As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of conversation, companionship, and emotional responsiveness, what happens to our understanding of human connection? Unpack AI, empathy, intimacy, and relationships while considering what it means to form meaningful connections in an increasingly AI-mediated world.

Co-sponsored by the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership.

What does creativity mean when machines can generate images, music, writing, and other forms of creative work? Explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping creative industries, changing the relationship between technology and human expression, and raising new questions around authorship, originality, labor, and the future of creative work.

Co-sponsored by the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership.

How is artificial intelligence changing the way knowledge is created? Examine AI's growing role in academic research, including how researchers use emerging tools to accelerate discovery, approach complex questions, and navigate the ethical and practical implications of AI-assisted scholarship.

Co-sponsored by the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership.

Panelists

Sebastian Porsdam Mann, Assistant Professor, CeBIL, University of Copenhagen

Sebastian Porsdam Mann is an Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Advanced Studies in Bioscience Innovation Law. With training spanning philosophy, neuroscience, applied ethics, and international human rights law, his research examines how emerging technologies can advance scientific progress while navigating ethical and regulatory challenges. His work has directly explored generative AI in academic writing and idea generation, as well as AI's potential role in the future of academic peer review, positioning him to address both the opportunities and risks AI creates throughout the research process. 

Chad Pasha, Education at OpenAI

Sarah H. Salter, Director of the Writing Program & Professor of Pedagogy, Emory University

Sarah H. Salter is a Teaching Professor and Director of the Writing Program at Emory University whose research focuses on American literature, periodical studies, collaboration, and digital humanities. Her scholarship has included interdisciplinary work using machine-learning methods to analyze the visual structures of historical newspapers, combining literary study, library science, and computational approaches. Her perspective brings an important humanities dimension to the conversation about how computational tools and AI are changing research methods, scholarly interpretation, writing, and knowledge production. 

Allegra Smith, Assistant Professor of Technical Communication, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology

Allegra Smith is an Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Literature, Media, and Communication whose research examines technical and professional communication, digital technologies, user experience, access, and equity. Her teaching and research include work involving generative AI, digital communication, and undergraduate research, alongside extensive scholarship on how people interact with technology. She brings a valuable perspective on how AI is affecting research, writing, communication, pedagogy, and the experiences of the people using these emerging tools. 

Join Georgia Tech's Marilyn Brown, Valerie Thomas, and Susan Graff as they celebrate two new Springer Nature books — Energy Technology and Policy Innovation and Sustainability Leaders: A Guide to Transforming Organizations — and explore competing visions for change. Drawing on research and real-world experience, this lively conversation will challenge assumptions, examine trade-offs, and ask who should lead, who should pay, and how to turn promising ideas into lasting progress.

About the Books

Only 25 spots available – submit the interest form by Nov. 10!

The IAC Dinner with Alumni series offers a unique opportunity to hear about different career paths, gain insights from alumni experiences, ask questions, and build connections that can last beyond the dinner table.

RSVP to attend.

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.

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 requested.

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. 

Artificial intelligence may feel digital and invisible, but the systems powering it have a very real physical footprint. Dive into the infrastructure behind AI — from data centers and energy consumption to environmental and societal impacts — and what the rapid growth of AI means for the future of our digital society.

Reception at 6:30 p.m. Panel at 7 p.m. Co-hosted by the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership.

Panelists

Wendy H. Wong, Professor, University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus

Wendy H. Wong is Professor and Principal’s Research Chair at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, where her research examines global governance, technology, human rights, and civil society. Her book We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age explores how Big Data and artificial intelligence challenge traditional understandings of human rights and won the 2024 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. Her current research includes AI and the future of extractive politics, making her an important voice on how emerging technologies intersect with governance, data, power, and individual rights. 

Caroline Gwynn Monagle, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, R1 RCM

Caroline Gwynn Monagle is Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at R1 RCM, a healthcare technology and services company, where she leads strategic initiatives within an industry undergoing rapid technological transformation. A Georgia Tech alumna, Monagle was recognized as a Georgia Tech 40 Under 40 honoree in 2025 and previously received the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Award. Her leadership experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, strategy, and organizational change brings an industry perspective to the conversation about AI's impact on health and society. 

Marilyn A. Brown, Regents and Brook Byers Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Marilyn A. Brown is Regents’ and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in Georgia Tech’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy and Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory. Before joining Georgia Tech, she held leadership roles at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and later served as a presidentially appointed member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board. Her research examines energy policy, efficiency, electricity systems, clean-energy technologies, and resilience, providing critical expertise on the rapidly growing relationship between artificial intelligence, energy demand, infrastructure, and sustainability. 

The event will feature a moderated panel discussion followed by an open Q&A session where you can ask your pressing career questions. While tailored for students in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and the College of Design, this event is open to all majors interested in building a sustainability-focused career. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insider career advice and connect with leaders in the field!