The focus group will provide an opportunity to share your experiences and discuss GTMI's activities, services, and programs in relation to the five IRI impact areas:

• Catalyze Interdisciplinary Research Community
• Educate Key Stakeholders and Prepare the Future Workforce
• Cultivate Vision, Influence, and Recognition for Research
• Deliver Cutting-Edge Facilities, Expertise, Partnerships, Diverse Funding
• Accelerate Technology and Knowledge Transfer

Participation is completely voluntary, and all feedback will be used to help guide our efforts moving forward. Participants will be given $15 Tech Dining vouchers (to be used at retail dining or dining halls) to thank them for their participation.

Focus Group Details

Date: November 16, 2026

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Location: Callaway Building, Room 114

If you are interested in participating, please contact Savannah White (savannah.white@gatech.edu) by October 30th.

We would appreciate hearing from individuals with a variety of experiences and perspectives. Your feedback is important, and we hope you will consider joining us.

We request only tenured/tenure-track and research faculty participate.

Host: David A. Raudales O. 

Title: Neutrino-Shining Coronae in Active Galactic Nuclei: Radiative Signatures and Insights into Particle Acceleration” 

Abstract:
“The emergence of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 as the most significant source of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos observed by IceCube marked a turning point in our understanding of the neutrino sky. This neutrino signal implies the presence of hadronic acceleration to up to 100 TeV-PeV energies. Furthermore, as neutrino production is expected to be accompanied by electromagnetic radiation of similar energies, the lack of observation of TeV gamma-rays strongly hints at the existence of a radiatively compact emission region of neutrinos, where the accompanying photons are absorbed and reprocessed at lower energies starting an electromagnetic cascade. For active galactic nuclei (AGN), the hot X-ray corona in the vicinity of the central supermassive black hole is a natural candidate for this opaque, highly energetic environment.
In this talk, I will review the current understanding of neutrino emission from AGN coronae, focusing on two scenarios of non-thermal particle acceleration that successfully explained the neutrino signal of NGC 1068: acceleration in magnetic reconnection and turbulence. I will show how the multimessenger signals observed from sources like NGC 1068, within the framework of turbulent acceleration, favor a compact, strongly magnetized, and highly turbulent coronal environment. Furthermore, I will demonstrate how high radiative compactness and intense magnetic fields constrain the spectral shape of the reprocessed electromagnetic radiation, forcing the internal cascade into a universal spectral shape. Finally, I will discuss how applying these coronal models to jetted sources, such as the blazar TXS 0506+056, fails to explain their observed neutrino flux, highlighting how the production of neutrinos could happen simultaneously in different regions of the AGN, but suggesting that in blazars the most luminous emission region is located in the jet.”

Bio:
"Federico is a third-year PhD student at DESY Zeuthen. His research focuses on the production of neutrinos in astrophysical sources, with an emphasis on active galactic nuclei (AGN). His recent work centers on multi-messenger modeling of IceCube candidate neutrino sources, where he contributed to developing coronal models for Seyfert galaxies. Additionally, Federico works on applying numerical methods based on neural networks to significantly accelerate the theoretical modeling of blazar jets. He is currently a visiting researcher at the Center for Computational Astrophysics (CCA), working on plasma-simulation-informed models of coronal emission." 

Committee:

Dr. Angelos Keromitis, ECE, Chair, Advisor

Dr. Fabian Monrose, ECE

Dr. Milos Prvulovic, ECE

Dr. Manos Antonakakis, ECE

Dr. Angelos Stavrou, Virginia Tech

Join Dean Anuj Mehrotra for a conversation with Mark Rayfield, president and CEO of Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed, as they discuss leading innovation at scale, navigating growth and transformation, and advancing sustainable construction while building for the future. Drawing on nearly 25 years of leadership experience with Saint-Gobain, Mark will share perspectives on customer-centric innovation, strategic acquisitions, and the company's global commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 through investments in clean energy and circular economy solutions.
 

Our Tech Talks Business audience consists of industry leaders, working professionals, faculty, staff, alumni, and students. Our student and alumni audience – from Scheller College and across the Institute – are among the most engaged. At the end of the session, the speaker will have the opportunity to engage directly with the audience during a brief Q&A.

View Mark Rayfield's Bio

This special evening brings together alumni, students, faculty, staff, supporters, family, and friends to celebrate the achievements of our outstanding Yellow Jackets and recognize the lasting impact of an Ivan Allen College education.

Guests will have the opportunity to connect with members of the Ivan Allen College community, hear inspiring stories, and celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s distinguished honorees.

There is no cost to attend this year’s event. Guests are asked to RSVP in advance to help us plan appropriately for seating, catering, and the overall guest experience.

Join us for an evening of celebration, connection, and recognition as we honor the remarkable alumni and supporters who continue to make a difference across Georgia Tech, their professions, and communities around the world.

RSVP via Jacket Journey here. 

Abstract 

Ambiguity is everywhere in human languages. Consider, for example, a sentence like “I saw the son of the doctor [who was playing the piano]”. This sentence is globally ambiguous, as the construction allows for the relative clause (RC) “[who was playing the piano]” to modify either the first noun (“son”) or the second (“doctor”).  

Notably, languages have been reported to vary with respect of whether their speakers prefer a low attachment interpretation (LA; RC modifies the second noun; e.g. English, Frazier 1996),  or show a high attachment preference (HA; RC modifies the first noun; e.g. Spanish, German, Cuetos & Mitchell 1988; Hemforth et al. 2015). Importantly, these patterns do not align neatly with typological categories — for instance, Romanian speakers reportedly prefer LA despite the structural similarities between Romanian and Spanish (Ehrlich 1999) — and languages seem to exhibit LA or HA preferences to different degrees (Carreiras & Clifton Jr 1993; Swets et al. 2008; Cotter & Ferreira 2024). Additionally, RC interpretation seems to be affected by a number of factors, like the length and position of the RC, semantic properties of the main verb, and individual differences between participants. 

While the resolution of attachment ambiguity in RC has been widely studied in psycholinguistics then, the nature of the mechanisms that drive their disambiguation is far from understood. In this talk, I report recent results from a series of experiments exploring factors affecting RC disambiguation in a number of languages (English, Italian, Korean, Mandarin Chinese). In doing so,  De Santo argues that these systematic cross-linguistic differences in disambiguation preferences make RC attachment an essential case study in investigating the trade-offs between universal sentence processing principles and language-specific properties.

Along with earning credit in four upper-level courses, the program includes personalized tutoring, group dinners, and corporate and cultural excursions. Come learn about housing, financial aid/scholarships, and how to apply before the Feb. 15 deadline!

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
Eight standalone sessions will orient researchers to NIH and its most frequently used award mechanisms – the R01. This program will review the core components of R01 applications, provide suggestions for structuring your proposal, and demystify the review process.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? 
This academy is best suited for early-career faculty members and others who have not yet secured an R01 or equivalent award. Applicants at any stage of readiness are welcome, and those committed to applying within the next six to 12 months are particularly encouraged to join.

WHEN & WHERE?
Courses will take place via Zoom on Mondays from 12 - 1 p.m., Sept. 28 - Nov. 16.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
Eight standalone sessions will orient researchers to NIH and its most frequently used award mechanisms – the R01. This program will review the core components of R01 applications, provide suggestions for structuring your proposal, and demystify the review process.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? 
This academy is best suited for early-career faculty members and others who have not yet secured an R01 or equivalent award. Applicants at any stage of readiness are welcome, and those committed to applying within the next six to 12 months are particularly encouraged to join.

WHEN & WHERE?
Courses will take place via Zoom on Mondays from 12 - 1 p.m., Sept. 28 - Nov. 16.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
Eight standalone sessions will orient researchers to NIH and its most frequently used award mechanisms – the R01. This program will review the core components of R01 applications, provide suggestions for structuring your proposal, and demystify the review process.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? 
This academy is best suited for early-career faculty members and others who have not yet secured an R01 or equivalent award. Applicants at any stage of readiness are welcome, and those committed to applying within the next six to 12 months are particularly encouraged to join.

WHEN & WHERE?
Courses will take place via Zoom on Mondays from 12 - 1 p.m., Sept. 28 - Nov. 16.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
Eight standalone sessions will orient researchers to NIH and its most frequently used award mechanisms – the R01. This program will review the core components of R01 applications, provide suggestions for structuring your proposal, and demystify the review process.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? 
This academy is best suited for early-career faculty members and others who have not yet secured an R01 or equivalent award. Applicants at any stage of readiness are welcome, and those committed to applying within the next six to 12 months are particularly encouraged to join.

WHEN & WHERE?
Courses will take place via Zoom on Mondays from 12 - 1 p.m., Sept. 28 - Nov. 16.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
Eight standalone sessions will orient researchers to NIH and its most frequently used award mechanisms – the R01. This program will review the core components of R01 applications, provide suggestions for structuring your proposal, and demystify the review process.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE? 
This academy is best suited for early-career faculty members and others who have not yet secured an R01 or equivalent award. Applicants at any stage of readiness are welcome, and those committed to applying within the next six to 12 months are particularly encouraged to join.

WHEN & WHERE?
Courses will take place via Zoom on Mondays from 12 - 1 p.m., Sept. 28 - Nov. 16.

Title: Optimization in Scientific ML - is Accuracy Certification a Viable Goal?

Abstract: Generating nonlinear reduced models for parametric families of PDEs or learning associated parameter-to-solution maps often leads to minimizing a convex energy in a Hilbert space over a nonlinear hypothesis class. Hence, optimization over the budget of trainable weights, defining the hypothesis class, becomes (highly) non-convex. In this talk we discuss adaptive strategies for enhancing robustness and accuracy of optimization success, revolving around "conditional convergence guarantees". The main conceptual constituents are natural gradient flow in combination with an adaptive network expansion. Adaptation aims at increasing alignment with an ideal descent path determined by the gradient in the ambient (infinite dimensional) Hilbert space. This can be further combined with perturbed proximal point methods that can be understood as approximate implicit Euler schemes for the ideal Hilbert space gradient flow. The rationale is that each proximal point step is (much) easier to realize than the global optimization task because in each step the initial guess gets the closer to the optimum, the smaller the step-size. This adaptation to an implicit ideal Hilbert space gradient directions is of interest because the dynamical systems arising in the context of natural gradient flows are generically extremely stiff or even DAEs. Exploiting stable variational formulations of the PDE system, allows one to derive in certain relevant cases a posteriori criteria to check whether an approximate proximal step is sufficiently accurate to guarantee convergence. Roughly, network expansions are triggered when these criteria fail to be met even when the step-size reaches some lower bound. In this sense the results can be understood as "conditional convergence" with accuracy certificates. Part of the material draws on the recent paper [1].

[1]  Wolfgang Dahmen, Wuchen Li, Yuankai Tengang, Zhu Wang, Expansive Natural Neural Gradient Flows for Energy Minimization, Journal of Computational Physics, 563 (2026), 115117

Bio: Wolfgang Dahmen is a Research Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of South Carolina, where he previously held the SmartState Chair and Williams-Hedberg-Hedberg Chair. He earned his Ph.D. from RWTH Aachen and his Habilitation from the University of Bonn and has held faculty appointments at the University of Bielefeld, the Free University of Berlin, and RWTH Aachen. His research spans applied and numerical analysis, approximation theory, model order reduction, high-dimensional problems, and scientific machine learning. Dr. Dahmen is a recipient of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the Robert Piloty Prize, and the Keck Futures Initiative Award of the US National Academies. He is an elected Fellow of both SIAM and the AMS, a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, and former Chair of the Foundations of Computational Mathematics (FoCM).

Committee:

Dr. Callie Hao, ECE, Chair, Advisor

Dr. Divya Mahajan, ECE

Dr. Celine Lin, CS

Dr. Shuyi Pei, Samsung

Dr. Yiran Chen, Duke

Dr. Yuan Xie, Hong Kong UST

Committee:

Dr. Arijit Raychowdhury, ECE, Chair, Advisor

Dr. Visvesh Sathe, ECE

Dr. Saibal Mukhopadhyay, ECE

Dr. Sanu Matthew, Intel

Dr. Anand Raghunathan, Purdue

BEFORE YOU SIGN UP ON ENGAGE: Fill out the "Wreck Parade 2026: Entry Information" Google form.

Please only sign up for this event if you are participating individually or with an organization. Everyone else is welcome to come watch without signing up!

Arrive early for a Super Mario cosplay contest, and sign up at the door for the GT Esports tournament while competition slots are available.

Artist’s bio: 

Video Game Alliance (VGA) is a collective of nerds who happen to also be musicians. We perform with 6 to 9 musicians and offer two exciting experiences. VGA is committed to bringing beloved video game music to life in a live setting.

VGA is a 6-piece band that re-imagines classic video game music in an improvisatory style. You can hear selections from your favorite video games: Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Chrono Trigger, and many more!

$5 Spectator Ticket - Come support your friends!

$10 Tournament Entry Fee - Compete live onstage accompanied by the band! 

Join our online CSP information session to learn more about this exciting program.

Zoom link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/96482707080

Meeting ID: 964 8270 7080

Abstract: Time series learning has become a central problem in modern machine learning, with applications spanning science, engineering, healthcare, and finance. While much of the existing research has focused on improving forecasting accuracy, accurate prediction is only the starting point. This talk explores a broader view of time series learning, moving from forecasting toward reasoning and scientific discovery. I will first discuss our work on efficient time series forecasting, introducing cross-architecture knowledge distillation to develop lightweight models that achieve strong predictive performance with reduced computational costs. I will then explore spatio-temporal reasoning, presenting methods that integrate time series, spatial structures, and large language models to understand how events evolve and propagate across connected systems. Finally, I will discuss whether AI can move beyond prediction to discover the underlying mathematical and causal relationships governing temporal dynamics. These directions highlight the potential of time series learning to advance from accurate prediction toward deeper understanding and scientific discovery.

Bio: Wei Jin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Emory University. His research focuses on time series analysis and AI for health. His honors and achievements include two NIH R01 awards as principal investigator, IJCAI-ECAI Early Career Spotlights, AAAI New Faculty Highlights, KAUST Rising Stars, the INNS Doctoral Dissertation Runner-up Award, recognition for Most Influential Papers in KDD and WWW by Paper Digest, and top finishes in three NeurIPS competitions. His research has been published in Nature Portfolio journals, PNAS, and leading conferences including ICLR, KDD, ICML, and NeurIPS. He has also organized multiple tutorials and workshops at major AI conferences.

Times ticking till tickets drop on October 21st at 12 PM, don't be late!

Seminar Title

Evaluating Lightweight Contact Feedback in Dual-Operator Collaborative Humanoid Teleoperation

Affiliation

Ph.D. student in Robotics, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering

XR Bytes is a graduate-student-led initiative dedicated to showcasing the trajectory of Extended Reality (XR) research across the Institute. Our goal is to highlight the versatile ways XR technologies are applied across various disciplines and majors, fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation at Georgia Tech.

Participation & Visibility

We actively encourage cross-departmental participation and welcome engagement from both internal academic units and external industry partners. Our goal is to foster a robust community of practice around XR at Georgia Tech.

Lunch will be served for those who RSVP.

Subscribe & Sign Up

To join our mailing list and RSVP for these seminar series, please sign up here: RSVP HERE.

Seminar Title

How Does Active Exploration in Virtual Reality Shape Spatial Memory?

Affiliation

Ph.D. student in Adult Development and Aging, College of Sciences

XR Bytes is a graduate-student-led initiative dedicated to showcasing the trajectory of Extended Reality (XR) research across the Institute. Our goal is to highlight the versatile ways XR technologies are applied across various disciplines and majors, fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation at Georgia Tech.

Participation & Visibility

We actively encourage cross-departmental participation and welcome engagement from both internal academic units and external industry partners. Our goal is to foster a robust community of practice around XR at Georgia Tech.

Lunch will be served for those who RSVP.

Subscribe & Sign Up

To join our mailing list and RSVP for these seminar series, please sign up here: RSVP HERE.

Seminar Title

Beyond Screens: Designing Human Interfaces for Spatial Computing

Affiliation

Ph.D. Student in Human-Centered Computing, College of Computing

XR Bytes is a graduate-student-led initiative dedicated to showcasing the trajectory of Extended Reality (XR) research across the Institute. Our goal is to highlight the versatile ways XR technologies are applied across various disciplines and majors, fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation at Georgia Tech.

Participation & Visibility

We actively encourage cross-departmental participation and welcome engagement from both internal academic units and external industry partners. Our goal is to foster a robust community of practice around XR at Georgia Tech.

Lunch will be served for those who RSVP.

Subscribe & Sign Up

To join our mailing list and RSVP for these seminar series, please sign up here: RSVP HERE.

About the Speaker

Robyn Gatens is globally recognized for her 40-year career of leadership and contributions to NASA’s human spaceflight missions. 

Robyn recently retired from NASA as director of the ISS and Commercial Spaceflight divisions where she led strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for low-Earth orbit (LEO), including the ISS, commercial LEO development, and commercial crew programs. 

A 1985 chemical engineering graduate from Georgia Tech, Robyn spent the first decades of her career in the development and management of life support and habitation systems for the International Space Station (ISS) and other human spaceflight missions. She was inducted into Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 2025. 

Since retirement, Robyn is staying active through advisory and consulting roles, including serving on the Georgia Tech Space Research Institute’s External Advisory Board.  Robyn also has a passion for global student engagement including speaking to and mentoring students of all ages interested in pursuing careers in STEM and the space industry. 

The Meg & Sam Flax Lecture Series 

The Meg & Sam Flax Lecture Series invites top scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to speak to a wide audience of Georgia Tech students and faculty on issues of urgent importance in public policy. Our goal is not just a better understanding of current issues, but to get diverse perspectives on the proper role(s) of government in solving crucial problems. Because they practice at the cutting edge of their fields or on the front lines of government policy, the Flax Lecturers speak not from philosophy or theory but from facts, data, and experience. Topics range from science & technology policy to energy and the environment, from pandemic threats to sustainable development, from artificial intelligence and cyber-security to monetary policy, and even outer space. All Flax lectures are free of charge. Members of the broader Georgia Tech and Atlanta community are welcome to attend. Started in the Fall of 2019, the series is still ongoing.

RSVP on Engage!

Abstract: Quantum magnetism studies how large numbers of interacting quantum particles organize and evolve collectively. Despite simple microscopic ingredients, quantum magnetic materials exhibit rich emergent behavior, novel phases of matter, and dynamics that often challenge our ability to predict, model, or even measure them. In this talk, I will introduce the basic concepts of quantum magnetism and discuss a variety of open problems at the intersection of optimization, statistical inference, inverse problems, uncertainty quantification, complexity, and information. Along the way, I will show how modern experiments probe quantum matter and how physicists seek simplified, predictive descriptions of systems whose underlying complexity is often enormous. I will also discuss how emerging quantum computing tools are used to study such systems, complementarily to experiments on real materials.
 

Bio: Martin Mourigal is a Professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech, holds the Dunn Family Professorship, and serves as Co-Director of the Quantum Applications Research Center. He received his undergraduate degree in materials science from École des Mines de Nancy in 2007 and his M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in 2008 and 2011, respectively. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University from 2011 to 2014 and joined Georgia Tech in 2015. His honors include a 2018 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a 2019 Kavli Fellowship by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the 2022 Science Prize from the Neutron Scattering Society of America.

Abstract: Semiclassical spin dynamics provides a powerful framework for studying finite-temperature magnetic excitations beyond the harmonic approximation, naturally incorporating nonlinear dynamics and thermal fluctuations. In this talk, I will discuss how real-time spin trajectories can be used to calculate response functions beyond the conventional dynamical structure factor, focusing on thermal Hall transport and Raman circular dichroism. I will present a framework for calculating the thermal Hall conductivity from equilibrium energy-current correlations, highlighting the roles of classical statistics and nonlinear finite-temperature effects. I will then discuss how impurity-induced chiral interactions can give rise to additional Raman scattering channels. Finally, I will explore possible approaches to incorporating quantum statistics into semiclassical spin dynamics, aiming to improve dynamical response functions while preserving nonlinear real-time dynamics.

Every smartphone, laptop, gaming console, and AI accelerator begins as a digital chip design. Yet one of the most important
steps in bringing that design to life remains largely invisible to most engineers and consumers. At Synopsys, engineers develop the software, algorithms, models, and simulation tools that enable both the design and manufacturing of advanced semiconductor devices. This work spans computer science, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, high-performance computing, and advanced manufacturing, creating exciting career opportunities for students interested in solving some of the world’s most challenging technical problems.

A critical stage in a chip’s journey from concept to product is tapeout, the process between design and manufacturing. During tapeout, engineers transform a completed integrated circuit design into a set of photomasks used to print billions of transistor features onto silicon wafers. Because these features are now measured in nanometers, manufacturing introduces complex optical and physical effects that can distort the intended circuit patterns. To overcome these challenges, engineers use advanced computational lithography techniques to analyze, modify, and optimize mask patterns so the manufactured chip matches the original design intent.
This presentation will explore the fascinating technologies behind leading-edge photomask development, including pattern correction, verification, mask writing, and inspection. Attendees will learn how sophisticated software, physics-based modeling, and advanced manufacturing technologies work together to make modern semiconductor devices possible. Along the way, real-world engineering challenges that require expertise across multiple disciplines will be examined and demonstrate how innovation in computational engineering continues to drive the semiconductor industry forward.

By the end of this session, students will have a behind-the-scenes view of how a digital chip design becomes a manufacturable product and discover a hidden but highly impactful career
path at the intersection of software, physics, chip design, and semiconductor manufacturing. Whether your interests lie in computer science, electrical engineering, data science, or applied physics, tapeout engineering offers a unique opportunity to
help create the technologies that power the modern world. Manufacturing and chip design careers will also be discussed.

Bio: Larry Melvin is a Senior Director in the Product Management Group at Synopsys, where he leads development of software and models used in semiconductor manufacturing. His work focuses on predicting how microchips will be fabricated and ensuring that chip designs can be manufactured accurately and efficiently.

Throughout his career, he has worked on a variety of advanced lithography and semiconductor technologies, including extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, optical proximity correction (OPC), and computational lithography. Recent projects include developing specifications for EUV photomasks, designing optical devices that account for manufacturing effects, and creating semiconductor digital twins to model the chip design and manufacturing process to an electrical analysis. Dr. Melvin received his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin and his B.S. from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign. He also completed postdoctoral research in X-ray lithography and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His career spans the intersection of physics, engineering, manufacturing, and software, with a focus on helping the semiconductor industry design and build increasingly complex microchips.

Agenda

09:00-09:25 Coffee and Snacks Marcus Nano Atrium  

Host: M. Chapman/C. Parker

Title: Observing a mesoscopic quantum system made of atoms and light

Abstract: Ever since the theory of quantum mechanics was dreamed up a century ago, physicists have been constructing experimental systems of growing complexity in which quantum mechanical effects are dominant, controllable, and visible.  I will discuss how we build controlled quantum systems, and putative quantum devices, using two main ingredients: ultracold atoms (cooled to temperatures in the micro- and even nano-Kelvin range) and quantum states of light.  Distinctly, these quantum systems are open, and we study their evolution while they are being driven, dissipating energy, and under measurement, altogether bringing fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics to light.  Recent highlights include observing the dynamics of symmetry breaking in mesoscopic systems, observing transitions from limit cycles to static self-organized phases, and realizing rapid mid-circuit measurement and feedforward control in a platform that supports quantum computing.

Bio: Dan Stamper-Kurn came to Berkeley following his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D. 2000) and postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology (1999 – 2001). He is the recipient of the 2000 APS Division of Atomic, Optical and Molecular Physics Outstanding Thesis award, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2001 – 2003), the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering (2002 – 2007), and the Presidential Young Investigator Award in Science and Engineering (2002). He holds the Class of 1936 Second Chair in the College of Letters and Sciences (2007 – 2012), and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and of the Optical Society of America.

RSVP requested.

Join researchers and students from around the world for a three-day hybrid hackathon exploring how AI and machine learning can advance microscopy, materials imaging, spectroscopy, and scientific workflows.

Primarily focused on electron microscopy (SEM S/TEM, and related techniques). Projects in SPM (i.e., AFM and STM), hyperspectral imaging, and other microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are also welcome.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Everyone is welcome — undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, faculty, researchers, and industry participants. You do not need to be an AI expert. Teams are encouraged to combine microscopy/materials domain knowledge with AI/ML and coding skills.

PROJECT TOPICS

•1. Image and Hyperspectral Image Analysis

•2. New Problems for Real-world Materials Imaging and Spectroscopy

•3. Creating Instructional Tutorials

•4. Active Learning and Real-time Analysis

•5. Simulators for Active Learning

•6. From Microscopy to ML and Back

•7. Grand Challenge Problems

•8. General

HOW IT WORKS

• Hackathon problems will be released one day before the event

• Participants may form local or global interdisciplinary teams

• Teams typically focus on one challenge

• Most projects can be developed using accessible cloud resources such as Google Colab

• Scientific relevance, creativity, domain understanding, robustness, and practical impact matter — not just coding performance

• Examples of projects submitted during the 2025 Hackathon can be found here: Hackathon 2025

Coffee, refreshments, and lunch will be provided.

Local Host/Contact: Mengkun Tian

No registration fee

Sessions: 

• Tue, Oct. 20 | 3 p.m. - 5p.m.
• B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
•  
• Fri, Oct. 23 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Southern Company Multicultural Lounge,
• Student Center
•  
• Mon, Dec. 7 | 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
•  
• Mon, Dec. 14 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Clough Lounge, CULC 211

Sessions: 

• Tue, Oct. 20 | 3 p.m. - 5p.m.
• B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
•  
• Fri, Oct. 23 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Southern Company Multicultural Lounge,
• Student Center
•  
• Mon, Dec. 7 | 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
•  
• Mon, Dec. 14 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Clough Lounge, CULC 211

Sessions: 

• Tue, Oct. 20 | 3 p.m. - 5p.m.
• B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
•  
• Fri, Oct. 23 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Southern Company Multicultural Lounge,
• Student Center
•  
• Mon, Dec. 7 | 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
•  
• Mon, Dec. 14 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Clough Lounge, CULC 211

Sessions: 

• Tue, Oct. 20 | 3 p.m. - 5p.m.
  B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
• 
  Fri, Oct. 23 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  Southern Company Multicultural Lounge,
  Student Center
• 
  Mon, Dec. 7 | 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
  B&SS Suite, Flag Building 102
• 
  Mon, Dec. 14 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  Clough Lounge, CULC 211

• Attend in-person at the Petit Biotechnology Building (IBB) - Lunch provided, while supplies last
• REGISTER HERE for virtual participation link

The Laura Bassi Scholarship supports postgraduate students and junior academics whose research addresses neglected topics in their fields. It is administered by Editing Press and offered three times a year.

What the award provides

This award is editorial assistance, not a cash stipend. Recipients receive professional editing services applied to their own work, valued as follows:

• $750 for master's candidates
• $2,500 for doctoral candidates
• $500 for junior academics
• $5,000 for book authors and editors

Awards made through the Bassi Foundation Press may be applied toward its open-access publication charge.

Eligibility

• Currently enrolled master's and doctoral candidates.
• Academics within the first five years of full-time employment.
• Open to all disciplines. There are no institutional, departmental, or national restrictions, and no citizenship requirement.

The selection emphasis is on research covering neglected topics, so applicants should be prepared to speak to what is underexamined in their field and how their work addresses it.

How to apply

• Submit a completed application form and your CV through the application portal at editing.press/bassi.
  • Do not send materials by email.
• A voluntary application fee of USD $10 applies, with a waiver available for first-time applicants.

The scholarship page also lists past recipients by funding round, with research statements spanning fields including nursing, architecture, law, archaeology, and computer science. Reviewing those is a useful way to gauge fit before applying.

Apply and read full details: https://editing.press/bassi

The DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) supports doctoral students pursuing research that advances computational science and high-performance computing. The program is funded by the DOE Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration, and administered by the Krell Institute.

What the fellowship provides

• $45,000 annual stipend
• Full payment of tuition and fees
• A yearly academic allowance for professional development
• Renewable for up to four years
• A practicum of at least 12 weeks, usually during the summer, at a DOE national laboratory, working on multidisciplinary teams

Two application tracks

1. Science and Engineering — for students using high-performance computing to address complex challenges in science and engineering.
2. Mathematics and Computer Science — for students pursuing research in applied mathematics, statistics, or computer science that contributes to the effective use of emerging high-performance computing systems.

Eligibility

• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• The program seeks senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students. Students further along in a doctoral program are generally not the target audience.
• Recipients must be enrolled as full-time doctoral students.

Application Q&A webinar

The program is holding a live webinar covering the fellowship, application requirements, and the submission process, with time for questions.

• Thursday, December 10, 2026
• 1:00–2:30 p.m. Central Time (2:00–3:30 p.m. Eastern)
• Registration required.

Apply

https://csgf.krellinst.org/

Questions about the fellowship may be directed to the DOE CSGF program at the Krell Institute.

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

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

The Annual Minors & Certificates Fair and Showcase, co-hosted by the Academic Success & Advising (ASA) unit, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts (IAC), Leadership, Education & Development (LEAD), and Scheller College of Business, provides students with the opportunity to learn about the 100+ minors and certificates that Georgia Tech has to offer, all at one time. Students will have the opportunity to speak with advisors from each program, and representatives will be available to answer questions. 

Click below to register for this virtual event: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ttB2STC4QEuxHCJq2ypHgw

INNS graduate students, postdocs, and research scientists are invited to apply by submitting:

• An abstract (maximum 1500 characters) describing their research
• A brief statement (maximum 1500 characters) outlining their contribution to the INNS community

Applications must by submitted here by EOD November 11. A selection committee will review all submissions and choose one graduate student and one postdoctoral researcher or research scientist who will each receive the STAR Award and present their research in a dedicated lecture on December 7 as part of the INNSight Forum 2026-2027. Awardees will be selected based on the scientific merit, originality, and impact of their research, as well as their contributions to the INNS community.

Title: Bridging Particle-scale Physics to Continuum Closure for Particle-laden Flows

Please contact clt6@gatech.edu with any questions

Sign ups will close October 19th at 11:59 pm.

To participate, you must:

     1. Sign up using this link: TEAM Buzz Homecoming Day of Service Sign-Up – Fill out form 

     2. Join TEAM Buzz as a member on Engage

     3. RSVP to this event

     4. Create a GivePulse account and join the Georgia Tech Group. (you will need this for signing the waiver day of)

Failure to do all 4 will preclude you from participating in the event and receiving points for your organization.

No prior experience needed. Amateur radio is a valuable life skill, opens doors in STEM and emergency communications, and looks great on a resume. Whether you’re into satellites, emergency response, digital modes, off-the-grid comms, or just building cool electronics, ham radio gives you the skills and credentials to take your projects further.

💡 Event Cost: FREE! Food may be provided, pending availability.
📡 License Cost: Free for Georgia Tech students. Sponsored by W5YI Licensing Services Inc.

The entry-level Technician license gives you access to VHF and UHF bands (perfect for handheld and mobile radios), nationwide repeater networks, digital modes, and even limited HF privileges so you can start making long-distance contacts. It lasts 10 years and can be easily renewed.

📍 Location: The Hive Makerspace, Georgia Tech

➡️ Check the ARRL “What to Bring to an Exam” guide. Our tests will be administered online. Please bring a laptop and charger to take notes or participate in interactive games.

Join our Discord to stay up to date on event information and club activities.

Open to Georgia Tech students of all majors!

We have also created a Mini Murph option for less experienced athletes!

The full muprh:

- 1 mile run

- 100 pullups

- 200 pushups

- 300 squats

- and another mile. 

The Mini Murph:

- 2/3 mile run

- 100 rows

- 200 knee pushups

- 300 squats

- another 2/3 mile

Current John H. Martinson Honors Program students, family, and alums are invited to join us for a 20th anniversary themed celebration including food, games, and giveaways as we tailgate for the Homecoming Game Georgia Tech vs. Boston College on Saturday, October 24th!

Tailgate time is TBD until the Homecoming game time is announced closer to the event.

Please RSVP via Qualtrics here. 

GO JACKETS 🐝

RSVP on Engage: https://gatech.campuslabs.com/engage/event/12799752

The format: We Hold These Truths follows an award-winning model for civic engagement including:

• A meal.
  Share a meal with friends & strangers
• A play.
  Experience one thought-provoking short play on American identity
• A conversation.
  Engage in guided discussion led by trained facilitators

Share your story and your hopes and dreams for the future of our country. Bridge divides and connect with your neighbors. Leave feeling hopeful, connected, and inspired to create a world where everyone thrives!

RSVP on Engage: https://gatech.campuslabs.com/engage/event/12876223

*NOTE, this event is eligible for Jacket Job Ready Challenge credit.

RSVP on Engage: https://gatech.campuslabs.com/engage/event/12600538

The event celebrates the artists participating in Chalk the Walk, taking place Oct. 21 – 23. Artists will transform 9-by-9-foot sections of sidewalk leading to the Library into a vibrant outdoor gallery celebrating literature and art.

Participants will select a favorite book and create either an artistic rendition of its cover or a reimagined interpretation using sidewalk chalk.

Registration is open through Oct. 8. To submit a book cover concept and sketch, click here. Approved participants will receive space assignments Oct. 17.

Artists will create their work Oct. 21 – 23, transforming a highly visible campus pathway into a temporary public art installation that celebrates creativity, reading, visual storytelling, and Georgia Tech spirit.

Finished works will remain on display throughout Homecoming Week, weather permitting.

Chalk the Walk is a collaboration between the Georgia Tech Library and Georgia Tech Arts.

Date: 2026-11-04
Time: 11:00 am ~ 12:00 pm
Location / Meeting Link: HSRB II N357, https://emory.zoom.us/j/97793833880?from=addon

Committee Members:
Anant Madabhushi, PhD (Advisor); Peng Qiu, PhD; Drew Williamson, MD; Ravi B. Parikh MD; Ahmet Coskun, PhD

Title: Computational Pathology Biomarkers in Androgen Pathway Modulator Sensitive Prostate Cancer

Abstract:
Prostate cancer accounted for an estimated 1.47 million new cases and 397,000 deaths worldwide in 2022. Although most men are diagnosed with localized disease that is potentially curable, the risk of death is concentrated in high-risk localized and metastatic disease, where androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is intensified with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI), docetaxel, or radiotherapy. In metastatic androgen pathway modulator sensitive (APMS) prostate cancer, docetaxel is added to ADT and an ARPI according to the volume and timing of metastases, criteria that are prognostic but do not measure the tumor biology that determines response. Between 40% and 50% of men selected in this way derive no survival benefit from docetaxel while experiencing its toxicity. Molecular states associated with progression and treatment response can be measured by genomic profiling, an assay performed on additional tissue in a minority of patients. These states also alter tumor morphology on the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slide prepared at diagnosis, which in routine practice is assessed only through visual grading of glandular architecture. The objective of this dissertation is to determine whether the diagnostic H&E slide can provide quantitative measurements of tumor biology to guide treatment selection in prostate cancer. We hypothesize that this biology is expressed in H&E morphology and can be quantified computationally. In Aim 1, we will develop methods to quantify tumor-immune spatial architecture and nuclear morphologic heterogeneity, and to infer molecular states from tissue morphology by relating histologic appearance to spatially resolved gene expression and to tumor genomic profiles. In Aim 2, we will evaluate whether the morphological features predict benefit from docetaxel and enzalutamide through treatment-by-biomarker interaction analyses in three completed randomized phase 3 trials. In Aim 3, we will validate the inferred molecular states against genomic, protein, and spatial transcriptomic measurements, compare their prognostic value with that of the Decipher genomic classifier, and evaluate whether their distribution within the tumor is associated with treatment response and benefit. The expected outcomes are a histologic biomarker of treatment benefit validated in completed phase 3 trials and an estimate of molecular state, and of its distribution within the tumor, from routine histology. With these measurements, treatment selection in prostate cancer could be informed by tumor biology, including for patients without access to genomic testing.
 

BIO
H. Tom Soh is the W.M. Keck Foundation Professor of Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering and Radiology at Stanford University. He earned his B.S. with Distinction with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Cornell University and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to academia, he served as a technical manager of MEMS device research group at Bell Laboratories and Agere Systems. Between 2003 and 2015, he was the Ruth Garland Professor at UC-Santa Barbara (UCSB) in the departments of Materials and Mechanical Engineering. His lab moved to Stanford in 2015. He is a recipient of numerous awards including MIT Technology Review’s “TR 100” Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, Beckman Young Investigator Award, ALA Innovator Award, NIH TR01 Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Humboldt Fellowship, and Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub Investigatorship. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Faculty host: Todd Sulchek

 

Heming Gao
Advisor:  Dr. Colin Parker, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Toward Optical Detection and Spectroscopy of Single Thulium Atoms in Solid Argon
Monday, October 19, 2026 
9:00 a.m.      
Howey N110

Committee Members:
Dr. Dragomir Davidovic, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology 
Dr. Phillip First, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology 
Dr. Itamar Kimchi, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

_____________________________
 

Follow the sound. Sink into the groove.

Siren’s Groove is calling you to the other side. Step into a night of glowing lights, high-energy hyperpop, and a shipwrecked world where the only way out is to follow the music. DJ Sudie, resident DJ at Pisces, will be bringing the sound as you get lost in the groove.

Come ready to dance, explore, and get lost in the glow. With themed decor, free food, an open photo booth, and music throughout the night, Siren’s Groove is your next stop after getting lost at sea.

Friday, October 16    7:00–9:00 PM

Loop Atlanta

665 Marietta Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Get lured in. You might not want to find your way back.

Learn about Conflict of Interest at Georgia Tech

Enjoy coffee and networking as you learn how to navigate the conflict of interest process at Georgia Tech.  

Hear from Terry Bridges, director for Conflict of Interest at Georgia Tech. Bridges leads efforts to identify, manage, and mitigate situations in which personal interests could compromise—or appear to compromise—professional judgment or objectivity.

In this session, you will: 

• Explore the challenges faculty entrepreneurs face when navigating conflict-of-interest requirements and commercialization processes.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce administrative barriers, and improve the faculty experience.
• Understand how Georgia Tech balances research integrity and institutional compliance with its commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation.

There will be a Q&A session at the end of the presentation. This is a great opportunity to get all your patent questions answered. 

Whether your background is in communications, public policy, business, media, or another discipline, this Trek offers valuable insight into real-world career paths, practical networking experience, and a firsthand look at what it takes to drive a major professional sports organization. Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot to connect with fellow Yellow Jackets and explore your career possibilities!

Please complete the registration form to indicate your interest by Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m. Note: Completing the form does not confirm your registration. Only 30 spots are available, and you will receive a follow-up email if your application is accepted. 

Bio: Dominic Kao is an Assistant Professor in the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he directs the Virtual Futures Lab. His research asks how virtual worlds shape the people who use them: how avatars and identity, feedback design, and virtual reality change motivation, performance, and learning. His lab builds its own games and VR systems and runs controlled experiments inside them, with more than 30,000 study participants to date. Before academia, he worked as a game developer at Electronic Arts. His work has been recognized with an NSF CAREER Award, a Best Paper Award from ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems, and Honorable Mentions at CHI and CHI PLAY. He received his PhD in Computer Science from MIT.

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IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture Series

Date: Friday, October 16th, 2026

Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM ET

Location: Klaus 2126

Virtual Link: Teams (https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/293867738134584?p=GI8Tcf7EIQ4ih1fkL7

                                      Meeting ID: 293 867 738 134 584 

                                      Passcode: CN9DD3Zy)

Bodhisatwa Chatterjee
Ph.D. Student

School of Computer Science

College of Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee:

Dr. Santosh Pande (Advisor) – School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Qirun Zhang – School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Vijay Ganesh – School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Rajeev Gupta – Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California, Riverside

Dr. Mark Stephenson – NVIDIA Research, NVIDIA

Abstract

Accurate knowledge of program execution behavior is critical for both compiler optimizations and system-level resource management. However, modern workloads exhibit complex, input-dependent behavior with irregular control flow and dynamic phase changes, making static reasoning inadequate. While dynamic optimization techniques offer an alternative, their high analysis overhead often negates potential performance gains. In this work, we propose lightweight predictive techniques that leverage runtime values, program analysis, machine learning models, and LLM reasoning to predict dynamic program behavior at multiple levels of granularity. Although such predictions do not provide strict guarantees, we demonstrate empirically that they enable a range of “soft” optimizations that yield significant performance improvements.

In our first work, we showcase Compiler-Guided Cache Apportioning System (Com-CAS) for effectively apportioning the shared Last-Level Cache (LLC), through the use of runtime and compile-time cooperative framework. Com-CAS improves weighted throughput by 15% on average, outperforming the state-of-the-art schemes by 20% on average. In our second work, we extend this approach to estimate trip count for irregular loops, and present Beacons Framework, an end-to-end system that estimates dynamic loop characteristics and leverages them for proactive workload scheduling. Beacons achieves approximately 85--95% prediction accuracy and improves throughput by up to 2.62x over existing schedulers.

In our third work, we introduce Phaedrus, a framework for profile-driven software optimization via predictive modeling of dynamic application behavior. Phaedrus combines application profile generalization and application profile synthesis, integrating generative deep learning models and LLMs with static compiler analysis to predict function calls and control-flow behavior. This enables profile-guided optimization without exhaustive profiling across application inputs and demonstrates performance gains over traditional offline profiling approaches. Phaedrus improves performance by 6% on average and reduces binary size by 13.68%. 

Finally, we present Cassandra, a compiler-LLM co-reasoning framework that selectively predicts fine-grained, input-specific program behavior within computationally important regions identified through coarse-grained analysis. Cassandra first uses LLM reasoning to identify hot function chains, then applies compiler analyses and loop categorization to predict loop trip counts, invocation frequencies, and other intra-function behavior required for profile synthesis. Cassandra PGO produces leaner code than Traditional PGO and achieves aggregate runtime improvements of 1.32-1.44% over Traditional PGO.

Participants

• Adm. Sandy Winnefeld, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Distinguished Professor of the Practice
• Stacey Dixon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Distinguished Professor of the Practice

Journey to the Georgia coast with G. Wayne Clough, CE 63, MS CE 65, HON PhD 15, President Emeritus of Georgia Institute of Technology and Secretary Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution, and author of the new book, The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast: A Natural History of Its Creation, Transformation, and Future.

Meet us at Scheller Tower in the heart of Tech Square for a special conversation between Clough and Georgia Tech College of Sciences Dean Susan Lozier as we travel “by kayak, seaplane, and ATV to explore the rich geological history and fascinating ecology of this exceptional natural treasure” — Georgia’s Golden Coast — and understand the facets of its vibrant ecosystems through a story that is “part travelogue, part natural history, and part nature guide.”

Audience Q&A and a book-signing reception with refreshments will follow the conversation. Copies of Clough’s new book will be available for purchase and signing at the program. This event is free and open to the public. 

RSVP here to be entered into a drawing for one of 14 signed copies of the new book — one for each of Georgia’s major barrier islands. Pre-event registration is encouraged. Space is filled on a first come, first seated basis.

About the Author

G. Wayne Clough, born in South Georgia, received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, served on the faculties of prominent research universities, and traveled the world as a geological and earthquake engineer. He served as president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1994 to 2008 and as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 2008 to 2015. He was named Conservationist of the Year in 2020 by the Satilla Riverkeeper, and his book Things New and Strange: A Southerner’s Journey Through the Smithsonian Collections won him Author of the Year in History by the Georgia Writers Association in 2020. His new book is The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast: A Natural History of Its Creation, Transformation, and Future.

About the Moderator

Susan Lozier is dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. One of the world’s foremost physical oceanographers, Lozier is the international project lead for the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP). She recently served as president of the American Geophysical Union and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Board of Directors for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Her recent honors include election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020 and receipt of the Henry Stommel Research Medal in 2022, the highest honor given to an oceanographer by the American Meteorological Society. In 2025, Lozier was named Faculty of the Year by the Georgia Tech Graduate Student Government Association.

About Presenting Science

Hosted in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Friends of Sciences, the Presenting Science series hosts distinguished researchers and thought leaders who share the latest findings and topics of interest with the Atlanta community. Our audience includes professionals, faculty, staff, alumni, students, and researchers throughout the greater metro community. Our alumni and student audience — from the College of Sciences and across the Institute — are among the most engaged. 

Lead photo: Salt marsh coast near Skidaway Island, Georgia (Maxwell Guberman / Georgia Tech).

Event questions: Leslie Roberts
Media questions: Jess Hunt-Ralston

Featured Speakers

Adharsh Rajagopal works in DRAM Device and Cell Technology at Micron Technology, where he develops advanced memory technologies for next-generation semiconductor devices. His expertise includes semiconductor device physics, materials characterization, process integration, and thin-film technologies. Before joining Micron, he conducted doctoral research at the University of Washington focused on high-performance tandem perovskite solar cells and emerging photovoltaic technologies. He holds a doctorate in materials science and engineering.

Michael Hamilton is the James B. Davis Professor in electrical and computer engineering at Auburn University and leads wiring, interconnects, and packaging efforts for quantum computing at Google Quantum AI. His research spans superconducting and cryogenic devices, advanced packaging and integration technologies, nanotechnology-enabled electronic and photonic systems, and semiconductor device performance in extreme environments. He previously served as director of the Alabama Micro/Nano Science and Technology Center and worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Time: 9:15–10:45 a.m.
Location: Marcus Nanotechnology Building, Georgia Tech

Adharsh Rajagopal will speak from 9:15 to 10 a.m., followed by Michael Hamilton from 10 to 10:45 a.m. 

Registration

The Brand Lecture is presented as part of Microelectronics Day, a full-day event hosted by the Institute for Matter and Systems. Registration is free, and all Brand Lecture attendees must register for Microelectronics Day to attend.

Register for Microelectronics Day

📍 Meeting Location & Transportation

• We will meet on campus at 1:00 PM and carpool to Amicalola Falls (about 1.5 hours away).
• If you RSVP, you’ll be added to a carpooling sheet to help coordinate rides. You’re also welcome to arrange your own transportation and meet us directly at the trailhead.
• We expect to arrive at the park around 2:30 PM.

🗓️ Tentative Schedule

• 1:00 PM – Meet at campus & leave
• 2:30 PM – Arrive at Amicalola Falls
• 3:00–6:00 PM – Group hike at the falls
• 6:30 PM – Dinner (bring your own food/snacks; hot water for simple meals will be available)
• Evening – Campfire, games, and community time
• Morning – Pack up after breakfast, optional short hike, head back to campus (depends on driver/plans)

🍴 What to Bring

• Snacks and/or easy meals you can prepare with hot water (e.g., instant noodles, oatmeal, dehydrated meals)
• Plenty of water and electrolytes
• Warm layers (it can get chilly at night!)

✅ Safety & Notes

• All participants will sign a waiver before attending.
• We’ll stay together as a group for hikes and evening activities.
• Cell service can be limited — plan ahead.
• Bring only what you need and keep track of your belongings.