{"693061":{"#nid":"693061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Hosts Macro-Energy Systems Workshop","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents, researchers, and energy professionals from across North America and Europe gathered at Georgia Tech Aug. 13\u0026nbsp;\u2013\u0026nbsp;14 for the fourth Macro-Energy Systems (MES) Workshop. The biennial MES workshop is led by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.macroenergysystems.org\/\u0022\u003EMacro Energy Systems Society\u003C\/a\u003E, which promotes research and education in macro-energy systems and helps translate MES work into policy and practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted at the Georgia Tech Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the workshop was organized by a committee of researchers and practitioners from across the macro-energy systems community. The committee was chaired by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003EMicah Ziegler\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two-day workshop brought together more than 130 participants and featured lightning talks, poster presentations, interactive learning sessions, and keynote addresses that strengthened connections across the macro-energy systems research community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe energy challenges facing society today are increasingly interconnected, and solving them requires a systems-level perspective,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/christine-conwell\u0022\u003EChristine Conwell\u003C\/a\u003E, director of planning and operations at the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cSupporting events like the MES Workshop, which provides a unique space for academic collaboration and knowledge sharing, aligns with the Strategic Energy Institute\u2019s commitment to advancing research and workforce development that support more resilient and effective energy solutions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop received financial support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which supports research and education in science, technology, engineering, math, and economics. Through its Energy and Environment program, the foundation helps advance interdisciplinary research and collaboration across the macro-energy systems field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Macro-Energy Systems Workshop has become a significant forum for interdisciplinary energy systems researchers to share and discuss their work,\u201d said Evan Michelson, director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/programs\/research\/energy-and-environment\u0022 title=\u0022Original URL:\u0026#13;https:\/\/sloan.org\/programs\/research\/energy-and-environment\u0026#13;\u0026#13;Click to follow link.\u0022\u003EEnergy and Environment\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;program. \u201cWe were especially glad to help ensure participation from early-career researchers spanning a wide range of institutions, providing them access to the collaborations and conversations that will help them develop as scientists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraduate students and postdoctoral scholars played a central role in this year\u0027s workshop, presenting research on energy system planning, grid reliability, technology deployment, energy transitions, and policy. Their sessions gave the early-career researchers opportunities to share new approaches to studying large-scale energy systems, interact with faculty and industry experts, refine research ideas, and build collaborations beyond their home institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year, we significantly expanded the MES Workshop to include more early-career scholars,\u201d said Ziegler. \u201cThe workshop provides a great opportunity for young researchers to develop ideas, connections, and a better understanding of how to design research to have a positive impact on the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop also featured keynote presentations from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/viterbi.usc.edu\/directory\/faculty\/Sanders\/Kelly\u0022\u003EKelly Sanders\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.dartmouth.edu\/community\/faculty\/erin-mayfield\u0022\u003EErin Mayfield\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor at Dartmouth College\u0027s Thayer School of Engineering. Both speakers discussed insights from their experience contributing to policymaking and highlighted opportunities for energy systems research to inform policy decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInteractive sessions led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/f276dd8a-0e13-5b66-b4cf-3d2960e01b2d\u0022\u003EMichelle Graff\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E encouraged participants to consider how macro-energy systems research can more effectively inform and support policymakers and other decision-makers. Graff developed and facilitated the sessions, with support from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lafollette.wisc.edu\/people\/edwards-morgan\/\u0022\u003EMorgan Edwards\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Micah Ziegler. The first session explored how researchers can identify policy windows and position their work to inform decision-making at the right time. The second focused on matching research to the appropriate audiences and jurisdictions, highlighting opportunities to inform policy at the state and local levels.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents, researchers, and energy professionals from across North America and Europe gathered at Georgia Tech Aug. 13\u0026nbsp;\u2013\u0026nbsp;14 for the fourth Macro-Energy Systems (MES) Workshop. The biennial MES workshop is led by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.macroenergysystems.org\/\u0022\u003EMacro Energy Systems Society\u003C\/a\u003E, which promotes research and education in macro-energy systems and helps translate MES work into policy and practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted at the Georgia Tech Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the workshop was organized by a committee of researchers and practitioners from across the macro-energy systems community. The committee was chaired by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003EMicah Ziegler\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two-day workshop brought together more than 130 participants and featured lightning talks, poster presentations, interactive learning sessions, and keynote addresses that strengthened connections across the macro-energy systems research community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech hosted more than 130 students, researchers, and energy professionals for the fourth Macro-Energy Systems Workshop, chaired by Micah Ziegler, to strengthen collaboration across the macro-energy systems community."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-10-04 03:06:47","changed_gmt":"2026-10-04 03:48:12","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681344":{"id":"681344","type":"image","title":"LR-03355-MESArticle.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E2026 MES Workshop Participants at the Kendeda Building for Innovative Design at Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791083299","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:08:19","changed":"1791083299","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:08:19","alt":"2026 MES Workshop Participants at the Kendeda Building for Innovative Design at Georgia Tech ","file":{"fid":"265722","name":"LR-03355-MESArticle.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/LR-03355-MESArticle.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/LR-03355-MESArticle.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3046310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/LR-03355-MESArticle.jpg?itok=C9SurlQI"}},"681345":{"id":"681345","type":"image","title":"Participants-1787173106475.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EParticipants at the 2026 Macro-Energy Systems Workshop held August 11-13 at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791083770","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:16:10","changed":"1791083770","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:16:10","alt":"Participants at the 2026 Macro-Energy Systems Workshop held August 11-13 at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"265723","name":"Participants-1787173106475.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/Participants-1787173106475.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/Participants-1787173106475.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":909914,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/Participants-1787173106475.jpg?itok=asORm3iu"}},"681346":{"id":"681346","type":"image","title":"ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EErin Mayfield, assistant professor at Dartmouth College\u0027s Thayer School of Engineering gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791085386","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:43:06","changed":"1791085386","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:43:06","alt":"Erin Mayfield, assistant professor at Dartmouth College\u0027s Thayer School of Engineering gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop","file":{"fid":"265724","name":"ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":369919,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg?itok=g_0uhLTE"}},"681347":{"id":"681347","type":"image","title":"KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly Sanders, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791085486","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:44:46","changed":"1791085486","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:44:46","alt":"Kelly Sanders, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop","file":{"fid":"265725","name":"KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":394879,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg?itok=EctMBnwL"}}},"media_ids":["681344","681345","681346","681347"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"693060":{"#nid":"693060","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Webinar Series Explores the Future of Nuclear Energy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E (EPIcenter), in partnership with Georgia Tech\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nremp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program\u003C\/a\u003E, recently hosted a three-part webinar series, \u003Cem\u003ENuclear Energy: A Public Primer\u003C\/em\u003E, bringing together experts to discuss the science, economics, policy, and geopolitics shaping the future of nuclear power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesigned for industry professionals, policymakers, educators, students, community leaders, and members of the public, the lunchtime webinar series provided an accessible introduction to the key issues influencing the nuclear energy sector at a time of growing interest in nuclear power as part of the global energy transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe series began on Aug. 20 with \u003Cem\u003EThe New Nuclear\u003C\/em\u003E, presented by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/steven-biegalski\u0022\u003ESteven Biegalski\u003C\/a\u003E, chair of the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program. The session examined the evolution of nuclear reactor technology, from today\u0027s operating fleet and the AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle to emerging small modular reactors and advanced reactor designs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second webinar, held Sept. 3, focused on the economics and policy landscape of nuclear power.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter and professor of economics at Georgia Tech, joined\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nuclearscaling.org\/people\/stephen-comello\/\u0022\u003EStephen Comello\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president and executive director of the Nuclear Scaling Initiative at the EFI Foundation, to discuss the economic drivers, policy considerations, and opportunities influencing nuclear energy development in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe series concluded on Sept. 17 with a discussion of nuclear fuel, security, and geopolitics.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/anna-erickson\u0022\u003EAnna Erickson\u003C\/a\u003E, Woodruff Professor of Nuclear Engineering, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/rachel-whitlark\u0022\u003ERachel Whitlark\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, explored global nuclear energy growth, fuel supply chains, and the policies needed to support the safe, secure deployment of nuclear technologies worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecordings and presentation materials from all three sessions are available on the webinar series webpage. Those who were unable to attend can watch the presentations and access the accompanying slides to learn more about the technologies, policies, and global trends shaping the future of nuclear energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/nuclear-energy-primer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EView webinar recordings and presentation slides on the EPIcenter website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E (EPIcenter), in partnership with Georgia Tech\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nremp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program\u003C\/a\u003E, recently hosted a three-part webinar series, \u003Cem\u003ENuclear Energy: A Public Primer\u003C\/em\u003E, bringing together experts to discuss the science, economics, policy, and geopolitics shaping the future of nuclear power.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A three-part webinar series hosted by Georgia Tech\u0027s Energy Policy and Innovation Center provided an accessible introduction to the science, economics, policy, and geopolitics shaping the future of nuclear energy."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-10-04 02:58:41","changed_gmt":"2026-10-04 03:01:22","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681343":{"id":"681343","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","body":null,"created":"1791082730","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 02:58:50","changed":"1791082730","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 02:58:50","alt":"Nuclear Plant Aerial View Stock Image","file":{"fid":"265721","name":"AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":619516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg?itok=cfl4g6sz"}}},"media_ids":["681343"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ggonzalez68@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E || Energy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691226":{"#nid":"691226","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Helps Advance Genesis Mission, a National Effort to Transform Scientific Discovery Through AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech will play a key role in the newly announced \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/undersecretaryforscience\/genesis-mission\/genesis-mission\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E, a national initiative harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to propel scientific discovery and address challenges in health, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and national security. The White House announced the first Genesis Mission projects on July 22 as part of a more than $5 billion investment in AI-enabled science and technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech was chosen for multiple Genesis Mission awards. Faculty will lead two projects and collaborate on others with research partners across the country.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArtificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we conduct research and drive discovery,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for Research. \u201cThese awards recognize Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in AI, advanced computing, engineering, and the sciences. By bringing together expertise from across our colleges and research units, we can help accelerate breakthroughs in areas that are crucial to the nation\u2019s future \u2014 from energy and manufacturing to health and critical infrastructure.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef48fed33303f787f2d03a09ca3172ed\u0022\u003EAmeet Pinto, associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and faculty director for interdisciplinary research and collaboration for the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, will lead \u201cAI-Enabled Single Cell Phenotyping to Advance Biomanufacturing.\u201d The project aims to advance AI-enabled approaches for understanding biological systems and strengthening next-generation biomanufacturing capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e394fd872589e430e8a7f12ca5d6a40d2\u0022\u003EFan Zhang, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will lead the project, \u201cAI Driven Workflow with Cyber Assured Digital Twin for Autonomous Operations in SMRs and Microreactors.\u201d Her team will focus on developing AI-enabled digital twin technologies to support the safe, autonomous operation of advanced nuclear energy systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe additional Georgia Tech-supported awards span multiple disciplines and involve researchers from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences; the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems; the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines; the Institute for Data Engineering and Science; and the Strategic Energy Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e7a92afba6dacd2d56dd5615804d907cf\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown (Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will build AI foundation models that predict and test water-for-energy conditions in the Tennessee Valley Authority region.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5ee3d514f06472b2bd8eed39853bf64e\u0022\u003EPeng Chen (School of Computational Science and Engineering) will collaborate on two projects designed to improve predictions of both water availability and flood risks. He will partner with ORNL and the Argonne National Laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1bb31f256d17759aa5ead75ec2e02245\u0022\u003EAsif Khan (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to accelerate the discovery of new materials for a type of computer memory called Electro-Chemical RAM (ECRAM) to help create more energy-efficient AI systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e2732e959fa01c6df4ef27eaccb18fd78\u0022\u003EFan Zhang\u2019s second Genesis Mission project is a collaboration with ORNL to develop AI tools for the lifecycle of fusion plants, including robotics and maintenance.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e940b6bc9dff007fbe6f6c84bebf1d591\u0022\u003ESamer Naif (School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences) will collaborate with the University of Southern California on the project \u0022AI-enabled Geobiological Critical Minerals Characterization and Recovery in Geothermal Systems.\u0022\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eba933b0a9119da9f1ce9b17ace8d422d\u0022\u003EShimeng Yu (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with Duke University on the project, \u0022Neuromorphic Circuit Primitives for Robotic Embodied Physical AI.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s role in the Genesis Mission highlights the Institute\u2019s strong interdisciplinary research approach, which brings together experts across many fields to solve complex problems and rapidly advance innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENote: Selection for award negotiations does not constitute a final funding award. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, awards remain subject to successful negotiations and the availability of funding.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 13:57:45","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:47:24","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680665":{"id":"680665","type":"image","title":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech graduate student examines a hollow fiber membrane, used for low-energy chemical separation. New DOE Genesis Mission awards have bolstered innovative interdisciplinary work across the Institute, with Georgia Tech leading two projects and contributing to five more. (Photo: Rob Felt)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784901576","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 13:59:36","changed":"1784903464","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 14:31:04","alt":"Georgia Tech grad student holding a hollow fiber membrane that can be used for low-energy chemical separation.","file":{"fid":"264956","name":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":241001,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg?itok=Dxo9rLze"}}},"media_ids":["680665"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAngela Ayers\u003Cbr\u003EAVP of Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691930":{"#nid":"691930","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Neuroscientist Went Looking for Prediction. She Found Time Instead.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFew neuroscientists would dispute that the brain relies on prediction. From houseflies evading swatters to humans catching baseballs, living things are constantly anticipating what comes next. Understanding how the brain generates those predictions could help explain one of neuroscience\u0027s most enduring questions: how the brain builds internal models of the world that allow us to learn, adapt, and anticipate what comes next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWithout actively predicting the world, we cannot survive,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/farzaneh-najafi\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFarzaneh Najafi\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and a faculty affiliate of Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThere is quite some sensory-motor delay in the processing. We can\u2019t just sit there, wait for the brain to process our environment, and then react.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of the puzzle may lie in signals known as neural ramps. Almost like a drumroll leading up to a big reveal, neurons in some areas of the brain have shown gradual increases in activity immediately before a stimulus appears. For decades, researchers have interpreted this ramping activity as a neural signature of prediction, reflecting anticipation of an upcoming event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently published in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aed6417\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a new study from Najafi\u2019s lab reveals these signals may not be \u201cpredictions\u201d at all, but instead a way neurons track elapsed time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSurprisingly,\u201d says Najafi, \u201cthe very first study from my lab called the Predictive Processing Lab showed that no, these are not prediction signals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe finding challenges a long-standing interpretation of one of neuroscience\u0027s most studied signals and reveals that the search for predictive neurons may lead to different circuits \u2014 or require different experiments to uncover.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Problem With Prediction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is a challenge in separating simple time tracking from active prediction. Just because numbers on a stopwatch are increasing doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s counting up to a specific event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo tease the problem apart, the team designed a series of experiments that progressively stripped prediction out of the equation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with mice, the researchers presented audio and visual cues at carefully controlled intervals. Some appeared at regular, hence predictable, times, while others arrived unpredictably. If neurons are making predictions, their activity should look different when events are predictable versus when they are not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that\u2019s not what they found. Even when the researchers introduced errors into those predictable patterns, activity remained largely the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was in the first year of collecting data in my newly established lab that my student, Yicong Huang, started showing me the data and I was shocked: how come we are not seeing a difference between the expected case and the unexpected case?\u201d Najafi recalls. \u201cBecause the entire theory is that there is a difference.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team found even more definitive evidence by monitoring \u201cnaive\u201d mice that had never seen the stimuli before. The brain must learn a pattern before it can anticipate it, yet they found that these neural ramps were present even in the first few trials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrumroll, Please\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf these signals aren\u2019t predictions, then what\u2019s happening?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we are seeing are pure sensory signals,\u201d she says. \u201cThey are not about predicting the timing of the upcoming stimulus. They\u0027re about encoding the time that is elapsed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENajafi thinks that what neuroscientists have long interpreted as an anticipatory \u201cbuildup\u201d to a future event is actually a \u201crelaxation\u201d from the past. Rather than a drummer rolling up to a specific event, imagine one who is always rolling. Each stimulus briefly interrupts the performance before the rhythm gradually returns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut they found that not every neuron behaves like a drummer. While \u201cdrummers\u201d recover their interrupted rhythm after a stimulus, other neurons operate more like a reverberating gong, firing strongly after a stimulus before gradually quieting down.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe beautiful part of this story is that neurons don\u0027t all do the same thing,\u201d Najafi says. \u201cOne neuron ramps up quickly, another more slowly, another with a completely different time course. When you put that heterogeneous population together, you get a very robust readout of time.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe finding may also have implications for how neuroscientists think the brain represents time itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings support the theory that time representation in the brain is an intrinsic property of neurons,\u201d says Najafi. Because the signals appeared even in na\u00efve mice and in sensory brain regions, the results suggest that timing may emerge from the properties of neurons themselves, rather than from a specialized timing system elsewhere in the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Najafi, the study doesn\u0027t close the case on predictive processing. Time, after all, is an important variable to track if you want to make predictions. Instead, it opens more questions about when and where those signals emerge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMaybe we didn\u0027t find them because this was a passive perception task, meaning mice just passively received stimuli without being instructed to attend to them. Maybe we need active perception or an active movement task, and that\u0027s when we can extract these predictive signals from the brain. Alternatively, we may need to search other brain areas to find neural signatures of temporal predictions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDo I believe now that the brain is not doing predictive processing? Absolutely not,\u201d Najafi says. \u201cBut before we say we\u0027ve found evidence for a theory, we really need to do multiple carefully designed experiments. We need to attack this from many different angles.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: This research was supported by the Whitehall Foundation, the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.aed6417\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech study challenges a decades-old explanation for one of neuroscience\u0027s most famous signals, revealing an intrinsic neural code for tracking time.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech study challenges a decades-old explanation for one of neuroscience\u0027s most famous signals, revealing an intrinsic neural code for tracking time."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-08-24 19:39:14","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:47:09","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680972":{"id":"680972","type":"image","title":"Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Tech neuroscientist Farzaneh Najafi studies how the brain predicts future events. A new study from her lab challenges a long-standing interpretation of one of neuroscience\u0027s most famous \u0022prediction signals,\u0022 suggesting it may instead help the brain track elapsed time. Photo via Georgia Tech College of Sciences.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1787600538","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 19:42:18","changed":"1787600957","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 19:49:17","alt":"Farzaneh Najafi standing outside smiling with her arms crossed. Green foliage is visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"265314","name":"Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7788922,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg?itok=DPVq2zuE"}}},"media_ids":["680972"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/molecules-mind-farzaneh-najafi-receives-multiple-awards-cognitive-research","title":"From Molecules to Mind: Farzaneh Najafi Receives Multiple Awards for Cognitive Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/nathan-mcdonald-and-farzaneh-najafi-awarded-curci-foundation-grants","title":"Nathan McDonald and Farzaneh Najafi Awarded Curci Foundation Grants"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-researchers-make-waves-worlds-largest-neuroscience-conference","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Make Waves at the World\u2019s Largest Neuroscience Conference"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"192253","name":"cos-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter and Media Contact:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692183":{"#nid":"692183","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Opens Trash Lab to Turn Campus Waste Into New Possibilities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeginning this fall, Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff will have a new way to rethink waste. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ipat\u0022\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/a\u003E (IPaT) is opening the Trash Lab, a makerspace in Room S27 of the Technology Square Research Building dedicated to plastic recycling, upcycling, and circular-economy innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of the new lab is the miniTrashpresso, a compact recycling and manufacturing system developed by the sustainability technology company \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.miniwiz.com\/\u0022\u003EMiniwiz\u003C\/a\u003E. The machine can take used plastics and other waste materials, process them locally, and transform them into new products in less than five minutes. By bringing manufacturing and recycling together in a single system, the Trash Lab aims to give the Georgia Tech community a way to explore sustainable design, material reuse, and the future of circular manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe launch of IPaT\u2019s new Trash Lab represents an exciting step forward for sustainability at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability. \u201cAs a living-learning lab, it provides students and researchers with hands-on opportunities to work alongside campus operations, turning used plastics into valuable new products and creating innovative solutions that support a more circular campus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Makerspace Focused on Circular Innovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Trash Lab expands Georgia Tech\u2019s growing network of makerspaces and innovation environments by focusing specifically on waste recovery and reuse. Instead of treating used plastics as disposable materials, the lab encourages users to view them as valuable resources that can be transformed into new products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe miniTrashpresso represents the latest generation of recycling technology developed by Miniwiz. The company originally launched the world\u2019s first mobile recycling line, known as the Trashpresso, to support communities that lacked access to traditional recycling infrastructure. The newer miniTrashpresso is smaller, more energy-efficient, and more portable, making it suitable for campuses and community-based applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe modular system uses industrial equipment, including shredders, presses, and heating technologies, to process materials on-site. Advanced heat-induction presses and specialized molds can quickly transform recovered plastics into new objects and components. The system can also be integrated with AI-powered waste-tracking tools and robotic automation technologies that help identify, sort, and process materials more efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor IPaT leaders, the Trash Lab represents more than the addition of specialized equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCommunity resilience and people-centered sustainability are core research areas within IPaT,\u201d said Michael Best, executive director. \u201cOur new Trash Lab will allow the entire Georgia Tech community to not only think about upcycling and plastic reuse but to make and do innovative projects that directly demonstrate sustainable futures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETurning Trash Into a Resource\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiniwiz founder Arthur Huang, who developed the miniTrashpresso system, describes upcycling as a practice rooted in centuries of human ingenuity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUpcycling is actually recycling old material and turning that into something new,\u201d Huang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout history, societies have reused existing materials in construction, manufacturing, and everyday life. According to Huang, modern waste streams, particularly plastic packaging and electronic waste, represent an enormous and often untapped source of raw materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe miniTrashpresso was designed around that idea. Rather than transporting waste long distances to centralized facilities, the system enables materials to be processed where they are collected. By reducing transportation needs and creating opportunities for local manufacturing, decentralized recycling systems can help lower the environmental footprint associated with traditional waste management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiniwiz estimates that using recycled materials can reduce embedded energy consumption by 60% to 80% compared with using raw materials. The company has developed more than 1,200 upcycled materials and products from everyday waste streams, including plastics, food packaging, coffee cups, and electronic waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its introduction, Miniwiz technology has been deployed in communities, campuses, and organizations worldwide, including projects in Taiwan, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. According to Huang, Georgia Tech is installing and operating North America\u2019s first miniTrashpresso recycling machine from Miniwiz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Community Around Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new facility is also intended to serve as a gathering place for interdisciplinary collaboration. Students interested in sustainability, materials science, engineering, design, manufacturing, and public policy will have opportunities to experiment with new ideas while working with researchers and campus partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen Michael Best first pitched the idea of the Trash Lab, I expected there to be interest in a space like this given the general momentum toward sustainable practices on campus, but the level of excitement from students, staff, and faculty has been outstanding,\u201d said Tim Trent, IPaT\u2019s lab director for the Trash, Craft, Prototyping, and Usability Labs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is an opportunity to create a gathering point for sustainability initiatives, act as a catalyst for partnerships, and help strengthen the many amazing networks and projects already present on campus,\u201d he said. \u201cThe IPaT Innovation Labs have a continuous focus on supporting the overall Georgia Tech research enterprise, and I\u2019m happy we are adding another piece to the portfolio.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the Trash Lab opens its doors, members of the Georgia Tech community will be invited to explore how waste materials can be reimagined as resources, prototypes, and products. By combining makerspace culture, advanced recycling technology, and sustainability research, the lab offers a tangible demonstration of how circular economy principles can move from theory into practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Georgia Tech, the Trash Lab is not simply a place to recycle plastic. It is a space where innovation, design, and sustainability intersect, helping transform discarded materials into opportunities for learning, discovery, and impact.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E---\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor more information about the Trash Lab, contact the IPaT Innovation Labs at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ipat-labs@groups.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eipat-labs@groups.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew IPaT makerspace combines advanced recycling technology, hands-on learning, and sustainability innovation.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New IPaT makerspace combines advanced recycling technology, hands-on learning, and sustainability innovation."}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-09-01 21:33:00","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:31:50","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681033":{"id":"681033","type":"image","title":"Trash Lab Ribbon Cutting","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECelebrating the opening of Georgia Tech\u0027s Trash Lab - the newest makerspace on campus which is located in the basement of TSRB\u003C\/strong\u003E. Pictured left-to-right: \u003Cstrong\u003ETim Trent\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of IPaT\u0027s Trash Lab; \u003Cstrong\u003EArthur Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, CEO of Miniwiz; \u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Best\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of IPaT; \u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate vice president of sustainability; and \u003Cstrong\u003ERob Kadel\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of research program administration. They are wearing sunglasses made from recycled plastic created by using the miniTrashpresso machine.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788297893","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 21:24:53","changed":"1788530006","gmt_changed":"2026-09-04 13:53:26","alt":"Pictured left-to-right: Tim Trent, director of IPaT\u0027s Trash Lab; Arthur Huang, CEO of Miniwiz; Michael Best, executive director of IPaT; Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability; and Rob Kadel, executive director of research program administration.","file":{"fid":"265381","name":"Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1136224,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg?itok=u_x2dAAj"}},"681032":{"id":"681032","type":"image","title":"Tim-Arthur-Tai","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPictured left to right: Tim Trent, IPaT\u2019s lab director for the Trash Lab; Arthur Huang, CEO of Miniwiz; and Tai Liu, mechanical engineer with Miniwiz. In this picture, they are installing the miniTrashpresso system in the TSRB building and showing the test plastic bowl made using recycled plastic.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788297611","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 21:20:11","changed":"1788297881","gmt_changed":"2026-09-01 21:24:41","alt":"Pictured left to right: Tim Trent, IPaT\u2019s lab director for the Trash Lab; Arthur Huang, CEO of Miniwiz; and Tai Liu, mechanical engineer with Miniwiz. In this picture, they are installing the miniTrashpresso system in the TSRB building.","file":{"fid":"265380","name":"Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":935131,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg?itok=HSZysoaX"}},"681031":{"id":"681031","type":"image","title":"Recycled Trashpresso items","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastic items you can make using the Trash Lab include wireless chargers, sunglasses, bowls, and other items.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788297484","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 21:18:04","changed":"1788354852","gmt_changed":"2026-09-02 13:14:12","alt":"Recycled plastic items you can make using the Trash Lab","file":{"fid":"265379","name":"ItemsYouCanMake.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/ItemsYouCanMake.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/ItemsYouCanMake.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":610865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/ItemsYouCanMake.jpg?itok=L2xQj4GY"}}},"media_ids":["681033","681032","681031"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:walter.rich@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692566":{"#nid":"692566","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Window Into the Hidden World of Immunity Inside Human Bone Marrow ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, immunologists have known that the body\u0027s most durable defenses depend on plasma cells, the antibody-producing cells responsible for long-term immune memory. Long after an infection has passed or a vaccine has been administered, these cells continue releasing protective antibodies, sometimes for decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet one of immunology\u0027s enduring mysteries has remained unsolved: scientists understand what plasma cells do, but not how they interact with their environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge is simple. Plasma cells reside deep within bone marrow, one of the most difficult tissues in the human body to study. Encased in bone and inaccessible to direct live imaging, it has largely remained a black box. As a result, much of what scientists know comes from mouse studies or simplified laboratory systems that capture only fragments of the human environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers at Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt University have opened an unprecedented window into this hidden world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz3976\u0022\u003Epublished in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the team developed a human bone marrow-on-a-chip with channels of the size of human hair that allowed fluids to flow through it. This enabled them to directly observe human antibody-secreting cells as they migrated, interacted, and settled within a three-dimensional tissue environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform recreates not only the cellular complexity of bone marrow but also its vascular architecture and specialized microenvironments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we found was far more dynamic than the textbook view of plasma cells simply taking up residence and staying put,\u201d said study co-senior author Ankur Singh, Carl Ring Family professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Singh is also Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding a Human Bone Marrow Model\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than creating a conventional cell culture, the researchers engineered a living microenvironment containing two major bone marrow neighborhoods: areas surrounding blood vessels, known as the perivascular niche, and a bone-like region lining internal bone surfaces, known as the endosteal niche.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team then introduced human antibody-secreting cells generated from engineered lymphoid organoids, which are miniature immune tissues capable of producing large numbers of cells that develop into plasma.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat happened next surprised them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of dispersing throughout the tissue, the cells traveled through the vascular network and accumulated around blood vessels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese cellular gatherings were not random traffic jams,\u201d said co-senior author \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.vanderbilt.edu\/bio\/krishnendu-roy\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKrishnendu Roy\u003C\/a\u003E, the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering University Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt University. \u201cThe cells appeared to congregate in regions rich in survival signals, suggesting that specialized perivascular neighborhoods serve as safe harbors for long-term immune memory.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaboration between Roy and Singh began while Roy was a faculty member at Georgia Tech, where much of the work was initially conceived and launched. The Roy lab pioneered the bone marrow chip while the Singh lab pioneered the lymphoid organoids. Their joint findings provide strong evidence that human plasma cells actively seek supportive environments rather than simply becoming trapped where they are, as previously believed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENot as Stationary as Once Believed\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps the most striking discovery emerged when researchers tracked individual cells over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than remaining fixed in place, a subset displayed a distinctive \u0022stop-and-go\u0022 migration pattern.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cClassic immunology has often viewed plasma cells as largely sedentary,\u201d said Singh. \u201cWe found that many cells paused for extended periods, moved, stopped again, and continued exploring their surroundings.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe behavior suggests that plasma cells actively sample their environment, searching for the combinations of signals and support needed for long-term survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EA Tale of Two Niches\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also revealed that bone marrow\u0027s two major compartments perform distinct but complementary functions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe perivascular niche attracts cells and provides key survival signals, while the neighboring endosteal niche influences how they migrate, persist and are retained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these compartments form a cooperative ecosystem that shapes plasma cell fate, challenging the idea of bone marrow as a single, uniform environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy It Matters\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications extend far beyond understanding where plasma cells live.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBone marrow niches support the cells responsible for long-term antibody protection, placing them at the center of vaccine durability, immune aging, autoimmune disease, chronic infection, blood cancers, and cancer metastasis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new platform allows researchers to systematically manipulate components of the human bone marrow environment and observe the consequences in real time. It may help explain why immunity wanes with age, why some vaccines provide longer-lasting protection than others, and how disease disrupts the biological foundations of immune memory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost importantly, it offers a rare glimpse into one of the immune system\u0027s most inaccessible habitats. Though there is still much more to learn, their secrets are no longer quite so hidden.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt Scientists Use Human Bone Marrow-on-a-Chip to Reveal the Secrets of Antibody-Producing Cells "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe cells that keep vaccines working for decades have long remained a mystery deep within human bone marrow. A new study watched them move, settle, and survive in a living human tissue model, revealing a surprisingly dynamic world that could reshape how scientists think about immunity, aging, cancer, and vaccine protection.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In a study published in Science Advances, the team developed a human bone marrow-on-a-chip, enabling them to directly observe human antibody-secreting cells."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-09-11 17:55:21","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:30:33","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681139":{"id":"681139","type":"image","title":"bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EInside this lab-grown bone marrow, blood vessels (green and grey) thread through a network of supportive cells and proteins (magenta). Antibody-producing cells (blue) move through this landscape, finding the signals they need to survive and keep making antibodies.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1789149330","gmt_created":"2026-09-11 17:55:30","changed":"1789149330","gmt_changed":"2026-09-11 17:55:30","alt":"A microscopic image shows lab grown bone marrow and blood vessels highlighted in gray and green weaving through a network of supportive cells and proteins highlighted in magenta.","file":{"fid":"265499","name":"bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/11\/bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/11\/bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":573015,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/11\/bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg?itok=-LhFSLBJ"}}},"media_ids":["681139"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abowman41@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshlie Bowman\u003C\/a\u003E, Communications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692466":{"#nid":"692466","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Supporting Community-Led Flood Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA new research project aims to empower coastal communities. Using advanced AI-based flood modeling, residents will be able to compare flood mitigation strategies and identify the potential solutions that best meet their needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe CHORUS (Community Hubs for Optimizing Resilience) project will collaborate with coastal communities in Georgia and New York and will be split into two pieces: technology development and community engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not just building a simulator and hoping it fits the needs of coastal residents,\u201d explains \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Robel, \u003C\/strong\u003Eproject leader and Jean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Associate Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0022By collaborating with community partners from the very beginning, we can ensure that what we ultimately develop will be effective because the people who will be using it are helping design it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting Flood Modeling in Residents\u0027 Hands\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe technology development component will include faculty from the College of Sciences and the College of Computing. The College of Sciences team will develop an AI-based flood simulator and the College of Computing team led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJosiah Hester\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;associate professor and Catherine M. and James E. Allchin Early Career Professor, will create a web platform that allows users to visualize potential flood impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETraditional flood models can take hours or days to generate results and often require specialized expertise and expensive computing resources. The CHORUS platform will be designed to provide easy-to-understand results in seconds, producing building-scale flood maps that show how water moves through streets, yards, and structures during a range of flooding scenarios. Researchers will use the model to test how specific interventions, such as seawalls, restored marshes, or improved stormwater infrastructure, could affect flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEventually, users will be able to test their own scenarios through the browser-based tool, enabling them to explore how different decisions could change flood impacts in their communities:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cUsers will be able to go into a web browser and indicate where a sea wall could go or change a parking lot into a porous vegetated landscape, then click simulate. Within a few seconds, they\u2019ll have a new flood map showing the impacts of these interventions,\u201d says Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Community-Driven Approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA collaborative effort with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nyclimateexchange.org\/climate-data\u0022\u003ENew York Climate Exchange\u003C\/a\u003E, the project will be funded by\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/research\/biennial-funding\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Sea Grant\u003C\/a\u003E and IBM, with support from\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E (GT2),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cearhub.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Coastal Equity and Resilience (CEAR) Hub\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cearhub.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seagrant.noaa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;National Sea Grant College Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;The CHORUS project is an initiative of the New York Climate Exchange, where Georgia Tech is a core partner institution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECommunity engagement in Georgia is being led by CEAR and the Pin Point Betterment Association, which represents descendants of the historic Gullah Geechee community near Savannah. In New York, the project team is partnering with the New York Climate Exchange and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/waterfrontalliance.org\/\u0022\u003EWaterfront Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E to work with communities surrounding Jamaica Bay.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhat makes this partnership meaningful is that it puts community voices at the center,\u201d says\u003Cstrong\u003E Jasmine Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E, president of the Pin Point Betterment Association.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cToo often, decisions are made to \u2018better\u2019 communities without actually involving the people who live there. We hope this partnership can serve as a blueprint for how communities are included in future sustainability projects from the very beginning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project includes community advisory boards and technical advisory boards in both locations. Community members will help identify priority assets, select flood scenarios for analysis, and shape the design of the web-based tool. They\u2019ll also test and offer feedback. Technical advisory boards made up of local officials, planners, and other experts will help evaluate the feasibility of proposed solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe aim is to blend information from both groups without allowing the technical perspective to override community priorities,\u201d says Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAccording to Robel, giving communities direct access to flood modeling tools can help close the gap between public input and infrastructure planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are putting decision making in the hands of the community. With a tool like this, the community can say: \u2018We want to prevent flooding at this community center, this school, or this road,\u2019\u201d says Robel. \u201cThey can run the model, produce data, and present it to local governments or the Army Corps of Engineers\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u2014 advocating\u0026nbsp;for potential solutions themselves rather than relying on outside experts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERobel sees this project as just the beginning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFunded by two-year grants, CHORUS is meant to be a pilot for how this kind of community-centered project can be done. Once we understand some of the challenges and opportunities involved, it will hopefully make it easier for us to scale this work to additional community partners.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Community-Engaged Research at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech is actively working to foster more projects that foster community engagement. Collaborative groups at Georgia Tech involved in the CHORUS project include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e24ad42d08ff5aaeb8f0e7892a7ae22cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe CEAR Hub\u003C\/strong\u003E, part of the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), and housed at the Georgia Tech Savannah campus, advances community-engaged research and planning throughout coastal Georgia, helping communities build resilience to environmental and climate challenges.\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e37deda0b2f16b9d512f523a8c923dc46\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E (SCoRE) trains faculty, students, and staff in best practices for conducting community-engaged research as well as facilitating connections directly with communities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e79895753719bd77cdf19df0d35438ceb\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS)\u003C\/a\u003E houses SCoRE and is Georgia Tech\u2019s point of contact to the New York Climate Exchange. BBISS forms partnerships like these to fulfill its mission to expand the reach and impact of Georgia Tech\u2019s sustainability research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe CHORUS research project will combine advanced flood modeling, artificial intelligence, and community partnerships to help coastal residents in Georgia and New York evaluate flooding solutions and shape resilience planning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The CHORUS research project will combine advanced flood modeling, artificial intelligence, and community partnerships to help coastal residents in Georgia and New York evaluate flooding solutions and shape resilience planning."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-09-09 17:30:40","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:28:10","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681109":{"id":"681109","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788975052","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 17:30:52","changed":"1788975052","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 17:30:52","alt":"Headshot of a smiling man","file":{"fid":"265466","name":"Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":775472,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg?itok=LQ3vrmCk"}},"681110":{"id":"681110","type":"image","title":"Jill Gambill, executive director and senior research associate of the CEAR Hub, demonstrates a tide gate engineered to maintain storm sewer outflow capacity amidst rising sea levels to Georgia Tech students.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJill Gambill, executive director and senior research associate of the CEAR Hub, demonstrates a tide gate engineered to maintain storm sewer outflow capacity amidst rising sea levels to Georgia Tech students.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788975321","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 17:35:21","changed":"1788975321","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 17:35:21","alt":"Students view a tide gate to prevent flooding in a marshy area.","file":{"fid":"265467","name":"Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1357639,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png?itok=pd_MVOtp"}}},"media_ids":["681109","681110"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/news\/rare-nasa-satellite-data-reveals-major-limits-flood-models","title":"Rare NASA Satellite Data Reveals Major Limits in Flood Models"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/13\/bringing-classroom-coast","title":"Bringing the Classroom to the Coast"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181662","name":"Coastal Flooding"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura S. Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, writer\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692718":{"#nid":"692718","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Sign Agreement to Expand Strategic Research Partnership","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E (PNNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen their longstanding partnership and expand collaboration in scientific discovery, national security research, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement was signed during a Sept. 14 visit by PNNL leadership to Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/facilities\/ampf\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E. It builds on years of successful collaboration between researchers at the two institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe enhanced collaboration has three primary goals: solving big problems through multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research; sustaining and engaging human capital by creating opportunities for students, faculty, researchers, and interns to work on complex real-world challenges; and accelerating technology adoption by taking scientific discoveries and innovations into industry and the federal marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Strengthening our partnerships with national laboratories is a strategic priority for Georgia Tech,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u0022PNNL is an outstanding partner, and we look forward to deepening connections among our researchers and students, expanding opportunities and access to world-class capabilities and facilities, and advancing discovery, innovation, and national impact together.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPNNL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that advances scientific discovery and innovations that support reliable energy, national security, and economic competitiveness. Georgia Tech is one of the nation\u0027s leading research universities, conducting more than $1.5 billion in research annually and pursuing a mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022PNNL and Georgia Tech have a long history of working together,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/deb-gracio\u0022\u003EDeb Gracio\u003C\/a\u003E, laboratory director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. \u201cThis agreement provides the foundation to take on difficult research challenges and to leverage our complementary expertise and investments in the years ahead.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) has played a central role in advancing Georgia Tech\u0027s engagement with the national laboratory system and connecting researchers with partnership opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As SEI takes on a greater role in coordinating Georgia Tech\u0027s national laboratory partnerships, this agreement with PNNL demonstrates how we are building stronger pathways for faculty, researchers, and students to engage with world-class national lab capabilities,\u0022\u0026nbsp;said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI executive director.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/national-laboratories\u0022\u003ENational Laboratory Partnership Program\u003C\/a\u003E supports engagement between Georgia Tech and the U.S. national laboratories. SEI now leads the program, with ongoing support from Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of the Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research. The agreement with PNNL is the first formal agreement established through the program since its transition to SEI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This MOU formalizes and strengthens relationships that have been growing for many years,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-mcwhorter\u0022\u003EScott McWhorter\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI director of national laboratory partnerships. \u201cIt leverages the unique strengths of Georgia Tech and PNNL and provides a framework for expanding engagement across areas of mutual interest.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and PNNL bring complementary strengths in energy and environmental systems, electric grid resilience, cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, alternative fuels and advanced materials, biofuels, radiation detection, data science and visual analytics, nuclear nonproliferation, and national security. These capabilities will be brough together through two upcoming \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/projects\/genesis-mission\/phase-1-projects\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/william-pike-phd\u0022\u003EBill Pike\u003C\/a\u003E, PNNL\u0027s deputy director for Science and Technology, who joined the laboratory\u2019s leadership delegation for the MOU signing, said the projects reflect the growing partnership and expanding collaboration between the two institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u0027s leading research universities, with strengths spanning engineering, computing, science, business, design, and the liberal arts. With more than $1.5 billion annually in research awards across its Colleges and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Tech is among the nation\u0027s most research-intensive universities. The Institute\u0027s mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Pacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnnl.gov%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpriya.devarajan%40research.gatech.edu%7C3afd7c8f8d5343d98b8108df151af314%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639252877654867152%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=3F97zK7e9LpJfsHQvvHqZbkSpD6OiYDEp9UfOiAQBqU%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 title=\u0022Original URL:\u0026#13;https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0026#13;\u0026#13;Click to follow link.\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in\u0026nbsp;energy resiliency and national security.\u0026nbsp;Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle and supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E (PNNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen their longstanding partnership and expand collaboration in scientific discovery, national security research, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement was signed during a Sept. 14 visit by PNNL leadership to Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/facilities\/ampf\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;. It builds on years of successful collaboration between researchers at the two institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Together, the organizations will pursue new opportunities in joint research, workforce development, technology commercialization, and talent exchange."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-18 19:03:18","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:27:37","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681199":{"id":"681199","type":"image","title":"GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESeated, from left: Deb Gracio, PNNL Laboratory Director; Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research. Standing, from left: Yuanzhi Tang, SEI Executive Director; Alexa Harter, Director, GTRI CIPHER Lab; George White, Executive Director, GT Strategic Partnerships; Asha Menon, SEI Program Manager; Scott McWhorter, SEI Director for National Lab Partnerships; Bill Pike, PNNL Deputy Director for Science and Technology; Jess Smith, PNNL Senior Cybersecurity Researcher; Steve Biegalski, Georgia Tech Faculty Liaison for PNNL; Erin Searcy, PNNL Director of Institutional Investments and Research Partnerships; Aaron Stebner, Associate Director of Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute; Christine Conwell, SEI Director for Strategic Planning and Operations.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1789758427","gmt_created":"2026-09-18 19:07:07","changed":"1789758427","gmt_changed":"2026-09-18 19:07:07","alt":"Picture of MOU Signing ceremony participants from PNNL and Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"265564","name":"GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/18\/GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/18\/GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1253216,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/18\/GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg?itok=lRnqEJBQ"}}},"media_ids":["681199"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692738":{"#nid":"692738","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches ETHOS Initiative to Accelerate Human-Centered Medical Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore a promising new therapy can reach a patient, researchers need to answer a deceptively simple question: Will it work?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, part of the answer has come from animal testing. Animal models have helped scientists make countless medical advances and understand how potential treatments behave in a living system. But they also present scientific and ethical challenges, including one unavoidable limitation: A mouse isn\u0027t a human. This limitation is one reason \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aeb0045\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emany promising drug candidates fail during human clinical trials\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Georgia Tech is launching a new Institute-wide initiative focused on technologies that help researchers close that gap by studying human health and disease in ways that more closely reflect human biology. This interdisciplinary venture, called Emerging Technologies for Human-Oriented Systems (ETHOS), will advance human-centered research technologies, including new approach methodologies (NAMs) that improve prediction of human responses and support the development of safer, more effective therapies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cETHOS reflects Georgia Tech\u0027s commitment to advancing innovative approaches to some of society\u0027s most pressing health challenges,\u201d said Executive Vice President for Research Tim Lieuwen. \u201cBy bringing together expertise from across the Institute and investing in technologies that more closely reflect human biology, we have an opportunity to accelerate discovery, strengthen translation, and help shape the future of biomedical research.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUnifying Research\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, ETHOS is built on an interdisciplinary framework that connects researchers across Georgia Tech and with clinical and translational partners. The initiative draws on expertise in bioengineering, materials science, device engineering, computing, and data science. It will be led jointly by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB) and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ideas.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E (IDEaS).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat sets Georgia Tech apart is our ability to unify deep expertise in foundational life sciences, bioengineering, and materials science with artificial intelligence and data science,\u201d said Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research Julia Kubanek. \u201cETHOS creates a framework for connecting those strengths, fostering new collaborations, and enabling researchers to tackle complex health challenges in ways that no single discipline could accomplish alone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnkur Singh, Carl Ring Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E (BME), will lead ETHOS in his new administrative role as deputy director of IBB. Although ETHOS is a new initiative, Georgia Tech researchers have already begun building a NAMs community through an institutional task force and other collaborative efforts. That momentum will continue with the 2027 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/news\/events\/suddath-symposium\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESuddath Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E, which will focus on NAMs and bring researchers together across disciplines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has expertise across the full spectrum of these approaches, from AI and computational modeling to engineered tissues and experimental systems,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/james-gumbart\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJC Gumbart\u003C\/a\u003E, Dunn Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cETHOS gives us a framework to connect those strengths and accelerate human-centered biomedical research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGumbart co-led the NAMs task force and is co-organizing the symposium with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/shuichi-takayama\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EShuichi Takayama\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and chair of regenerative engineering medicine within BME.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAdvancing Discovery\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat are new approach methodologies, or NAMs, and how can they help researchers address human health challenges?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENAMs include both physical models, such as organoids and organ-on-chip technologies, and computational models that use artificial intelligence. Each approach has its own advantages and limitations.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganoids and organ-on-chip are living tissue systems grown in the lab that mimic key features of human biology and help researchers study how the body may respond to new drugs or treatments. These models allow researchers to observe biological responses in human tissue systems, but they are limited by the steep cost of time and resources required to create them.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational models take advantage of AI and supercomputing technology to rapidly explore and predict thousands of possibilities. They use existing datasets to examine complex relationships at scale and simulate how potential changes might affect a system. Though these simulations can provide a large-scale prediction of what might happen, they can\u2019t provide evidence of how cells actually respond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EETHOS emphasizes a bidirectional approach that combines engineered biological systems with predictive computational models. For instance, a scientist who is testing a new drug on an organoid may use AI to predict how the drug could affect a larger population with differing demographics. Conversely, a researcher using a computational model may use an organ-on-chip experiment to validate (or disprove) the computer\u2019s prediction.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese human platforms allow us to look broad \u2014 exploring how therapies behave across populations \u2014 and look deep, engineering precise models that reflect an individual patient\u2019s unique health profile,\u201d Singh said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELeading the Way\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe adaptability of NAMs gives researchers a more human-centered way to study \u2014 and hopefully one day treat \u2014 some of humanity\u2019s most pervasive health problems, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, infection, and more. Therapies developed using NAMs could be broad-use solutions that impact entire populations or tailored treatments for personalized healthcare. By bringing together strengths in engineering, computing, data science, and the life sciences, ETHOS positions Georgia Tech to help shape the future of NAMs research and technology development.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe next generation of medical research increasingly relies on models that are both more human and more intelligent. Georgia Tech\u0027s strength lies in connecting the physical and digital worlds of biology,\u201d Singh said. \u201cThat closed loop between human biology and computation gives us a powerful advantage in developing the next generation of non-animal models for research and drug development.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative will also include the development of a platform designed to connect researchers across the Institute and help them identify complementary expertise, shared experimental systems, and collaborative funding opportunities. The digital matchmaking system, along with pilot research and technology development, AI integration, grant development, and community building, makes ETHOS a potentially groundbreaking program launching at an opportune time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cETHOS is an initiative of convergence. Few institutions combine strengths in advanced human tissue systems, engineering, AI, and data science at the scale of Georgia Tech. ETHOS provides a framework to unite those capabilities and accelerate biomedical discovery and translation,\u201d Singh said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EETHOS is designed to strengthen connections between fundamental research and real-world health applications. By developing research models that more closely reflect human biology, the initiative could help researchers identify promising therapies earlier and better understand how they may perform in people. ETHOS could also strengthen collaborations among Atlanta\u0027s academic, clinical, and industry partners, creating new opportunities for translational research and technology development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore a promising new therapy can reach a patient, researchers need to answer a deceptively simple question: Will it work?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, part of the answer has come from animal testing. Animal models have helped scientists make countless medical advances and understand how potential treatments behave in a living system. But they also present scientific and ethical challenges, including one unavoidable limitation: A mouse isn\u0027t a human. This limitation is one reason \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aeb0045\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emany promising drug candidates fail during human clinical trials\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Georgia Tech is launching a new Institute-wide initiative focused on technologies that help researchers close that gap by studying human health and disease in ways that more closely reflect human biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s ETHOS initiative brings together expertise from across the Institute to advance human-centered research models that could accelerate the development of safer, more effective therapies."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-09-21 15:58:51","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 16:23:19","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681214":{"id":"681214","type":"image","title":"_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnkur Singh will lead Georgia Tech\u2019s new ETHOS initiative to advance New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and transform drug discovery through human-relevant systems. Singh is pictured alongside Ph.D. student Olivia Jones, holding a human immune organ engineered on-a-chip, a breakthrough innovation developed at Georgia Tech to model complex immune responses outside the body.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1790006443","gmt_created":"2026-09-21 16:00:43","changed":"1790006443","gmt_changed":"2026-09-21 16:00:43","alt":"A woman with brown hair wearing a navy blue blouse holds a microscope slide up to the camera. To her right is a male researcher wearing a suit holding a round lab dish with plastic organ-on-chip experiments inside.","file":{"fid":"265577","name":"_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/21\/_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/21\/_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128202,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/21\/_0000_NAMs-1.jpg?itok=Cgtrcz6B"}}},"media_ids":["681214"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187082","name":"go-ideas"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692629":{"#nid":"692629","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BBISS Insights Series #1 Reflection: AI, Digital Twins, and Infrastructure Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is reshaping how society manages complex systems. Its potential to strengthen critical infrastructure is receiving growing attention. The first Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Insights Series event of the fall semester explored how AI, digital twins, and advanced data analytics are being applied to improve the resilience of energy and water systems. The discussion brought together Dan Molzahn, associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Clint Loe, senior digital consultant at Trinnex. Together, they highlighted how AI is beginning to help utilities and communities respond to growing pressures on infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpening the event, Ameet Pinto, BBISS faculty director for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration, noted that many critical infrastructure systems are facing unprecedented challenges. Aging assets, climate-related impacts, severe weather events, and growing demands on energy and water systems are testing the resilience of infrastructure that communities depend on. At the same time, infrastructure systems increasingly generate vast amounts of operational data through sensors, meters, and monitoring technologies. The opportunities for AI technologies to transform this data into actionable information and inform policy are just beginning to be explored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETurning Infrastructure Data into Action\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMolzahn\u0027s presentation focused on the electric grid and the ways AI-enhanced optimization can support smarter infrastructure management. He described the ongoing transition from large, centralized power plants to more distributed systems that incorporate renewable energy, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other distributed energy resources. While these technologies create opportunities for cleaner and more resilient energy systems, they also introduce new layers of complexity for planners and operators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the examples Molzahn shared was research examining how electric vehicle charging could affect emergency evacuations during disasters such as wildfires. Traditional evacuation planning focuses on optimizing transportation networks for rapidly moving vehicles away from danger. However, with more EVs on the roads, consideration must be given to ensure that EVs will have sufficient charge to travel a safe distance when an evacuation order is given without overloading the electrical grid. By linking transportation and power-system models, researchers are demonstrating how planning strategies can significantly reduce stress on infrastructure while supporting faster evacuations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWildfire mitigation was another major focus. In recent years, several devastating wildfires have been linked to electricity infrastructure, prompting utilities to increasingly rely on Public Safety Power Shutoffs during high-risk conditions. Molzahn discussed how machine learning and optimization tools can help utilities make these difficult decisions more quickly by balancing ignition risk and minimizing customer outages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also highlighted emerging cybersecurity concerns associated with the trend towards more distributed energy resources. Decentralized and digitally connected energy infrastructure, such as internet-connected solar and battery systems, can be more vulnerable than legacy centralized energy sources. AI is playing an important role in identifying potential vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractical Applications in the Water Sector\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELoe offered examples of how AI is already being deployed by water utilities and municipalities. One pressing challenge involves identifying lead service lines. New federal regulations require utilities to locate and replace lead service lines, but many organizations lack complete records identifying pipe materials. Loe described how utilities can combine statistical sampling and machine learning models to estimate which service lines are most likely to contain lead. Rather than excavating thousands of suspect locations, utilities can use AI to narrow the search, reducing costs while still meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining confidence in the results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELoe also explained the overarching challenges of maintaining aging water infrastructure. Utilities across the country have significant backlogs of aging pipes that need replacement but lack the resources to replace every asset at once. Machine learning models can predict which pipes are most likely to fail, while optimization tools can prioritize and package disparate replacement jobs into efficient and practical construction projects for which funding can more easily be obtained. This approach allows organizations to move beyond simple age-based replacement strategies and incorporate factors such as risk, community priorities, paving schedules, traffic impacts, and equity considerations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Human Element\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the discussion centered on AI, both speakers repeatedly emphasized that people remain critical to successful implementation. Panelists and audience members also discussed the importance of keeping \u0022humans in the loop\u0022 since utility systems directly affect public safety. AI may generate recommendations, identify risks, or highlight priorities, but engineers, operators, and planners should remain responsible for evaluating those recommendations and making final decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorkforce development emerged as another important theme. Both the water and energy sectors face challenges replacing experienced workers as many long-time professionals approach retirement. AI offers opportunities to preserve and transfer institutional knowledge that could enable smaller workforces, but both speakers stressed that future professionals will need expertise that spans engineering, data science, computing, and domain knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discussion demonstrated that infrastructure resilience is increasingly both a physical and digital challenge. From wildfire management and grid reliability to lead service line replacements and predictive maintenance, AI and digital twins are enabling new opportunities to improve how critical systems are planned, operated, and maintained. However, better algorithms alone will not be enough to counter our aging infrastructure, climate impacts, cybersecurity risks, and rising resource demands. The thoughtful integration of advanced tools and human expertise and judgment built on a foundation of public trust offers the most effective solutions for keeping essential systems running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENext in the Insights Series\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn October 14, BBISS will hold the next Insights Series at the John Lewis Student Center in the Rafael Bras Meeting Room. The topic will be \u201cAI for Climate Resilience.\u201d This session will explore how artificial intelligence is being leveraged to address pressing sustainability challenges and strengthen communities, infrastructure, and environmental systems in a changing climate. The program will open with an update from Jennifer Chirico on the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/climate-action-plan\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Presentations from leading researchers will follow, including Suhas Jain, Ali Sarhadi, Abigale Stangl, and Iris Tien, followed by an interactive panel discussion. Breakfast will be served. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.monday.com\/forms\/862ffc67f4bc814b6e29724eb0ca88b8?r=use1\u0022\u003ERegistration is required\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAI, digital twins, and advanced data analytics are emerging as tools for strengthening critical energy and water infrastructure amid aging assets, climate impacts, severe weather, cybersecurity risks, and rising resource demands. This BBISS Insights Series discussion emphasized that translating operational data into actionable decisions can be streamlined by combining advanced technology and human expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AI, digital twins, and advanced data analytics can be used to translate operational data into useful decisions when combined with human expertise."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-09-16 19:40:37","changed_gmt":"2026-09-16 19:54:33","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681180":{"id":"681180","type":"image","title":"Insights_1_Data_Ctr_Resilience","body":null,"created":"1789586878","gmt_created":"2026-09-16 19:27:58","changed":"1789587432","gmt_changed":"2026-09-16 19:37:12","alt":"Panel discussion in a lecture room featuring two seated speakers at the front of the room and a presenter standing beside a lectern. A large display behind the speakers shows an image of the Georgia Tech Library building, while audience members are seated at tables facing the discussion. The room has light wood paneling throughout the space.","file":{"fid":"265545","name":"Insights_1_Data_Ctr_Resilience.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/16\/Insights_1_Data_Ctr_Resilience.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/16\/Insights_1_Data_Ctr_Resilience.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1009837,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/16\/Insights_1_Data_Ctr_Resilience.jpg?itok=MvgPCPUb"}}},"media_ids":["681180"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"194655","name":"AI infrastructure"},{"id":"10617","name":"resilience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692612":{"#nid":"692612","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Hidden Cost of Segregation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by EPIcenter affiliate \u003Cstrong\u003EMarilyn A. Brown\u003C\/strong\u003E and coauthor \u003Cstrong\u003EMajid Ahmadi\u003C\/strong\u003E examines how racial segregation affects what households pay for basic utilities. Using detailed data from Atlanta, Georgia, the authors investigate whether predominantly Black neighborhoods face higher energy burdens only because of income and housing differences, or whether segregation itself plays a direct role. Their analysis combines mortgage denial data, housing information, utility costs, and household income to show how long-standing discriminatory housing and lending practices continue to shape energy affordability today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAhmadi and Brown find that neighborhoods with higher shares of Black residents experience \u003Cstrong\u003Ehigher energy burdens\u003C\/strong\u003E, even after accounting for factors such as income, renter status, and housing characteristics. In this study, energy burden refers mainly to the share of household income spent on electricity, gas, and water. The authors estimate that an \u003Cstrong\u003Eapproximately 11 percentage-point increase in a neighborhood\u2019s Black population share is associated with about a 1 percentage-point increase in household energy burden\u003C\/strong\u003E, equal to an \u003Cstrong\u003Eaverage annual increase of about $785\u003C\/strong\u003E in utility costs. These findings suggest that unequal energy burdens are tied not only to household finances, but also to the lasting effects of segregation and discrimination.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/09\/14\/the-hidden-cost-of-segregation\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by EPIcenter affiliate \u003Cstrong\u003EMarilyn A. Brown\u003C\/strong\u003E and coauthor \u003Cstrong\u003EMajid Ahmadi\u003C\/strong\u003E examines how racial segregation affects what households pay for basic utilities. Using detailed data from Atlanta, Georgia, the authors investigate whether predominantly Black neighborhoods face higher energy burdens only because of income and housing differences, or whether segregation itself plays a direct role. Their analysis combines mortgage denial data, housing information, utility costs, and household income to show how long-standing discriminatory housing and lending practices continue to shape energy affordability today.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study by EPIcenter affiliate Marilyn A. Brown and coauthor Majid Ahmadi examines how racial segregation affects what households pay for basic utilities. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-16 13:13:04","changed_gmt":"2026-09-16 13:16:17","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681162":{"id":"681162","type":"image","title":"hiddencostAdobeStock_669231771-1536x1023.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1789564394","gmt_created":"2026-09-16 13:13:14","changed":"1789564394","gmt_changed":"2026-09-16 13:13:14","alt":"View of downtown Atlanta from surrounding neighborhoods","file":{"fid":"265524","name":"hiddencostAdobeStock_669231771-1536x1023.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/16\/hiddencostAdobeStock_669231771-1536x1023.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/16\/hiddencostAdobeStock_669231771-1536x1023.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":234674,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/16\/hiddencostAdobeStock_669231771-1536x1023.jpeg?itok=aHc3ftw3"}}},"media_ids":["681162"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/09\/14\/the-hidden-cost-of-segregation\/","title":"Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ggonzalez68@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E, Program Coordinator,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692611":{"#nid":"692611","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Oil Profits Skyrocket, Calls for Windfall Taxes Rise","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBy \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/tibor-besedes-2656327\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETibor Besede\u0161\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Professor of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Chevron reported its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/chevron-records-highest-quarterly-profit-six-years-beating-analyst-estimates-2026-07-31\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Ehighest quarterly profit in six years\u003C\/a\u003E on July 31, 2026, it was just one detail in a larger picture: Analyst firm Wood Mackenzie estimates the global oil and gas industry is on course for a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.woodmac.com\/press-releases\/wood-mackenzie-mid-year-outlook-oil-and-gas-industry-cash-rich-but-capital-cautious-as-nearly-half-a-trillion-dollar-windfall-fails-to-trigger-a-spending-surge\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Ecash windfall of US$495 billion in 2026\u003C\/a\u003E. That\u2019s profit above and beyond what the industry expected before the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree separate bills seeking to tax those profits are now in Congress, and President Donald Trump has even said the oil companies are \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/07\/trump-windfall-tax-big-oil-iran-war\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Emaking too much money\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=p4hJf78AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Eapplied microeconomist\u003C\/a\u003E, I am often asked how taxes affect economic activity. Economists have long held a more nuanced view of windfall taxes than either side of the current debate suggests. Advocates often make overly optimistic revenue projections, and opponents often overstate how much such a tax might discourage investment. A 1980s U.S. windfall-tax experiment is instructive on both counts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/as-oil-profits-skyrocket-calls-for-windfall-taxes-rise-288990\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on The Conversation\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Chevron reported its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/chevron-records-highest-quarterly-profit-six-years-beating-analyst-estimates-2026-07-31\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Ehighest quarterly profit in six years\u003C\/a\u003E on July 31, 2026, it was just one detail in a larger picture: Analyst firm Wood Mackenzie estimates the global oil and gas industry is on course for a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.woodmac.com\/press-releases\/wood-mackenzie-mid-year-outlook-oil-and-gas-industry-cash-rich-but-capital-cautious-as-nearly-half-a-trillion-dollar-windfall-fails-to-trigger-a-spending-surge\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Ecash windfall of US$495 billion in 2026\u003C\/a\u003E. That\u2019s profit above and beyond what the industry expected before the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree separate bills seeking to tax those profits are now in Congress, and President Donald Trump has even said the oil companies are \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/07\/trump-windfall-tax-big-oil-iran-war\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Emaking too much money\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=p4hJf78AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Eapplied microeconomist\u003C\/a\u003E, I am often asked how taxes affect economic activity. Economists have long held a more nuanced view of windfall taxes than either side of the current debate suggests. Advocates often make overly optimistic revenue projections, and opponents often overstate how much such a tax might discourage investment. A 1980s U.S. windfall-tax experiment is instructive on both counts.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As an applied microeconomist, I am often asked how taxes affect economic activity. Economists have long held a more nuanced view of windfall taxes than either side of the current debate suggests. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-16 13:10:02","changed_gmt":"2026-09-16 13:10:02","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/as-oil-profits-skyrocket-calls-for-windfall-taxes-rise-288990","title":"Read Full Story on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692588":{"#nid":"692588","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Invention to Impact: Closing America\u0027s Manufacturing Scale-Up Gap","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI)\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, and the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupply Chain and Logistics Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E are racing to close the gap between what America invents and what it can build at scale\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a key semiconductor plant in Japan went offline after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, supply chain disruptions quickly spread far beyond the disaster zone, affecting manufacturers around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENearly all of the natural graphite the United States uses, and 70% to 80% of its rare earth elements, come from a supply chain the U.S. doesn\u0027t control.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDifferent vulnerabilities, same underlying problem: The U.S. invents faster than almost any country on Earth, but it doesn\u0027t always build, or secure the materials to build, fast enough, reliably enough, or close enough to home to matter when it counts.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat gap has become a national security problem, and Georgia Tech is tackling it within its own centers and with a wider network of universities, government agencies, and industry partners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou want to make sure you don\u0027t have a brittle supply chain,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/tom-kurfess\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETom Kurfess\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of GTMI and the former chief manufacturing officer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. \u201cOne link breaks, and all of a sudden, you can\u0027t move forward.\u201d For Kurfess, resiliency requires manufacturing networks that are digitally connected, built around qualified processes, and capable of shifting work across facilities without sacrificing quality, traceability, or performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Brittle Supply Chain Is a National Security Risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat single point of failure is the kind of fragility Kurfess worked to design out of American manufacturing during earlier stints at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, at Oak Ridge and now at GTMI. Concentrate too much capacity in one plant or supplier, he says, and a single disruption \u2014 a natural disaster, a fire, or a cyberattack \u2014 can freeze an entire industry. His fix is resiliency built through distributed, digitally connected manufacturing. As an example, Kurfess points to the opportunities created by the transition to electric vehicles, where production can be distributed across multiple motor manufacturing facilities located closer to assembly operations. With common designs, digital connectivity, and qualified processes, production can be redistributed more readily when disruptions occur.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTMI applies the same logic to defense and energy supply chains, helping small manufacturers that build subassemblies for prime contractors connect to qualified digital manufacturing networks where production status, part traceability, and available capacity can be monitored in real time. Kurfess describes their role as \u201cthe Google Maps for manufacturing\u201d \u2014 spotting the traffic jam and rerouting around it before a bottleneck stalls production.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Raw-Material Chokepoint\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang,\u003C\/a\u003E executive director of Georgia Tech\u0027s Strategic Energy Institute and founding director of its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E, has studied these supply chain vulnerabilities for years. Her focus on critical minerals and materials such as rare earths and gallium is only part of the picture, she says; battery materials carry similar risks. The U.S. relies heavily on imports for these important raw materials, with 70% to 80% for rare earths, nearly 100% for natural graphite, and 20% to 60% of the lithium, cobalt, and nickel used in batteries. \u201cCritical minerals and materials are like vitamins,\u201d she says. \u201cMost of them we don\u0027t need in large quantities, but you can\u0027t replace them without compromising the performance.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is leading a Georgia Tech effort, backed by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/06\/24\/mining-new-possibilities-critical-minerals-mapping-stronger-us-supply-chain\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E$7.5 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant\u003C\/a\u003E, to map critical mineral resources across the Atlantic coastal plain, from Puerto Rico to Maine, with Georgia and the Southeast as an unusually rich source. Her deep expertise in geochemistry and rare earth materials is reflected in more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and her role as co-editor-in-chief of the journal \u003Cem\u003EChemical Geology\u003C\/em\u003E. Georgia is the country\u0027s top kaolin clay producer, she notes, and rare earth-bearing waste from that mining could potentially supply materials the country currently imports.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of that work depends on physical space to test and scale new processes: GTMI\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF)\u003C\/a\u003E serves as a shared facility where researchers from different disciplines can develop and scale manufacturing processes without building dedicated infrastructure for every technology. Tang\u0027s team hopes to co-locate a critical-mineral supply chain demonstration capability there, along with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/batteries.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center\u003C\/a\u003E pilot that SEI is standing up in the same space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat makes the region distinctive isn\u0027t just geology. It\u0027s the chance to connect resource extraction, processing, manufacturing, and recycling within a few hours\u0027 drive, which Tang says is unique and hard to match. She compares the challenge of building critical mineral supply chains to building an airplane. \u201cYou can build a wing of the plane, you can build a wheel of the plane, but if you don\u0027t coordinate them, you can never build a full plane.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is coordinating the Resource Intelligence and Innovation Alliance with universities, national labs, and industry partners. Domestic mineral projects typically take close to three decades to move from discovery to market, Tang says. A coordinated regional supply chain, she believes, could bring the speed to market and significantly cut that time to years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesigning Supply Chains for Scale, Not Just Invention\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETurning a prototype into a fielded system also requires designing the manufacturing network itself, and that\u0027s where \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/chris-gaffney\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/a\u003E, managing director of Georgia Tech\u0027s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, brings a different lens. Gaffney spent 25 years in supply chain leadership at The Coca-Cola Company, including as president of the group responsible for 95% of its North American volume, before joining Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe question of scale is a riddle in any supply chain,\u201d Gaffney says. \u201cPeople who get it right, they win.\u201d He argues that, too often, companies optimize their own operations while overlooking their suppliers\u0027 suppliers, and that a real scale-up strategy extends responsibility across the entire chain, from raw material to end user.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaffney draws that lesson from his own experience at Coca-Cola. The company once assumed a can line running smoothly at one bottling plant would perform the same way in a second plant, using the same equipment and cans from the same supplier. It didn\u0027t; the tolerances and fits had to be revalidated at the second facility before the line would run reliably. \u201cYou can\u0027t make assumptions about those variables,\u201d he says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaffney\u0027s central design principle is to bring manufacturing partners into the technology design process as early as possible, rather than handing them a finished blueprint. Using a drone as an example, he describes designers, manufacturers, and end users working together from the start. \u201cYou go from the tabletop where you make one, to the line where you want to make a thousand, but then you have to make sure that when somebody\u0027s in a dirty, grimy combat environment, the thing is still going to work.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe notes that while assembly can spread across smaller, harder-to-target sites \u2014 similar to how Ukrainian drone manufacturers dispersed production into basements to survive attacks \u2014 the most sensitive components still require concentrated, tightly controlled manufacturing. In his view, deciding where to centralize or distribute production is a core design choice with direct national security consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKurfess argues that timing is equally important. Manufacturers must preserve the ability to scale rapidly without carrying every tool and component in their inventory. They can preserve qualified digital designs, process plans, and tooling data so production can be restarted, redirected or expanded when needed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia\u0027s Regional Advantage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll three Georgia Tech experts point to the Southeast, and Georgia in particular, as one region well positioned to pull these pieces together, though careful to frame it as an example rather than the only answer. Gaffney credits the state\u0027s port access, calling it \u201cthe most progressive port in the U.S.,\u201d along with its rail, road infrastructure, and growing technical talent. Similar pushes are underway elsewhere, he notes, from nuclear manufacturing partnerships with Oak Ridge to critical mineral and battery projects in other states. \u201cEvery region has its advantages. That\u2019s the beauty of the country,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat distinguishes Georgia is how many of those advantages sit within a few hours of each other.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Convener for the Next Decade\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENone of Georgia Tech\u2019s experts argue the U.S. can, or should, build every critical supply chain onshore. Instead, they describe coordinated regional resiliency as sourcing more materials closer to home and designing manufacturing networks that can continue operating even when individual facilities, suppliers, or transportation nodes are disrupted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaffney sees Georgia Tech\u2019s role as setting an example other regions can follow. \u201cWe role model what good looks like and what good could be,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing a convener, bringing different entities together to solve a problem, that\u0027s the kind of example I think we have an obligation to present.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Kurfess\u2019 view, manufacturers increasingly need to think of capacity not as a single factory, but as a digitally connected network of qualified suppliers, manufacturing processes, and production assets that can respond rapidly when conditions change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTMI, SEI, and the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute are interconnected responses to the same national problem: that invention without a path to scale isn\u0027t security. Georgia\u2019s combination of accessible raw materials, port infrastructure, a manufacturing base, and research depth allows Georgia Tech to demonstrate what a coordinated, regional approach within a national network can look like.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Experts from Georgia Tech examine how manufacturing, supply chains, and critical materials are becoming essential to economic and national security."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute, Strategic Energy Institute, and Supply Chain and Logistics Institute are collaborating to address a growing national challenge: the gap between innovation and manufacturing at scale. Through efforts focused on critical minerals, digital manufacturing networks, and supply chain design, Georgia Tech researchers are helping build more resilient systems that can withstand disruptions and support economic and national security. With strengths in manufacturing, transportation, energy, and research, Georgia and the Southeast offer a model for developing regional supply chains that can accelerate commercialization and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts are working to strengthen U.S. supply chain resilience by connecting critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, and logistics expertise to help move innovations from the lab to large-scale production."}],"uid":"36695","created_gmt":"2026-09-15 11:48:01","changed_gmt":"2026-09-15 19:56:07","author":"jmartin482","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681158":{"id":"681158","type":"image","title":"Summer-Tour-2026-Kaolin-Park.jpg","body":null,"created":"1789502109","gmt_created":"2026-09-15 19:55:09","changed":"1789502109","gmt_changed":"2026-09-15 19:55:09","alt":"President Cabrera\u0027s 2026 Summer Tour visit to Kaolin Park ","file":{"fid":"265520","name":"Summer-Tour-2026-Kaolin-Park.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/15\/Summer-Tour-2026-Kaolin-Park_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/15\/Summer-Tour-2026-Kaolin-Park_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":210223,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/15\/Summer-Tour-2026-Kaolin-Park_0.jpg?itok=7ROUu0Sq"}}},"media_ids":["681158"],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"}],"keywords":[{"id":"215","name":"manufacturing"},{"id":"194526","name":"critical minerals"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"167158","name":"supply chain logistics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJennifer Martin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692108":{"#nid":"692108","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Getting Food to the Neighborhoods That Need It Most","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBBISS researcher\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E is mapping how Atlanta\u0027s local food ecosystem functions today, how the people inside it envision its future, and where the opportunities for transformation lie. A summer research trip to Europe brought back fresh models and new energy for the work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow does Atlanta\u0027s local food ecosystem function today? How do the people working inside it envision its future? And where are the opportunities for transformation?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose three questions drive the systems and network mapping research of Nicole Kennard, a research scientist and assistant director for Community-Engaged Research at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems\u003C\/a\u003E (BBISS). Within a systems map, Kennard charts intersecting food challenges and the intervention strategies that could address them. A companion social network map reveals the relationships that already exist across the food ecosystem and who needs to be brought together to create change. Both feed into the Atlanta Food System Research Network, an effort to increase coordination and build teams around the food system\u0027s most stubborn, systemic challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe mapping regularly shows one significant gap: One in eight metro Atlantans are struggling to access food. Although more local farmers are growing good food, there is a \u201cmissing middle layer\u201d of infrastructure connecting that food to those who need it, according to Atlanta\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/climateresilientatl.com\/climate-resilience-action-plan-2026-low.pdf\u0022\u003E2026 Climate Resilience Action Plan\u003C\/a\u003E. Food produced by smaller farms often can\u2019t enter traditional supply chains due to small quantities, so new models are needed to move that food in ways that people can access it within their everyday routines. A summer research trip through France, Belgium, and the U.K. provided her with fresh models for closing that gap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I learned a lot from these models that I\u0027m trying to bring back to Atlanta for my systems mapping research,\u0022 Kennard said. \u0022One of the biggest issues is we\u0027re missing that middle layer \u2014 better ways to distribute local food so it\u0027s reaching all neighborhoods equitably, and it\u0027s actually accessible.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s not Kennard\u0027s first time working on food systems abroad. After graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in materials science and engineering and running a student-led hydroponics project that grew food for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acfb.org\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Community Food Bank\u003C\/a\u003E, she spent nearly four years in the U.K. as a Fulbright Scholar, earning a master\u0027s in sustainable agriculture and food security at Newcastle University before completing a Ph.D. in chemistry and biosciences at the University of Sheffield in 2023. That background, she said, is part of what draws her to the field. \u0022Food is the great connector.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBringing Ideas Home From Europe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis summer, Kennard split her time between France, Belgium, and a return visit to Sheffield. At Georgia Tech-Europe, the institute\u0027s Metz campus, she met with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/paul-l-voss\u0022\u003EPaul Voss\u003C\/a\u003E, director of academic programs, to explore future partnerships around sustainable entrepreneurship and research, potentially bringing BBISS-affiliated faculty and coursework to the campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Montpellier, she presented her work to three organizations clustered on a single campus: INRAE (France\u0027s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment), L\u0027Institut Agro Montpellier, and CIRAD, the country\u0027s international agricultural development research arm, along with MOISA, an interdisciplinary CIRAD-affiliated research unit focused on sustainable food systems. There, she encountered a \u0022right-to-food\u0022 pilot in which Montpellier residents, half of whom live in poverty, pay a voluntary monthly amount on a sliding scale, from as little as 1 euro to 150 euros, and all receive a flat 100 euros back, redeemable at a handful of partner supermarkets. She also saw \u0022social grocery stores\u0022 reaching rural areas through mobile markets, and digital platforms, letting neighbors pool their money to buy directly from local farmers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKennard also attended the European Ecological Economics Society Conference in Belgium, where she presented her food systems mapping research and learned about other local food models, specifically farmer-based cooperatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Sheffield, Kennard gave a talk on community-engaged research methods and came away with insights from their local food network, \u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sheffood.org.uk\/\u0022\u003EShefFood,\u2019\u003C\/a\u003E which is community-led rather than run by the university or city (though both have seats on its board). Leadership rotates every couple of years to keep it grounded in the community it serves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Campus to Community\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKennard\u0027s Atlanta work leans heavily on the students and community partners building it with her. This semester, she is working with incoming computer science Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tristan-daniel-8b9b26253\/\u0022\u003ETristan Daniel\u003C\/a\u003E to automate her network map, scraping newsletters, news articles, and annual tax filings to keep the map\u0027s data updated in near-real time.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rhutviahircde.my.canva.site\/rhutvi-ahir\u0022\u003ERhutvi Ahir\u003C\/a\u003E, a master\u2019s student in city and regional planning, has been working on integrating the systems map into a publicly available and interactive online platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast semester, through a BBISS 2025 Sustainability Next Seed Grant project, Kennard, along with principal investigators\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/johannes-milz\u0022\u003EJohannes Milz,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/ingeborg-rocker\u0022\u003EIngeborg Rocker,\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/carl-disalvo\u0022\u003ECarl DiSalvo\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u003C\/a\u003E, convened 16 community and civic partners for a participatory design workshop mapping how food moves across metro Atlanta and where better data sharing could prevent waste. Drawing on feedback from that session, DiSalvo\u2019s team is now exploring tools such as digital maps that show where surplus food, refrigerated trucks, and distribution sites are located, as well as a dedicated messaging system to coordinate what is now handled through ad hoc texts and calls.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis fall, DiSalvo\u2019s graduate students in the interdisciplinary M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction program \u2014 from computing, design, and social science backgrounds \u2014 will turn those concepts into early prototypes to test with partners, giving students experience designing technology for real community needs rather than just commercial products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiSalvo says the core issue isn\u2019t only a lack of food, but the difficulty of coordinating people, resources, and logistics at scale. \u201cThere\u2019s so much need with food insecurity, and resources as well. It\u2019s a coordination challenge. Most people didn\u2019t get into this because they love logistics; they have a commitment to feeding people,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe credits Kennard with helping position Georgia Tech as a hub for food systems and community-engaged sustainability research. \u201cNicole\u2019s work is important \u2014 not just her food systems research, but also the oversight she gives to community-based research. It\u2019s amazing we have her as a colleague.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiSalvo isn\u0027t the only faculty collaborator.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and a BBISS Faculty Fellow, has partnered with Kennard to survey Atlanta residents in West End and citywide about how they access food. Their next step: building a tool based on what they learned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027re designing a decision-making tool that helps connect food locally, from producers to distributors and food access points in the community,\u0022 P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot every connection requires a grant or a formal project. Through the networks she is building and her continued engagement, Kennard has linked a local consulting group with a co-op needing strategic guidance and introduced a farmers market organizer to a food rescue partner. Community partner Fresh Harvest even referenced her food system network map in a recent presentation to WABE radio\u003Ca\u003E.\u003C\/a\u003E According to Kennard, it generated a lot of buzz, underscoring the appetite that Atlantans have for a shared picture of the food distribution ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETwo Maps, One Goal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth of Kennard\u0027s maps are expected to go live by the end of the summer. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/foodfutures.research.gatech.edu\/atlanta-food-systems-network-map\/\u0022\u003Enetwork map\u003C\/a\u003E identifies the organizations working in the space and how they connect. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/foodfutures.research.gatech.edu\/atlanta-food-systems-map\/#:~:text=Sustainable%20Systems%20(BBISS).-,Systems%20Map,-Alongside%20the%20network\u0022\u003Esystems map\u003C\/a\u003E, still being finalized, distills her interviews and engagement work into nine key thematic areas emerging as priorities for the city, along with competing visions of what a more resilient food system could look like.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe maps also anchor the research network Kennard co-leads with Emory University Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/envs.emory.edu\/people\/bios\/burchfield-emily.html\u0022\u003EEmily Burchfield\u003C\/a\u003E and agrifood systems researcher\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/katem-d\/\u0022\u003EKate Mundon-Dixon\u003C\/a\u003E. The network has held two gatherings so far, one at a local hydroponic farm, where attendees added their own connections to the map. The network\u2019s active listserv now includes more than 55 organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Kennard, the goal was never a single map or tool. It was building the foundation and the infrastructure that let everyone else act together. \u0022I wanted to create this foundational research so that the academics and partners most poised to address specific challenges can create those teams and move forward together,\u0022 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe added that while most of her work is Atlanta-focused, it has implications for regional food access across Georgia. \u201cA key insight that came from my systems mapping work is the need to connect rural and urban growers to move forward a statewide agenda for a resilient food system,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cMy colleague at Emory, Emily Burchfield, is doing a lot more of the rural engagement, and we hope to align our work later.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEverybody in Atlanta\u0027s food space is doing amazing work, she added, noting that, \u0022If we can better align and coordinate under a shared vision and strategy, then we can actually move the needle on systems change, instead of just a few isolated things happening in different neighborhoods.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree questions drive Nicole Kennard\u0027s research into Atlanta\u0027s local food system. How does Atlanta\u0027s local food ecosystem function today? How do the people working inside it envision its future? And where are the opportunities for transformation? She uses a systems map and a social network map to document what she learns and to connect Atlanta\u0027s food producers, distributers, and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nicole Kennard researches Atlanta\u0027s food system using mapping and visualization techniques."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-08-28 17:04:53","changed_gmt":"2026-09-11 15:07:38","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681003":{"id":"681003","type":"image","title":"Kennard_Food_Network_Workshop.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EL to R: Carl DiSalvo, Ingeborg Rocker, Nicole Kennard, Johannes Milz, and Vanshika Kumar.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1787936912","gmt_created":"2026-08-28 17:08:32","changed":"1787940193","gmt_changed":"2026-08-28 18:03:13","alt":"Five people stand side by side in a meeting or workshop space with large planning boards displayed behind them. The boards are covered with flowcharts, diagrams, handwritten notes, and sticky notes outlining process maps and project planning information. The group is positioned in front of the displays, with name tags visible.","file":{"fid":"265350","name":"Kennard_Food_Network_Workshop.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/28\/Kennard_Food_Network_Workshop.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/28\/Kennard_Food_Network_Workshop.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":985145,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/28\/Kennard_Food_Network_Workshop.jpg?itok=5XSOpsDM"}}},"media_ids":["681003"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"106351","name":"food systems"},{"id":"11278","name":"Urban Agriculture"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692462":{"#nid":"692462","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Warming Climate Could Actually Increase Physical Activity, Georgia Tech Economist Finds","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHardly anyone loves exercising in the festering crucible of a brutal summer heatwave. So it stands to reason that as global temperatures rise, the kind of physical activity that\u2019s so crucial for our health and economic productivity could fall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0047272726000745?via%3Dihub\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research\u003C\/a\u003E from Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ESchool of Economics\u003C\/a\u003E in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts suggests adding an asterisk to earlier research that makes that conclusion, saying previous studies failed to account for one simple fact: people adapt.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech economist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/889222ee-d2fd-599b-9140-79d7dc30afeb\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBobby Harris\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E used a massive database of Fitbit step count data to measure how temperature shapes physical activity and found that extreme heat cuts step counts by 6% when compared to ideal weather. And while residents of the warmest regions cut their activity by an average of only 354 steps on days over 100 degrees, those living in the coldest regions cut theirs by 1,081, according to Harris\u2019 analysis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo be fair, cold bites, too. On days that stay below freezing, people take roughly 1,000 fewer steps. That\u2019s a 12% drop, enough to pack on a pound over the course of a typical Madison, Wisconsin winter, Harris found.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut as the climate grows warmer, how humanity will respond to warmer temperatures remains a significant concern. In fact, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/392\/bmj.s514\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Eearlier research\u003C\/a\u003E projected that, by 2050, temperature-driven declines in physical activity could contribute to 500,000 premature deaths a year worldwide and annual productivity losses topping $2.4 billion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProjections like those typically assume everyone responds to heat the same way, with no capacity to adapt, Harris said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/09\/climate-change-physical-activity-adaptation\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the IAC News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef65b166366f6499d63005112fb785d6f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Finding\u003C\/strong\u003E: A study led by economist Bobby Harris at Georgia Tech\u0027s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts reveals climate change could increase average U.S. physical activity by 893 steps per day by 2099 as people adapt to rising temperatures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e89b00ae19f9597ec785b646581c9fc95\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBy the Numbers\u003C\/strong\u003E: Fitbit data used in Harris\u2019 study show that warm-climate residents are \u003Cstrong\u003E50% less sensitive\u003C\/strong\u003E to heat extremes than northern neighbors, \u003Cstrong\u003Ecutting 354 steps on hot days\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003Ecompared to 1,081 in cooler regions\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb7df64a5e9dccfd5ae6f4af39678e1e6\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpert Insight\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0022There are still significant dangers to rising temperatures, but we must better factor adaptive capacity into conversations about climate change,\u201d Harris said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" study led by economist Bobby Harris at Georgia Tech\u0027s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts reveals climate change could increase average U.S. physical activity by 893 steps per day by 2099 as people adapt to rising temperatures. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-09 16:23:47","changed_gmt":"2026-09-09 16:25:50","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681107":{"id":"681107","type":"image","title":"climate-and-activity-paper-harris--1-.jpg","body":null,"created":"1788971073","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 16:24:33","changed":"1788971073","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 16:24:33","alt":"Person holding a water bottle in their left hand wearing a smart watch and a towel on his shoulder appearing to be after a workout","file":{"fid":"265463","name":"climate-and-activity-paper-harris--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/climate-and-activity-paper-harris--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/climate-and-activity-paper-harris--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":59696,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/climate-and-activity-paper-harris--1-.jpg?itok=jVZ4yMKf"}}},"media_ids":["681107"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/09\/climate-change-physical-activity-adaptation","title":"Read Full Story on IAC News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692273":{"#nid":"692273","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mahajan Receives NSF CAREER Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) named Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE) Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/divya-mahajan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDivya Mahajan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E a recipient of the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CAREER Award is NSF\u2019s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty, recognizing researchers who demonstrate the potential to become leaders in both research and education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMahajan received the award for her research on designing energy-efficient, adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) datacenters through a cyber-physical approach that jointly considers AI software, computing hardware, and the physical state of the underlying infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI models continue to grow in scale and complexity, they place increasing demands on every layer of datacenter infrastructure\u2014from accelerators, memory, and networking to power delivery, cooling, and security. Yet these systems are often designed and optimized one layer at a time, limiting overall efficiency and adaptability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMahajan\u2019s research reimagines AI datacenters as cyber-physical systems in which software, hardware, and physical operating conditions continuously inform one another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI infrastructure should be designed around the real-time condition of the hardware, not just its specifications,\u201d Mahajan said. \u201cBy making AI systems aware of the physical state of the infrastructure, we can build datacenters that are more efficient, adaptive, and resilient at scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/mahajan-receives-nsf-career-award\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ECE News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) named Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE) Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/divya-mahajan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDivya Mahajan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E a recipient of the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CAREER Award is NSF\u2019s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty, recognizing researchers who demonstrate the potential to become leaders in both research and education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMahajan received the award for her research on designing energy-efficient, adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) datacenters through a cyber-physical approach that jointly considers AI software, computing hardware, and the physical state of the underlying infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The National Science Foundation (NSF) named Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Assistant Professor Divya Mahajan a recipient of the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-03 17:39:24","changed_gmt":"2026-09-03 17:42:37","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681065":{"id":"681065","type":"image","title":"Mahajan-NSF-CAREER.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Assistant Professor Divya Mahajan\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788457252","gmt_created":"2026-09-03 17:40:52","changed":"1788457252","gmt_changed":"2026-09-03 17:40:52","alt":" Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Assistant Professor Divya Mahajan","file":{"fid":"265416","name":"Mahajan-NSF-CAREER.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/Mahajan-NSF-CAREER.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/Mahajan-NSF-CAREER.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":347352,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/03\/Mahajan-NSF-CAREER.jpeg?itok=5j8pWANd"}}},"media_ids":["681065"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/mahajan-receives-nsf-career-award","title":"Full Story on the ECE News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692255":{"#nid":"692255","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Matthew McDowell Named to National Academies Committee on Future Battery Technologies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) professor Matthew McDowell has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee. The appointed committee will explore current and next-generation battery energy storage technologies for defense applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe committee, convened through the National Academies\u0027 project \u003Cem\u003EFuture of Battery Technology Options for Defense Applications\u003C\/em\u003E, will identify the strengths and weaknesses of future battery technologies, including an examination of performance, safety, and manufacturability across technology and manufacturing readiness levels. The committee will also identify gaps where research investments could potentially improve battery capabilities across technology and manufacturing readiness levels, creating opportunities to leverage commercially available technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a joint appointment in MSE and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ethe George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, McDowell is internationally recognized for his research on batteries and energy storage materials. His work focuses on understanding how materials change during battery operation and using that knowledge to develop safer, more efficient, and more sustainable energy storage systems. McDowell is also co-director of the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center. He leads research spanning solid-state batteries, lithium-ion and sodium-ion technologies, and next-generation energy storage materials. \u201cI am very thankful to be selected, and I look forward to working with colleagues on developing recommendations to advance battery technologies in support of our country,\u0022 said McDowell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mse.gatech.edu\/news\/matthew-mcdowell-named-national-academies-committee-future-battery-technologies\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the MSE Newspage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) professor Matthew McDowell has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee. The appointed committee will explore current and next-generation battery energy storage technologies for defense applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe committee, convened through the National Academies\u0027 project \u003Cem\u003EFuture of Battery Technology Options for Defense Applications\u003C\/em\u003E, will identify the strengths and weaknesses of future battery technologies, including an examination of performance, safety, and manufacturability across technology and manufacturing readiness levels. The committee will also identify gaps where research investments could potentially improve battery capabilities across technology and manufacturing readiness levels, creating opportunities to leverage commercially available technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a joint appointment in MSE and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ethe George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, McDowell is internationally recognized for his research on batteries and energy storage materials. His work focuses on understanding how materials change during battery operation and using that knowledge to develop safer, more efficient, and more sustainable energy storage systems. McDowell is also co-director of the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) professor Matthew McDowell has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-03 14:23:39","changed_gmt":"2026-09-03 14:27:25","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681061":{"id":"681061","type":"image","title":"McDowell_Crop2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew McDowell, Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Co-director of Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788445424","gmt_created":"2026-09-03 14:23:44","changed":"1788445424","gmt_changed":"2026-09-03 14:23:44","alt":"Matthew McDowell","file":{"fid":"265412","name":"McDowell_Crop2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/McDowell_Crop2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/McDowell_Crop2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":178659,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/03\/McDowell_Crop2.jpg?itok=Ewb0JKyI"}}},"media_ids":["681061"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/mse.gatech.edu\/news\/matthew-mcdowell-named-national-academies-committee-future-battery-technologies","title":"Read Full Story on MSE News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"194607","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692254":{"#nid":"692254","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ellen Mazumdar Earns NASA Early Career Faculty Award for Spacecraft Heat Shield Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mazumdar-0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEllen Yi Chen Mazumdar,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has received a NASA Early Career Faculty (ECF) Award to develop new methods for studying the extreme conditions spacecraft experience during atmospheric entry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis award is part of NASA\u2019s Space Technology Research Grants Program, which supports groundbreaking projects with the potential to transform space science and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the three-year, $750,000 award, Mazumdar and her research team will develop laser-based methods to simultaneously measure temperature, chemical species, gas velocity, and other properties in the gases surrounding heat shield materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe aim to implement our measurement techniques in arc jet or plasma jet facilities, like the ones at NASA, to assist with the evaluation of thermal protection systems for next-generation spacecraft,\u201d Mazumdar said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project uses ultrafast lasers, which produce extremely short, high-intensity pulses. These pulses allow researchers to study the behavior of molecules on extremely short timescales and measure properties that can improve understanding of the gases surrounding a spacecraft during atmospheric entry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMazumdar said she and her students are excited about this project and hope it will help NASA develop new heat shields for spacecraft traveling to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/ellen-mazumdar-earns-nasa-early-career-faculty-award-spacecraft-heat-shield-research\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ME Webpage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mazumdar-0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEllen Yi Chen Mazumdar,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has received a NASA Early Career Faculty (ECF) Award to develop new methods for studying the extreme conditions spacecraft experience during atmospheric entry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis award is part of NASA\u2019s Space Technology Research Grants Program, which supports groundbreaking projects with the potential to transform space science and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the three-year, $750,000 award, Mazumdar and her research team will develop laser-based methods to simultaneously measure temperature, chemical species, gas velocity, and other properties in the gases surrounding heat shield materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe aim to implement our measurement techniques in arc jet or plasma jet facilities, like the ones at NASA, to assist with the evaluation of thermal protection systems for next-generation spacecraft,\u201d Mazumdar said.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar, assistant professor in the Woodruff School has received a NASA Early Career Faculty (ECF) Award to develop new methods for studying the extreme conditions spacecraft experience during atmospheric entry."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-03 14:18:57","changed_gmt":"2026-09-03 14:21:47","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681060":{"id":"681060","type":"image","title":"Mazumdar_web.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEllen Yi Chen Mazumdar, assistant professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788445171","gmt_created":"2026-09-03 14:19:31","changed":"1788445171","gmt_changed":"2026-09-03 14:19:31","alt":"Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar, assistant professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering","file":{"fid":"265411","name":"Mazumdar_web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/Mazumdar_web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/Mazumdar_web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":137639,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/03\/Mazumdar_web.jpg?itok=HbzEsBLK"}}},"media_ids":["681060"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/ellen-mazumdar-earns-nasa-early-career-faculty-award-spacecraft-heat-shield-research","title":"Full Story on the ME Newspage"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETracie Troha, ME Communications\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692182":{"#nid":"692182","#data":{"type":"news","title":"DOE Assistant Secretary Catherine Jereza Visits NEETRAC","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/oe\/person\/catherine-jereza\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Secretary Catherine Jereza\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of the U.S. Department of Energy\u0027s (DoE) Office of Electricity visited the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neetrac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENational Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (NEETRAC) on August 20, it provided an opportunity for researchers to showcase their latest work and discuss the challenges facing America\u0027s electric grid.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/doe-assistant-secretary-catherine-jereza-visits-neetrac\u0022\u003ERead more.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe nationally recognized Georgia Tech consortium brings together industry, government, and academia to advance power grid reliability and innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The nationally recognized Georgia Tech consortium brings together industry, government, and academia to advance power grid reliability and innovation. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2026-09-01 18:56:26","changed_gmt":"2026-09-03 14:15:22","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681030":{"id":"681030","type":"image","title":"DoE-NEETRAC-Visit-8.png","body":null,"created":"1788288999","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 18:56:39","changed":"1788288999","gmt_changed":"2026-09-01 18:56:39","alt":"Department of Energy Office of Electricity Assistant Secretary Catherine Jereza (center) tours NEETRAC\u0027s research and testing facilities at GeorgiaTech. The visit highlighted the center\u0027s work with utilities, manufacturers, and government partners to address emerging challenges facingthe nation\u0027s electric grid.","file":{"fid":"265378","name":"DoE-NEETRAC-Visit-8.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/DoE-NEETRAC-Visit-8.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/DoE-NEETRAC-Visit-8.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1969060,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/DoE-NEETRAC-Visit-8.png?itok=cauoi5LR"}}},"media_ids":["681030"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692242":{"#nid":"692242","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nine BBISS Faculty Fellows Appointed","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to announce the appointment of nine new faculty fellows for 2026. Selected for their outstanding leadership in sustainability-related research, these faculty members will join a growing community of scholars working to advance innovative solutions to some of the world\u0027s most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished in 2014, the BBISS Faculty Fellows program brings together distinguished faculty from across Georgia Tech to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen the sustainability research community, and advance the Institute\u0027s mission of generating real-world impact through research, education, and engagement. Serving three-year terms, fellows act as strategic advisors, community ambassadors, and thought leaders within the broader sustainability ecosystem. Building on this foundational vision, the BBISS Faculty Fellows program has evolved to meet the dynamic needs of modern sustainability leaders. The newly revamped program emphasizes active leadership development, offering tailored networking opportunities, connections with broader sustainability networks, and focused training to help fellows grow as influential voices in their respective fields. Through these enhancements, the BBISS Faculty Fellows program aims to empower early-career researchers to maximize their reach, elevate their research, and innovate transformative sustainability solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 cohort represents a wide range of expertise spanning AI and sustainability, sustainable finance, computational materials discovery, infrastructure systems, environmental chemistry, urban resilience, and community-engaged research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe 2026 BBISS Faculty Fellows are:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebdd6fbeb1f5c84612d7d8b8ec428501d\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/624a4663-6439-585b-8bb0-3633dbbf089f\u0022\u003EHeidi Biggs\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eccad3040096319a501aee63554cbcea4\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/bowen-jennifer\u0022\u003EJennifer Bowen\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ecfc8499e98dcbc37448e99cb5e031457\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/aa477a68-e824-5441-84f8-f9c968a402d7\u0022\u003EGaurav Doshi\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Economics, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e352d0010b0267e54c3729870e34e18a9\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/he\/index.html\u0022\u003EXindi He\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, Scheller College of Business.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e511b1bb49a5411509b3a05c9f8d430d9\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/guoxiang-emma-hu\u0022\u003EGuoxiang (Emma) Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eff1911cdc56eb3366df5283d34c60f51\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1086\u0022\u003ESuhas Jain\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3f1be2753a61bfecda57015bdc34aafe\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/people\/patrick-kastner\u0022\u003EPatrick Kastner\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, College of Design.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1682e55bd4bbe9706aa51550522f9131\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\/people\/cindy-kaiying-lin\u0022\u003ECindy Kaiying Lin\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Interactive Computing, College of Computing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e229f30d28bf1947b353468d749f1ef4c\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/julia-yang\u0022\u003EJulia Yang\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Engineering.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollectively, their research addresses the sustainability of interconnected human, natural, and engineered systems, encompassing topics such as watershed resilience, resource stewardship, carbon cycling, circular materials management, and evidence-based environmental decision-making. Their diverse expertise fosters new interdisciplinary collaborations that accelerate the development of practical, scalable solutions for communities, industries, and ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are delighted to welcome this exceptional group of faculty leaders to the BBISS community,\u201d said BBISS Executive Director Beril Toktay. \u201cTheir expertise, creativity, and commitment to sustainability will help expand opportunities for collaboration and accelerate the impact of sustainability research across Georgia Tech and beyond.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) has appointed nine new faculty fellows for 2026, selected for their leadership in sustainability research. These fellows will join an interdisciplinary community aiming to develop innovative solutions to environmental, social, and economic challenges. The BBISS Faculty Fellows program supports early-career researchers with leadership development and collaboration opportunities to enhance their impact in sustainability fields.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) has appointed nine new faculty fellows for 2026, selected for their leadership in sustainability research."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-09-03 13:13:43","changed_gmt":"2026-09-03 13:19:00","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681058":{"id":"681058","type":"image","title":"2026_BBISS_Fellows_Collage.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E(L to R, Top to Bottom) Heidi Biggs, Jennifer Bowen, Gaurav Doshi, Xindi He, Guoxiang (Emma) Hu, Suhas Jain, Patrick Kastner, Cindy Kaiying Lin, and Julia Yang.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788441245","gmt_created":"2026-09-03 13:14:05","changed":"1788441245","gmt_changed":"2026-09-03 13:14:05","alt":"Collage of nine headshot portraits arranged in a three-by-three grid. The portraits show individuals photographed from the shoulders up in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings, including office spaces, landscaped outdoor areas, and neutral backgrounds, with professional or business-casual attire. The images are evenly spaced and presented in a consistent square format with varied background colors and lighting conditions.","file":{"fid":"265408","name":"2026_BBISS_Fellows_Collage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/2026_BBISS_Fellows_Collage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/2026_BBISS_Fellows_Collage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":734909,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/03\/2026_BBISS_Fellows_Collage.jpg?itok=00FtNGVb"}}},"media_ids":["681058"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692107":{"#nid":"692107","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Discover New Layer of the Human Genome ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/francesca-storici\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFrancesca Storici\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and faculty member of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, has uncovered an unexpected feature of human DNA linked to gene activity and the physical organization of DNA. The findings, \u003Ca rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cell.com\/cell\/fulltext\/S0092-8674(26)00922-0\u0022\u003Epublished in \u003Cem\u003ECell\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, could change how scientists think about DNA organization, transcription, and genome function.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDNA and RNA are usually separate molecules inside cells, each with a different job. But small RNA building blocks, called ribonucleotides, sometimes become embedded in DNA during normal cellular activities. Scientists knew these RNA building blocks existed, but until now they did not know where they were located across the human genome or whether they served a purpose.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStorici\u0027s team, working with collaborators at multiple institutions, created their detailed map of these RNA building blocks throughout human DNA. The researchers found that they are not randomly scattered. Instead, they are distributed in distinct patterns across the genome. The researchers call this genome-wide landscape of DNA-embedded ribonucleotides the human nuclear \u201cribome.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRibonucleotides embedded in DNA have traditionally been viewed mainly as mistakes that need to be removed,\u201d Storici said. \u201cOur findings suggest a different perspective: they can influence the physical properties of DNA and may have biological functions that we are only beginning to understand.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team discovered that these embedded RNA building blocks are especially common near the starting points of active genes, where cells begin reading genetic instructions to make RNA. Their abundance also increases with gene activity. These regions experience physical stress as DNA is repeatedly accessed and used. The researchers found evidence that the embedded RNA building blocks influence how tightly the DNA twists and coils in these areas. This DNA twisting, known as supercoiling, is closely associated with transcription.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe findings suggest that these RNA building blocks are more than accidental leftovers from normal cellular processes. Instead, they can modulate DNA supercoiling, revealing a previously unrecognized connection between embedded ribonucleotides, DNA topology, and transcription.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the most exciting findings is that processing ribonucleotides embedded in DNA can change DNA supercoiling,\u201d Storici said. \u201cThis provides a new connection between the chemical composition of DNA, its physical organization, and transcription.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work also may help scientists better understand diseases linked to problems removing embedded RNA from DNA, including rare autoimmune disorders. More broadly, the discovery could open a new area of investigation into the roles of embedded ribonucleotides in human genome biology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy providing the first comprehensive map of these RNA marks in human nuclear DNA, the study shows that what once appeared to be simple molecular mistakes may actually contribute to how the genome is organized and functions. The discovery opens new opportunities to explore how embedded ribonucleotides influence DNA topology, transcription, and genome maintenance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E______\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStorici\u0027s team included: Deepali Kundnani (alumnus), Yeunsoo Lee (Ph.D. student), Tyler Warner (Ph.D. student), and Ryan Eckerty (undergraduate student). Nata\u0161a Jonoska, a mathematician at the University of South Florida, also contributed. Additional collaborators across multiple institutions contributed expertise, resources, and scientific insights that greatly expanded the scope and comprehensiveness of the study.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EResearchers led by Francesca Storici, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences and faculty member of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, created the first comprehensive map of ribonucleotides embedded in human nuclear DNA. Published in \u003Cem\u003ECell\u003C\/em\u003E, the study found that these RNA building blocks cluster near active genes and are associated with DNA supercoiling, a physical property linked to transcription. The findings suggest that embedded ribonucleotides are not simply molecular errors but may help shape genome organization and function, opening new avenues for research into gene regulation and diseases associated with defects in ribonucleotide removal.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study led by Francesca Storici reveals that RNA building blocks embedded in human DNA are organized in distinct patterns and may play an important role in regulating DNA structure and gene activity."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-08-28 17:05:02","changed_gmt":"2026-09-03 12:34:50","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681002":{"id":"681002","type":"image","title":"_0000_storici-ribonucleotides.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EScientific rendering of multiple DNA double helices with several embedded ribonucleotides highlighted in red along the strands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1787936801","gmt_created":"2026-08-28 17:06:41","changed":"1787936801","gmt_changed":"2026-08-28 17:06:41","alt":"Scientific rendering of multiple DNA double helices with several embedded ribonucleotides highlighted in red along the strands. The red RNA building blocks appear at distinct locations within the gray DNA structure, illustrating how ribonucleotides can become incorporated into human DNA.","file":{"fid":"265349","name":"_0000_storici-ribonucleotides.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/28\/_0000_storici-ribonucleotides.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/28\/_0000_storici-ribonucleotides.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":133621,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/28\/_0000_storici-ribonucleotides.jpg?itok=GND4O2ZW"}}},"media_ids":["681002"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691898":{"#nid":"691898","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches Statewide Hub to Build Aerospace Technical Talent","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is leading a new NASA-supported workforce development initiative designed to expand aerospace education and strengthen Georgia\u0027s pipeline of skilled technical talent needed for future space missions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-establishes-state-hubs-to-grow-technical-aerospace-workforce\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENext Gen STEM (NGS) NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs (NAS_Hub) grant award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech will play a central role in addressing a critical labor shortage in the booming aerospace industry and enhance the state\u2019s role as an aerospace industry leader in the global space economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeginning this fall, the three-year, $1.5 million award will establish the Southeast Space Technology \u0026amp; Aerospace Readiness Skills (SE-STARS) Hub. The hub will expand opportunities for training and workforce readiness in high-demand technical careers in aerospace.\u003Cbr\u003EThe SE-STARS Hub includes the Georgia Space Grant Consortium (GSGC), Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute (SRI), the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI), the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Georgia Southern University, Georgia College and Career Academies, Georgia Aerospace \u0026amp; Defense Alliance (GADA), and select Georgia aerospace employers to support the growing aerospace industry and NASA missions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAerospace products are Georgia\u2019s No. 1 export and the state has more than 800 companies supporting aviation, manufacturing, research, maintenance, repair, and operations.\u0026nbsp; Many aerospace and engineering positions rely on skilled technical workers whose training pathways do not require a four-year, or advanced degree. There are significant gaps in technical roles such as machinists, electronics technicians, test operators, and systems integrators. These shortages are driven by an aging workforce and a projected national shortfall of at least one million skilled technical workers by 2030. (National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, 2025). The gap also stems from the rapid pace of technological advancement, where even current skills can quickly become obsolete if not constantly renewed.\u0026nbsp; All this combines to create an urgent need for training to support new and sustainable aerospace career pathways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStephen Ruffin\u003C\/strong\u003E, interim chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering and GSGC director will serve as the principal investigator (PI).\u0026nbsp; \u003Cstrong\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of SRI; \u003Cstrong\u003ELori Skillings\u003C\/strong\u003E, GSGC; \u003Cstrong\u003EHossein Taheri\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Southern University; and \u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/strong\u003E, GTMI, will serve as co-PIs.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffrey McNabb\u003C\/strong\u003E, a research engineer in Georgia Tech\u2019s Aerospace Systems Design Lab (ASDL), will serve as the program manager, leading day-to-day operations and coordinating the project team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This initiative strengthens Georgia\u0027s position as a leader in aerospace innovation and manufacturing while providing new opportunities for students and industries across the state,\u0022 said\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ERuffin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoordination between public education systems, industry, and workforce agencies can sometimes be limited. SE-STARS will act as a \u0022hub\u0022 to bridge these gaps, connecting Georgia Tech and its specialized research institutes with TCSG\u2019s 22 colleges and 88 campuses to provide statewide access to training.\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cAnother advantage of the program is the stronger network it creates,\u201d said Ruffin. \u201cEach organization in the SE-STARS team has unique capabilities but together we will strengthen the technical workforce pipeline across Georgia and the broader Southeast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SE-STARS team will collaborate with industry partners to develop curriculum aligned with workforce needs. \u201cThe easily ported curricula we develop will be tailored for other institutions to adopt directly, creating a consistent foundation of skills and competencies that employers can universally expect from program graduates across Georgia,\u201d Ready said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents will access training through a statewide network of technical colleges serving as regional instructional nodes, which offer flexible online options and hands-on paid apprenticeships to ensure broad geographic reach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program also reaches K-12 and adult learners through career academies and specialized STEM labs, creating a structured, sustainable transition from early education to high-demand aerospace credentials.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EGTMI will support this work through its Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Program, which connects industry-informed training with pathways into high-demand advanced manufacturing careers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia\u0027s expanding aerospace and space sectors are creating high-paying jobs and driving economic growth,\u201d said Ruffin. \u201cThis program will help develop the skilled workforce needed to support that growth and Georgia\u2019s competitiveness in the space economy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollowing NASA\u0027s announcement, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/atlanta\/news\/nasa-taps-georgia-tech-for-10-5-million-push-to-build-the-space-workforce\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECBS News Atlanta featured Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cem\u003EVideo courtesy of CBS News Atlanta.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A $1.5 million NASA award will support aerospace education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship programs across Georgia."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Tech is leading a new statewide workforce development initiative funded by a three-year, $1.5 million NASA award to strengthen aerospace education and address critical shortages of skilled technical workers across Georgia. The Southeast Space Technology \u0026amp; Aerospace Readiness Skills (SE-STARS) Hub will bring together Georgia Tech, the Technical College System of Georgia, universities, industry partners, and workforce organizations to create training programs, apprenticeships, and career pathways in high-demand aerospace fields. By connecting K-12 students, adult learners, technical colleges, and employers, the initiative aims to build a sustainable talent pipeline that supports Georgia\u2019s growing aerospace sector and future NASA mission\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is leading a new NASA-supported workforce development initiative designed to expand aerospace education and strengthen Georgia\u0027s pipeline of skilled technical talent needed for future space missions. "}],"uid":"36345","created_gmt":"2026-08-24 15:43:56","changed_gmt":"2026-08-26 13:55:29","author":"gwaddell3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680962":{"id":"680962","type":"image","title":"machine-shop-for-article.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAE Machine Shop with students.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1787586344","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 15:45:44","changed":"1787586344","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 15:45:44","alt":"Machine shop with students","file":{"fid":"265302","name":"machine-shop-for-article.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/machine-shop-for-article.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/machine-shop-for-article.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1749821,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/machine-shop-for-article.jpg?itok=YAPuk9Hn"}}},"media_ids":["680962"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/how-georgia-techs-step-camp-expanding-engineering-opportunities-across-georgia","title":"How Georgia Tech\u0027s STEP Camp Is Expanding Engineering Opportunities Across Georgia"}],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1325","name":"aerospace"},{"id":"59541","name":"workforce development"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMonique Waddell\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["monique.waddell@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691666":{"#nid":"691666","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Cybersecurity Imperative in Smart Factories ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs manufacturing systems become more connected, the cyberthreat grows with them. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/saman-zonouz\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E has spent years documenting how vulnerable smart manufacturing environments are. He\u2019s an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, where he co-leads the Cyber-Physical Security Lab with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/about-the-provost\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Disrupting the manufacturing sector doesn\u0027t just shut down individual shops. It can directly impact national security and public safety,\u0022 Zonouz said. Because manufacturing is one of 16 federally designated critical infrastructure sectors, it is deeply intertwined with energy, water, and defense, meaning disruptions can cascade far beyond the factory floor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe threats Zonouz documents go beyond ransomware. His research has demonstrated how adversaries can insert logic bombs into design files, compromising Computer Numerical Control machines or 3D printers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027ve shown how logic bombs can be inserted remotely into design files so that everything looks normal when the part is printed, but once it\u0027s in operation, the attacker can decide when it fails,\u0022 Zonouz said, citing drone propellers, aircraft wings, and power grid transformer components as examples where invisible sabotage could have catastrophic consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternet-wide scans conducted by his team found that many shop-floor controllers are directly exposed to the internet, with no meaningful barrier between an adversary and the machines running a production line. Imported equipment compounds the risk, because controllers and firmware from unknown developers may carry unintentional vulnerabilities or deliberately planted backdoors. \u0022In manufacturing, many controllers and machines can still be accessed easily from outside,\u0022 Zonouz said, echoing the kind of supply chain exposure seen in high-profile attacks on widely used software platforms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis prescription is straightforward but still largely unimplemented across the sector: Build security into the system design rather than adding it afterward. \u0022The number one principle is to think about cybersecurity and risk when you design the system, not as an afterthought once everything is already built,\u0022 Zonouz said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis team has explored this through the $65 million \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia AIM initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, a collaboration with Aaron Stebner, Steven Ferguson, and Animesh Chhotaray, led by Ph.D. student Twisha Chattopadhyay. Using AI for automated anomaly detection allows complex production lines to be monitored continuously without requiring constant human oversight.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s standing at the intersection of manufacturing and cybersecurity is, by most measures, singular. \u0022Georgia Tech is the only top university with a dedicated School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, with about 30 professors focused solely on cybersecurity, and you rarely see this level of collaboration between cybersecurity and manufacturing faculty anywhere else,\u0022 Zonouz said. That collaboration is already producing joint publications and a patent application for AI-driven attack detection systems developed through Georgia AIM.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot every attacker wants a quick payoff. Zonouz also tracks advanced persistent threats, where a nation-state actor quietly compromises a controller and does nothing for months, waiting for the right geopolitical moment to act. \u0022They get into the house and just sit there, because by sitting still nobody can detect them,\u0022 Zonouz said. That patience turns an idle, exposed controller into tomorrow\u0027s leverage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Manufacturers do not need to solve every problem at once,\u0022 Zonouz said. Finance and energy already operate under mandatory cybersecurity frameworks, while manufacturing\u0027s own standard, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, is still being phased in. \u0022The security of these systems right now is so weak that basic, easy-to-deploy solutions would stop the majority of attacks that are succeeding simply because the door is wide open,\u0022 he said. The hardest attacks will always be the patient, targeted ones, and closing the obvious gaps first is what buys manufacturers time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs manufacturing becomes more connected, Saman Zonouz\u2019s research shows why cybersecurity must be built into industrial systems from the start, before hidden vulnerabilities become threats to production, public safety, and national security.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As manufacturing becomes more connected, Saman Zonouz\u2019s research shows why cybersecurity must be built into industrial systems from the start, before hidden vulnerabilities become threats to production, public safety, and national security."}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-08-13 19:23:46","changed_gmt":"2026-08-20 20:29:09","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680949":{"id":"680949","type":"image","title":"saman.jpg","body":null,"created":"1787257710","gmt_created":"2026-08-20 20:28:30","changed":"1787257710","gmt_changed":"2026-08-20 20:28:30","alt":"Saman Zonouz","file":{"fid":"265285","name":"saman.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/20\/saman.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/20\/saman.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8442,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/20\/saman.jpg?itok=WHEx5C7P"}}},"media_ids":["680949"],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJennifer Martin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssistant Director of Research Communications Services\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691791":{"#nid":"691791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Discover New Mechanism Behind Soft-Material Adhesion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnyone who has peeled off a bandage knows that speed matters. Conventional wisdom, and decades of adhesion research, suggest that pulling faster makes adhesive forces stronger. But researchers at Georgia Tech have discovered that soft materials can behave in a far more surprising way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of becoming steadily stickier as they are pulled apart, soft hydrogels first become less adhesive and then more adhesive as the pulling speed increases, revealing a previously unknown \u0022sweet spot\u0022 where detachment is easier. The discovery challenges a long-held assumption in adhesion mechanics and reveals a new physical mechanism that governs how soft materials attach and detach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We expected the adhesion to increase continuously with pulling speed, as predicted by classical theories,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYuhang Hu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0022Instead, we found the exact opposite over a broad range of speeds. That told us there had to be a completely different physical process at work.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-researchers-discover-new-mechanism-behind-soft-material-adhesion?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Discovering%20a%20New%20Mechanism%20Behind%20Soft-Material%20Adhesion\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20Aug.%2019%2C%202026\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnyone who has peeled off a bandage knows that speed matters. Conventional wisdom, and decades of adhesion research, suggest that pulling faster makes adhesive forces stronger. But researchers at Georgia Tech have discovered that soft materials can behave in a far more surprising way.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The discovery challenges a long-held assumption in adhesion mechanics and reveals a new physical mechanism that governs how soft materials attach and detach."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-08-19 14:08:10","changed_gmt":"2026-08-19 14:12:35","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680912":{"id":"680912","type":"image","title":"_0000_YuhangLabforweb.jpg","body":null,"created":"1787148495","gmt_created":"2026-08-19 14:08:15","changed":"1787148495","gmt_changed":"2026-08-19 14:08:15","alt":"Associate Professor Yuhang Hu and three male students from her lab gather around and look at a soft adhesive hydrogel they are studying.","file":{"fid":"265245","name":"_0000_YuhangLabforweb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/19\/_0000_YuhangLabforweb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/19\/_0000_YuhangLabforweb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/19\/_0000_YuhangLabforweb.jpg?itok=iOuqfOd0"}}},"media_ids":["680912"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETracie Troha | Communications Officer\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691762":{"#nid":"691762","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Summer Research Program Helps Doctoral Students Advance Energy Research ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia Tech doctoral students spent the summer working on their dissertation research through the Energy Policy and Innovation Center\u0027s (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) Summer Research Program. The competitive program provides a full summer-semester stipend, along with mentorship and professional development opportunities, to support emerging energy scholars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One of the goals of the program is to give students the time and support needed to make meaningful progress on their dissertation research while helping them understand the broader policy, economic, and societal implications of their work,\u0022 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe stipends enable participants to focus exclusively on clearly defined research goals. The program also supports peer discussions, communication training, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities designed to strengthen both their research and professional development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u0027s cohort explored topics ranging from electricity markets and air pollution to critical mineral supply chains and grid modernization, highlighting the breadth of energy-related research taking place across Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploring Complex Energy Challenges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/anamazmishvili\/\u0022\u003EAna Mazmishvili\u003C\/a\u003E, who studies environmental and energy economics, used the summer to examine how climate policies affect communities across state lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My research measures who is actually exposed to pollution from power plants when some states adopt climate regulations to cut emissions while neighboring regions do not,\u0022 Mazmishvili said. \u0022Because air doesn\u0027t stop at state borders, the key question is what happens once the pollution is emitted, and who ends up breathing it.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer work focuses on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program in the Northeast, and investigates whether the benefits and burdens of emissions reductions are distributed equitably between regulated and neighboring states.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMazmishvili said the program provided valuable time to focus on her job-market paper, a central component of her dissertation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The regular meetings with the program director and other fellows create useful accountability checkpoints and let me hear perspectives from people in very different fields,\u0022 she said. \u0022We\u0027re also learning how to make academic research understandable to a general audience, a skill I expect to use well past this summer.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndustrial and systems engineering doctoral student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/faezeh-fahimy-8ba9a81b9\/\u0022\u003EFaeze Fahimi Aghda\u003C\/a\u003E spent the summer developing an optimization model for the U.S. gallium supply chain, a critical component of many advanced technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer research uses mathematical modeling to examine where and when domestic gallium processing facilities should be established under the threat of supply disruptions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Working on my research through EPIcenter has taught me to look at my problem from a policy point of view rather than focusing only on the math,\u0022 Fahimi Aghda said. \u0022The feedback within the meetings helped me improve my model.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ryan-anthony-17239b13b\/\u0022\u003ERyan Anthony\u003C\/a\u003E, in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, explored how one of the largest oil shocks in U.S. history affected electricity customers and whether utility ownership influenced the impact on consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022So far, my research suggests that it mattered a lot,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cMunicipal utilities held rates down and absorbed many of the costs, while private, investor-owned utilities passed more costs through to their customers.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnthony said the program provided critical support for the archival research required for the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My project depends on data that only exists in old government reports, and that kind of archival work is difficult to fund,\u0022 he said. \u0022EPIcenter gave me the time and space to do it properly.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnecting Research to Real-World Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Samin Alipour, the summer provided an opportunity to explore how electric grids can adapt to growing numbers of distributed energy resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Most electric distribution systems were built like one-way roads, carrying power from a substation to homes and businesses,\u0022 Alipour said. \u0022Rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles are turning those roads into two-way systems.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer research examines how these emerging technologies can be coordinated to increase grid flexibility and clean energy adoption while maintaining safety and reliability and ensuring that costs and benefits are distributed fairly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith support from EPIcenter, Alipour focused on the economic and policy dimensions of those challenges. \u0022I did not want my research to remain only a technical model,\u0022 she said. \u0022The program has helped me connect the technical results of my dissertation to economic value, reliability, equity and compensation policy.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne study developed during the summer was accepted for presentation at a specialized power systems conference, an achievement Alipour credits in part to the opportunity to focus on the broader implications of her work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding the Next Generation of Energy Scholars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond advancing individual research projects, the Summer Research Program encourages students to engage with colleagues from different disciplines and develop skills for communicating complex ideas to broader audiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough regular cohort meetings, participants build a community of accountability, discuss research challenges, explore interdisciplinary energy topics, and develop communication skills,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/gilbert-x-gonzalez\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E, program support coordinator for EPIcenter. \u201cStudents also write a research-focused blog post for EPIcenter and present their work at the program\u0027s fall workshop, which allows them to share their research with the broader Georgia Tech energy community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs EPIcenter continues to support interdisciplinary energy scholarship at Georgia Tech, the Summer Research Program equips future leaders with the tools to address complex energy challenges through technological innovation, informed policy, and economic analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia Tech doctoral students spent the summer working on their dissertation research through the Energy Policy and Innovation Center\u0027s (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) Summer Research Program. The competitive program provides a full summer-semester stipend, along with mentorship and professional development opportunities, to support emerging energy scholars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One of the goals of the program is to give students the time and support needed to make meaningful progress on their dissertation research while helping them understand the broader policy, economic, and societal implications of their work,\u0022 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe stipends enable participants to focus exclusively on clearly defined research goals. The program also supports peer discussions, communication training, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities designed to strengthen both their research and professional development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u0027s cohort explored topics ranging from electricity markets and air pollution to critical mineral supply chains and grid modernization, highlighting the breadth of energy-related research taking place across Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four Georgia Tech doctoral students spent the summer working on their dissertation research through the Energy Policy and Innovation Center\u0027s (EPIcenter) Summer Research Program. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-08-18 17:15:39","changed_gmt":"2026-08-18 17:21:43","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680906":{"id":"680906","type":"image","title":"Students-PhotoCollage.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFrom Top Left (Clockwise): \u003C\/em\u003EAna Mazmishvili, Ryan Anthony, Samin Alipour, Faeze Fahimi Aghda\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1787073357","gmt_created":"2026-08-18 17:15:57","changed":"1787073357","gmt_changed":"2026-08-18 17:15:57","alt":"From Top Left (clockwise): Ana Mazmishvili, Ryan Anthony, Samin Alipour, Faeze Fahimi Aghda","file":{"fid":"265239","name":"Students-PhotoCollage.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/18\/Students-PhotoCollage.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/18\/Students-PhotoCollage.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1664395,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/18\/Students-PhotoCollage.png?itok=F9-gHuBL"}}},"media_ids":["680906"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691717":{"#nid":"691717","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Essie Knows Best","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech industrial design students traveled to an Atlanta nursing home expecting to redesign gardening tools for older adults. Instead, they discovered that the residents themselves were their most important teachers. Working alongside horticultural therapy participants at A.G. Rhodes, the students observed how aging changes the way people interact with everyday objects and learned that good design begins with listening, not assumptions. Together, they developed practical solutions that restored small but meaningful moments of independence, proving that the people living with a problem are indispensable partners in solving it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/essie-knows-best\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The lesson only nursing home residents can teach Georgia Tech design students."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech industrial design students traveled to an Atlanta nursing home expecting to redesign gardening tools for older adults. Instead, they discovered that the residents themselves were their most important teachers. Working alongside horticultural therapy participants at A.G. Rhodes, the students observed how aging changes the way people interact with everyday objects and learned that good design begins with listening, not assumptions. Together, they developed practical solutions that restored small but meaningful moments of independence, proving that the people living with a problem are indispensable partners in solving it.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Designing with people, rather than for them, can restore independence while teaching future designers lessons no classroom alone can provide."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-08-17 13:40:52","changed_gmt":"2026-08-17 16:37:22","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680891":{"id":"680891","type":"image","title":"essie-final-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE: Georgia Tech industrial design student Olivia Chan (left) works alongside A.G. Rhodes resident Essie Bailey-Demic during a horticultural therapy session. By observing and designing with residents rather than for them, students developed tools that help restore independence.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786981054","gmt_created":"2026-08-17 15:37:34","changed":"1786981054","gmt_changed":"2026-08-17 15:37:34","alt":"Two people work with potted plants in a greenhouse filled with hanging and tabletop greenery during a gardening activity.","file":{"fid":"265223","name":"essie-final-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/17\/essie-final-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/17\/essie-final-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":518282,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/17\/essie-final-thumb.jpg?itok=pFwAUrAx"}}},"media_ids":["680891"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691668":{"#nid":"691668","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engineered at Tech: Pinpointing River Pollution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKatherine Graham is an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering who studies the fate and transport of pathogens and their indicators in water, including E. coli. Her research focuses on what happens when pathogens get into water, where they go, and how it affects public policy decisions related to health. This includes looking at bacteria and conditions in Atlanta\u2019s Chattahoochee River.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin Georgia Tech undergraduate Harrison Burnside on this latest episode of Engineered at Tech as he tours Katherine Graham\u0027s lab and discovers how to track pathogens in the Chattahoochee River. The goal is to help local agencies pinpoint sources of pollution in rivers and reservoirs to protect public health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/engineered-tech-pinpointing-river-pollution\u0022\u003EWatch the video on the COE News page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKatherine Graham is an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering who studies the fate and transport of pathogens and their indicators in water, including E. coli. Her research focuses on what happens when pathogens get into water, where they go, and how it affects public policy decisions related to health. This includes looking at bacteria and conditions in Atlanta\u2019s Chattahoochee River.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin Georgia Tech undergraduate Harrison Burnside on this latest episode of Engineered at Tech as he tours Katherine Graham\u0027s lab and discovers how to track pathogens in the Chattahoochee River. The goal is to help local agencies pinpoint sources of pollution in rivers and reservoirs to protect public health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Environmental engineer Katherine Graham is developing new methods to pinpoint pathogens in water to help local agencies make rivers and reservoirs cleaner. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-08-13 20:32:24","changed_gmt":"2026-08-17 15:51:03","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680868":{"id":"680868","type":"image","title":"Engineered-at-Tech-Pinpointing-River-Pollution.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786653263","gmt_created":"2026-08-13 20:34:23","changed":"1786653263","gmt_changed":"2026-08-13 20:34:23","alt":"YouTube Thumbnail of Engineered at Tech Episode with GT Researcher Katerine Graham and Undergrad student Harrison Burnside","file":{"fid":"265197","name":"Engineered-at-Tech-Pinpointing-River-Pollution.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/Engineered-at-Tech-Pinpointing-River-Pollution.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/Engineered-at-Tech-Pinpointing-River-Pollution.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":190657,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/Engineered-at-Tech-Pinpointing-River-Pollution.jpg?itok=yUH1CNRW"}}},"media_ids":["680868"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/engineered-tech-pinpointing-river-pollution","title":"Full Story on the COE News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECandler Hobbs, College of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691698":{"#nid":"691698","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society Names Simon Sponberg Associate Director for Interdisciplinary Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS) has appointed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/simon-sponberg\u0022\u003ESimon Sponberg\u003C\/a\u003E as associate director for Interdisciplinary Research, where he will help foster collaborations, support emerging research initiatives, and advance interdisciplinary neuroscience research across campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaunched in 2025, INNS serves as a hub for neuroscience and neurotechnology research, connecting researchers across disciplines to advance discovery, innovation, and societal impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA core part of INNS\u0027s mission is helping people find one another, connect around shared interests, and build something bigger than they could accomplish alone,\u201d says Executive Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/christopher-rozell\u0022\u003EChristopher Rozell\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cSimon has spent his career bringing together people, perspectives, and disciplines to tackle complex challenges. I can\u0027t think of a better person to help lead our interdisciplinary research efforts and support the next generation of collaborative neuroscience research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA longtime leader in Georgia Tech\u0027s neuroscience community, Sponberg helped shape the institute\u0027s early foundations through the Neuro Next Initiative, which evolved into INNS. As associate director, he will help guide research strategy, foster new collaborations, and support interdisciplinary work across the neuroscience ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNeuro-related research touches so many fields that we inevitably have a problem of finding all the potential right people and opportunities to tap into,\u201d he said. \u201cA core responsibility of this role is helping catalyze the ideas of new teams of talented researchers, educators, and trainees from inception to realization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESponberg is the Glen Robinson Professor in Complex Systems with appointments in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, where he directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sponberg.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAgile Systems Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. His work also connects him to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB) and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/robotics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines\u003C\/a\u003E (IRIM), underscoring the cross-disciplinary approach that defines both his research and leadership.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince joining Georgia Tech in 2014, he has built a highly collaborative research program spanning neuroscience, biology, physics, engineering, and robotics while helping foster interdisciplinary connections across campus. He currently leads a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/18\/mathematics-physics-use-moths-and-origami-structures-innovative-defense-research\u0022\u003EMultidisciplinary University Research Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E (MURI) that brings together neuroscientists and engineers from five universities to understand how brains achieve fast, flexible perception and decision-making in complex sensory environments. He also co-leads the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-partners-15m-nsf-grant-explore-muscle-dynamics\u0022\u003EIntegrative Movement Sciences Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, an NSF Biological Integration Institute focused on understanding movement and muscle function across scales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including a Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Neuroethology, a Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship in the Neurosciences, and the Leddy Family Dean\u2019s Faculty Excellence Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs associate director, Sponberg will focus on helping researchers identify new opportunities for connection and collaboration. In addition to overseeing seed funding programs, he hopes to create pathways for researchers to build teams, access support resources, pursue ambitious interdisciplinary research ideas, and team with Georgia Tech\u2019s undergraduate and graduate neuroscience degree programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI look forward to being a resource for our community when people are looking for help in building teams or finding opportunities to support their ideas,\u201d he said. \u201cBring your best ideas and please reach out if you want to talk about ideas in the interdisciplinary neuro space that you want to see realized.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech researcher and longtime neuroscience community leader will help catalyze new collaborations and research opportunities across the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS).\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech researcher and longtime neuroscience community leader will help catalyze new collaborations and research opportunities across the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-08-14 20:32:01","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 20:50:42","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680883":{"id":"680883","type":"image","title":"Simon-Headshot.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his new leadership role at INNS, Simon Sponberg leads a multidisciplinary research program spanning neuroscience, biology, physics, engineering, and robotics.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786739533","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 20:32:13","changed":"1786739533","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 20:32:13","alt":"Simon Sponberg smiling in front of a whiteboard.","file":{"fid":"265215","name":"Simon-Headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/Simon-Headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/Simon-Headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2798844,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/14\/Simon-Headshot.jpg?itok=7P3QbQBX"}}},"media_ids":["680883"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/lab-life-inside-institute-neuroscience-neurotechnology-and-society","title":"From Lab to Life: Inside the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/18\/mathematics-physics-use-moths-and-origami-structures-innovative-defense-research","title":"Mathematics, Physics Use Moths and Origami Structures for Innovative Defense Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-partners-15m-nsf-grant-explore-muscle-dynamics","title":"Georgia Tech Partners on $15M NSF Grant to Explore Muscle Dynamics"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691679":{"#nid":"691679","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why the Data Behind a Part Now Matters as Much as the Part Itself ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECounterfeit and out-of-spec components are entering U.S. defense supply chains through thousands of small and midsized suppliers that make up the lower tiers of the industrial base. Researchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI) say the fix isn\u0027t just better parts, but better proof: verified digital records, secured against tampering, that travel with each component from raw material to installation.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA landmark 2012 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.armed-services.senate.gov\/press-releases\/senate-armed-services-committee-releases-report-on-counterfeit-electronic-parts\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESenate Armed Services Committee investigation\u003C\/a\u003E documented 1,800 cases involving more than 1 million suspect counterfeit electronic parts in the defense supply chain, traced to more than 650 companies relying on their own unvetted networks of distributors and brokers. In one case, parts changed hands five times before reaching a Raytheon subcontractor.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Pentagon has separately estimated that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.trentonsystems.com\/en-us\/resource-hub\/blog\/10-shocking-facts-counterfeit-electronics\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eup to 15%\u003C\/a\u003E of the spare and replacement electronic parts it buys are counterfeit. Without verification built into the supply chain, officials warn, a single bad part, or a single exposed manufacturing controller, can compromise a weapons system or halt a production line. That risk hasn\u0027t eased: a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-25-107283\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2025 Government Accountability Office report\u003C\/a\u003E found that Department of Defense now depends on more than 200,000 suppliers, and a deeper look at the MQ-9 Reaper drone\u0027s supply chain found Chinese components at the lower tiers despite U.S.- and Europe-based top-tier suppliers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EManufacturers are adopting a QR-coded digital record, sometimes called a digital passport, that documents a part\u0027s full production history and can be scanned at any point in the supply chain. According to GTMI Executive Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/tom-kurfess\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETom Kurfess\u003C\/a\u003E, a member of the National Academy of Engineering who previously oversaw federal manufacturing R\u0026amp;D policy at the White House, the core requirement of this digital infrastructure is straightforward: apart must prove it is what it claims to be.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am not a counterfeit part; I was made according to specifications, and you can insert me into that jet engine with high confidence that I\u0027m going to perform as specified,\u0022 Kurfess said, describing what the scan of a digital passport for a replacement jet engine turbine blade needs to confirm before it goes into an F-35.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow the Tracking Works\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile a fighter jet represents the apex of tracking stakes, Kurfess notes that the underlying infrastructure is already proven on much more ordinary assembly lines. He points to a plumbing fixture plant near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where every unit carries a QR code that pulls up the humidity conditions during manufacturing, the processing steps, and who worked on the part. Defense components use the same method, where an untraced failure carries far higher stakes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology itself is cost-effective. Shops have swapped standard calipers for Bluetooth-enabled versions that cost only a few dollars more, Kurfess said. Paired with a smartphone or tablet and a cloud account, those calipers automatically and securely feed measurements into a spreadsheet rather than a handwritten log, building a documentation record for every part in a batch.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Before shipping it off, you essentially signal that you are ready. You click the print button, and a QR code prints out to go right on the shipping bin,\u0022 Kurfess said. \u0022Whoever receives that bin, whether a commercial OEM or a defense prime, scans the code and can pull up the part\u2019s full record.\u201d The same approach covers more complex components. Electric motors built for the automotive industry now upload test-stand performance data to the cloud before shipping; once installed, a vehicle\u0027s control system scans the motor\u0027s passport and calibrates accordingly, Kurfess said. On automotive assembly lines, cameras and scanners verify that every part in a kit is present before workers seal and code it, catching shortages before they halt the production line.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor defense suppliers, Kurfess said the documentation lets prime contractors, and the Department of Defense confirm that a part meets specifications and traces it through its full production history. \u0022We know it\u0027s a good blade, and you can insert it into the F-35,\u0022 he said. \u0022We can track all of it.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Cybersecurity Risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat documentation only works if the underlying systems stay secure. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/saman-zonouz\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EElectrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, said manufacturing is one of 16 sectors the Department of Homeland Security, through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) classifies as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/topics\/critical-infrastructure-security-and-resilience\/critical-infrastructure-sectors\/critical-manufacturing-sector\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecritical infrastructure\u003C\/a\u003E, dependent on energy and water to operate while other sectors depend on it in turn.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research shows adversaries can insert what his team calls \u0022logic bombs\u0022 into design files: code that leaves a manufactured part looking normal until it fails on command, whether that part is a drone propeller or a power grid transformer. He also pointed to supply chain attacks, where imported machine tools arrive with vulnerable or deliberately compromised software already installed, the same pattern behind the SolarWinds breach that hit critical infrastructure nationwide.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScanning the internet, Zonouz\u0027s team found manufacturing controllers exposed and reachable by outside actors. Manufacturing hasn\u0027t developed cybersecurity measures at the pace of sectors such as finance or energy, he said, in part because engineers built legacy equipment for reliability, not to resist a deliberate attack.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI cuts both ways, according to Zonouz. It powers new attack-detection systems, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia AI in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM)\u003C\/a\u003E technology corridor, a $65 million initiative that includes a pilot project at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E to enable shops to monitor for anomalies without constant human oversight. But AI systems also introduce new, often unknown vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZonouz encourages manufacturers to build cybersecurity into systems from the start, borrow lessons from more mature sectors already operating under frameworks such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nerc.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENorth American Electric Reliability Corporation\u003C\/a\u003E Critical Infrastructure Protection for the power grid, and prepare for manufacturing standards, including the Department of Defense\u0027s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification framework, to tighten over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of GTMI\u0027s work runs through the small and midsized manufacturers that supply nuts, bolts, and castings to prime contractors such as Lockheed Martin and General Motors, companies that typically lack the in-house IT resources of a major OEM. Kurfess said GTMI configures the same cloud tools that automate measurement tracking to meet Department of Defense documentation and cybersecurity requirements, working directly with smaller suppliers to build that capability instead of leaving them to develop it alone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETracking Choke Points Before They Become Failures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same connectivity that verifies individual parts also shows manufacturers where a supply chain is vulnerable before a disruption hits. Kurfess cites \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.library.hbs.edu\/working-knowledge\/japan-disaster-shakes-up-supply-chain-strategies\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe 2011 Fukushima disaster\u003C\/a\u003E, which knocked out a single Japanese plant supplying a chip used in the machine tool industry worldwide, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s41072-025-00220-4\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECovid-era shipping container shortage\u003C\/a\u003E that forced companies to truck castings across the country when no containers were available at U.S. ports for shipping via rail. Mapping a supply chain in both directions, he said, reveals where a single supplier, region, or disruptive event such as inclement weather or a power outage could stop production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKurfess compares GTMI\u0027s approach to \u0022being the Google Maps for manufacturing,\u0022 using real-time connectivity to flag bottlenecks and reroute them in the best possible manner. That logic also drives GTMI\u0027s push for distributed manufacturing: spreading production of a component, such as electric vehicle motors, across many smaller regional plants instead of one large facility so a local disruption can\u0027t affect the whole chain. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fis.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGTMI\u0027s Factory Information Systems Center\u003C\/a\u003E builds the secure supply chain architectures and machine-to-cloud connectivity behind that work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/chris-gaffney\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/a\u003E, managing director of Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESupply Chain and Logistics Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, reached a similar conclusion in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/06\/23\/logistics-transition-what-know-what-watch-and-how-keep-moving\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJune 2026 research brief\u003C\/a\u003E, calling cyberattacks on physical supply chains \u0022a defining executive risk\u0022 and trusted operational data possibly \u0022the most valuable\u0022 asset a supply chain organization holds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVerifying Quality Without Shipping Parts Across the Country\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTMI is applying AI directly to quality verification at its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF)\u003C\/a\u003E, where manufacturers can build and verify a part under one roof instead of shipping it elsewhere for testing. \u0022Right now, in manufacturing, a piece of equipment, a turbine rotor blade, for example, is created in one place, then sent somewhere else for testing,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/aaron-stebner\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor who leads AMPF\u0027s work under the Georgia AIM initiative. \u0022Often it goes across the country to check its interior structure, then is shipped to a second location to test its chemical composition.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAMPF\u0027s connected machines \u0022talk\u0022 to each other using AI and a knowledge management system, verifying a part\u2019s material composition and durability as it\u0027s made rather than after the fact, so manufacturers can confirm they\u0027re building what they intend to build without shipping delays. \u0022No other facility in the nation is built to do this autonomously,\u0022 Stebner said. \u0022Georgia Tech will be the first.\u0022 GTMI is also opening AMPF to remote materials research through a new AI-driven cloud lab (see sidebar).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGTMI\u0027s Role\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKurfess and Zonouz both credited close collaboration between manufacturing and cybersecurity researchers at Georgia Tech, including a dedicated School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, as the basis for GTMI\u0027s work in this area. That collaboration drives research into cyber-secure manufacturing platforms designed with security built in from the outset, and AMPF gives those systems a place to run on production-scale equipment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKurfess said the next test is scale: whether digital passports, secure cloud tracking, and AI-verified quality checks can move from a handful of pilot programs and flagship facilities to the thousands of small shops that make up the defense industrial base. The technology, from Bluetooth calipers to readily available and cost-effective cloud accounts, is already cheap enough that cost isn\u0027t the barrier. What remains is installing, securing, and standardizing those tools across a supply chain that still runs largely on paper.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about how GTMI can help defense manufacturers build supply chain resilience, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E# # #\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGTMI to Build AI-Driven Cloud Lab for Remote Materials Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is building a Programmable Cloud Laboratory that will let researchers across the country direct materials experiments at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF)\u003C\/a\u003E without traveling on-site. The National Science Foundation is funding the project with $18.1 million as part of a planned national network of 20 AI-enabled cloud labs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers will submit a request, and AI agents will translate it into a detailed workflow, coordinating robots, equipment, and data collection across the facility. \u0022Researchers can ask a question, have work recommended by AI agents, have experiments carried out at the facility using robotics, and get the results back,\u0022 said Aaron Stebner, GTMI associate director, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair, and James R. and Sarah R. Borders Faculty Fellow in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u0022They can use AMPF resources to advance their own research without having to be experts in each piece of equipment or send students to AMPF for weeks at a time.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAMPF is approaching autonomous workflow capability across about 38 of its 160 pieces of equipment. The cloud lab aims to push that past 100. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pascal-van-hentenryck\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPascal Van Hentenryck\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization, said the system will rely on digital twins, virtual models of the facility, to plan and monitor experiments, and will improve its scheduling and machine tuning as it learns from each run.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project also integrates Duke University\u0027s Automatic FLOW for Materials Discovery platform and a knowledge and data management platform from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.contextualize.us.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EContextualize\u003C\/a\u003E to connect researchers, instruments, and IT systems across the network. Organizers expect more than 400 users from 150 academic, industry, and government institutions, with more than half participating remotely.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETom Kurfess, GTMI\u0027s executive director, said the lab will let industry partners test new ideas before committing to large-scale deployment. \u0022This initiative will shorten development cycles and make it easier to bring promising technologies into production, enabling our partners and us to innovate at the speed of thought,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"GTMI researchers say digital passports and secure-by-design manufacturing are closing gaps in defense supply chains. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are working to make U.S. manufacturing and defense supply chains more secure and resilient by combining digital part tracking, cybersecurity, AI-enabled quality verification, and real-time supply chain monitoring.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are working to make U.S. manufacturing and defense supply chains more secure and resilient by combining digital part tracking, cybersecurity, AI-enabled quality verification, and real-time supply chain monitoring."}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-08-14 13:08:23","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 19:52:15","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680876":{"id":"680876","type":"image","title":"Will Huggins Image","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech doctoral candidate Will Huggins presents findings of an AMPF case study featuring the manufacture and repair of high-value parts used by the railway industry.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786715691","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 13:54:51","changed":"1786715863","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 13:57:43","alt":"Georgia Tech doctoral candidate Will Huggins presents findings of an AMPF case study","file":{"fid":"265206","name":"26-R10410-P134-057.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/26-R10410-P134-057.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/26-R10410-P134-057.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2347177,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/14\/26-R10410-P134-057.jpg?itok=QguEsN9A"}}},"media_ids":["680876"],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJennifer Martin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssistant Director of Research Communications Services\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691665":{"#nid":"691665","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Smart Factories Aren\u0027t Coming. They\u0027re Here. ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. has seen its printed circuit board market share plummet to 4% while becoming dangerously dependent on foreign rare earth processing. Now, with global supply chains fracturing, defense industrial capacity under pressure, and adversaries looking to dominate advanced production, the country is in a race to rebuild \u2014 and to rebuild smarter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo converging trends are shaping what that looks like on the factory floor. The first is the rise of the lighthouse factory, where AI-driven systems, autonomous mobile robots, and centralized digital control work with a skilled human workforce rather than replacing it. The second is physical AI, in which machine learning moves off the server rack and into the manufacturing process itself, making real-time decisions at the machine level that no human operator could match at scale. Together, these shifts are rewriting the economics and the security calculus of American production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the forefront of both is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)\u003C\/a\u003E and its Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF), a first-of-its-kind, shared-use facility at a research university that is already doing what federal agencies are only beginning to fund. The AMPF is the proving ground where new manufacturing solutions are stress-tested before they reach the shop floor \u2014 where a scrap rate that plagued a major automobile supplier was cut in half in 45 days, and where capabilities are being realized faster than ever thought possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The expectation was that building a capability like this would take decades,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/steven-ferguson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research scientist and GTMI deputy director. \u0022Instead, we\u0027ve compressed that timeline dramatically and are already applying these technologies to solve real manufacturing challenges.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe future Ferguson describes has already displaced the old \u201clights\u2011out\u201d myth of fully dark, fully automated factories. What modern smart manufacturing demands is tighter integration between machines and the people who define what those machines should accomplish.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is well positioned to lead that charge. According to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gamfg.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Association of Manufacturing\u003C\/a\u003E, the state supports more than 426,000 manufacturing jobs with average earnings of $86,372, contributing $77.1 billion to the state\u0027s gross regional product. Projected employment growth of 8% between 2024 and 2029 reflects not just expansion but transformation; the sector needs a different kind of worker, and a different kind of research partner than it did a generation ago.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTMI and the AMPF have staked out a national leadership position in exactly those capabilities. The facility is pioneering the deployment of physical AI in a university R\u0026amp;D and demonstration environment, using machine learning to monitor and adjust manufacturing processes in real time. When printing a component from a $30,000 barrel of specialty powder or a newly developed superalloy, a process failure is not acceptable. AI-driven systems continuously analyze thousands of optical, thermal, acoustic, and process signals to identify patterns, optimize performance, and detect anomalies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In an R\u0026amp;D facility, you program it once, and it changes a million times,\u0022 Ferguson said. \u0022We\u0027re using AI and mobile robots to intelligently coordinate production scheduling, material movement, and manufacturing processes, all while humans define the experiments and interpret the results.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe facility also connects the full innovation chain from materials discovery through manufacturing process to quality assurance, demonstrating in one space what others are still planning.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart Manufacturing as a National Security Imperative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe stakes extend well beyond production efficiency. Ferguson points to pandemic-era chip shortages that left tens of thousands of finished vehicles waiting on a single component and to current constraints on the critical minerals and chips needed to build AI data centers and defense systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our ability to manufacture at scale underpins both our economic competitiveness and our national security,\u0022 he said. \u0022If we can\u0027t build what we need when we need it, we\u0027re at a strategic disadvantage.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom the Shop Floor: IAC Group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tom-f-boney\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETom Boney\u003C\/a\u003E, chief operating officer for the Americas at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iacgroup.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIAC Group\u003C\/a\u003E, the question wasn\u2019t whether to modernize; it was who could help the company move fast enough to keep plants competitive and workers employed. Georgia Tech, he said, offered something IAC couldn\u2019t build on its own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech brings the brains and computing power we don\u2019t have,\u201d Boney said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got some of the smartest people in the world on that campus, plugged into world-class infrastructure, and we put them side by side with our operators on the shop floor.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn automotive interior components manufacturer with plants across the U.S., Mexico, and beyond, IAC is competing daily with facilities in lower-cost regions. \u201cFor us, smart manufacturing and AI are really about job and plant future security,\u201d Boney said. \u201cWe\u2019re competing every day with plants in China, Mexico, and the U.S., and we already have tons of production data, but we can\u2019t analyze it fast enough on our own.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIAC\u2019s first project with GTMI focused on a complex adhesive manufacturing process at a plant in Vance, Alabama. The facility had rich production data but lacked computational power and AI modeling to act on it in real time. GTMI students and researchers connected Georgia Tech\u2019s systems directly to the plant\u2019s equipment, working with line operators. The result was a 50% reduction in scrap in roughly 45 days, with those gains then extended to other IAC locations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pace of the partnership was another sign that this wasn\u2019t a typical university engagement. A framework agreement that usually takes 12 to 15 months was executed in 35 days, enabling the two organizations to move through new project cycles quickly. IAC now runs five active projects with GTMI, each advancing in turn or making way for the next initiative, a cadence Boney sees as essential to staying competitive on the factory floor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding the Workforce of Tomorrow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIAC\u2019s success with GTMI underscores a hard truth: technology can unlock new performance, but only if there\u2019s a workforce ready to run it. Technology alone cannot sustain a manufacturing renaissance. Ferguson is candid about the workforce challenge posed by automation, particularly the erosion of entry-level roles that once served as the first rung of a career ladder.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The industry has an image problem. People still picture dark, dirty, and dangerous, when the reality is safer, cleaner, and far more interesting,\u0022 Ferguson said. \u0022Now we\u0027re trying to convince kids, \u0027You don\u0027t have to, you get to.\u0027 We don\u0027t need button pushers. We need thinkers and creators working alongside robots.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTMI\u0027s response runs from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/k-12-resources\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EK-12 engagement\u003C\/a\u003E through technical college partnerships to university engineering programs at Georgia Tech, UGA, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, and others. For example, UGA partnered with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) to launch the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio. This traveling advanced-technology lab visits K-12 schools across the state to give students hands-on experience with interactive engineering vignettes and robotics. Teacher boot camps bring high school educators to campus for hands-on training in CAD design, CNC milling, and additive manufacturing, equipping them to return to their classrooms as informed advocates. Dual-enrollment pathways through Georgia\u0027s Technical College System give students an on-ramp well before they graduate from high school.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThis workforce strategy extends beyond traditional education. Through programs such as Advanced Manufacturing Pathways, teacher professional development, dual-enrollment partnerships, undergraduate research experiences, graduate research opportunities, and industry-sponsored projects, GTMI is helping develop the technicians, engineers, researchers, and manufacturing leaders needed to support the nation\u0027s next generation of smart factories.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the workforce pipeline is only one strand of a much larger web. The AMPF is also where partners pressure-test how AI, automation, and new materials behave under real-world constraints like cost, quality, uptime, safety, and security. At GTMI, AI-driven process control, autonomous material handling, critical-mineral research, and cyber-physical security work in concert to create trusted, resilient production capacity that can scale when it counts, whether that means building lightweight components for vehicles, accelerating drone production to meet national needs, or hardening the critical infrastructure that underpins defense and the economy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn that context, smart manufacturing is no longer a niche technical initiative. It is the connective tissue between research labs, industry partners, and national readiness, and a platform for new kinds of careers. GTMI\u2019s role is to ensure that those connections are real, tested, and ready to perform under pressure, while opening doors for students, teachers, and workers who will run the next generation of factories. In Georgia, that ecosystem is already taking shape on the ground.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"From physical AI to cybersecure factory design, Georgia Tech\u0027s Manufacturing Institute is setting the pace for the next era of American production. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom physical AI to cybersecure factory design, Georgia Tech\u0027s Manufacturing Institute is setting the pace for the next era of American production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From physical AI to cybersecure factory design, Georgia Tech\u0027s Manufacturing Institute is setting the pace for the next era of American production. "}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-08-13 19:07:32","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 15:23:50","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680875":{"id":"680875","type":"image","title":"26-R10410-P134-059--2-.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech doctoral candidates Neel Shah and Jamila Khanfri discuss how smart factories have the potential to autonomously incorporate domain expertise into additive manufacturing process development, saving industry partners time and money.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786715179","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 13:46:19","changed":"1786715179","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 13:46:19","alt":"Georgia Tech doctoral candidates Neel Shah and Jamila Khanfri in discussion","file":{"fid":"265205","name":"26-R10410-P134-059--2-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/26-R10410-P134-059--2-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/26-R10410-P134-059--2-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4555456,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/14\/26-R10410-P134-059--2-.jpg?itok=g2qupnzh"}}},"media_ids":["680875"],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJennifer Martin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssistant Director of Research Communications Services\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691631":{"#nid":"691631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Does Wildfire Smoke Affect the Economy?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires in the United States are getting bigger and the season is getting longer, fueled by hotter and drier weather from climate change. Even when fires are hundreds of miles away, the wildfire smoke can still harm people\u0027s health and create economic costs through air pollution, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caseyjwichman.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A healthy AQI is between zero and 50, but when wildfire smoke blows in and settles over cities, the AQI can reach levels of 500 or more. Poor air quality changes where and how people spend their time and money, reduces productivity (even for those working indoors), and increases healthcare costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnvironmental regulations like the Clean Air Act dramatically improved our air quality over the past 40 years, but as wildfire season becomes the new normal, wildfire smoke is eroding those gains,\u201d Wichman said. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06522-6\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research,\u003C\/a\u003E wildfire smoke has erased about a quarter of the progress made over previous decades, and more than half in many western states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/08\/wildfire-smoke-affect-economy\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the IAC News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires in the United States are getting bigger and the season is getting longer, fueled by hotter and drier weather from climate change. Even when fires are hundreds of miles away, the wildfire smoke can still harm people\u0027s health and create economic costs through air pollution, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caseyjwichman.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A healthy AQI is between zero and 50, but when wildfire smoke blows in and settles over cities, the AQI can reach levels of 500 or more. Poor air quality changes where and how people spend their time and money, reduces productivity (even for those working indoors), and increases healthcare costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnvironmental regulations like the Clean Air Act dramatically improved our air quality over the past 40 years, but as wildfire season becomes the new normal, wildfire smoke is eroding those gains,\u201d Wichman said. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06522-6\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research,\u003C\/a\u003E wildfire smoke has erased about a quarter of the progress made over previous decades, and more than half in many western states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech economist Casey Wichman explains how increased wildfire smoke from climate change affects spending, productivity, and healthcare costs."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-08-12 19:02:31","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 19:06:07","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680847":{"id":"680847","type":"image","title":"CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECasey Wichman, Associate Professor, Georgia Tech School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786561359","gmt_created":"2026-08-12 19:02:39","changed":"1786561359","gmt_changed":"2026-08-12 19:02:39","alt":"Casey Wichman, Associate Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.","file":{"fid":"265174","name":"CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":448644,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png?itok=GxjiNJf0"}}},"media_ids":["680847"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/08\/wildfire-smoke-affect-economy","title":"Read Full Story on IAC News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691593":{"#nid":"691593","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Engineer Rethinks Supply Chains for Community Resilience ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E--Written by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a single Atlanta church to a growing network across the Southeast, Georgia Tech engineer Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n is connecting communities and researchers to support resilience in extreme weather events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a West Atlanta church received donated solar panels and battery storage to operate as a community resilience hub, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n led an academic-practitioner team that helped the congregation turn that hardware into an operational playbook. She is now using the same model to build a regional network that links community leaders and researchers on resilience, food access, and disaster response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EP\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a faculty fellow at the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), focuses on addressing problems within the supply chain and transportation domains. \u201cThese challenges often encompass disruptions, human behavior, multiple stakeholders, and sustainability objectives,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining Georgia Tech in 2023, she was a postdoctoral research associate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute\u2019s Center for Infrastructure, Transportation, and the Environment. She also holds a courtesy appointment in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of the research that I do always starts with a problem that has some sort of important social impact,\u201d she said, \u201cand then I try to draw from my expertise in different fields to help solve that problem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Network, One Pilot at a Time\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough BBISS and its Sustainability Next grant program, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina, with plans to expand across the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNeither researchers nor practitioners alone can advance community resilience as they could if they work together,\u201d she said. \u201cThe purpose of the network is to facilitate and leverage partnerships.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunity Church Atlanta is one of the first pilots. The church\u2019s resilience hub, established in 2023, offers weekly support services and on-site solar and battery storage to keep power flowing during outages caused by storms, heat waves, or other disruptions. It is also the launching point for the Westside Resilience Corridor, a partnership of four churches along Cascade Road working to become resilience hubs for their neighborhoods.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with church leaders, emergency managers, and community representatives, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n and partners held a two-day workshop to map likely hazards, define critical services, and draft activation procedures. Among those partners was Beth Remmes, coastal outreach and climate resiliency coordinator for Georgia Interfaith Power \u0026amp; Light (GIPL), who helped design and facilitate the process. \u201cThe whole idea behind resilience hubs is creating social cohesion,\u201d Remmes said. \u201cSocial connectivity and relationships in the community are one of the biggest determinants of our ability not only to bounce back, but hopefully to bounce forward in a stronger way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe noted that churches like Community Church Atlanta already serve as informal first responders. The resilience hub work makes that role more intentional by focusing on preparedness, programming, and connection well before an emergency. Just as important, in her view, was Tech\u2019s ability to see how lessons from Community Church Atlanta could inform future resilience hubs across the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErica Holloman-Hill, founder and chief envisioning officer of Ayika Solutions Inc. and a member of Community Church Atlanta, sees that impact from inside the congregation. In the resilience hub effort, she provides technical guidance on the solar and battery system, helps shape programming such as workforce development, and helped bring partners like Groundswell and Georgia Tech to the table.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech uniquely brings the science and academia,\u201d Holloman-Hill said. \u201cBeing able to leverage an institution like Georgia Tech gives weight to some of the work that we\u2019re doing, while leaning on the technical expertise of professors like Sof\u00eda and partnering with organizations like GIPL to create models and support.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, Holloman-Hill said Community Church Atlanta is focused on refining how the hub operates and sharing lessons learned with other churches in the Westside Resilience Corridor. That means clarifying how the church will run the hub during emergencies, which partners need to be at the table, and how a third-party technical advisor can help keep the system performing as designed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n, those kinds of relationships are the real outcome. \u201cThe relationship, the trust, the partnership \u2014 it\u2019s probably the most important outcome we\u2019ve seen,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Hirsch, senior director of BBISS\u2019s Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) and the network co-lead, sees the same value at an institutional scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUniversities are important members of their communities and can be key partners in sustainability and resilience efforts when they mobilize their research capabilities, students, and other resources to partner with and support local leadership and innovations,\u201d Hirsch said. \u201cNetworks of universities and communities can serve as multipliers of innovative approaches. With the resilience hubs network, we are excited to incubate new ideas that are community-centric and evidence-based and tailored to the Southeast communities that our partners know best.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere Resilience Meets Food Access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis partnership model also shapes what P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n calls her most immediately actionable project: a decision-support tool connecting local food producers, distributors, and access points in Atlanta. Her team has gathered survey and experimental data from residents in West End and citywide, testing how distance, travel time, price, and a store\u2019s ties to the community shape where people choose to shop. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to design tools for logistics and food distribution decisions that bring food closer to people,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA parallel thread runs through her disaster response work, where she studies how people choose among points of distribution for emergency relief. Proximity matters, she\u2019s found, but it isn\u2019t everything. Many people will travel farther if they believe they\u2019re more likely to receive supplies, or if it lets them move closer to family. In urban freight, she has applied the same lens to city logistics, studying behavior around emerging technologies such as sidewalk delivery robots and autonomous trucks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta\u2019s mix of freight infrastructure, food access challenges, and weather vulnerability makes it fertile ground for that range of work,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAcross every project, the constant is not only patience but also resilience. Along the way, we realize that the original research idea may no longer make sense, or that different approaches are required. The process is very nonlinear and requires revision, reassessment, and a lot of pivoting,\u201d she said. \u201cIt basically requires tons of resilience!\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough BBISS, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through BBISS, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2026-08-10 17:09:38","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 11:23:32","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680827":{"id":"680827","type":"image","title":"Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n","body":null,"created":"1786381614","gmt_created":"2026-08-10 17:06:54","changed":"1786381738","gmt_changed":"2026-08-10 17:08:58","alt":"Headshot of Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n","file":{"fid":"265150","name":"SPG2024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1710516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg?itok=DoLrUXFb"}}},"media_ids":["680827"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691522":{"#nid":"691522","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Water Systems Face Cyberattacks, Georgia Tech Research Points to Solutions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsbtv.com\/news\/local\/water-supply-under-attack-by-cybercriminals-metro-atlanta-system-may-have-been-targeted\/XA46MWYNZRAZ5EYUN3RSJZG5SM\/\u0022\u003ERecent\u003C\/a\u003E cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the United States have renewed concerns about the cybersecurity of the operational technology that supports critical infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor researchers in Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Security\u003C\/a\u003E (CPSec) Lab, however, the vulnerabilities behind many of these incidents are far from new.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E leads the CPSec Lab and has studied programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for years. These devices automate critical infrastructure, including water treatment facilities, power grids, manufacturing plants, and transportation systems. The lab\u2019s work has revealed widespread internet exposure and software vulnerabilities that leave many industrial control systems vulnerable to cyberattacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Out of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors defined by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/topics\/critical-infrastructure-security-and-resilience\/critical-infrastructure-sectors\u0022\u003ECybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency\u003C\/a\u003E, four are considered lifelines,\u0022 Zonouz said. \u0022Of those four, communications, energy, transportation, and water, the water sector is the most vulnerable, which is why it is so often targeted.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPLCs serve as the brains of industrial operations, monitoring sensors and controlling equipment that keep essential services operational.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Imagine you have a thermostat that controls the temperature of your house. That is a type of controller,\u0022 Zonouz explained. \u0022The professional version does the same thing in industry.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen these controllers are directly accessible from the internet, attackers can exploit them to disrupt operations, manipulate industrial processes, or interfere with the systems that deliver essential services. Controllers may be intentionally exposed to allow operators to monitor equipment remotely. They can also be unintentionally accessible online because of configuration errors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, internet exposure is only part of the problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CPSec Lab maintains a collection of PLCs that researchers reverse engineer to better understand their firmware, communication protocols, and security weaknesses. Their research has found that many controllers contain vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit once they gain access.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Not only can the attackers see the house they want to rob, but the doors are also left unlocked,\u0022 Zonouz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Zonouz and his collaborators presented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1145\/3658644.3690195\u0022\u003EPLCHound\u003C\/a\u003E at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS), introducing an automated system that identifies internet-connected PLCs hidden within massive internet-scale datasets collected by services such as Shodan and Censys. The work was led by Ph.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Pickren\u003C\/strong\u003E. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs \u003Cstrong\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/strong\u003E, Assistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Li\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Research Scientist \u003Cstrong\u003EAnimesh Chhotaray\u003C\/strong\u003E are co-authors of the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than relying on traditional scanning techniques, PLCHound identifies subtle network signatures that reveal industrial devices that prior methods often missed. Using the system, the researchers conducted one of the largest studies of publicly reachable PLCs from major manufacturers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir findings showed that previous estimates undercounted the number of internet-accessible industrial controllers by as much as 37 times. Even more concerning, nearly 96% of the identified devices exposed protocols linked to recently disclosed critical vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers did more than document the problem. After identifying exposed devices, the team launched a large-scale notification campaign, contacting more than 7,000 industrial operators to alert them that their systems appeared vulnerable. The effort enabled many organizations to investigate and address security issues before they could be exploited.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe recent attacks on municipal water systems reinforce concerns researchers have raised for years: many critical infrastructure operators continue to rely on operational technology designed primarily for reliability and performance rather than for cybersecurity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImproving those defenses, Zonouz said, will require more than simply patching individual vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers cite the energy sector as a model. Compared with other critical infrastructure sectors, electric utilities generally operate under more mature cybersecurity requirements and undergo routine compliance audits, providing organizations with greater visibility into the devices connected to their networks and the risks they pose.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImplementing those improvements will not be easy. Many municipal water utilities operate with limited budgets and aging infrastructure, leaving little funding available for cybersecurity investments. As attacks on critical infrastructure become more frequent, the researchers argue that gaining visibility into operational technology assets and strengthening oversight are essential first steps to protect the systems communities rely on every day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CPSec Lab is a collaborative laboratory within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E as well as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERecent cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the United States have renewed concerns about the cybersecurity of the operational technology that supports critical infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor researchers in Georgia Tech\u0027s Cyber-Physical Security (CPSec) Lab, however, the vulnerabilities behind many of these incidents are far from new.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Recent cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the United States have renewed concerns about the cybersecurity of the operational technology that supports critical infrastructure. "}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-08-06 16:59:42","changed_gmt":"2026-08-11 16:28:52","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673306":{"id":"673306","type":"image","title":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","body":null,"created":"1709660104","gmt_created":"2024-03-05 17:35:04","changed":"1709660054","gmt_changed":"2024-03-05 17:34:14","alt":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","file":{"fid":"256679","name":"Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56998,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg?itok=qOSZDIrt"}}},"media_ids":["673306"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691494":{"#nid":"691494","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Where Breakthrough Meets Business: Georgia Tech Grad Makes Impact Through Research, Entrepreneurship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and as a former trainee in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB), it\u2019s no surprise that Georgia Tech alumnus and serial entrepreneur Chris Lee loves numbers. One in four. Eighty percent. Five times.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut for him, these numbers are more than just data \u2014 they\u2019re people. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOne in four\u003C\/a\u003E adults have sleep apnea. Up to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eeighty percent\u003C\/a\u003E go undiagnosed. And those who are untreated are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2542952\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efive times\u003C\/a\u003E more likely to die of heart disease. Lee\u2019s latest company, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.huxleymed.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHuxley Medical\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to change those numbers with one simple patch.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you look at sleep apnea, it\u0027s probably the highest diagnostic opportunity there is in healthcare that can lead to the most impactful outcome in terms of reducing heart disease,\u201d Lee said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s point-of-care device, called SANSA, measures nine physiological channels, enabling it to help doctors diagnose sleep apnea and related cardiovascular disease simultaneously. The device can be shipped directly to the patient\u2019s home, adheres to the chest like a Band-aid, and uploads data to a cloud-based system automatically.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re able to detect diseases faster in a very consumer-friendly manner,\u201d Lee said. \u201cMore or less, you just wear it and you\u2019re done.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESANSA has already been tested by more than 30,000 patients, with plans to expand exponentially by the end of the year. For Lee, that growing number is the most important of all.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI can\u2019t think of a higher calling than coming up with innovations that can improve the health or extend the life of people around the world,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u0027s why it\u0027s important to understand how to bring what you\u0027re working on in the lab to the masses because, at least for me personally, there\u0027s no higher calling in life than to be able to do that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ETurning Ideas into Innovation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaking his research to market was always the goal for Lee, and something he learned how to do through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/tiger\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETI:GER program\u003C\/a\u003E during his time at Georgia Tech. TI:GER, which stands for Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results, is housed in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E. It connects Ph.D. students from the colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences with MBA students to form teams that turn entrepreneurial ideas into technological innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELee, who joined the program in 2010 while still a trainee in IBB, was drawn to TI:GER because of the safe space it provided to develop his skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would say TI:GER was a big part of why I chose this career path. I really enjoyed research, but the aspect I always liked was the potential for translation of that research,\u201d Lee said. \u201cTI:GER gives you direct insight, resources, mentorship, and a network to be able to do that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe network that Lee developed through the program has been a constant throughout his career. After earning his Ph.D., he joined his program mentor, Kurt Jacobus, working at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/enovis.com\/medshape\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMedshape\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup that Jacobus founded. After that company was acquired, the two co-founded another medtech business together, Vertera, which was also later \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.globusmedical.com\/healthcare-professionals\/advanced-materials-science\/cohere\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eacquired\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Jacobus sits on the board of Huxley Medical, and the connections don\u2019t stop there. The company\u2019s two co-founders \u2014 Brett Klosterhoff, Chief Business Officer; and Brennan Torstrick, Chief Scientific Officer \u2014 are also alumni of the TI:GER program and worked as trainees at IBB. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think it\u0027s the network that\u0027s probably the most surprising,\u201d Lee said. \u201cSomeone that I met at TI:GER when I completed that program 16 years ago, he\u0027s still someone that I work with on a regular basis and he\u0027s still an advisor as we continue to scale our businesses together. I would say that is probably the most valuable thing for me about the program.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the business-minded researcher, all the data, numbers, and statistics boil down to the human connection. More important than technology and innovation are the problems that they solve for patients, and Lee encourages young researchers to meet those problems with creativity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u0027s never one set path to figuring out how to translate research or starting a business or making an impact toward healthcare,\u201d he said. \u201cBut Georgia Tech can give you the tools that you can use to build your own path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Chris Lee, numbers are more than just data \u2014 they\u2019re people. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOne in four\u003C\/a\u003E adults have sleep apnea. Up to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eeighty percent\u003C\/a\u003E go undiagnosed. And those who are untreated are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2542952\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efive times\u003C\/a\u003E more likely to die of heart disease. Lee\u2019s latest company, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.huxleymed.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHuxley Medical\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to change those numbers with one simple patch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alumnus and serial entrepreneur Chris Lee is using research from his latest company, Huxley Medical, to improve the diagnosis of sleep apnea and related cardiovascular disease with a simple wearable device."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-08-05 19:08:38","changed_gmt":"2026-08-06 17:15:14","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680798":{"id":"680798","type":"image","title":"_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left, Brett Klosterhoff (cofounder and chief business officer), Brennan Torstrick (cofounder and chief scientific officer), and Chris Lee (cofounder and CEO) of Huxley Medical. All three men are graduates of Georgia Tech and worked as trainees in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785956927","gmt_created":"2026-08-05 19:08:47","changed":"1785956927","gmt_changed":"2026-08-05 19:08:47","alt":"Three men who co-founded and lead Huxley Medical stand together on the field of a baseball stadium, smiling at the camera. They are wearing SANSA-branded hats, with a large video board behind them displaying the SANSA logo and the stadium seating in the background.","file":{"fid":"265118","name":"_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":179568,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/05\/_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg?itok=AybbTMkD"}}},"media_ids":["680798"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691214":{"#nid":"691214","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rapid Testing Offers Path to More Sustainable Material Choices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E-Written by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled materials promise a cleaner future, but recycled content alone does not necessarily make a product sustainable. At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, assistant professor, National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient, and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Faculty Fellow Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. Their article in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E details a new testing protocol that reduces cost, increases speed, and simulates real-world conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials shape nearly every part of modern life, from packaging and consumer products to bridges and medical devices. Choosing the right material involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne way that materials frequently fail is by cracking. A small crack can begin almost invisibly. Over time, it can spread from regular wear and tear and exposure to common environmental factors like moisture, temperature fluctuations, or even dirt. Eventually, the crack expands, and the part fails. Engineers have studied fracture for more than a century, but connecting the science of cracking to practical decisions about sustainability remains a major challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe characteristics of recycled plastics often vary from those of the same material in unrecycled, or virgin, form. Products made from recycled plastics may be sold with sustainability claims under the assumption that they will perform as if they were made with virgin material. However, premature failure requiring repair or replacement can quickly change the sustainability equation as well as the acceptance of recycled materials by manufacturers and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond Conventional Fracture Testing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials rarely fail due to a single factor. They may be exposed to several factors simultaneously, such as mechanical loading, chemical environments, temperature changes, moisture, and time. Traditional fracture protocols test one specimen at a time under carefully controlled laboratory conditions, which bear little resemblance to the real world. To move beyond this limitation, Sun developed an in-situ, high-throughput platform capable of studying how materials degrade and fail under more realistic conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform changes conventional fracture testing in three important ways. First, it can test multiple specimens simultaneously rather than one at a time. By monitoring samples in parallel, testing time can be reduced by more than 60%. Second, it allows materials to be tested in realistic environments. In this study, researchers examined virgin and recycled plastics in alkaline environments that resemble conditions encountered in applications like landfill liner membranes and geotextiles. Third, the platform incorporates an imaging technique known as photoelasticity, which reveals the formation of stress fields that form around the origin of a newly developing crack. This allows researchers to see cracks develop earlier than before, giving them a clearer picture of the forces that drive crack growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have made the technology available for licensing through Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing. \u201cOur goal was to make fracture testing not only faster but also more informative,\u201d Sun said. \u201cBy combining high-throughput testing, realistic environments, and full-field stress imaging, we can better understand how materials fail under conditions closer to real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Honest View of Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastics are often viewed as a greener choice. But according to the study, it\u2019s not always so straightforward. If a recycled product fails prematurely and needs to be replaced frequently, its environmental and economic costs can increase despite its recycled content. As Athanasiou puts it, \u201cFailing materials don\u2019t just break products. They can break sustainability promises.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, comparing virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with recycled PET (rPET) in applications such as landfill geotextiles, the researchers discovered that rPET showed lower resistance to environmental stressors, particularly in alkaline conditions over a pH of 9. In this application, specifying rPET over virgin PET would likely eliminate all of the presumed economic and environmental advantages of using a recycled material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecycling is essential, but recycled content alone does not tell the full story. If a material fails too soon, the environmental benefits can disappear,\u201d Athanasiou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Cracks to Circularity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the researchers, the significance of the work extends beyond recycled plastics. The broader goal is to provide a fast, affordable, and realistic platform for evaluating the sustainability of any material choice. Because current testing protocols are costly, not widely available, and limited in the information they yield, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers often have little choice but to continue to specify non-recycled materials because they will perform as expected. Having cheap and accurate data on recycled materials will help to accelerate their adoption because matching the engineering properties of recycled materials to their most appropriate applications will become more obvious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to expand the platform to simulate even more complex environments and apply it to a wider range of materials. Because the system generates large amounts of detailed data, it may enable opportunities to use computational modeling or artificial intelligence to digitally simulate mechanical testing, driving down costs and expanding availability even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe larger vision is a future in which sustainability is judged not by labels or assumptions, but by evidence for how a material performs, how long it lasts, how it fails, and what it costs society and the environment over its full lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease visit the Daedalus Lab YouTube channel to see an explainer video about this new testing protocol: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the paper here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award No. 2338508.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChoosing the right materials for manufacturing products involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. "}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 20:31:53","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 18:02:44","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680664":{"id":"680664","type":"image","title":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784836559","gmt_created":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","changed":"1784836559","gmt_changed":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","alt":"Side-by-side scientific visualization comparing in-situ photoelasticity and modeled stress field evolution during fracture testing of a transparent material. The left panel shows a rectangular specimen with rainbow-colored stress patterns radiating from a crack tip near the center-right edge, while the right panel shows a corresponding color-coded stress map with blue, green, yellow, and red regions indicating increasing stress concentration around the crack tip. Labels at the top identify the two methods.","file":{"fid":"264955","name":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg?itok=35tzJwYR"}}},"media_ids":["680664"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192170","name":"Christos Athanasiou"},{"id":"178818","name":"circular economy"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communication Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691308":{"#nid":"691308","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Andrew Lindsey Joins BBISS as Program Manager","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to welcome Andrew Lindsey into the role of program manager. He will succeed Susan Ryan, who recently retired as senior program and operations manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey will support BBISS\u2019s research, education, and partnership activities across Georgia Tech and beyond. Working closely with BBISS leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, he will coordinate Institute programs, support leadership operations, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew brings more than four years of experience in project management, operations, communications, compliance oversight, and organizational improvement in higher education and nonprofit settings. Most recently, he served as project intake and communications specialist at Kennesaw State University. Before that, Lindsey spent nearly four years with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, first as project coordinator and later as project manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey\u2019s background also includes experience in higher education instruction and mentoring. As a teaching assistant with Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ft.e2ma.net%2Fclick%2Fm1825s%2Fyyyeqded%2Fa4ug97b\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cbrent.verrill%40research.gatech.edu%7C8e5b1e449e46406d62e408dee270ffeb%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639197172142695470%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=oofdOwX7ht4cfWelRuz460UZ9nCg55Uu2T%2BPrfsgQMY%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGrand Challenges program\u003C\/a\u003E, he worked directly with student teams tackling complex societal issues, providing guidance on research development, collaborative problem-solving, and project execution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe earned a B.A. in history, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2021, and completed a Master of Public Administration in 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAndrew\u2019s experience supporting complex projects, improving organizational processes, coordinating across diverse stakeholder groups, and commitment to mission-driven work make him a strong addition to the team,\u201d said BBISS Director of Business Administration Kristina Chatfield.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndrew brings more than four years of experience in project management, operations, communications, compliance oversight, and organizational improvement in higher education and nonprofit settings.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lindsey will support BBISS\u2019s research, education, and partnership activities across Georgia Tech and beyond."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-28 14:53:18","changed_gmt":"2026-07-28 14:57:27","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680695":{"id":"680695","type":"image","title":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","body":null,"created":"1785250422","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 14:53:42","changed":"1785250422","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 14:53:42","alt":"Headshot portrait of an individual photographed from the chest up against a plain light gray background. The individual is wearing a light blue button\u2011down shirt and a dark patterned tie, facing the camera in a centered studio-style composition. The image is evenly lit with a neutral backdrop and no visible text or additional objects.","file":{"fid":"264997","name":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":439090,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg?itok=Iyie8dpC"}}},"media_ids":["680695"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691207":{"#nid":"691207","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Neuro Revolution Is Dawning. Are We Ready?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, possibilities once confined to science fiction are moving closer to reality. Georgia Tech researchers are examining what these advances mean for autonomy, privacy, ethics, health, creativity, and human flourishing in a neuro-connected future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neuro-society\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"As neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are grappling with how a neuro-connected future could reshape society \u2014 and humanity itself."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, possibilities once confined to science fiction are moving closer to reality. Georgia Tech researchers are examining what these advances mean for autonomy, privacy, ethics, health, creativity, and human flourishing in a neuro-connected future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are examining what a neuro-connected future could mean for society and for humanity itself."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 13:24:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:23:13","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680643":{"id":"680643","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are examining what a neuro-connected future could mean for society and for humanity itself.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784726698","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:24:58","changed":"1784726698","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:24:58","alt":"Researcher fits and adjusts an EEG brain-monitoring cap with electrode leads on a seated participant in a neuroscience laboratory while holding a tablet.","file":{"fid":"264933","name":"AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3664833,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg?itok=liuinGwY"}}},"media_ids":["680643"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691193":{"#nid":"691193","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hot Enough For Ya? Georgia Tech Has an App for That, and It\u2019s More Useful Than You Might Think","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey say Atlanta is the city in a forest,\u201d Clayton Patterson, Georgia Tech\u2019s operations manager for horticulture, said, \u201cbut there\u2019s a lot of asphalt here, a lot of concrete, and it gets really hot around it. This place turns into an oven, real quick.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of City and Regional Planning \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Professor Rounaq Basu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E knows it, too. So he and his students (supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geo.gatech.edu\/coolroutes\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECool Routes app\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to help people in Atlanta find the most shaded \u2014 and most importantly, the coolest \u2014 paths if they have to walk or bike outside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDescribing Atlanta\u2019s latest heatwave, \u201cThis is great for research, but not so great for residents,\u201d Basu said. \u201cI like to walk and bike everywhere, and it\u2019s too hot. I need to know where the shaded paths are!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Cool Routes app currently covers 10 cities in the U.S., including Atlanta. Users choose a city from a dropdown menu, provide a trip start and destination, tell the app whether they\u2019re walking or biking, and select route preferences. The app then generates up to three routes to the user\u2019s destination, allowing them to compare how much cooler one route is from another. Further refinement of routes is offered after that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/feature\/cool-routes-2026\u0022\u003ELearn more \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of City and Regional Planning \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Professor Rounaq Basu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E knows it, too. So he and his students (supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geo.gatech.edu\/coolroutes\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECool Routes app\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of City and Regional Planning Assistant Professor Rounaq Basu knows it, too. So he and his students (supported by the Center for Urban Resilience and Analytics) created the Cool Routes app"}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 15:40:21","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 19:31:26","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680635":{"id":"680635","type":"image","title":"Cool Routes","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECool Routes App. Photo: Wes McRae\/College of Design\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784648226","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 15:37:06","changed":"1784648288","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 15:38:08","alt":"Cool Routes App","file":{"fid":"264924","name":"feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":627485,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg?itok=EzCMhNWr"}}},"media_ids":["680635"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691185":{"#nid":"691185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Richard Simmons Named Interim Director of Student Competition Center ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRichard brings a unique combination of industry experience, research leadership, and deep commitment to student success,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1078\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarolyn Seepersad\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair. \u201cAs an accomplished engineer and a Georgia Tech alumnus, he understands the value of experiential learning and is well-positioned to lead the Student Competition Center.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimmons, ME 1993, joined Georgia Tech in 2016 after spending the first 20 years of his career leading research, technology, and business development initiatives in the automotive industry, energy sector, and federal government. After graduating from Tech, he earned his master\u2019s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University and later became a licensed professional engineer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past decade, Simmons has held several leadership and research positions within Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, including founding director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and, most recently, director of Research and Studies. He has also taught a variety of courses at the Woodruff School, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2110.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EME 2110\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/capstone-design\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECapstone Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Systems, and Renewable Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ME News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Richard Simmons, principal research engineer in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been named interim director of the Student Competition Center (SCC)."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:23:10","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:28:44","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680632":{"id":"680632","type":"image","title":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons on a F1-style race car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784597001","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","changed":"1784597001","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","alt":"Rich Simmons on a car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway","file":{"fid":"264921","name":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1156844,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg?itok=yGJWQXKq"}}},"media_ids":["680632"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center","title":"Read Full Story on ME News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETraci Troha,\u003C\/a\u003E ME Communications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691168":{"#nid":"691168","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Building the Energy Workforce of Tomorrow Through Energy Unplugged at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlending engineering challenges, field experiences, and team-based design projects, the weeklong program in June gave students a dynamic introduction to energy, sustainability, and engineering innovation and a rare opportunity to engage directly with the technologies, infrastructure, people, and ideas that help power the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to get outside of the classroom, have fun, and demonstrate how a STEM education can literally help turn on lightbulbs,\u201d said SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, who also directs Energy Unplugged. \u201cThrough hands-on learning, field trips, and real-world experiences, these creative students are learning that everyone can play a role in our energy future. Along the way, they are gaining a deeper understanding of the tradeoffs and challenges engineers face and learning from experts about pathways to an energy career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMousetrap-Powered Cars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPutting those ideas into practice from day one,\u0026nbsp;the camp began with an engineering challenge in which students designed and constructed mousetrap-powered cars. Using the stored potential energy of a mousetrap spring to propel their vehicles, participants explored how energy is converted from one form to another and identified sources of friction and inefficiency that affect the distance traveled. The activity encouraged students to think like engineers, iteratively testing and refining their designs to improve results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering Optimization and Tradeoffs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESimilar problem-solving skills were put to the test during an RC car optimization challenge. Equipped with a battery-powered vehicle and energy-monitoring systems, students were tasked with completing a driving course while maximizing their score by balancing speed, energy consumption, safety, and cargo capacity. Participants had the option to add weights and tennis balls to increase potential points, but doing so increased the risk of penalties from dropped cargo, missed obstacles, or vehicle rollovers. The exercise highlighted the tradeoffs engineers routinely face when optimizing systems under competing constraints.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overall interest in green energy among youth is increasing, so having demonstrations and experiments as well as some high-level lectures on the actual science was a great way to engage the students,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003EWilliam Nudd\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior in mechanical engineering who assisted with the camp. \u201cWhen I was in their shoes, I had never attended a physics class, so the camp was definitely getting them a step ahead and did a great job introducing and showcasing key concepts related to energy: How does my home get electricity? Where does energy come from? How do power plants operate?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrivia, Demos, and Scavenger Hunts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdditional activities throughout the week included energy-themed trivia competitions, a steam engine demonstration, a solar microgrid exercise, and a campus scavenger hunt. Together, they reinforced classroom concepts through interactive learning and encouraged students to connect technical principles with practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EField Trips to Power Plants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile these activities taught foundational concepts,\u0026nbsp;a highlight of the camp was a series of field trips that allowed students to observe large-scale energy infrastructure in operation. Participants toured the Georgia Power McDonough-Atkinson Plant, where they learned how combined-cycle power plants generate electricity using both gas and steam turbines to improve efficiency. Students also visited the Morgan Falls hydroelectric facility, getting an up-close view of the massive generators and equipment used to convert the energy of flowing water into electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Tours\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn addition to exploring regional energy infrastructure, students were introduced to Georgia Tech\u2019s innovation ecosystem through visits to campus makerspaces and research facilities, including the Flowers Invention Studio and The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Students explored one of the nation\u2019s most advanced examples of sustainable building design during a guided tour of The Kendeda Building, which generates 200% of the energy it consumes. Here they learned how energy efficiency, renewable generation, and resource conservation can be integrated into the built environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinal Projects\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETo bring together the concepts explored throughout the week, students worked in teams on a final design challenge centered around a solar-powered disaster relief trailer on loan from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.footprintproject.org\/\u0022\u003EFootprint Project\u003C\/a\u003E. Equipped with photovoltaic panels and battery storage, the trailer was originally designed to provide off-grid power during emergencies. Students were challenged to identify additional uses for the system during periods when disaster response was not required. Many teams proposed sustainable food truck businesses powered by the trailer\u2019s solar energy system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeams also evaluated cooking technologies such as pressure cookers and slow cookers, comparing energy consumption, power requirements, efficiency, and operating costs. Students examined how energy demand aligned with available solar generation and battery storage while conducting economic analyses to determine business viability and profitability. The project integrated engineering, economics, and sustainability principles while encouraging creative thinking and collaborative problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Unplugged is an inspiring demonstration of how hands-on engineering experiences can spark curiosity and passion in the next generation of STEM leaders,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior mechanical engineering student. \u201cWorking with this group and seeing the fun they were having brought back fond memories of my own childhood. It was an amazing experience.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: Alvaro Hucker, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and William Nudd, Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u00a0Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the\u00a0Energy Policy and Innovation Center, and\u00a0CEISMC, attracted students from across the country for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-20 15:50:28","changed_gmt":"2026-07-20 17:06:11","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680626":{"id":"680626","type":"image","title":"IMG_1862.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies, teaches at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562762","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:52:42","changed":"1784597458","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:30:58","alt":"SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies Rich Simmons teaching at the Energy Unplugged Camp","file":{"fid":"264914","name":"IMG_1862.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3624927,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg?itok=-7R0Exb2"}},"680627":{"id":"680627","type":"image","title":"IMG_1906.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, teaches energy production and consumption with The Footprint Project\u0027s solar trailor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562893","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:54:53","changed":"1784597502","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:31:42","alt":"Rich Simmons, teaches energy production and consumption using Footprint Project\u0027s Solar Trailor ","file":{"fid":"264915","name":"IMG_1906.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3510767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg?itok=GamNCFu_"}},"680628":{"id":"680628","type":"image","title":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged camp participants with Rich Simmons, camp director and student assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566485","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:54:45","changed":"1784597592","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:12","alt":"Group Picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged Camp Participants along with Rich Simmons, and Student Assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker","file":{"fid":"264916","name":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2602791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg?itok=_A0EJ3y9"}},"680629":{"id":"680629","type":"image","title":"IMG_1978.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Unplugged camp participants presenting their group project\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566760","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:59:20","changed":"1784597618","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:38","alt":"Energy Unplugged camp participants presenting their group project","file":{"fid":"264918","name":"IMG_1978.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3017113,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg?itok=EKTNvzdb"}},"680630":{"id":"680630","type":"image","title":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group project presented at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566885","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 17:01:25","changed":"1784597533","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:32:13","alt":"A group project from the Energy Unplugged Camp","file":{"fid":"264919","name":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1176069,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg?itok=g9_3G5_I"}}},"media_ids":["680626","680627","680628","680629","680630"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communicatios Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWilliam Nudd,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691128":{"#nid":"691128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Receives Commitment to Launch New AI-Driven Health Innovation Center\u00a0 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology today announced the creation of the Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation, a new research center that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict, treat, and prevent disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Petit Center is made possible by a transformational commitment from technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Georgia Tech alumnus Parker H. \u0022Pete\u0022 Petit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1980, Petit has provided significant philanthropic support across campus, including the naming of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)\u003C\/a\u003E, one of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11 Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IBB is an interdisciplinary hub for transforming biological discovery into real-world health impact, bringing together engineers, scientists, and clinicians to accelerate innovations in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and biomanufacturing. With more than 300 interdisciplinary faculty researchers, 13 research centers, and 1,300 trainees making unprecedented discoveries and generating innovative technologies, IBB is a catalyst for innovative bioengineering and bioscience research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe success of IBB led Petit to make his latest investment, which will build on Georgia Tech\u2019s broader commitment to medical innovation: applying engineering, computing, AI, biosciences, and systems thinking to health challenges that require more than any one field can solve. The Petit Center\u2019s work will strengthen the tools, partnerships, and research pathways needed to help more discoveries move from the lab toward real-world patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key goal of the Petit Center will be to use AI to build more precise models of how disease works in the body. Its first research initiative will focus on creating virtual models of human cells. Led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/jeff-skolnick\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and Mary and\u0026nbsp;Maisie Gibson Chair\u0026nbsp;and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology\u0026nbsp;in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers will use those models to study how diseases progress and to identify treatments that may work best for individual patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy modeling disease at the cellular level, researchers can test ideas faster, uncover links among different diseases, and focus on therapies most likely to help patients based on their unique biology. The work could expedite the discovery of new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat diseases, including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedical innovation is one of the fastest-growing areas in Georgia Tech\u2019s research, and Pete Petit\u2019s commitment will help us further shape the future of medicine,\u0022 said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cThis new research center will find new ways to harness the power of AI to accelerate critical medical discoveries and move them into clinical settings so patients can get the care they need. We\u2019re deeply grateful for Pete\u0027s support, and we\u2019re excited to get started.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation will operate under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E (IDEaS) and bring together researchers from across Georgia Tech to advance AI-driven approaches to human health. Researchers affiliated with the Petit Center will work across fields and with clinical and healthcare organizations to help close the gap between discovery and practical use. Over time and with additional investments, the Petit Center\u2019s work will expand into areas such as cancer biomarker discovery, healthy aging, advanced cellular therapies, and AI-supported healthcare systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech has the expertise to redefine what is possible in healthcare through AI,\u0022 said Skolnick. \u0022By combining advanced computational methods with biological and medical insights, we can create powerful new approaches to predicting disease, identifying treatments, and improving patient outcomes.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit\u2019s commitment will support advanced computing infrastructure, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, seed research grants, and annual programs that will bring together leading researchers from around the world working at the intersection of AI and health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit hopes this investment will inspire others to support interdisciplinary research at the Institute. \u0022Georgia Tech has long demonstrated its ability to solve complex challenges,\u0022 said Petit. \u0022I believe artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape healthcare, and I am excited to support a center that can help accelerate discoveries to improve and save lives.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis transformative commitment is included in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and is propelling the comprehensive campaign\u2019s success.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u2019s leading public research universities, developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Through education, research, and innovation, Georgia Tech creates solutions that improve lives and drive economic opportunity in Georgia and around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Parker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-07-16 16:52:47","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 17:19:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680618":{"id":"680618","type":"image","title":"Jeffrey Skolnick","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJeffrey Skolnick will lead the first research initiative in the new Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784163552","gmt_created":"2026-07-16 00:59:12","changed":"1784163635","gmt_changed":"2026-07-16 01:00:35","alt":"Jeffrey Skolnick","file":{"fid":"264904","name":"skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":386791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg?itok=AL8IuxCW"}}},"media_ids":["680618"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"351","name":"development"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"},{"id":"172458","name":"biological sciences"},{"id":"4449","name":"ideas"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anne.stanford@dev.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Stanford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Development\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691119":{"#nid":"691119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Andrew Lindsey Joins BBISS as Program Manager","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to welcome Andrew Lindsey into the role of program manager. He will succeed Susan Ryan, who recently retired as senior program and operations manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey will support BBISS\u2019s research, education, and partnership activities across Georgia Tech and beyond. Working closely with BBISS leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, he will coordinate Institute programs, support leadership operations, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew brings more than four years of experience in project management, operations, communications, compliance oversight, and organizational improvement in higher education and nonprofit settings. Most recently, he served as project intake and communications specialist at Kennesaw State University. Before that, Lindsey spent nearly four years with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, first as project coordinator and later as project manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey\u2019s background also includes experience in higher education instruction and mentoring. As a teaching assistant with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/grandchallenges.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Grand Challenges\u003C\/a\u003E program, he worked directly with student teams tackling complex societal issues, providing guidance on research development, collaborative problem-solving, and project execution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe earned a B.A. in history, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2021, and completed a Master of Public Administration in 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAndrew\u2019s experience supporting complex projects, improving organizational processes, coordinating across diverse stakeholder groups, and commitment to mission-driven work make him a strong addition to the team,\u201d said BBISS Director of Business Administration Kristina Chatfield.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWorking closely with BBISS leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, he will coordinate Institute programs, support leadership operations, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to welcome Andrew Lindsey into the role of program manager."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-14 13:19:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 16:33:06","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680603":{"id":"680603","type":"image","title":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait","body":null,"created":"1784034931","gmt_created":"2026-07-14 13:15:31","changed":"1784035066","gmt_changed":"2026-07-14 13:17:46","alt":"Headshot portrait of an individual photographed from the chest up against a plain light gray background. The individual is wearing a light blue button\u2011down shirt and a dark patterned tie, facing the camera in a centered studio-style composition. The image is evenly lit with a neutral backdrop and no visible text or additional objects.","file":{"fid":"264886","name":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":439090,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/14\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg?itok=-Jeh_vtR"}}},"media_ids":["680603"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691066":{"#nid":"691066","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Creating Synthetic Life in a Lab? SpudCell Falls Short of the Goal, But Raises Even More Useful Questions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENature is beautiful, powerful and essential. But nature is not always gentle. The same biological world that gives rise to forests, coral reefs and human life also produces infections, cancer, genetic disease, crop blights and toxins. Natural processes can heal, sustain and inspire, but they can also destroy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat dichotomy is part of what drives the field of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/synthetic-biology-promised-to-rewrite-life-with-the-death-of-its-pioneer-j-craig-venter-how-close-are-scientists-281963\u0022\u003Esynthetic biology\u003C\/a\u003E: where scientists apply engineering principles to learn from and carefully adapt nature\u2019s biological systems to address human problems. By understanding biological systems, scientists can carefully redirect them when natural processes cause harm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis principle has shaped my work \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Xe78w-wAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eas a biomedical engineer\u003C\/a\u003E for over two decades. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/deanslab\/\u0022\u003EMy lab\u003C\/a\u003E studies how to program cells in order to better understand their behavior and ultimately use them as medicine. The goal is not to discard or replace nature, but to learn from biological principles and use that knowledge to responsibly help society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to Create Cells From Scratch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural cells are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cells-have-more-mini-organs-than-researchers-thought-unbound-by-membranes-these-rogue-organelles-challenge-biologys-fundamentals-239558\u0022\u003Eastonishingly complicated\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers want to use synthetic cells to learn more about how life works, and they are doing this by rebuilding some of life\u2019s basic features in a simpler, more understandable form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier designs of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-023-06288-x\u0022\u003Eminimal cells\u003C\/a\u003E, used to test which components are necessary for lifelike behavior, began with existing living cells and reduced the size of their genomes. A minimal cell is useful because it is simple, but that simplicity comes at a cost. It may reveal which parts are needed for lifelike behavior, but it usually lacks the autonomy, resilience, metabolism and evolutionary capacity of natural cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, synthetic cells are built through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1211701\u0022\u003Ebottom-up engineering\u003C\/a\u003E approach. Scientists start with a simplified compartment \u2013 a kind of biological \u201cbox\u201d \u2013 and ask what must be added for it to behave more like a living cell. A membrane separates the inside from the outside. Genetic material stores instructions. Molecular machinery reads those instructions to make molecules. Energy sources power reactions. Other components can allow growth, division and adaptation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Diagram showing a few membrane-bound components of an animal cell and a eurakyotic cell\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA useful way to think about synthetic cells is to compare them with technologies society already depends on. The radio wasn\u2019t invented all at once. Engineers learned how to combine an antenna, tuner, amplifier, power source and speaker to convert invisible electromagnetic waves into sound. A car is not just a metal shell; it becomes transportation only when a frame is connected to wheels, brakes, steering, an engine, and transmission and control systems. A computer began with switches and strings of ones and zeros that could be assembled into circuits capable of storing and processing information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003ESpudCell was assembled\u003C\/a\u003E from the bottom up with purified, nonliving parts. Researchers used lipid molecules to create a cell-like membrane, DNA molecules to store genetic instructions, purified enzymes to copy and read those instructions, and other molecular machinery to help build proteins and other molecules from small chemical building blocks, such as amino acids and nucleotides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell is exciting scientists because it appears to bring several features of life together in one system. The researchers describe it as capable of feeding, growth, genome replication, genetically encoded division and something close to evolution. These features resemble a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26869\/\u0022\u003Ebiological cell cycle\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClose to Life, But Not Quite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Estops short\u003C\/a\u003E of being a fully synthetic living cell. A membrane-bound compartment containing DNA is not automatically a living cell, just as a pile of car parts is not a car.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell can carry out several life-like processes, but it is not independent. It still relies on carefully controlled laboratory conditions and on researchers to supply its molecular machinery. It doesn\u2019t reliably pass on its genetic material or spontaneously evolve the way natural cells do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo approach life, a synthetic cell must coordinate many processes at once. NASA describes life as a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.nasa.gov\/research\/life-detection\/about\/\u0022\u003Eself-sustaining chemical system\u003C\/a\u003E capable of Darwinian evolution,\u201d meaning it must independently use energy, copy information, grow, divide, respond to its surroundings and persist over time. Natural cells do this with extraordinary reliability because they are the products of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/rain-may-have-helped-form-the-first-cells-kick-starting-life-as-we-know-it-238291\u0022\u003Ebillions of years of evolution\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Microscopy image of a green sphere dividing into two\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell still \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Efalls short of that standard\u003C\/a\u003E. It depends on researchers to continuously supply it with the molecular machinery to function and to physically help it divide. It also cannot reproduce indefinitely outside a carefully controlled laboratory environment. In other words, SpudCell may have been built rather than born, but it is not yet autonomous life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat limitation does not make the achievement unimportant. In fact, it is scientifically valuable precisely because it exposes what is still missing to create life. Which parts are essential? Which processes must be coordinated? How much complexity is necessary before chemistry begins to look like biology?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Create Synthetic Cells?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose questions have practical importance. Answering them can help scientists and engineers design safer biological systems for a wide range of industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESynthetic cells allow scientists to more cleanly test how the surrounding membrane separates the inside of a cell from its environment, how genetic instructions are read, how energy is used, and how growth and division are coordinated. These cell-like systems could eventually become \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nist.gov\/blogs\/taking-measure\/promise-synthetic-cells-revolutionary-new-drugs-outer-space-explorers-and\u0022\u003Esimplified test beds\u003C\/a\u003E for studying biological circuits, disease mechanisms and the origins of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey could also help scientists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/projects\/DELS-BLS-22-12\u0022\u003Ebuild safer systems\u003C\/a\u003E for making medicines, fuels or materials, detecting environmental toxins, or delivering therapies without relying on fully living organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, synthetic biology connects medicine and biotechnology: Viruses can be redesigned \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-puzzle-of-viral-vector-vaccines-was-solved-leading-to-todays-covid-19-shots-167341\u0022\u003Einto vaccines\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gene-therapy-restores-hearing-in-toddlers-and-teenagers-born-with-congenital-deafness-new-research-258112\u0022\u003Egene therapy\u003C\/a\u003E, immune cells can be reprogrammed to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/anti-cancer-car-t-therapy-reengineers-t-cells-to-kill-tumors-and-researchers-are-expanding-the-limited-types-of-cancer-it-can-target-196471\u0022\u003Erecognize cancer\u003C\/a\u003E, and microbes can be engineered to make useful molecules, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/insulin-injections-could-one-day-be-replaced-with-rock-music-new-research-in-mice-216787\u0022\u003Esuch as insulin\u003C\/a\u003E, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/genetically-engineered-bacteria-make-living-materials-for-self-repairing-walls-and-cleaning-up-pollution-191411\u0022\u003Edetect pollutants\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, researchers could use synthetic cells to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Edeliver a drug\u003C\/a\u003E only to diseased tissue, or create microbial systems that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13036-023-00379-z\u0022\u003Edetect toxins or pathogens\u003C\/a\u003E in water. They can also act as simplified biological factories that can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/helping-cells-become-better-protein-factories-could-improve-gene-therapies-and-other-treatments-a-new-technique-shows-how-187515\u0022\u003Emake medicines\u003C\/a\u003E without requiring a fully living organism, or as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0016292\u0022\u003Ebiosensors providing early warning\u003C\/a\u003E of dangerous threats, such as bioweapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating Life Responsibly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe philosophical question \u201cIs SpudCell alive?\u201d may not have a simple yes or no answer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepending on whether your definition of life emphasizes metabolism, reproduction, evolution, autonomy or cellular organization, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Eboundary between living and nonliving\u003C\/a\u003E can look very different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife is not defined by one property alone. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-viruses-blur-the-boundaries-of-life-230802\u0022\u003EViruses\u003C\/a\u003E contain genetic information but depend on host cells to reproduce. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/mitochondria-can-sense-bacteria-and-trigger-your-immune-system-to-trap-them-revealing-new-ways-to-treat-infections-and-autoimmunity-255939\u0022\u003EMitochondria\u003C\/a\u003E perform essential metabolism but cannot live independently outside of cells. A \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/svalbard-global-seed-vault-evokes-epic-imagery-and-controversy-because-of-the-symbolic-value-of-seeds-240086\u0022\u003Eseed can remain dormant\u003C\/a\u003E for years before resuming growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen synthetic biology is guided by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.1c00129\u0022\u003Estrong sense of responsibility\u003C\/a\u003E, scientists can learn how to redirect harmful processes, build safer tools and help society. This requires not only asking whether biological systems can be built, but also whether their creation should be controlled, where they should function and what safeguards are needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past two decades, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nchembio.1979\u0022\u003Escientists have built\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cell.2007.05.045\u0022\u003Emany kinds of\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41564-024-01913-5\u0022\u003Ebiological kill switches\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 that is, genetic circuits that can shut down engineered cells under specific conditions. Some researchers have made cells dependent on a specific nutrient. Others have created cells that can survive only in a particular environment or activate self-destructive pathways when conditions change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKill switches are not magic off buttons and do not replace careful regulation, physical containment or public oversight. But they are an important example of synthetic biology\u2019s moral compass: to not only build useful biological tools, but to build them with safety, accountability and humility in mind.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/286762\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components. The lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it stops short of being a fully synthetic living cell."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-08 19:42:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:12:48","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680580":{"id":"680580","type":"image","title":"spudcell.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783539781","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","changed":"1783539781","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","alt":"A rendering of transparent cells on a blue background","file":{"fid":"264858","name":"spudcell.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4473489,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg?itok=ybyDU2tc"}}},"media_ids":["680580"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETara Deans, associate professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691068":{"#nid":"691068","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience Announces New External Advisory Board Leadership and Members ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB) is pleased to announce new leadership and membership for its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/about\/people\/advisory-board\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EExternal Advisory Board\u003C\/a\u003E, which provides strategic guidance to help advance the institute\u0027s mission of accelerating interdisciplinary research and innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErin Dasher has been appointed chair of the External Advisory Board, and Vincent Ling will serve as vice chair. Dasher is founder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/glui-io\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGlui Inc.\u003C\/a\u003E, a global advertising company creating engagement experiences across digital platforms. A seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and attorney, she brings more than 25 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions. Ling is chief business officer at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.morphocell.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMorphocell Technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, where he leads commercialization of regenerative medicine technologies. He has more than 30 years of biotechnology leadership experience spanning cell therapies, protein engineering, and biopharmaceutical innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIBB extends its sincere appreciation to outgoing board chair Chris Gemmiti for his outstanding leadership and service to the institute. The institute also thanks Linda Griffith for her valued contributions as a member of the External Advisory Board. Their expertise and commitment have helped shape IBB\u0027s continued growth and impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe institute is also pleased to welcome six new members to the External Advisory Board:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e72dedd6483cf827667bb2b4886fe7098\u0022\u003EChristopher Cashman, chief executive and advisor in the medical device, biologics, and advanced manufacturing sectors, with extensive leadership experience in public and private companies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9e41324bd99f6430583f947df7ec5102\u0022\u003ERachel Cassidy, senior go-to-market and ecosystem executive with more than 30 years of experience building global innovation partnerships across the technology industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec11b998f2145affcc30e3e61c9178cea\u0022\u003EShawn P. Davis, CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.liberatebio.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELiberate Bio\u003C\/a\u003E, where he leads the development of next-generation delivery technologies for genetic medicines and brings more than two decades of biotechnology and pharmaceutical leadership.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed491b31155c6316632e305391c679866\u0022\u003ECharles A. Gersbach, director of the Duke Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies and the John W. Strohbehn Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.duke.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDuke University\u003C\/a\u003E, internationally recognized for his work in genome editing and gene therapy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed1bf1c75dec04ba844fa62cd2b3aa163\u0022\u003ETodd McDevitt, vice president and head of Cell Therapy Research at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gene.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGenentech\u003C\/a\u003E, who leads development of cell-based therapies and previously founded Georgia Tech\u0027s Stem Cell Engineering Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0aec0ac2886d7c9ba45553a081356ea7\u0022\u003ERidhi Tariyal, co-founder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nextgenjane.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENextGen Jane\u003C\/a\u003E, whose work combines biotechnology, data science, and women\u0027s health to advance molecular understanding of uterine biology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022IBB is fortunate to have an exceptional group of leaders whose expertise spans biotechnology, medicine, entrepreneurship, engineering, and innovation,\u0022 said Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, Regents\u2019 Professor in the\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fand\u202fIBB\u2019s Executive Director. \u0022We are grateful to our outgoing members for their dedicated service and look forward to working with our new leadership and board members as we continue to advance transformative bioengineering and bioscience research.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe External Advisory Board brings together leaders from industry, academia, and entrepreneurship to provide strategic guidance that supports IBB\u0027s research, education, commercialization, and partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe External Advisory Board brings together leaders from industry, academia, and entrepreneurship to provide strategic guidance that supports IBB\u0027s research, education, commercialization, and partnerships. Erin Dasher has been appointed chair of the External Advisory Board, and Vincent Ling will serve as vice chair. IBB extends its sincere appreciation to outgoing board chair Chris Gemmiti for his outstanding leadership and service to the institute. The institute also thanks Linda Griffith for her valued contributions as a member of the External Advisory Board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"IBB is pleased to announce new leadership and membership for its EAB, which provides strategic guidance to help advance the institute\u0027s mission of accelerating interdisciplinary research and innovation. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-09 15:33:18","changed_gmt":"2026-07-09 15:40:32","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680582":{"id":"680582","type":"image","title":"cropped_IBB-Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Ramblin Wreck drives past the Petit Biotechnology Building, home of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783611550","gmt_created":"2026-07-09 15:39:10","changed":"1783611550","gmt_changed":"2026-07-09 15:39:10","alt":"The Ramblin Wreck drives past the Petit Biotechnology Building, a red brick building with large trees in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264860","name":"_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":256205,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/09\/_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg?itok=xf6agjcf"}}},"media_ids":["680582"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691061":{"#nid":"691061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Memoriam: Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA nationally recognized leader in energy systems, Shelton founded SEI as an interdisciplinary organization that brought together engineers, researchers, policy experts, and industry leaders to advance high-impact energy solutions. That vision remains central to SEI\u2019s mission and continues to guide its work today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam was the quintessential engineer and innovator, whose vision was always accompanied by the development and demonstration of actual products instead of leaving them as promising concepts,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garimella\u0022\u003ESrinivas Garimella\u003C\/a\u003E, Hightower Chair in the College of Engineering and professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u201cHe had the rare ability to see through nebulous ideas and claims and get to the fundamental engineering truths. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to seek his advice, which he freely gave. I will miss his friendship and counsel very much.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a career of more than 35 years, Shelton made lasting contributions to sustainable energy and engineering innovation. His work spanned combustion research, solar energy technologies, and offshore wind systems. He secured more than $30 million in research funding, held eight patents, founded two energy-focused companies, and helped translate research into real-world energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his research, Shelton was deeply committed to education. During his academic career, he developed undergraduate and graduate courses in energy technology, teaching both in person and online. His\u0026nbsp;Energy 101 course reached tens of thousands of learners through a massive open online course platform, covering topics such as energy supply, independence, economics, and society\u2019s energy demands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first started at SEI in 2016, Sam and I would meet for lunch to discuss the latest research, consider how far we\u0027ve come since the Carter administration, and grapple over the world\u2019s energy problems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies.\u0026nbsp;\u201cSam was genuine and objective, not working backward from a preconceived notion, but working forward with an open mind to understand, appreciate, and apply the first and second law. He was also colorful and witty! We are all privileged to pay these lessons forward to future energy students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond academia, Shelton\u2019s engineering expertise reached a global stage as the designer of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2016\/07\/20th-anniversary-atlanta-games\u0022\u003EOlympic torch for the 1996 Atlanta Games\u003C\/a\u003E, an enduring symbol of innovation recognized worldwide. \u201cThe Olympics represented world peace, mankind coming together, and overcoming adversity. It was an amazing event to think about, to witness, to live through, and be a part of helping to create it,\u201d Shelton said in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WyuWSPeGTXk\u0022\u003E2016 interview\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelton is survived by his\u0026nbsp;daughters, Suzie and Stacy, three granddaughters,\u0026nbsp;and a wide network of students, colleagues, and collaborators. His legacy continues through the programs he built, partnerships he fostered, and the people he helped.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/atlanta\/name\/samuel-shelton-obituary?id=61831858\u0022\u003Ememorial service\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E celebrating Shelton\u2019s life will be held Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. at The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant in Atlanta. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be directed to Roll Call, Georgia Tech\u2019s Fund for Excellence.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Donations may be made at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/63028\/donations\/new?\u0026amp;utm_source=ALMR26Q40NY1BU02KUD\u0022\u003Egtalumni.org\/SamShelton\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sam Shelton, founding director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), longtime professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 21:11:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 02:35:40","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680575":{"id":"680575","type":"image","title":"SamShelton.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783458862","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","changed":"1783458862","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute (Photo Credit: Georgia Tech Institute Communications)","file":{"fid":"264853","name":"SamShelton.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":485843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg?itok=LXffzX8m"}},"680574":{"id":"680574","type":"image","title":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783458708","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","changed":"1783458708","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","file":{"fid":"264852","name":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":33796,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg?itok=LUMuoM7e"}}},"media_ids":["680575","680574"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}