{"689850":{"#nid":"689850","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Doing the Dirty Work of Sustainability ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not glamorous. It\u2019s not trendy. In fact, it\u2019s downright grubby. But the work that a Georgia Tech researcher and his students are doing is improving campus sustainability, one pound of food waste at a time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2820\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \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 and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, gave his senior-level biology class this semester a unique assignment: Feed food waste to black soldier fly larvae, collect the organic byproduct (called \u201cfrass\u201d), and analyze the results. What they\u2019ve found so far is a composting method with the potential to dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while producing a nutrient-dense fertilizer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s something special about these grubs,\u201d said Hu, who is also a faculty member within 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. \u201cThey smell, and they\u2019re kind of ugly, but they process food extremely efficiently. When we feed them, they eat twice their body weight, finish that in five hours, and you can do it again the next day. Traditional composting could never be that fast.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a unique closed-loop system pioneered by private-industry partner and early-stage startup \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biotechnicausa.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiotechnica\u003C\/a\u003E, the larvae eat their way through more than 300 pounds of food in one semester, creating valuable frass that students harvest. When the larvae mature into adults, they fly into a shared chamber to reproduce, make more grubs, and start the process over again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can get a turnaround from food waste to frass in a day or two, and then from the raw frass to our ground-up frass that we use for our plants,\u201d said Mikkelle Peters, a fourth-year biology major in Hu\u2019s class. \u201cIt\u2019s just a much quicker process to get rid of the food waste.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeeding and studying an army of larvae that can eat more than 10 gallons of food a day keeps Hu\u2019s students busy. The solution? Divide and conquer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first group in the process gathers and grinds food scraps to feed the grubs, then collects the frass they produce. The next group mixes the frass with soil and analyzes its chemical makeup, comparing its nutrient density to commercial fertilizers. A third group uses the fertilized soil to grow vegetables like arugula and radishes that are measured against plants grown using synthetic fertilizer. The final two groups observe the environmental conditions that affect productivity and analyze the grubs\u2019 digestion to uncover the secrets to their success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore testing will need to be done on outdoor farms to provide rigorous results. Data over the past few semesters were, at times, inconsistent. But the students\u2019 projects reveal a lot of promise for future experiments. Despite limitations to the study, including a small sample size and minor instrument malfunction, the students have been able to find helpful nutrients in their product and grow certain crops more successfully with frass than with commercial fertilizer. Unlike chemically based products or some traditional composts that need to be specially treated, black soldier fly frass is organic and easily processed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of fertilizers can cause harmful runoff, and they can change soil balances over time,\u201d Peters said. \u201cFrass is a natural product, has more fibrous material, and has a lot more organic compounds.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the science that the students are exposed to, Hu said it is also eye-opening for them to see the work of sustainability. The project is an excellent case study for how a small group can make a big impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe students have learned a lot,\u201d Hu said. \u201cFor one of the activities, we had them bring in their own food waste from home to feed the composter. They realized that a person makes pounds of waste per day.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E, the campus produces about 400 tons of food waste per year. Although Georgia Tech boasts \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/07\/new-composter-enhance-campus-waste-reduction\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eone of the largest commercial composters\u003C\/a\u003E on an urban campus in the Southeast, the machine can only process 175 tons per year. That leaves a gap that Hu said his research might one day be able to fill.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRight now, it\u2019s working,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to expand and see if it can work some more. The big issue is visibility, getting people to know that what we\u2019re doing is good. Because in some ways, saving the planet takes energy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the main energy sources for the experimental composter is something Hu hopes to reduce: manpower. With a campus the size of Georgia Tech\u2019s, it\u2019s a very labor-intensive process for students to collect food waste from campus partners. Hu hopes that more community members will volunteer, not only to collect food, but also to improve the system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need people power \u2014 people willing to volunteer to move, because right now, campus produces a lot of waste in different places,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we also need biologists and engineers and computer scientists. We need people to make this system more well-engineered.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the current black soldier fly composter still has some flaws, Hu said his goal is to create an affordable, climate-friendly food waste recycling system that can scale up to support U.S. agriculture. By solving problems at the local level, his research is potentially removing economic and operational barriers to sustainability. But, according to Hu, the final step to long-term success is community involvement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the end, we need people who care,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take that much effort to do a little bit, and a little bit can go a long way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech researcher and his students are using experimental composting to reduce campus food waste and support agriculture. Using a unique closed-loop system, black soldier fly larvae eat their way through more than 300 pounds of food in one semester, creating valuable frass that students harvest. What they\u2019ve found so far is a composting method with the potential to dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while producing a nutrient-dense fertilizer. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech researcher and his students are using experimental composting to reduce campus food waste and support agriculture. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 19:22:36","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 17:41:53","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679998":{"id":"679998","type":"image","title":"web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776688432","gmt_created":"2026-04-20 12:33:52","changed":"1776688432","gmt_changed":"2026-04-20 12:33:52","alt":"A male researcher opens the top of a blue barrel that is part of a composting system inside a greenhouse","file":{"fid":"264230","name":"web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":232961,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg?itok=HEj6TZyg"}}},"media_ids":["679998"],"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":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"}],"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":""}},"689835":{"#nid":"689835","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI is Reengineering Drug Discovery by Speeding Up Testing and Scanning Petabytes of Data for Connections Between\u00a0Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI\u2019s revolutionary role in drug discovery and development.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience and technology editor \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/eric-smalley-944964\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEric Smalley\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E interviewed \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/jeffrey-skolnick\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, eminent scholar in computational systems biology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medschool.vanderbilt.edu\/pharmacology\/person\/ben-brown\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBenjamin P. Brown\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESkolnick has developed AI-based approaches to predict protein structure and function that may help with drug discovery and finding off-label uses of existing drugs. Brown\u2019s lab works on creating new computer models that make drug discovery faster and more reliable. Below is a condensed and edited version of the interview.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELet\u2019s start with the big picture. How is AI changing biomedical research and drug discovery, and what is the potential we are talking about?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkolnick:\u003C\/strong\u003E The upside, potentially, is very large. One of the frustrating things about drug discovery is that, in spite of the fact that the people doing it are extraordinarily intelligent and have done an extraordinarily good job, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.apsb.2022.02.002\u0022\u003Ethe success rate is very low\u003C\/a\u003E. About \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.apsb.2022.02.002\u0022\u003E1 in 5\u003C\/a\u003E drugs will have negative health effects that outweigh its benefits. Of the ones that pass, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.apsb.2022.02.002\u0022\u003Eroughly half don\u2019t work\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn drug development, there are several key issues: Can you predict which target is driving a particular disease? Once this target is identified, how can you guarantee the drug is going to work and isn\u2019t simultaneously going to kill you?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are outstanding problems in drug discovery in which AI can play an important, though not 100% guaranteed, role. Unlike us, AI can look at basically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/nsr\/article\/12\/5\/nwaf050\/8029900\u0022\u003Eall available knowledge\u003C\/a\u003E. On a good day it makes strong and true connections called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/bs.adcom.2023.02.001\u0022\u003Einsights\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d and on a bad day it does what is called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-are-ai-hallucinations-why-ais-sometimes-make-things-up-242896\u0022\u003Ehallucinating\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and sees things that are weak and probably false.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lHC_9x3IXZ0?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EEric Smalley interviews Jeffrey Skolnick and Benjamin P. Brown.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the day, many diseases do not have a cure. Most diseases are maintained, such as high cholesterol or autoimmune conditions. A treatment for cancer might buy you five years, and now you\u2019re in Stage 4 and you\u2019ve exhausted all the standard care drugs. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ph16060891\u0022\u003EAI can play a role\u003C\/a\u003E to suggest alternatives where there are none.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELet\u2019s give some basic definitions here. When we use the word drug, we\u2019re talking about a wide range of therapies. Can you explain the range \u2013 we\u2019ve got small molecule drugs, biologics, gene therapies, cell therapies.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown:\u003C\/strong\u003E We have fairly large molecules in our bodies called proteins. They are like machines that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26911\/\u0022\u003Ecarry out specific functions\u003C\/a\u003E and interact with one another. Oftentimes, when we\u2019re trying to treat disease, we\u2019re trying to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/mco2.261\u0022\u003Ealter functions of specific proteins\u003C\/a\u003E. Many drugs, like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0049-3848(03)00379-7\u0022\u003Easpirin\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/317517\u0022\u003ETylenol\u003C\/a\u003E, are small molecules that can fit into a protein and change its function. Fundamentally, drugs don\u2019t have to just interact with proteins, but this is a major way in which our current repertoire of medications work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are also proteins that act like drugs, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/imr.13387\u0022\u003Eantibodies\u003C\/a\u003E. When you receive a vaccine for a virus, your body is basically given \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/B978-0-12-802174-3.00002-3\u0022\u003Einstructions on how to develop antibodies\u003C\/a\u003E. These antibodies will target some part of that virus. Your body is creating these big molecules, much bigger than aspirin, to go and interact with foreign proteins in a different way. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1590\/S1679-45082017RB4024\u0022\u003EGene therapy\u003C\/a\u003E is a larger step beyond that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo these modalities \u2013 molecule, protein, antibody or gene \u2013 are very different types of molecules. They have different scales and rules, so the way you approach designing and discovering them various widely.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you briefly explain artificial neural networks, and what the \u201cdeep\u201d in deep learning means?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkolnick:\u003C\/strong\u003E AlphaFold, developed by DeepMind, involved understanding how neural networks worked. They built a network with a lot of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/diagnostics13152582\u0022\u003Einputs, which are stimuli, and outputs with different weights\u003C\/a\u003E, similar to how your brain actually works. These simple connections, or neurons, have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-reinforcement-learning-an-ai-researcher-explains-a-key-method-of-teaching-machines-and-how-it-relates-to-training-your-dog-251887\u0022\u003Ereinforcement learning\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also created sophisticated neural networks, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2219150120\u0022\u003Etransformers, which do specific things\u003C\/a\u003E like a special-purpose tool that can learn, and they added a mechanism called \u201cattention,\u201d which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.inffus.2024.102417\u0022\u003Eamplifies critical details\u003C\/a\u003E. Super neural networks with transformers is what we call deep learning. These now have literally billions, if not trillions, of parameters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEssentially, these machines \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.52202\/079017-2495\u0022\u003Ecan learn higher order correlations between events\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning the patterns of conditional interactions that depend on the properties of multiple things simultaneously. In these higher order correlations, AI has the potential to see previously unknown things that are embedded in petabytes (a unit of data equivalent to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eecis.udel.edu\/%7Eamer\/Table-Kilo-Mega-Giga---YottaBytes.html\u0022\u003Ehalf of the contents of all U.S. academic research libraries\u003C\/a\u003E of biological data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlphaFold, which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/14789450.2025.2456046\u0022\u003Epredicts three-dimensional, bioactive forms of a protein\u003C\/a\u003E, has millions of sequences and a couple of hundred thousand structures. It can tell you, based on a particular pattern, what \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijms26146807\u0022\u003Esmall molecule to design\u003C\/a\u003E that sticks to a protein to induce some kind of structural shift.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow is this technology being used in biomedical research to understand molecular dynamics or, essentially, the biological processes involved in health and disease?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown:\u003C\/strong\u003E In 2013, there was a Nobel Prize for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.str.2013.11.005\u0022\u003Emolecular dynamics simulations\u003C\/a\u003E, computational tools that help you understand the motions of molecules as they move according to physics. There\u2019s a huge body of scientific research built around those ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI and deep learning are large right now, but it\u2019s worth mentioning that for the last decade and a half, people have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nchembio.576\u0022\u003Eusing much smaller machine learning algorithms\u003C\/a\u003E to help design drugs. A lot of the ideas, such as [using machine learning for virtual screening], are not new and have been in practice for a while.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith AlphaFold\u2019s technologies to help people design proteins and predict their structure, we\u2019ve changed how we think about a lot of these problems. We have this \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.omtn.2024.102295\u0022\u003Enew repertoire of approaches\u003C\/a\u003E to build ideas around and to start thinking about drug discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom 20 years ago to now, what has today\u2019s AI technology done in terms of scale of change in this process?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkolnick:\u003C\/strong\u003E A lot of diseases, like cancers, are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15430\/JCP.2018.23.4.153\u0022\u003Ecaused by a collection of malfunctioning proteins\u003C\/a\u003E. AI now allows us to start to think conceptually about how these diseases are organized and related to each other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiseases tend to co-occur. For example, if you have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fendo.2024.1354372\u0022\u003Ehyperthyroidism, you\u2019re very likely to develop Alzheimer\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E. Kind of weird, right? We can look at pieces, but AI can look at all the information, integrate the collective behavior and then identify common drivers. This allows you to construct disease interrelationships which offer the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adtp.202300332\u0022\u003Epossibility of broad spectrum treatments\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/nih-research-matters\/progress-toward-broad-spectrum-antiviral\u0022\u003Ecould treat whole collections of diseases\u003C\/a\u003E rather than narrow-spectrum treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERelatedly, AI also can help us \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/cpt.3153\u0022\u003Eunderstand disease trajectories\u003C\/a\u003E. Diseases that tend to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev-biodatasci-110123-041001\u0022\u003Eco-occur often present themselves consecutively\u003C\/a\u003E. You have disease 1, it gives you disease 2, then gives you disease 3. This suggests that if you go back to the root with disease 1, you may be able to stop a whole bunch of stuff. You can\u2019t analyze millions of trajectories and millions of data without a tool, so you couldn\u2019t do this before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis holds a lot of promise, but one also must be careful not to overpromise. It will help, it will accelerate, but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scienceopen.com\/hosted-document?doi=10.15212\/bioi-2025-0188\u0022\u003Eit is not a substitute yet for real experiments\u003C\/a\u003E, real clinical validation and trials.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/274693\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\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\/ai-is-reengineering-drug-discovery-by-speeding-up-testing-and-scanning-petabytes-of-data-for-connections-between-diseases-274693\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 15:55:09","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 00:35:09","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679992":{"id":"679992","type":"image","title":" AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery. gorodenkoff\/iStock via Getty Images ","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery. gorodenkoff\/iStock via Getty Images\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776442339","gmt_created":"2026-04-17 16:12:19","changed":"1776442339","gmt_changed":"2026-04-17 16:12:19","alt":" AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery. gorodenkoff\/iStock via Getty Images ","file":{"fid":"264222","name":"file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2111750,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/17\/file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg?itok=h8utD5AH"}}},"media_ids":["679992"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-is-reengineering-drug-discovery-by-speeding-up-testing-and-scanning-petabytes-of-data-for-connections-between-diseases-274693","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":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"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":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jeffrey-skolnick-2581183\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u0027 Professor; Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair, and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/benjamin-p-brown-2581181\u0022\u003EBenjamin P. Brown\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/vanderbilt-university-1293\u0022\u003EVanderbilt University\u003C\/a\u003E\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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689587":{"#nid":"689587","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Use Statistics and Math to Understand How The Brain Works","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENothing rivals the human brain\u2019s complexity. Its 86 billion neurons and 85 billion other cells make an estimated 100 trillion connections. If the brain were a computer, it would perform an exaflop (a billion-billion) mathematical calculations every second and use the equivalent of only 20 watts of power. As impressive as the brain is, neurologists can\u2019t fully explain how neurons work together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help find answers, researchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS) are using math, data, and AI to unlock the secrets of thought. Together they are helping turn the brain\u2019s raw electrical \u201cnoise\u201d into real insights about how people think, move, and perceive the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFair warning: Prepare your neurons for the complexity of this brain research ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding AI Like a Brain\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat if artificial neurons in AI programs were arranged as they are in the brain?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI programs would then help us understand why the brain is organized the way it is. This neuro-AI synthesis would also work faster, use less energy, and be easier to interpret. Creating such systems is the goal of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/apurva-ratan-murty\u0022\u003EApurva Ratan Murty\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPsychology\u003C\/a\u003E who is creating topographic AI models like the one above of three domains \u2014 vision, audition, and language inspired by the brain. In the near future, he predicts doctors might be able to use these patterns to predict the effects of brain lesions and other disorders. \u201cWe\u2019re not there yet,\u201d he says. \u201cBut our work brings us significantly closer to that future than ever before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EComputing Thought and Movement\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow cats walk keeps \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/5354\u0022\u003EChethan Pandarinath\u003C\/a\u003E on his toes. This biomedical engineer uses sensors to analyze how two sets of feline leg muscles \u2014 flexors and extensors \u2014 are controlled by the spinal cord. Understanding how that happens could help patients partially paralyzed from spinal cord injuries, strokes, or progressive neuro-degenerative diseases get back on their feet again. \u201cMy lab is using AI tools that allow us to turn complex spinal cord activity data into something we can interpret. It tells us there\u2019s a simple underlying structure behind the complex activity patterns,\u201d says the associate professor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ERevealing the Brain\u2019s Spike Patterns\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe brain is like a symphony conductor,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3736\u0022\u003ESimon Sponberg\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIndividual instruments have some independent control, but most of the music comes from the brain\u2019s precise coordination of notes among the different players in the body.\u201d This \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ephysics\u003C\/a\u003E professor studies the fantastically fast-beating wings of the hummingbird-sized hawk moth (Manduca sexta). Its agile flight movement comes as a result of spikes in electrical activity in 10 muscles. Sponberg found something that surprised him \u2014 the brain focuses less on creating the number of spikes than in orchestrating their precise patterns over time. To Sponberg, every millisecond matters. \u201cWe are just beginning to understand how the nervous system first acquires precisely timed spiking patterns during development,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPredicting Decisions Through Statistics\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPut a mouse in a maze with food far away, and it will learn to find it. But life for mice \u2014 and people \u2014 isn\u2019t so simple. Sometimes they want to explore, only want water, or just want to go home. What\u2019s more, animals make decisions based on their history, not just on how they feel at the moment. To dig deeper into the decision-making process, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/18557\u0022\u003EAnqi Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is giving mice more options. By using a new computational framework called SWIRL (Switching Inverse Reinforcement Learning), her findings have outperformed models that fail to take historical behavior into account. \u201cWe\u2019re seeking to understand not only animal behavior but also human behavior to gain insight into the human decision-making process over a long period of time,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EModeling the Mind\u2019s Wiring With Math\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConnectivity shapes cognition in the cerebral cortex, a layered structure in the brain. The visual cortex, in particular, processes visual data from the retina relayed through the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN) in the thalamus, and directs it to the correct cognitive domain in the brain. How it does this is the mystery that computational neuroscientist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/13005\u0022\u003EHannah Choi\u003C\/a\u003E wants to solve. \u201cThe big question I\u2019m interested in is how network connectivity patterns in the architecture of the LGN are related to computations,\u201d says this assistant \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Emath\u003C\/a\u003E professor. To find answers, she shows mice repeated image patterns such as flower-cat-dog-house and then disrupts the pattern. The goal? To grasp how the thalamus\u2019s nonlinear dynamical system works. If scientists and doctors better understand how brain regions are wired together, such knowledge could lead to better disease treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story was originally published through the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Read the original publication \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/news\/2026\/georgia-tech-researchers-use-statistics-and-math-to-understand-how-the-brain-works.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehere\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-04-09 14:51:00","changed_gmt":"2026-04-17 16:22:48","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679908":{"id":"679908","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are using math, science, and artificial intelligence to better understand how people think, move, and perceive the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775747910","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 15:18:30","changed":"1775747910","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 15:18:30","alt":"Digital illustration of a human brain split down the middle: the left side is filled with white mathematical equations, diagrams, and formulas, while the right side is surrounded by colorful, flowing lines and abstract wave patterns against a dark blue background.","file":{"fid":"264129","name":"AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11158535,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/AdobeStock_506880018.jpeg?itok=smMzQtFc"}},"679903":{"id":"679903","type":"image","title":"Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This image shows a topographic vision model trained to have a brain-like organization.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746394","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:53:14","changed":"1775746394","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:53:14","alt":"Three layered, abstract heat\u2011map style grids in shades of blue, red, and beige, stacked to resemble data layers or visualization panels.","file":{"fid":"264124","name":"Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":53268,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-New-480x3301.jpg?itok=vNYzcaPf"}},"679904":{"id":"679904","type":"image","title":"Chethan-480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This shows how spinal cord activity guides transitions in muscle output for extensor muscles.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746465","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:54:25","changed":"1775746465","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:54:25","alt":"Two side\u2011by\u2011side scientific diagrams labeled Cat 1 and Cat 2 showing clusters of colored data points and curved gray lines representing muscle\u2011activity patterns during movement. Each diagram includes blue, green, and yellow point clusters and marked \u2018extensor onset\u2019 and \u2018extensor offset\u2019 angles.","file":{"fid":"264125","name":"Chethan-480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Chethan-480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Chethan-480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":67950,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/Chethan-480x330.jpg?itok=RaB1s5Rq"}},"679906":{"id":"679906","type":"image","title":"new_figure-480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption: This shows how mice behave differently when they are pursuing different goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746563","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:56:03","changed":"1775746563","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:56:03","alt":"Three maze-like diagrams labeled \u2018water,\u2019 \u2018home,\u2019 and \u2018explore,\u2019 each showing colored paths representing an animal\u2019s movement through the maze. The paths shift from dark purple at the start to bright yellow at the end, indicating progression over time according to the color scale on the right","file":{"fid":"264127","name":"new_figure-480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/new_figure-480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/new_figure-480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/new_figure-480x330.jpg?itok=wezz9ZzE"}},"679905":{"id":"679905","type":"image","title":"Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This shows the spike patterns of a hawk moth. Motor systems use spike codes to control motor output.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746508","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:55:08","changed":"1775746508","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:55:08","alt":"Diagram showing a hawk moth in the center surrounded by twelve circular charts. Each chart displays proportional black and blue segments representing spike count and spike timing data for left and right muscle groups. A legend explains the colors, and text below notes that the values show mutual information estimates for 10 muscles across seven moths","file":{"fid":"264126","name":"Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":81244,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/Brain-Data-Sponberg-480x330.jpg?itok=l_G56joM"}},"679907":{"id":"679907","type":"image","title":"GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECaption:\u0026nbsp;This shows how visual data from the retina is directed to the correct cognitive domain in the brain through a region of the visual cortex.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775746605","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 14:56:45","changed":"1775746605","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 14:56:45","alt":"Diagram showing neural connectivity between cortical layers in regions labeled V1 and LM. Arrows connect circular nodes representing layers L2\/3, L4, and L5, with green and orange arrows indicating directional pathways. A magnified inset on the right illustrates a simplified microcircuit with shapes labeled Pyr, Sst, and Vip connected by colored arrows.","file":{"fid":"264128","name":"GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":51645,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/GaTech_Brain-Data_Hannanh-Choi_480x330.jpg?itok=MfeiKQbd"}}},"media_ids":["679908","679903","679904","679906","679905","679907"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-uses-computing-and-engineering-methods-shift-neuroscience-paradigms","title":"Georgia Tech Uses Computing and Engineering Methods to Shift Neuroscience Paradigms"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/head-toe-georgia-tech-researchers-treat-entire-human-body-through-neuroscience-research","title":"Head to Toe: Georgia Tech Researchers Treat the Entire Human Body Through Neuroscience Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/better-brain-machine-interfaces-could-allow-paralyzed-communicate-again","title":"Better Brain-Machine Interfaces Could Allow the Paralyzed to Communicate Again"}],"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":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"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":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E George Spencer\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENews and Media Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689713":{"#nid":"689713","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Universities and U.K. Partners Strengthen Collaboration on Critical Minerals at GEMS\u20114 Symposium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn February, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;together with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiamining.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Mining Association\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/world\/organisations\/british-consulate-general-atlanta\u0022\u003EBritish Consulate\u2011General Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E, hosted the fourth Growing Partnerships for Essential Minerals (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGEMs\u20114\u003C\/a\u003E) workshop in Atlanta. The workshop built on a growing transatlantic partnership dedicated to advancing innovation across the critical minerals value chain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;two\u2011day event took place Feb. 4 \u2013 5, coinciding with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2026\/02\/2026-critical-minerals-ministerial\u0022\u003ECritical Minerals Ministerial\u003C\/a\u003E hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, which brought together more than 50 nations to strengthen and diversify global critical mineral supply chains. During this ministerial, U.K. Minister Seema Malhotra and U.S. Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg signed a Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding, strengthening bilateral cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom on critical mineral supply chains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese broad efforts are supported by White House Executive Order 14363, which defines the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/genesis.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E and aims to accelerate scientific discovery through AI. The order identifies critical minerals supply chain resilience as a national security imperative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Atlanta, these themes were brought to life in real time. The GEMs-4 workshop brought together researchers, policymakers, national labs, industry leaders, and workforce organizations from both the U.S. and the U.K. to address shared challenges in technology translation, permitting, investment, and talent development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe state of Georgia\u2019s integrated ecosystem, linking research universities, legacy industries, technical colleges, national labs, and public\u2011private partnerships, served as a case study. Presenters highlighted how existing industrial assets in the Southeast are being incorporated into emerging clean energy and critical minerals supply chains, offering a model for other regions seeking to build capabilities around extraction, processing, and manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA U.K. member of Parliament representing Cornwall, where the U.K. has lithium reserves and deep critical mineral expertise, joined the convening, as well as representatives from the U.K. Critical Mineral Association, Camborne School of Mines, and the University of Kent. Together, they explored opportunities and challenges, from a fundamental science to a commercialization perspective grounded in real-world experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe alignment between the ministerial in Washington and the expertise present in Atlanta demonstrated the value of state-level engagement and how national agreements translate into practical collaboration on the ground.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Southeast has the research depth, industrial footprint, and collaborative spirit needed to lead in critical minerals innovation,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute, and founding director of the Center for Critical Mineral Solutions at Georgia Tech. \u201cGEMs\u20114 showed what\u2019s possible when universities, industry, and government partners align around shared priorities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDay one featured strategic dialogue on critical mineral resources, innovation pathways, and partnership models. A recurring theme was the co-production of critical minerals alongside major mineral commodities. \u201cMany critical minerals are produced as byproducts of larger mining operations, making it essential to integrate recovery strategies into existing mineral industries rather than developing entirely new extraction systems,\u201d noted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cas.gsu.edu\/profile\/w-crawford-elliott\/\u0022\u003ECrawford Elliott\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of geosciences at Georgia State University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDay two transitioned to field\u2011based learning, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geology.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/paul-schroeder\u0022\u003EPaul Schroeder\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of geology at the University of Georgia. Participants visited active operations to better understand how regional industrial strengths can support national and international supply chain goals. Schroeder said, \u201cConnecting people to the long-standing mineral extraction economy at the mining and plant sites, where the work gets done with an amazingly skilled workforce, underscores the unique role of Georgia\u2019s place\u2011based capacity in advancing national and transatlantic supply\u0026nbsp;chain goals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizers emphasized that resilient supply chains rely on regional capabilities built over time through university collaboration, industry partnerships, and community engagement. With three years of inter\u2011university coordination now underpinning the GEMS platform, the 2026 workshop demonstrated how the Southeast is contributing actionable models for U.S.-U.K. cooperation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEcosystem-building at this scale requires participation from every part of the value chain, and we are encouraged by the model GEMs presents,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rachel-galloway-518014292\/\u0022\u003ERachel Galloway\u003C\/a\u003E, Consul General at British Consulate General Atlanta. \u201cThe collaboration across universities, industry, and government is exactly what enables long\u2011term impact on both sides of the Atlantic.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough focused dialogue and partnership-building, the symposium strengthened transatlantic collaboration, highlighted regional strengths, and accelerated innovation and translation across the critical minerals value chain, from resource characterization and processing to recycling, manufacturing, and deployment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the GEMS initiative, visit: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn February, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;together with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiamining.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Mining Association\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/world\/organisations\/british-consulate-general-atlanta\u0022\u003EBritish Consulate\u2011General Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E, hosted the fourth Growing Partnerships for Essential Minerals (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGEMs\u20114\u003C\/a\u003E) workshop in Atlanta. The workshop built on a growing transatlantic partnership dedicated to advancing innovation across the critical minerals value chain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In February, the Georgia Institute of Technology,  together with the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, the Georgia Mining Association, and the British Consulate\u2011General Atlanta, hosted the fourth GEMs workshop."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 17:45:13","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 18:25:18","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679927":{"id":"679927","type":"image","title":"20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup photo of the attendees of the GEMs-4 symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776102371","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:46:11","changed":"1776102371","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:46:11","alt":"Attendees of the GEMs-4 symposium","file":{"fid":"264149","name":"20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1521193,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg?itok=46uGjXAX"}},"679928":{"id":"679928","type":"image","title":"31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDay 2 of the symposium included a visit to a Georgia mining operation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776102491","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:48:11","changed":"1776102491","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:48:11","alt":"Day 2 of the symposium included a visit to a Georgia mining operation","file":{"fid":"264150","name":"31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2766293,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg?itok=6UE7bW0o"}},"679929":{"id":"679929","type":"image","title":"P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAttendees at the GEMs-4 workshop\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776103013","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","changed":"1776103013","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","alt":"Attendees at the GEMs-4 workshop","file":{"fid":"264151","name":"P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":672603,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg?itok=WORRhc1_"}},"679930":{"id":"679930","type":"image","title":"P1003821-panel.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECritical Mineral Significance and Resources Panel at the GEMs-4 symposium\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776103013","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","changed":"1776103013","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","alt":"Panelists discussing at the GEMs-4 symposium","file":{"fid":"264152","name":"P1003821-panel.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003821-panel.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003821-panel.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":614552,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003821-panel.jpeg?itok=wPJagMbS"}},"679931":{"id":"679931","type":"image","title":"P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAttendee asking a question to the panel at the GEMS-4 Symposium\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776103013","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","changed":"1776103013","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","alt":"Attendee asking a question to the panel at the GEMS-4 Symposium","file":{"fid":"264153","name":"P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":646826,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg?itok=tVXDFwY1"}}},"media_ids":["679927","679928","679929","679930","679931"],"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":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"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\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sydnie.hammond@fcdo.gov.uk\u0022\u003ESydnie Hammond\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBritish Consulate-Atlanta\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ahead13@gsu.edu\u0022\u003EAmanda Head\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Kay.Torrance@uga.edu\u0022\u003EKay Alison Torrance\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:leelemke@georgiamining.org\u0022\u003ELee Lemke\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Mining Association\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689605":{"#nid":"689605","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Use Light to Make Their Microscopic \u2018Muscle\u2019 Contract on Command","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngineers interested in creating artificial cells to deliver drugs to unhealthy parts of the body face a key challenge: for a cell-like system to move, change shape, or divide, it needs a way to generate force on command.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiological cells rely on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to move muscles, transport substances across membranes, and perform other functions.\u0026nbsp;Many cellular machines couple ATP hydrolysis (a process where chemical energy stored in ATP is released) directly to motion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut some single-celled organisms called ciliates use a different strategy. A pulse of calcium triggers an ultrafast contraction, and ATP is used afterward to pump calcium back into storage and reset the system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69651-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E study\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E led by Georgia Tech, researchers learned how to use a similar mechanism to control the movements of artificial protein networks without relying on ATP-powered motor proteins. Instead, they used calcium as a trigger to make the networks contract or relax.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf engineers want synthetic cells that can do cell-like things, they need a way to generate force on command,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/saad-bhamla\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaad Bhamla\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a co-author and an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cCells have to move, change shape, and divide. We\u2019re trying to build a controllable engine from simple parts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the National Science Foundation-funded study, the team produced and purified \u003Cem\u003ETetrahymena thermophila\u003C\/em\u003E calcium-binding protein 2 (Tcb2), which is found in ciliates. The protein forms a fibrous network and contracts when exposed to calcium. The researchers reconstituted Tcb2 protein networks in the lab and then used a light-sensitive calcium chelator (a \u201ccage\u201d molecule that holds the calcium until illuminated) to control when and where calcium was released.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey projected light patterns of stars and circles to prompt the network to assemble and contract in matching shapes. Then, to continuously \u201crecharge\u201d the system, the multi-university team pulsed the light on the protein networks, repeatedly releasing calcium and driving cycles of assembly and contraction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/researchers-use-light-make-their-microscopic-muscle-contract-command?utm_source=twitter\u0026amp;utm_medium=social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=news\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69651-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E study\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E led by Georgia Tech, researchers learned how to use a similar mechanism to control the movements of artificial protein networks without relying on ATP-powered motor proteins. Instead, they used calcium as a trigger to make the networks contract or relax.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Engineers interested in creating artificial cells to deliver drugs to unhealthy parts of the body face a key challenge: for a cell-like system to move, change shape, or divide, it needs a way to generate force on command."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 12:47:50","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 12:49:38","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679909":{"id":"679909","type":"image","title":"artificial-cells.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775825279","gmt_created":"2026-04-10 12:47:59","changed":"1775825279","gmt_changed":"2026-04-10 12:47:59","alt":"A yellow star shape is shown next to a microscope image of an artificial cell colony that has been directed to form the shape of a star.","file":{"fid":"264130","name":"artificial-cells.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/artificial-cells.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/artificial-cells.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":17653,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/10\/artificial-cells.jpg?itok=XEcClJeF"}}},"media_ids":["679909"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/researchers-use-light-make-their-microscopic-muscle-contract-command?utm_source=twitter\u0026utm_medium=social\u0026utm_campaign=news","title":"Full Story"}],"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"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\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications | College of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689562":{"#nid":"689562","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Suddath Symposium Showcases Biomedical Applications of Synthetic Biology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 34th\u0026nbsp;annual\u0026nbsp;Suddath Symposium, hosted by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IBB)\u0026nbsp;on March 18-19,\u0026nbsp;brought together researchers, trainees, and invited speakers from across disciplines to discuss\u0026nbsp;cutting-edge\u0026nbsp;efforts to translate synthetic biology advances into human health-relevant technologies, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and clinical tools\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe topic of the Suddath Symposium changes every year, which allows the Georgia Tech research community to annually learn about recent advances on a specific topic from across the immense fields of\u0026nbsp;bioengineering and\u0026nbsp;bioscience,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3718\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENicholas Hud\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Regents\u2019 Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Associate Director of IBB.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium also included presentation of the\u0026nbsp;2026 Suddath Award, which recognizes outstanding graduate research. This year\u2019s award was presented to\u0026nbsp;Myeongsoo\u0026nbsp;Kim, a Ph.D. candidate in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBioengineering Graduate Program\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;for his work at the intersection of cell engineering,\u0026nbsp;cancer treatment, and biomedical imaging.\u0026nbsp;The award is presented each year by members of the Suddath family, including Vincent Suddath,\u0026nbsp;grandson of Bud and\u0026nbsp;a current\u0026nbsp;freshman\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech majoring in mathematics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium and award\u0026nbsp;honor the legacy of\u0026nbsp;F. L. \u201cBud\u201d Suddath\u0026nbsp;and his lasting contributions to the Institute and the wider Georgia Tech research community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBud was influential in promoting the growth of bioscience research at Georgia Tech, efforts that helped establish\u0026nbsp;IBB\u0026nbsp;in the 1990s,\u201d Hud said. \u201cBud\u2019s\u0026nbsp;research interests were at the forefront of structural biology, a field that laid the foundation for much of what we know today about biology at the molecular level.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;fitting that we honor Bud\u2019s\u0026nbsp;contributions by annually providing the Georgia Tech community with the opportunity to learn about\u0026nbsp;research on a timely topic within the biological sciences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESymposium co-chairs\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/tara-l-deans\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETara Deans\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2915\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMark Styczynski\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;said that in addition to upholding the legacy of Bud Suddath, the event also\u0026nbsp;provides a unique setting and opportunity for both established researchers and trainees to interact over the course of the two day event.\u0026nbsp;The intimate format of the symposium, which is limited to approximately 100 attendees, and the annual selection of a different interdisciplinary topic\u0026nbsp;sets\u0026nbsp;it apart\u0026nbsp;from other\u0026nbsp;symposia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Suddath Symposium is an amazing opportunity to bring multiple world-class researchers right to our trainees\u2019 front door, to hear about their work and connect with them in a small setting that you can\u2019t really find at most conferences,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Styczynski,\u0026nbsp;who is a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe are really grateful to IBB and the Suddath family for supporting this unique event.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeans, who is an associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;highlighted how this year\u2019s theme reflects a broader shift in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year\u2019s focus on biomedical applications of synthetic biology highlights a major inflection point in the field: the transition from proof-of-concept systems to human health-relevant technologies,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe theme also reflects increasing convergence across disciplines; synthetic biology is no longer\u0026nbsp;operating\u0026nbsp;in isolation,\u0026nbsp;but it is deeply intertwined with immunology, machine learning, diagnostics, and clinical translation. Addressing real-world biomedical problems requires this kind of integration, and the symposium captured that shift very clearly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Suddath Symposium annually serves as a cornerstone event for Georgia Tech\u2019s bioengineering and bioscience community\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;connecting researchers, honoring scientific legacy, and spotlighting the next generation of scientific innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 34th annual Suddath Symposium brought together researchers, trainees, and invited speakers from across disciplines to discuss cutting-edge efforts to translate synthetic biology advances into human health-relevant technologies. In addition to upholding the legacy of Bud Suddath, the event also\u0026nbsp;provides a unique setting and opportunity for both established researchers and trainees to interact\u0026nbsp;in a closer setting.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 34th annual Suddath Symposium brought together researchers, trainees, and invited speakers from across disciplines to discuss cutting-edge efforts to translate synthetic biology advances into human health-relevant technologies."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-08 14:27:05","changed_gmt":"2026-04-08 14:30:37","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679893":{"id":"679893","type":"image","title":"2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775658434","gmt_created":"2026-04-08 14:27:14","changed":"1775658434","gmt_changed":"2026-04-08 14:27:14","alt":"A presenter stands at the front of a lecture room speaking to a seated audience while a projected slide titled \u201cSynthetic Biology: Engineered Gene Circuits\u201d illustrates the design\u2013build\u2013test cycle with diagrams and icons explaining gene circuit construction and testing.","file":{"fid":"264114","name":"2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1840500,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/08\/2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg?itok=1yDWHq1D"}}},"media_ids":["679893"],"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"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":""}},"689424":{"#nid":"689424","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-led Research Team to Develop SHIELD Against Deadly Biological Threats","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe United States continues to face deadly infectious disease outbreaks, from emerging viruses to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, underscoring the nation\u2019s need for rapid, effective response systems. These threats extend beyond public health, disrupting daily life, straining health care systems, and impacting military readiness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of researchers led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/singh\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the Carl Ring Family Professor 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 and professor in\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory\u0026nbsp;University, has been awarded up to $6 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) against deadly biological threats that endanger public health, national security, and warfighters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDTRA\u2019s mission is to provide solutions that enable the Department of Defense, the U.S. government, and international partners to deter strategic threats. A key priority is advancing new or improved MCMs that can be deployed before or after exposure to biological or chemical agents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh\u2019s multi-year project, Systematic Human Immune Engineering for Lethal Disease (SHIELD) Countermeasures, aims to create a threat-agnostic platform that transforms how respiratory pathogens and toxins are studied. The platform is designed to speed up the discovery, development, and production of immune-based countermeasures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh leads a collaborative team that includes Cornell University\u2019s Matthew DeLisa and Stanford University\u2019s Michael Jewett. Together, they will integrate immune-engineering technologies with advanced cell-free protein synthesis platforms to discover and manufacture protein-based MCMs. Cell-free protein synthesis is a laboratory technique that efficiently produces proteins without relying on living cells, which can be unpredictable and technically demanding when it comes to expressing complex or toxic proteins and scaling production quickly. The team expects the SHIELD Countermeasures platform to reduce the time and cost of MCM development by more than tenfold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe foundational science and cutting-edge tools we develop will ignite future discoveries, ensuring a robust pipeline of advanced protein-based MCMs for chemical and biological defense,\u201d said Singh, who also directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis will significantly enhance national security and equip our warfighters with next-generation biodefense capabilities.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional animal models often fail to accurately replicate human immune responses, and standard tissue cultures lack the complexity required to study how immune cells interact with pathogens. In contrast, human immune organoids and immune-competent devices \u2014 built from human cells \u2014 are emerging as groundbreaking research tools. These systems recreate key immune features, such as lymph nodes and mucosal environments, within three-dimensional or microengineered platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany organoid and engineering devices, often called organ-on-chip platforms, lack immune integration,\u201d Singh said. \u201cBecause immunity sits at the center of human health, these limitations have broad consequences. Immune-competent organ-on-chip platforms extend this concept by combining human cells with microfluidic engineering that simulates blood flow, tissue barriers, and chemical gradients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh has previously published studies on a synthetic \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41563-024-02037-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehuman immune chip\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41551-025-01491-9\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eimmunocompetent lung on a chip\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and has also teamed up with DeLisa previously to use synthetic immune organoids for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acscentsci.2c01473\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eimmuno-profiling antibacterial MCMs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s about being able to test far larger numbers of candidate protein-based MCMs in a single experiment\u2014and to do it much faster,\u201d DeLisa said. \u201cCell-free systems allow us to produce MCMs at unprecedented speed and scale, but traditional evaluation methods can\u2019t keep up with those numbers. By combining cell-free MCM production with immune organoid technology, we can assess the potency of dozens or even hundreds of candidates at a time and characterize the resulting immune responses within just a few days.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy integrating immune cells with tissues such as lung, gut, skin, or vascular systems, these devices allow scientists to observe immune responses in real time, including cell migration, inflammation, and interactions with pathogens or therapeutics. As biological threats evolve, the development and deployment of immune-competent platforms will be critical for rapid, effective countermeasures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDTRA\u2019s investment in Singh\u2019s work highlights the urgent national priority of strengthening U.S. biodefense capabilities. The SHIELD Countermeasures platform and its cutting-edge technologies promise to transform the nation\u2019s response to biological threats and help safeguard communities from biological and chemical attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ELed by Ankur Singh, the multi-institutional SHIELD (Systematic Human Immune Engineering for Lethal Disease) project aims to transform how scientists study and respond to dangerous respiratory pathogens and toxins. The effort brings together researchers from Georgia Tech, Cornell, and Stanford to enable faster and more cost-effective development of protein-based medical countermeasures. The team expects the platform to reduce the time and cost of developing these defenses by more than tenfold, strengthening the nation\u2019s preparedness against biological threats.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led research team has received up to $6 million to develop SHIELD, a new platform designed to rapidly create immune-based countermeasures against a wide range of deadly biological threats."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-02 19:06:48","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 19:17:40","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679841":{"id":"679841","type":"image","title":"DTRA-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775156814","gmt_created":"2026-04-02 19:06:54","changed":"1775156814","gmt_changed":"2026-04-02 19:06:54","alt":"Ankur Singh, a man in a gray suit jacket with a dark pink button-up shirt stands in front of a work bench in a lab.","file":{"fid":"264047","name":"DTRA-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/DTRA-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/DTRA-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1541575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/02\/DTRA-2.jpg?itok=UsJZzTJB"}}},"media_ids":["679841"],"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"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"190256","name":"G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"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\u003ETracie Troha | Communications Officer, Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689408":{"#nid":"689408","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Singh Family Gift Funds High-Risk Research at Center for Immunoengineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA philanthropic gift from the family of J.P. Singh is helping researchers at Georgia Tech push the boundaries of biomedical innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Singh Family Research Awards were established as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering\u003C\/a\u003E, creating a seed funding program supporting both faculty and students that is designed to accelerate early-stage ideas with the potential to transform medicine. The awards support interdisciplinary projects pursuing high-risk, high-reward research that could lead to new therapies for cancer, infectious diseases, and chronic illnesses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gift honors the legacy of J.P. Singh and reflects his family\u2019s commitment to advancing research that could lead to safer and more effective treatments for patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe gift is giving scientists the freedom to pursue bold ideas that might otherwise be too early or too unconventional for traditional funding,\u201d said Ankur Singh, Director of the Center for Immunoengineering and Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/schools\/biomedical-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory (BME). \u201cIt allows Georgia Tech scientists to explore new frontiers in immunoengineering, from cancer to autoimmunity, and to build the scientific foundations that could ultimately lead to the next generation of transformative therapies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe inaugural awards support four innovative projects that span multiple areas of biomedical research, including two Faculty Research Awards and two Student Fellowship Awards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing AI to Guide the Immune System\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne Singh Family Faculty Research Award, given to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/17370\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndrew McShan\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, will help develop AI\u2011guided tools to design synthetic immune\u2011like molecules that can detect lipids on cell surfaces. Most current immunotherapies are designed to recognize protein fragments presented on cells, leaving a largely untapped class of disease-associated targets \u2014 lipids \u2014 beyond the reach of modern immune engineering. By enabling programmable molecules that can detect lipids on cell surfaces, the work aims to expand immune targeting beyond traditional protein targets and open new diagnostic and treatment strategies for diseases such as leukemia, tuberculosis, and inflammatory skin disorders.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-guided design framework for lipid-sensing immune receptors would create an entirely new class of programmable immune molecules capable of identifying disease signals that were previously inaccessible. Such tools could enable earlier disease detection, new immune-based therapeutics, and a broader ability to engineer immune systems to recognize complex biological threats, fundamentally expanding the scope of targets addressable by modern immunotherapy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping the Next Generation of Cancer Treatments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second faculty award project, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3702\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Blazeck\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, focuses on engineering next-generation cancer immunotherapies using CAR-T cells, which are a patient\u2019s own immune cells that have been re\u2011engineered to recognize and attack specific cancer cells. The team is developing new receptors for CAR-T cells designed to improve safety while enabling immune cells to recognize multiple tumor targets simultaneously.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis approach addresses two major barriers that have limited the success of CAR-T therapies in solid tumors: the risk of attacking healthy tissues and the ability of tumors to evade treatment by changing or losing a single target antigen. If successful, the work could significantly expand the reach of CAR-T cell therapy, which has already transformed the treatment of certain blood cancers but has struggled to treat solid tumors such as breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy enabling immune cells to distinguish tumors more precisely and attack cancers that display multiple markers, the new receptor designs could make CAR-T therapies both safer and more effective. The technology could represent a major step toward translating cellular immunotherapies to the far larger population of patients with solid tumors, potentially opening the door to powerful new treatments for some of the most resistant cancers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImaging Heart Risk Early with Ultrasound\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gift also established two Singh Family Fellow Awards, supporting graduate students pursuing innovative research in immunoengineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne fellowship was awarded to Yann Ferry, a graduate student advised by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/arvanitis\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECostas Arvanitis\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ME) and BME. Ferry\u2019s project aims to advance ultrasound imaging technologies designed to visualize immune activity inside Atherosclerosis plaques, the fatty deposits that accumulate in arteries and can trigger heart attacks or strokes when they rupture.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking immune cells that drive plaque inflammation and instability (called macrophages), the team aims to develop a noninvasive imaging approach that can measure the immune state of plaques in real time. If successful, the technology could transform how cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and monitored.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, physicians can detect plaque buildup but cannot easily determine whether a plaque is actively inflamed and likely to rupture. Imaging immune activity could allow doctors to identify high-risk plaques earlier, monitor how patients respond to therapy, and intervene before a heart attack or stroke occurs. Given that cardiovascular disease remains the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/fastats\/leading-causes-of-death.htm\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eleading cause of death\u003C\/a\u003E in the United States, such a tool could significantly improve prevention and treatment strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorking Toward a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second fellowship supports Alexander Kedzierski, a Ph.D. student in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3691\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp; lab within ME. Kedzierski\u2019s research focuses on improving stem-cell-based treatments for Type 1 Diabetes. The project aims to design degradable biomaterials that present that help control the immune response, protecting transplanted insulin\u2011producing cells from being attacked by the body.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrent experimental therapies using insulin-producing cells that are derived from stem cells have shown promise but are limited by the need for lifelong medications that suppress the immune system to prevent rejection. By engineering biomaterials that locally regulate immune responses around transplanted cells, the researchers hope to enable long-term graft survival without suppressing the entire immune system.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf successful, the approach could bring regenerative therapies for Type 1 diabetes closer to a practical cure, allowing patients to restore natural insulin production while avoiding the risks associated with chronic immunosuppressive treatment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the projects illustrate the core mission of the Center for Immunoengineering and the Singh Family gift. By investing in bold, interdisciplinary research, the Singh family\u2019s gift is helping the Center for Immunoengineering accelerate innovations at the intersection of engineering, biology, and medicine.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the years ahead, the program is expected to expand a pipeline of high-impact research, from next-generation immunotherapies to immune-guided diagnostics and regenerative medicine. For the scientists involved, the goal is not only to advance discovery but to translate new insights about the immune system into real-world solutions for patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech has named the inaugural recipients of the Singh Family Research Awards, recognizing four interdisciplinary projects led by Andrew McShan, John Blazeck, Yann Ferry, and Alexander Kedzierski. Together, the awardees exemplify high\u2011risk, high\u2011reward research aimed at translating fundamental immune engineering advances into safer, more effective treatments for patients.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech has awarded the inaugural Singh Family Research Awards to two faculty members and two students advancing innovative immunoengineering projects."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-02 18:09:35","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 19:16:10","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679836":{"id":"679836","type":"image","title":"Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775153384","gmt_created":"2026-04-02 18:09:44","changed":"1775153384","gmt_changed":"2026-04-02 18:09:44","alt":"Four headshots of Singh Family Award winners: Andrew McShan, John Blazeck, Yann Ferry, and Alexander Kedzierski","file":{"fid":"264042","name":"Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":160700,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/02\/Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg?itok=6yTaA74y"}}},"media_ids":["679836"],"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"101691","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineerin"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"94321","name":"College of Engineering; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"}],"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\u003EWritten by: Ankur Singh, Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEdited by: Ashlie Bowman, Communications Manager, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689302":{"#nid":"689302","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ready for its Closeup: PIN-Supported Lamarr.AI Uses Technology to Make Buildings More Efficient and Occupants More Comfortable","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESavannah is built on history and hospitality, which makes the collaboration between \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lamarr.ai\/\u0022\u003ELamarr.AI\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 a company named after a historic inventor and actress \u2014 and the city a match made for the big screen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome of Savannah\u2019s many old buildings are expensive to heat and cool, especially in Georgia\u2019s humid summers. They develop leaks. They need routine maintenance. But how does a building owner know where to begin with renovations or repairs? Enter Lamarr.AI, one of the first companies supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pingeorgia.org\/\u0022\u003EPartnership for Innovation\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E (PIN) new Community Investment program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Community Investment program is matching up faculty-led, faculty-spinoff startup companies that have technology that could be relevant to a community, a government, or to the civic space,\u201d said Katie O\u2019Connor, PIN\u2019s community investment manager. \u201cThe company\u2019s product is something that can help a community in a smart cities kind of way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lamarr.ai\/\u0022\u003ELamarr.AI\u003C\/a\u003E fits the bill to a T. Its technology and the company grew out of research at Georgia Tech. Lamarr.AI\u2019s technology uses drones, imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI) to assess a building\u2019s envelope and determine the best ways to make these structures more energy efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe technology is like giving a building an MRI using drones, infrared and regular images, and our own AI,\u201d said Tarek Rakha, Lamarr.AI\u2019s co-founder and CEO. The drones, he explained, detect missing insulation, water intrusion, air escaping, and physical damage. AI and machine learning translate that information into 3-D models that map the defects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/ready-for-its-closeup-pin-supported-lamarr-ai-uses-technology-to-make-buildings-more-efficient-and-occupants-more-comfortable\/\u0022\u003ERead more on EI2 Webpage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThrough PIN\u2019s new Community Investment program, Georgia Tech\u2013based Lamarr.AI is partnering with the city of Savannah to use drone\u2011 and AI\u2011driven building assessments to improve energy efficiency in historic municipal facilities.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through PIN\u2019s new Community Investment program, Georgia Tech\u2013based Lamarr.AI is partnering with the city of Savannah to use drone\u2011 and AI\u2011driven building assessments to improve energy efficiency in historic municipal facilities."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 21:04:31","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 21:06:53","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679807":{"id":"679807","type":"image","title":"top.tarek-rakha-GT-300x187.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELamarr.AI Co-founder and CEO Tarek Rakha\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774991086","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 21:04:46","changed":"1774991086","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 21:04:46","alt":"Lamarr.AI Co-founder and CEO Tarek Rakha","file":{"fid":"264011","name":"top.tarek-rakha-GT-300x187.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/top.tarek-rakha-GT-300x187.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/top.tarek-rakha-GT-300x187.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10774,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/top.tarek-rakha-GT-300x187.jpeg?itok=YzFGjLYH"}}},"media_ids":["679807"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/ready-for-its-closeup-pin-supported-lamarr-ai-uses-technology-to-make-buildings-more-efficient-and-occupants-more-comfortable\/","title":"Read Full Story on EI2 Website"}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"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:karen.kirkpatrick@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKaren Kirkpatrick\u003C\/a\u003E | EI2\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["karen.kirkpatrick@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689285":{"#nid":"689285","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Temporal Stability of Consumer Preferences for Solar Energy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by EPIcenter affiliate \u003Cstrong\u003EJamal Mamkhezri\u003C\/strong\u003E examines how public preferences for solar\u2011energy policy have shifted over a six\u2011year period in New Mexico, offering one of the first long\u2011term repeated cross\u2011section analyses of willingness to pay (WTP) for renewable\u2011energy attributes. Using identical discrete choice experiment (DCE) tasks from surveys conducted in \u003Cstrong\u003E2017\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003E2023\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor Mamkhezri evaluates how households value increases in Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), changes in rooftop versus utility\u2011scale solar shares, monthly credit\u2011banking rules, water usage in electricity generation, and smart\u2011meter information delivery options.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross more than \u003Cstrong\u003E1,100\u003C\/strong\u003E combined respondents, the study uncovers \u003Cstrong\u003Eselective temporal stability\u003C\/strong\u003E in energy preferences. Some attributes\u2014such as support for higher RPS targets, reductions in water use, and preferences for online smart\u2011meter information\u2014remain relatively stable over time. In contrast, others shift considerably: WTP for increasing the \u003Cstrong\u003Erooftop solar share\u003C\/strong\u003E declines by more than 40%, while WTP to \u003Cstrong\u003Eprotect monthly credit banking\u003C\/strong\u003E rises more than 200%, reflecting heightened awareness of net\u2011metering debates and rapid growth in rooftop solar adoption.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, the study reveals that \u003Cstrong\u003Eenvironmental attitudes\u003C\/strong\u003E, measured through New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scores, once strongly predicted preferences for rooftop solar and smart\u2011meter technologies in 2017, but these relationships fade or even reverse by 2023\u2014signaling a shift as these technologies transition from niche, identity\u2011driven goods to mainstream infrastructure. Meanwhile, environmental attitudes continue to robustly shape preferences for RPS increases and water\u2011use reductions in both survey waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/11\/temporal-stability-of-consumer-preferences-for-solar-energy\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by EPIcenter affiliate \u003Cstrong\u003EJamal Mamkhezri\u003C\/strong\u003E examines how public preferences for solar\u2011energy policy have shifted over a six\u2011year period in New Mexico, offering one of the first long\u2011term repeated cross\u2011section analyses of willingness to pay (WTP) for renewable\u2011energy attributes. Using identical discrete choice experiment (DCE) tasks from surveys conducted in \u003Cstrong\u003E2017\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003E2023\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor Mamkhezri evaluates how households value increases in Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), changes in rooftop versus utility\u2011scale solar shares, monthly credit\u2011banking rules, water usage in electricity generation, and smart\u2011meter information delivery options.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study by EPIcenter affiliate Jamal Mamkhezri examines how public preferences for solar\u2011energy policy have shifted over a six\u2011year period in New Mexico, offering one of the first long\u2011term repeated cross\u2011section analyses of willingness to pay (WTP) f"}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 19:15:40","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 19:19:10","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679805":{"id":"679805","type":"image","title":"TemporalStabilityConsumerPreferenceSolar-AdobeStock_427357720-1024x683.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774984544","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 19:15:44","changed":"1774984544","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 19:15:44","alt":"A rural residence with solar panels installed outdoors, set among desert vegetation with mountains in the distance.","file":{"fid":"264009","name":"TemporalStabilityConsumerPreferenceSolar-AdobeStock_427357720-1024x683.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/TemporalStabilityConsumerPreferenceSolar-AdobeStock_427357720-1024x683.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/TemporalStabilityConsumerPreferenceSolar-AdobeStock_427357720-1024x683.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":175493,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/TemporalStabilityConsumerPreferenceSolar-AdobeStock_427357720-1024x683.jpeg?itok=Zb5DMaNf"}}},"media_ids":["679805"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/11\/temporal-stability-of-consumer-preferences-for-solar-energy\/","title":"Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"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"},{"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:ggonzalez68@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E, EPIcenter.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689280":{"#nid":"689280","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Potential of Data Center Energy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent review by EPIcenter faculty affiliate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/constance-crozier\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstance Crozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/matthew-liska\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Liska\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology) explores the growing role of data centers in providing flexibility, the ability to shift or reduce electricity use in response to grid conditions, to the electric grid as renewable energy penetration and AI-driven computing demand surge. The authors highlight that data centers, particularly those supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads, are projected to consume nearly 10% of U.S. electricity by the end of the decade, presenting both challenges and opportunities for grid stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper examines various strategies for enhancing the flexibility of data center energy use. One approach is to use backup power systems, such as uninterruptible power supplies, to support the grid during emergencies. Another method involves rerouting computing jobs to different data centers in other locations to balance energy demand. The authors also discuss implementing smart scheduling techniques that shift workloads to off-peak hours, reducing strain on the grid. Additionally, they highlight adjusting processor speeds by lowering CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphics processing unit) clock rates to limit power consumption when needed. Finally, the paper suggests pre-cooling data center equipment to limit the energy required for cooling during peak demand periods. Notably, experimental evidence shows that underclocking GPUs can cut power consumption by 40% with only a 22% performance loss, suggesting technical feasibility for demand-response interventions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite these technical options, the authors find that real-world cost considerations and reliability concerns limit widespread adoption. Data center operators generally do not change their behavior in response to electricity prices, as job revenue far outweighs energy costs under normal conditions. For example, a GPU rented at $2 per hour consumes only $0.04 worth of electricity at average prices, making curtailment unattractive except during extreme price spikes. Surveys indicate that operators are reluctant to compromise reliability or deploy backup systems for ancillary services. Consequently, price-based incentives alone are unlikely to drive meaningful flexibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/24\/the-potential-of-data-center-energy\/\u0022\u003ERead more on the EPIcenter Webpage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/24\/the-potential-of-data-center-energy\/\u0022\u003EListen to a podcast on the research here\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent review by EPIcenter faculty affiliate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/constance-crozier\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstance Crozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/matthew-liska\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Liska\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology) explores the growing role of data centers in providing flexibility, the ability to shift or reduce electricity use in response to grid conditions, to the electric grid as renewable energy penetration and AI-driven computing demand surge. The authors highlight that data centers, particularly those supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads, are projected to consume nearly 10% of U.S. electricity by the end of the decade, presenting both challenges and opportunities for grid stability.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A recent review by EPIcenter faculty affiliate highlights that data centers, particularly those supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads, are projected to consume nearly 10% of U.S. electricity by the end of the decade."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 19:00:21","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 19:08:59","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679804":{"id":"679804","type":"image","title":"PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774983673","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 19:01:13","changed":"1774983673","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 19:01:13","alt":"Adobe Stock image showing solar panels, wind mills and energy storage units in a desert-like landscape with the sun setting in the background","file":{"fid":"264008","name":"PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1531847,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg?itok=VE5-39Gn"}}},"media_ids":["679804"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/24\/the-potential-of-data-center-energy\/","title":"Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage"}],"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"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"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:ggonzalez68@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGilbert Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E, EPIcenter\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689267":{"#nid":"689267","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Institute for People and Technology Announces Five Faculty Promotions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) at Georgia Tech is proud to announce the promotion of five research faculty whose work continues to advance the institute\u2019s mission of shaping people\u2011centered innovation across disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKala Jordan\u003C\/strong\u003E has been promoted to \u003Cem\u003EResearch Scientist II\u003C\/em\u003E. With a background spanning biology, health informatics, and STEM education, Jordan brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work. She plays a key role in AI\u2011CARING, leading studies that support the development of personalized collaborative AI systems designed to improve quality of life for older adults.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENoah Posner\u003C\/strong\u003E has been promoted to \u003Cem\u003ESenior Research Scientist\u003C\/em\u003E. As manager of the Interactive Product Design Lab, Posner focuses on interactive experiences grounded in physical interaction. His research spans CAD\u2011based prototyping, rapid fabrication, and STEAM education, and he teaches courses in physical prototyping and industrial design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeter Presti\u003C\/strong\u003E has been promoted to \u003Cem\u003EPrincipal Research Scientist\u003C\/em\u003E. Over his 22\u2011year career at Georgia Tech, Presti has collaborated with major industry partners and federal agencies. His research spans sensor systems, biometrics, wearable computing, signal processing, embedded systems, and integrated hardware\u2011software prototyping.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Starr\u003C\/strong\u003E has been promoted to \u003Cem\u003ESenior Research Scientist\u003C\/em\u003E. Starr oversees the IPaT Secure Data Enclave, developing and managing the institute\u2019s secure infrastructure for healthcare data. His work ensures campus\u2011wide compliance with HIPAA, IRB requirements, and partnership agreements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew Zhao\u003C\/strong\u003E has been promoted to \u003Cem\u003EResearch Scientist II\u003C\/em\u003E. Zhao, a Georgia Tech alumnus with bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in Computer Science, specializes in social computing. His work examines how social media facilitates information flow and connection, particularly around mental health and elections. He supports the CANDOR Portal and AI\u2011CARING projects, contributing full\u2011stack development, data pipelines, LLM fine\u2011tuning, and infrastructure management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese promotions are wonderful and well deserved. Hearty congratulations to Andrew, Kala, Richard, Noah, and Peter!\u201d said Michael Best, executive director of IPaT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese promotions are a testament to the outstanding capabilities and contributions of IPaT\u2019s research faculty community,\u201d added Maribeth Gandy Coleman, director of research for IPaT.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) at Georgia Tech is proud to announce the promotion of five research faculty whose work continues to advance the institute\u2019s mission of shaping people\u2011centered innovation across disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) at Georgia Tech is proud to announce the promotion of five research faculty whose work continues to advance the institute\u2019s mission of shaping people centered innovation across disciplines."}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 17:35:58","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 17:36:30","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679802":{"id":"679802","type":"image","title":"Five IPaT research faculty","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPictured: Kala Jordan, Noah Posner, Peter Presti, Richard Starr, and Andrew Zhao.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774978414","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 17:33:34","changed":"1774978496","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 17:34:56","alt":"Pictured: Kala Jordan, Noah Posner, Peter Presti, Richard Starr, and Andrew Zhao.","file":{"fid":"264006","name":"5-people-v1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/5-people-v1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/5-people-v1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":284111,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/5-people-v1.jpg?itok=4nz7w0ba"}}},"media_ids":["679802"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"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":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["walter.rich@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689249":{"#nid":"689249","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Launches Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/data-center\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Data Center Ordinance Hub\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs new data centers continue to be built and proposed in Georgia, counties and municipalities across the state are considering how to guide this growth. EPIcenter\u2019s data center dashboard provides policymakers, planners, researchers, and community stakeholders with a centralized resource to better understand how data center regulations are being developed and applied across Georgia and the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur Data Center Hub provides Georgia communities with a one-stop shop to understand how their neighbors are managing land-use regulations for data centers,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cIt brings together clear, accessible information to help jurisdictions\u0026nbsp;plan when data center growth occurs in their area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe dashboard is organized around five thematic areas commonly addressed in data center land-use regulations: \u003Cstrong\u003ESite Planning and Building Design, Infrastructure and Utilities, Environmental and Community Protections, Public Safety and Security, and Lifecycle Governance\u003C\/strong\u003E. Within each theme, users can explore specific regulatory topics and access the relevant ordinances enacted by Georgia communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo build the dashboard, EPIcenter researchers conducted a comprehensive review of municipal codes across the state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe reviewed municipal codes for about 180 cities and counties across Georgia and identified ordinances that specifically address data center development,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-yang-you\/\u0022\u003EYang You\u003C\/a\u003E, EPIcenter\u2019s research associate who developed the project. \u201cIn total, we found 19 data center-specific topics that ordinances tend to cover. We analyzed ordinances across jurisdictions and organized their ordinance provisions into topics such as building placement, setbacks, infrastructure, and environmental considerations to make it easier to compare how different jurisdictions regulate data centers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou added that the dashboard also incorporates examples from outside of Georgia. By gathering ordinances from other states and pairing them with Georgia-specific examples, EPIcenter aims to provide a clear framework to help communities efficiently address data center land-use regulation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub is available through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/initiatives-in-the-southeast\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/data-center\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Data Center Ordinance Hub\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs new data centers continue to be built and proposed in Georgia, counties and municipalities across the state are considering how to guide this growth. EPIcenter\u2019s data center dashboard provides policymakers, planners, researchers, and community stakeholders with a centralized resource to better understand how data center regulations are being developed and applied across Georgia and the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur Data Center Hub provides Georgia communities with a one-stop shop to understand how their neighbors are managing land-use regulations for data centers,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cIt brings together clear, accessible information to help jurisdictions\u0026nbsp;plan when data center growth occurs in their area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPIcenter) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 02:42:32","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 13:54:10","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679785":{"id":"679785","type":"image","title":"Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774924962","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 02:42:42","changed":"1774924962","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 02:42:42","alt":"Aerial view of a datacenter with air conditioner compressor fans on the roof of the building","file":{"fid":"263987","name":"Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":936768,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/30\/Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg?itok=xBJaUq7j"}},"679793":{"id":"679793","type":"image","title":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774965063","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","changed":"1774965063","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","alt":"US Map showing States Represented in the Ordinance Hub and State of Georgia with Data Centers and Local Ordinances highlighted","file":{"fid":"263995","name":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":400200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg?itok=q9cFpM_p"}},"679794":{"id":"679794","type":"image","title":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThematic Areas covered by EPIcenter\u0027s Datacenter Ordinance Hub\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774965063","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","changed":"1774965063","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","alt":"Thematic Areas covered by EPIcenter\u0027s Datacenter Ordinance Hub","file":{"fid":"263996","name":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":397163,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg?itok=iCDuFZ6-"}}},"media_ids":["679785","679793","679794"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/data-center\/","title":"EPIcenter Georgia Datacenter Ordinance Hub"}],"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":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"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"},{"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 Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689193":{"#nid":"689193","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlanta Area Students Partner With Community Organizations for Research Projects","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlanta Community-Engaged Research Student Network launched this semester. The program is co-led by Nicole Kennard, assistant director for Community-Engaged Research with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS)\u003C\/a\u003E, along with Associate Professor Richard Milligan and Associate Professor Sarah Ledford from Georgia State University, Associate Professor Emily Burchfield and Associate Teaching Professor Carolyn Keogh from Emory University, and Iesha Baldwin from Spelman College. The program also partners with several community-based organizations to co-develop strategic direction and provide training. They are\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scienceforgeorgia.org\/\u0022\u003EScience for Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.historicwestsidegardens.org\/\u0022\u003EHistoric Westside Gardens\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbcugreenfund.org\/\u0022\u003EHBCU Green Fund\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southriverga.org\/\u0022\u003ESouth River Watershed Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.foodwellalliance.org\/\u0022\u003EFood Well Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe primary aim of the Atlanta Student Community-Engaged Research (CER) Network is to use a peer learning approach to train graduate students with the skills to co-lead community-engaged and locally focused research, while at the same time building relationships with local community organizations. This approach will help address local sustainability and societal challenges, lay the foundation for community-engaged research programs, and enable young researchers interested in this work to thrive in the Atlanta area. Initial funding for the pilot program was provided by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaglobalstudies.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Global Studies Center\u003C\/a\u003E and the Georgia Tech Provost\u0027s Excellence in Graduate Studies fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program received a total of 41 applications from graduate students from Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, and Emory University. Thirty-five master\u2019s and Ph.D. students were accepted into the cohort, spanning a wide range of disciplines, from the humanities, sciences, design,\u0026nbsp; public health, engineering, and computing. The program has additionally engaged eight senior-level undergraduates from Spelman College to learn about graduate school tracks with community-engaged research opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis program provides a unique opportunity to learn engagement and leadership skills not typically taught in graduate programs. Students are attending one training a month over the course of the Spring 2026 semester. Here, they learn about the diversity of sustainability-focused, community-based organizations in the area, develop skills to engage meaningfully with community partners in research projects, and improve the ways they communicate to the public about research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Provost\u0027s Excellence in Graduate Studies fund will provide a $2,500 stipend to five Georgia Tech students who will work on a research project with a community partner organization. These projects will take place over the spring and summer semesters this year, providing opportunities for graduate students to apply their newly acquired community-engagement skills to on-the-ground research, while also opening a new pathway for Georgia Tech\u2019s engagement with community partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellows and projects include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIrene Jacob, M.S., city and regional planning, will work with the\u0026nbsp;Food Well Alliance to update the implementation strategy for their 10-year community garden survey.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEthan Zhao, M.S., human-computer interaction, will work with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.historicwestsidegardens.org\/\u0022\u003EHistoric Westside Gardens\u003C\/a\u003E to integrate new technologies into their community garden spaces and assess the benefits to the communities they serve.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVirginia Cason, M.S., sustainable energy and environmental management, will work with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scienceforgeorgia.org\/\u0022\u003EScience for Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E to translate data gathering and analysis into community-centered narratives.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESharon Rachel, Ph.D., history and sociology of technology and science, will work with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbcugreenfund.org\/\u0022\u003EHBCU Green Fund\u003C\/a\u003E to examine the environmental and community impacts of data center projects in Atlanta.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElla Neumann, Ph.D., interactive computing, will work with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southriverga.org\/\u0022\u003ESouth River Watershed Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E to document and communicate the history and impact of the City of Atlanta\u0027s combined sewer consent decree, and assess if the intended results of the decree have been met.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplicants expressed their passion for community-engaged research projects and working directly with local community members and organizations:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLived experience is just as valuable as academic expertise, and meaningful change only occurs when both work together. I think that this takes approaching problems with a lot of humility, care, and a genuine desire to listen to communities and their needs.\u201d -Virginia Cason,\u0026nbsp;M.S.,\u0026nbsp;sustainable energy and environmental management\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to do research that stems from a theoretical question, but is feasible in reality and benefits the community. One of the most efficient ways to achieve this goal is through doing research WITH the community.\u201d -Keke Li, M.S., analytics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCommunity-engaged research is not only a methodology, but a\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ecommitment to partnership, humility, and shared power.\u201d -Grace Fraser, M.S., city and regional planning\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo me, community-engaged research means working with people, not just for them. CER is not only a method but also a mindset. True impact comes when research and community experience grow together.\u201d -Bingjie Lu, Ph.D., civil engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe community partners involved in the program are equally enthusiastic about community-engaged research. As Fred Conrad of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.foodwellalliance.org\/\u0022\u003EFood Well Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E put it, \u201cFood Well has been intentional about engaging our constituents since we began, and this is not only a continuation of that effort, but a significant refinement of how we accomplish that. I think all of us have deepened our understanding of the CER process since we began this journey.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis program provides a unique opportunity to learn engagement and leadership skills not typically taught in graduate programs. Students are attending one training a month over the course of the Spring 2026 semester.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Atlanta Community-Engaged Research Student Network launched this semester to train graduate students to co-lead community-engaged and locally focused research along with community-based organizations."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-03-25 19:50:44","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 20:23:43","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679739":{"id":"679739","type":"image","title":"ATL_CER_Student_Network_Group_Pic","body":null,"created":"1774468259","gmt_created":"2026-03-25 19:50:59","changed":"1774470176","gmt_changed":"2026-03-25 20:22:56","alt":"Large group of people standing and seated in a bright industrial-style indoor space, gathered on and around a metal staircase and long tables. The setting includes exposed beams, railings, overhead lighting, and tables with notebooks, cups, and coats visible in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"263934","name":"ATL_CER_Student_Network_Group_Pic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/ATL_CER_Student_Network_Group_Pic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/ATL_CER_Student_Network_Group_Pic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1459248,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/25\/ATL_CER_Student_Network_Group_Pic.jpg?itok=XlFtG7z1"}}},"media_ids":["679739"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194972","name":"community engaged research"},{"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":""}},"689179":{"#nid":"689179","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Science of Saving Memories","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlmost everyone knows someone touched by Alzheimer\u0027s \u2014 a parent who no longer recognizes familiar faces, a grandparent whose stories have gone silent. It\u0027s a disease that doesn\u0027t just affect the person who has it; it takes something from everyone around them. At Georgia Tech, researchers in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering are working to change that \u2014 not with surgery or medication, but through light and sound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/03\/science-saving-memories?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=The%20Science%20of%20Saving%20Memories\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20March%2025%2C%202026\u0022\u003ERead the full story \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAt Georgia Tech, we turn deep science into therapies that could give people back what matters most.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech, we turn deep science into therapies that could give people back what matters most."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-03-25 14:24:03","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 15:04:49","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679735":{"id":"679735","type":"image","title":"f3b01b6c1ecbc90bfd1de201.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnnabelle Singer, lead researcher on the project, standing in her lab smiling next to equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774448660","gmt_created":"2026-03-25 14:24:20","changed":"1774448660","gmt_changed":"2026-03-25 14:24:20","alt":"Annabelle Singer, lead researcher on the project, standing in her lab smiling next to equipment.","file":{"fid":"263930","name":"f3b01b6c1ecbc90bfd1de201.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/f3b01b6c1ecbc90bfd1de201.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/f3b01b6c1ecbc90bfd1de201.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":127052,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/25\/f3b01b6c1ecbc90bfd1de201.jpg?itok=1gHDUJDp"}}},"media_ids":["679735"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/03\/science-saving-memories?utm_source=newsletter\u0026utm_medium=email\u0026utm_content=The%20Science%20of%20Saving%20Memories\u0026utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20March%2025%2C%202026","title":"Read the Full Story"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689128":{"#nid":"689128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Crystal Hanson: A Pillar of Service, Connection, and Excellence at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECrystal Hanson is a quiet but powerful force within the Georgia Institute of Technology \u2014 an individual whose influence has shaped programs, strengthened communities, and supported leaders across campus.\u0026nbsp;Her career reflects the profound impact a dedicated staff member can have on an institution, not only through operational excellence but through relationships, mentorship, and an unwavering commitment to service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Career Built on Service and Adaptability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHanson\u2019s journey in higher education began immediately after high school when she joined Purdue University and discovered her passion for supporting students, faculty, and academic communities. She carried that passion across multiple institutions before landing at Tech, building a career grounded in adaptability, resilience, and people-centered service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer Georgia Tech chapter began in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), where she supported the Water Resources Engineering group. There, she became a trusted resource for students and faculty alike \u2014 a steady presence who celebrated their successes, listened during challenges, and helped build a sense of community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHanson credits Lisa Tuttle in CEE with helping her navigate the Georgia Tech landscape. With Tuttle\u2019s help, she also discovered a talent for event planning and administrative leadership, eventually serving as administration manager and supporting the CEE chair with meetings, alumni engagement, and major departmental initiatives. One of her most memorable experiences was coordinating a trip to NATO headquarters in Belgium, an opportunity that deepened her appreciation for global collaboration and institutional history.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cCrystal was an extraordinary contributor throughout her time in CEE, first in the Water Resources Engineering group and later as the trusted manager of the entire administrative support team,\u201d said Donald Webster, Karen and John Huff School Chair in CEE. \u201cIn every role, she brought dedication, professionalism, and genuine care for others. Crystal consistently went above and beyond to support the people of CEE \u2014 not only through professional challenges, but also during moments of personal crisis \u2014 always with compassion, steadiness, and grace. Her presence made our community stronger, more resilient, and more humane.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Trusted Partner in Research Leadership\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHanson later transitioned to the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) office, where she worked under leaders including Stephen Cross, Christopher Jones, Giselle Bennett, Raheem Beyah, and Julia Kubanek. Her time in this environment was formative. She absorbed the complexities of research administration, budgeting, and strategic planning, all while contributing to a culture where staff felt valued and included.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I joined the EVPR office, and it had only three or four people, it seemed everyone was doing two or three jobs,\u201d said Christopher Jones, who joined the office in 2013 and is now the John F. Brock III School Chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cCrystal was an immediate fit, bringing with her organizational and management skills, a sense of humor, and an appreciation of our mission.\u0026nbsp; She is someone whom I always look forward to seeing, both then and now.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter Beyah left the EVPR office to become the dean and Southern Company Chair in the College of Engineering, Kubanek became the new vice president for Interdisciplinary Research (VPIR). Together, Kubanek and Hanson built and expanded the VPIR team, helping to shape its operations and identity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong her many contributions, Hanson initiated the Interdisciplinary Research Spotlight Awards, recognizing staff and research faculty who go above and beyond in the Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs). She also shepherded the Research Faculty Teaching Fellows program, ensuring that research faculty across Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute had opportunities to develop teaching skills in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Connector at the Heart of the VPIR Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrystal describes herself as someone who prefers to work behind the scenes: cleaning up after events, coordinating logistics, and taking on nearly any task that needs to be done.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCrystal is the ultimate behind-the-scenes master organizer and people connector,\u201d said Kubanek. \u201cShe develops individual relationships that enable her to organize, in short order, a meeting of numerous campus leaders whose calendars should be impossible to align. She comes bearing snacks and a smile and is the heart of our operation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHanson\u2019s deep institutional knowledge and extensive network positioned her to navigate Georgia Tech\u2019s complex landscape. She serves as a bridge between the VPIR office, the IRIs, GTRI, and campus partners, ensuring that communication flows smoothly and people feel supported, informed, and connected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHer deep institutional knowledge and strong networks across campus meant she almost always knew the right person to connect with or the best way to move something forward,\u201d said Punya Mardhanan, a former colleague in VPIR and now assistant director of business operations for the Space Research Institute. \u201cCrystal works incredibly efficiently and often completes things before anyone asks. She never seeks recognition for the many ways she supports her team.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Colleague, Advisor, and Steady Source of Wisdom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHanson\u2019s colleagues consistently describe her as someone who not only gets things done but also makes everyone around her better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cShe\u2019s like a mother hen to the VPIR team,\u201d said Rob Kadel, executive director of research program administration. \u201cI can always go to Crystal and say, \u2018Who should I talk to about this?\u2019 and she will know exactly who to talk to. She is never afraid to speak her mind. She\u2019s a trusted advisor.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer leadership has also extended beyond formal responsibilities. She played a key role in designing the VPIR workspace during renovations, coordinated team retreats and bonding activities, and infused every gathering with energy and warmth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cShe cares so much about the Georgia Tech community,\u201d said Colly Mitchell, director of events and engagement for the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u201cCrystal is incredibly responsive, helpful, and friendly. She brings a big burst of energy to every gathering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWords that immediately come to mind when I think of Crystal are collaborative, dependable, responsive, and a true breadth of knowledge,\u201d adds Cynthia Moore, director of operations for the Institute for People and Technology, who worked alongside Hanson for nearly a decade. \u201cCrystal will truly be missed, along with her knowledge of all things Georgia Tech and research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Legacy of Generosity and Excellence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter nearly 14 years at Georgia Tech, Hanson will retire on April 1. She will be remembered as someone who connected people, solved problems, and always went above and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, \u201cCrystal was simply exceptional. She was a creative thought partner who provided outstanding support and strategic advice, and she became a dear friend. I am a better leader after working with Crystal, and Georgia Tech is a better place because of her. I can\u2019t think of many people who deserve a wonderful retirement more than she does.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHanson looks forward to spending more time with her family, including her two daughters and two granddaughters, whose busy schedules she is eager to be part of. She and her husband have plans for travel, concerts \u2014 including those of her son-in-law\u2019s band, Grouplove \u2014 and perhaps even a cruise around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech extends its deepest gratitude to Crystal Hanson for her years of exceptional service, leadership, and dedication. Her impact will continue to resonate across the VPIR office, the IRIs, and the broader research community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe wish her joy, adventure, and well-deserved rest in the next chapter of her life.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECrystal Hanson is a quiet but powerful force within the Georgia Institute of Technology \u2014 an individual whose influence has shaped programs, strengthened communities, and supported leaders across campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Crystal Hanson is a quiet but powerful force within the Georgia Institute of Technology \u2014 an individual whose influence has shaped programs, strengthened communities, and supported leaders across campus. "}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-03-23 13:49:21","changed_gmt":"2026-03-23 13:50:47","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679708":{"id":"679708","type":"image","title":"Crystal Hanson","body":null,"created":"1774273214","gmt_created":"2026-03-23 13:40:14","changed":"1774273266","gmt_changed":"2026-03-23 13:41:06","alt":"Crystal Hanson with Lisa Tuttle","file":{"fid":"263899","name":"Crystal_at_GT_with_Lisa-edited-v4-WR-withText-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/23\/Crystal_at_GT_with_Lisa-edited-v4-WR-withText-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/23\/Crystal_at_GT_with_Lisa-edited-v4-WR-withText-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2054104,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/23\/Crystal_at_GT_with_Lisa-edited-v4-WR-withText-cropped.jpg?itok=v_8NMVPV"}}},"media_ids":["679708"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["walter.rich@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688801":{"#nid":"688801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Energy Day: Meeting AI\u2019s Growing Energy Demands","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\u0022\u003EEnergy Day\u003C\/a\u003E returns this year on March 19 with an expanded focus and a new collaborative momentum. Cohosted by the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and\u0026nbsp;Systems\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IMS) and the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(SEI) \u003C\/strong\u003Ewith plenary session support from the\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Day 2026 convenes leaders from academia, industry, government, and students to address the challenges associated with meeting the rapidly growing electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESet in the heart of Tech Square on the Georgia Tech campus, this year\u2019s event explores how energy systems, materials, technologies, supply chains, and policy must evolve in response to AI\u2019s accelerating impact. As digital infrastructure expands and computation intensifies, the need for reliable, resilient, and sustainable power has never been more urgent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Day reflects Georgia Tech\u2019s strength in connecting world-class research in materials and components with the infrastructure and partnerships needed to translate discovery into scalable energy technologies that serve industry, society, and the future economy,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of the IMS and the Hightower Professor in Materials Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Day 2026 also marks an important milestone with the introduction of its first group of corporate sponsors:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gevernova.com\/\u0022\u003EGE Vernova\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southerncompany.com\/\u0022\u003ESouthern Company\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiapower.com\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Power\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/corporate.exxonmobil.com\/\u0022\u003EExxonMobil\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southwirespark.com\/\u0022\u003ESouthwire Spark\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/gems-setra\/\u0022\u003EGems Setra\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, \u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tek.com\/en\u0022\u003ETektronix\u003C\/a\u003E. Their support reflects a shared commitment to advancing energy solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTektronix is excited to be part of Energy Day because advancing the future of energy starts with precise measurement and trusted insights,\u201d said Christopher Bohn, president of Tektronix. \u201cFrom power electronics and high voltage systems to grid scale renewables and AI driven control technologies, the breakthroughs discussed here directly align with the innovations we support through our products and solutions. Collaborating with Georgia Tech allows us to engage early with emerging research and the next generation of engineers\u2014critical collaborators in building a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient energy ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe keynote address will be delivered by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vanessazchan\/\u0022\u003EVanessa Z. Chan\u003C\/a\u003E, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of\u0026nbsp;innovation, commercialization, and emerging technologies. Chan will provide insights on accelerating technological discovery, emphasizing how AI is transforming energy and materials design. She will discuss how commercialization strategies must rapidly evolve across multidisciplinary energy domains from grid modernization to advanced batteries and clean manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on the themes introduced in the keynote, the program transitions into a fireside chat with Georgia Tech EVPR\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E featuring\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kulkarniam\/\u0022\u003EAmit Kulkarni\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/james-jim-walsh\/\u0022\u003EJim Walsh\u003C\/a\u003E. Kulkarni is vice president of Product Management and Strategy for the Gas Power business within GE Vernova, where he oversees the world\u2019s largest portfolio of power generation equipment. Walsh, vice president of GE Vernova\u2019s Consulting Services, leads teams providing innovative solutions across the full spectrum of power generation, delivery, and utilization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext comes a policy-focused panel that will explore the surge in power demand driven by AI, how the United States is addressing today\u2019s most urgent energy challenges, and the long-term implications of today\u2019s decisions for a sustainable energy future. Bringing together leading voices in U.S. environmental and energy policy, the panel features\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/joseph-aldy-0794942\/\u0022\u003EJoe Aldy\u003C\/a\u003E of Harvard University and former special assistant to the president for Energy and Environment;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/al-mcgartland-161689a\/\u0022\u003EAl McGartland\u003C\/a\u003E of New York University\u2019s Institute for Policy Integrity and former Environmental Protection Agency lead economist and director of the National Center for Environmental Economics; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kevinrennert\/\u0022\u003EKevin Rennert\u003C\/a\u003E, fellow and director of the Comprehensive Climate Strategies Program at Resources for the Future and former staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second panel focuses on critical materials \u2014 the foundation of advanced energy systems and digital technologies. As AI, data centers, and advanced energy technologies drive demand for critical materials, securing them now requires integration and coordination across the entire value chain. Panelists include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/people\/rachel-galloway\u0022 id=\u0022menur1su2\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/people\/rachel-galloway\u0022\u003ERachel Galloway\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;British consul general in Atlanta;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vijaymurugesan\/\u0022\u003EVijay Murugesan\u003C\/a\u003E, head of Materials Intelligence and Digital Innovation at Amazon; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/colinspellmeyer\/?utm_source=share_via\u0026amp;utm_content=profile\u0026amp;utm_medium=member_ios\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/colinspellmeyer\/?utm_source=share_via\u0026amp;utm_content=profile\u0026amp;utm_medium=member_ios\u0022\u003EColin Spellmeyer\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;executive strategic sourcing leader at GE Vernova; \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haslam.utk.edu\/people\/profile\/charles-sims\/\u0022\u003ECharles Sims\u003C\/a\u003E, Tennessee Valley Authority Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Tennessee; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nnnyeboah\/\u0022 id=\u0022menur1sua\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nnnyeboah\/\u0022\u003ENortey Yeboah\u003C\/a\u003E, principal engineer at Southern Company. Together, they will offer perspectives on the policy and economic frameworks shaping the energy supply chain, from developing raw resources to manufacturing the technologies essential to future energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the afternoon, participants can dive deeper into specialized topics through three focused technical tracks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\/track1_meet_demand_for_power\u0022\u003EMeeting the Demand for Power\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will examine how emerging technologies, advanced nuclear systems, and renewable integration can work together to deliver reliable, resilient electricity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\/track2-data-center-infrastructure-and-resources\u0022\u003EData Center Infrastructure and Resources\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will explore innovations in thermal management technologies, energy-efficient computing, and the broader resource impacts of expanding digital infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\/track3-grid-technologies-and-markets\u0022\u003EGrid Technologies and Markets\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will highlight strategies for strengthening grid capacity, incorporating demand-side management, and optimizing carbon performance as energy systems evolve.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMeeting the rapidly rising electricity demand driven by AI requires bold ideas, coordinated action, and research that moves at the speed of innovation,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of the SEI. \u201cEnergy Day 2026 brings together the people and expertise needed to shape resilient, sustainable energy systems for the future. At Georgia Tech, we see this event as a catalyst for new partnerships, new solutions, and a shared commitment to strengthening the nation\u2019s energy foundation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Day 2026 is designed for researchers advancing emerging energy technologies, policymakers navigating shifting regulatory and geopolitical landscapes, industry professionals seeking insight into emerging tools and supply chains, and students preparing to enter one of the most consequential sectors of the decade. It also welcomes anyone interested in AI, sustainability, electrification, and critical materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin us to explore the future of energy. To learn more and register, visit:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\u0022 target=\u0022_new\u0022\u003EEnergy Day 2026\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\u0022\u003EEnergy Day\u003C\/a\u003E returns this year on March 19 with an expanded focus and a new collaborative momentum. Cohosted by the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and\u0026nbsp;Systems\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IMS) and the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(SEI) with plenary session support from the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Day 2026 convenes leaders from academia, industry, government, and students to address the challenges associated with meeting the rapidly growing electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Join us on March 19 as we explore one of the most urgent questions facing the nation: How do we power an AI\u2011driven future?"}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-06 20:46:52","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 16:57:12","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679541":{"id":"679541","type":"image","title":"EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772830025","gmt_created":"2026-03-06 20:47:05","changed":"1772830025","gmt_changed":"2026-03-06 20:47:05","alt":"Georgia Tech Energy Day 2026 Header Image with three boxes showing an image of a datacenter, an electric bulb with energy sources around it and a multi-colored critical mineral ","file":{"fid":"263714","name":"EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/06\/EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/06\/EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":147447,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/06\/EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg?itok=i6baP0eA"}}},"media_ids":["679541"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"194607","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"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 | Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689055":{"#nid":"689055","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hundreds of Hungry Mosquitoes, a Student Volunteer and a Mesh Suit","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFour minutes is too long.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Man\u0026apos;s arm with multiple pink raised welts\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=827\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=827\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=827\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1040\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1040\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724202\/original\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1040\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ESome of Chris Zuo\u2019s itchy results after his session with the mosquitoes.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s the note undergraduate Chris Zuo sent me along with photos of countless mosquito bites on his bare skin. This full-body massacre wasn\u2019t the result of a camping trip gone awry. He\u2019d spent that limited amount of time in a room with 100 hungry mosquitoes while wearing nothing but a mesh suit we thought would have protected him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThus began our three-year journey trying to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz7063\u0022\u003Eunderstand the behavior\u003C\/a\u003E of a deceivingly simple insect, the mosquito. It may sound like a professor\u2019s sadistic plan, but, really, we did everything by the book. Our university\u2019s institutional review board approved our procedures, making sure Chris was safe and not coerced in any way. The mosquitoes were disease-free and native to our home state of Georgia. And this session resulted in the first and last bites anyone received during the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBesides my role as torturer of students, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=pydtIvYAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003EI\u003C\/a\u003E am an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/our-authors\/hu-david\u0022\u003Eauthor\u003C\/a\u003E and professor at Georgia Tech with over 20 years of experience studying the movement of animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMosquitoes are the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/deadliest-animals\u0022\u003Eworld\u2019s most dangerous animal\u003C\/a\u003E. The diseases they carry, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/malaria\u0022\u003Efrom malaria\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/dengue-and-severe-dengue\u0022\u003Eto dengue\u003C\/a\u003E, cause over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/vector-borne-diseases\u0022\u003E700,000 deaths per year\u003C\/a\u003E. More people have died from mosquitoes than wars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe world \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/09\/29\/health\/mosquitoes-malaria-strategies-house.html\u0022\u003Espends US$22 billion per year\u003C\/a\u003E on billions of liters of insecticides, millions of pounds of larvicides, and millions of insecticide-treated bed nets \u2013 all to fight a tiny insect that weighs 10 times less than a grain of rice and has only \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0250381\u0022\u003E200,000 neurons\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet, people are losing the war on mosquitoes. These insects are evolving to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aam8327\u0022\u003Ethrive in cities\u003C\/a\u003E and spreading disease \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.pt.2017.11.006\u0022\u003Emore rapidly with climate change\u003C\/a\u003E. How can such simple animals find us so easily?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists know mosquitoes have terrible eyesight and depend on chemical cues to make up for it. Knowing what attracts a mosquito, though, isn\u2019t enough to predict its behavior. You can know a heat-seeking missile is drawn to heat, but you still won\u2019t know how a missile works.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnter Chris and his self-sacrifice in the mosquito room. By tracking the flight of many mosquitoes around him, we hoped to determine how they made decisions in response to his presence. Understanding how mosquitoes respond to humans is a first step to controlling them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow Mosquitoes Zero In On Their Meal\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOut of 3,500 species of mosquitoes, over 100 species are classified as anthropophilic, meaning they prefer humans for lunch. Certain species of mosquitoes will find the one person among a whole herd of cattle in order to suck human blood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is quite a feat considering mosquitoes are weak flyers. They stop flying in a slight \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1242\/jeb.178905\u0022\u003E2-3 mph breeze\u003C\/a\u003E, the same air speed generated by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1242\/jeb.178905\u0022\u003Ehorse\u2019s swinging tail\u003C\/a\u003E. In calmer conditions, mosquitoes use their minuscule brains to follow \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10905-022-09796-2\u0022\u003Ehuman heat, moisture and odors\u003C\/a\u003E that are carried downwind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon dioxide, the byproduct of respiration of all living animals, is particularly attractive. Mosquitoes notice carbon dioxide as well as you notice the stink of a full dumpster, detecting it up to 30 feet (9 meters) away from a host, where concentrations dip to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jmedent\/44.4.617\u0022\u003Efew parts per million\u003C\/a\u003E, like a few cups of dye in an Olympic-size pool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Black outline of a G and T in left panel, in right panel black squiggles showing flight paths of mosquitoes around the letters\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=320\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=320\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=320\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=402\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=402\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724198\/original\/file-20260316-57-vumrcy.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=402\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ELike superfans, mosquitoes are drawn to the dark outline of the Georgia Tech logo.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu, Georgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMosquitoes\u2019 vision isn\u2019t much help as they hunt for their next blood meal. Their two compound eyes have several hundred individual lenses called ommatidia, each about the width of a human hair. They produce a somewhat blurry mosaic or pixelated image. Due to the laws of optics, mosquitoes can discern an adult-size human only at a few meters away. With their vision alone, they cannot distinguish a human from a small tree. They inspect every dark object.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGathering the Flight-Path Data\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge with studying mosquito flight is that, like trash-talking teenagers, most of what they do is meaningless noise. Mosquitoes flying in an empty room are largely making random changes in flight speed and direction. We needed many flight trajectories to cut through the noise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A man lying on the ground, and shown in two images on a laptop screen in the foreground\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=326\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=326\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=326\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=410\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=410\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724200\/original\/file-20260316-57-z0f39m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=410\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EIn a mesh suit, Chris Zuo awaits the mosquitoes while questioning his life choices.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu, Georgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of our collaborators, University of California, Riverside, biologist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=XOveQssAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003ERing Card\u00e9\u003C\/a\u003E, told us that back in the 1980s, scientists conducted \u201cbite studies\u201d by stripping down to their underwear and slapping the mosquitoes that landed on their naked bodies. He said nudity prevented confounding variables, such as the color of a shirt\u2019s fabric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChris and I looked at each other. Sit naked and wait to become mosquito prey? Instead, we designed the mesh suit that Chris originally wore into the mosquito room. But after seeing Chris\u2019 bites, we needed a better way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, Chris washed long-sleeved clothes in unscented detergent and wore gloves and a face mask. Fully protected, Chris only had to stand and wait, while a cloud of mosquitoes swarmed him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced us to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/photonicsentry.com\/\u0022\u003EPhotonic Sentry\u003C\/a\u003E, a camera that simultaneously tracks hundreds of flying insects in a room. It records 100 frames per second at 5 mm resolution for a space like a large studio apartment. In just a few hours, Chris and another graduate student, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=pJLlOo8AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=sra\u0022\u003ESoohwan Kim\u003C\/a\u003E, generated more mosquito flight data than had previously been measured in human history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A4WUw-ZCoFk?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003E100 mosquitoes flying around Chris Zuo for 10 minutes. Only a fraction of tracks are shown.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=YJlkBuAAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003EJ\u00f6rn Dunkel\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=3V6dgsoAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=sra\u0022\u003EChenyi Fei\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=89drxM4AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=sra\u0022\u003EAlex Cohen\u003C\/a\u003E, our mathematician collaborators at MIT, told us that the geometry of Chris\u2019 body was still too complicated to study the mosquitoes\u2019 reactions. Mathematicians excel at simplifying complex problems to their essence. Chenyi suggested we go easy on Chris \u2013 why not replace him with a simple dummy: a black Styrofoam ball on a stick combined with a canister of carbon dioxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next two years, Chris filmed the mosquitoes circling the Styrofoam dummies mercilessly. Then he vacuumed up the mosquitoes, trying not to get bitten.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EDeciphering the Trajectories\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA mosquito flies like you would an airplane: it turns left or right, accelerates or hits the brakes. We determined a mosquito\u2019s flight behavior as a function of its speed, location and direction with respect to the target as the first step in creating our model of their behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur confidence in our behavioral rules increased as we read more trajectories, ultimately using 20 million mosquito positions and speeds. This idea of incorporating observations to support a mathematical hypothesis is a 200-year-old idea called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/@chonghankhai\/bayesian-thinking-in-everyday-life-bf82fe2ab0af\u0022\u003EBayesian inference\u003C\/a\u003E. We illustrated the mosquito behavior we\u2019d observed in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acoh64.github.io\/mosquito_app\/\u0022\u003Eweb application\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u00224 panels showing trajectory of a mosquito in the presence of no target, visual target, CO2 target or both.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=169\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=169\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=169\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=212\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=212\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/724564\/original\/file-20260318-57-2aq2gy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=212\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA mosquito\u2019s flight changes with the kind of target presented.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EDavid L. Hu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing our model, we showed how different targets cause mosquitoes to fly differently. Visual targets cause fly-bys, where mosquitoes fly past the target. Carbon dioxide causes double takes, where mosquitoes slow down near the target. The combination of a visual cue and carbon dioxide creates high-speed orbiting patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUp until now, we had used only experiments with Styrofoam spheres to train our model. The true test was whether it could predict mosquito flights around a human. Chris returned to the chamber, this time wearing all white clothes and a black hat, turning himself into a bull\u2019s-eye. Our model successfully predicted the distribution of mosquitoes around him. We identified zones of danger, where there was a high chance of a mosquito circling around him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPredicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them. In mosquito-prone areas, people design \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1404493\u0022\u003Ehouses with features to prevent mosquitoes\u003C\/a\u003E from following human cues and entering. Similarly, mosquito traps suck in mosquitoes when they get too close but still allow between \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jme\/tjz243\u0022\u003E50% and 90% of mosquitoes to escape\u003C\/a\u003E. Many of these designs are based on trial and error. We hope that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz7063\u0022\u003Eour study provides a more precise tool\u003C\/a\u003E for designing methods for mosquito capture or deterrence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Chris\u2019 mother attended his master\u2019s degree defense, I asked her how she felt about her son using himself as bait for mosquitoes. She said she was very proud. So am I \u2013 and not just because I\u2019m relieved Chris didn\u2019t ask me to take his place in the mosquito chamber.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/278486\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\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\/hundreds-of-hungry-mosquitoes-a-student-volunteer-and-a-mesh-suit-helped-us-figure-out-how-these-deadly-insects-reach-their-targets-278486\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking the flight of many mosquitoes around a student volunteer, we hoped to determine how they made decisions in response to his presence. Understanding how mosquitoes respond to humans is a first step to controlling them.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By tracking the flight of many mosquitoes around a student volunteer, we hoped to determine how they made decisions in response to his presence. Understanding how mosquitoes respond to humans is a first step to controlling them."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 16:52:12","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 16:57:10","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679694":{"id":"679694","type":"image","title":"Trajectories of mosquitoes flying around a human target. David L. Hu, Georgia Tech","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETrajectories of mosquitoes flying around a human target. David L. Hu, Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773939193","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 16:53:13","changed":"1773939193","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 16:53:13","alt":"Trajectories of mosquitoes flying around a human target. David L. Hu, Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"263886","name":"file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2835625,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.png?itok=JyAHkg79"}}},"media_ids":["679694"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hundreds-of-hungry-mosquitoes-a-student-volunteer-and-a-mesh-suit-helped-us-figure-out-how-these-deadly-insects-reach-their-targets-278486","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"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":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/david-hu-204122\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biology, Adjunct Professor of Physics, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689054":{"#nid":"689054","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Develop Biodegradable, Plant\u2011Based Packaging From Natural Fibers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=YpxchNkAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EJie Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJie and I had been hoping to identify naturally occurring whitening pigments that could be used in paper and paints. The beetle\u2019s white exoskeleton is made from a compound called chitin, which is a type of carbohydrate \u2013 one that is also commonly found in crab and lobster shells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, Jie extracted chitin nanofibers from crab shells obtained from food waste that are chemically the same as those found in the white beetles. But instead of creating a white material as intended, Jie produced dense, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/bm501416q\u0022\u003Etransparent films\u003C\/a\u003E. The nanofibers more readily assembled in tightly packed films than in the porous structures Jie desired.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-right zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Two white beetles\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=237\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=882\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=882\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=882\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1109\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1109\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721546\/original\/file-20260303-57-g7dkdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=1109\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAn attempt to mimic the striking white color of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ECyphochilus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003E beetles led researchers to a unique discovery.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cyphochilus#\/media\/File:Cyphochilus_beetles.jpg\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EOlimpia1lli\/Wikimedia Commons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca class=\u0022license\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ECC BY-NC-ND\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a whim, Jie measured the rate at which oxygen passed through the film. The result was astonishing: The barrier allowed less oxygen through than many existing packaging plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat serendipitous finding in 2014 shifted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=3qOG6PUAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Emy team\u003C\/a\u003E of engineering students\u2019 focus from color to packaging. We asked whether natural materials could rival the performance of common plastics. In the years since, our team has used this discovery to create biodegradable films that offer a more sustainable and effective alternative to plastic packaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EChallenges of Plastic Packaging\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlastic packaging is commonly used to protect food, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. These plastics keep out moisture and oxygen from the air, so products stay \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/C2012-0-00246-3\u0022\u003Efresh and safe\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost packaging has several layers that work together to keep air out, but these layers hinder reuse and recycling efforts. As a result, most of this plastic barrier packaging is discarded to landfills as single-use materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany researchers have sought alternatives that are renewable, biodegradable or recyclable, yet just as effective. At Georgia Tech, my team of students and post-docs has spent more than a decade tackling this problem. This journey began with that beetle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBuilding a Better Barrier\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/chitin\u0022\u003EChitin\u003C\/a\u003E is widely available in food waste and mushrooms, and it is used in products such as water filters and wound dressing. However, our early attempts to scale up the film technology based on the beetle-inspired experiment failed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, the team made an important leap forward by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssuschemeng.8b01536\u0022\u003Eusing spray coating to create layers\u003C\/a\u003E of chitin and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.niehs.nih.gov\/health\/topics\/agents\/sya-nano\u0022\u003Ecellulose nanomaterials\u003C\/a\u003E. Cellulose, like chitin, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/cellulose\u0022\u003Eis a carbohydrate polymer\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 a chain of repeating carbohydrate units \u2013 and it is obtained from plants. These abundant natural materials have opposite electric charges, which led to better barrier performance when we combined them than either material alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this approach, the team sprayed down a layer of chitin, followed by a layer of cellulose. The opposite charges between the chitin and cellulose created a long-range attraction between them that binds the layers to create a dense interface.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater, in collaboration with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=BrXwtO4AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003EMeisha Shofner\u003C\/a\u003E, a materials scientist, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/harris\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, a mechanical engineer, other students showed these coatings could be applied with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsami.2c09925\u0022\u003Escalable, roll-to-roll techniques\u003C\/a\u003E. Roll-to-roll coating methods are preferred in industry because the coatings are applied continuously to large rolls of a substrate material, such as paper or other biodegradable plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EBNyjJFB8Zc?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ERoll-to-roll coating allows manufacturers to easily apply thin layers of coating to a base material, called a substrate.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, humidity posed a major challenge, limiting any real-world applications. Moisture swelled the film, allowing more oxygen to sneak through.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen came another breakthrough. In 2024, another collaborator, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=ZILIcOwAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003ENatalie Stingelin\u003C\/a\u003E, and I discovered that two common food components resisted water vapor when combined: carboxymethylcellulose \u2013 which is found in ice cream, for example \u2013 and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/Citric-Acid\u0022\u003Ecitric acid\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result was a film that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1039\/D4SU00425F\u0022\u003Ehindered the transmission of moisture\u003C\/a\u003E. The citric acid reacted with the cellulose to form cross-links, which are chemical junctions that bind the cellulose molecules. Once bound, they reduced the film\u2019s moisture uptake.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe integrated this new discovery with the prior work by combining the citric acid and cellulose, and then casting this mixture as a freestanding film by coating it onto a substrate, such as chitin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, that formulation did not have strong oxygen barrier properties because it did not contain the highly crystalline cellulose nanomaterials from our first film. Our team\u2019s most \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsapm.5c02909\u0022\u003Erecent achievement\u003C\/a\u003E, from October 2025, combines the above innovations. As a result, we\u2019ve created a bio-based film that is an excellent barrier to both oxygen and moisture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A diagram showing a rectangle representing a biodegradable film, with an arrow deflecting off of it showing how it keeps out water vapor and oxygen. On the right is the film.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=300\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=300\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=300\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=377\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=377\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710006\/original\/file-20251220-56-gcunhe.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=377\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAn oxygen and water vapor barrier film composed of blended cellulose and chitin.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution source\u0022\u003EJ. Carson Meredith\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EScaling Up Production\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen cast into thin films, these components self-organize into a dense structure that resists swelling with water vapor. Tests showed that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsapm.5c02909\u0022\u003Eeven at 80% humidity\u003C\/a\u003E the film matched or outperformed common packaging plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe materials are renewable, biodegradable and compostable. Our team has filed several patent applications, and we are working with industry partners to develop specific packaging uses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne challenge that applications face is a limited supply of the bio-based components compared to the high volume of conventional plastics. Like any new material, it would take time for manufacturers to develop supply chains as the films begin to be used.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the market demand for purified chitin is small right now, as it is used in niche applications, such as wound dressings and water filtration. Due to its variety of uses, packaging could increase that market demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next challenge is scaling up from experimental films to industrial production, which would likely take several years. The team is exploring roll-to-roll coating techniques and working with industry partners to integrate these materials into existing packaging lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPolicy and consumer demand will also play a role. As governments push for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-stop-at-plastic-bags-and-straws-the-case-for-a-global-treaty-banning-most-single-use-plastics-109857\u0022\u003Ebans on single-use plastics\u003C\/a\u003E and companies set sustainability targets, bio-based films could become part of the solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe story of this breakthrough reminds me that science often advances through unexpected results. From a failed attempt to mimic a beetle\u2019s color to a promising alternative to plastic, this research shows how curiosity can lead to solutions for some of our biggest challenges.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/271262\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\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\/researchers-develop-biodegradable-plant-based-packaging-from-natural-fibers-new-research-271262\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJie Wu, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jie Wu, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:36:23","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 16:43:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679693":{"id":"679693","type":"image","title":"Plastic packaging fills up landfills \u2013 engineers are working on a bio-based alternative that could replace the kind shown here. tuk69tuk\/iStock via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPlastic packaging fills up landfills \u2013 engineers are working on a bio-based alternative that could replace the kind shown here. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/white-plastic-bag-on-black-background-royalty-free-image\/1211742906?phrase=plastic%2Bwrap\u0022\u003Etuk69tuk\/iStock via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773938347","gmt_created":"2026-03-19 16:39:07","changed":"1773938347","gmt_changed":"2026-03-19 16:39:07","alt":"Plastic packaging fills up landfills \u2013 engineers are working on a bio-based alternative that could replace the kind shown here. tuk69tuk\/iStock via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263885","name":"file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128914,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/19\/file-20260303-57-8ad4eq.jpg?itok=MPEKR6lv"}}},"media_ids":["679693"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/researchers-develop-biodegradable-plant-based-packaging-from-natural-fibers-new-research-271262","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"117301","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"},{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/j-carson-meredith-2540164\u0022\u003EJ. Carson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688956":{"#nid":"688956","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Future Focused: The 2026 Southeastern Energy Conference at Georgia Tech ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyexpo.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESoutheastern Energy Conference\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s annual student-led energy and sustainability conference, took place on Feb. 18. Organized by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyclub.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Club\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, the conference welcomed more than 150 attendees, including industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and students, featuring dynamic discussions on the future of energy. The theme, \u0022Future Focused: Advancing the Energy of Tomorrow,\u0022 highlighted the industry\u2019s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration as participants explored emerging technologies, evolving policies, and strategies shaping the energy landscape of tomorrow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event kicked off with a keynote address from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/ceser\/person\/alex-fitzsimmons\u0022\u003EAlex Fitzsimmons\u003C\/a\u003E, acting undersecretary of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) at the U.S. Department of Energy. He shared insights into the administration\u2019s work at the intersection of cybersecurity and the rapidly evolving U.S. energy sector. The first panel of the day, \u201cEnergy Innovation,\u201d explored leaders\u2019 perspectives on organizational innovation within the industry. With Tech undergraduate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/neil-ansu-ghosh\/\u0022\u003ENeil Ghosh\u003C\/a\u003E moderating the panel,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/roderick-jackson-b1a3381\/\u0022\u003ERoderick Jackson\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jamie-barber-0686599\/\u0022\u003EJamie Barber\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mark-tozzi\/\u0022\u003EMark Tozzi\u003C\/a\u003E discussed emerging energy technologies and their potential impact on the industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater, the Industry Showcase featured representatives from energy companies such as GE Vernova, Cherry Street Energy, Orion, GTA, Kimley Horn, and E4E Solutions, providing valuable networking and career development opportunities for students and professionals. A panel on \u201cOvercoming Growing Pains\u201d followed, with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/josh-stallings-a942b91a2\/\u0022\u003EJosh Stallings\u003C\/a\u003E, vice president of Power Delivery Strategy and Support at Georgia Power;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dan-molzahn-26001aa\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Molzahn\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE); and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lisawichmannberry\/\u0022\u003ELisa Berry\u003C\/a\u003E, GE Vernova\u2019s technical director for Decarbonization and Data Centers for the Americas region. The discussion was moderated by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/radhikasharmaga\/\u0022\u003ERadhika Sharma\u003C\/a\u003E, co-president of the Energy Club and a graduate student in ECE, and focused on current challenges facing the rapidly growing energy industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the standout moments of the conference was the Student Symposium, where 16 student researchers presented their work while competing for $1,000 in prize money sponsored by Cobb EMC. Projects ranged from residential demand management optimization studies to the challenges and viability of hydrogen combustion engines.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/erik-barbosa-45758416b\/\u0022\u003EErik Barbosa\u003C\/a\u003E earned first place for his research on a multiscale approach to thermochemical energy storage within buildings.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daksh-adhikari\/\u0022\u003EDaksh Adhikari\u003C\/a\u003E received second place for examining the mitigation of flow boiling instabilities with active flow control, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/william-schertzer\/\u0022\u003EWilliam Schertzer\u003C\/a\u003E placed third for work using machine learning and neural networks to model anion exchange membrane degradation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe final event of the day, \u201cScaling Emergent Energy Technologies,\u201d focused on growing the newest energy technologies within the industry. Moderated by Georgia Tech undergraduate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/james-lovely-aa5753288\/\u0022\u003EJames Lovely\u003C\/a\u003E, the panel included\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ldb\/\u0022\u003ELuke Bockewitz\u003C\/a\u003E, director of business development at Kinetics;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nian-liu-68740b7a\/\u0022\u003ENian Liu\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Robert G. Miller Faculty Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tomcuthbertiii\/\u0022\u003EThomas Cuthbert\u003C\/a\u003E, chief technology officer at Emrgy. The conference closed with a keynote speech from James Marlow, president and CEO of Southface Institute, who provided a framework for thinking through innovation and tactical advice for aspiring energy innovators and leaders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The level of organization and vision demonstrated by the students was outstanding,\u201d Molzahn said. \u201cBy focusing on the evolving energy landscape and inviting experts from across the field, they created an event that sparked important conversations for our campus.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was an honor to serve as the Energy Club\u2019s 2026 conference chair and work alongside the strong energy community at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Jonathan Acree. \u201cMeaningful innovation in energy depends on collaboration, and it was truly encouraging to see such an interdisciplinary group of talented students, researchers, and industry leaders come together around the shared goal of advancing our energy future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conference also highlighted Georgia Tech\u2019s role as a hub for forward-thinking dialogue on global energy challenges \u2014 and the importance of collaboration and innovation in shaping the evolving energy landscape and fostering the next generation of leaders in the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWritten by Georgia Tech students:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bradenqueen\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBraden Queen\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/orit-endalk\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOrit\u0026nbsp;Endalk,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/maxzhang32\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEli Acree\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/radhikasharmaga\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERadhika Sharma\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyexpo.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESoutheastern Energy Conference\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s annual student-led energy and sustainability conference, took place on Feb. 18. Organized by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyclub.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Club\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, the conference welcomed more than 150 attendees, including industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and students, featuring dynamic discussions on the future of energy. The theme, \u0022Future Focused: Advancing the Energy of Tomorrow,\u0022 highlighted the industry\u2019s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration as participants explored emerging technologies, evolving policies, and strategies shaping the energy landscape of tomorrow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2026\u00a0Southeastern Energy Conference, Georgia Tech\u2019s annual student-led energy and sustainability conference welcomed more than 150 attendees and featured dynamic discussions on the future of energy."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-16 16:17:05","changed_gmt":"2026-03-16 17:03:33","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, 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2026.","file":{"fid":"263826","name":"IMG_9706-LR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/16\/IMG_9706-LR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/16\/IMG_9706-LR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":621893,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/16\/IMG_9706-LR.jpg?itok=aEwHVw9u"}},"679646":{"id":"679646","type":"image","title":"IMG_9691-LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPoster Session at the 2026 Southeastern Energy Conference\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773677896","gmt_created":"2026-03-16 16:18:16","changed":"1773677896","gmt_changed":"2026-03-16 16:18:16","alt":"Poster Session at the 2026 Southeastern Energy 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Conference","file":{"fid":"263828","name":"IMG_9702-LR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/16\/IMG_9702-LR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/16\/IMG_9702-LR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":843253,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/16\/IMG_9702-LR.jpg?itok=j844Jh3G"}}},"media_ids":["679644","679648","679645","679646","679647"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/energyexpo.gatech.edu\/","title":"2026 Southeastern Energy Conference Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"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 || Communications Program Manager, Strategic Energy Institute\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688755":{"#nid":"688755","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engineers Week Brings Georgia Tech Research to Classrooms Across the State","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than 6,200 high school students across Georgia tuned in for Engineers Week 2026. Through a series of online talks, Georgia Tech researchers shared a glimpse of the technologies shaping the future. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA national initiative held February 23\u201327, the event highlighted research spanning cybersecurity, aerospace engineering, robotics, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. The program virtually brought engineers into classrooms statewide, who offered online learning experiences centered on inquiry, problem solving, and design.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a great collaborative effort between the College of Engineering, the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI), and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI),\u201d said Sean Mulvanity, program lead at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/outreach\/stem-at-gtri\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESTEM@GTRI.\u003C\/a\u003E \u201cWe provided students from across the state the opportunity to interact with leaders in a variety of engineering fields.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach day featured a different engineer discussing the real-world challenges driving their work. Cybersecurity professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/17433\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E began the week with a talk on protecting critical digital systems that power modern life. Aerospace engineer professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/adam-m-steinberg\u0022\u003EAdam Steinberg\u003C\/a\u003E followed with insights into developing faster, cleaner engines for next-generation supersonic aircraft. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/juergen-rauleder\u0022\u003EJuergen Rauleder\u003C\/a\u003E, also an aerospace engineer professor, then introduced students to aerodynamics research conducted in Georgia Tech\u0027s wind tunnel \u2014 one of the largest in the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater sessions expanded the conversation across disciplines. Civil and environmental engineering professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/lauren-stewart\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELauren Stewart\u003C\/a\u003E discussed designing buildings and infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme loads, while mechanical engineer professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/aaron-stebner\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/a\u003E closed the week with his talk, \u003Cem\u003E\u201c3D Printing Titanium: Realizing the Superhero Powers of Ironman,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E exploring advances in additive manufacturing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese talks show engineering isn\u2019t just theory,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/steven-ferguson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/a\u003E, GTMI principal research scientist. \u201cStudents are hearing directly about the kinds of problems people are working on right now.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne session featured \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Faparna-srinidhi-jagannathan-10655823b%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cychernet3%40gatech.edu%7C5b33de3205984ef8f05408de7aeea5b4%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639083362547434014%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=MvM%2F5DS3783hgYAvqDD3Uj00PvsQot9Q1afZ3ldx1s0%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAparna Srinidhi Jagannathan\u003C\/a\u003E, a third-year biomedical engineering student and undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech, who spoke about her research in the Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Controls (EPIC) Lab. Jagannathan is developing a wearable biofeedback system designed to help patients with gait disorders\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eimprove balance and coordination while walking. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the things I value about being an engineer is the ability to turn abstract ideas and theories into tangible devices and technologies through research and design,\u201d Jagannathan said. \u201cEngineers Week empowers students with the knowledge that they, too, can meaningfully contribute to engineering. It reminds them that they can lead projects that benefit the communities around them.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngineers Week at Georgia Tech was presented by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A week of virtual talks opened a window into the research shaping everything from supersonic flight to wearable biofeedback devices."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 6,200 high school students across Georgia tuned in for Engineers Week 2026, joining a series of online talks hosted by Georgia Tech that offered a glimpse into the technologies shaping the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"More than 6,200 high school students across Georgia tuned in for Engineers Week 2026, joining a series of online talks hosted by Georgia Tech that offered a glimpse into the technologies shaping the future. "}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-03-05 21:55:51","changed_gmt":"2026-03-12 20:24:43","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"}],"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: ychernet3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYanet Chernet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer I\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688825":{"#nid":"688825","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Charles Nimo Receives Roland Ewubare Fellowship in Societal Engagement and Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech doctoral student Charles Nimo has been selected as the newest recipient of the Roland Ewubare Fellowship in Societal Engagement and Impact, a philanthropic program supporting underrepresented graduate students whose research advances community focused, socially relevant scholarship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunded by Roland Ewubare, a distinguished Nigerian lawyer and corporate executive, the fellowship recognizes emerging scholars whose master\u2019s or doctoral work meaningfully connects with societal engagement and impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program expands opportunities for graduate researchers committed to addressing real world challenges through innovative, community centered inquiry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENimo is a third year Ph.D. student in computer science and a graduate research assistant in the Technologies and International Development Lab led by Michael L. Best, executive director of the Institute for People and Technology and professor in both the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the School of Interactive Computing. He is co-advised by Irfan Essa, professor in the School of Interactive Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENimo\u2019s research explores human centered natural language processing for healthcare, as well as multilingual AI systems in low resource contexts. Nimo develops tools to evaluate and improve the safety, robustness, and global inclusion of language technologies. His broader goal is to build AI systems that are fair, reliable, and effective across diverse languages and cultures, helping ensure that technological advances benefit communities often overlooked in mainstream AI development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m very grateful to receive this fellowship for societal impact,\u201d Nimo said. \u201cThank you for this support and believing in the work, and I\u2019m excited to keep building research that translates into real world benefit.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENimo earned his B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and his M.S. in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech doctoral student Charles Nimo has been selected as the newest recipient of the Roland Ewubare Fellowship in Societal Engagement and Impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech doctoral student Charles Nimo has been selected as the newest recipient of the Roland Ewubare Fellowship in Societal Engagement and Impact."}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-03-10 15:34:49","changed_gmt":"2026-03-10 19:50:43","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679558":{"id":"679558","type":"image","title":"Charles Nimo ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECharles Nimo is a third year Ph.D. student in computer science.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773156769","gmt_created":"2026-03-10 15:32:49","changed":"1773156840","gmt_changed":"2026-03-10 15:34:00","alt":"Charles Nimo","file":{"fid":"263733","name":"Charles-Nimo-copy-cropped-Smaller-FINAL.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/Charles-Nimo-copy-cropped-Smaller-FINAL.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/Charles-Nimo-copy-cropped-Smaller-FINAL.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":456125,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/10\/Charles-Nimo-copy-cropped-Smaller-FINAL.jpg?itok=qogb7bPV"}}},"media_ids":["679558"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"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":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["walter.rich@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688513":{"#nid":"688513","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Proving the Hypothesis: Kendreze Holland Becomes First Project ENGAGES Scholar to Earn Doctorate ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was a hypothesis. I was the experiment, and the hypothesis was proven true.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECan an\u0026nbsp;inner-city student who grew up below the poverty line\u0026nbsp;earn a Ph.D. and make a career in research?\u0026nbsp;In theory, yes.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe barriers are many.\u0026nbsp;But\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2451929424001888\u0022\u003Eliterature\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;suggests that early exposure to\u0026nbsp;STEM and research opportunities\u0026nbsp;can increase the odds\u0026nbsp;for students in need.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor\u0026nbsp;Kendreze\u0026nbsp;Holland,\u0026nbsp;the idea of\u0026nbsp;making it to college\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;earning an advanced degree\u0026nbsp;was a hypothesis.\u0026nbsp;Sure, theoretically\u0026nbsp;it could be done\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;but\u0026nbsp;in his\u0026nbsp;own home, not\u0026nbsp;everyone\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;even\u0026nbsp;made it past high school.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOften,\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;question\u0026nbsp;on the way to\u0026nbsp;scientific discovery\u0026nbsp;is:\u0026nbsp;What if? What if a student like Holland received the right help at the right time?\u0026nbsp;What if he\u0026nbsp;was guided\u0026nbsp;along the way by\u0026nbsp;mentors\u0026nbsp;who were leaders in their fields? What if\u0026nbsp;he was given the opportunity to develop professional skills\u0026nbsp;and make valuable connections?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland asked himself: What if he could be the one to\u0026nbsp;prove the hypothesis true?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroduction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland grew up\u0026nbsp;in northwest\u0026nbsp;Atlanta,\u0026nbsp;one of seven children\u0026nbsp;raised by a single mother.\u0026nbsp;Being\u0026nbsp;one of so many children, most would struggle to stand out. But Holland always\u0026nbsp;sought\u0026nbsp;to be different.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy perpetual intention was to be less of a burden to my mother,\u201d he said. \u201cSince my mother\u2019s education limited her abilities to help with my schoolwork, I went above the call of duty to stand out in academics.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis mother\u2019s education was cut short in ninth grade so she could raise her first child,\u0026nbsp;Holland\u2019s older sister,\u0026nbsp;and no one in his family had gone to college.\u0026nbsp;In his mind, he had\u0026nbsp;three career paths\u0026nbsp;to choose from: football, hip hop, or retail.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStanding at a solid 5 foot 8,\u0026nbsp;the first\u0026nbsp;would have been difficult,\u201d he joked. \u201cAnd the latter two were not my calling.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust like his mother, the course of his life changed in his ninth-grade year. For\u0026nbsp;Holland,\u0026nbsp;it began an academic journey\u0026nbsp;he never expected.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2012, he was attending\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/best.atlantapublicschools.us\/\u0022\u003EB.E.S.T.\u0026nbsp;Academy\u003C\/a\u003E, an all-boys\u0026nbsp;public\u0026nbsp;school for grades six through\u0026nbsp;12\u0026nbsp;focused on\u0026nbsp;business and STEM.\u0026nbsp;Biology\u0026nbsp;class\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;just another hour\u0026nbsp;waiting to pass\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;15-year-old\u0026nbsp;Holland,\u0026nbsp;until the day\u0026nbsp;two guest speakers from\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;walked into the room with \u201csome weird\u0026nbsp;apparatuses and mechanical chopsticks.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two guests\u0026nbsp;used the equipment\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;gel electrophoresis systems and pipettes\u0026nbsp;\u2014 to show the boys\u0026nbsp;what research can look like in real life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis experience sparked within me a drive for science, and it was the first time I realized that I wanted to, and could,\u0026nbsp;attain\u0026nbsp;an advanced scientific degree,\u201d Holland said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two speakers were\u0026nbsp;Manu Platt, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/schools\/biomedical-engineering\u0022\u003EWallace H.\u0026nbsp;Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech and Emory University, and Jerald Dumas, a postdoctoral researcher.\u0026nbsp;Platt and Dumas\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;there\u0026nbsp;to recruit students for a new program\u0026nbsp;called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projectengages.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EProject ENGAGES\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;within the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IBB).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program was co-founded by Platt and the late Robert M. Nerem, IBB\u2019s founding executive director, to give\u0026nbsp;students\u0026nbsp;like Holland an opportunity\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;participate\u0026nbsp;in real research projects\u0026nbsp;that would hopefully\u0026nbsp;plant a seed\u0026nbsp;in the next generation of scientists.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents\u0026nbsp;come from\u0026nbsp;one of eight partner schools in Atlanta. Once\u0026nbsp;accepted, they\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;connected\u0026nbsp;to a Georgia Tech graduate\u0026nbsp;student who\u0026nbsp;mentors them and\u0026nbsp;supervises their work, and\u0026nbsp;they\u0026nbsp;get paid to\u0026nbsp;work in\u0026nbsp;their assigned\u0026nbsp;lab\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;one year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProject ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;does more than\u0026nbsp;expose students to STEM concepts and ideas. It\u0026nbsp;equips them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their own independent research projects.\u0026nbsp;They also\u0026nbsp;have\u0026nbsp;opportunities to\u0026nbsp;establish\u0026nbsp;connections with university faculty and industry representatives who can provide career guidance and support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMethods\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough Holland\u0026nbsp;didn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;meet the program\u2019s age requirement\u0026nbsp;in 2012, he applied again\u0026nbsp;the next year and\u0026nbsp;was accepted.\u0026nbsp;During his junior and senior years of high\u0026nbsp;school,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;worked\u0026nbsp;in Platt\u2019s lab, where he aided with\u0026nbsp;projects\u0026nbsp;involving proteins, cell cultures, and\u0026nbsp;antibodies.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the course of those two years, the growth I saw scientifically, professionally, and in maturity, all corroborated my belief that\u0026nbsp;Kendreze\u0026nbsp;was going far, and able to push past whatever goals and obstacles he comes up against,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Platt,\u0026nbsp;now the\u0026nbsp;director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nibib.nih.gov\/labs-at-nibib\/center-for-biomedical-engineering-technology-acceleration-beta\u0022\u003ECenter for Biomedical Engineering Technology Acceleration\u003C\/a\u003E housed within the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nibib.nih.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Institute of\u0026nbsp;Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland\u0027s experience sparked\u0026nbsp;a love for science\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;a career-long connection with Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;After high school, he\u0026nbsp;graduated summa cum laude\u0026nbsp;with a degree in chemistry\u0026nbsp;from Georgia State University.\u0026nbsp;As an undergraduate, he stayed connected with Tech and with IBB as a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\/petit-undergraduate-research-scholars-program\u0022\u003EPetit Scholar\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;a yearlong mentorship program and research experience for top students around Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI really wanted to stay close to home, and I felt like everything was in my backyard,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are many people who come\u0026nbsp;here\u0026nbsp;from other places\u0026nbsp;to Tech because of the great\u0026nbsp;science that is going on.\u0026nbsp;There\u2019s\u0026nbsp;something special about Atlanta, and\u0026nbsp;I\u2019m\u0026nbsp;just getting the best of what I can from it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe credits his\u0026nbsp;time\u0026nbsp;in Project ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;giving him the confidence and resilience\u0026nbsp;to continue toward his goals.\u0026nbsp;Like many others in the program, he was a first-generation college student\u0026nbsp;with little to no\u0026nbsp;guidance\u0026nbsp;for his academic career.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;holistic approach\u0026nbsp;of Project ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;provided\u0026nbsp;professional development opportunities and standardized test preparation\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;ready\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;for life in college and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI knew I\u0026nbsp;wanted to go to grad school, but I didn\u2019t know I was going to do all these things,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cHaving that one goal sprouted a lot of side quests that just grew into something bigger.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating from\u0026nbsp;Georgia State\u0026nbsp;in 2020, Holland was accepted into Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering Graduate Program\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;as a doctoral student.\u0026nbsp;In December\u0026nbsp;2025, he became the first Project ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;alumnus\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;successfully defend his dissertation,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;is expected to graduate\u0026nbsp;this spring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/lakeita-servance\u0022\u003ELakeita\u0026nbsp;Servance\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;assistant\u0026nbsp;director of Outreach Initiatives at IBB, was\u0026nbsp;the program manager for Project ENGAGES when Holland was accepted\u0026nbsp;and cheered him on\u0026nbsp;more than 10 years later as he\u0026nbsp;presented his\u0026nbsp;doctoral\u0026nbsp;research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs I sat in that room while he was defending his dissertation and\u0026nbsp;sharing his research with all of us, I still reflected on that boy\u0026nbsp;I saw at 16 years old,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was\u0026nbsp;this full circle moment to see him make it all the way back here.\u0026nbsp;The investment\u0026nbsp;we made over a decade ago has paid off in such a large way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResults\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to being the first in his family to go to college and earn an advanced degree, Holland\u0026nbsp;received financial support from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Graduate Research Fellowship Program;\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;awarded\u0026nbsp;multiple\u0026nbsp;prestigious\u0026nbsp;fellowships, including FORD,\u0026nbsp;GEM, and Herbert P. Haley;\u0026nbsp;landed an internship\u0026nbsp;with 3M Corporate Research Materials Laboratory;\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;served as a\u0026nbsp;mentor\u0026nbsp;in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/nakatani-ries\/\u0022\u003ENakatani Research and International Experience for Students\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;He has\u0026nbsp;published papers, led panel discussions,\u0026nbsp;applied\u0026nbsp;for patents, and\u0026nbsp;presented his research at national conferences.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll that stemmed from Project ENGAGES,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd more importantly, I applied\u0026nbsp;to be a mentor for the ENGAGES program.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland said some of\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;most\u0026nbsp;meaningful experiences have come from\u0026nbsp;being able to give back.\u0026nbsp;He has served as a mentor, both formally and informally,\u0026nbsp;to more than half a dozen students,\u0026nbsp;some\u0026nbsp;who\u0026nbsp;come\u0026nbsp;from backgrounds\u0026nbsp;much like his own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0026nbsp;wanted to\u0026nbsp;give\u0026nbsp;back to the program because it poured so much into me. They were able to get me all the way to the Ph.D. level, so I knew that I could use my grind to help other students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConclusion\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving proved the hypothesis true, Holland is turning his focus to the future, considering his options in academia and corporate research while he continues to work as a postdoc at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research in John\u0026nbsp;Blazeck\u2019s\u0026nbsp;lab\u0026nbsp;focuses on cellular engineering using CRISPR gene editing technology\u0026nbsp;to regulate gene profiles, meaning he and other researchers can turn certain genes up and others down to affect\u0026nbsp;the way cells respond.\u0026nbsp;Though he is currently working with yeast cells, he hopes that his research will translate into mammalian cells that could have more clinical applications.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn terms of diseases and disorders, you can use it to tune genes to help someone experiencing cancer\u0026nbsp;by helping immune cells or stopping cancer cells from dividing rapidly,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can also help other cells to survive longer, and longer cell viability means potentially a patient can survive longer.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a presentation in\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;high school science class has led Holland\u0026nbsp;to a future he never expected.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2815\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W.\u0026nbsp;Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;co-director of Project ENGAGES, said\u0026nbsp;his story shows others that they can do the same.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI believe his achievements will inspire and motivate generations of students to pursue dreams that they may not have known they had.\u0026nbsp;Kendreze\u0026nbsp;Holland has fundamentally shown others that there are multiple pathways to engage in STEM and that opportunities and access to advanced degrees can\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;attained\u0026nbsp;by those willing to do the work.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland\u0027s story is symbolic of the ultimate goal for Project ENGAGES:\u0026nbsp;to change the lives of talented young people who may never have had the opportunity to succeed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s why I was so adamant about getting my Ph.D.,\u201d he said,\u0026nbsp;\u201cto show\u0026nbsp;that one could potentially overcome what they were going through to do something extraordinary.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProject ENGAGES is possible thanks to philanthropic support from our generous community: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/60129\/donations\/new?designation_id=55a493\u0026amp;\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDonate here\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Kendreze Holland, the idea of making it to college and earning an advanced degree was a hypothesis. Holland asked himself: What if he could be the one to prove the hypothesis true?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a presentation in a high school science class has led Holland to a future he never expected \u2013 planning to graduate from Georgia Tech with a Ph.D. in bioengineering this spring. His story is symbolic of the ultimate goal for the Project ENGAGES program: to change the lives of talented young people who may never have had the opportunity to succeed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In December 2025, he became the first Project ENGAGES alumnus to successfully defend his dissertation, and he is expected to graduate this spring. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 13:55:09","changed_gmt":"2026-03-09 17:59:22","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679431":{"id":"679431","type":"image","title":"Holland-Lab.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772045667","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 18:54:27","changed":"1772045667","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 18:54:27","alt":"A man in a lab coat wearing safety goggles and gloves puts samples into a machine in a scientific lab","file":{"fid":"263594","name":"Holland-Lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Holland-Lab.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Holland-Lab.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1197473,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Holland-Lab.jpg?itok=3WyFADtX"}}},"media_ids":["679431"],"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"172056","name":"go-BioE"}],"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":["ashlie.bowman@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688800":{"#nid":"688800","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Personal Resilience as a Path to Meaningful Sustainability Work","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople engaged in purpose-driven work can get worn down. At Georgia Tech\u2019s 2026 Sustainability Showcase, three faculty leaders urged attendees to stop trying to do everything and instead focus on the convergence where their strengths, satisfaction, and the most urgent climate needs intersect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat idea anchored \u201cFinding Joy and Building Resilience in Climate Action,\u201d an interactive session on day two of the showcase, hosted Feb. 9 \u2013 10 by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS). Each spring, the event brings together Georgia Tech researchers, students, staff, and partners to share their work with the sustainability community. This session turned the spotlight inward, asking how people doing sustainability work can sustain themselves over the long haul. Facilitated by Rebecca Watts Hull, the session drew on an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/ayana_elizabeth_johnson_how_to_find_joy_in_climate_action\u0022\u003EApril 2022 TED Talk\u003C\/a\u003E by marine biologist and policy expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, who lays out a practical way to \u201clean into your superpowers\u201d for being effective in purpose-driven work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWatts Hull, assistant director of Faculty Development for Sustainability Education Initiatives in Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Teaching and Learning, opened the discussion by explaining why she proposed the session. Many showcase events, she noted, focused on social, community, and ecological resilience. This one examined individual capacity \u2014 how people stay engaged in work that can feel frustrating, slow-moving, and emotionally draining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohnson\u2019s TED Talk framed the problem, describing the climate challenge as \u201cgargantuan,\u201d spanning energy, transportation, agriculture, buildings, industry, ecosystems, and culture. Rather than dwelling on dire projections, she urges people to pivot to solutions and to contribute not just as generic volunteers, but by using their particular talents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg 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\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer tool is a Venn diagram that asks three questions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat are you good at \u2014 your skills, expertise, resources, and networks?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat work needs doing \u2014 high-impact sustainability solutions, especially at the systems level?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat brings you joy or satisfaction \u2014 work that energizes rather than depletes you?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohnson warns against choosing work that leads to burnout and against merely validating what one is already doing, pushing instead for a fresh look at where each person can have the greatest impact. She also emphasizes implementation and argues for a \u201cleaderful\u201d movement in which many people step into leadership in different ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMatthew Realff, professor and David I.J. Wang Faculty Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, connected Johnson\u2019s framework to resilience and his 33 years at Georgia Tech. He traced the word \u201cresilience\u201d back to its Latin root, meaning \u201cto bounce back,\u201d and defined it as the ability to absorb shocks and return to an original or improved state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Realff, that ability depends heavily on relationships. \u201cI think of personal resiliency as coming from the networks of people I interact with \u2014 the social bonds that stretch and are strained,\u201d he said, and \u201chelp me bring myself back to my center when I\u0027m finding that life is difficult with respect to things like sustainability.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe then walked through his own Venn diagram across teaching, research, and service. In teaching, he uses senior design courses to give engineering students real-world sustainability problems, from hydrogen liquefaction to biofuels and biochemicals. \u201cWatching students grapple with those challenges brings me joy,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn research, he focuses on carbon capture, including capturing CO\u2082 from flue gases and from the air. In service, he has stepped into roles he didn\u2019t initially seek, such as board chair of GreenBlue, the nonprofit behind the \u201cHow2Recycle\u201d label found on consumer packaging, and chair of standards committees that shape the environmental profile of electronics purchased by major institutions. Those roles, he acknowledged, pulled him out of his comfort zone but delivered tangible, systems-level impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChristie Stewart, senior academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences, added a perspective grounded in well-being and resilience education. She oversees Georgia Tech\u2019s undergraduate wellness requirement and teaches a class called Flourishing: Strategies for Well-Being and Resilience. For years, her students designed wellness and sustainability projects, but rarely had time to carry them out within a semester.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat frustration pushed her toward community-based service learning, linking personal wellness to broader community resilience. Stewart highlighted three strengths she brings to her own Venn diagram: using well-being frameworks; taking a strengths-based approach that helps students identify what they do best; and creating psychologically safe environments where students can discuss values, disagreements, and the emotional strain of large-scale problems like climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor her, the work that needs doing includes building capacity for community partners and helping students recognize that they must protect their own mental and physical health if they want to stay in the work. Her greatest satisfaction comes from seeing students discover a sense of purpose and begin to imagine themselves as future leaders who can \u201cchange culture and advocate\u201d for sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWatts Hull described how Johnson\u2019s Venn diagram helped her reconcile what she wasn\u2019t doing with what she could do best. A sociologist by training who studies social movements and change, she supports the integration of sustainability across the curriculum and teaches one course each year. In her personal life, she attends climate demonstrations, but as an introvert who dislikes large crowds, she rarely stays long and feels guilty about not doing more public-facing activism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompleting the diagram, she said, gave her permission to focus on teaching and movement-building \u2014 her core strengths and sources of joy. She recently led a four-week climate action course at her church and used Johnson\u2019s Venn diagram as an exercise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWatts Hull closed the session by asking participants to sketch their own diagrams, reflect quietly for several minutes, and then share with others at their tables \u2014 a step toward aligning Georgia Tech\u2019s diverse sustainability community around the personal \u201csuperpowers\u201d that can sustain climate action over a lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is an opportunity to get away from what I call self-immersion,\u201d said audience member Jay Bassett, a 1985 Georgia Tech graduate and retired EPA Opportunity Zone and Smart Sector Advisor. \u201cWe have a tendency to get so isolated in what we do,\u201d and \u201cthis offers an opportunity to think beyond that and get past those boundaries and see opportunities that we don\u2019t see before because we\u2019re so self-immersed. That\u2019s an actual skill that we all ought to learn \u2014 to see the bigger picture because it may be the best part of the path forward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople engaged in purpose-driven work can get worn\u0026nbsp;down. At Georgia Tech\u2019s 2026 Sustainability Showcase, three faculty leaders urged attendees to stop trying to do everything and instead focus on the convergence where their strengths, satisfaction, and the most urgent needs intersect.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech faculty invite the campus sustainability community to find the intersection of what they do best, what they love, and where they can make the biggest climate impact."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-03-06 19:14:31","changed_gmt":"2026-03-09 17:43:03","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679540":{"id":"679540","type":"image","title":"Showcase_Joy_Resilience_Session","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERuthie Yow introduces (L to R) Christie Stewart, Matthew Realff, and Rebecca Watts Hull at the 2026 Sustainability Showcase.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772824592","gmt_created":"2026-03-06 19:16:32","changed":"1772824777","gmt_changed":"2026-03-06 19:19:37","alt":"\u0022A group of people stand near large windows in a bright indoor space, with one person holding a microphone and reading from a sheet of paper. Three individuals stand together near a lectern, some holding notes or drinks. In the foreground, a table holds laptops, papers, and a drink cup. The room has light-colored floors and tall window shades that diffuse the natural light.\u0022","file":{"fid":"263713","name":"Showcase_Joy_Resilience_Session.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/06\/Showcase_Joy_Resilience_Session.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/06\/Showcase_Joy_Resilience_Session.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1011879,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/06\/Showcase_Joy_Resilience_Session.jpg?itok=8La2p7m-"}}},"media_ids":["679540"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"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 Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688746":{"#nid":"688746","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Stretch the Future of Assistive Robotics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENow in its fourth year, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/techsage.ahs.illinois.edu\/2025-stretch-robot-pitch-competition-2\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStretch Robot Pitch Competition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E continues to evolve into one of Georgia Tech\u2019s most imaginative and human\u2011centered design challenges. Hosted by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/techsage.ahs.illinois.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechSAge Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cidi.gatech.edu\/research\/rerctechsage\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epart of which\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is located in CIDI), the competition brings together students from across the Institute to create innovative applications for Stretch \u2013 \u0026nbsp;a lightweight, open source mobile manipulator robot with reaching, sensing, and grasping capabilities. Stretch was developed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hello-robot.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHello Robot\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E which was co\u2011founded by former Georgia Tech professor Charlie Kemp.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith its compact form factor, capable arm, and relatively affordable price, Stretch has already become a favorite among researchers looking to push the boundaries of assistive robotics. The pitch competition invites Georgia Tech students to imagine not just what the robot can do, but what it should do to meaningfully improve daily life for people aging with disabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year, teams across several disciplines\u2014from engineering, to business, to computing, and the sciences\u2014submitted video pitches outlining how their technology concept tackles real-world problems users face. The winning team earned $1,000 and, more importantly, the chance to spend a semester working with Stretch in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/awarehome.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAware Home\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E turning their pitch into a working prototype. Sponsors included TechSAge, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai-caring.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI-CARING\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ipat\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInstitute for People and Technology (IPaT)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and Hello Robot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst place was awarded to \u201cChef Stretch,\u201d a concept aimed at helping older adults with disabilities determine whether food has spoiled so they can prepare and consume food safely. The five-student team included Caitlin Woodward and Elizabeth Thompson (College of Engineering), Aditi Ashok (Scheller College of Business), and Michelle Gu and Vedita Sawhney (College of Sciences).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Chef Stretch took the top prize, the judges awarded an honorable mention to Ali Vafaeian (College of Computing) for \u201cBimanual Clothes Manipulation and Assisted Dressing\u201d with a $500 cash prize. His proposal tackles another essential activity of daily living, dressing, which can be challenging task for many individuals with mobility impairments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cidi.gatech.edu\/feature\/stretching-future-assistive-robotics\u0022\u003ERead more about this competition and watch the winning students pitches \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENow in its fourth year, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/techsage.ahs.illinois.edu\/2025-stretch-robot-pitch-competition-2\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStretch Robot Pitch Competition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E continues to evolve into one of Georgia Tech\u2019s most imaginative and human\u2011centered design challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Now in its fourth year, the Stretch Robot Pitch Competition continues to evolve into one of Georgia Tech\u2019s most imaginative and human\u2011centered design challenges. "}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-03-05 18:18:47","changed_gmt":"2026-03-05 18:19:11","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679531":{"id":"679531","type":"image","title":"Chef Stretch","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gu, Aditi Ashok, Caitlin Woodward, Elizabeth Thompson, and Vedita Sawhney pose with Stretch and their award certificates. They won $1000 and the opportunity to develop their concept in the Aware Home.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772734436","gmt_created":"2026-03-05 18:13:56","changed":"1772734469","gmt_changed":"2026-03-05 18:14:29","alt":"Michelle Gu, Aditi Ashok, Caitlin Woodward, Elizabeth Thompson, and Vedita Sawhney pose with Stretch and their award certificates. They won $1000 and the opportunity to develop their concept in the Aware Home. ","file":{"fid":"263704","name":"chef-stretch.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/chef-stretch.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/chef-stretch.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1558640,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/05\/chef-stretch.png?itok=5yT5NAMp"}}},"media_ids":["679531"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688606":{"#nid":"688606","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IPaT Research Scientists Supporting Pediatric Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ipat\u0022\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/a\u003E (IPaT) is deeply engaged in advancing pediatric research and clinical innovation through a partnership with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ptc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E (PTC). The center brings clinical experts from Children\u2019s together with Georgia Tech scientists and engineers to develop technological solutions to problems in the health and care of children. The PTC provides opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration to create breakthrough discoveries that enhance the lives of children and young adults in Georgia and beyond.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIPaT is supporting research within two of PTC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pedsresearch.org\/centers\/pediatric-technology-center\/pillar-leadership\u0022\u003Ethree core research pillars\u003C\/a\u003E: data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence; and patient\u2011centered care delivery. PTC\u2019s third research pillar is focused on technologies and devices. With the expertise of IPaT\u2019s research scientists, these joint efforts combine scientific expertise, clinical insight, and shared funding that are helping to transform research innovations into operational tools that directly support pediatric patient care at Children\u2019s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIPaT is bringing two core competencies to both of these research pillars,\u201d said Maribeth Gandy Coleman, IPaT\u2019s director of research. \u201cFirst, we\u2019re advocating for and supporting the use of people-centered techniques to inform the research and co-designing the resulting system with all the stakeholders. Second, we\u2019re also making sure we can translate this research into a real return on investment for Children\u2019s. We are ensuring that what we design can be deployed in the hospital, and that it can be integrated with their existing systems and merge as seamlessly as possible with their existing workflows.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupporting Data Science, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence (Pillar 1)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPillar 1 focuses on harnessing artificial intelligence to enable more personalized and predictive pediatric care. The work aims to improve data collection infrastructure, support equitable AI practices, and build a Children\u2019s-Georgia Tech pediatric AI collaboration that integrates advanced AI tools into clinical workflows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClinical Deterioration Prediction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOne of the flagship projects within Pillar 1 involves developing machine learning models that can detect clinical deterioration in hospitalized children. The goal is to identify when a patient needs urgent escalation to the intensive care unit \u2014 faster and more accurately than traditional monitoring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve this, IPaT research scientists are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EExtracting and securely transferring electronic health record (EHR) data from Children\u2019s clinical systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETraining predictive models using that real\u2011world data.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBuilding the software infrastructure required to deploy these models inside Children\u2019s.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIntegrating model outputs directly into the EHR using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources\u0026nbsp;communication protocols. (FHIR is an international standard for the electronic exchange of healthcare information.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis infrastructure is intentionally designed not just for this single project but as a repeatable, scalable framework for future AI\u2011enabled clinical tools developed through the Children\u2019s-Georgia Tech partnership.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI-Enhanced Decision-Making for Hospital Operations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA second emerging project under Pillar 1 aims to address one of healthcare\u2019s most persistent operational challenges: ICU capacity management. Seasonal fluctuations, such as surges in flu or Covid\u201119 cases, can create sudden ICU demand surges and staff illnesses, which can make scheduling and staffing decisions challenging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIPaT is building models that incorporate historical hospital activity, seasonal variation, and real\u2011time census and staffing levels to predict scheduling needs and help Children\u2019s optimize resource allocation. This research is just beginning, but holds the potential for improving both care delivery and staff well\u2011being. More importantly, IPaT is applying user-centered design and research techniques along with the engineering work to engage with Children\u2019s people and processes to ensure that these prediction and resource allocation models actually work, and that they will actually be used and useful in the Children\u2019s clinical environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupporting Patient\u2011Centered Care Delivery (Pillar 2)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPillar 2 seeks to improve pediatric outcomes by focusing on the \u201cwhole child\u201d \u2014 physical, psychological, social, and emotional well\u2011being \u2014 while accounting for the needs of families, caregivers, and community environments. Particular emphasis is placed on behavioral health, rural healthcare access, and chronic illness in underserved populations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIPaT contributes to this work on two fronts:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUser Experience and Workflow Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIPaT\u2019s user experience (UX) researchers conduct interviews, workflow studies, and design evaluations with Children\u2019s clinicians and staff. This human\u2011centered research helps shape the interfaces, processes, and technologies needed to deliver patient\u2011centered care in practical, usable ways. These contributions ensure that tools created through the partnership align with the realities of clinical practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EData Integration for Behavioral and Social Insights\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor Pillar 2 research,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ipat\/sde\u0022\u003EIPaT\u2019s secure data enclave\u003C\/a\u003E enables Children\u2019s EHR data to be transferred, stored, and analyzed in a HIPAA\u2011compliant environment. Researchers are using this infrastructure to combine clinical data with voluntarily contributed social media information from consenting participants. The aim is to explore indicators of psychological well\u2011being, behavioral health trends, and early warnings related to self\u2011harm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Secure, Scalable Data Infrastructure to Support Both Pillars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe IPaT secure data enclave provides a protected, secure environment for storing and analyzing sensitive patient information. It serves as the backbone connecting Georgia Tech researchers with Children\u2019s clinical systems. Both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 research initiatives rely on this Georgia Tech IPaT-managed secure infrastructure to safely enable:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEHR data transfer and storage.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMachine learning model development.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETesting and validation workflows.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEventual operational deployment back into Children\u2019s systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis secure, scalable architecture is central to the shared goal of translating research into actionable clinical tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAccelerating Pediatric Discovery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s partnership with Children\u2019s represents a powerful model for cross\u2011institutional innovation. By aligning IPaT\u2019s strengths in human\u2011centered design, machine learning, and secure data systems with Children\u2019s clinical expertise, IPaT is helping to build solutions that move quickly from concept to bedside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs these projects grow, especially with the ongoing expansion of the clinical deterioration system and the launch of the AI-enhanced operations initiative, IPaT research scientists anticipate even greater opportunities to support Children\u2019s mission and improve pediatric health outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThank you to Richard Starr for providing insight about these research projects.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) is deeply engaged in advancing pediatric research and clinical innovation through a partnership with the Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech (PTC).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) is deeply engaged in advancing pediatric research and clinical innovation through a partnership with the Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech (PTC). "}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-02-27 19:40:01","changed_gmt":"2026-03-05 15:05:05","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679477":{"id":"679477","type":"image","title":"Photo of the joint Children\u0027s and Georgia Tech Pillar 1 team taken September 2025.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA photo of the joint Children\u0027s and Georgia Tech Pillar 1 research team taken September 2025. Six research faculty members from IPaT are in the picture: Peter Presti, Maribeth Gandy Coleman, Clint Zeagler, Jeremy Johnson, Richard Starr, Kala Jordan and Christine Taylor, a graduate research assistant in IPaT.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772215469","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 18:04:29","changed":"1772222909","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 20:08:29","alt":"Photo of the joint Children\u0027s and Georgia Tech Pillar 1 team taken September 2025.","file":{"fid":"263644","name":"IMG_2185-copy3-smaller-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/IMG_2185-copy3-smaller-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/IMG_2185-copy3-smaller-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1659699,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/IMG_2185-copy3-smaller-cropped.jpg?itok=S6xXxovw"}}},"media_ids":["679477"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"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":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688531":{"#nid":"688531","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Utility Structure, Pricing, and Energy Incentive Programs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent study by EPIcenter affiliates Brian An and John Kim and researchers at Georgia Tech, Iowa State University, and Clemson University examines how utility-level characteristics\u2014such as ownership structure, electricity pricing, and incentive programs\u2014shape residential electricity consumption in the Southeastern U.S. Using data from 105 electric utilities in Georgia and North Carolina, the authors analyze how governance models (investor-owned, municipal, cooperative), demographic factors, and program offerings interact to influence household energy use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study finds that higher electricity rates and greater shares of college-educated residents are associated with lower household consumption, while larger homes, electric heating, and higher incomes drive usage upward. Notably, electric vehicle (EV) incentive programs correlate with increased household electricity demand\u2014even after controlling for public charging infrastructure\u2014suggesting these programs effectively promote EV adoption and at-home charging. In contrast, energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) programs show no clear relationship with consumption in multivariate models.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/24\/utility-structure-pricing-and-energy-incentive-programs\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story and listen to a related podcast on the EPIcenter Newspage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent study by EPIcenter affiliates Brian An and John Kim and researchers at Georgia Tech, Iowa State University, and Clemson University examines how utility-level characteristics\u2014such as ownership structure, electricity pricing, and incentive programs\u2014shape residential electricity consumption in the Southeastern U.S. Using data from 105 electric utilities in Georgia and North Carolina, the authors analyze how governance models (investor-owned, municipal, cooperative), demographic factors, and program offerings interact to influence household energy use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A recent study by EPIcenter affiliates Brian An and John Kim and researchers at Georgia Tech, Iowa State University, and Clemson University examines how utility-level characteristics shape residential electricity consumption in the Southeastern U.S."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 20:16:46","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 20:24:02","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679438":{"id":"679438","type":"image","title":"UtilityStructure--Pricing-EPIcenter-02242026-AdobeStock_559085927-1024x684.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1772050633","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 20:17:13","changed":"1772050633","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 20:17:13","alt":"Stacks of coins topped with green icons representing clean energy and sustainability.","file":{"fid":"263601","name":"UtilityStructure--Pricing-EPIcenter-02242026-AdobeStock_559085927-1024x684.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/UtilityStructure--Pricing-EPIcenter-02242026-AdobeStock_559085927-1024x684.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/UtilityStructure--Pricing-EPIcenter-02242026-AdobeStock_559085927-1024x684.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76977,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/UtilityStructure--Pricing-EPIcenter-02242026-AdobeStock_559085927-1024x684.jpeg?itok=_PkMnlJG"}}},"media_ids":["679438"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/24\/utility-structure-pricing-and-energy-incentive-programs\/","title":"Read Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage"}],"groups":[{"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"},{"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 Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ggonzalez68@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688526":{"#nid":"688526","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Beyond the Cost of EV Ownership and Adoption","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent study by EPIcenter faculty affiliates Joe F. Bozeman III (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology) and Daniel C. Matisoff (Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology), along with John D. Kim (Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology) and co-authors Sanya Carley, David M. Konisky, Jeremy J. Michalek, and Destenie Nock, examines U.S. household electric vehicle (EV) ownership and adoption intent beyond upfront costs, focusing on charging access, travel behavior, housing, and demographics. The study utilizes a nationally representative survey of 2,870 households to examine how these factors shape both current EV ownership rates and consumers\u2019 intentions to purchase or lease an EV in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study finds that EV ownership remains relatively low among households with \u201cmedian\u201d characteristics \u2014 approximately 1% of household vehicles are electric \u2014 but increases substantially when households report access to community charging infrastructure. In contrast, single\u2011vehicle households and households located in states without Tesla dealerships exhibit significantly lower EV ownership rates. When examining adoption intent, the authors find that access to community and workplace charging, trust in the federal government, more liberal political ideology, younger age, and urban residence are consistently associated with higher stated interest in EV adoption. Notably, single\u2011vehicle households express significantly greater intent to adopt one in the future, despite being less likely to own an EV today. The analysis also reveals that public transit users show elevated EV adoption intent at earlier stages of consideration, suggesting potential complementarities between transit use and personal vehicle electrification.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/10\/beyond-the-cost-of-ev-ownership-and-adoption\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story and listen to a related podcast on the EPIcenter Newspage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent study by EPIcenter faculty affiliates Joe F. Bozeman III (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology) and Daniel C. Matisoff (Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology), along with John D. Kim (Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology) and co-authors Sanya Carley, David M. Konisky, Jeremy J. Michalek, and Destenie Nock, examines U.S. household electric vehicle (EV) ownership and adoption intent beyond upfront costs, focusing on charging access, travel behavior, housing, and demographics. The study utilizes a nationally representative survey of 2,870 households to examine how these factors shape both current EV ownership rates and consumers\u2019 intentions to purchase or lease an EV in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A recent Georgia Tech study examines U.S. household electric vehicle (EV) ownership and adoption intent beyond upfront costs, focusing on charging access, travel behavior, housing, and demographics."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 20:07:56","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 20:23:27","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679436":{"id":"679436","type":"image","title":"EPIcenterEV_Study-Feb102026AdobeStock_125980820.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1772050115","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 20:08:35","changed":"1772050115","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 20:08:35","alt":"Row of electric vehicles parked on a street and charging from charging poles","file":{"fid":"263599","name":"EPIcenterEV_Study-Feb102026AdobeStock_125980820.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/EPIcenterEV_Study-Feb102026AdobeStock_125980820.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/EPIcenterEV_Study-Feb102026AdobeStock_125980820.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":295742,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/EPIcenterEV_Study-Feb102026AdobeStock_125980820.jpeg?itok=yU9f7DgC"}}},"media_ids":["679436"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/10\/beyond-the-cost-of-ev-ownership-and-adoption\/","title":"Read Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"194607","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"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"},{"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 Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ggonzalez68@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688502":{"#nid":"688502","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Understanding the Data Center Building Boom ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) drives explosive growth in data centers, communities across the U.S. are facing rising electricity costs, new industrial development, and mounting strain on an aging power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, several faculty members are approaching these sustainability challenges from different but complementary angles: examining how data center policy affects local communities, modeling how AI-driven demand reshapes regional energy systems, and building tools that help the public understand the tradeoffs embedded in grid planning. Together, their work highlights how better data, thoughtful policy, and public engagement can guide more resilient and equitable decisions in an AI-powered future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI\u2019s Hidden Footprint: How Data Centers Reshape Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAhmed Saeed studies the infrastructure most people never see. An assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow, Saeed focuses on how data centers \u2014 the backbone of modern AI \u2014 are built, operated, and regulated, and what their growth means for host communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cData centers are the infrastructure for our digital life, so more of them are necessary to keep doing what we\u2019re doing,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData center energy consumption could double or triple by 2028, accounting for up to 12% of U.S. electricity use, according to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/escholarship.org\/uc\/item\/32d6m0d1\u0022\u003Ereport by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. U.S. spending on data center construction jumped nearly 70% between May 2023 and May 2024, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/americanedgeproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Americas-AI-Surge-Powering-Growth-in-Every-State.pdf\u0022\u003EAmerican Edge Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is an AI data center hub, ranked fourth globally, with $4.6 billion in AI-related venture capital invested across 368 deals, the American Edge Project reported. At a recent \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/sustainability-fellowship-supports-professors-data-center-research\u0022\u003Etown hall in DeKalb County, Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, Saeed helped residents connect AI\u2019s promise to its local consequences. Training large AI models can require tens of thousands of graphics processing units (GPUs) running for days or weeks, driving an unprecedented wave of data center construction. AI-focused chips, he noted, can consume 10 to 14 times more power than traditional processors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat demand often shows up as pressure on local infrastructure. Communities are increasingly concerned about electricity and water use, grid upgrades, and who ultimately pays. In Virginia, Saeed pointed to a legal dispute in which consumer advocates warned that data centers could raise electricity bills by 5% in the short term and up to 50% over time, while utilities argued those investments were inevitable and could benefit customers in the long run.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental concerns add another layer. Saeed cited controversies over water use and backup diesel generators in states, including Georgia and Tennessee, alongside a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling that tightened generator regulations. While diesel generators are clearly harmful, he cautioned that long-term, rigorous evidence linking data centers to regional health impacts remains limited.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaeed\u2019s research aims to reduce those impacts directly. By optimizing how workloads are scheduled across large server fleets, his team has demonstrated power savings of 4 \u2013 12%, a meaningful gain if U.S. data centers approach projected levels of up to 12% of national electricity use by 2028.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Saeed, data centers are akin to highways: essential to modern life, disruptive to nearby communities, and shaped by policy choices. The question, he argues, is not whether AI infrastructure should exist, but how transparently and fairly it is built.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomist Probes the Energy Costs of the AI Boom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile headlines often frame AI as an energy crisis, Georgia Tech environmental and energy economist and BBISS Faculty Fellow Tony Harding is focused on measuring its real \u2014 and uneven \u2014 impacts. Harding, an assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, uses economic modeling to examine how AI adoption affects energy use, emissions, and local communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/ae0e3b\u0022\u003Erecent work\u003C\/a\u003E published in \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, Harding and his co-author analyzed how productivity gains from AI could influence national energy demand. Their findings suggest that, at a macro level, AI-related activity may increase annual U.S. energy use by about 0.03% and CO\u2082 emissions by roughly 0.02%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose numbers are small in the context of the overall economy,\u201d Harding said. \u201cBut the impacts are highly uneven.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat unevenness is evident in where data centers are built. While Northern Virginia remains the country\u2019s top data center hub, with 343 operational data centers, states like Georgia, which currently has 94 operational data centers, are rapidly attracting facilities due to reliable power and favorable tax policies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarding\u2019s latest research focuses on local effects, asking why data centers cluster in urban areas, how they influence housing markets, what happens to electricity prices, and whether they exacerbate water stress. Early evidence suggests large facilities can increase local electricity rates, contributing to public backlash and regulatory response. In Georgia, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psc.ga.gov\/site\/assets\/files\/8617\/media_advisory_data_centers_rule_1-23-2025.pdf\u0022\u003EPublic Service Commission\u003C\/a\u003E has begun requiring new, high power draw customers (like data centers) to cover more of the costs associated with grid expansion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarding\u2019s goal is to give policymakers better evidence to design incentives and guardrails. \u201cTo manage these technologies responsibly,\u201d he said, \u201cwe need a clear picture of their intended and unintended consequences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGamifying a Strained and Aging Power Grid\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDaniel Molzahn is tackling another side of the problem: how to modernize an aging power grid under growing demand. Electricity demand is expected to rise about 25% by 2030, driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and broadscale electrification. At the same time, much of the U.S. electricity grid is nearing the end of its lifespan, with many transformers being decades old.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make these challenges tangible, Molzahn, an associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, developed a browser-based game with a group of students through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/frm_display\/team-listings\/entry\/1303\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects\u003C\/a\u003E program called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/currentcrisis.itch.io\/current-crisis\u0022\u003ECurrent Crisis\u003C\/a\u003E. Players take on the role of a utility decision-maker, balancing reliability, wildfire risk, renewable integration, and affordability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe game grew out of Molzahn\u2019s National Science Foundation CAREER award and reflects his belief that complex systems are best understood experientially. Its initial focus is wildfire resilience, modeling how grid infrastructure can both spark and suffer damage from fires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut resilience comes at a cost. Burying power lines, for example, reduces wildfire risk but dramatically increases expenses. Players must confront the same tradeoffs utilities face: improve reliability or keep rates low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMolzahn hopes the game will help students and the public grapple with the realities of planning future power systems. \u201cThese choices aren\u2019t abstract,\u201d he said. \u201cThey shape affordability, resilience, and our path toward a cleaner grid.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project now involves nearly 40 students from across campus, supported by Sustainability NEXT funding and a collaboration with Jessica Roberts, former BBISS Faculty Fellow and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tiles.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ETechnology-Integrated Learning Environments (TILES) Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in the School of Interactive Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a learning scientist, I look at how to engage people with science and scientific data and get people having conversations they might not otherwise have,\u201d says Roberts, who hopes the seed grant helps the team determine first that they are going in the right direction and, second, how to broaden the impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne student, Stella Quinto Lima, a graduate research assistant in Human-Centered Computing, has made the game the focus of her doctoral thesis. Through the game, she wants players to notice their misconceptions about the power grid, energy use, and AI, and to use critical thinking to identify, question, and possibly undo those misconceptions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cI hope that we can really engage adults and help them see it\u2019s not black and white. The game is not only about power grids, but how AI affects the grid, how it affects our lives, and how it will impact our future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team plans to expand the game\u2019s features, use it in outreach programs, and analyze player decisions as a source of data to study energy-system decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to change the conversation about power and power grid stability, reliability, and sustainability, Roberts said, \u201cand find a way to get this message to a larger public.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) drives explosive growth in data centers, communities across the U.S. are facing rising electricity costs, new industrial development, and mounting strain on an aging power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Explosive data center growth requires research to inform policies which manage the building of this critical infrastructure."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 20:29:10","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 16:43:42","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679428":{"id":"679428","type":"image","title":"Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized","body":null,"created":"1772037433","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 16:37:13","changed":"1772037615","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 16:40:15","alt":"Three men\u0027s individual portrait-style photos are arranged side by side, each showing a person from the shoulders up. The individuals wear collared shirts and appear in different lighting settings, including a dark background, a neutral studio backdrop, and a bright white background.","file":{"fid":"263591","name":"Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":872348,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg?itok=TPizgOZr"}}},"media_ids":["679428"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"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":""}},"688378":{"#nid":"688378","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 BBISS Sustainability Showcase Recap: Resilience Is About Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by: Shweta Ram and Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat does it mean to design systems that endure even after major disruptions? This question framed the 2026 Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Sustainability Showcase, where conversations over two days spanned the Georgia coast, wildfire modeling, AI data centers, infrastructure, community engagement, and the joy of working for a more sustainable and resilient world. Across disciplines and scales, a unifying theme emerged: resilience is not a single solution. It is a systems-level challenge requiring integration across science and technology, policy, communities, and human experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Coastlines to Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe showcase opened with a keynote from President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough on wildlife management and resiliency along Georgia\u2019s coast. The conversation that followed between Clough and BBISS Executive Director Beril Toktay highlighted the interconnection between public policy, wilderness conservation, community leadership, and scientific research. The session highlighted not only the urgency of protecting fragile ecosystems, but also that resilience works best when it is community-focused and community-driven.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESubsequent panels continued this systemic perspective. Sessions on community engagement, biotechnology-derived, climate-resilient plants, the flood resilience of Georgia coastal communities, wildfire prediction and prevention, and infrastructure resilience analytics all emphasized that resilience depends on the synthesis of many disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross sessions, researchers emphasized that infrastructure resilience must include governance frameworks informed by good science, community engagement based on trust, and sustained collaboration that seeks to constantly improve the science, policy, and stakeholder relationships. The researchers demonstrated that they understand their role to be greater than merely modeling risk, but as collaborators who translate research into practical solutions that communities can adopt, maintain, and trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI Data Centers: A New Resilience Frontier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDay two shifted attention to data centers, which are emerging as a critical resilience frontier.\u0026nbsp;As artificial intelligence systems scale rapidly, so does the infrastructure that powers them, as well as the growing realization that digital systems are physical systems. Conversations examined the feedback loops that play a significant role in determining environmental impacts, such as chip architecture, AI workloads, data center sustainability, appropriate AI usage, and who makes the decisions on data center infrastructure development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most fascinating sessions came from Alexandria Smith, assistant professor in the School of Music at Georgia Tech. She presented an artistic yet algorithmic composition that sonified data from AI data centers. Through translating kilowatt-hour usage and interconnection data into immersive soundscapes, she reframed data centers not as static input-output machines, but as adaptive, living systems. Drawing inspiration from \u003Cem\u003EPhysarum polycephalum\u003C\/em\u003E, a slime mold without a brain or nervous system known for its innate problem-solving abilities, she invites the listener to imagine infrastructure that senses, adapts, and self-optimizes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus as a Living Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn her session, Professor Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability, highlighted Georgia Tech\u2019s 2024 Climate Action Plan, focusing on building energy efficiency, renewable integration, materials management, and mobility transitions. The plan frames the Georgia Tech campus as a test bed for resilience strategies \u2014 an ecosystem where research, operations, and policy intersect. Chirico highlighted several examples where the alignment between research and implementation was essential in moving projects from modeling to pilot projects to sustained institutional change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding Joy in Climate Action\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERebecca Watts Hull, Matthew Realff, and Christie Stewart led an interactive discussion inspired by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson\u2019s framework for accelerating long-term climate action. Participants were asked three simple questions: What are you good at? What work needs doing? What brings you joy? Sustainability and climate research are fields often defined by serious urgency, crisis narratives, and burnout. This session offered a personal framework for resilience where emotional sustainability, professional fulfillment, and joy matter just as much as the motivation to drive a mission ever forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Shared Vision\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Showcase concluded with a facilitated visioning session led by Kristin Janacek, associate director for Interdisciplinary Research Impact, and Beril Toktay. In small groups, leaders, researchers, and community members worked to define what resilience looks like for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the conversations, several themes emerged:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EResilience must move from research to practical and community-based solutions to sustained action.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENetworks create opportunity but require long-term stewardship to endure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoosing the right metrics to measure resilience will galvanize efforts to strengthen it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECommunity capacity is at least as important as built infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver two days, it became clear that Georgia Tech is not approaching resilience as a narrow technical problem. It is approaching it as a systems challenge \u2014 one that spans coastlines, campuses, disciplines, data centers, the Appalachian Mountains, data models, the arts, and human relationships. Designing systems that endure requires more than innovation. It requires collaboration, stewardship, and a shared commitment to long-term impact. The conversations launched at this year\u2019s BBISS Sustainability Showcase laid the foundation for continued coordination and ambitious action in the months ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Sustainability Showcase was held recently in the Scholars Event Theater in the Price Gilbert Library. Two days of conversations spanned the Georgia coast, wildfire modeling, AI data centers, infrastructure, community engagement, and the joy of working for a more sustainable and resilient world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Across disciplines and scales, a unifying theme emerged: resilience is not a single solution. It is a systems-level challenge requiring integration across science and technology, policy, communities, and human experience."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 22:33:59","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 22:38:36","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679363":{"id":"679363","type":"image","title":"Showcase_cropped.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771454051","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 22:34:11","changed":"1771454051","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 22:34:11","alt":"A view inside the Scholars Event Theater of a session of the Sustainability Showcase. A man speaks to a crowd while presenting slides on a large projection screen.","file":{"fid":"263513","name":"Showcase_cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/Showcase_cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/Showcase_cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":915573,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/Showcase_cropped.jpg?itok=JyP4R8WN"}}},"media_ids":["679363"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"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 Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688369":{"#nid":"688369","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Future of Healing: Smart Bandage Could Transform Diabetic Wound Care and Beyond","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile most people don\u2019t think twice about a cut or scrape, for those with diabetes, every wound is a potential threat that requires vigilant care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiabetic foot ulcers, for example, are slow to heal and can increase the risk of infection, hospitalization, and even amputation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address this critical challenge, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a sensor designed to monitor chronic wounds in real-time. Embedded directly into a bandage, this flexible, low-cost device could transform wound management for diabetic patients and other critical applications \u2014 such as providing direct treatment to soldiers on the battlefield or managing chronic wounds in elderly populations and patients with limited healthcare access \u2014 by reducing invasive bandage changes and ensuring timely medical intervention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor diabetic patients with foot ulcers, long-term monitoring and care are essential,\u201d said GTRI Principal Research Engineer and Project Lead Judy Song. \u201cWe were inspired by the success of wearable glucose monitors to develop a compact, affordable sensor tailored to wound care.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project was supported by GTRI\u2019s Independent Research and Development (IRAD) program between 2022-2025 and reflects the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration across Georgia Tech. Researchers from three out of GTRI\u2019s eight laboratories developed the sensor with experts from the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/diabetes\/foot-ulcers\u0022\u003Eone in four\u003C\/a\u003E people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer at some point in their lives, making it one of the leading causes of foot amputations. For these patients, nerve damage and poor blood flow hinder the body\u2019s natural healing process and allow wounds to linger and worsen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the initial phases of their research, the team noted that nitric oxide (NO) had been previously identified as a key biomarker for wound health due to its central role in the healing process. Nitric oxide improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, promotes tissue growth and fights infection. By tracking nitric oxide levels in wounds, clinicians could determine whether a wound is improving or detect early signs of trouble.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Nitric oxide plays a fascinating, almost paradoxical, role in wound healing,\u201d said GTRI Senior Research Engineer Victoria Razin, who is co-leading the project. \u201cIt\u2019s essential for processes like blood flow and tissue repair, but can also signal when something is going wrong.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the core of the smart bandage is a flexible sensor powered by a three-electrode system capable of detecting changes in nitric oxide. The team used advanced Aerosol Jet\u00ae printing techniques to fabricate the sensor, significantly reducing production costs from thousands of dollars to just a few dollars per unit and making the design more affordable and scalable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTypically, prototyping these sensors can cost thousands of dollars, but our approach brought costs down dramatically,\u201d said Chuck Zhang, the Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. Chair and Professor in ISYE and a program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF), who oversaw sensor fabrication for this project. \u201cLower costs let us iterate quickly and deliver something that could have real healthcare impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test the sensor\u2019s accuracy, the team conducted extensive laboratory studies in both biological and simulated wound conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one set of experiments, endothelial cell cultures were used to create \u201cwounds\u201d by scraping the cell layers. As the cells migrated to repair the gap, nitric oxide production increased, and the sensor successfully tracked these changes in real-time. Additional fluid tests using blood plasma and red blood cells demonstrated that the sensor could reliably detect nitric oxide in a variety of conditions that closely mimic real-world wound environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese experiments confirmed that the sensor can identify the fluctuations in nitric oxide associated with different phases of wound healing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELab testing was led by Dr. Wilbur Lam, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and at Emory University School of Medicine, with support from Kirby Fibben, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There\u2019s a significant clinical need for real time, minimally invasive sensor technologies that detect nitric oxide,\u201d said Dr. Lam. \u201cWhile we\u2019re starting with wound healing, there\u2019s multiple other applications for vascular, hematologic, and pulmonary diseases as well.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next step in the project is integrating the sensor into a functional wearable device. The team is combining the sensor with a miniaturized potentiostat (MicroPS) \u2013 a small electronic device that measures chemical signals \u2013 along with flexible electronic components and a system to transmit data to a mobile app.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MicroPS, designed by the GTRI research team, led by GTRI Research Engineer Curtis Mulady, enables compact electrochemical measurements and the wireless platform transmits nitric oxide readings from the bandage to a mobile app via Bluetooth. The app uploads the data to a cloud platform, giving clinicians the ability to remotely monitor wound progress in real time. This system could reduce the need for frequent in-person checkups, enabling earlier interventions and improving outcomes for patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFuture iterations of the bandage aim to include \u201cclosed-loop\u201d systems capable of both monitoring and treating wounds, said GTRI\u2019s Song. For example, sensors could trigger a response, like releasing therapeutic agents or antimicrobials directly to the wound, when abnormalities are detected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are also exploring commercialization pathways, including partnerships with medical device companies or the formation of a startup.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis sensor meets a real need for early detection of infection and to evaluate wound healing, and I believe it could have significant commercial success,\u201d said Peter Hesketh, a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering who led sensor design and performance testing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther contributors to this project from GTRI include Mulady, Cora Weidner, Maxwell Blanchard, Rachel Erbrick and Christopher Heist. Zhaonan \u201cZeke\u201d Liu, a postdoctoral fellow in ISYE, assisted with sensor fabrication, while Rizky Ilhamsyah, a graduate research assistant in the School of Mechanical Engineering, contributed to sensor design and performance testing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Anna Akins\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EPhotos: Sean McNeil\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGTRI Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr\u003EAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information, please contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Egtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about GTRI, visit: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute | GTRI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI and Georgia Tech have developed a smart bandage that could transform wound care for diabetic patients, battlefield soldiers, and others by enabling real-time insights and reducing invasive bandage changes for timely treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTRI and Georgia Tech have developed a smart bandage that could transform wound care for diabetic patients, battlefield soldiers, and others by enabling real-time insights and reducing invasive bandage changes for timely treatment."}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 19:06:21","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 19:18:25","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679351":{"id":"679351","type":"image","title":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_23.JPG","body":null,"created":"1771439806","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 18:36:46","changed":"1771439806","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 18:36:46","alt":"A photo of some of the researchers leading the project written about. ","file":{"fid":"263501","name":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_23.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_23.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_23.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14672403,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_23.JPG?itok=oXM8Z-Ko"}},"679350":{"id":"679350","type":"image","title":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_30.JPG","body":null,"created":"1771439636","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 18:33:56","changed":"1771439636","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 18:33:56","alt":"A photo of some of the researchers leading the project written about. ","file":{"fid":"263500","name":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_30.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_30_0.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_30_0.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":15655217,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_30_0.JPG?itok=IMk9L6R1"}},"679348":{"id":"679348","type":"image","title":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_13.JPG","body":null,"created":"1771439373","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 18:29:33","changed":"1771439373","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 18:29:33","alt":"A photo of a Georgia Tech graduate student operating the Aerosol Jet\u00ae printer to fabricate the sensor. ","file":{"fid":"263498","name":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_13.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_13.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_13.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":16282934,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_13.JPG?itok=1OcSDjG3"}},"679347":{"id":"679347","type":"image","title":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_04.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI and Georgia Tech\u0027s smart bandage could revolutionize wound care by enabling real-time insights on healing and reducing invasive bandage changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771439244","gmt_created":"2026-02-18 18:27:24","changed":"1771439244","gmt_changed":"2026-02-18 18:27:24","alt":"A close-up of the Aerosol Jet printer as it designs a sensor prototype. ","file":{"fid":"263497","name":"2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_04.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_04_1.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_04_1.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10790154,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/18\/2026_0108_image_ATAS_wound-healing-sensor_04_1.JPG?itok=LJKojKRi"}}},"media_ids":["679351","679350","679348","679347"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179693","name":"biomedical sensors"},{"id":"192132","name":"improving human condition"},{"id":"543","name":"National Security"},{"id":"94241","name":"diabetes treatments"},{"id":"12463","name":"Wound Healing"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"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\u003EFor more information, please contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Egtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anna Akins (anna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688066":{"#nid":"688066","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Leanne West Named 2026 Innovator of the Year in Pediatric Health","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2937\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELeanne West\u003C\/a\u003E, chief engineer of pediatric technologies at Georgia Tech and a national leader in pediatric health innovation, has been honored as a 2026 Innovator of the Year in Pediatric Health by\u202fthe \u003Cem\u003EAtlanta Business Chronicle\u003C\/em\u003E\u202fand selected as one of\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.titan100.biz\/2026-georgia-titan-100\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETitan CEO\u2019s 2026 Georgia Titan 100 Honorees\u003C\/a\u003E. These recognitions celebrate West\u2019s leadership and impact in pediatric health innovation at both the local and national level.\u202fIn January, West was also named chief research and innovation officer at Shriners Children\u2019s, a role that expands her longstanding commitment to pediatric innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more than a decade, West has been instrumental in the partnership between Georgia Tech and Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, working through the Pediatric Technology Center (PTC) to translate clinical needs into engineered solutions for children. In this role, she has worked alongside Children\u2019s clinicians, nurses, and researchers to identify unmet needs, form multidisciplinary teams, and guide projects from early concepts through prototyping, validation, funding, and regulatory pathways. The Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta PTC established Atlanta as a nationally recognized hub for pediatric technology innovation enabling clinician-driven research, accelerating translational projects, and fostering a culture in which engineering solutions are shaped directly by real clinical experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2019,\u202fWest began building a relationship with Shriners, working to understand their most pressing clinical needs. She then connected clinicians with researchers at Georgia Tech, Emory University, and Kennesaw State University to foster collaborations focused on real-world clinical challenges. She also supported teams with promising prototypes by helping them navigate national funding opportunities and pathways at the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), accelerating the transition from lab discoveries to patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver time, this steady engagement evolved into a strong research partnership. In June 2025, Shriners announced they are joining the robust pediatric innovation ecosystem in Atlanta by establishing the\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/03\/shriners-childrens-establish-research-institute-science-square\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EShriners Children\u2019s Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E\u202f(SCRI). SCRI will be co-located with Georgia Tech as the anchor tenant at Science Square. This investment will be transformational for the future of pediatric research and innovation in the state of Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat excites me most is what we can accomplish together when we combine our strengths to align around a children-first mindset to improve the healthcare of children everywhere,\u201d said West. \u201cKids will benefit in ways no one organization could achieve alone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWest\u2019s leadership in pediatric innovation doesn\u2019t stop there. In November 2025, she consolidated three major gatherings into the first International Pediatric Healthcare Innovation Summit,\u202fcombining the Pediatric Innovation Day, the International Society for Pediatric Innovation\u2019s (iSPI) biennial PEDS2040 event, and the joint meeting of the FDA-funded Pediatric Device Consortia. The Summit highlighted the work of Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, bringing together more than 150 representatives from children\u2019s hospitals, startups, venture capitalists, clinicians, patients, and leaders from across the Georgia innovation ecosystem, strengthening the region\u2019s global presence in pediatric health innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs president of the International Children\u2019s Advisory Network (iCAN), West continues to elevate the voices of young people with chronic and rare conditions and their caregivers. Under her leadership, iCAN partners with industry, regulators, and the FDA to ensure pediatric patients are included in device and drug development, clinical trials, healthcare education, and regulatory conversations. She also champions opportunities that train and inspire youth and early career professionals to pursue roles across healthcare and life sciences \u2014 from clinicians and innovators to public health leaders and patient advocates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWest served as an invited speaker at the 2025 World Health Organization\u2019s World Children\u2019s Health Day on the Importance of Clinical Trials for the Safety of Children, and at the FDA\u2019s meeting on the Implementation of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and Pediatric Research Equity Act. She continues to contribute nationally through service on the Medical Device Innovation Consortium\u2019s (MDIC) NEST executive committee to advance use of real-world evidence in regulatory submissions, particularly for pediatric devices, and the MDIC Patient Value committee. In addition, she serves on the iSPI executive team, the Patient Focused Medicines Development board, the Pediatric Trials Network steering committee, and as a judge for MedTech Innovator.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWest\u2019s awards and new role reflect the cumulative impact of more than a decade of leadership, partnership-building, and translational work across the worldwide pediatric ecosystem. West and her fellow honorees will be officially recognized at the 2026 Health Care Champion Awards on March 19 and at the Titan 100 Awards on May 7.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis recognition celebrates West\u2019s leadership and impact in pediatric health innovation at both the local and national level.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This recognition celebrates West\u2019s leadership and impact in pediatric health innovation at both the local and national level."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2026-02-06 13:07:47","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 19:04:26","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679212":{"id":"679212","type":"image","title":"Leanne West","body":null,"created":"1770398827","gmt_created":"2026-02-06 17:27:07","changed":"1770398857","gmt_changed":"2026-02-06 17:27:37","alt":"Leanne West","file":{"fid":"263344","name":"Leanne-West-Article.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/06\/Leanne-West-Article.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/06\/Leanne-West-Article.png","mime":"image\/png","size":614238,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/06\/Leanne-West-Article.png?itok=e73deBxO"}}},"media_ids":["679212"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaurie Haigh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688362":{"#nid":"688362","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Partners with RMS Aerospace to Advance Autonomous UAV Technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rotorcraft.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVertical Lift Research Center of Excellence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (VLRCOE) and RMS Aerospace have entered into a strategic partnership to develop an AI-enabled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Army and federal government. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERMS is an engineering firm highly specialized in aerial and maritime combat systems, with offices in Texas and Georgia. This partnership combines VLRCOE\u2019s strengths in rotorcraft aeromechanics and advanced configurations with RMS\u2019 operational defense and applied systems engineering expertise to address a critical need for the U.S. Army.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe military has phased out or retired other drone vehicles, including the MQ-1 Gray Eagle, RQ-7 Shadow, and OH-58 Kiowa Warrior. Deploying a new AI-powered UAV can take over the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions typically flown by those older UAVs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/georgia-tech-partners-rms-aerospace-advance-autonomous-uav-technology\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the AE Webpage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rotorcraft.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVertical Lift Research Center of Excellence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (VLRCOE) and RMS Aerospace have entered into a strategic partnership to develop an AI-enabled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Army and federal government. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"e-Scout, is a first-of-its-kind AI-enabled tactical drone designed to address critical gaps in U.S. military support. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-18 16:45:43","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 16:45:43","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/georgia-tech-partners-rms-aerospace-advance-autonomous-uav-technology","title":"Read Full Story on the AE Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"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\u003EKelsey Gulledge || AE Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688283":{"#nid":"688283","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Concept to Prototype: How Georgia Tech Students Are Shaping a Sustainable Energy Future","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hack.energyclub.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergyHack@GT\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s second annual student-run energy and sustainability hackathon, took place over the weekend of Jan. 23 \u2013 25, 2026. Organized by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyclub.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Club at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, the hackathon\u2019s mission was to unite passionate students, tackle critical challenges in the energy industry, and foster innovation and collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the course of 36 hours, participants collaborated in teams to brainstorm, design, and prototype projects that promote sustainable practices based on diverse problem statements, addressing this year\u2019s tracks: \u003Cstrong\u003Erenewables; electrification \u0026amp; mobility; and smart grid.\u003C\/strong\u003E These themes targeted urgent issues, from balancing renewable energy supply and demand to safeguarding infrastructure against cyber threats and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the arrival of a winter storm and the hackathon shifting to a fully virtual format, students persevered and produced top-tier projects, which were evaluated by a panel of judges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event kicked off with an engaging opening ceremony featuring inspiring keynote speeches that set the tone for the hackathon\u2019s ambitious objectives. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/spotlight-ann-dunkin-sei-distinguished-external-fellow\u0022\u003EAnn Dunkin\u003C\/a\u003E, Distinguished External Fellow at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), served as the first of these keynotes, presenting her experiences as chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Energy. She gave participants, whether newcomers or veterans in the energy space, diverse problems to tackle, ranging from cybersecurity risks in substations to climate concerns in the age of artificial intelligence. Dunkin emphasized that no matter the challenge, a strong team can always develop innovative solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was impressed by the quality and completeness of the solutions that the students created over about 40 hours,\u201d said Dunkin. \u0022Students created real solutions that meet market needs, and they conveyed an incredible amount of information in the three minutes they had to present their solutions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the switch to a virtual format, participants could still talk to mentors throughout the event. These mentors included a Google lead, startup CEOs, Ph.D. researchers, and other professionals with decades of experience in the energy industry. Mentors provided feedback on participants\u2019 ideas and guided them to think more deeply about the problems they chose. The various workshops also provided participants with a chance to dig deep into specific topics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michaelklevy\/\u0022\u003EMichael Levy\u003C\/a\u003E, U.S. utilities lead at global consulting firm \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.baringa.com\/en\/\u0022\u003EBaringa\u003C\/a\u003E, presented his workshop on using data and modeling to shape utility decisions, policy, and regulatory strategy. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gevernova.com\/\u0022\u003EGE Vernova\u003C\/a\u003E representatives presented \u201cThe Energy of Change,\u201d an interactive workshop featuring climate simulations and team challenges to explore the trade-offs between cost, grid capacity, and carbon impact in the real world. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlh.io\/\u0022\u003EMajor League Hacking\u003C\/a\u003E provided guides on GitHub Copilot and Google AI Studio. The final workshop, \u201cOrg Efficiency in Early Startups,\u201d was led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rhunterharris\/\u0022\u003EHunter Harris\u003C\/a\u003E from the technology incubator complex \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantatechvillage.com\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Tech Village\u003C\/a\u003E. Harris taught participants what to prioritize in an early startup, including how to build a management structure and find the right strategy for attracting customers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/troy-rice\/\u0022\u003ETroy Rice\u003C\/a\u003E, vice president and general manager of Florida Power and Light under NextEra Energy, gave a keynote speech on utility business models and how to set yourself apart in a large industry. Rice discussed his experience, which began as a Tech graduate from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. After learning about NextEra\u2019s business model, he eventually created and taught an internal class called \u201cHow NextEra Makes Money.\u201d Rice used this story to explain the importance of becoming an expert in knowledge that others in your company overlook. He also discussed the future of energy generation, emphasizing the growth of renewable energy in utility portfolios and often-overlooked potential career opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe energy and creativity culminated in the Project Expo, where 22 innovative solutions were showcased. Representatives from the Strategic Energy Institute, Microsoft, NextEra Energy, GE Vernova, and Georgia Tech professors judged projects, offering insights and feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe closing ceremony celebrated the participants\u2019 achievements and the event highlights, featuring \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/emily-a-morris\/\u0022\u003EEmily Morris\u003C\/a\u003E, founder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emrgy.com\/\u0022\u003EEmrgy\u003C\/a\u003E, as the final keynote speaker. Morris shared insights from her experience as a technology startup founder in the energy sector, discussing the unique challenges of navigating a risk-averse industry. She encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to start by envisioning their future press release to clarify their end goal and avoid getting lost in immediate challenges. Morris emphasized the importance of leveraging your network, whether your Georgia Tech connections or hometown community, regardless of whether you pursue academia, industry, or the startup world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith more than 110 registered participants, 22 project submissions, and leaders from some of the biggest energy and tech companies, EnergyHack@GT served as a platform for innovation and learning, showcasing the potential of student-led initiatives in shaping the future of energy and sustainability. Awards were presented to the top three projects for their creativity and impact, with the winning teams receiving cash prizes provided by the startup \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tractian.com\/en\u0022\u003ETractian\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBest Overall Hack: AppliScan\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESecond Place: TeraWatt\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThird Place: WattsUp\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake a look at all the projects submitted: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyhack-gt-26.devpost.com\/project-gallery.\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/energyhack-gt-26.devpost.com\/project-gallery\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Georgia Tech students: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bradenqueen\/\u0022\u003EBraden Queen\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/linkedin.com\/in\/orit-endalk-725b61325\u0022\u003EOrit Endalk\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/radhikasharmaga\/\u0022\u003ERadhika Sharma\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hack.energyclub.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergyHack@GT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s second annual student-run energy and sustainability hackathon, took place over the weekend of Jan. 23\u0026nbsp;\u2013 25, 2026. Organized by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyclub.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Club at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, the hackathon\u2019s mission was to unite passionate students, tackle critical challenges in the energy industry, and foster innovation and collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the course of 36 hours, participants collaborated in teams to brainstorm, design, and prototype projects that promote sustainable practices based on diverse problem statements, addressing this year\u2019s tracks: \u003Cstrong\u003Erenewables\u003C\/strong\u003E; \u003Cstrong\u003Eelectrification \u0026amp; mobility\u003C\/strong\u003E; and \u003Cstrong\u003Esmart grid\u003C\/strong\u003E. These themes targeted urgent issues, from balancing renewable energy supply and demand to safeguarding infrastructure against cyber threats and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the arrival of a winter storm and the hackathon shifting to a fully virtual format, students persevered and produced top-tier projects, which were evaluated by a panel of judges.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"EnergyHack@GT, Georgia Tech\u2019s second annual student-run energy and sustainability hackathon, took place over the weekend of Jan. 23 \u2013 25, 2026. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-16 19:47:39","changed_gmt":"2026-02-18 00:53:20","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679297":{"id":"679297","type":"image","title":"EnergyClubLeadershipTeam.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Club Team\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771271270","gmt_created":"2026-02-16 19:47:50","changed":"1771271270","gmt_changed":"2026-02-16 19:47:50","alt":"Energy Club Team on the Hackathon Day","file":{"fid":"263439","name":"EnergyClubLeadershipTeam.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/EnergyClubLeadershipTeam.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/EnergyClubLeadershipTeam.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3141261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/16\/EnergyClubLeadershipTeam.jpeg?itok=MyWYw0tD"}},"679299":{"id":"679299","type":"image","title":"TeamsWorking.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1771271336","gmt_created":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","changed":"1771271336","gmt_changed":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","alt":"Hackathon Team Members Busy at Work","file":{"fid":"263441","name":"TeamsWorking.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/TeamsWorking.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/TeamsWorking.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":349906,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/16\/TeamsWorking.jpeg?itok=S0Kc6yj-"}},"679298":{"id":"679298","type":"image","title":"Judges.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1771271336","gmt_created":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","changed":"1771271336","gmt_changed":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","alt":"EnergyHack@GT 2026 Judges","file":{"fid":"263440","name":"Judges.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/Judges.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/Judges.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":106682,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/16\/Judges.jpeg?itok=vzc63_Eu"}},"679300":{"id":"679300","type":"image","title":"Teamsworking2.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1771271336","gmt_created":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","changed":"1771271336","gmt_changed":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","alt":"EnergyHack@GT Teams at work","file":{"fid":"263442","name":"Teamsworking2.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/Teamsworking2.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/Teamsworking2.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":358794,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/16\/Teamsworking2.jpeg?itok=1lj-KMSl"}},"679301":{"id":"679301","type":"image","title":"WinningTeam.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergyHack@GT 2026 Winning Team\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771271336","gmt_created":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","changed":"1771271336","gmt_changed":"2026-02-16 19:48:56","alt":"Winners of EnergyHack@GT 2026","file":{"fid":"263443","name":"WinningTeam.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/WinningTeam.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/16\/WinningTeam.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":77205,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/16\/WinningTeam.jpeg?itok=05BjMDDP"}}},"media_ids":["679297","679299","679298","679300","679301"],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"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\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Georgia Tech students: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bradenqueen\/\u0022\u003EBraden Queen\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/linkedin.com\/in\/orit-endalk-725b61325\u0022\u003EOrit Endalk\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/radhikasharmaga\/\u0022\u003ERadhika Sharma\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688211":{"#nid":"688211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Awardees Announced for Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center Collaborative Seed Grant ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvancing the frontiers of regenerative medicine means more than pushing scientific boundaries \u2014 it means improving and extending human life. The Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.regenerativeengineeringandmedicine.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EREM\u003C\/a\u003E) is a partnership with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.emory.edu\/home\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEmory University\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uga.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E (UGA) that supports this mission through inter-institutional collaborations in research in regenerative medicine.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2010, competitive peer-reviewed seed grants have been awarded annually to interdisciplinary teams with representation from at least two of the three institutions, leading to clinical trials, licensed technologies, start-up companies, and external funding for additional research. The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIBB\u003C\/a\u003E) is excited to announce the 2026 REM Collaborative Seed Grant awardees: Melissa Kemp (Georgia Tech) and Rabindra Tirouvanziam (Emory); Yang Liu (UGA) and Yong Teng (Emory); and Steven Stice (UGA) and Zhexing Wen (Emory).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKemp and Tirouvanziam were awarded funding for their proposal, \u201cPredicting Personalized Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Responses for Directed Myeloid\u2011Targeted Immunotherapy.\u201d Their project combines computer modeling and lab\u2011grown lung tissue to better understand how immune cells communicate during lung infections and inflammation in different people. This research could help scientists design more precise, patient\u2011specific therapies for respiratory diseases, potentially improving treatments for conditions ranging from viral infections to chronic inflammation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are grateful for the support from REM that allows us to extend our labs into new, interdisciplinary research,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cThis pilot project will allow us to develop and experimentally validate multicellular models of the lung environment. Our goal is to use our platforms to test potential therapeutics that operate by controlling communication between cell types.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is wonderful to be supported by REM for this collaboration between Georgia Tech and Emory labs,\u201d Tirouvanziam agreed. \u201cWe hope to turn this pilot into a large extramural project with a focus on novel immunotherapy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELiu and Teng were awarded funding for their proposal, \u201cAI\u2011Guided Profiling of Migratory Cancer Stem Cell Communication in Head and Neck Cancer.\u201d\u0026nbsp; Their project aims to uncover how the most aggressive cancer stem cells move and \u201ctalk\u201d to nearby immune and tissue cells, using advanced microfluidic tools and artificial intelligence to study how these cells help cancer spread and resist treatment.\u0026nbsp; Understanding these hidden communication pathways could lead to earlier detection of dangerous cancer cell types and inspire new therapies that prevent recurrence and improve survival for patients with head and neck cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe combine microfluidic tools with artificial intelligence to monitor individual cancer cells in action and study how they interact with the immune microenvironment \u2014 capturing behaviors that are missed in bulk experiments and shedding light on how aggressive cancer cells escape therapy,\u201d Liu said of the project.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStice and Wen were awarded funding for their application, \u201cUse of Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Organoids to Assess Mesenchymal Stromal Cell\u2013Derived Extracellular Vesicles Mechanism of Action.\u201d\u0026nbsp; Their project uses lab\u2011grown human brain organoids to study how tiny therapeutic particles called extracellular vesicles that are released by stem cells might reduce brain inflammation and protect neurons affected by Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u0026nbsp; Revealing how these vesicles work at a molecular level could help advance new treatments that go beyond symptom management and move toward slowing or preventing Alzheimer\u2019s progression.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are used in the body to communicate with cells around an injury and are known to repair brain tissue in Alzheimer\u2019s animal models,\u201d Stice said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cUnderstanding the signaling mechanisms used by EVs in Alzheimer\u2019s brain organoids will directly lead to better EV manufacturing processes and potency for neurodegenerative diseases, and ultimately better therapies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s funded work illustrates how collaboration across institutions accelerates discoveries. Together, these teams are pushing healing technologies closer to real\u2011world impact, where they can make a tangible difference for patients affected by serious illness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe 2026 Regenerative Engineering and Medicine (REM) Collaborative Seed Grants have been awarded to three interdisciplinary research teams from Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the University of Georgia, supporting innovative projects in personalized immunotherapy, cancer metastasis, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Together, these collaborations advance the frontiers of regenerative medicine and accelerate the development of next\u2011generation therapies with the potential to transform patient care.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2026 awards support three cross\u2011institutional teams advancing innovative research in personalized immunotherapy, cancer stem cell communication, and therapies for Alzheimer\u2019s disease. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-02-11 21:18:14","changed_gmt":"2026-02-11 21:26:17","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679264":{"id":"679264","type":"image","title":"cancer-technologies.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1770845087","gmt_created":"2026-02-11 21:24:47","changed":"1770845087","gmt_changed":"2026-02-11 21:24:47","alt":"Illustration of cancer cells, with a highlighted tumor cell in the center targeted by a digital crosshair.","file":{"fid":"263397","name":"cancer-technologies.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/11\/cancer-technologies.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/11\/cancer-technologies.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8956181,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/11\/cancer-technologies.jpeg?itok=SCsWPN9q"}}},"media_ids":["679264"],"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":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"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 Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ashlie.bowman@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688055":{"#nid":"688055","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SEI Initiative Lead Profile: Jennifer Chirico","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-chirico\u0022\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/a\u003E leads the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. She is a longtime Yellow Jacket, bringing more than 25 years of sustainability experience as the inaugural associate vice president of Sustainability at Georgia Tech. In this role, she oversees the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and works across the Institute on emissions reductions, clean energy, water management, circular economy, sustainable technology, and strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChirico led the development and publication of the Institute\u2019s first\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/climate-action-plan\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and co-led Tech\u2019s sustainability plan,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainability-next-plan\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E. She is LEED Green Associate (Leed GA) accredited and holds certifications in the Carbon Disclosure Project, the Global Reporting Initiative, WaterSense, climate action planning, and Home Energy Survey Professional.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Georgia Tech, a master\u2019s in public health with a major in environmental health, and a bachelor\u2019s degree in management from Georgia Tech. She has published books and written numerous chapters on sustainability related to systems thinking, net zero strategies, adaptive management, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on leadership for the collective well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBelow is a brief Q\u0026amp;A with Chirico in which she discusses her focus areas and how her work at Georgia Tech influences the energy and infrastructure initiative here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your field of expertise, and at what point in your life did you first become interested in this area?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy field of expertise is sustainability, with a focus on the intersection of environmental, social, and economic systems. Although I began my career in finance, I discovered my passion for sustainability during a year I spent working abroad in New Zealand in 2000. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of balancing economic development with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. When I returned to the United States, I pursued a master\u2019s degree in environmental health, followed by a Ph.D. in environmental policy. Over the past 25 years, I\u2019ve dedicated my career to advancing sustainability and creating meaningful impacts. I continue to be inspired by the tangible, positive results that emerge when organizations integrate sustainability principles into their decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat questions or challenges sparked your current work at Georgia Tech? What are the big issues facing the campus infrastructure right now as it relates to energy?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most pressing challenges today is strengthening resilience for our infrastructure, well-being, and natural resources. As our environment continues to change, the ability to both mitigate impacts and adapt effectively is essential to our success. In my work, I am committed to advancing a healthier, safer, and more sustainable campus. Much of my work focuses on planning, reporting, and guiding efforts to build a stable, reliable, and clean energy infrastructure. A major part of this involves balancing firm energy sources with intermittent renewable sources in a way that ensures both reliability and sustainability. Georgia Tech has already made meaningful progress by installing over 1 megawatt of solar capacity and piloting the Stryten battery storage system. These projects demonstrate what is possible. We still have a long way to go to reduce our emissions and scale clean energy solutions across campus. Continuing to strengthen our energy resilience and expand renewable integration will be critical to meeting our long\u2011term goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat interests you the most about leading the energy and infrastructure initiative? Why is your initiative important to Georgia Tech\u2019s energy goals?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat interests me most is the opportunity to collaborate with some of the nation\u2019s top energy researchers to identify the most resilient, scalable, and forward\u2011thinking energy solutions for our campus. I\u2019m particularly passionate about bridging the gap between research and operations to support turning innovative work into tangible, real\u2011world applications that strengthen Georgia Tech\u2019s infrastructure. Building strong partnerships across academics, operations, and industry is central to this effort. When these groups work together, we can accelerate progress, pilot new technologies, and create a living-learning campus that demonstrates what a resilient, low\u2011carbon future can look like.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are the broader regional, global, and social benefits of the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt creates benefits that reach far beyond our campus. By implementing clean, resilient energy systems, we contribute to regional progress in the Southeast. Our campus can serve as a model and test bed, demonstrating scalable solutions and sharing best practices with peer institutions, local governments, and industry partners. Globally, our research and operational innovations support the broader transition to cleaner, more reliable energy systems. And socially, these efforts promote healthier communities, reduce environmental burdens, and help prepare a skilled workforce for the rapidly growing energy sector.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your hobbies?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy favorite hobbies are hiking, reading, yoga, and paddleboarding. I also love spending time in nature and with family and friends.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-chirico\u0022\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/a\u003E leads the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. She is a longtime Yellow Jacket, bringing more than 25 years of sustainability experience as the inaugural associate vice president of Sustainability at Georgia Tech. In this role, she oversees the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and works across the Institute on emissions reductions, clean energy, water management, circular economy, sustainable technology, and strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a brief Q\u0026amp;A with Chirico in which she discusses her focus areas and how her work at Georgia Tech influences the energy and infrastructure initiative here.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A brief Q\u0026A with Jennifer Chirico, who leads the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-05 20:54:20","changed_gmt":"2026-02-05 20:55:40","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679201":{"id":"679201","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Chirico","body":null,"created":"1770324628","gmt_created":"2026-02-05 20:50:28","changed":"1770324677","gmt_changed":"2026-02-05 20:51:17","alt":"Jennifer Chirico","file":{"fid":"263332","name":"JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":805166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/05\/JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg?itok=ls1dH7Fk"}}},"media_ids":["679201"],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"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":""}},"688002":{"#nid":"688002","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Expert: Marilyn Brown","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling how the U.S. can meet changing energy needs \u2014 today and tomorrow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn illustrious career focused on understanding the nuances of energy policy through analytics has shaped the career of Marilyn Brown, the Regents \u0026amp; Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe oil shortages of the 1970s galvanized Marilyn Brown to focus her graduate research on ways to improve energy security and affordability. This focus launched an impactful career for Brown, currently a Regents \u0026amp; Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong the way she was an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Illinois, a two-term Presidentially appointed regulator of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Energy Engineering Division Director and Program Manager of Oak Ridge National Laboratory\u2019s research on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the electric grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the years, Brown has authored seven books, 350 publications, and contributed to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports for which the IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeading local climate impact efforts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterested in the physical sciences and mathematics early on, Brown worked on understanding the \u201cdiffusion\u201d of innovation: how advances propagate in the energy field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer current projects focus on both local and national climate-related challenges. This research has been enriched by surveys of energy service providers, utility regulators, manufacturers, consumers, and low-income households.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the role of influencers and perceived risks and paybacks, helps optimize energy policies and programs. With this premise in mind, Brown has explored the consequences of high energy bills on households living on the edge. She led the first nationwide evaluation of the world\u2019s largest low-income energy efficiency initiative, the Weatherization Assistance Program. The results documented the magnitude of the problem of inefficient housing nationwide, and the particularly high energy burden of low-income households in the South.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/03\/meet-the-expert-marilyn-brown\/\u0022\u003EFull Story on the EPIcenter Newspage.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustrious career focused on understanding the nuances of energy policy through analytics has shaped the career of Marilyn Brown, the Regents \u0026amp; Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe oil shortages of the 1970s galvanized Marilyn Brown to focus her graduate research on ways to improve energy security and affordability. This focus launched an impactful career for Brown, currently a Regents \u0026amp; Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An illustrious career focused on understanding the nuances of energy policy through analytics has shaped the career of Marilyn Brown, the Regents \u0026 Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-03 19:13:46","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 19:30:27","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679180":{"id":"679180","type":"image","title":"Marilyn-A-Brown-DSC_2963-copy300px.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMarilyn Brown\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770146898","gmt_created":"2026-02-03 19:28:18","changed":"1770146898","gmt_changed":"2026-02-03 19:28:18","alt":"Marilyn Brown","file":{"fid":"263309","name":"Marilyn-A-Brown-DSC_2963-copy300px.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/Marilyn-A-Brown-DSC_2963-copy300px.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/Marilyn-A-Brown-DSC_2963-copy300px.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":79664,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/03\/Marilyn-A-Brown-DSC_2963-copy300px.jpg?itok=JC_qH5RF"}}},"media_ids":["679180"],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"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"},{"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:epicenter@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E || EPIcenter Program Coordinator\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["epicenter@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688000":{"#nid":"688000","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Small Modular Reactors and Smart Energy Cities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by Georgia Tech researchers Brian An, Daein Kang, John Kim, and Moe Kyaw Thu analyzes how national governments describe Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in official energy policy documents. Using natural language processing (NLP) on more than 800,000 words extracted from 66 national and international energy plans, the authors assess whether SMRs are framed as narrowly technical innovations or as contributors to broader urban energy transitions. Their findings show that SMR discourse remains dominated by references to reactor design, regulation, and safety, while themes central to modern energy planning\u2014such as resilience, urban\u2013rural equity, cogeneration, and diversified energy services\u2014appear inconsistently and with low prominence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps most notably, governance\u2011related concepts such as community engagement, siting justice, and public trust are largely absent from the dominant keyword clusters revealed through TF\u2011IDF and LDA analysis. This pattern contrasts with long\u2011standing evidence that nuclear deployment outcomes hinge on procedural fairness, transparency, and risk communication. As cities face rising electricity demand, climate\u2011driven outages, growing data center loads, and new siting pressures, the lack of urban\u2011relevant framing in national SMR strategies may limit the technology\u2019s ability to support equitable and resilient energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe authors conclude that viewing SMRs chiefly as engineering solutions risks missing their potential contributions to multi\u2011service energy portfolios and resilience planning. They argue that meaningful integration of SMRs into smart energy cities will require a broader policy architecture\u2014one that explicitly addresses governance, cross\u2011sectoral applications, spatial justice, and local participation. Expanding future analyses to include state, provincial, and municipal policies will also be essential, given that these levels of government oversee land use, community engagement, and emergency management\u2014factors central to nuclear siting and energy justice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more and listen to a podcast on the paper, please \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/01\/27\/small-modular-reactors-and-smart-energy-cities\/\u0022\u003Evisit the EPIcenter Newspage\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by Georgia Tech researchers Brian An, Daein Kang, John Kim, and Moe Kyaw Thu analyzes how national governments describe Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in official energy policy documents. Using natural language processing (NLP) on more than 800,000 words extracted from 66 national and international energy plans, the authors assess whether SMRs are framed as narrowly technical innovations or as contributors to broader urban energy transitions. Their findings show that SMR discourse remains dominated by references to reactor design, regulation, and safety, while themes central to modern energy planning\u2014such as resilience, urban\u2013rural equity, cogeneration, and diversified energy services\u2014appear inconsistently and with low prominence.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study by Georgia Tech researchers Brian An, Daein Kang, John Kim, and Moe Kyaw Thu analyzes how national governments describe Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in official energy policy documents. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-03 18:46:45","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 18:49:20","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679179":{"id":"679179","type":"image","title":"SMR-AdobeStock_1360249117.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1770144411","gmt_created":"2026-02-03 18:46:51","changed":"1770144411","gmt_changed":"2026-02-03 18:46:51","alt":"Stock Image: Showing SMRs stored.","file":{"fid":"263308","name":"SMR-AdobeStock_1360249117.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/SMR-AdobeStock_1360249117.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/SMR-AdobeStock_1360249117.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":245059,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/03\/SMR-AdobeStock_1360249117.jpeg?itok=0IEEHyUu"}}},"media_ids":["679179"],"groups":[{"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"},{"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:epicenter@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E || EPIcenter Program Coordinator\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["epicenter@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687994":{"#nid":"687994","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Student Affiliate Wins School of Economics Paper Prize","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfi Ramadhani, a graduate student in economics and a student affiliate of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Energy Policy Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, has won a prize for the best research paper from the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Economics\u003C\/a\u003E. The research developed in the paper was supported by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/students\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u2019s Graduate Student Summer Research Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe prize recognizes outstanding student research produced within the School and highlights the value of EPIcenter\u2019s sustained research support and professional development for graduate students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/maghfira-ramadhani\u0022\u003ERamadhani\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E award-winning paper, titled \u201cBattery Storage and Natural Gas Generator Market Power,\u201d was developed during his participation in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/epicenter-announces-selection-six-students-inaugural-summer-research-program\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u2019s Summer Research Program\u003C\/a\u003E for graduate and doctoral students pursuing energy policy research at Georgia Tech. Through the program, he received research mentoring and communications coaching that strengthened his work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis award reflects what can happen when students have the time, mentorship, and support to fully develop their ideas,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cOur Summer Research Program is designed to help graduate students advance rigorous energy policy research while also building the skills needed to communicate that work effectively.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupporting Graduate Research in Energy Policy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program supports graduate students whose work contributes to energy policy and innovation. Student affiliates receive funding, mentorship, and access to EPIcenter\u2019s research and communications resources, helping them build their academic profiles and translate complex research for broader audiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, they gain valuable opportunities to present their work, participate in EPIcenter programs and events, share their research through EPIcenter\u2019s communications platforms, and build their skills through tailored collaboration and training with EPIcenter staff.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the summer, Ramadhani worked closely with EPIcenter staff and mentors. The program\u2019s stipend allowed him to spend those months fully focused on his research, rather than taking on teaching or other responsibilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Participating in the program really made my summer productive. I got a lot of good feedback on how to shape the idea into a paper,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing Emerging Scholars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERamadhani\u2019s recognition reflects EPIcenter\u2019s broader commitment to supporting graduate students whose research addresses critical energy and policy challenges. By pairing research support with mentorship and communications training, the center helps students develop work that earns recognition well beyond the program itself.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfi Ramadhani, a graduate student in economics and a student affiliate of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Energy Policy Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, has won a prize for the best research paper from the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Economics\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;The research developed in the paper was supported by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/students\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u2019s Graduate Student Summer Research Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Afi Ramadhani, a graduate student in economics and a student affiliate of Georgia Tech\u2019s Energy Policy Innovation Center, has won a prize for the best research paper from the School of Economics. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-03 17:05:04","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 17:08:30","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679177":{"id":"679177","type":"image","title":"Afi_headshot.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAfi Ramadhani, Ph.D. student at the School of Economics and EPIcenter Student Affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770138316","gmt_created":"2026-02-03 17:05:16","changed":"1770138316","gmt_changed":"2026-02-03 17:05:16","alt":"Afi Ramadhani","file":{"fid":"263305","name":"Afi_headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/Afi_headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/03\/Afi_headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":87641,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/03\/Afi_headshot.jpg?itok=ytJ1qzbp"}}},"media_ids":["679177"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"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"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"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 Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}