dissipation of High-Amplitude Sound into Vorticity

Thesis Advisory Committee:

- Prof. Spencer H. Bryngelson (Advisor), School of Computational Science and Engineering

- Prof. Krishan K. Ahuja (Co-Advisor), School of Aerospace Engineering

- Prof. Lakshmi N. Sankar, School of Aerospace Engineering

- Prof. Julien Meaud, School of Mechanical Engineering

- Prof. Qi Tang, School of Computational Science and Engineering

- Prof. Beckett Zhou, School of Aerospace Engineering

Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST

Location: Coda Building, Room C1315 (Grand Park), Georgia Tech

Online (Microsoft Teams): https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/232516160666016?p=3HkHdR0erDtez6bFab

Abstract: "Personnel exposed to high sound pressure level (SPL) noise rely on earplugs to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, yet non-absorbing earplugs depend on the seal between the earplug body and the ear-canal wall rather than on bulk absorption. The small air gaps that remain when the fit is imperfect can therefore dominate the acoustic performance. At high SPL, an additional dissipation mechanism becomes active in which incident acoustic energy is converted into vorticity at the sharp edges of a small opening and is then dissipated by viscosity, the same mechanism that governs acoustic liners, perforated plates, nozzles, and other small-aperture elements. This dissertation quantifies the acoustic dissipation of small, rigid-walled airborne leak paths under high-SPL excitation and resolves how the incident energy partitions between viscous attenuation and conversion into vorticity.

The work combines three methods. A custom two-sided impedance tube measures acoustic absorption directly using an impulse technique that reaches peak levels above 150 dB at the test article, with O-ring face seals that make it suitable for small leak-path test articles. Direct numerical simulation is performed with the open-source, GPU-accelerated compressible-flow solver MFC, to which this work contributed an immersed-boundary treatment of complex geometries. Spectral modal analysis is then applied to the simulation data to separate the dissipation pathways.

Using these methods, the dissertation first studies leakage in modeled earplug-canal geometries. Experiment and simulation cross-verify on a uniform leak path, reproducing the same spectral shape and SPL ordering of the reflection, transmission, and absorption coefficients. Two- and three-dimensional simulations of a nonuniform ill-fitting earplug then resolve substantial conversion of acoustic energy into vorticity around leak paths at high SPL, with the frequency dependence interpreted through the Strouhal number. To the author's knowledge, this is the first direct numerical evidence that the SPL-dependent vortex-formation mechanism documented for isolated slits and orifices activates under earplug-like leakage conditions. Because the modeled geometry omits soft-tissue compliance, contact mechanics, and the middle-ear termination, these results are interpreted at the mechanism level rather than as predictions for a specific human ear.

The dissertation then resolves the mechanism in a canonical acoustically-driven slit. A direct numerical simulation database spanning incident sound pressure level, Strouhal number, and Reynolds number reveals two distinct absorption regimes: a vortex-dominated regime at high amplitude in which the Strouhal number is the primary controlling parameter, and a viscosity-dominated regime at low SPL in which the Reynolds number plays a comparable role. Spectral proper orthogonal decomposition separates, mode by mode and frequency by frequency, the kinetic-energy and viscous-loss contributions to the dissipation and links each to its coherent spatial structure, which the integrated absorption coefficient cannot resolve. The partition between the two pathways is governed by the coupled effect of the Strouhal number, the Reynolds number, the SPL, and the Keulegan-Carpenter number. A triadic orthogonal decomposition further identifies the nonlinear inter-frequency energy transfer, showing a forward cascade in which the forced fundamental feeds higher harmonics through near-mouth and corner-localized convection before viscous removal.

These contributions trace a single physical picture from a motivating application to its underlying mechanism, quantify how high-SPL sound is dissipated at small rigid openings, and provide a frequency- and space-resolved basis for the design of leak paths, slit resonators, and related small-aperture acoustic elements.”

Dissertation Title: “Three Essays on the Economic Impacts of Climate Change: Evidence from Migration, Health, and Agricultural Trade”

Abstract:

This dissertation examines the economic impacts of climate change in Türkiye across three related domains: internal migration, public health, and agricultural trade. Drawing on province-level and bilateral panel data and a range of econometric methods, the study analyzes how variation in temperature and precipitation influences economic behavior and economic outcomes.

The first essay investigates the relationship between climate conditions and internal migration. Applying a structural gravity framework, it finds that higher temperatures increase out-migration, particularly in drought-prone provinces, indicating that climatic stress acts as an important push factor in migration decisions.

The second essay examines the health consequences of climate change using a monthly province-level panel. The analysis identifies a U-shaped relationship between temperature and elderly mortality: both extreme cold and extreme heat increase mortality, while moderate temperatures are associated with lower mortality. The results further suggest that adaptation, proxied by residential electricity consumption, can attenuate vulnerability to temperature extremes.

The third essay analyzes the effects of climate conditions on agricultural exports using both province-level and gravity-model approaches. Higher temperatures reduce export performance across vegetables, fruits, and cereals, with cereals emerging as the most climate-sensitive category, while precipitation generally supports exports. Consistent with gravity theory, an importer's GDP raises exports, and distance reduces them.

Together, these essays show that climate change shapes economic outcomes through multiple, interconnected channels: it increases migration pressures, raises mortality risks, and reduces agricultural export performance. The findings provide evidence relevant to researchers and policymakers seeking to evaluate the broader economic consequences of climate change and to design effective adaptation strategies.

Committee:

Dr. Matthew E. Oliver (Chair), Associate Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Shatakshee Dhongde, Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Tibor Besedes, Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Daniel Dench, Assistant Professor, School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Anthony R. Harding, Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Date: 06/26/2026

Location: Old Civil Engineering Building, Conference Room 204

Time: 1:00 PM

Online Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/291440431554140?p=9CUOxbMg5P9yZHIppW

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics 

School of Physics Thesis Dissertation Defense

Alex Warhover

Dr. Roman Grigoriev, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology (Advisor)

A Model for Multiphase Transport in Channels with Porous Walls

Date: Monday, June 29, 2026

Time: 12:30 p.m.

Location: Howey N201/202

Virtual: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/93684214860?pwd=i99JMzQ2BRJbJpUzbXkalbJMwQNFwQ.1

Passcode: 356786

Thesis Committee: 

Dr. Sven Behrens, School of Physics,  Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Michael Schatz, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Ari Glezer, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Matthew Realff, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract:

Porous media are used in a wide range of applications because they exhibit a large internal surface area. Modeling transport in these applications is challenging because the dynamics are multiscale, involve several coupled processes, and can depend on interactions with nonporous regions. This dissertation develops a coarse-grained model from first principles for multiphase transport in channels with porous walls, motivated by temperature swing adsorption (TSA) carbon capture. The model begins with pore-scale physics, which are extended to the macroscopic scale through volume averaging. The model is then extended to describe gaseous species transport, carbon dioxide adsorption, liquid-water transport, phase change, and heat transfer. Reduced models based on rapid local equilibration are derived to address numerical stiffness while preserving the relevant macroscopic dynamics. The resulting model is applied to multiple stages of TSA operation to identify characteristic time scales. The results show that diffusion through the porous wall plays a central role in setting these time scales, together with advection in the adjacent nonporous flow regions. Accordingly, this dissertation demonstrates how multiscale physics can be integrated into a tractable continuum model for predicting multiphase behavior in porous systems.

Speakers

• Will Slater: Manager, Delivery & Post-Production, Bleeker Street Media
• Cassidy Chreene Whittle: Communications Officer II, Georgia Institute of
  Technology
• Steven Norris: Assistant Vice President, Digital Strategy, University of Washington

Sponsored by the M.S. in Global Media and Cultures program.

Informing Global Polio Eradication with an Integrated Operations Research Modeling Framework

Date

June 24, 2026

Time

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

Format

In-person: Groseclose 402

Online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/293288392873511?p=9MHkA2eP5JkxcgeDoc

·                Meeting ID: 293 288 392 873 511

·                Passcode: Nb7UA9wt

Candidate

Yuming Sun

Ph.D. Candidate in Operations Research

H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering 

Georgia Institute of Technology

Thesis Committee

Abstract

Despite advances in biological and medical science, infectious disease control and prevention continue to face persistent challenges arising from delayed detection, heterogeneous population immunity, and limited resources. These challenges are particularly acute for pathogens that spread largely asymptomatically, such as poliovirus, for which transmission may remain undetected until outbreaks are well established. Effective disease control requires coordinated strategies that integrate disease transmission, surveillance for early detection, and vaccination for outbreak mitigation.

This dissertation develops an integrated operations research modeling framework that links these components through compartmental simulation models, with applications to global polio eradication. The framework consists of three interacting modules: a transmission module that characterizes spatiotemporal disease spread, a vaccination module that evaluates intervention strategies under resource constraints, and a surveillance module that captures imperfect outbreak detection. Together, these modules provide a unified platform for evaluating strategies to predict, detect, and respond to polio outbreaks.

The first part of the dissertation focuses on modeling poliovirus transmission in large, heterogeneous populations. The transmission module extends a classical compartmental simulation model by incorporating heterogeneous immunity resulting from vaccination and infection events, co-circulating virus strains arising from viral mutation, age structure, and geographic heterogeneity. The model is calibrated and validated against confirmed paralytic polio cases using time-series cross-validation that preserves the temporal dependence of transmission dynamics. In a case study of poliovirus transmission in Nigeria, the validated model predicts persistent circulation in under-vaccinated areas and re-emergence in others through spatial exportation. The results suggest that the national vaccination plan may be insufficient to interrupt transmission and highlight the need for proactive preparedness for additional outbreak response activities.

Building on this transmission module, the second and third parts of the dissertation investigate how limited vaccine stockpiles should be allocated during outbreak response. In both studies, the vaccination module completely observes the progression of transmission and determines outbreak response strategies consisting of multiple vaccination campaigns that vary in timeliness, coverage, target populations, geographic scope, vaccine type, campaign duration, and vaccine allocation.

The second part examines the tradeoff between timeliness and coverage while evaluating vaccine allocation based on true immunity. Assuming individual immunity is observable, the model demonstrates the substantial benefits of prioritizing low-immunity children, defined as those lacking sufficient protection against poliovirus infection, compared with the current strategy of vaccinating all eligible children equally. Prioritizing low-immunity children consistently reduces infections and improves outbreak control, even under less favorable levels of timeliness and coverage. The results further demonstrate that, under this targeted allocation strategy, improving timeliness generally yields greater benefits than increasing coverage.

The third part addresses the more realistic setting in which true immunity is not directly observable. Instead, vaccination history is used as a proxy for immunity, and the performance of prioritizing under-vaccinated children is compared with that of prioritizing low-immunity children. The results reveal the consistent superiority of immunity-based allocation, as vaccination history does not fully capture other important determinants of immunity such as prior infection. Nevertheless, prioritizing under-vaccinated children still outperforms the current allocation strategy by reducing infections while using fewer vaccine doses, highlighting the operational value of vaccination history as a practical decision-making tool in resource-limited settings.

The fourth part relaxes the assumption of complete observability of disease transmission by incorporating a surveillance module that captures partially observable transmission dynamics. Multiple surveillance mechanisms are evaluated, including clinical surveillance that detects symptomatic infections, and environmental surveillance that monitors asymptomatic transmission. The interactions among transmission, surveillance, and vaccination are explicitly examined. Results show that improved surveillance sensitivity consistently enables earlier outbreak detection, triggers more timely responses, and reduces disease transmission. As asymptomatic transmission becomes increasingly important in highly vaccinated populations, environmental surveillance emerges as a critical complement to clinical surveillance. Furthermore, expanding environmental surveillance to previously uncovered areas provides greater benefits than intensifying surveillance in already covered areas or uniformly improving clinical surveillance.

The fifth part concludes the dissertation with a critical review of polio modeling studies conducted over the past 25 years. This review highlights successful examples in which modeling informed public health decision-making, identifies simplifying assumptions that have limited the practical implementation of modeling results, and discusses instances in which policy actions diverged from model-based recommendations. It also summarizes key knowledge gaps and outlines priorities for future methodological and applied research.

Overall, this dissertation demonstrates how an integrated operations research modeling framework can support evidence-based polio eradication strategies under real-world constraints. By linking transmission, vaccination, and surveillance, the framework generates actionable insights for policymakers and contributes analytical tools that promote efficient, timely, and equitable strategies for infectious disease control and prevention.

Ph.D. Candidate: Mariam Tomori

Title: PHYSICS-BASED APPROACHES TO INCLUDING SUPRAGLACIAL MELT 

Date and Time:

Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time

Location:

In-person: Caddell Building, Flex Space

Online: Microsoft Teams meeting

Passcode: Jz2dn342

Committee:

School of Psychology- Ph.D Dissertation Defense Meeting

Date: Friday June 26, 2026

Time: 10:00 – 12:00

Location: Virtual

Zoom Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/96632680979

Advisor:

Dr. Hsiao-Wen Liao, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Committee Members:

Dr. Paul Verhaeghen - (Georgia Tech)

Dr. Dingjing Shi - (Georgia Tech)

Dr. Tammy Tran - (Georgia Tech)

Dr. Sarah Barber - (Georgia State University)

Title: Self-Representation Stability and Intraindividual Similarities of Autobiographical Past and Future Thinking

Abstract: Autobiographical memory research has extended its focus to include episodic future thinking, finding that the way people imagine mirrors the way they remember. However, most research primarily focuses on between-individual similarities in how past and future events are experienced (phenomenology). There has been less attention to within-individual similarity between past and future thinking, as well as to other aspects that may demonstrate a parallel. Drawing on the Self-Memory System model and narrative identity research, the current research examined the role of self in autobiographical past and future thinking, specifically whether having a clear and stable sense of self correlates with greater intraindividual similarities of past and future thinking. Study 1 revealed that self-concept clarity was significantly associated with phenomenological similarities and marginally associated with motivational similarities, which paved ways for an experiment in Study 2. Study 2 experimentally manipulated self-concept clarity and tested its impact on the parallel of autobiographical past and future events among younger and older adults. The experimental effect on intraindividual similarities of past and future thinking was not found. Instead, self-concept clarity assessed at baseline appeared to predict greater phenomenological and reasoning in mental time travel, regardless of age. Self-concept clarity also predicted greater achievement and relationship motivations in younger adults’ autobiographical events. These findings suggest that individual differences in the experience of and reflection on mental time travel may be grounded in individual differences in self-representations.

Ready to host your next meeting or event on campus? The Event Services team is here to help you secure the perfect venue—whether it’s in the John Lewis Student Center, Exhibition Hall, Historic Academy of Medicine, Outdoor Spaces, Table Spaces, or even Classroom Spaces. Join us for Event Services 101, an interactive information session where you’ll learn how to navigate our reservation process from start to finish. You’ll walk away knowing how to:

• Use GT Events to search for and book your ideal space
• Connect with our dedicated Event Services team for support
• Identify the right event category and follow streamlined approval procedures
• Coordinate food & beverage orders with ease
• Understand liability requirements to keep your event safe
• Review rates, fees, and the payment submission process

Why attend?

• Save time by mastering our reservation platform
• Prevent last-minute hassles with clear checklists and expert tips
• Build confidence in planning events of any size or style

Who Should Attend?:

Open to all current Georgia Tech staff.

Drop in anytime between 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Wednesdays:
June 3, 10, 17, 24
July 1, 8, 29
August 5, 12

All are welcome and no experience is needed.

Drop in anytime between 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Wednesdays:
June 3, 10, 17, 24
July 1, 8, 29
August 5, 12

All are welcome and no experience is needed.

Drop in anytime between 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Wednesdays:
June 3, 10, 17, 24
July 1, 8, 29
August 5, 12

All are welcome and no experience is needed.

Full schedule: 

July 18: Backpacking Day Hike
July 25: Mountain Biking Beginner
July 31: Tubing Helen and Panther Creek Falls
August 1: Vertical Caving

*To sign up for a trip, you must be a current member of Campus Recreation*

Full schedule: 

July 11-12: Bikepacking Beginner Overnight
July 18: Backpacking Day Hike
July 25: Mountain Biking Beginner
July 31: Tubing Helen and Panther Creek Falls
August 1: Vertical Caving

*To sign up for a trip, you must be a current member of Campus Recreation*

Full schedule: 

July 11: Horizontal Caving
July 11-12: Bikepacking Beginner Overnight
July 18: Backpacking Day Hike
July 25: Mountain Biking Beginner
July 31: Tubing Helen and Panther Creek Falls
August 1: Vertical Caving

*To sign up for a trip, you must be a current member of Campus Recreation*

Full schedule: 
July 10: Compass Navigation Bamboo Forest Hike
July 11: Horizontal Caving
July 11-12: Bikepacking Beginner Overnight
July 18: Backpacking Day Hike
July 25: Mountain Biking Beginner
July 31: Tubing Helen and Panther Creek Falls
August 1: Vertical Caving

*To sign up for a trip, you must be a current member of Campus Recreation*

Full schedule: 

June 27: Horizontal Caving
July 10: Compass Navigation Bamboo Forest Hike
July 11: Horizontal Caving
July 11-12: Bikepacking Beginner Overnight
July 18: Backpacking Day Hike
July 25: Mountain Biking Beginner
July 31: Tubing Helen and Panther Creek Falls
August 1: Vertical Caving

*To sign up for a trip, you must be a current member of Campus Recreation*

Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 AM EST 

Register for Turnitin's Webinar

Register Online to Attend

Radiation Worker Registration and X-Ray Safety Training Sign-Up

1. Complete a Form B, Radiation Worker registration before attending class (you may need to be connected to the GT VPN). After the training, the completed Form B will be sent to your Authorized User (AU - this is whoever manages the x-ray machine you'll be using) for signature via DocuSign.
2. Go to Genius LMS and use your GT Login
3. Click "View Course Catalog"
4. Search for X-Ray
5. Click "Register" for your preferred date
6. Click "Proceed to Checkout" and follow the instructions

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE REGISTERING, or IF YOU DON'T GET AN EMAIL IMMEDIATELY AFTER REGISTERING, please contact ors@ors.gatech.edu.

Radiation Worker Registration and X-Ray Safety Training Sign-Up

1. Complete a Form B, Radiation Worker registration before attending class (you may need to be connected to the GT VPN). After the training, the completed Form B will be sent to your Authorized User (AU - this is whoever manages the x-ray machine you'll be using) for signature via DocuSign.
2. Go to Genius LMS and use your GT Login
3. Click "View Course Catalog"
4. Search for X-Ray
5. Click "Register" for your preferred date
6. Click "Proceed to Checkout" and follow the instructions

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE REGISTERING, or IF YOU DON'T GET AN EMAIL IMMEDIATELY AFTER REGISTERING, please contact ors@ors.gatech.edu.

Register for FREE tickets.

As of September 2025,  drop-ins are only for current Georgia Tech undergraduate students. The meeting link can be accessed via the Navigate360 kiosk.  The meeting link will change regularly so always go in through the kiosk.

Graduate students and alumni need to email Dr. Susan Belmonte at sbelmonte@gatech.edu.

All times are Eastern Time.
Mon, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 
Th, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

Upcoming cancellations
 
Follow us through Academic Success and Advising on Instagram! @gtsuccess

website: https://www.success.gatech.edu 

Join the Pre-Graduate Advising Canvas site.  The site focuses on information and resources related to events, fellowships, etc. that can help prospective applicants prepare for or apply to graduate school. 
 
To join: https://tinyurl.com/GTpregradCanvasenroll 

As of September 2025,  drop-ins are only for current Georgia Tech undergraduate students. The meeting link can be accessed via the Navigate360 kiosk.  The meeting link will change regularly so always go in through the kiosk.

Graduate students and alumni need to email Dr. Susan Belmonte at sbelmonte@gatech.edu.

All times are Eastern Time.
Mon, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 
Th, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

Upcoming cancellations
 
Follow us through Academic Success and Advising on Instagram! @gtsuccess

website: https://www.success.gatech.edu 

Join the Pre-Graduate Advising Canvas site.  The site focuses on information and resources related to events, fellowships, etc. that can help prospective applicants prepare for or apply to graduate school. 
 
To join: https://tinyurl.com/GTpregradCanvasenroll 

It will cover:

• Pattern design and data preparation using BEAMER
• High-resolution writing on the Elionix ELS-G100 EBL system
• Pattern transfer using etching techniques
• Metal lift-off processing

Participants gain practical cleanroom experience in high-resolution lithography and processing, applicable to microelectronics, photonics, and quantum device fabrication.

Who should attend: Researchers, students, and industry professionals interested in nanoscale fabrication.

Location: Marcus Nanotechnology building, Georgia Tech

Rates: *Rates include lunches on both days*

• Georgia Tech Rate: $200
• Academic and Government Rate: $400
• Industry Rate: $1000

Our next EBL workshop will take place June 29-30, 2026.

Registration closes June 10, 2026. 

Attendees should register through the Genius LMS, using the "GT Login" button. Click on "View Course Catalog", then enter "RCR" in the search bar to view the current RCR workshop sessions. You can view information about each class (including class times) by clicking on "more info".  To register for a class, click on "Register", then "Proceed to Checkout" (there is no cost for the sessions). Then click on "Confirm". You will receive a confirmation email with a calendar file. You will need to follow instructions given to you during the session in order to receive RCR in-person contact hour credit for attending.

SESSIONS OFFERED ON THIS DATE:

Thursday, July 7  (Location - Ford ES&T, Room L1205)

Science & Engineering in Society 10-:00 - 11:00 AM

Peer Review 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

For more information about the RCR Workshop Series, including additional dates/sessions offered, refer to RCR Workshops and Events and Workshop FAQs.

Drop-ins are only for current Georgia Tech undergraduate students. The meeting link can be accessed via the Navigate360 kiosk.  The meeting link will change regularly so always go in through the kiosk.

Graduate students and alumni need to email Dr. Susan Belmonte at sbelmonte@gatech.edu.

All times are Eastern Time.
Mon, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 
Th, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

Upcoming cancellations
 
Follow us through Academic Success and Advising on Instagram! @gtsuccess

website: https://www.success.gatech.edu 

Join the Pre-Graduate Advising Canvas site.  The site focuses on information and resources related to events, fellowships, etc. that can help prospective applicants prepare for or apply to graduate school. 
 
To join: https://tinyurl.com/GTpregradCanvasenroll 

Drop-ins are only for current Georgia Tech undergraduate students. The meeting link can be accessed via the Navigate360 kiosk.  The meeting link will change regularly so always go in through the kiosk.

Graduate students and alumni need to email Dr. Susan Belmonte at sbelmonte@gatech.edu.

All times are Eastern Time.
Mon, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 
Th, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 

Upcoming cancellations
 
Follow us through Academic Success and Advising on Instagram! @gtsuccess

website: https://www.success.gatech.edu 

Join the Pre-Graduate Advising Canvas site.  The site focuses on information and resources related to events, fellowships, etc. that can help prospective applicants prepare for or apply to graduate school. 
 
To join: https://tinyurl.com/GTpregradCanvasenroll 

Registration: here

PACE has recently expanded containerized software workflows on Phoenix and Hive. Users are now able download, build, and run their own containers with Apptainer, a container runtime that is widely used in HPC centers. In this workshop, you will learn how to use Apptainer to:

• Easily download and run Docker images from DockerHub and other registries.
• Build new images using an Apptainer definition file, similarly to a Dockerfile.
• Learn tips and tricks for portable software workflows

This workshop will be taught virtually over Microsoft Teams. Please contact PACE support (pace-support@oit.gatech.edu) if you have any questions or concerns. We hope to see you there!

Registration closes one day prior to the workshop. Registrants will be sent the link to the virtual session by email on the morning of the workshop. If a session is no longer listed on the registration page, then it has reached capacity.

Please visit https://gatech.service-now.com/home?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0042355 for more information and to register.