Malena Bisanti’s work and life mirror each other. She calls herself a “lifetime learner” by practice. She works with faculty to design the visual presentation of online graduate courses while spending her free time constructing layered works of art. Somewhere between the classroom and the studio, her philosophy, career, and creativity have come together into a real-life collage.
“I’ve been in teaching and learning spaces for a long time, and I’ve always been curious about what makes something click for someone. That’s the part of the work I love most,” Bisanti said.
Bisanti is an instructional designer in the College of Lifetime Learning, where she helps shape the design and presentation of online courses. Her role involves taking academic material — slides, scripts, and outlines — and organizing it into clear, structured courses that support how people learn in an online environment. She applies both learning science and visual design to make complex material easier to follow, ensuring that courses remain accessible.
From start to finish, building a course can take six to nine months. The work requires steady planning and a deep understanding of how learners absorb information over time. While instructors remain the content experts, Bisanti brings expertise in learning science and visual design, drawing on her artistic background to structure, pace, and present material in ways that support understanding and growth.
“When I’m working on a course, I’m constantly asking how I can break something down and build it back up in a way that makes sense for the learner,” Bisanti said. “It’s a lot of structuring and layering, making sure each piece connects and supports the next.”
Much of this work connects to Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science, which serves learners balancing coursework with full-time careers.
Before coming to Georgia Tech, Bisanti worked across teaching and learning roles, including positions in public libraries, K-12 classrooms, and curriculum-focused environments — experience that continues to shape how she approaches instructional design today.
Outside of work, Bisanti is a mixed media artist who has been making art since childhood, beginning with paper dolls and handmade clay. Over time, her interests expanded to include photography, printmaking, ceramics, mosaics, and collage. Today, she focuses primarily on mixed media collage, which combines elements such as paper, paint, and drawing into a single composition.
“Art is something I have to do,” she said. “It’s not about producing something. It’s about the process and what it gives me, and how it balances the more structured side of my work.”
Bisanti’s connection to the arts at Georgia Tech became more visible when she led a mixed media collage workshop during Tech Arts Fest. The session invited students to experiment and create —many for the first time — using layered paper, paint, and texture, reinforcing her belief that creativity has an important place in learning environments.
“I had one student who was there just for a short time, but when he was leaving, he said, ‘I was having a really bad day, and I’m glad this workshop was here for me.’ That made my day. That’s why I do art.”
Through that work, she also discovered Georgia Tech’s broader arts community. After attending an arts salon meeting, she encountered artists, designers, and creative practitioners working across disciplines throughout the Institute. Finding that community was both energizing and affirming.
“I didn’t expect to find such a strong arts community here, and that surprised me, in a good way,” Bisanti said. “There’s a lot more happening in the arts than people realize, and it’s becoming a real part of how students experience learning here.”
That experience revealed a side of Georgia Tech aligned with the Institute’s broader commitment to innovation and exploration, including the launch of a new undergraduate program in Arts, Entertainment, and Creative Technologies this fall.
“I think people don’t always expect the arts to be part of the experience here, but they are,” Bisanti said. “The more you look, the more you see how much creativity is built into how people learn and work across campus.”
The same patience, curiosity, and openness that guide her in the studio shape how she approaches learning design. Whether refining a course structure or adding a final layer to a piece of art, she grounds her work in respect for how ideas take shape over time.
“The more I learn, the more intentional my work becomes, whether I’m designing a course or making art,” she said.
In connecting her work, her art, and her sense of belonging on campus, Bisanti embodies the idea that learning is never static.
For Malena Bisanti, designing courses and making art are inseparable. As an instructional designer in the College of Lifetime Learning and a mixed media artist, she brings the same curiosity and love of learning to both.
]]>Do you have a hobby or hidden talent you’d like to share with the Georgia Tech community? We’re looking for staff members whose unique experiences help them shine in their work today. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, fill out this survey with your nomination.
If nominating a colleague, please secure their permission before submitting a response on their behalf.
On June 17, the Office of Information Technology will add Info-Tech to its catalog of IT learning and development resources offered to the Georgia Tech community.
The Info-Tech learning portal provides a comprehensive library of downloadable IT research reports, tools, templates, and playbooks to assist faculty and students in the preparation of project, program and action plans as well as strategic frameworks rooted in more than 450 industry research reports and methodologies. The platform also includes software evaluation resources, industry trend analysis, and an online training library with certification opportunities. The platform is owned by Info-Tech Research Group, an international information technology research and advisory company,
“This is an exciting step forward in expanding access to high-quality resources that support both teaching, learning, research and decision-making,” said Leo Howell, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “Info-Tech will equip faculty and students with research and reporting grounded in technology insights to ultimately help guide the work they do.”
The service’s introduction supports Georgia Tech’s commitment to innovation and experiential learning by connecting academic coursework with real-world IT practices. Faculty can integrate Info-Tech material into their courses, using industry-developed frameworks, case studies, and tools to enhance instruction. Students gain exposure to professional-grade resources commonly used across the technology sector, helping bridge the gap between theory and practice.
The platform also offers value beyond the classroom: IT professionals and administrative staff can utilize Info-Tech to inform strategic planning, evaluate technology solutions, and strengthen governance practices. Access to benchmarking data and peer insights allows campus units to make more informed decisions and align with best practices across higher education.
Info-Tech is available through Georgia Tech Single Sign-On, giving users seamless access its full range of resources. Once logged in, users can search for topics, explore research areas, and navigate curated tools based on their specific needs.
For more information and to access Info-Tech, visit infotech.com/sso/gatech.
Georgia Tech users can learn more about Info-Tech by visiting knowledge article Info-Tech Campus Resource Access. Users can contact Info-Tech for assistance by visiting its Contact Us link (located at the bottom Info-Tech webpages). For Georgia Tech-specific support, submit a ServiceNow Technology Request.
]]>Georgia Tech Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is helping prepare the next generation of safety leaders through a newly launched Lab and Workplace Safety Certificate Program, a yearlong initiative designed to strengthen laboratory safety culture and promote proactive, people‑centered approaches to risk management.
As part of the pilot program, Georgia Tech graduate students Megan Yutthasaksunthorn, Calib Lanier, and Youngsu Shin recently took a behind‑the‑scenes tour of Georgia Aquarium, gaining insight into how safety principles are applied in complex operational environments. The experience highlighted best practices in water quality monitoring, laboratory and workplace safety, and, most importantly, the role of a strong safety culture.
A Program Rooted in Industry Best Practices
The Lab and Workplace Safety Certificate Program was developed in collaboration with ExxonMobil’s laboratory safety program in Houston, Texas, bringing industry‑tested practices into an academic framework. Georgia Tech is participating alongside peer institutions, including Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Florida, and the University of Texas, reflecting a growing, cross-institutional commitment to advancing lab safety education.
The certificate is designed primarily for graduate students pursuing careers with a focus on chemical and process safety, though qualified undergraduate students may also be considered. Over the course of the year, participants complete both online and hands-on learning components, blending foundational knowledge with applied experience.
The goal of the program is twofold: to develop safer laboratory practices and to equip participants with the skills to train and influence others in lab settings. Rather than focusing solely on compliance, the program emphasizes leadership, communication, and systems thinking — key elements of a sustainable safety culture.
Hands‑On Learning Beyond the Campus Lab
The Georgia Aquarium visit was part of the program’s experiential component and offered a powerful example of safety in action beyond the traditional academic laboratory. Through a detailed presentation and tour, students learned how safety principles translate into daily operations in an environment where human performance, high‑risk activities, and complex systems intersect.
The visit was facilitated by EH&S Lab and Chemical Safety Officer Alicia Wood-Jones, who coordinated with an assistant dive manager of operations at the aquarium. The session included an in‑depth discussion on human factors and safety, an approach that asks a critical question: How do we design systems so mistakes don’t lead to injury?
This perspective resonated with students and reinforced one of the program’s central themes: Effective safety programs anticipate human error and build layers of protection through planning, communication, and shared responsibility.
Building Leadership and Safety Culture
Throughout the certificate program, participants engage in activities that strengthen both technical understanding and leadership capability. Hands-on components include:
By examining safety culture across different environments, students gain a broader understanding of how values, behaviors, and systems come together to support safe work practices.
EH&S Leadership and Support
EH&S plays a pivotal role in supporting the certificate program and ensuring students have access to meaningful learning experiences that align with campus safety priorities. The initiative was spearheaded by Rebecca Graham, EH&S laboratory and chemical safety specialist, whose leadership and coordination helped bring the program and field experience to fruition. “It’s an honor to help lead this program and bring industry-informed practices, including those shaped through ExxonMobil’s safety framework, into an academic setting,” she said. “Our goal is to equip students not only with technical knowledge, but with the leadership skills needed to build and sustain a proactive safety culture wherever their careers take them.”
Through programs like this, EH&S continues its mission of fostering a culture where safety is proactive, collaborative, and embedded in everything we do.
For additional information about the certificate program, contact Laboratory and Chemical Safety Specialist Rebecca Graham.
Communications Officer II
Institute Communications
Infrastructure and Operations | Planning, Design, and Construction | Office of Sustainability
]]>See a curated list of Georgia Tech experts available to comment on the World Cup here.
As Atlanta welcomes the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the promises are familiar: millions of visitors, global attention, economic growth, and a chance to showcase the city on one of the biggest stages in sports.
But Georgia Tech experts say the real question is not whether the tournament will generate activity — it is who benefits from it and what remains after the final match is played.
Mega-events have long been sold as catalysts for transformation. The 1996 Olympics reshaped Atlanta’s physical landscape and helped position the city as a global destination. Thirty years later, the World Cup arrives at a very different moment.
“There are similarities,” said Emily Barrett, assistant professor in the School of City and Regional Planning. “Like the Olympics, the World Cup is an accelerator for infrastructure upgrades and public and private investment alike.”
Atlanta is seeing significant public investment in transportation improvements and billions of dollars in private development downtown. But today’s Atlanta is very different from Atlanta in the 1990s.
“Atlanta is no longer a city seeking recognition on the world stage,” Barrett said. “We are a thriving and growing city.”
That shifts the conversation from visibility to value.
“The open question is whether hosting mega-events makes the city work better for the people who live here,” Barrett added.
Assessing that value becomes more complicated when economic forecasts enter the conversation.
Large projections often dominate headlines, but Declan Abernethy, lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, cautions that economic impact estimates rarely tell the whole story.
“It is far easier to put out an economic impact projection compared to the difficulty of measuring impact,” Abernethy said.
While visitors will spend money on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment, he notes that much of that spending may not reach the community.
“When we look closely at that spending, we can see that much of the profit will be taken in by large corporations or FIFA in the immediate vicinity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and not as much by Atlanta residents or small businesses,” he said.
According to Barrett, economic studies often overlook a critical question: What could alternative investments have accomplished?
“Economic studies rarely account for displacement costs, or whether the same public dollars could have generated similar or better outcomes if invested elsewhere,” she said.
The World Cup’s impact extends beyond economics; it will also test Atlanta’s infrastructure at a scale few events can match.
Michael Hunter, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, says the biggest challenge may be the volume of people moving through the city.
“There will be a number of pressure points. However, one of the most significant will be just the number of people,” Hunter said. “This event will attract significant crowds.”
Atlanta’s transportation agencies have spent years preparing, drawing on lessons learned from events including the Super Bowl, World Series, and major concerts. Still, capacity limits are unavoidable.
“There is only so much traffic that MARTA or any transit agency can handle,” Hunter said. “People need to understand that there will be congestion and longer wait times. The key is to be patient.”
The concern is whether those investments result in lasting improvements or merely support a few weeks of activity.
Abernethy argues that the World Cup should be viewed as part of a broader vision for Atlanta rather than a standalone catalyst.
“We are seeing the World Cup as a part of a longer-running and more cohesive vision for sport and economic development downtown,” he said. “Atlanta may not be repeating the same cycle nor cracking downtown’s development problem with the World Cup itself.”
Infrastructure challenges extend beyond transportation. Feeding hundreds of thousands of visitors while minimizing waste requires its own network of logistics, coordination, and planning.
Nicole Kennard, a research scientist at Georgia Tech’s Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, views the tournament as an opportunity to strengthen how food moves throughout the city.
“These large events are a really big opportunity for us to coordinate and test our infrastructure,” Kennard said. “We have to think critically about how to improve the infrastructure and ensure its resilience and efficiency.”
Working with organizations such as Second Helpings Atlanta, the official food rescue partner for the World Cup, Georgia Tech researchers are building technologies and tools to improve coordination among food rescue groups. The effort aims to keep surplus food out of landfills by quickly moving it from stadiums and vendors to local food organizations.
“It’s really a logistics problem, a data problem, and a coordination problem,” Kennard said. “The faster you can move food from the point of surplus directly to a pantry, the more likely it is to reach people who need it.”
Ultimately, Atlanta’s World Cup legacy may not be measured by attendance figures or visitor spending alone.
“How we evaluate success depends on what we choose to measure, and too often we focus on headline numbers instead of who actually benefits,” said Abernethy.
Kennard sees the tournament as a chance to build systems that outlast the event itself. “What we build for the World Cup could become critical infrastructure for future emergencies and disasters,” she said.
Atlanta already knows how to host a global event. Whether the investments, partnerships, and infrastructure created for the World Cup leave the city stronger after the crowds leave remains to be seen.
]]>After leading Georgia Tech through one of the most successful periods in its history, President Ángel Cabrera has been selected to serve as the next president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, one of the world’s foremost nonprofit organizations dedicated to leadership, dialogue, and addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
The Aspen Institute’s Board of Trustees voted today to appoint Cabrera to the role, recognizing a career dedicated to education, innovation, leadership, and service.
Since becoming Georgia Tech’s 12th president in 2019, Cabrera has overseen record growth across enrollment, research, innovation, and philanthropy. Under his leadership, Georgia Tech has grown to enroll more than 56,000 students annually, an increase of 55%, while becoming one of the nation’s most sought-after public universities. The Institute has achieved record levels of student applications, enrollment, graduation rates, research funding, startup formation, invention disclosures, and philanthropic support.
“Georgia Tech transformed my life, first as a student and later as president," Cabrera said. “Leading this extraordinary institution has been the honor of a lifetime. I leave with immense gratitude for the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters who have made our shared progress possible and with tremendous confidence that Georgia Tech’s best days are still ahead.”
Working alongside more than 5,700 faculty and staff, Cabrera led the creation of Progress and Service for All, Georgia Tech’s strategic plan for expanding opportunity, advancing discovery, and increasing the Institute’s impact in Georgia and around the world.
During his tenure, annual sponsored research awards have surpassed $1.4 billion, helping propel Georgia Tech to No. 1 nationally in research expenditures among universities without a medical school and No. 2 nationally in federal research funding, while expanding the Institute’s leadership in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, space research, and entrepreneurship. Georgia Tech also expanded and modernized its campus significantly and advanced the development of three innovation districts in Atlanta: Tech Square, Science Square, and Creative Quarter.
Throughout his presidency, Cabrera has remained focused on delivering exceptional value for students and families. Georgia Tech has consistently been recognized as one of the nation's best investments in higher education and among the strongest returns on investment in the country.
“President Cabrera’s true impact on Georgia Tech goes well beyond the numbers,” said Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “Since rejoining his alma mater, he’s brought energy, warmth, and engagement to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the entire Tech community. He’s been a constant, visible force, listening to stakeholders at every level, cheering on their success, and solidifying Georgia Tech’s reputation as a world-class, global research institution. That personal touch has made a profound difference everywhere from Science Square to the new Fanning Center.
“The scale of what Ángel achieved is clear,” Chancellor Perdue continued. “Under his leadership, Georgia Tech enrolled more in-state undergraduates than ever while raising graduation rates and pushing total enrollment to the highest in the state. Tech’s annual economic impact on Georgia grew to $5.8 billion — a quarter of the entire university system’s total output. The university’s federal research expenditures climbed to more than $1.2 billion, ranking it second in the nation. The Tech community likes to say, ‘We can do that,’ and Ángel has done it, which means we have our work cut out for us to maintain this momentum when he leaves. The system is grateful for his leadership, and we wish him and Beth the very best.”
Georgia Tech celebrates Cabrera’s selection to this important national leadership role and the lasting impact of his presidency on the Institute. Cabrera plans to remain at Georgia Tech until November to support a smooth transition. The University System of Georgia will announce plans for Georgia Tech’s next leadership chapter at a later date.
Gas prices are the most visible sign of the crisis, and the increases are already significant. National average retail gasoline prices are more than $1.20 higher than they were in February, before the conflict escalated.
“Even though U.S. petroleum production often exceeds our consumption, we are not insulated from disruptions in global oil supply because oil is a globally traded commodity,” says director of the Energy Policy and Innovation Center, Laura Taylor. “If supply is restricted anywhere in the world, prices will rise everywhere, including in the U.S.”
Markets expect some relief by fall, with future prices pointing lower than today’s levels. But Tony Harding, assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, cautions, “Prices are likely to remain above pre-conflict levels for the foreseeable future, and temporary relief measures, such as Georgia’s motor fuel tax suspension, will not last forever.”
Taylor puts it plainly: “Wages are not rising faster than prices, so people are feeling the pinch and will continue to do so.”
The impact does not stop at the gas station. For Americans planning summer travel, the timing of this conflict could not be worse. Matthew Oliver, associate professor in the School of Economics, points to commercial air travel as one of the most exposed sectors.
“Jet fuel prices have roughly doubled in the wake of the current oil price spike, putting immediate upward pressure on airfares,” says Oliver.
The ripple effects extend far beyond travel.
“Oil is an input into the supply chain of nearly every good at some point,” says Bobby Harris, assistant professor in the School of Economics. “When input costs go up, prices go up.”
The connection between Middle East tensions and the American dinner table is more direct than many realize, because petrochemicals are a key feedstock for fertilizer production.
“Higher oil prices lead to higher fertilizer prices, which lead to higher food prices,” says Oliver.
Combined with existing tariff pressures and tight supply chains, the strain on household budgets is coming from multiple directions at once.
“If the crisis persists, there will be upward pressure on the prices of nearly every physical good,” Oliver adds.
Washington has tools to respond, but none are silver bullets. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently holds around 400 million barrels and can release about 4 million barrels per day, roughly 20% of U.S. daily demand.
“I see the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a tool to buy time during a crisis,” says public policy professor Dan Matisoff. “But if the conflict drags on, we will ultimately be in a more vulnerable position.”
Quick fixes like price caps or demand subsidies carry trade-offs.
“Subsidies can mitigate the impact of price shocks, but they can also mask important market signals that help balance supply and demand,” says Harding, using Europe’s 2022 energy crisis as a cautionary example.
“People in general tend to undervalue energy efficiency,” says Matisoff. “Think of energy efficiency investments as a sort of hedge or insurance against volatile energy prices.”
That means considering fuel efficiency when buying a car, and looking at heat pumps, electric vehicles, and home energy upgrades when the time is right.
“Higher energy prices increase the value of investing in energy efficiency upgrades to your home and adopting technologies that are less dependent on fossil fuels,” says Harding.
For families navigating uncertainty, both economists and policy experts point to the same practical advice: Reduce your exposure to fossil fuel price swings before the next crisis hits.
]]>The streets have been paved. The grass has been mowed. Projects across the city have rushed to completion in anticipation of Atlanta hosting eight World Cup matches in June and July. Georgia Tech’s campus will join in the excitement, and the campus community is ready.
“I’m excited for people from all over the world to experience how much Atlanta has embraced soccer,” said Alex Duncan, senior director of the Online Master of Science in Computer Science program.
Duncan, originally from Plano, Texas, began following the World Cup in 1998. He traveled to Berlin for the 2006 tournament and has enjoyed seeing the world’s game come closer to home with the addition of Atlanta United, U.S. Soccer’s training headquarters, and the upcoming launch of a women’s professional team in the city.
“Even if you don’t go to any games, the atmosphere and energy are palpable during the tournament, and it’s one of those rare events that unites people all over the world,” he said. “To have all of this happening effectively in my backyard is a dream come true.”
For many students, the World Cup arriving in Atlanta represents more than a sporting event. It is a chance to connect with pieces of their identity or homes outside of Atlanta, or even outside of the United States.
Sindhu Belki, an aerospace engineering student from Doha, Qatar, was in the U.S. when the World Cup was hosted in her home country. Now, she finds herself in the right place at the right time.
“The excitement of entering a stadium decked in the colors and gear of your favorite team, joining hundreds of people supporting some of your favorite players, seeing little kids imitate Messi or Ronaldo, watching the players walk onto the pitch amid thunderous applause, the nail-biting anticipation with every pass of the ball, and the sheer joy of clinching the winning goal in a penalty shootout — what can be more thrilling and adventurous?” she said.
Irene Jacob, a city and regional planning student from Maryland, is also thrilled to be living in a host city. She has followed the World Cup since 2014.
“What makes the World Cup especially unique is the atmosphere around it and how it brings people together from all over the world in a way that few other sporting events can,” she said. “2014-me would be so excited to know that 12 years later, the city I’d be living in during the summer would actually be hosting the World Cup.”
Whether you’re a diehard soccer fan or simply interested in experiencing the spectacle, there will be plenty of activities on and around campus to enjoy. Georgia Tech will host Club and Country Colors Day on June 10, and Georgia Tech and Georgia State University are teaming up for a watch party at Georgia State’s Convocation Center on July 1 – register for a free ticket.
See more campus events at gatech.edu/world-cup-2026.
The first week of June marks National CPR and AED Awareness Week, but year-round, Georgia Tech students are helping equip the campus community with lifesaving skills.
Emergency Medical Services at Tech (EMSaT), the student organization recognized last year with a national EMS-Ready Campus designation, has expanded access to CPR and AED training through a partnership with Georgia Tech Environmental Health and Safety. The free courses are available to students, faculty, and staff and are taught by a team of 11 undergraduate students who hold CPR instructor certifications and volunteer their time to serve the campus community.
“CPR and AED use are some of the easiest ways for everyday people to make a real difference in the event of cardiac arrest,” said Esther Lee, a biomedical engineering major and outreach director for EMSaT. “If more people know what to do and feel comfortable stepping in, we can make the Georgia Tech community safer and better prepared.”
During the past year, EMSaT instructors trained 472 members of the Georgia Tech community in CPR and AED use. This spring alone, the organization certified 311 participants.
The training initiative builds on EMSaT’s broader mission to strengthen emergency preparedness at Georgia Tech. Founded in 2019, the group works with campus and community partners to improve emergency response, provide first aid education, and create hands-on opportunities for students pursuing careers in healthcare and emergency medicine.
The impact of that work can be seen in the experiences of Georgia Tech student EMTs, who balance rigorous academic schedules with jobs in hospitals and ambulance services.
The group will continue offering training sessions this fall at the Campus Recreation Center. More information will be available soon at the EMSaT site.
As an energy economist, I am often asked about what contributes to gas prices and what different policies can do to affect them.
The price of a retail gallon of gas is the sum of four things: the cost of crude oil, refining, distribution and marketing, and taxes.
In nationwide figures from January 2026, crude oil accounted for about 51% of the pump price, refining roughly 20%, distribution and marketing about 11% and taxes about 18%. That mix shifts with conditions: When crude oil prices spike, that can drive more than 60% of the price; when the price drops, taxes and logistics are larger shares of the cost.
Because the price of crude oil is the largest element, most of the price at the pump is derived from the global oil market.
Usually, big swings in crude prices come mainly from shifts in global demand and expectations – not from supply disruptions, according to widely cited research in 2009 by the economist Lutz Kilian.
But what is happening in early 2026 with the war in Iran is one of the exceptions: a classic supply shock. Severe disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Middle East oil infrastructure have taken millions of barrels a day off the global market.
Most drivers generally can’t quickly reduce how much they drive or how much gas they use when prices rise, so gasoline demand doesn’t change much in the short run. That means a jump in crude costs tends to result in people paying more rather than driving less.
Refining turns crude into gasoline at industrial scale. The U.S. doesn’t have a single gasoline market, though. Roughly a quarter of U.S. gasoline is a cleaner-burning blend of petroleum-derived chemicals called “reformulated gasoline,” which is required in urban areas across 17 states and the District of Columbia to reduce smog.
California uses an even stricter formulation that few out-of-state refineries make. California is also geographically isolated: No pipelines bring gasoline in from other U.S. refining regions.
California’s gasoline prices have long run above the national average, explained in part by higher state taxes and stricter environmental rules. But since a refinery fire in Torrance, California, in 2015 reduced production capacity, the state’s prices have been about 20 to 30 cents a gallon higher than what those factors would indicate.
Energy economist and University of California, Berkeley, professor Severin Borenstein has called this the “mystery gasoline surcharge” and attributes it to the fact that there isn’t as much competition between refineries or gas stations in California as in other states. California’s own Division of Petroleum Market Oversight says the surcharge cost the state’s drivers about $59 billion from 2015 to 2024. It’s not exactly clear who is getting that money, but it could be gas stations themselves or refineries, through complex contracts with gas stations.
The distribution and marketing category covers the costs of everything involved in getting the gasoline from the refinery gate to your tank.
Gasoline moves by pipeline, ship, rail and truck to wholesale terminals, and then by local delivery truck to service stations.
At the retailer’s end, the key factors are station rent and labor, the cost to buy gasoline in bulk to be able to sell it, credit card fees of as much as 6 to 10 cents a gallon at current prices, and franchise fees paid to the national brand, such as Sunoco or ExxonMobil, for permission to put their branding on the gas station.
Most gas station operators net only a few cents per gallon on fuel itself – which is why many gas stations are really convenience stores with pumps out front. Borenstein and some of his collaborators have also documented that retail gas prices rise quickly when wholesale costs climb but fall slowly when wholesale costs drop.
The federal government charges a tax on fuel, of 18.4 cents a gallon for gasoline and 24.3 cents a gallon for diesel. States charge their own taxes, ranging from 70.9 cents a gallon for gas in California to 8.95 cents in Alaska.
When gas prices rise, many politicians start talking about temporarily suspending their state’s gas tax. That does reduce prices, but not as much as politicians – or consumers – might hope. Research on past gas tax holidays has found that consumers get about 79% of the reduction in gas taxes. That means oil companies and fuel retailers keep about one-fifth of the tax cut for themselves rather than passing that savings to the public.
Gas tax holidays also reduce funding for what the taxes are designed to pay for, typically roads and bridges. That pushes road and bridge upkeep costs onto future drivers and general taxpayers.
There is an additional problem, too: Taxes on gasoline are supposed to charge drivers for some of the costs their driving imposes on everyone else – carbon emissions, local air pollution, congestion and crashes. But Borenstein has found that U.S. fuel tax levels are already far below the true cost to society. Removing the tax on drivers effectively raises the costs for everyone else.
The 1920 Jones Act is a federal law that requires cargo moving between U.S. ports to travel on vessels built and registered in the U.S., owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed primarily by U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Of the world’s 7,500 oil tankers, only 54 meet this requirement. Only 43 of these can transport refined fuels such as gasoline.
So, despite significant refining capacity on the Gulf Coast, some U.S. gasoline is exported overseas even as the Northeast imports fuel, in part reflecting the relatively high cost of moving fuel between U.S. ports.
Economists Ryan Kellogg and Rich Sweeney estimate that the law raises East Coast gasoline prices by about a penny and a half per gallon on average, costing drivers roughly $770 million a year. In light of the war’s effect on gas prices, the Trump administration has temporarily suspended the Jones Act requirements – an action more commonly taken when hurricanes knock out Gulf Coast refineries and pipeline networks.
The result of all these factors is that the price that drivers see at the pump mostly reflects the global price of crude, plus a stack of domestic costs, only some of which are inefficient.
Tax holidays give a partial, short-lived rebate. Jones Act waivers trim pennies, though permanent repeal may cause more fundamental changes, such as reduced rail and truck transport of all goods, which could lower costs, emissions and infrastructure damage associated with cargo transportation. Harmonizing fuel blends across states and seasons may lower prices somewhat, but likely at the expense of increased emissions.
Ultimately, the best protection against oil price shocks is a more efficient gas-burning vehicle, or one that doesn’t burn gasoline at all. In the meantime, the best I can offer as an economist is clarity about what that $4.30 actually buys.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
]]>Assistant Professor of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology
Shelley Wunder-Smith
Director of Research Communications
Georgia Institute of Technology
After days of testing at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan, Georgia Tech won first place in the final year of the current EcoCAR EV Challenge cycle. Tech students competed against 13 universities over four years, applying emerging technologies to create intelligent mobility solutions.
During the four-year cycle, more than 250 undergraduate and graduate students from six of Georgia Tech’s Colleges worked to reengineer a Cadillac LYRIQ EV, adding a new front motor, a new clutch-enabled rear motor, and automated driving features. In the Motor City, Tech earned 867 out of 1,000 points, outperforming its competitors across technical, vehicle, and connected automation challenges. The team stood out in the Connected Driving Evaluation, developed by Argonne National Laboratory, to measure how effectively teams integrate vehicle connectivity with automated driving features. The GT team also excelled in lateral automation with strong lane-centering and automatic parking performance.
While meeting all design targets, Tech’s car delivered the competition’s most impressive acceleration, and the team was the only group to successfully demonstrate automatic parking.
Teams were tested at the end of each year of the competition cycle, with Tech securing multiple top-three finishes in years past. As the Yellow Jackets were crowned the winners of year four at the final awards ceremony, faculty advisor Antonia Antoniou says the elation and relief felt among the team members were a testament to the group’s resilience.
“They really are the best of Georgia Tech. There were hurdles along the way where they faced major setbacks, including catastrophic equipment failures that could’ve discouraged them, but they were relentless in their pursuit of perfection,” Antoniou, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, said.
Project manager Eric Gustafson has been with the team since day one, and the victory is something he dreamed of and hopes every team member during the last four years can revel in.
“It was surreal,” he said. “A single moment validating every all-nighter and difficult gauntlet our team worked through to compete against teams with budgets two and sometimes three times larger than ours. To win this challenge, at this Institute, speaks to the tenacity and sheer resilience that Tech students have. To actually execute, almost flawlessly, over a four-year span with different students coming into the program at different times, is a ‘helluva’ achievement.”
In addition to the first-place overall finish, the team also earned victories in 11 of the competition’s engineering awards and two communications awards.
First Place System Design and Integration Presentation
First Place Connected and Automated Vehicle Systems Presentation
First Place Connected Driving Evaluation – Sponsored by dSPACE
First Place Energy Consumption
First Place Consumer Acceptability
Stay in Your Lane
First Place Vehicle Drivability Evaluation
First Place CARB CAV Energy Consumption
First Place Vehicle Technical Specifications: Georgia Tech; Ohio State University and Wilberforce University
First Place Combined Longitudinal Acceleration
First Place Thermal Control Excellence - Sponsored by TCCI: Georgia Tech and the University of Alabama
First Place Communications Program: Georgia Tech and McMaster University
First Place Impact Video
With the conclusion of the current cycle, Antoniou and her fellow faculty advisor, David Taylor, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will now lead recruitment for the team’s next competition cycle, alongside new faculty advisors, Associate Professors Sam Coogan (ECE) and Shuman Xia (ME), as well as communications mentor Jill Fennell, Frank K. Webb Academic Professional Chair in Communication Skills in the Woodruff School.
“The new team will have big shoes to fill,” Antoniou said. We are lucky to have the chance to work with the students at Georgia Tech, and they have a tremendous opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ and connect with industry partners in the process. I encourage anyone interested to apply because EcoCAR can open so many doors, and it’s a joy for us to watch these students become the leaders they are meant to be.”
In April, Tech was selected to compete in the competition for the fourth consecutive cycle. Participation in the EcoCAR Challenge is paired with coursework through Georgia Tech’s Vertically Integrated Projects program, allowing students to gain hands-on experience while earning academic credit.
For application information, visit the EcoCAR VIP’s website.
Seventy-five Georgia Tech students and alumni have been awarded Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation. The fellowships, valued at $159,000, include funding for three years of graduate study and tuition for graduate students pursuing full-time, research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or STEM education.
The Yellow Jacket recipients of the fellowship, which has supported over 70,000 students since its inception in 1952, were selected from a pool of more than 14,000 applicants nationwide. Fellowships are awarded to students “who have demonstrated potential for significant achievements in research.”
Alumni:
Graduate Students:
Walker has been a member of the Guggenheim School faculty since 2005 and has held several leadership positions, including associate chair for graduate studies. Prior to his appointment as chair, he served in the dean’s office as the College’s associate dean for academic affairs.
“Mitchell’s leadership and achievements reflect the excellence and innovation that define Georgia Tech,” said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “As a longtime member of our faculty, he brings a deep understanding of the Institute’s values and aspirations to this new role. I am confident he will build on the College of Engineering’s extraordinary legacy and elevate its global impact.”
Walker is known for his ability to bring together expertise and partners across schools and colleges to develop high-impact programming, including the interdisciplinary Minor in Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
He played a pivotal role in advancing the sustained advocacy that led to Georgia Tech securing $88 million in state funding for a new Aerospace Engineering Building. Under his leadership, the nation’s top-ranked public aerospace program built a compelling case through years of coordinated effort among faculty, staff, alumni, advisory board members, and past leaders. This momentum reflects Walker’s contributions to aligning academic excellence with strategic institutional advocacy to achieve a landmark investment for the Institute.
“Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering represents the very best in innovation, impact, and collaboration,” Walker said. “I am honored to lead such an accomplished community of faculty, staff, and students and look forward to building on its strong foundation. Together, we will continue to advance research, education, and partnerships that address the world’s most pressing challenges and improve lives.”
Walker is a respected leader in advanced propulsion research, focusing on experimental and theoretical studies of plasma propulsion concepts for spacecraft, including Hall thrusters, gridded ion engines, and vacuum facility effects. He directs Georgia Tech’s High-Power-Electric Propulsion Laboratory and is principal investigator and director of the $15 million Joint Advanced Propulsion Institute (JANUS), a multi-university NASA Space Technology Research Institute. JANUS develops strategies to overcome limitations in ground testing of high-power electric propulsion systems, enabling and expanding their use in flight.
Walker is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and serves as a member of the organization’s Electric Propulsion Technical Committee. He is also an associate editor of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets and serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Physics and Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences – Plasma Physics. In addition, he has delivered expert witness testimony to the Space Subcommittee of the House of Representatives to help guide national investments in space propulsion technology.
His contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program Award, the AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award, the AIAA Sustained Service Award, and the Georgia Power Professor of Excellence Award.
As dean, Walker will lead the College’s academic and research enterprise, which includes more than 21,000 students, 50 degree tracks, and nearly 500 faculty members. Its undergraduate program is ranked No. 3 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and the graduate program is No. 4. All 11 of its programs are consistently ranked in the top 10.
Walker succeeds Beyah, who began his term as provost last November.
“I would like to thank Doug Williams for his steady leadership and service as interim dean during this important transition,” Beyah said. “Since November, he has provided critical stability for the College, and we are deeply grateful for his support of our faculty, staff, and students. I would also like to thank the search committee and their chair, Dean Vivek Sarkar. Vivek and the committee brought world-class candidates forward during this process, and their work has resulted in an exceptional new dean.”
Writer: Brittany Aiello, Faculty Communications Program Manager, Executive Communications, Institute Communications
]]>LOOP, powered by Goat Farm, will launch at 665 Marietta St. NW, activating a key site within Atlanta’s emerging Creative Quarter. With Georgia Tech Arts, the initiative advances the Institute’s broader commitment to arts, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
LOOP will hold a public opening from 6 – 9 p.m. Saturday, June 6, featuring work by Tech students and faculty alongside artists represented by Wolfgang Gallery. Featured installations include Vulnerable Value, presented by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Wolfgang Gallery, and Wormhole by Ishaan Jagyasi, Kyle Smith, Devon Green, and Ryan Baker. Artists and innovators from across Atlanta will also begin moving into LOOP’s studio spaces this summer.
Located near Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts and within a growing Westside ecosystem for the arts and creative industries, LOOP reflects the continued growth of Georgia Tech Arts.
“LOOP represents a transformational moment for the Creative Quarter and for Georgia Tech’s commitment to the arts and innovation,” said Jason Freeman, associate vice provost for Arts. “It creates new opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff to engage with artists, creatives, and the broader community and demonstrates that the arts are central to our mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.”
“LOOP was conceived as a space where experimentation is not only supported but expected,” said Allie Bashuk, design director for Goat Farm. “As artists move into the studios and public programming begins, LOOP invites audiences into work that is unfolding in real time.”
LOOP brings together artists, students, and the broader community. Anchored by artist studios and flexible exhibition and event space, the site is designed to foster new connections among art, technology, research, and community engagement.
LOOP will host public programs throughout the year, including exhibitions, performances, and festivals. For information about upcoming programming, visit loopatl.space, follow @loop.atl on social media, or subscribe to the LOOP mailing list. LOOP also accepts proposals for arts programming and requests for private event rentals on a rolling basis.
Opening event/exhibition: Vulnerable Value
Date and time: June 6, 6 – 9 p.m.
Featured installations:
• Vulnerable Value, presented by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Wolfgang Gallery.
• Wormhole, by Ishaan Jagyasi, Kyle Smith, Devon Green, and Ryan Baker.
Location: 665 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Public access: Entry is available during designated events and scheduled programming.
Event information: loopatl.space and Instagram @loop.atl.
Parking and directions: Pedestrian access is available via Tech Parkway and State Street, adjacent to PATH Parkway bicycle access and near the John Lewis Student Center.
LOOP, powered by Goat Farm, opens June 6, creating a new hub for interdisciplinary arts, experimentation, and community engagement in Atlanta’s Creative Quarter.
LOOP / Goat Farm
Allie Bashuk
Design Director
allie@thegoatfarm.info
Georgia Tech Arts
Angela Barajas Prendiville
Director of Media Relations, Georgia Tech
media@gatech.edu
The Office of Technology Licensing has announced the latest recipients of the Tech Ready Grants, an initiative that helps Georgia Tech faculty advance their innovations toward market readiness. Providing early momentum for promising technologies, the grants help move research toward real-world impact.
“Tech Ready Grants are designed to help researchers take critical steps toward commercialization by supporting early validation and development,” said Mary Albertson, director of Technology Licensing. “These projects represent strong potential for real-world impact across a range of industries.”
This year’s selected projects span areas including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, medical devices, sustainability, and software systems.
Christos Athanasiou
Assistant Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering
Project: A Scalable In-Situ Durability Platform for Rapid Polymer Qualification
Athanasiou is developing a platform to assess material durability under real-world conditions, helping accelerate validation timelines for high-performance applications.
“What began as a lab-based fracture testing instrument became a way to observe failure under real conditions,” Athanasiou said. “Now, we are working to share that capability beyond a single lab.”
Steve Diggle
Professor, School of Biological Sciences
Project: TAILSTRIKE Platform: Modular Chimeric Tailocin Engineering for Programmable Precision Antibacterials
Diggle is developing a programmable antibacterial platform using engineered protein nanomachines to precisely target harmful bacteria. The approach aims to address antibiotic resistance while enabling more targeted therapeutic applications.
“This grant will support the development of the TAILSTRIKE platform, a modular engineering system that repurposes protein nanomachines which bacteria use in warfare against each other, to create next-generation programmable, precision antibacterials,” Diggle said.
Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar
Assistant Professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Project: High-Efficiency, Fully 3D-Printed Electric Motors
Mazumdar is developing fully 3D-printed electric motors designed for high efficiency and flexible manufacturing across a range of applications.
“The Tech Ready Grant is an exciting opportunity for us to advance our research toward something that can be commercialized as a real product,” Mazumdar said.
Nathan Meraz
Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Project: SCHORTY Technical Document and Market Analysis
Meraz is advancing Scheimpflug Optical Ranging Technology (SCHORTY), a platform that delivers LiDAR-class 3D sensing in a camera-native form factor. The project focuses on identifying high-value commercial applications and validating market opportunities.
“Our platform delivers performance that scales with advances in imaging technology,” Meraz said. “The Tech Ready Grant will support the transition from technical validation to market discovery.”
Carson Meredith
Professor and James Preston Harris Faculty Fellow, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Executive Director, Renewable Bioproducts Institute
Project: Commercialization of Renewable Oxygen and Water Barrier Biodegradable Packaging
Meredith is advancing biodegradable packaging materials that provide strong oxygen and moisture barriers, addressing a key challenge in sustainable packaging.
“My lab carries out research in future packaging materials that can replace problematic single-use plastics,” Meredith said. “This funding will help us translate Georgia Tech developments into practice through prototyping and applied testing.”
William Singhose
Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Project: Cable Angle Sensing and Control for Improved Crane Safety
Singhose’s team is advancing sensing and control technologies to improve crane safety by monitoring and stabilizing cable angles in real time. The work aims to reduce load swing and enhance operational safety across construction and industrial environments.
“The cable-angle sensing technology we have developed allows crane control systems to detect the early onset of dangerous lifting conditions,” Singhose said. “By identifying when a hoisting cable begins to deviate from vertical, we can take corrective action before uncontrolled swing leads to serious injury or damage.”
Xiaojuan “Judy” Song
Senior Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Project: Smart Dressing for Wound Monitoring
Song is advancing a wearable smart dressing that enables continuous, on-patient monitoring of wound healing progress without disturbing the site. The technology is designed for use in chronic wound care, including diabetic foot ulcers and battlefield applications.
“Tech Ready funding will help advance the technology toward real-world application and define a commercialization pathway,” Song said.
Shuichi Takayama
Professor, GRA Eminent Scholar, and Price Gilbert Jr. Chair in Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project: Organoid Alternative to Interstitial Lung Disease Toxicity Testing
Takayama’s team is using lab-grown human lung tissue models to evaluate drug toxicity, offering a more accurate and scalable alternative to traditional primate models.
“This system fills a critical gap where species differences limit the use of traditional models,” Takayama said.
Jun Xu
Professor, School of Computer Science
Project: Research Into Applications and API for METTLE
Xu is advancing METTLE, a novel streaming erasure code designed for high-speed networking systems, with a focus on improving data reliability and efficiency.
“This funding will support the commercialization readiness of METTLE,” Xu said.
Tech Ready Grants is an Office of Technology Licensing program that provides early-stage funding to faculty to support prototype development, validation, and market assessment. The program helps position technologies for licensing, startup formation, and industry partnerships.
By supporting these critical early steps, Tech Ready Grants strengthens the pathway from research to real-world impact across Georgia Tech’s innovation ecosystem.
lcameron30@gatech.edu
]]>Sherman Lofton Jr. has been a Yellow Jacket for more than 40 years, as a student, alumnus, and employee, currently serving as the senior director of cybersecurity operations. He arrived on campus in 1984 and earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1990, and he never imagined that decades later he’d be graduating with a master’s degree from Tech on the same day as his daughter.
Sherman hadn’t considered that any of his four daughters would follow in his footsteps at Tech, but when the youngest, Shaina, expressed interest in architecture, he was elated to learn that she planned on applying to his alma mater. The day she received her acceptance letter is one that Sherman ranks among his favorite Tech-related memories. Now, the pair will share another unforgettable memory at Commencement as Shaina — who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2024 — earns her master’s degree in architecture, and Sherman graduates with his MBA.
One factor that brought Shaina back to Tech for graduate school was the chance to share a campus with her father. Sherman knew he’d have to take on extra hours to make sure they graduated at the same time. As the day nears, he sees the hard work paying off.
“It was hard, but I always knew it was going to be worth it to share this moment of becoming a Double Jacket with Shaina,” Sherman said. “My heart is so full. I’m just so proud of her and everything she has accomplished, and to be able to share this spotlight with her — I couldn't have written that script any better.”
Shaina calls her family’s emphasis on education a blessing and says their support and stories of the life lessons learned at Tech led her here.
“I knew how great a school Georgia Tech was through my dad, my mom, and my aunt. They all wore Georgia Tech with pride, and going to Tech games and meeting their friends was such a huge part of my childhood. My sisters and I are all very academically motivated, and I wanted to go to an institution that was innovative and world-renowned because I felt like I was going to finally be challenged,” she said.
Growing up, Shaina recalls her dad helping her with her math homework and always being there when she needed help with an essay. During graduate school, the two supported one another with texts before finals and presentations, and they frequently talked about their course load at family gatherings.
Sherman was the first Lofton to enroll at Tech, but the family’s history with the Institute began when his father, Sherman Lofton Sr., applied for admission before the school’s desegregation in 1961.
“I regret that my dad didn’t get the chance to attend Tech. He was the best mathematician I ever knew, but he knew that Shaina was here and that I was starting my program, and he was excited. I wish he, as well as my stepfather, were here to see us, but this day means so much for our family,” Sherman said. “I got to Tech when I was 18 and could never have anticipated that it would be such an integral part of my life, and to think that gets passed down to another generation brings me so much joy.”
The death of her grandfathers is something that Shaina carried with her throughout her educational journey.
“My dad lost two of his father figures, and I lost two grandpas, and that hit our family hard, but I think it really motivated us to get through graduate school and finish together and do this not only for us and each other, but for our family too,” she said.
After Commencement, Shaina will begin working with HDR, an architecture firm in Midtown, where she’ll work on the design of hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. While her time as a student at Tech is ending, Shaina knows that she’ll share the same lifelong love for the Institute that her father has shared with her.
“I grew up with my ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ that my parents went to school with, and my favorite moments at Tech were realizing that I was meeting the people who will become those same figures in my kids' lives in the future. It’s amazing to know that this cycle that started with my parents will continue,” she said.
The Loftons are happy to celebrate graduation season, but Shaina knows there is more excitement on the horizon.
“Coming from a family that values education so much, and one that supports each other and encourages each other constantly, this is a moment that may feel like a finish line, but I know Loftons — we always keep running,” she said. “And I can’t wait for the great things to come after this.”
Sherman Lofton Jr. has been a Yellow Jacket for more than 40 years, as a student, alumnus, and employee, currently serving as the senior director of cybersecurity operations. He arrived on campus in 1984 and earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1990, and he never imagined that decades later he’d be graduating with a master’s degree from Tech on the same day as his daughter.
Sherman hadn’t considered that any of his four daughters would follow in his footsteps at Tech, but when the youngest, Shaina, expressed interest in architecture, he was elated to learn that she planned on applying to his alma mater. The day she received her acceptance letter is one that Sherman ranks among his favorite Tech-related memories. Now, the pair will share another unforgettable memory at Commencement as Shaina — who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2024 — earns her master’s degree in architecture, and Sherman graduates with his MBA.
One factor that brought Shaina back to Tech for graduate school was the chance to share a campus with her father. Sherman knew he’d have to take on extra hours to make sure they graduated at the same time. As the day nears, he sees the hard work paying off.
“It was hard, but I always knew it was going to be worth it to share this moment of becoming a Double Jacket with Shaina,” Sherman said. “My heart is so full. I’m just so proud of her and everything she has accomplished, and to be able to share this spotlight with her — I couldn't have written that script any better.”
Shaina calls her family’s emphasis on education a blessing and says their support and stories of the life lessons learned at Tech led her here.
“I knew how great a school Georgia Tech was through my dad, my mom, and my aunt. They all wore Georgia Tech with pride, and going to Tech games and meeting their friends was such a huge part of my childhood. My sisters and I are all very academically motivated, and I wanted to go to an institution that was innovative and world-renowned because I felt like I was going to finally be challenged,” she said.
Growing up, Shaina recalls her dad helping her with her math homework and always being there when she needed help with an essay. During graduate school, the two supported one another with texts before finals and presentations, and they frequently talked about their course load at family gatherings.
Sherman was the first Lofton to enroll at Tech, but the family’s history with the Institute began when his father, Sherman Lofton Sr., applied for admission before the school’s desegregation in 1961.
“I regret that my dad didn’t get the chance to attend Tech. He was the best mathematician I ever knew, but he knew that Shaina was here and that I was starting my program, and he was excited. I wish he, as well as my stepfather, were here to see us, but this day means so much for our family,” Sherman said. “I got to Tech when I was 18 and could never have anticipated that it would be such an integral part of my life, and to think that gets passed down to another generation brings me so much joy.”
The death of her grandfathers is something that Shaina carried with her throughout her educational journey.
“My dad lost two of his father figures, and I lost two grandpas, and that hit our family hard, but I think it really motivated us to get through graduate school and finish together and do this not only for us and each other, but for our family too,” she said.
After Commencement, Shaina will begin working with HDR, an architecture firm in Midtown, where she’ll work on the design of hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. While her time as a student at Tech is ending, Shaina knows that she’ll share the same lifelong love for the Institute that her father has shared with her.
“I grew up with my ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ that my parents went to school with, and my favorite moments at Tech were realizing that I was meeting the people who will become those same figures in my kids' lives in the future. It’s amazing to know that this cycle that started with my parents will continue,” she said.
The Loftons are happy to celebrate graduation season, but Shaina knows there is more excitement on the horizon.
“Coming from a family that values education so much, and one that supports each other and encourages each other constantly, this is a moment that may feel like a finish line, but I know Loftons — we always keep running,” she said. “And I can’t wait for the great things to come after this.”
Whether you are in Atlanta for an internship, taking summer classes, or simply hanging around, there are lots of events taking place around town during Memorial Day weekend.
When: Saturday, May 23, 5:30 – 9 p.m.
Where: Zoo Atlanta
Zoo Atlanta’s Brew at the Zoo event offers after-hours access to the facility with beer and wine samples from 30 different breweries for those age 21 and up, live music throughout the exhibits, discussions with zookeepers, and yard games. General admission and VIP tickets are available, with proceeds benefiting the zoo’s conservation efforts.
When: May 23 – 25
Where: Piedmont Park
The Atlanta Jazz Festival has been a staple Memorial Day weekend event for almost 50 years. Free to all, it features a talented lineup of jazz musicians, as well as artists and vendors. Visitors can sign up for free educational workshops that cover topics such as the business of jazz. Registration is required for the workshops.
When: Sunday, May 24, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Where: Cabbagetown Park
If you’re trying to prioritize mindfulness this summer, this free yoga class is a great opportunity to get started. Connect with your body, mind, and nature at a local park. If you can’t make it to this class, it’s hosted on a variety of dates during the summer.
When: Monday, May 25, 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: Cascade Skating
Roll through Memorial Day with a skate night. Whether you have never put on roller skates before or if this is your thousandth time, it’s an exciting event for all. Bring your own skates or rent a pair for $5.
When: Monday, May 25, 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: Monday Night Brewing - The Grove
The summer semester is just starting up, but you can still take a night off to do some space-themed puzzles with friends. While it may be more relaxing for you to take it slow, the first three teams to complete the puzzle will win prizes.
When: May 25, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Brooke Street Park
The Alpharetta Symphony will play a free concert at Brooke Street Park, featuring a variety of patriotic tunes. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket and chairs to enjoy the show.
Go Swimming
When: Hours vary
Where: City of Atlanta Public Pools
Looking for a chance to cool off? Atlanta’s public pools are now open for the summer. With locations across the city, they provide a perfect opportunity to take a dip, hang out with friends, and kick off your summer. Admission is typically around $5 but the fee varies by pool.
See the Sights
Whether you are an Atlanta native, longtime resident, or new to the city, there are plenty of attractions for you to explore this Memorial Day weekend.
For decades, bird flu was uncommon in the U.S., but that has changed. In the past several years, epidemics have threatened poultry and dairy cattle operations across the country. Higher egg prices, driven largely by bird flu-related supply disruptions, have cost American consumers billions of dollars in losses.
“The H5N1 strain of the bird flu, which has driven recent and current outbreaks, is a highly lethal virus that kills domestic chickens and other bird species in droves,” said David Pattie, GTRI research scientist and branch chief. “It can easily jump from birds to other animal species — and sometimes to humans.”
The research team will leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to design and test a probiotic avian flu vaccine that, if successful, could be served to chickens in their feed. Currently, vaccinating a flock means individually injecting every bird.
“We’re focusing on live bacterial vaccines, which means the vaccine comes from living bacteria you swallow, instead of an injection,” said Mike Farrell, GTRI principal research scientist and the project’s lead investigator.
“These probiotic vaccines would help protect birds and livestock from flu-like infections and lower the risk of those viruses spreading to humans,” he added.
In addition to Farrell and Pattie, the team includes researchers from an array of disciplines across the Institute: Faramarz Fekri, professor and John Pippin Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; JC Gumbart, Dunn Family Professor in the School of Physics; Brian Hammer, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences; and Anton Bryksin, director of the Molecular Evolution Core at the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.
The project builds on Farrell’s ongoing research into developing probiotic vaccine adjuvants for human influenza. The goal is to use probiotic bacteria — the “good bacteria” found in foods like yogurt — to help create immunity for the flu vaccine.
If the researchers can get probiotic bacteria to display pieces of the flu virus (called antigens) on their surface, then they could be swallowed like a normal probiotic pill.
“The gut is a great place for building immunity. When these bacteria reach the gut, your body would recognize the virus pieces on the bacteria and start building flu antibodies,” Farrell explained. “That way, when the chickens get exposed to flu, their immune system would already be prepared to fight it.”
“The idea behind this oral bird flu vaccine is to leverage artificial intelligence and the vast historical database for H5N1 available to us, because it's a very well-studied virus,” Farrell said. “There is a ton of structural data out there.”
Gumbart is an expert in protein modeling and simulation. Part of his role is figuring out the best design for a viral protein piece (antigen) — one that looks and behaves like the real virus protein, so it triggers the right immune response. To do this, he will combine Fekri’s AI-generated predictions with computer modeling.
“That’s where my team adds real value,” Gumbart said. “We use simulations to test how stable and realistic these protein designs are, which allows us to choose the best ones for lab experiments.”
AI has already identified new medicines and antibiotics by studying chemical databases. If the team can use AI to help design virus proteins for vaccines, it could transform how vaccines are made.
Pattie says that any viral infectious disease with a high mortality rate has the potential to become a national security threat. “At that point, developing countermeasures becomes exceedingly important from a national security perspective,” he said.
This is the first time several of the team members are working on poultry research. For Gumbart, the project is a full-circle moment.
“I grew up in rural Illinois, and as a kid, one of my daily chores was to take care of chickens, and I kind of hated it,” he said. “It is some sort of universal irony that I am back to taking care of chickens again.”
]]>McCamish Pavilion will host Atlanta Public Schools (APS) graduation ceremonies throughout the week, bringing additional traffic to the Georgia Tech campus.
From Tuesday, May 19, to Friday, May 22, the Georgia Tech Police Department will close Fowler Street between 10th and 8th Streets daily, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., to accommodate graduates and guests. Due to congestion on the east side of campus, drivers are encouraged to seek alternative routes during the road closures.
ADA parking will be available for graduation attendees on Fowler Street and W23 North Deck at 939 State St. NW.
All other guest parking for the graduation ceremonies is available at the following campus locations:
For a map of parking locations, click here. Attendees must have a ticket to enter each graduation ceremony, and guests must adhere to McCamish Pavilion’s clear bag policy and are subject to venue policies regarding permitted and prohibited items. For additional information and a full schedule of events, click here.
The peak of the severe weather season is nearing its end, but in Georgia, it's been a quieter period than residents have become accustomed to in years past, devoid of the flurry of tornado warnings, heavy rain bands, and thunderstorms. Zachary Handlos, director of the B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences degree program, explains that the region lacked a major component of the severe weather formula.
For an active season, four key ingredients typically exist:
1. Moisture
2. A mechanism to lift air upward
3. Instability
4. Wind Shear
Despite drought conditions persisting throughout the state, there is sufficient moisture in the air, carried by warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, to create favorable conditions for severe weather. Instability is created as the air warms, and wind shear is created by the changing direction and speed of the wind.
According to Handlos, what was missing this season was a consistent lifting mechanism.
"We've been stuck with high-pressure systems for most of the season. The air in these systems spirals clockwise instead of counterclockwise and spins away from the center, causing the air above it to sink, which in turn suppresses or shuts off any cloud or precipitation formation. So, even if all the other factors aligned, there would've been nothing to lift that air into creating those storms," he said.
The lingering high-pressure systems over Georgia are the result of the state’s location relative to the jet stream, which Handlos describes as an interstate highway for storms. The jet stream is a fast current of air above the Earth's surface that brings storm activity with its movement. This season, the stream moved through the Midwest, resulting in record precipitation in the region, while a drought rages on in the Southeast. As of May 4, Illinois had confirmed 119 tornadoes in 2026, which began with a historically busy early season.
"If you didn't pay attention to any other part of the country (outside of Mississippi recently), you'd think it was the most boring severe weather season because there was very little activity in Georgia.But if you live along that jet stream line between Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, and southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and southern Michigan, that has been the active area of severe weather."
While it has been a uniquely quiet season in Georgia, Handlos says that as it ends, the region can expect a typical summer.
"No matter if it's an El Niño or La Niña or neither, the quintessential Atlanta summer is one where, most days, you wake up, and it's warm and humid out in the morning with clear skies. Then, it's hot and just awful in the afternoon before you start to see the puffy cumulonimbus clouds pop up, and sometimes you get hit with a thunderstorm. For what feels like about three straight months, if you live here, you don't even need to look at the weather forecast to know what the weather will be like outside here until we get to the fall,” he said.
A quiet spring season could be a precursor to a brewing “super El Niño” at summer's end, experts predict. The potential pattern could cause a drastic rise in sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, and the disruption of weather systems could increase the likelihood of precipitation and severe weather in the Southeast. The increased precipitation could be a welcome sight for the region, lessening drought concerns and reducing the likelihood of wildfires.
Nineteen Georgia Tech faculty and researchers were honored by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) with 2026 Regents’ Awards. These distinctions, awards, and reappointments recognize excellence in teaching, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the USG.
“The recipients of this year’s Regents’ Awards reflect the extraordinary depth of talent and commitment to excellence that exists at Georgia Tech,” said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “Through groundbreaking research and transformative teaching, Georgia Tech faculty and researchers advance the Institute’s impact throughout the state of Georgia and around the world.”
The recipients were approved during the University System of Georgia’s 2026 awards cycle, recognizing individuals whose sustained contributions have made a significant impact on their fields, their students, and the broader research and education community.
2026 Regents’ Award Recipients and First Renewals
College of Engineering:
College of Sciences:
College of Computing:
College of Design:
Scheller College of Business:
Office of the EVPR:
GTRI:
The following second renewals were approved by Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera:
About the Regents’ Awards
The Regents’ Awards are among the University System of Georgia’s highest honors, recognizing sustained excellence, national distinction, and long-term impact by faculty and researchers across the state’s public institutions.
Writer: Brittany Aiello, Faculty Communications Program Manager, Institute Communications
May is National Bike Month, and spring weather makes it an ideal time to explore cycling options on and around campus.
Georgia Tech is a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly University, and the Institute offers a wide range of amenities for those who want to ride.
For Tech employees, switching to a bike or another alternative mode of transportation can also pay off. Cash incentives are available through Georgia Commute Options.
But whether you’re a student or an employee, if you’re new to biking on campus, you’re joining a well-established community of bike enthusiasts.
Follow campus construction plans and progress at facilities.gatech.edu/exterior-projects.
Related Links:
Omar Garcia Urdiales, CREATE‑X’s associate director of Learn, brings a global entrepreneurial experience to Georgia Tech: founder and CEO of a startup operating in the AWS Accelerator Loft, longtime startup coach in Europe’s major innovation hubs, lecturer across multiple universities, and an external doctoral researcher in entrepreneurship and digitalization. He brings this background to his teaching of Startup Lab’s latest iteration – a significant redesign developed by VentureLab’s Director Keith McGreggor. McGreggor created the course and has evolved it over many years, building on its initial success.
“This new iteration of Startup Lab allows us to meet students exactly where they are,” said McGreggor. “By doing this, we give them the strongest foundation possible, providing them with the tools to grapple with uncertainty and build their confidence.”
Startup Lab has long anchored the Institute’s entrepreneurial pathway with clearer structure, a unified language, and a deeper focus on reflective growth, so more Georgia Tech students can discover (and trust) their own entrepreneurial judgment.
Startup Lab is expanding responsibly, with six sections in Atlanta and additional global sections in France and Asia-Pacific taught by faculty trained in the curriculum. Students here benefit from a program that’s learning across borders and bringing that learning back to campus.
“Startup Lab is not about becoming an entrepreneur, but about engaging in the unknown and adopting entrepreneurial behavior, which can be applied to all career paths,” Urdiales said. “Students become better equipped to identify problem spaces and solve them through evidence-based building.”
Urdiales emphasized that Startup Lab is built for students who are still exploring, uncertain, or are simply curious.
“Many students tell us they’re curious about entrepreneurship but feel not ready,” he said. “They worry they’re too introverted for customer interviews or assume Startup Lab is only for people with fully formed ideas. In fact, those are the most common misconceptions.”
The course’s first few weeks focus on training students to see struggles and patterns in the world. Then, they apply those skills on a team, exploring, designing, and testing a concept with real people. The nonnegotiable outcome isn’t the best idea; it’s a more confident, evidence-driven version of you.
“Startup Lab is strengthening that self-awareness. All of us who are entrepreneurs, we don’t grow linearly. We have various iterations of how we see things,” Urdiales said. “This ability to see patterns or to see problems with customer discovery, it’s a learning process and a growth process.”
Urdiales said that students won’t have a passive experience in the lab.
“To become an entrepreneur, you need to do it. You need to engage with customers. You need to get out of the building,” he said. “It gives you the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions and then understand these more practical outcomes.”
Aligning with CREATE-X’s culture of continuous iteration, Startup Lab is tightening the hands-on core of the course around four simple, repeatable tools so that entrepreneurial thinking becomes muscle memory, not a one-off assignment. The new iteration of the curriculum, developed by McGreggor, helps students learn to:
“What we have is a frontier model in entrepreneurial education,” said McGreggor. “The result is a course that teaches sound decision making and builds entrepreneurial confidence that rewards authentic discovery and iteration over performative polish. It creates a more solid foundation for entrepreneurial thinking and sets students up to engage more deeply with everything that follows in their CREATE-X pathway.”
As a part of Startup Lab, instructors integrate reflection throughout the semester, which helps students notice patterns of work, make small experiments, and adjust based on what’s learned. Students often worry they’re not the founder type or that their introversion will hold them back; Startup Lab reframes those worries as raw material for growth, including communication skill building and one-on-one interactions you won’t always get in higher-level courses.
Startup Lab integrates HaradaLite — McGreggor's adaptation of the Japanese Harada Method — as a weekly reflection practice in which students keep a reflection log, helping them notice patterns of work, run small experiments, and adjust based on what's learned. With this approach, educators are able to measure the growth of entrepreneurial confidence by self-report, leading to a more quantitative approach to teaching.
There’s no mandated order for CREATE-X courses. Startup Lab simply makes the next steps clearer by providing a shared language and milestone structure across sections and instructors, so whatever comes next (I2P, Capstone, Launch, or an internship), you can carry forward a coherent, evidence- aware story of your work.
“All CREATE‑X Learn sections will work with the same milestone objectives,” Urdiales said. “Students trained in Startup Lab are already trained in the muscles of entrepreneurship. They’re more equipped to go into Make and Launch or be a leader within their industry.”
Startup Lab is about becoming the kind of person who can see opportunities, reason from evidence, and make better decisions when the path isn’t obvious.
“Startup Lab helps students see the world’s problems and fill the gaps with fresh ideas, teaching them to see and understand the important difference between evidence and inference,” said McGreggor. “This lays the foundation that leads to good founders, and builds the entrepreneurial confidence needed to succeed.”
Students in Startup Lab can expect a workshop-heavy, conversation-rich semester with weekly artifacts, scenario-based decision prompts, startup reports, and quizzes that keep you honest about what you’re learning. You’ll assemble a Continuity Pack near the end: a compact bundle of your best discovery evidence, decisions, MVEs, economics, and final story slides so your future self (or your I2P/Launch application) can pick up right where you left off.
The course also sets norms for modern tool use. AI is welcomed as a coach and organizer, after your own baseline thinking and research, and as an enhancement of the real conversations you have. That matters because Startup Lab’s promise is that you build solid judgment under the test of uncertainty, critical to the world of today and the future that is being built.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. If you’re a first-year student still exploring, a junior craving real-world projects, or a senior looking to stand out in interviews, Startup Lab is for you.
Seats fill quickly across all sections — and for good reason.
This course gives you the clearest, most supportive on‑ramp into CREATE‑X, with a global methodology, a unified curriculum, and instructors who believe deeply in your potential to grow. Learn how to think entrepreneurially. See the world differently. Build the confidence that will follow you long after the semester ends.
Register for Startup Lab for Fall 2026.
Marketing Strategist
]]>Biology major Sonali Kaluri is a STEM expert. Spanish major Sonali Kaluri is a language and culture expert.
Put the two together and you have a sharply educated researcher with a passion for healthcare. Kaluri is headed to Barcelona after graduation this Spring as a Fulbright Scholar to study the health of migrant workers under the digital platform economy. She plans to later embark on a career in medicine.
It’s something she says she couldn’t have done without her experiences at the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
“You need to have a deep understanding of people and the systems that surround us to be able to effectively and ethically help people as a physician,” said Kaluri, who attended Georgia Tech as a Stamps President's Scholar.
Kaluri’s Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies degree from the School of Modern Languages helped shape that understanding, including through classes studying Spanish literature.
“Literature is such an important window into the lives of people different from you,” Kaluri said. “Studying another language’s great works is an excellent way to understand the experiences of different people and build that empathy, which translates to real life for me in being able to better connect with the people I meet.”
Kaluri, who was fluent in her parents’ languages of Telugu and Kannada before arriving at Georgia Tech, had always wanted to combine language training with her work in healthcare.
“Early in high school and college, I would shadow doctors, and if they had a patient that couldn’t speak English, I’d be able to follow along with the conversation even without an interpreter using my knowledge from high school Spanish classes,” Kaluri said. “I figured that one day as a doctor, it would be cool to be able to talk directly to a larger number of patients without needing an interpreter and to be able to build greater rapport with patients. That was the spark for why I wanted to pursue more rigorous study of Spanish.”
Her interest in medicine derives from seeing how cultural norms around gender and caregiving can shape and even sideline women’s own healthcare needs.
“I realized that was a big part of why I wanted to pursue medicine — to advocate for people on a deeper level, to try to bridge these gaps that I've noticed in research, in the clinic, et cetera,” Kaluri said.
Kelly Comfort, one of Kaluri’s Spanish professors, said Kaluri’s success shows what’s possible with a combined STEM and liberal arts education.
“Sonali is the kind of student who proves that the humanities are not separate from science and medicine — they strengthen them. Her ability to think critically about culture, identity, and social systems through her ALIS major has shaped her into a more thoughtful future healthcare professional,” Comfort said.
“She is not only highly skilled in pre-health and pre-medicine fields, but she is also multilingual, interculturally competent, empathetic, reflective, and prepared to improve the human condition across cultures, languages, and borders,” Comfort said.
The idea behind VETTEX began with a problem Mike Pullen remembered from his own days playing football: Arm sleeves protected players from turf burns, but they could also make the ball harder to secure. As a high school receiver, Pullen saw firsthand how athletes were often forced to choose between protection and performance.
Years later, while studying biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech, that problem resurfaced in an unexpected place: a classroom.
Pullen was enrolled in Materials Science and Engineering of Sports, a course taught by materials researcher Jud Ready, that explored how engineering principles and materials influence athletic performance. For the course Capstone project, students were challenged to design a novel, rules-compliant piece of sports equipment.
Pullen immediately returned to the problem he had experienced on the field.
Working with his co-founder, Mat Quon, another Georgia Tech biomedical engineering student, he began developing a grip-enhancing arm sleeve designed to help football players maintain ball security while still protecting their arms from turf abrasion.
At the time, starting a company wasn’t on his radar.
“I had absolutely no desire to ever be an entrepreneur,” said Pullen, founder of VETTEX and a 2020 Georgia Tech graduate. “I kind of just fell backwards into it.”
Encouraged by Ready to continue developing the concept beyond the classroom, Pullen and Quon began exploring whether the idea could extend beyond a class project. That encouragement led them to CREATE-X, a Georgia Tech program that helps students launch startups through its accelerator, Startup Launch.
Building the Company Through CREATE-X
For Pullen, CREATE-X became the entry point to build a company and learn how to operate as a founder. “CREATE-X opened the door to just being an entrepreneur in general,” he said. “It gave us the foundation and support to actually figure out how to build something real.”
Through the program, Pullen and Quon received hands-on support in business strategy, customer discovery, fundraising, and pitch development. CREATE-X also connected them with mentors, coaches, and investors who helped them begin transforming their class project into a viable business.
“It’s not like they give you a couple of PowerPoint presentations and send you on your way,” Pullen said. “It’s true hands-on coaching and assistance, which is immensely valuable.”
In the years after CREATE-X, the team focused on refining the product, securing manufacturing partners, and getting the equipment into athletes’ hands for feedback. In 2021, the company raised its first round of funding, supported largely through connections within the Georgia Tech ecosystem, including an investment from GTF Ventures and various alumni funding.
Scaling Through ATDC
As the company entered this next phase of growth, Pullen was introduced to the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech’s statewide startup accelerator.
Pullen said ATDC became a natural continuation of the support system he first experienced through CREATE-X. “ATDC has been a really valuable support system for us as we’ve continued to grow. They’ve helped us refine our approach, strengthen how we present the business, and connect with the right partners.”
Through ATDC, VETTEX has received support to refine investor materials, review company financials, and build connections with industry partners and potential investors.
Expanding the Vision
Originally launched as LZRD Tech, the company began with a football-specific product. Over time, however, Pullen and his team saw an opportunity to expand beyond a single sport.
The company recently rebranded as VETTEX, reflecting a broader pivot into sports and technology applications, including a partnership with Markwort Sporting Goods, a company with Georgia Tech alumni ties. Today, VETTEX is expanding into baseball and basketball while continuing to explore how advanced materials and product design can improve performance, protection, and recovery for athletes.
Looking Ahead
One of the most valuable aspects of Georgia Tech’s commercialization ecosystem for Pullen has been the long-term support it provides founders. Years after first entering CREATE-X, he still sees both CREATE-X and ATDC as active parts of the company’s journey.
“CREATE-X doesn’t just spit you out into the world,” Pullen said. “They’re always there to help you. Same thing with ATDC.”
Through Georgia Tech’s broader entrepreneurship ecosystem, startups like VETTEX demonstrate how ideas that begin in the classroom can grow through mentorship, funding, and community support as they move toward commercialization.
The experience has reshaped how Pullen thinks about taking risks and building something of his own. “I’d always wonder what would have happened if I didn’t try,” he said.
Years later, that decision continues to shape the company’s growth.
lcameron30@gatech.edu
]]>Christopher Zuo never thought of himself as someone mosquitoes singled out. They bit him from time to time, he said, but no more than anyone else who spent a lot of time outdoors.
“I don’t know if I would say I’m prone,” Zuo said. “I do get bitten, but I also think that’s partly because I’m just outside a lot more.”
However, that assumption did not hold up once he stepped inside a sealed mosquito chamber as part of a Georgia Tech research study.
Zuo, a Georgia Tech alum and co-author on the study, worked alongside Georgia Tech faculty member David Hu and researchers in Hu’s fluid dynamics lab — and co-authors Chenyi Fei, Alex Cohen, Jorn Dunkel from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — on a multi-year effort to understand how mosquitoes locate people. Using high-speed cameras, careful controls, and mathematical modeling, the research examined how mosquitoes respond to carbon dioxide and visual cues. To confirm whether the data reflected real-world behavior, the team needed a human subject.
Zuo volunteered.
Before entering the chamber, he knew the mosquitoes were safe. They had been raised in a laboratory environment and were carefully controlled, making the experiment safer than being outdoors during peak mosquito activity.
“We knew exactly how all of these mosquitoes were reared, so we knew they’re disease-free,” he said. “Honestly, even if I got bitten 100 plus times, the actual danger that I was in was very little.”
Wearing a mesh suit, Zuo stood nearly motionless inside the chamber while mosquitoes were released and flew freely around him. Any movement could disrupt the data, so remaining still was critical even as mosquitoes gathered close to his face and upper body.
The response was immediate.
“You release the mosquitoes, and they’re already on top of you,” Zuo said. “Almost felt like it was instant.”
What surprised him most was not the bites but the sound.
“I didn’t realize how loud they were,” he said. “When they’re flying around your head, it’s that annoying buzzing sound. I didn’t realize how annoying it can get with just enough mosquitoes flying around.”
The experience was not limited to a single trial. Zuo entered the chamber multiple times as the research progressed, testing different variables including posture, clothing, and body positioning. In some experiments, he was required to hold his arms extended so cameras could capture a consistent silhouette.
“It felt more like an exercise at the gym,” Zuo said. “I was very much more focused on keeping my arms up and being as still as possible.”
Across those repeated interactions, patterns emerged that closely matched what the data predicted. Mosquitoes found him quickly, clustered in specific areas, and lingered only when certain conditions aligned.
“And once the conditions were right,” Zuo said, “they stayed.”
Zuo’s role helped bridge the gap between abstract modeling and human experience. It also challenged common assumptions about mosquito behavior that many people take for granted.
What follows are some of the most common mosquito myths, and what the Georgia Tech research and Zuo’s firsthand experience actually showed.
Myth: Mosquitoes swarm because they are following each other.
Reality: Mosquitoes respond independently to the same cues, which creates the appearance of swarming.
Trajectory data collected during the experiments showed no evidence that mosquitoes were coordinating or communicating with one another. Zuo explained that what people often describe as swarming is the result of multiple mosquitoes responding simultaneously to the same environmental signals. When carbon dioxide and a clear visual target are present, many mosquitoes converge on the same area independently. Zuo compared it to people arriving separately at the same crowded place because something there is attractive, not because they are following the crowd.
Myth: Mosquitoes randomly target different parts of the body.
Reality: In this study, mosquitoes concentrated near the head and shoulders, but only for the species observed, which is present in parts of the Southeast.
The Georgia Tech experiments focused on Aedes aegypti (dengue or yellow fever mosquito), a species found in parts of Georgia and other areas of the southeastern United States. Within that species, both trajectory data and Zuo’s experience inside the chamber showed mosquitoes repeatedly clustering near the head and shoulders rather than distributing evenly across the body. Zuo observed this pattern while standing still in the mesh suit, as mosquitoes returned again and again to his upper body. The study also confirmed previous biting studies showing that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes target the upper body, while other mosquitoes might focus on other areas. Researchers linked the behavior to carbon dioxide released through breathing near the mouth and nose, paired with a strong visual target. Zuo emphasized that other mosquito species behave differently and that these findings should not be applied to all mosquitoes.
Myth: Carbon dioxide alone explains why mosquitoes find people.
Reality: Carbon dioxide and visual cues work together, and neither is enough on its own.
Zuo described experiments that isolated carbon dioxide using inanimate objects before introducing a human subject. Carbon dioxide alone helped mosquitoes locate the general area of a target but did not consistently keep them there. Visual cues alone helped mosquitoes recognize an object but did not hold their attention. When both signals were combined, mosquito behavior changed significantly. The research showed the response was nonlinear, meaning the combined effect was stronger than simply adding the two cues together.
Myth: Once mosquitoes find a target, they always stay nearby.
Reality: Mosquitoes do not linger unless conditions align.
The data showed that mosquitoes often passed by targets unless both carbon dioxide and visual signals were present at the same time. Zuo observed that once those conditions aligned during the mesh suit experiments, mosquitoes stayed close and returned repeatedly to the same areas. Without the full set of cues, they were less likely to remain focused on a target.
Myth: All mosquitoes behave the same way.
Reality: Mosquito behavior varies by species and environmental conditions.
Aedes aegypti, Zuo described, are capable of feeding in well-lit conditions rather than relying solely on dusk. He contrasted this with Anopheles (marsh) mosquitoes, which require darker conditions and are closely tied to light and dark cycles during experiments. Zuo emphasized that the findings reflect the behavior of a single species and that different mosquito species respond to different cues.
While the Georgia Tech research explains how mosquitoes locate people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines steps people can take during mosquito season to reduce the risk of bites.
The CDC recommends using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents on exposed skin and wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Clothing and gear can also be treated with permethrin, which is designed for use on fabrics and not directly on skin. The agency also advises controlling mosquitoes indoors and outdoors by eliminating standing water and keeping window and door screens in good repair. The CDC notes that mosquitoes can bite during the day or night, depending on the species, and encourages precautions whenever mosquitoes are active.
Institute Communications
]]>Gemini is a versatile generative AI assistant that supports a range of activities such as brainstorming, drafting communications, summarizing complex materials, and generating code. NotebookLM functions as a research-focused assistant, which allows users to upload documents and receive responses grounded in their own provided data, complete with citations and contextual insights.
Faculty and staff can access Gemini and NotebookLM through Georgia Tech-managed environments using their standard credentials, ensuring that they are operating within the Institute’s data protection guidelines. Employees who work with sensitive data, specifically GTRI employees and other campus researchers, are encouraged to review OIT’s new Institutional AI Register for guidance on permissible data usage with these services before using them.
“Our goal is to provide the campus community with the tools they need to move faster and think bigger,” said Leo Howell, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. “Equally important is building the infrastructure, governance, and guidance that ensures we are doing so responsibly.”
This rollout is part of a larger, ongoing effort to build a comprehensive and transparent AI ecosystem at Georgia Tech. OIT recently enhanced its AI website with new resources designed to improve visibility and streamline access to tools, including:
All AI tools undergo a comprehensive review process before approval. This includes third-party security assessments, data privacy and risk analysis, contractual and compliance review, and alignment with Institute and University System of Georgia (USG) policies. These steps ensure that tools can be safely used with Georgia Tech systems and data, particularly when protected or regulated information is involved.
In the coming weeks, Georgia Tech will introduce its first formal AI policy, aligning with USG requirements and establishing a foundation of governance, expectations, and leading practices for AI use across the Institute.
To explore available tools or review guidance, visit https://oit.gatech.edu/ai.
]]>Sherman Lofton Jr. has been a Yellow Jacket for more than 40 years, as a student, alumnus, and employee, currently serving as the senior director of cybersecurity operations. He arrived on campus in 1984 and earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 1990, and he never imagined that decades later he’d be graduating with a master’s degree from Tech on the same day as his daughter.
Sherman hadn’t considered that any of his four daughters would follow in his footsteps at Tech, but when the youngest, Shaina, expressed interest in architecture, he was elated to learn that she planned on applying to his alma mater. The day she received her acceptance letter is one that Sherman ranks among his favorite Tech-related memories. Now, the pair will share another unforgettable memory at Commencement as Shaina — who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2024 — earns her master’s degree in architecture, and Sherman graduates with his MBA.
One factor that brought Shaina back to Tech for graduate school was the chance to share a campus with her father. Sherman knew he’d have to take on extra hours to make sure they graduated at the same time. As the day nears, he sees the hard work paying off.
“It was hard, but I always knew it was going to be worth it to share this moment of becoming a Double Jacket with Shaina,” Sherman said. “My heart is so full. I’m just so proud of her and everything she has accomplished, and to be able to share this spotlight with her — I couldn't have written that script any better.”
Shaina calls her family’s emphasis on education a blessing and says their support and stories of the life lessons learned at Tech led her here.
“I knew how great a school Georgia Tech was through my dad, my mom, and my aunt. They all wore Georgia Tech with pride, and going to Tech games and meeting their friends was such a huge part of my childhood. My sisters and I are all very academically motivated, and I wanted to go to an institution that was innovative and world-renowned because I felt like I was going to finally be challenged,” she said.
Growing up, Shaina recalls her dad helping her with her math homework and always being there when she needed help with an essay. During graduate school, the two supported one another with texts before finals and presentations, and they frequently talked about their course load at family gatherings.
Sherman was the first Lofton to enroll at Tech, but the family’s history with the Institute began when his father, Sherman Lofton Sr., applied for admission before the school’s desegregation in 1961.
“I regret that my dad didn’t get the chance to attend Tech. He was the best mathematician I ever knew, but he knew that Shaina was here and that I was starting my program, and he was excited. I wish he, as well as my stepfather, were here to see us, but this day means so much for our family,” Sherman said. “I got to Tech when I was 18 and could never have anticipated that it would be such an integral part of my life, and to think that gets passed down to another generation brings me so much joy.”
The death of her grandfathers is something that Shaina carried with her throughout her educational journey.
“My dad lost two of his father figures, and I lost two grandpas, and that hit our family hard, but I think it really motivated us to get through graduate school and finish together and do this not only for us and each other, but for our family too,” she said.
After Commencement, Shaina will begin working with HDR, an architecture firm in Midtown, where she’ll work on the design of hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. While her time as a student at Tech is ending, Shaina knows that she’ll share the same lifelong love for the Institute that her father has shared with her.
“I grew up with my ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ that my parents went to school with, and my favorite moments at Tech were realizing that I was meeting the people who will become those same figures in my kids' lives in the future. It’s amazing to know that this cycle that started with my parents will continue,” she said.
The Loftons are happy to celebrate graduation season, but Shaina knows there is more excitement on the horizon.
“Coming from a family that values education so much, and one that supports each other and encourages each other constantly, this is a moment that may feel like a finish line, but I know Loftons — we always keep running,” she said. “And I can’t wait for the great things to come after this.”
Eligible 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.
Participating in TAP and STRAP enhances your skills and knowledge and demonstrates the Institute's commitment to your growth and success. By investing in your education, you contribute to the overall excellence and innovation within our community.
The application period for the Fall 2026 semester is June 15 – July 15.
The 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.
Click the links below to register for an upcoming session. Additional information on this employee benefit can be found here.
Education Assistance Info Session: Applying for TAP and STRAP
Tuesday, May 19, 10 – 11 a.m. (Register Here)
Thursday, May 21, 11 a.m. – noon (Register Here)
Education Assistance: Approving TAP and STRAP (managers and supervisors)
At the five Spring Commencement ceremonies, student speakers will share what they have learned during their time at Tech, as well as inspiring words of advice to their fellow graduates.
The speakers will be Anant Girdhar, Ph.D., aerospace engineering; Diya Patel, M.S., analytics; Esha Venkat, B.S., public policy; Kayla Carneal, B.S., chemical and biomedical engineering; and Blake Reid, B.S., aerospace engineering.
While many would say their favorite memories of Tech were at large-scale, loud events, Girdhar says otherwise. In those quiet mornings and late nights on campus, he says, “It sometimes feels like I'm unlocking a crypt of my campus experience as I recall specific memories while walking around.”
It is the things he learned from those memories that he hopes to convey in his speech. Only 2% of Americans have earned a Ph.D. and, beyond the new title, Girdhar believes that getting the degree is rewarding for the strong character traits it instills: curiosity, perseverance, and sacrifice.
During his 11 years at Tech, he has also learned to be grateful for the “supporting cast” of his “momentous production.” Earning a Ph.D. is no small feat, and it is never done alone. While it feels strange to move on from a place where he’s spent so much time, Girdhar reminds everyone of one thing: “No matter where you go, or what life throws your way, you will always be a Yellow Jacket.”
After graduation, he will move to Chicago to begin work as an associate at McKinsey & Company.
As Patel prepares for her Commencement speech, she is reflecting on the constant encouragement she’s received from her parents. Though they never had the opportunity to attend college, “the opportunity to end my college career as the Commencement reflection speaker is an ode to their years of hard work,” she said.
Many graduates have their own definition of success. Patel wants her speech to be a reminder to students that their lives don’t have to look like everyone else’s. “The most successful people have lived life off the cookie-cutter path,” she explained. “Taking a unique path to reach your dream, whether you intended to or not, puts you in the same group as many of the most successful people we know today.”
Patel has worked as a part-time flight instructor for the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport since her first year and will soon transition to being a full-time employee. After finishing up her remaining flight time, she is looking forward to flying a jet.
To Venkat, being a Yellow Jacket is more than a title — it represents a commitment to the world beyond the college campus. Her speech strives to remind graduates that Tech has given them the tools to solve problems, but it is their responsibility to decide who they solve them for and whose voices they are elevating.
“As we move forward, I hope we carry a sense of collective responsibility with us, challenging the systems we enter, shaping them with intention, and building communities that are more thoughtful, more inclusive, and more just for everyone, everywhere,” she said.
A public policy major, Venkat is the only speaker from the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. She sees that distinction as something particularly meaningful, and she hopes to show students that the humanities are important in helping to shape the way graduates look at problems and find solutions.
Commencement may mark the end of Venkat’s undergraduate chapter, but it is not the end of her time at Georgia Tech. Part of the B.S./M.S. program in public policy, she will be staying one more year to get her master’s degree. After that, she is looking forward to expanding her nonprofit, NEST4US, which mobilizes volunteers worldwide, and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
“Fail early and fail often” is a mindset Carneal spent her undergraduate years learning to follow. For Techstudents, it’s easy to feel as though everyone has it all figured out, and every time you fail, you’re the only one who has made mistakes. When Carneal wrote her reflection speech, she wanted to focus on that feeling and encourage students to see failure not as a setback, but a necessary part of growth.
“It took me a very long time to feel at peace with failure and the aspects of learning that come along with it,” she said. “I connected well with my NASA mentor, who encouraged me to iterate, try new things, and never fear moving forward, despite being uncertain.”
Carneal is looking forward to an exciting summer traveling to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean with her family. Then she will start as an engineer at NASA, working at the Marshall Space Flight Center on the Environmental Controls and Life Support Systems team.
Walk into the Library during finals season, and you will see a lot of tired, stressed students. Yet, to Reid, he sees it as a positive — at least you are all facing it together. Throughout his five years at Tech, this is the greatest lesson he has learned. “I want to remind everyone that we didn’t get through Tech alone — it was the people around us who made it possible.”
This camaraderie is a kind of experience that Reid believes can only exist at a place like Georgia Tech. “There’s something special about being in a place where everyone is working just as hard as you are,” he said. Aside from academics, Reid has also been a member of the Georgia Tech cheerleading team and other campus organizations.
“I’ve spent the last five years trying to contribute to the culture and spirit of this campus in a unique way,” he said, “so getting to take the mic and share what I’ve learned about the Tech family before we all head out is the perfect way to close this chapter.”
Reid will be moving back to his home state of Texas to begin his career with SpaceX at their Starbase location. He’s looking forward to finding more time to work on his golf skills when he’s not at the launch site.
GT² is a newly established research initiative at Georgia Tech that focuses on discovery science, engineering innovation, and AI-enabled decision tools to address urgent challenges at the intersection of environmental and community resilience in the Southeast. The initiative fosters research in direct service to regional communities through public-private partnerships, and it provides opportunities for graduate student engagement.
The BHIC-GT² research fund and partnership will pursue shared initiatives in the fields of coastal sustainability, ecosystem health, and environmental resilience. By combining BHIC’s applied, field-based conservation work with Georgia Tech’s expertise in technological innovation and data analysis, new opportunities for impactful research will be created through graduate student projects and community engagement.
About the Partnership
Like the GT² initiative, BHIC’s Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability was created to translate research into real-world impact. BHIC established the Johnston Center as a research partnership and education hub for sustainability initiatives on Bald Head Island, with the broader goal of advancing coastal sustainability across the Southeast. Seed funding for the Center was provided in 2021 by Dick and Pat Johnston, longtime supporters of BHIC.
Dick, a Georgia Tech IM 1962 alumnus, and Pat Johnston shared their enthusiasm for the BHIC and Georgia Tech collaboration, noting:
“We are delighted to see our two favorite institutions come together through this partnership. It brings additional resources, expertise, and leadership to our shared focus on keeping the historic tagline ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’ in the hearts of future generations.”
Joel Kostka, Faculty Director of GT² who also serves as Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and associate chair for Research in the School of Biological Sciences with a joint appointment in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech added:
“The Bald Head Island Conservancy and its Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability exemplify how place‑based conservation and rigorous science can work together to create real impact. The Bald Head Island Conservancy’s long‑term stewardship, research infrastructure, and commitment to translating science into action make it an ideal partner for Georgia Tech for Georgia’s Tomorrow as we advance collaborative research that strengthens coastal resilience across the Southeast.”
This partnership will focus on Georgia Tech graduate student research projects that use innovative technology and data analyses to directly support the conservation work of BHIC.
Graduate student research already plays an important role in BHIC’s conservation efforts. Gabie Krueger, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student in Ocean Sciences and Engineering and BHIC’s 2025-26 Johnston Graduate Fellow in Coastal Sustainability, has been working with BHIC scientists on a salt marsh ecology project that examined how ribbed mussels and fiddler crabs influence the health of Bald Head Island’s dominant salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora. These flora-fauna interactions serve as primary indicators of marsh health, so her research is important for understanding the resilience of Bald Head Island’s salt marsh to environmental concerns such as sea-level rise and development.
Through the BHIC-GT² partnership, Georgia Tech student researchers who work with the Conservancy will also gain invaluable experience with local conservation efforts and community engagement.
G. Christopher Shank, Ph.D., Executive Director of BHIC, commented:
“The Bald Head Island Conservancy is thrilled about this opportunity to create a formal research partnership with Georgia Tech, one of the nation’s most esteemed research universities. It is recognition of the quality of conservation studies we are currently pursuing at the Conservancy and it also augments the impact of our work for BHI and beyond because of the technological and data analysis talent that Georgia Tech for Georgia’s Tomorrow will bring to this partnership.”
Why This Matters
This research fund and partnership represents an important step forward in strengthening connections between academic research and applied conservation institutions. Together, BHIC and GT² aim to inform coastal management decisions, support resilience planning, engage students, and advance research that benefits coastal ecosystems and communities across the southeastern U.S.
Looking Ahead
Additional details about joint initiatives, research priorities, and collaborative opportunities will be shared in the coming months.
]]>
Chris Shank
Executive Director
Bald Head Island Conservancy
shank@bhic.org
Just saying hello to someone can make all the difference in the college experience. That’s the message Lucas McCarty wants to pass on to the next generation of Yellow Jackets as he graduates with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.
The St. Louis, Missouri, native didn’t know anyone on campus when he arrived as an undergraduate, but he knew that an introduction — be it in a lecture hall or at a campus event — could be the potential bridge between himself and a community ready to exchange new ideas and collaborate.
“Introduce yourself to the strangers you meet, because you never know. In a month, that stranger could be a teammate, and then a friend, and the next thing you know, you’re shattering records and reshaping industries,” he said. “I couldn't imagine my college experience without the people I’ve met this way.”
Following his own advice, McCarty connected with a group that would create a new BattleBots team. That team, Anxieti, traveled the country and competed at three National Havoc Robot League world championships, becoming the first Tech team to qualify for the competition. As an undergraduate, he also participated in HyTech Racing, Tech’s student-run organization dedicated to furthering students' engineering experience through the development of Formula SAE electric vehicles.
Added to that, McCarty was a member of the Georgia Tech German Club for four years and served as the organization’s president, establishing annual traditions like visits to local German restaurants and road trips to the German-themed town of Helen, Georgia.
McCarty says Tech's collaborative environment sets it apart from other institutions — both in terms of extracurricular and classroom activities.
“Everything I’ve achieved in my time at Tech would’ve been impossible without the strong friendships and collaboration that we have here. While we are at a competitive school, students don’t feel the need to push each other down. Instead, they kind of work together to raise everybody up, and that’s something everyone can benefit from,” he said.
Helping others was at the root of McCarty's decision to come to Tech. His brother, Joshua, is wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy. Moved by his brother’s situation — since the second grade — McCarty knew he wanted to become a mechanical engineer to make a difference.
“I've seen firsthand the impact core assistive technologies have on his life. His electric wheelchair gives him independence. We have a van with a ramp inside that allows us to transport the wheelchair. Without these things, every day would look completely different. Seeing the impact that engineering can have on somebody's life has pushed me to see what I can create, and my brother’s perseverance and determination inspire me every day. He deals with unique challenges but never stops bringing light to others’ lives,” he said.
McCarty applied and was accepted to many of the top 10 U.S. News & World Report engineering programs. But he says it was the faculty, curriculum, and student resources, like the campus makerspaces and student organization offerings, that set Tech apart.
“Oftentimes in a lecture, there’s a topic that a professor is teaching that's a mind-blowing, highly specialized topic, and they’ll casually mention that they invented this 20 years ago. I think that’s one of the special things about Tech. We have an unmatched innovative culture here, and there are always breakthroughs happening at this place where we get to work and spend our days,” he said.
Since his second year as an undergraduate, McCarty has interned at Siemens. After Commencement, he will be a full-time engineer in their research and development department, working on new products for distributed energy resource management to improve grid reliability and the incorporation of renewable energy sources into homes and buildings.
McCarty starts his full-time role the Monday after Commencement, but in the fall, he’ll take a delayed celebratory trip to Greece and Italy.
Building upon a multifaceted relationship, the two are bringing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and fueling infrastructure to campus — turning Georgia Tech into one of the nation’s most prominent campus-based examples for hydrogen mobility.
“Hyundai Motor Group is proud to strengthen our collaboration with Georgia Tech as we work together to accelerate the future of clean mobility. Georgia Tech’s leadership in innovation and its commitment to developing the next generation of problem-solvers make it a natural partner in advancing technologies,” said Ken Ramírez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group. “By combining the university’s excellent research with Hyundai’s global experience, we are creating the foundation for real-world solutions that will help drive the energy transition and inspire future mobility leaders.”
Ramírez is also a 1991 Georgia Tech graduate and a member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.
“It’s very fulfilling to donate a handful of our NEXO fuel cell SUVs as part of our expanding relationship with Georgia Tech. Hydrogen-powered NEXO fuel cell vehicles will immediately serve to expand the clean mobility footprint on campus while providing real-world experiences with the cutting edge of zero-emissions transportation technology,” said Randy Parker, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America.
“Georgia Tech has a long history of working with industry to move breakthrough technologies from the lab into the real world. By expanding our work with Hyundai, we’re advancing hydrogen research, reducing emissions on our campus, and strengthening Georgia’s role in the future of clean mobility," Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera said.
The partnership includes the donation of four Hyundai NEXO fuel cell electric SUVs by Hyundai Motor North America and a hydrogen electrolyzer project, which will be installed at Georgia Tech’s North Avenue Research Area, positioning Tech as one of the most visible real-world test beds for hydrogen mobility in the U.S.
The vehicles and infrastructure will support campus operations and interdisciplinary research. Key areas of focus include:
This initiative connects Georgia Tech’s research enterprise with campus operations, using the Institute as a living laboratory for clean transportation technologies. Faculty and students will study:
Insights gathered from this initiative aim to inform and accelerate the widespread use of hydrogen technology in campuses, fleets, cities, and freight corridors. The initiative also supports Georgia Tech’s strategic plan, which includes the goal of expanding the use of zero-emissions vehicles powered by sustainable energy sources.
The collaboration between Hyundai and Georgia Tech is a testament to the power of aligning academic expertise with corporate innovation. Beyond hydrogen energy, the partnership seeks to advance innovation in the areas of:
In addition, Hyundai’s presence in Georgia underscores its commitment to the region. Georgia is home to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and also serves as a hub for zero-emissions transportation through HTWO Logistics, a clean logistics partnership that operates Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell heavy-duty trucks in logistics operations near Savannah. The collaboration with Georgia Tech builds on this regional foundation, reinforcing the link between education, research, and Hyundai's long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.
The partnership between Hyundai and Georgia Tech represents more than an investment in research. It’s a shared effort to lead the next generation of mobility advancements. Additional announcements about the partnership’s research projects, educational programs, and vehicle deployment are expected in the coming months.
]]>You hear a lot of chatter in the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) — “All the weight machines are full!” “Where is the swimming pool?” “I exceeded my one-rep max today!” — but one sentence you don’t expect to hear is, “Do you want to go play video games?”
Georgia Tech’s Esports and Gaming Lounge recently opened its doors after several months of construction and has been met with great enthusiasm from gamers and newcomers alike.
The facility is outfitted with 22 Alienware computers for CRC members to use. Each computer has a time limit of two and a half hours per person, and it resets every five hours. Through GGCircut, users have access to a wide variety of games that update automatically. Some of the most popular games include Marvel Rivals, Rainbow Six Siege, and Minecraft. There are also two console stations, each with a PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S — games included.
“I think there’s been a little bit of amazement that we were going to pull something like this off,” said Brian Smith, senior director of Campus Recreation, who spearheaded much of the project. “There's been a lot of joy from students' faces, and a lot of excitement. I think people love the idea of having a place to come in and do something they have a passion for and enjoy.”
During the lounge’s construction, Smith made it a priority to seek out student perspectives.
“Students needed it,” he said, “Students wanted it, and we had the right leadership in place to make it all happen. I'm really proud of the students who have stepped up to want to be in the space and want to run the space, and for us to have the opportunity to create it for them.”
Most pivotal to the project was Georgia Tech Esports, a student-run club that participates in a variety of collegiate esports competitions. Members provided key insights into the kind of equipment the lounge needed and will be the main users of the broadcasting and competition rooms. The competition room will be used for future esports events and has 12 Alienware Area 51 computers.
“What I think a lot of people don't understand about the esports and gaming industries is that they rely on each other in more ways than is intuitive,” said D.J. Fratt, president of Georgia Tech Esports. “While I consulted on several design aspects for the space as a whole, I actually advocated on the esports side of things for a casual space to be included and accessible with a project like this; that advocacy existed long before our discussions with the CRC.”
While the esports lounge is still booting up, the future of the space is bright.
“For me,” Smith said, “it's an opportunity to engage with students who maybe wouldn't come into the CRC, and then also introduce them to all the things that we have going on.”
Georgia Tech Esports is particularly excited about the benefits to the campus community, and “continuing to find collaborations between the esports organization and other on-campus entities, especially those that help develop students' professional skills or highlight Georgia Tech's focus on innovation,” Fratt said.
From experienced competitors to fledgling gamers, the Esports and Gaming Lounge provides a space for experimentation and free creative expression — plus, most importantly, fun. The lounge is open Monday through Thursday, 3 – 9 p.m.; Friday, 3 – 8 p.m.; and Saturday, noon – 6 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.
The following students were recognized at this year's event:
Donald V. Jackson Fellowship
Andrew Flaherty, Grace Kim, Sri Ranganathan Palaniappan
Marshall D. Williamson Fellowship
Ansel Erol, Madison Steinau, Ethan Yang
Outstanding Graduate Head Teaching Assistant Award
Ghazal Mirzazadeh
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Nawal Reza
Outstanding Undergraduate Head Teaching Assistant Award
Elias Lind
Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award
Joseph Thomas
Academic Excellence Award for Graduating Students – Economics
Nidhi Reddy
Academic Excellence Award for Graduating Students – History and Sociology
Cate Gemmell
Academic Excellence Award for Graduating Students – International Affairs
Iris Allgrove
Academic Excellence Award for Graduating Students – Literature, Media, and Communication
Sanika Tank
Academic Excellence Award for Graduating Students – Modern Languages
Wesley Lanter
Academic Excellence Award for Graduating Students – Public Policy
Alison Eltz
AIA Medal for Academic Excellence
Elisabeth Walker
Alpha Rho Chi Medal
Nour Khalifa
AICP Outstanding Student Award
Nick Albrinck
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Student Merit Award
Ebube Maduka-Ugwu (Graduate), Adam Saint-Jacques (Undergraduate)
Dow Chemical-P.C. McCutcheon Prize for Outstanding Student Achievement in Business
John “Ryan” Halligan
Jennifer R. and Charles B. Rewis Award for Student Excellence in Accounting
Jorge Castaneda Perez, Mallory Maples
John R. Battle Award for Student Excellence
Victor Huang, Kai Lewis
The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Quarter Century Award
Sophia Buettner, Daniel Lamprea, Rowan Ray, Claire Riggs
The School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Arduengo Award
Arya Akbarshahi, Ryan Wiebold
The School of Psychology Moll Davenport Award
Kate Cole
Metha Phingbodhipakkiya Memorial Scholarship
Nick Elidor
A. Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Prize
Carlos Marcio De Oliveira E Silva Filho
Roger M. Wartell and Stephen E. Brossette Award
Sara Dixon, Nikhita Subramaniarao
Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship
Zachary Beddingfield, Kate Cole, Kathleen “Katie” Griffin
Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Senior Scholar Award
Alexander Payne
Donnell W. Dutton Outstanding Senior in Aerospace Engineering Award
Isabel Botelho
G.D. Jain Outstanding Senior in Biomedical Engineering Award
Neha Shahrawat
Outstanding Academic Achievement in Biomedical Engineering Award
Inho Lee
S.K. Jain Outstanding Research Award in Biomedical Engineering
Saif Khan
Chair’s Award — Outstanding Chemical and Biomolecular Junior
Hannah Reynolds
Chair’s Award — Outstanding Chemical and Biomolecular Senior
Rohan Datta
Buck Stith Outstanding Junior Award in Civil Engineering
Juliette Bolte
Buck Stith Outstanding Junior Award in Environmental Engineering
Sarah Moreno Amezquita
Buck Stith Outstanding Senior Award in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Phoebe Ellis
School Chair’s Outstanding Senior Award in Civil Engineering
Sean Kirby
School Chair’s Outstanding Senior Award in Environmental Engineering
Bahar Banihashemi
Computer Engineering Undergraduate Research Award
Aparupa Brahma
Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Research Award
Carlton Cort
Outstanding Computer Engineering Senior Award
Aparupa Brahma
Outstanding Electrical Engineering Senior Award
Carlton Cort
Alpha Pi Mu Academic Excellence Award
Yubin Kim
Evelyn Pennington Outstanding Service Award
Phong Nguyen
Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Excellence in Leadership Award
Sujan Ganesh Kumar
Polymer, Fiber, and Textile Materials (AATCC) Distinguished Senior Award
Vikas Muralidharan
School of Materials Science and Engineering Outstanding Senior Award
Jeremy Knight, Marissa Reichelscheimer
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Scholar Award
Aleksandar Bošković
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering School Chair’s Award
Vijay Sreenivasan
Richard K. Whitehead Jr. Memorial Awards
Owen Gil, Massimiliano Iaschi, Aastha Singh, Olivia Trask, Tarun Vinodkumar
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Chair’s Award in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering
Colin Gold
College of Engineering Honors Day Awards
William “Alex” Abraham, Ansley Cheng, Sierra Czubaj, Martin Jaramillo Feijoo, Kate Hennigan, Felipe Martins, Advaith Menon, Paul Pelkowski, Khue Phan, Jackson Stahl, Jared Weitkamp
Helen Grenga Outstanding Engineer Award
Haasa Gaddipati
Davidson Family Tau Beta Pi Senior Engineering Award
Michael Silas
Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneur Scholarship Award
Samantha Bolton, Atharva Amit Lele
Communication Center Assistant of the Year Award
Lillian Ayala
Jordan Lockwood Peer Tutor of the Year Award
Julia Artigue
John H. Martinson Honors Program Outstanding Student Award
Jessica Dasilva Bonet, Esha Venkat
Georgia Tech Women’s Club Scholarships
Charlotte Marie Cooper, Sania Ali Chaudhary, Jailyn Davila, Makaylah Deshield, Clear Holley, Isabel O’Connell
Outstanding Tutor Award
Javanith Wangsiriwech
Outstanding PLUS Leader Award
Marin Alter
Outstanding Learning Assistant Award
Egan Mejia
The University System of Georgia (USG) Academic Recognition Award
Elliot Huang
Provost’s Academic Excellence Award
Carlton Cort, Elliot Huang, Nour Khalifa, Margaret Wei
Love Family Foundation Award
Caleb Adams, Marielle Frooman
Institute Communications
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Matt T. McDowell
Professor and Carter N. Paden Jr. Distinguished Chair
College of Engineering
Jiang Zhigang
Professor
College of Sciences
Cong “Callie” Hao
Assistant Professor and ON Semiconductor Junior Professor
College of Engineering
Omobolanle Ogunseiju
Assistant Professor
College of Design
Kostas T. Konstantinidis
Richard C. Tucker Professor
College of Engineering
Anna Osterholm
Principal Research Scientist
College of Sciences
Lakshmi “Prasad” Dasi
Rozelle Vanda Wesley Professor
College of Engineering
Shimeng Yu
Professor
College of Engineering
Edward Botchwey
Professor
College of Engineering
Phillip First
Professor
College of Sciences
Masatoshi Hirabayashi
Associate Professor
College of Engineering
Brant Jones
Senior Research Scientist
College of Sciences
Julie Linsey
Professor
College of Engineering
Peter Loutzenhiser
Associate Professor
College of Engineering
Thomas Orlando — Team Leader
Regents’ Professor
College of Sciences
Frances Rivera-Hernandez
Assistant Professor
College of Sciences
Alvaro Romero-Calvo
Assistant Professor
College of Engineering
Meisha Shofner
Professor
College of Engineering
Jiang Zhigang
Professor
College of Sciences
Clarence Anthony
Workforce Development Manager
Enterprise Innovation Institute
John Avery
Director
Advanced Technology Development Center
Justin Biddle
Associate Professor
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
David Bridges
Vice President
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Zach Brunson
Research Engineer I
College of Engineering
Matt Carroll
Research Coordinator I
Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
Camille Cowans
Senior Project Manager
Georgia AIM
Donna Ennis
Vice President
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Steven Ferguson
Principal Research Scientist
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Chris Gaffney
Professor of the Practice
College of Engineering
Tasheé Hawkins
Program Support Coordinator
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Leigh Hopkins
Assistant Director
Center for Economic Development Research
Paul Joseph
Principal Research Scientist
Office of Commercialization
Andrew Krejci
Project Manager
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Thomas Kurfess
Executive Director, Agustin A. Ramirez/HUSCO International Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power Systems
Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
Danyelle Larkin
Program Director
Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing
Kristen Morales
Marketing Strategist
Georgia AIM
Jennifer Pasley
Senior Project Manager
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Kyle Saleeby
Research Engineer II
Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
Ryan Scott
Community Engagement Manager
Georgia AIM
Steven Sheffield
Senior Assistant Director of Research
Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
Aaron Stebner — Team Leader
Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing
College of Engineering
Weston Straka
Research Scientist II
Institute for Matter and Systems
Stephan Turano
Senior Research Engineer
Institute for Matter and Systems
Eric Vogel
Executive Director, Institute for Materials, and Hightower Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Institute for Matter and Systems
Jarod Weber
Research Program Manager
Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
Steve Place
Campus Sustainability Project Manager
Office of Sustainability
Rebecca Watts Hull
Assistant Director, Faculty Development for Sustainability Education Initiatives
Center for Teaching and Learning
Sirocus Barnes
Director of Expanded Learning Programs
Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing
Jason Gregory
Institute Landscape Architect
Infrastructure and Sustainability
Jake Tompkins
Mechanical Engineer III
College of Engineering
Mariabelen Romero
Traffic, Production, and Analytics Coordinator
Institute Communications
Robyn Crutchfield
Project Support Specialist Senior
Housing and Residence Life
Susan Lozier
Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Dean’s Chair
College of Sciences
Kathryn Wilkinson
Academic Advisor
College of Engineering
Haley Steele
Director of Communication, Undergraduate Degree Program in Neuroscience
College of Sciences
Beatriz Rodriguez
Assistant Dean, Director of Engagement and Operations
Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business
Gregory D. Durgin
Professor
College of Engineering
Shanthi Rajaraman
Senior Academic Professional
Opportunity Research Scholars’ Program
Stéphanie Boulard
Director of French Program, Professor of French Literature and Visual Arts
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Tara Berry
Academic Program Coordinator II
College of Computing
Ebenezer Fanijo
Assistant Professor
College of Design
Lily Turaski
Lecturer
College of Engineering
Mary Peek
Principal Academic Professional
College of Sciences
Zerrin Ondin-Fraser
Research Scientist II
College of Design
Kyoko Masuda
Professor
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Danielle Geary
Senior Lecturer
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman
Professor of the Practice
College of Sciences
Shalu Suri
Senior Academic Professional
College of Engineering
Farzaneh Najafi
Assistant Professor
College of Sciences
Brian Gunter
Associate Professor
College of Engineering
Joel Sokol
Director, Master of Science in Analytics, and Harold E. Smalley Professor
College of Engineering
Dima Nazzal
Associate Chair for Academic Administration
College of Engineering
Jennifer Singh
Associate Chair and Associate Professor
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Rodrigo Borela Valente
Lecturer
College of Computing
Nimisha Roy
Lecturer
College of Computing
Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar
Assistant Professor, Woodruff Faculty Fellow
College of Engineering
Pamela Pollet
Principal Academic Professional
College of Sciences
Mark Prausnitz
Regents’ Professor and Regents’ Entrepreneur, J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
College of Engineering
Poetry@Tech collaborated with MARTA Artbound, the transit agency’s office responsible for public art in the MARTA system, to place the poems in trains and on digital signboards in select stations throughout the month.
“It’s really exciting because it’s so colorful,” said Victoria Chang, the Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne Chair and director of Poetry@Tech. “And so, I feel like it gave me a lot of joy and I hope it gives the commuters and the riders on MARTA as much joy as it gave me when I saw it the first time.”
Read more in our full story.
]]>Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
]]>Now, the team is working with the Linux Foundation and the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) to ensure that its breakthrough doesn’t remain confined to a competition environment. The team’s new initiative, OSS-CRS, aims to standardize and operationalize cyber reasoning systems (CRSs) for real-world use.
“The AI Cyber Challenge pushed the boundaries of autonomous software security, with seven teams developing systems capable of finding and remediating vulnerabilities at scale,” said Andrew Chin, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student and lead on the OSS-CRS program.
“However, after the competition’s conclusion, it has been difficult to apply these advancements to the open-source community due to infrastructure incompatibilities and the lack of long-term maintenance for the open-sourced CRS implementations.”
To address this gap, Georgia Tech’s Systems Software Lab (SSLab), directed by Professor Taesoo Kim, is leading the development of OSS-CRS, which provides both a common framework for CRS development and the infrastructure needed to deploy these systems seamlessly across open-source projects.
As part of this effort, the team has ported its competition-winning system, Atlantis, into the OSS-CRS framework. The move makes it compatible with laptops and other everyday machines with flexible resource and budget configurations.
Interoperability is also central to the framework’s design. Atlantis can be combined with other CRSs to improve performance, including systems developed by fellow AIxCC finalists and newer agentic, command-line-based tools. This modular approach reflects a key lesson the team learned from the competition: collaboration between systems can outperform any single solution.
OSS-CRS has been accepted as a sandbox project within OpenSSF’s AI/ML Security Working Group, a milestone that brings added technical guidance and community support to the project. This includes:
The collaboration will also foster stronger connections with open-source maintainers, helping streamline vulnerability disclosure and remediation workflows.
]]>They would normally get this in their natural habitats while foraging for food and staying alert to predators that might target calves.
However, the four elephants reside at Zoo Atlanta, so they don’t have to worry about these things.
That’s why zoo caretakers are always on the lookout for better ways to help their elephants exercise their brains.
The caretakers at Zoo Atlanta found one when they met Arianna Mastali, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing. Mastali designed an audio enrichment wall to help stimulate Zoo Atlanta’s elephants.
Many zoos build concrete enrichment walls to foster elephant problem-solving and critical thinking. The walls usually have holes for the elephants to reach through with their trunks as they search for food, treats, or playful objects on the other side.
Mastali enhanced Zoo Atlanta’s enrichment wall by adding an interactive audio component. A nearby speaker system emits distinctive low-frequency tones when an elephant sticks its trunk into a hole.
“They’re intelligent creatures that require a lot of complexity in their habitat,” Mastali said. “We wanted to add to that complexity while giving them more control.”
Mastali’s system uses cameras and computer vision to detect when an elephant’s trunk is inside a hole and then sends a signal to the speakers to play a sound.
Mastali is a member of the Georgia Tech Animal Lab, directed by School of IC professor Melody Jackson. The lab often uses sensing technology to enhance animal wellness.
Mastali said she tried incorporating sensing devices into her project several times. She constructed an insert made of PVC pipe and attached a sensor to its base that used infrared beams to detect the elephant’s trunk.
However, she said it was difficult to account for the elephants’ strength. Their trunks would break the insert after a day or two.
She pivoted toward computer vision to remove the risk of damage and keep the enrichment wall as close to natural as possible.
“A big lesson we learned was that using existing materials the elephants are already familiar with was the best way to do things, and it simplified our design process,” she said.
Shane Rosse, a student in Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) program, assisted Mastali with the computer vision component.
Mastali observed the elephants’ behavior at the wall seven days before and seven days after the installation of the audio enrichment system.
The number of times the elephants approached the wall after installation increased by 176%, and time spent at the wall increased by 71%
“We weren’t sure at first if they would care that much, so it was great to see how much time they spent at the wall, especially our less dominant females,” said Kirby Miller, senior elephant caretaker at Zoo Atlanta. “They seem to like it the most.”
Miller said the elephants used to only approach the wall when they knew there was food behind it. That started to change after the audio enrichment system was installed.
“We would be off somewhere else, and we’d hear the speaker playing the sounds, and we knew there wasn’t any food back there,” Miller said. “Tara had her trunk in one of the holes, just listening to the sound. That let us know they do like it, and they’re very curious about it.”
Miller said because elephants have sharp memories and acute senses of hearing and smell, their habitats must be designed with that in mind.
Zoo Atlanta’s African Savanna elephant habitat was redesigned in 2019. In addition to the enrichment wall, it includes a bathing pond, two waterfalls, and swing boom devices that hold hay for elephants to eat as they would in the wild.
Miller said elephants sheltered at any zoo or conservation would benefit from enrichment devices enhanced by technology.
“I think anything they can participate in that gives them choice and control is great for all zoo elephants,” she said. “It depends on the elephants, but with our elephants, they can hear much higher frequencies than we can. That noise isn’t that loud for us, but for them, they’re feeling that noise, and they can hear much more, which makes it more stimulating for them.”
]]>The elephant enrichment wall at Zoo Atlanta recently received an upgrade thanks to a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student. Arianna Mastali designed an audio enrichment system that uses computer vision to detect when an elephant sticks its trunk into the enrichment wall as it searches for food. The system then sends a signal to play a unique tone from a nearby speaker that corresponds to each hole. So far, Mastali has found that elephant wall interactions have increased by 176%, and the elephants are visiting the wall even when there isn't food behind it.
]]>Interior design in higher education goes far beyond aesthetics. At Georgia Tech, it plays a critical role in shaping how students learn, collaborate, live, and feel on campus. From classrooms and labs to student centers, offices, and shared spaces, thoughtfully designed interiors quietly support the Institute’s mission every day.
That impact is driven by a talented team of interior designers — Christie Berkowitz , Reagan Donley, Alexandra Gutierrez, Stacy Laux , Polly Patton, Sarah Vaillancourt, and Becky Williams — whose combined experience spans decades and whose work touches nearly every corner of campus. While their backgrounds and approaches vary, they are united by a shared commitment to people, collaboration, and meaningful design in higher education.
Across campus, interior design is often shaped by historic buildings, fixed timelines, tight budgets, or sometimes, small footprints. Rather than limiting creativity, these constraints often elevate it.
For Sarah Vaillancourt, those challenges sharpen her design thinking. One of her favorite projects, a graduate student space designed to foster creativity and collaboration, used flexible seating, modular furniture, bright accents, and natural elements to support multiple ways of working. “The offices and spaces can sometimes be a constraint,” she said. “That pushes creativity.” More importantly, the project reinforced her belief in design’s influence on mindset and behavior. “I wanted to design a space that not only looked appealing but also supported students’ creativity and productivity.”
That focus on everyday impact resonates with Christie Berkowitz, who joined the Institute in 2023. Her favorite projects have been classroom renovations — spaces that may not stand out visually but make an immediate difference. “While they might not be the flashiest spaces on campus, they have an immediate, profound impact on the student experience,” she said. Transforming older classrooms into modern, active‑learning environments embodies her belief that good design is grounded in function.
Reagan Donley, who has been at Georgia Tech for more than 11 years, approaches every project with the same philosophy. “When I’m designing or managing the design of a project, I always try to make sure a space functions like the users need it to and is the best design solution to meet those needs,” she said. Her work balances form, function, long-term institutional goals, maintenance considerations, and historic preservation, often simultaneously.
Interior design in higher education is inherently collaborative, and every designer emphasizes the importance of teamwork, communication, and trust.
For Alexandra Gutierrez, communication is foundational. “Starting conversations with the right stakeholders and understanding the scope and budget early on helps keep the project moving smoothly,” she said. That approach guided her favorite projects, the Skiles and A. French breakrooms, where she was able to design the spaces from start to finish.
Becky Williams, who previously worked at a design firm with Georgia Tech as her client for almost a decade, enjoys being on the other side of the table. She views design as a collective effort. “I’ve always viewed a project as a ‘we’ effort, we’re all working toward the same goal, and we get there faster and better when we support each other,” she said. Her favorite project, Tech Square 3 (George Tower | Scheller Tower), stood out for its scale and complexity and for the opportunity to help guide the project from the owner’s side.
That spirit of coordination defined one of Donley’s most meaningful projects, a renovation for the Office of Undergraduate Education in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. With rigid funding and scheduling constraints, success depended on collaboration across campus. “We had to pull all the strings to get the project finished in time,” she said. “It was a privilege to help them meet their goals.”
While collaboration shapes the process, people remain at the center of every design decision.
For Stacy Laux, design begins with listening. “A workspace should feel like the person who uses it—not the designer behind it,” she said. Her favorite project, Science Square, stood out because “everything clicked.” The success of the project came not just from the outcome, but from a team aligned around a shared vision.
Her greatest inspiration comes from witnessing user connections firsthand. She tries to understand how the user moves through their day, what gives them energy, and what helps them unwind. She observes little habits and routines, which then inform her design process. “There’s nothing better than seeing someone walk into a finished space and instantly feel like, ‘Yep ... this is me,’” she said. That moment, she explained, is why design matters.
Polly Patton’s nearly 19 years at Georgia Tech make her one of the team’s longest-tenured designers. For her, that user connection begins face‑to‑face. “I like to meet in person with my end‑user clients and listen to their needs before starting to formulate a design,” she said. Her favorite project, the John Lewis Student Center renovation, reflects that philosophy at the largest scale. “It’s the heart of the campus and is used by all students,” she noted, making it especially meaningful.
For these designers, inspiration comes from many places: the campus community, the design process itself, and sometimes it’s personal.
“First and foremost, the students,” Patton said. “Designing spaces to make their time here at Georgia Tech more enjoyable inspires me to work harder.”
Donley finds inspiration in color and in helping users solve challenges—whether through furniture, layout, or budgets. She enjoyed the Clough project because of the challenge of it being a significant change to the organization of the space.
Berkowitz is “driven by building the strong structural foundations that allow us to execute our jobs at a higher level,” finding inspiration in systems and processes, building tools, and standards that allow the team to work more effectively.
For Gutierrez, inspiration is personal. “My dad inspires me not to give up, and my faith pushes me to be better in everything I do.”
Growing up in a family of educators, Williams also draws creative energy from her family. She realized at a young age that drawing floor plans and rearranging her room was more fun than lesson plans. Additionally, the variety of work appeals to her. One week she could be designing a lab, the next, a collaborative space, then followed by something that feels more like a corporate office.
Thoughtful design fosters a sense of community and creates engaging learning and work environments.
“Higher ed allows me to turn ideas into environments that support creativity, productivity, and well-being,” Vaillancourt said.
For Berkowitz, it’s about shared purpose. “Being able to tangibly support the day-to-day success of the campus community is what makes higher education special.”
Donley points to how campuses have evolved. “Now campuses are about the whole experience of the students,” she said. “Furniture and AV components have become the main characters of these experiences.”
Patton echoed that variety and impact. “Higher education is a great mix of lots of different types of design,” she said — from housing to learning to dining, plus athletics, and even retail — offering endless opportunities to shape experience.
“When a team is this strong, it becomes its own creative ecosystem,” Laux said. “You’re not just designing spaces anymore. You’re shaping experiences together. And when you’re surrounded by people who lift your ideas higher, challenge you in the best possible ways, and celebrate every win right alongside you, your own creativity just expands. It’s the kind of environment that keeps you energized and excited to show up every day.”
At Georgia Tech, that ecosystem is one built on collaboration, purpose, and a shared belief that design has the power to elevate the entire campus experience.
Institute Communications
Infrastructure and Sustainability
]]>The Truman Scholarship is awarded annually to a select group of students nationwide who demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, academic excellence, and an enduring commitment to making a difference. Named after President Harry S. Truman, the scholarship supports students in their graduate education and careers addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
“Taylor exemplifies the kind of leader we strive to develop,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “Her commitment to strengthening public institutions reflects our motto of Progress and Service. Her selection as a Truman Scholar, one of the nation’s most prestigious fellowships for public service, is an exceptional achievement, and we are incredibly proud of her.”
Witte, who hails from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is pursuing dual bachelor’s degrees while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She balances an ambitious academic load with dedicated involvement in campus leadership, undergraduate research, and national public service experiences.
Motivated by the erosion of trust in American public institutions, Witte aims to strengthen government decision-making through rigorous economic analysis, transparent data practices, and effective regulation. Instead of viewing public trust as just another policy area, Witte sees it as the very foundation upon which all governance rests.
“While several social issues, from the climate crisis to criminal justice, demand our attention,” she explains, “our ability to tackle these challenges is only as strong as our collective faith in the institutions meant to do so. Responsible data stewardship is the first step to ensuring that communities see themselves represented in the policies that shape their lives.”
That philosophy was shaped in part by her work at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where she served as a statistics and data management intern in 2025. The experience reinforced her belief that sound regulation, grounded in high-quality evidence and community realities, is essential to restoring confidence in government.
It’s a perspective that also guides her long-term goals. As a Truman Scholar, Witte plans to pursue a joint J.D. and Ph.D. in economics. She hopes to work in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, specifically the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, where economic analysis and regulatory oversight intersect.
Witte’s leadership record at Georgia Tech is extensive. She has served as an advisor for the Seek Discomfort First-Year Leadership Organization and is currently a justice on the Undergraduate Judiciary Committee within Georgia Tech’s Student Government Association.
She has also played a key role in institutional service and advocacy. As an ambassador for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Witte helps lead Shadow Day, the College’s largest outreach event for prospective students. Previously, she sat on the Ivan Allen College Advisory Board and is now the sole undergraduate member of the School of Economics Chair Search Committee.
In addition, Witte has helped oversee the Georgia Tech Stamps Summit as conference chair, building intellectual community among fellow scholars committed to leadership and service.
Chaffee Viets, executive director of the Office of Scholar Programs, notes that Witte’s leadership is defined as much by reflection as ambition.
“Taylor is a thinker,” Viets said. "Someone who asks the same questions of herself that she might ask of society: How is this path I am on going to lead to real impact? In her answers, I see deliberative leadership and extraordinary potential.”
As a liberal arts student at a leading technical institute, Witte has made it a personal mission to demonstrate the essential role of economics, public policy, and the humanities in shaping technological innovation and governance. She currently serves as a teaching assistant in the School of Mathematics, one of only a handful of liberal arts majors among a large cohort, where she works to make complex mathematical concepts accessible and applicable for all her students.
“In everything I do on campus, I want to show that liberal arts majors can learn alongside STEM-focused students, and also lead among them and contribute meaningfully to the Institute’s mission of advancing technology and improving the human condition,” she said. “My experiences at Tech have left me better prepared to navigate a public-sector career in an increasingly technical world.”
Looking ahead, Witte remains focused on the long-term work of strengthening democratic institutions.
“To say we are navigating difficult and uncertain times would be an understatement,” she says. “But the most powerful force in this moment is one within our control: our collective decision to believe in the institutions we build, and to demand that they rise to meet us. It’s our choice to make.”
Students interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship can visit the Prestigious Fellowships website or contact the team at fellowshipsadvising@gatech.edu.
]]>The U.S. Department of Justice recently extended the compliance deadline for Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) digital accessibility requirements by one year. The new deadline to meet the WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements is April 26, 2027.
“While this provides additional time, it does not change the Institute’s commitment to ensuring that Georgia Tech’s digital environment is accessible to everyone and aligned with federal requirements,” said Jarmon DeSadier, vice president for Equal Opportunity, Compliance, and Conflict Management. “The Institute will continue to move forward in advancing accessibility as a core principle of how we design, build, and manage our digital presence.”
Over the past several months, teams across Georgia Tech have made meaningful progress in laying the groundwork for sustainable compliance. This includes launching a centralized digital accessibility website with guidance and resources, delivering training to build campus capability, establishing a comprehensive inventory of web assets to clarify ownership and accountability, and implementing enterprise tools to identify and address accessibility issues. Work is also underway to expand document remediation capabilities to support improvements across instructional and web content.
In addition, Georgia Tech is advancing a new web governance framework to provide the structure and standards needed to sustain this work over time. Together, these efforts ensure that accessibility is not a one-time initiative, but an integrated, ongoing responsibility shared by all community members.
Looking ahead, the Institute will continue to build on this foundation — expanding services, strengthening support, and accelerating remediation across websites, applications, and learning materials. The goal is long-term, sustainable compliance and a digital environment that works for everyone.
For more information on digital accessibility at Georgia Tech, visit digitalaccess.gatech.edu.
The Academy recognizes leaders across fields of study who have addressed humanity’s greatest challenges while also gathering knowledge to advance learning and the public good. This year’s class of 252 honorees was elected in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science.
García is one of nine honorees in the “Engineering and Technology” division. His research — both in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering where he serves as Regents’ Professor and in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience where he is the executive director — aligns with the Academy’s service-minded mission.
“I am inspired to find engineering solutions to serious health conditions to help people,” he said. “As a kid, I developed a musculoskeletal condition that required biomaterial devices to treat. Although imperfect, this treatment allowed me to lead a normal life.”
Moved by his personal experience, García’s research centers on cellular and tissue engineering, which integrate biological and engineering principles to restore organ function lost to injury or disease. By studying how cells interact with the materials around them, he and his team have engineered biomaterials for the controlled delivery of therapeutic proteins and cells that enhance tissue regeneration, which could speed the healing process for patients.
His future work will integrate biomaterials with lab‑grown replicas of human organs, known as organoids, that can be used to identify new therapies for a variety of human diseases. These organoids, though smaller and simpler than true organs, can mimic key functions that may help García and his team to find better ways to repair damaged tissues.
García has spent the past 27 years at Georgia Tech and carries on the legacy of another Academy member — the Petit Institute’s founding executive director Robert Nerem, who was inducted in 1998. García credits his success to the support of his loved ones and the Yellow Jacket community.
“I am deeply honored and humbled,” he said. “This award is only possible by the unending love and support of family, friends and mentors, my phenomenal past and present trainees, fantastic collaborators, and awesome ecosystem at Georgia Tech.”
The Academy was chartered in 1780 during the American Revolution by a group that included John Adams and John Hancock. It was established to recognize accomplished individuals and engage them in addressing the greatest challenges facing the young republic.
Membership has broadened over the years to celebrate excellence in a variety of fields. Honorees have included poet Robert Frost, musician John Legend, and chef José Andrés, who was given this year’s Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage.
García and the rest of this year’s class, which includes actor Jodie Foster, will be inducted in October.
]]>Jason Maderer
College of Engineering
Georgia Tech
Daniel Meng, BA 2025, was 8 years old when he started cooking. His fried rice recipe was simple — rice and eggs — but it was enough to fill him up while his parents were at work, and it lit a fire in him that would eventually lead him to the MasterChef kitchen to compete among the best home cooks in the country.
What began as a necessity for the Johns Creek, Georgia, native became a passion that he wanted to share with others. As he honed his skills in the kitchen, Daniel hosted dinner parties for friends and started a culinary club at his high school. When he arrived at Georgia Tech, he wanted to continue sharing his expertise, so he created CHEFS at Tech, a student organization that hosts cooking workshops, grocery trips, and restaurant outings.
“Cooking is one of the most important skills you can have, and that’s not something they teach you in school, so I wanted to fill that gap. Then, I started creating content on social media because I wanted to share my love for food and teach the world how to cook,” he said.
Embracing the “global gauntlet” theme of the 16th season of Fox’s culinary reality show, Daniel showcased his Asian fusion cooking style, impressing the judges — Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Tiffany Derry — with his take on Mapo tofu, a Sichuan-spiced dish that he fused with ravioli.
“That was better than some of the pasta I’ve had in Italy,” Ramsay said after tasting Meng’s dish.
Like preparing for a final exam at Tech, Daniel prepared extensively for his audition, helping him stay composed under the bright lights.
“Tech taught me to work under heavy pressure because you’re surrounded by so many hardworking students,” he said. “When you're in that kitchen, not only is the audience watching you, but the whole world's going to be watching you, so there's a lot of weight on your shoulders. But I knew I was ready because I was so focused, and this moment meant everything to me.”
Able to execute his vision for the dish and take on Ramsay’s challenge of doing pushups in the kitchen, Daniel earned an apron to secure his spot in the competition. The feedback from the three culinary experts gave Daniel the added confidence of knowing he can compete with the best, but it’s the memories of cooking alongside his mother and sharing his food with friends and family that continue to push him.
"From when I was a kid up until now, watching my parents enjoy my food means everything to me. In the MasterChef kitchen, the stage got bigger, but that feeling never changed. Cooking has always been how I show people I care. That doesn’t go away, whether I’m cooking for my parents or Gordon Ramsay,” he said.
When he’s not competing, Daniel shares dishes on his social channels as a food content creator. From his Hainanese chicken and rice recipe to showing how he cooked for 70 of his fraternity brothers at Tech, Daniel wants his channel (@mengseats) to be a source of entertainment, education, and inspiration for those looking to elevate their skills in the kitchen.
While his dishes vary in complexity, his favorites are those that remind him of his childhood, and he continues to iterate on his fried rice — both in technique and ingredients. A message he shares, particularly with college students, is that adding simple proteins and fresh vegetables to dishes like rice or ramen noodles can significantly boost nutritional value, enhance satiety, and broaden their palate.
Follow Daniel’s MasterChef journey on Fox every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EDT and stream the next day on Hulu.
Event load-in will take place throughout the week. Intermittent delays and closures are expected along Bobby Dodd Way (between Techwood Drive and Fowler Street) and Fowler Street (between Bobby Dodd Way and Fourth Street).
Beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24, more significant closures will be in effect through the weekend. Techwood Drive will be closed from Bobby Dodd Way to North Avenue through Sunday following the concert.
Additionally, North Avenue will be closed between Techwood Drive and Luckie Street from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26. Fowler Street between Fourth and Fifth streets will be limited to parking pass holders accessing Peters Parking Deck.
Be sure to allow extra travel time, use alternate routes, and remain alert to changing traffic patterns in the area.
Friday, April 24
Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26
Parking permit holders will be notified via email if they need to move their vehicle. See a map of all affected parking areas.
The following parking areas will be closed to permit holders to accommodate concert parking:
Thursday, April 23, at 5 p.m., through Monday, April 27, at 8 a.m.
Saturday, April 25, at 8 a.m., through Monday, April 27, at 8 a.m.
Alternative parking will be available to permit holders beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, April 24, at the following locations:
For many Georgia Tech students, a ride in the Ramblin’ Wreck is a bucket-list item before graduation.
Tech’s mechanical mascot, a 1930 Ford Model A Sports Coupe, has been a fixture on campus and in the hearts of Yellow Jackets alike since 1961, and with the Ramblin’ Reck Club’s Ride Out in Style program, more students will have an opportunity to cruise through campus in the iconic car before Commencement.
The club, which is charged with maintaining the vehicle and sharing its history with the Tech community, will facilitate the program. Through a Sign-Up Genius form, graduating students get an exclusive chance to ride through campus, cruising from the Reck Garage to the Campus Recreation Center before swinging by another staple of campus, Tech Tower.
Sof Zambrano Molina, the current student driver, is behind the wheel wearing a silver heart-shaped locket with a photo of the vehicle inside. She relishes her role in turning a student’s wish into reality.
“It’s always been said by drivers that the Wreck is owned by the student body, and we’re just the ones who get the car from point A to point B,” Molina said. “Since the Wreck is a symbol of Georgia Tech, students deserve the chance to be able to interact with it in that way.”
In addition to Ride Out in Style, this semester also saw the launch of the new Bucket List Ride program. Before Ride Out in Style begins toward the semester’s end, bucket list rides are open to all students, staff, and faculty members — along with up to two of their friends — and give the community a chance to take a ride and learn more about the car.
“I think interacting with the Wreck should be a formative part of every Tech student's journey,” Molina said. “From my experience — from watching people inside the car and seeing how happy they are, or even just seeing how happy students are whenever you drive past them — it's like the car inherently spreads joy.”
For some, seeing the car on campus is the memory they hold onto, Molina says, but for others, it’s a sound they’ll never forget.
“I had someone ask me today, ‘Hey, can I blow the horn?’ and she was so excited. And that’s the part a lot of people recognize,” she said.
As Commencement nears, for any students who find a Wreck-shaped hole in their heart, don’t miss your chance to cross this ride off your Georgia Tech bucket list.
For Georgia Tech, the campus arboretum is more than a designated area of trees. It is the entire campus. Walkways, quads, greens, and streetscapes are all part of a curated landscape carefully selected to thrive in an urban environment. It is also a place where memories are made, from everyday gatherings under the canopy to photos that capture an important milestone.
“It would be great if the trees could talk, if our arboretum could tell stories,” Georgia Tech landscape architect Jason Gregory says. With trees on campus that are more than 100 years old, those stories could be history lessons about the Institute.
Tech’s campus arboretum was recently recertified by ArbNet, the global network of tree professionals and tree collections organized for knowledge sharing, resources, and conservation. With more than 15,000 trees and over 130 species across campus — including two palm trees — the arboretum supports research, education, and preservation and provides public enjoyment. Environmental benefits include reducing heat, managing stormwater, improving air quality, increasing soil porosity, sequestering carbon, and supporting campus wildlife.
Georgia Tech’s designation as a Level II Arboretum reflects its commitment to biodiversity and documenting its tree species, offering advanced educational and public programs, and maintaining policies for the inventory and care of its trees. This year marks a decade since Georgia Tech first earned arboretum certification.
In 2023, Tech also received the Professional Grounds Management Society’s Green Star Grand Award with a 23% campus tree canopy. Today, nearly 30% of the campus is covered by tree canopy, creating a greener, cooler, and more welcoming environment while underscoring the Institute’s commitment to responsible landscape stewardship.
“We have an interactive map online that allows users to explore the genus, species, height, and diameter of every tree on campus. The inventory process is a five-year cycle in which one zone of campus is inventoried each year,” says Annabelle Manville, a Living Campus Fellow for the Office of Sustainability. Gregory says the inventory data helps inform campus planning and support sustainability goals.
As Georgia Tech looks to the future, the campus arboretum will serve as both a living laboratory and a shared campus treasure that connects people to place, past to present, and sustainability to daily life. Through thoughtful stewardship, ongoing research, and intentional care, the Institute’s trees will continue to shape the campus environment and the experiences of those who study, work, and gather beneath their canopy. Each tree adds another chapter to Georgia Tech’s story — one rooted in history, resilience, and a long-term commitment to a greener campus.
Infrastructure and Sustainability
Communications Student Assistant
Catherine Brim
Institute Communications
Communications Officer II
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