{"690109":{"#nid":"690109","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Just Say Hello ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust saying hello to someone can make all the difference in the college experience. That\u2019s the message Lucas McCarty wants to pass on to the next generation of Yellow Jackets as he graduates with a master\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe St. Louis, Missouri, native didn\u2019t know anyone on campus when he arrived as an undergraduate, but he knew that an introduction \u2014 be it in a lecture hall or at a campus event \u2014 could be the potential bridge between himself and a community ready to exchange new ideas and collaborate.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIntroduce yourself to the strangers you meet, because you never know. In a month, that stranger could be a teammate, and then a friend, and the next thing you know, you\u2019re shattering records and reshaping industries,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u0027t imagine my college experience without the people I\u2019ve met this way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollowing his own advice, McCarty connected with a group that would create a new BattleBots team. That team, Anxieti, traveled the country and competed at three National Havoc Robot League world championships, becoming the first Tech team to qualify for the competition. As an undergraduate, he also participated in HyTech Racing, Tech\u2019s student-run organization dedicated to furthering students\u0027 engineering experience through the development of Formula SAE electric vehicles.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdded to that, McCarty was a member of the Georgia Tech German Club for four years and served as the organization\u2019s president, establishing annual traditions like visits to local German restaurants and road trips to the German-themed town of Helen, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETech\u2019s Collaborative Edge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcCarty says Tech\u0027s collaborative environment sets it apart from other institutions \u2014 both in terms of extracurricular and classroom activities.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEverything I\u2019ve achieved in my time at Tech would\u2019ve been impossible without the strong friendships and collaboration that we have here. While we are at a competitive school, students don\u2019t feel the need to push each other down. Instead, they kind of work together to raise everybody up, and that\u2019s something everyone can benefit from,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHelping others was at the root of McCarty\u0027s decision to come to Tech. His brother, Joshua, is wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy. Moved by his brother\u2019s situation \u2014 since the second grade \u2014 McCarty knew he wanted to become a mechanical engineer to make a difference. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027ve seen firsthand the impact core assistive technologies have on his life. His electric wheelchair gives him independence. We have a van with a ramp inside that allows us to transport the wheelchair. Without these things, every day would look completely different. Seeing the impact that engineering can have on somebody\u0027s life has pushed me to see what I can create, and my brother\u2019s perseverance and determination inspire me every day. He deals with unique challenges but never stops bringing light to others\u2019 lives,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcCarty applied and was accepted to many of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/23\/georgia-tech-secures-multiple-no-1-rankings\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etop 10 U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report engineering programs\u003C\/a\u003E. But he says it was the faculty, curriculum, and student resources, like the campus makerspaces and student organization offerings, that set Tech apart. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOftentimes in a lecture, there\u2019s a topic that a professor is teaching that\u0027s a mind-blowing, highly specialized topic, and they\u2019ll casually mention that they invented this 20 years ago. I think that\u2019s one of the special things about Tech. We have an unmatched innovative culture here, and there are always breakthroughs happening at this place where we get to work and spend our days,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince his second year as an undergraduate, McCarty has interned at Siemens. After Commencement, he will be a full-time engineer in their research and development department, working on new products for distributed energy resource management to improve grid reliability and the incorporation of renewable energy sources into homes and buildings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcCarty starts his full-time role the Monday after Commencement, but in the fall, he\u2019ll take a delayed celebratory trip to Greece and Italy. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Mechanical engineering graduate Lucas McCarty found that collaboration at Georgia Tech begins with a simple introduction. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMechanical engineering graduate Lucas McCarty found that collaboration at Georgia Tech begins with a simple introduction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mechanical engineering graduate Lucas McCarty found that collaboration at Georgia Tech begins with a simple introduction. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-05-01 20:03:13","changed_gmt":"2026-05-01 20:18:18","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680144":{"id":"680144","type":"image","title":"McCarty-Thumbnail.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELucas McCarty and his team on \u0027EV and the Grid\u0027 race day with Buzz. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777666347","gmt_created":"2026-05-01 20:12:27","changed":"1777666347","gmt_changed":"2026-05-01 20:12:27","alt":"Lucas McCarty","file":{"fid":"264385","name":"McCarty-Thumbnail.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/01\/McCarty-Thumbnail.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/01\/McCarty-Thumbnail.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6211791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/01\/McCarty-Thumbnail.jpeg?itok=6dYgmxYm"}}},"media_ids":["680144"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu","title":"Spring Commencement Information "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167101","name":"Spring Commencement"},{"id":"193483","name":"Engineering, graduate students"},{"id":"190256","name":"G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690028":{"#nid":"690028","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Bird Flu Vaccine Project Lands $2M From USDA ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe United States Department of Agriculture\u0026nbsp;(USDA) has awarded $2 million to a team of Georgia Tech and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) researchers to develop a first-of-its-kind vaccine pill for bird flu.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, bird flu was uncommon in the U.S., but that has changed. In the past several years, epidemics have threatened poultry and dairy cattle operations across the country. Higher egg prices, driven largely by bird flu-related supply disruptions, have cost American consumers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aaes.uada.edu\/news\/bird-flu-analysis\/\u0022\u003Ebillions of dollars\u003C\/a\u003E in losses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe H5N1 strain of the bird flu, which has driven recent and current outbreaks, is a highly lethal virus that kills domestic chickens and other bird species in droves,\u201d said David Pattie, GTRI research scientist and branch chief. \u201cIt can easily jump from birds to other animal species \u2014 and sometimes to humans.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team will leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to design and test a probiotic avian flu vaccine that, if successful, could be served to chickens in their feed. Currently, vaccinating a flock means individually injecting every bird.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re focusing on\u0026nbsp;live bacterial vaccines, which means the vaccine comes from living bacteria you swallow, instead of an injection,\u201d said Mike Farrell, GTRI principal research scientist and the project\u2019s lead investigator.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese probiotic vaccines would help protect birds and livestock from flu-like infections and lower the risk of those viruses spreading to humans,\u201d he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Farrell and Pattie, the team includes researchers from an array of disciplines across the Institute: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/faramarz-fekri\u0022\u003EFaramarz Fekri\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and John Pippin Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/jc-gumbart\u0022\u003EJC Gumbart\u003C\/a\u003E, Dunn Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/brian-hammer\u0022\u003EBrian Hammer\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of\u0026nbsp; Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E; and Anton Bryksin, director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\/research\/core-facilities\/molecular-evolution-core\u0022\u003EMolecular Evolution Core\u003C\/a\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on Human Influenza Research\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project builds on Farrell\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/common-probiotic-bacteria-could-help-boost-protection-against-influenza\u0022\u003Eongoing research\u003C\/a\u003E into developing probiotic vaccine adjuvants for human influenza. The goal is to use\u0026nbsp;probiotic bacteria \u2014 the \u201cgood bacteria\u201d found in foods like yogurt \u2014 to help create immunity for the flu vaccine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the researchers can get probiotic bacteria to display pieces of the flu virus (called antigens) on their surface, then they could be swallowed like a normal probiotic pill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe gut is a great place for building immunity. When these bacteria reach the gut, your body would recognize the virus pieces on the bacteria and start building flu antibodies,\u201d Farrell explained. \u201cThat way, when the chickens get exposed to flu, their immune system would already be prepared to fight it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting AI to the Test\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe idea behind this oral bird flu vaccine is to leverage artificial intelligence and the vast historical database for H5N1 available to us, because it\u0027s a very well-studied virus,\u201d Farrell said. \u201cThere is a ton of structural data out there.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGumbart is an expert in protein modeling and simulation. Part of his role is figuring out the best design for a\u0026nbsp;viral protein piece (antigen)\u0026nbsp;\u2014 one that looks and behaves like the real virus protein, so it triggers the right immune response. To do this, he will combine Fekri\u2019s AI-generated predictions with computer modeling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s where my team adds real value,\u201d Gumbart said. \u201cWe use simulations to test how stable and realistic these protein designs are, which allows us to choose the best ones for lab experiments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI has already identified new medicines and antibiotics by studying chemical databases. If the team can use AI to help design virus proteins for vaccines, it could transform how vaccines are made.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPattie says that any viral infectious disease with a high mortality rate has the potential to become a national security threat. \u201cAt that point, developing countermeasures becomes exceedingly important from a national security perspective,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the first time several of the team members are working on poultry research. For Gumbart, the project is a full-circle moment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI grew up in rural Illinois, and as a kid, one of my daily chores was to take care of chickens, and I kind of hated it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is some sort of universal irony that I am back to taking care of chickens again.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing artificial intelligence, the team is developing an edible vaccine that could protect birds from bird flu and reduce its spread to livestock and humans.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Using artificial intelligence, the team is developing an edible vaccine that could protect birds from bird flu and reduce its spread to livestock and humans."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2026-04-28 15:07:39","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 15:52:02","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680081":{"id":"680081","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_272613329.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are working on an oral bird flu vaccine that could transform poultry vaccination. (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777391209","gmt_created":"2026-04-28 15:46:49","changed":"1777391209","gmt_changed":"2026-04-28 15:46:49","alt":"A man wearing a surgical mask and white coat examines a black and white chicken.","file":{"fid":"264320","name":"AdobeStock_272613329.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/28\/AdobeStock_272613329.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/28\/AdobeStock_272613329.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2273404,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/28\/AdobeStock_272613329.png?itok=SRCBIVZN"}}},"media_ids":["680081"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"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":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690057":{"#nid":"690057","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hyundai Motor Group, Georgia Tech Sign MOU on Hydrogen Mobility Development ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHyundai Motor Group and the Georgia Institute of Technology have announced an expansion of their growing collaboration to advance hydrogen-powered transportation, deepen applied research and education, and accelerate the use of zero-emissions vehicles in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding upon a multifaceted relationship, the two are bringing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and fueling infrastructure to campus \u2014 turning Georgia Tech into one of the nation\u2019s most prominent campus-based examples for hydrogen mobility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHyundai Motor Group is proud to strengthen our collaboration with Georgia Tech as we work together to accelerate the future of clean mobility. Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in innovation and its commitment to developing the next generation of problem-solvers make it a natural partner in advancing technologies,\u201d said Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group. \u201cBy combining the university\u2019s excellent research with Hyundai\u2019s global experience, we are creating the foundation for real-world solutions that will help drive the energy transition and inspire future mobility leaders.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERam\u00edrez is also a 1991 Georgia Tech graduate and a member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s very fulfilling to donate a handful of our NEXO fuel cell SUVs as part of our expanding relationship with Georgia Tech. Hydrogen-powered NEXO fuel cell vehicles will immediately serve to expand the clean mobility footprint on campus while providing real-world experiences with the cutting edge of zero-emissions transportation technology,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Randy Parker, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has a long history of working with industry to move breakthrough technologies from the lab into the real world. By expanding our work with Hyundai, we\u2019re advancing hydrogen research, reducing emissions on our campus, and strengthening Georgia\u2019s role in the future of clean mobility,\u0022 Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow the Partnership Drives Hydrogen Innovation and Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe partnership includes the\u0026nbsp;donation of four Hyundai NEXO fuel cell electric SUVs by Hyundai Motor North America\u0026nbsp;and a\u0026nbsp;hydrogen electrolyzer project, which will be installed at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;North Avenue Research Area, positioning Tech as one of the most visible real-world test beds for hydrogen mobility in the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vehicles and infrastructure will support campus operations and interdisciplinary research. Key areas of focus include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering\u003C\/strong\u003E: Exploring hydrogen-based systems and mobility solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E: Assessing the environmental benefits of hydrogen technologies.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy systems\u003C\/strong\u003E: Understanding the integration of hydrogen fuel cells into current infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPublic policy\u003C\/strong\u003E: Evaluating the regulatory and social implications of hydrogen adoption.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis initiative connects Georgia Tech\u2019s research enterprise with campus operations, using the Institute as a living laboratory for clean transportation technologies. Faculty and students will study:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReal-world performance of hydrogen technology.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInfrastructure requirements for large-scale deployment.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnvironmental impacts of hydrogen energy systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInsights gathered from this initiative aim to inform and accelerate the widespread use of hydrogen technology in campuses, fleets, cities, and freight corridors. The initiative also supports Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/strategicplan.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Estrategic plan\u003C\/a\u003E, which includes the goal of expanding the use of zero-emissions vehicles powered by sustainable energy sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Is the Partnership with Georgia Tech Key to Hyundai Motor Group\u2019s Vision?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaboration between Hyundai and Georgia Tech is a testament to the power of aligning academic expertise with corporate innovation. Beyond hydrogen energy, the partnership seeks to advance innovation in the areas of:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAutonomous driving\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectric vehicle (EV) batteries\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECharging infrastructure\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaterials science\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECybersecurity\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Hyundai\u2019s presence in Georgia underscores its commitment to the region. Georgia is home to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and also serves as a hub for zero-emissions transportation through HTWO Logistics, a clean logistics partnership that operates Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell heavy-duty trucks in logistics operations near Savannah. The collaboration with Georgia Tech builds on this regional foundation, reinforcing the link between education, research, and Hyundai\u0027s long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s Next for the Partnership?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe partnership between Hyundai and Georgia Tech represents more than an investment in research. It\u2019s a shared effort to lead the next generation of mobility advancements. Additional announcements about the partnership\u2019s research projects, educational programs, and vehicle deployment are expected in the coming months.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Tech has entered into a multiyear partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to advance hydrogen mobility solutions on campus, expanding research, education, and real-world application of zero-emissions transportation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has entered into a multiyear partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to advance hydrogen mobility solutions on campus, expanding research, education, and real-world application of zero-emissions transportation. "}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 18:54:35","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:43:04","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680125":{"id":"680125","type":"image","title":"\u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, and Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, and Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group, commemorate MOU to further collaborate on hydrogen mobility development.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777556386","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:39:46","changed":"1777556386","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:39:46","alt":"\u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, and Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group","file":{"fid":"264365","name":"-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3627344,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg?itok=oogQA24U"}},"680112":{"id":"680112","type":"image","title":"-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777489041","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 18:57:21","changed":"1777489041","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:57:21","alt":"Image of Hyundai solar vehicles","file":{"fid":"264351","name":"-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1491306,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg?itok=pyPah714"}},"680126":{"id":"680126","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group leaders at MOU signing","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group leaders at MOU signing.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777556502","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:41:42","changed":"1777556502","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:41:42","alt":"Georgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group leaders","file":{"fid":"264366","name":"-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3233894,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg?itok=BH8UZzpo"}}},"media_ids":["680125","680112","680126"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690069":{"#nid":"690069","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Inside CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab: A Foundation for Entrepreneurial Thinking","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t need an idea to begin. You don\u2019t need a co\u2011founder, a pitch deck, or a perfect plan. What you need is curiosity, a willingness to talk to real people, and a place where it\u2019s safe to learn by doing. That\u2019s exactly what CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab delivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOmar Garcia Urdiales, CREATE\u2011X\u2019s associate director of Learn, brings a global entrepreneurial experience to Georgia Tech: founder and CEO of a startup operating in the AWS Accelerator Loft, longtime startup coach in Europe\u2019s major innovation hubs, lecturer across multiple universities, and an external doctoral researcher in entrepreneurship and digitalization. He\u2019s used this background to blueprint the course\u2019s new design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder his leadership, Startup Lab now anchors the Institute\u2019s entrepreneurial pathway with a clearer structure, a unified language, and a deeper focus on reflective growth, so more Georgia Tech students can discover (and trust) their own entrepreneurial judgment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Foundation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab is not about becoming an entrepreneur, but about engaging in the unknown and adopting entrepreneurial behavior, which can be applied to all career paths,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cStudents become better equipped to identify problem spaces and solve them through evidence-based building.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course is expanding responsibly, with six sections in Atlanta and additional global sections in France and Asia-Pacific taught by faculty trained in the CREATE-X approach. Students here benefit from a program that\u2019s learning across borders and bringing that learning back to campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStart Where You Are\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrdiales emphasized that Startup Lab is built for students who are still exploring, uncertain, or are simply curious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany students tell us they\u2019re curious about entrepreneurship but feel not ready,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worry they\u2019re too introverted for customer interviews or assume Startup Lab is only for people with fully formed ideas. In fact, those are the most common misconceptions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course\u2019s first few weeks focus on training students to see struggles and patterns in the world. Then, they apply those skills on a team, exploring, designing, and testing a concept with real people. The nonnegotiable outcome isn\u2019t the best idea; it\u2019s a more confident, evidence-driven version of you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab is strengthening that self-awareness. All of us who are entrepreneurs, we don\u2019t grow linearly. We have various iterations of how we see things,\u201d\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EUrdiales said. \u201cThis ability to see patterns or to see problems with customer discovery, it\u2019s a learning process and a growth process.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBuilding Muscle Memory\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrdiales said that students won\u2019t have a passive experience in the lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo become an entrepreneur, you need to do it. You need to engage with customers. You need to get out of the building,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gives you the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions and then understand these more practical outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAligning with CREATE-X\u2019s culture of continuous iteration, Urdiales is tightening the hands-on spine of the course around four simple, repeatable tools so that entrepreneurial thinking becomes muscle memory, not a one-off assignment. Students learn to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElicit grounded problem stories\u003C\/strong\u003E from real people (and separate observations from interpretations).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake explicit strategic decisions\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2014 who you serve, what you offer, how you deliver, how you get paid \u2014 and back them with discovery evidence.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExternalize your logic\u003C\/strong\u003E with clear Business Model Canvas snapshots (hypotheses \u2260 decisions \u2260 open questions).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesign minimum viable experiments (MVEs)\u003C\/strong\u003E that can \u003Cem\u003Efalsify\u003C\/em\u003E assumptions, not just confirm them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result is a course that rewards authentic discovery and iteration over performative polish.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt gives students the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cAnd in a lean approach like the Business Model Canvas and value propositions \u2014 these are just tools. To know how to use them is what matters, and now we\u2019re improving the execution.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReflection as a Feature\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a part of Startup Lab, instructors integrate HaradaLite reflection throughout the semester, which helps students notice patterns of work, make small experiments, and adjust based on what\u2019s learned. Students often worry they\u2019re not the founder type or that their introversion will hold them back; Startup Lab reframes those worries as raw material for growth, including communication skill building and one-on-one interactions you won\u2019t always get in higher-level courses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs long as they\u2019re listening and engaging, there\u2019s something they can take away from it,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cWe\u2019re able to show them: You\u2019re able to pivot, you\u2019re able to create, and you\u2019re able to identify problems. That makes more shots on goal much more feasible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Common Language Across CREATE\u2011X\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s no mandated order for CREATE-X courses. Startup Lab simply makes the next steps clearer by providing a shared language and milestone structure across sections and instructors, so whatever comes next (I2P, Capstone, Launch, or an internship), you can carry forward a coherent, evidence- aware story of your work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll CREATE\u2011X Learn sections will work with the same milestone objectives, with our own twist,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cStudents trained in Startup Lab are already trained in the muscles of entrepreneurship. They\u2019re more equipped to go into Make and Launch or be a leader within their industry.\u201dBuilt To Be Inclusive Across Disciplines and Needs\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab is about becoming the kind of person who can see opportunities, reason from evidence, and make better decisions when the path isn\u2019t obvious.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not need an idea or a pre\u2011built team\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2014 curiosity is enough.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not need special permits to enroll\u003C\/strong\u003E. Startup Lab is open to anyone ready to explore.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can benefit from the course before \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E after I2P or Capstone\u003C\/strong\u003E, since there\u2019s no fixed order to the CREATE\u2011X pathway.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroverts are welcome\u003C\/strong\u003E. The course intentionally builds communication skills through structured, low-pressure interviews and guided interaction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat You\u2019ll Actually Do\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents in Startup Lab can expect a workshop-heavy, conversation-rich semester with weekly artifacts, scenario-based decision prompts, startup reports, and quizzes that keep you honest about what you\u2019re learning. You\u2019ll assemble a Continuity Pack near the end: a compact bundle of your best discovery evidence, decisions, MVEs, economics, and final story slides so your future self (or your I2P\/Launch application) can pick up right where you left off.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course also sets norms for modern tool use. AI is welcomed as a coach and organizer, after your own baseline thinking and research, and as an enhancement of the real conversations you have. That matters because Startup Lab\u2019s promise is that you build solid judgment under the test of uncertainty, critical to the world of today and the future that is being built.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJump Into Startup Lab\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t have to have it all figured out. If you\u2019re a first-year student still exploring, a junior craving real-world projects, or a senior looking to stand out in interviews, Startup Lab is for you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeats fill quickly across all sections \u2014 and for good reason.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis course gives you the clearest, most supportive on\u2011ramp into CREATE\u2011X, with a global methodology, a unified curriculum, and instructors who believe deeply in your potential to grow. Learn how to think entrepreneurially. See the world differently. Build the confidence that will follow you long after the semester ends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister for Startup Lab for Fall 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECREATE\u2011X Startup Lab serves as the foundation of Georgia Tech\u2019s entrepreneurial pathway, giving students a structured but low\u2011pressure environment to explore the unknown and develop entrepreneurial thinking. Under the leadership of Omar Garcia Urdiales, the course has been rebooted with a clearer structure, shared language, and hands\u2011on tools that emphasize real\u2011world discovery, iteration, and reflection over polished pitches. Students learn by engaging directly with people, testing assumptions through minimum viable experiments, and documenting evidence\u2011based decisions they can carry into future courses or careers. By welcoming students from all disciplines, experience levels, and personality types, Startup Lab equips learners with confidence and transferable skills that extend far beyond entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab has been redesigned to help Georgia Tech students build entrepreneurial confidence by learning how to navigate uncertainty, test assumptions, and develop sound judgment."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:39:04","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:42:35","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680124":{"id":"680124","type":"image","title":"Omar Garcia","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOmar Garcia, associate director of CREATE-X Learn, teaches Startup Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777554943","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:15:43","changed":"1777555243","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:20:43","alt":"Omar Garcia gives a lecture in Startup Lab","file":{"fid":"264364","name":"image--7---1-.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg?itok=JD38L1JD"}}},"media_ids":["680124"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab","title":"Register for Startup Lab for Fall 2026."},{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article","title":"Register for Startup Launch Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690058":{"#nid":"690058","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Esports Lounge Offers Free Games to Build Community ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou hear a lot of chatter in the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) \u2014 \u201cAll the weight machines are full!\u201d \u201cWhere is the swimming pool?\u201d \u201cI exceeded my one-rep max today!\u201d \u2014 but one sentence you don\u2019t expect to hear is, \u201cDo you want to go play video games?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Esports and Gaming Lounge recently opened its doors after several months of construction and has been met with great enthusiasm from gamers and newcomers alike. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe facility is outfitted with 22 Alienware computers for CRC members to use. Each computer has a time limit of two and a half hours per person, and it resets every five hours. Through GGCircut, users have access to a wide variety of games that update automatically. Some of the most popular games include \u003Cem\u003EMarvel Rivals\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ERainbow Six Siege\u003C\/em\u003E, and \u003Cem\u003EMinecraft\u003C\/em\u003E. There are also two console stations, each with a PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S \u2014 games included. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think there\u2019s been a little bit of amazement that we were going to pull something like this off,\u201d said Brian Smith, senior director of Campus Recreation, who spearheaded much of the project. \u201cThere\u0027s been a lot of joy from students\u0027 faces, and a lot of excitement. I think people love the idea of having a place to come in and do something they have a passion for and enjoy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the lounge\u2019s construction, Smith made it a priority to seek out student perspectives. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStudents needed it,\u201d he said, \u201cStudents wanted it, and we had the right leadership in place to make it all happen. I\u0027m really proud of the students who have stepped up to want to be in the space and want to run the space, and for us to have the opportunity to create it for them.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost pivotal to the project was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatechesports.com\/home\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Esports\u003C\/a\u003E, a student-run club that participates in a variety of collegiate esports competitions. Members provided key insights into the kind of equipment the lounge needed and will be the main users of the broadcasting and competition rooms. The competition room will be used for future esports events and has 12 Alienware Area 51 computers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I think a lot of people don\u0027t understand about the esports and gaming industries is that they rely on each other in more ways than is intuitive,\u201d said D.J. Fratt, president of Georgia Tech Esports. \u201cWhile I consulted on several design aspects for the space as a whole, I actually advocated on the esports side of things for a casual space to be included and accessible with a project like this; that advocacy existed long before our discussions with the CRC.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the esports lounge is still booting up, the future of the space is bright.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor me,\u201d Smith said, \u201cit\u0027s an opportunity to engage with students who maybe wouldn\u0027t come into the CRC, and then also introduce them to all the things that we have going on.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Esports is particularly excited about the benefits to the campus community, and \u201ccontinuing to find collaborations between the esports organization and other on-campus entities, especially those that help develop students\u0027 professional skills or highlight Georgia Tech\u0027s focus on innovation,\u201d Fratt said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom experienced competitors to fledgling gamers, the Esports and Gaming Lounge provides a space for experimentation and free creative expression \u2014 plus, most importantly, fun. The lounge is open Monday through Thursday, 3 \u2013 9 p.m.; Friday, 3 \u2013 8 p.m.; and Saturday, noon \u2013 6 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The new lounge at the Campus Recreation Center gives gamers a place on campus to call their own. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe new lounge at the Campus Recreation Center gives gamers a place on campus to call their own.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new lounge at the Campus Recreation Center gives gamers a place on campus to call their own. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 19:47:43","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 19:54:19","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680114":{"id":"680114","type":"image","title":"Students in esports lounge","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Esports and Gaming Lounge at the Campus Recreation Center. Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777492151","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 19:49:11","changed":"1777492151","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 19:49:11","alt":"Students in esports lounge","file":{"fid":"264354","name":"26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1851740,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/26-R10410-P113-003.jpeg?itok=hJYDfhUK"}}},"media_ids":["680114"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"95781","name":"esports"},{"id":"2449","name":"video games"},{"id":"4523","name":"Campus Recreation Center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stucomm@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEllie Jenkins\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\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":"2026-04-29 19:29:24","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":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"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"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"},{"id":"193733","name":"_for_math_site_manual_feed_"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"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":""}}}