Georgia Tech is introducing a standardized process for requesting and issuing physical keys for campus facilities. The changes support the Institutional Facility Access Control Policy, which establishes requirements for granting and managing access to Georgia Tech facilities.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 9:
Physical keys and other facility access may be issued only to individuals with active Georgia Tech employee, student, or affiliate status. A Georgia Tech ID or BuzzCard alone does not establish active status. Contractors, vendors, temporary workers, and others who need access but are not Georgia Tech employees or students should work with their sponsoring department to establish or renew Georgia Tech Human Resources affiliate status.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 4, 2027:
Physical key requests must be submitted through a ServiceNow ticket by an authorized requestor, such as a building manager, facilities director, or project manager. Requests by email, phone, or walk-in will no longer be accepted. Additionally, physical keys will not be issued where electronic access is available.
What Departments Should Do Now
Departments should review the status of individuals they sponsor who have or need physical key access and:
Become familiar with submitting new physical key requests through the Access Control ServiceNow process.
Make sure requests include the appropriate approvals and justifications.
Physical key recipients will be required to pick up keys in person at Swarm Support, located at The Pavilion, 410 Fourth Street NW, Building #216, with valid identification.
A limited exception exists for active affiliates performing contractor-type work who need a physical key for one business day or less. In this situation, affiliates may pick up keys and return them to the Georgia Tech Lock Shop, located in the O'Keefe Building, 151 Sixth Street NW. A ServiceNow ticket is still required.
For step-by-step guidance and frequently asked questions, visit the Access Control website.
Beginning Jan. 4, 2027, Georgia Tech will implement a new process for requesting physical keys. Departments should review key holders, affiliate status, and future access needs before the new process takes effect.
]]>2026-10-23T00:00:00-04:002026-10-23T00:00:00-04:002026-10-23 00:00:00681521681521image<![CDATA[keys_lockshop_closeup_aug2021png.png]]> Keys in the Infrastructure and Operations Lock Shop.]]> image/png17927012562026-10-22 20:34:1617927012562026-10-22 20:34:16<![CDATA[Facility Access Control Policy]]><![CDATA[Request Building Access]]><![CDATA[Georgia Tech Human Resources Affiliates]]><![CDATA[Key Policy Frequently Asked Questions]]><![CDATA[Georgia Tech Lock Shop]]><![CDATA[Georgia Tech Access Control]]><![CDATA[Georgia Tech Celebrates Innovators Advancing Research Into Real-World Impact ]]>36434
Georgia Tech’s Office of Technology Licensing, part of the Office of Commercialization, hosted the inaugural 2026 Innovator Awards Celebration on Sept. 30 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.
The awards spotlighted achievements int research, inventions, and entrepreneurial work.
“Georgia Tech’s innovation ecosystem is built on people who keep pushing discoveries toward real-world use,” said Mary Albertson, executive director of Technology Licensing in Georgia Tech’s Office of Commercialization. “The Innovator Awards recognize the faculty, students, and entrepreneurs whose work helps turn research into technologies and companies that can make a difference.”
Innovator of the Year
Jie Xu Principal research scientist and chemical and biological systems branch head, Aerospace, Transportation & Advanced Systems Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Student of the Year
Christopher Bresette Postdoctoral Researcher in David Ku’s lab, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
CEO of the Year
Baratunde Cola Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Materials Science and Engineering; founder and CEO, Carbice Corporation
Startup of the Year: Software/Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning
InfraVana A Georgia Tech spinout developing AI infrastructure tools, including technology to optimize large language model inference and distributed AI systems.
Tushar Krishna Associate professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; associate director, Center for Research into Novel Computing Hierarchies; co-founder, InfraVana.
Arijit Raychowdhury Professor and Steve W. Chaddick Chair, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; co-founder, InfraVana.
Startup of the Year: Hardware/Deeptech
Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication Inc.
Develops high-precision additive manufacturing systems for nanoscale devices and inertial confinement fusion.
Harnjoo Kim
Georgia Tech alumnus, Ph.D. in mechanical engineering; co-founder and chief engineer, Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication Inc.
Sourabh Saha
Associate professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; co-founder, Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication Inc.
Harry Watkins
Undergraduate student, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; co-founder and president, Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication Inc.
Impactful Innovation Awards
The Impactful Innovation Awards recognize innovations with the potential to significantly influence how industries address current problems.
James Dahlman and GuideRx McCamish Foundation Early Career Associate Professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Utilizing a proprietary high throughput screening platform, GuideRx has developed a new way to rapidly and efficiently develop nanoparticles to deliver genetic drugs beyond the liver. They can now run up to 20,000 drug delivery experiments simultaneously, all in vivo. Once they find drug delivery vehicles that safely target new tissues, they develop genetic drugs internally or team up with strategic partners. (Acquired by Beam Therapeutics.)
Mark Prausnitz and Micron Biomedical Regents’ Professor and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; co-founder, Micron Biomedical
Micron Biomedical has developed microneedle patches for drug and vaccine delivery. Using a dissolvable polymer, they have developed microneedle patches for influenza vaccines suitable for self-administration and demonstrated vaccine efficacy through a series of animal studies.
Jeffrey Skolnick and Ovacens Inc. Regents’ Professor, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and Mary & Maisie Gibson Chair in Computational Systems Biology, School of Biological Sciences; OVAcens Inc. research collaborator
OVAcens gives women at risk of ovarian cancer a diagnostic for detecting Stage 1 and precursors to potential ovarian cancer. It is based on metabolomic fingerprints, detected from mass spectrometry data from blood draws using AI developed in the Skolnick Lab.
Patent Leadership Awards
Deepakraj “Deepak” Divan Professor emeritus, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and John E. Pippin Chair in Wireless Communications, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sundaresan Jayaraman Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering
Sungmee Park Principal research scientist, School of Materials Science and EngineeringMark Prausnitz Regents’ Professor and and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
John Rose Georgia Tech Research Institute
Disclosure Leadership Awards
Yue Chen Assistant professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory
Steve Diggle Professor, School of Biological Sciences
Baoyun Ge Assistant professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Gabriel Kwong Professor and Robert A. Milton Chair, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory
Matthew McDowell Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Carter N. Paden Jr. Distinguished Chair for Innovation in Material Science and Metals Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering
Prithiv Premkumar Graduate Researcher, School of Interactive Computing
Neel Shah Ph.D. student, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Jeffrey Skolnick Regents’ Professor, School of Biological Sciences
Stephen Sprigle Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Industrial Design
Jin Xu Research faculty, Tech AI
Woon-Hong Yeo Associate professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
Fan Zhang Assistant professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
]]> lcameron30117927112182026-10-22 23:20:1817927637692026-10-23 13:56:0900newsGeorgia Tech honored innovators advancing research toward real-world impact at its inaugural 2026 Innovator Awards Celebration on Sept. 30. The awards recognized faculty, students, and startup leaders across research, entrepreneurship, patents, and disclosures. • Jie Xu, Christopher Bresette, Baratunde Cola, InfraVana, and Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication Inc. received top innovator, student, chief executive officer, and startup awards. • Impact awards highlighted GuideRx, Micron Biomedical, and OVAcens for advances in genetic drug delivery, microneedle vaccines, and ovarian cancer detection, while patent and disclosure awards recognized additional Georgia Tech innovators.]]>2026-10-22T00:00:00-04:002026-10-22T00:00:00-04:002026-10-22 00:00:00Lacey Cameron
lcameron30@gatech.edu
]]>681536681535681533681534681532681529681531681530681537681536image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026]]>image/png17927634552026-10-23 13:50:5517927635772026-10-23 13:52:57681535image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026]]>image/jpeg17927632292026-10-23 13:47:0917927632782026-10-23 13:47:58681533image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026 Qi awards M. Albertson]]>image/jpeg17927631272026-10-23 13:45:2717927631682026-10-23 13:46:08681534image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026]]>image/jpeg17927631742026-10-23 13:46:1417927632222026-10-23 13:47:02681532image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026 Qi awards ]]>image/jpeg17927630942026-10-23 13:44:5417927631232026-10-23 13:45:23681529image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026 Qi awards]]>image/jpeg17927629402026-10-23 13:42:2017927630142026-10-23 13:43:34681531image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026 Qi awards S. Diggle]]>image/jpeg17927630502026-10-23 13:44:1017927630842026-10-23 13:44:44681530image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration ]]>image/jpeg17927630192026-10-23 13:43:3917927630452026-10-23 13:44:05681537image<![CDATA[Innovator Awards Celebration 2026]]>image/png17927635832026-10-23 13:53:0317927636022026-10-23 13:53:22<![CDATA[From Research to Market: 6 Georgia Tech Ventures Hold Term Sheets After Silicon Valley ‘RoadShow’]]>36434
Ten Georgia Tech ventures showcased emerging technologies and connected with investors at the Georgia Tech Silicon Valley RoadShow on Sept. 24 in Palo Alto, California.
Hosted by Quadrant-i, part of Georgia Tech's Office of Commercialization, the event drew 160 attendees for founder presentations, investor discussions, and networking. Less than two weeks later, six of the participating startups had investment term sheets, marking an encouraging development as the companies pursue funding and growth opportunities.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens welcomed attendees at the Sheraton Palo Alto. Pat Gelsinger of Playground Global delivered the keynote address, and Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera closed the program. Throughout the afternoon, founders met directly with investors through an Innovation Gallery and small-group discussions.
“Atlanta is building a reputation as a city where innovation doesn't just happen in the lab — it becomes the foundation for new companies, new jobs, and economic growth,” Dickens said. “Georgia Tech plays a critical role in that success, and events like the Silicon Valley RoadShow help connect the groundbreaking work happening in Atlanta with the capital and partnerships needed to bring these technologies to market. It's another example of how we're positioning Atlanta as a national leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The participating companies represented industries ranging from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and sustainability. Among them, CIMTech.ai is designing chips to make AI processing faster and more efficient. WattAir aims to use waste heat to produce water from the air, while TopoDx is working to help laboratories identify effective antibiotics in hours rather than days.
During a discussion with TopoDx CEO Yogi Patel, Deborah Kilpatrick, a partner at Sonder Capital and chair of the event's host committee, highlighted the company's potential. “If you can do what you’re describing, and I believe you can, you will have a major impact on U.S. healthcare,” she said.
The 10 participating ventures included Carbice, CIMTech.ai, Falcomm, InfraVana, Nagare Labs, Piezo Therapeutics, Stellar Scale Nano Fabrication, TopoDx, UnfoldAI and WattAir.
“The RoadShow allowed our founders to connect directly with investors who understand their industries and the potential of their technologies,” said Jonathan Goldman, director of Quadrant-i. “The interest we're seeing is encouraging, and we're looking forward to what these connections could mean for the companies as they continue to grow.”
The RoadShow is part of Georgia Tech's broader effort to connect research-driven ventures with the investors and industry partners who can help bring emerging technologies to market.
With investor discussions and due diligence continuing, the next chapter is already taking shape. As funding rounds close, Quadrant-i plans to share individual company milestones, highlighting how connections made through the commercialization ecosystem are helping Georgia Tech ventures advance toward the market.
]]> lcameron30117927164412026-10-23 00:47:2117927636412026-10-23 13:54:0100newsSix Georgia Tech ventures received investment term sheets after presenting at the Silicon Valley RoadShow. The event connected research-driven startups with investors and industry partners.
The Sept. 24 event in Palo Alto attracted 160 attendees and featured presentations, investor discussions, networking, and direct founder meetings.
Ten ventures represented fields including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, health care, advanced manufacturing, and sustainability; six had term sheets less than two weeks later.
Featured technologies included faster AI-processing chips, waste-heat water production, and rapid antibiotic identification.
]]>681527681525681526681524681527image<![CDATA[Silicon Valley RoadShow ATL Mayor]]>image/png17927162062026-10-23 00:43:2617927163572026-10-23 00:45:57681525image<![CDATA[Silicon Valley RoadShow Jonathan Goldman]]>image/jpeg17927160432026-10-23 00:40:4317927160982026-10-23 00:41:38681526image<![CDATA[Silicon Valley RoadShow GT, ATL Mayor]]>image/jpeg17927161042026-10-23 00:41:4417927161502026-10-23 00:42:30681524image<![CDATA[Roadshow founders]]>image/jpeg17927159052026-10-23 00:38:2517927160292026-10-23 00:40:29<![CDATA[Can We Detect Harmful AI Before It’s Too Late? Researchers Search for Warning Signs]]>36123 In July 2026, OpenAI autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents escaped a closed testing environment, accessed the public internet, and hacked into a real company’s digital infrastructure. What started as an internal evaluation of the agents’ cyber capabilities turned into a real-world cybersecurity breach.
As AI systems become more agile with expanded access to tools, computer networks, and other real-world systems, finding better ways of identifying and preventing risky AI behavior becomes even more urgent. Still, high-profile incidents of AI behaving in unintended or dangerous ways are rare, which makes them difficult to study and understand.
“If we can understand and detect what changes inside an AI model right before it begins behaving in unsafe or misaligned ways, we may be able to inform more effective safeguards,” said Eyas Ayesh, a second-year Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology and graduate fellow at the Center for Computation and Cognition.
Ayesh and his advisor, Assistant Professor Anna Ivanova, are developing a probe designed to identify internal activity patterns associated with harmful behaviors in large language models. Their work is supported by a $300,000 award from Coefficient Giving.
Misbehaving Models
Training a probe requires examples of both desirable and undesirable behaviors so it can learn to distinguish between them. Because deceptive or unsafe responses can be rare and highly dependent on the model, prompt, and context, researchers may not have enough examples to determine what causes the behavior or how to recognize it the next time.
But an unexpected finding in AI research gave Ayesh an idea. In studies of a phenomenon known as emergent misalignment, researchers found that fine-tuning models on a narrow harmful task could lead them to produce a much wider range of problematic responses to unrelated prompts. For example, researchers found that fine-tuning a model to write insecure code without warning users could lead to other concerning behaviors unrelated to coding.
Ayesh realized he could use that phenomenon to solve the problem of scarce data. Starting with open-source AI models, Ayesh fine-tuned them to display targeted undesirable behaviors more frequently. Then, he analyzed different versions of the deliberately misaligned models using a probe that monitors the internal activity of the model.
The probe works somewhat like a pattern detector, looking at activity inside the model as it generates responses and searching for patterns associated with particular behaviors. Researchers can then train a classifier to distinguish patterns associated with desirable behavior from those associated with harmful behavior.
“Just as different parts of the brain turn on and off when people do different tasks, so do the different parts of an AI model,” Ayesh said. “When a model produces a specific type of response — such as deceptive statements or harmful advice — we may observe recurring patterns in its internal activity. We refer to these patterns as representations of a behavior.”
Inside the Black Box
Ayesh is now testing whether the internal patterns he identified remain consistent across differently tuned AI models. Early results suggest that signals identified in deliberately misbehaving models can also be detected in their original versions.
The next step is determining whether those signals can help researchers identify or flag concerning behavior in models that have not been deliberately fine-tuned to misbehave.
“I hope our research in AI safety can help develop some guardrails and some ways to both identify and prevent misaligned behavior in AI systems, given how much of an impact they're already having on the world,” he said.
Ayesh is a member of Georgia Tech’s AI Safety Initiative, which brings together researchers across disciplines to study and improve the safety of increasingly capable AI systems.
Ivanova said the value of their research lies partly in approaching AI safety from a fundamental science perspective.
“As scientists, we have been trained to think about the underlying mechanisms and causes of the behaviors we observe,” Ivanova said. “For us, it's important to develop a fundamental understanding of how these models work, or we will risk missing the bigger picture.”
]]> Catherine Barzler117919225542026-10-13 20:15:5417927273452026-10-23 03:49:0500newsA Georgia Tech Ph.D. student is investigating whether internal signals in large language models could help identify harmful behavior before it reaches users.]]>2026-10-13T00:00:00-04:002026-10-13T00:00:00-04:002026-10-13 00:00:00Catherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer/Editor
]]>681420681420image<![CDATA[AdobeStock_1804837799.png]]> As AI capabilities advance, researchers are searching for early warning signs of potentially harmful behavior. (Image: Adobe Stock)]]> image/png17919225622026-10-13 20:16:0217919225622026-10-13 20:16:02<![CDATA[RoboRambler Expanding Culture of Innovation in Robotics ]]>36418
RoboRambler is one of Georgia Tech’s newer student robotics clubs, but just two years after its creation, the team is making a name for itself on a national stage.
At the 2026 ARC Championship — a simulated robotic combat tournament designed to test students’ engineering and strategy skills — RoboRambler took second place out of 30 universities from around the world in the 1v1 knockout category. The team also secured a top-10 finish in the 3v3 challenge.
The robots used in the competition are the latest iteration of the machines first designed by mechanical engineering student Matthew Zhou and computer engineering student Zimeng Chai in a dorm room in 2024. The robots have four sides of armor, a turret, a drive chassis, and are operated through a first-person-view (FPV) control system as part of the competition’s MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)-style gameplay. Using lessons learned from previous tournaments, Chai and the software team implemented new autonomous aiming and navigation algorithms, while Zhou and the mechanical team upgraded the robot's systems and added carbon fiber elements to make it lighter and stronger for 2026.
While these improvements played a role in the team’s success, Zhou credits their driver, Nathaniel Phelps, for the podium finish at the competition, held at Purdue University in July.
“A year ago, we were in 15th place in the middle of the pack, and a lot of teams wondered how we improved so quickly. While we made changes to the robot and its technical performance, we really do have one of the best drivers,” Zhou said.
The team has expanded to 30 members in its first two years, and as Zhou prepares to graduate in the spring, he is proud to see how the Georgia Tech community has embraced the RoboRambler. He believes their growth will continue, noting that the team has secured a lab space in Tech Square, with support from Associate Professor Matthew Hale, Assistant Professor Harvish Ravichandar, postdoctoral fellow William Warke, and the CORE Lab of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
As Zhou steps back from day-to-day operations and incoming president Albert Wang, an electrical and computer engineering student, takes over, the club is focused not only on the 2027 competition but also on expanding a culture of creation across Tech’s robotics clubs. As the club continues to build out its lab space, Wang invites others to use its resources to improve their designs.
“We just love building things. We want to get our hands dirty and build something that comes from our own work. In the process, we innovate, solve problems, and come up with solutions others can’t. The workspace we’re building will help us do that and support other robotics student organizations as they chase their own ambitious goals,” he said.
As RoboRambler gears up for its next competition, recruitment continues. Though the team is made up primarily of engineering students, Wang says every new member receives the same training, so all students interested in robotics are welcome to join.
]]> sgagliano3117927001822026-10-22 20:16:2217927017542026-10-22 20:42:3400newsOne of Tech's newest robotics student organizations is climbing leaderboards in competition and expanding access to lab space on campus. ]]>2026-10-22T00:00:00-04:002026-10-22T00:00:00-04:002026-10-22 00:00:00Steven Gagliano – Institute Communications]]>681522681523681522image<![CDATA[RoboRambler ]]> Matthew Zhou and another RoboRambler member work on their fleet prior to the 2026 ARC Championship. Submitted photo. ]]> image/jpeg17927012832026-10-22 20:34:4317927012832026-10-22 20:34:43681523image<![CDATA[team-1.jpg]]> The RoboRambler team at the 2026 ARC Championship. Submitted photo. ]]> image/jpeg17927017132026-10-22 20:41:5317927017132026-10-22 20:41:53<![CDATA[RoboRambler at Georgia Tech]]><![CDATA[Raghupathy ‘Siva’ Sivakumar to Serve as Georgia Tech’s Interim EVPR ]]>28766 Raghupathy “Siva” Sivakumarhas been appointed interim executive vice president for Research (EVPR) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, effective Nov. 1.
Sivakumar currently serves as Georgia Tech’s vice president of Commercialization and chief commercialization officer, leading the Office of Commercialization. The office serves as the Institute’s central hub for student entrepreneurship, research translation and commercialization, and venture development and scaling, enabling faculty and students to bring new technologies to market. Sivakumar previously served as the founding director of CREATE-X, a Georgia Tech initiative that fosters entrepreneurial confidence and helps students launch real startups. He has also founded and co-founded multiple technology companies and held technical roles in industry.
In addition to his administrative leadership, Sivakumar is the Wayne J. Holman Chair and professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). His research focuses on wireless networking and mobile computing.
Sivakumar joined ECE in 2000 as an assistant professor. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Anna University in Chennai, India, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
]]> Shelley Wunder-Smith117926303462026-10-22 00:52:2617926865122026-10-22 16:28:3200newsRaghupathy “Siva” Sivakumar will serve as Georgia Tech's interim EVPR, effective Nov. 1, 2026.]]>2026-10-22T00:00:00-04:002026-10-22T00:00:00-04:002026-10-22 00:00:00Shelley Wunder-Smith Director of Research Communications]]>681511681511image<![CDATA[Raghupathy "Siva" Sivakumar, Georgia Tech's chief commercialization officer, will serve as the Institute's interim EVPR.]]>image/jpeg17926303712026-10-22 00:52:5117926303712026-10-22 00:52:51<![CDATA[How Much Rain Can a Hurricane Make, and Does the Storm Size Matter?]]>27469
How much rain can a hurricane make, and how much do big versus small hurricanes make? – Naarah, age 8, Pittsburgh
Hurricanes can produce enormous amounts of rain, adding up to trillions of gallons of water. But the big risk isn’t their total amount – it’s how much rain falls on each location.
So, what causes that much rain, and does the size of the storm matter?
I’m an atmospheric scientist who teaches college students about weather at Georgia Tech. Let’s take a look at where a hurricane’s rainfall comes from and some of the questions about hurricanes and their rainfall that scientists are still trying to answer.
Sea surface temperatures on Oct. 6, 2026, show the very warm water in the western Gulf of Mexico, where a tropical storm grew into Hurricane Isaias the following day. Water that is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 degrees Celsius) can fuel hurricanes.NOAA
The magic number for surface water temperature to be able to fuel a hurricane is at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 degrees Celsius). At that temperature and above, the warm ocean water evaporates into the air, changing from liquid to vapor. As it makes that change, it provides energy to fuel the storm and also adds moisture to the atmosphere that eventually falls as rain.
When a hurricane moves over warm water, especially when the warm water extends many feet below the surface, the storm pulls in even more energy and moisture.
What Affects Hurricane Size and Rainfall?
This is one of the many questions about hurricanes that atmospheric scientists are working on.
The average hurricane is about 300 miles (482 kilometers) wide, but hurricanes – or typhoons, as they’re called in the western Pacific of the Northern Hemisphere – can be much bigger or smaller.
Super Typhoon Tip in 1979 grew to half the size of the lower 48 U.S. states. It had a radius of about 690 miles (1,110 kilometers), measured from the center of the storm to its outer edges, meaning it was 1,380 miles (2,222 kilometers) wide. Tropical Storm Marco’s gale-force winds in 2008, in comparison, had a radius of 11.5 miles (18.5 kilometers), meaning it was about 23 miles (37 kilometers) across – not much larger than New York City.
How the largest tropical cyclone in recorded history and the smallest compare. It’s quite a difference!NOAA
In 2025, scientists published a study showing that hurricane size appears to be influenced by how warm the ocean water is compared to its usual temperature that time of year. So, if a hurricane moves over water that is much warmer than normal, it tends to grow in size rapidly as well as growing in strength.
A recent hurricane that was very large in size was the extremely destructive Hurricane Helene in 2024. As Helene moved over water near Florida that was much warmer than normal for late September, it picked up lots of moisture that it carried all the way to the mountains of North Carolina. Several days of rain from the storm caused catastrophic flooding there.
Hurricane Andrew wasn’t very big when it made landfall on Elliott Key, Fla., near Miami, on Aug. 24, 1992, but it was powerful and extremely destructive.National Hurricane Center
A strong storm isn’t necessary for a lot of rain to fall. Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 is still one of the wettest tropical weather events in U.S. history. It caused over US$4 billion in damage in Texas alone, and it didn’t even develop into a hurricane!
So, What Really Leads to the Highest Rainfall Totals?
Hurricanes that move slowly or nearly stop along their path usually cause the biggest rainfall problems because their rain keeps falling over the same location. The rain may be just as intense in a fast-moving hurricane, but it doesn’t stick around as long.
If a storm moves fast, like Hurricane Michael did in 2018 when it hit the Florida Panhandle, its winds and storm surge can make a big mess, but its rainfall totals will be lower.
Hurricane Michael passes over Mexico Beach, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2018. The storm moved quickly, so it brought less rainfall to each location compared to slow-moving Hurricane Harvey in Texas the previous year, but its wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage.NOAA NESDIS
So, a hurricane can be large or small in size and still have a big impact, depending on how slowly it’s moving.
There is still a lot to learn about hurricanes. Some big questions involve what’s known as rapid intensification. That occurs when a tropical storm’s maximum wind speed increases quickly, by 30 knots (about 34.5 miles per hour or 55 kilometers per hour) or more within 24 hours.
When rapid intensification occurs, as happened with hurricanes Harvey, Michael and Helene before they hit land, the storm can surprise coastal residents and become catastrophic.
Hurricanes of all sizes can be dangerous, so accurate forecasting well before they reach land is crucial to help people prepare for their impacts. One very important area of research that today’s scientists – and future scientists – can work on is improving forecasting so coastal residents know what’s coming and have time to prepare.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
]]> Kristen Bailey117926786562026-10-22 14:17:3617926789792026-10-22 14:22:5900newsHurricanes can produce enormous amounts of rain, adding up to trillions of gallons of water. But the big risk isn’t their total amount – it’s how much rain falls on each location.]]>2026-10-12T00:00:00-04:002026-10-12T00:00:00-04:002026-10-12 00:00:00Author:
Zachary Handlos, Senior Academic Professional and Director of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences B.S. Degree Program, Georgia Tech
]]>681516681516image<![CDATA[Hurricane Harvey dropped several feet of rain on Texas, stranding trucks, people and their pets. Scott Olson/Getty Images]]> Hurricane Harvey dropped several feet of rain on Texas, stranding trucks, people and their pets. Scott Olson/Getty Images]]> image/jpeg17926787272026-10-22 14:18:4717926787272026-10-22 14:18:47<![CDATA[Read This Article on The Conversation]]><![CDATA[Collard to Serve as Interim Dean of Sciences ]]>27299 David Collard, senior associate dean for the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has accepted an appointment to serve as the interim leader for the College of Sciences.
As interim dean, Collard will represent a college that is home to more than 3,000 students, 500 faculty members, and six internationally ranked schools.
Collard joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 1991. His research program has focused on understanding how interactions between molecules influence the properties of materials, ranging from electrical conductivity to biological responses. As an instructor he has received awards for teaching excellence and outstanding use of educational technology.
“David’s thoughtful approach and deep affinity for the college make him ideally suited to help steward this transition period,” said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are grateful for his willingness to provide continuity of leadership for a college that has achieved tremendous growth in size and reputation over the past seven years.”
A national search for the College’s next dean will commence, led by College of Engineering Dean Mitchell Walker. Information regarding the search committee and key dates will be posted to provost.gatech.edu.
]]> Michael Hagearty117924382792026-10-19 19:31:1917925051092026-10-20 14:05:0900news
David Collard, senior associate dean for the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has accepted an appointment to serve as the interim leader for the College of Sciences.
Generations of Yellow Jackets will come together to celebrate Georgia Tech's Homecoming the week of Oct. 19 – 24. Events will honor Institute traditions leading up to the Homecoming football game against Boston College.
The annual Homecoming Carnival, sponsored by the Student Center Programs Council, invites the campus community to “set sail for an unforgettable adventure.” The “Lost at Sea, Found at Homecoming” event will feature inflatable rides, food, crafts, and a dunk tank in Tech Green.
Ride with President Ángel Cabrera through campus to celebrate his contributions to Georgia Tech and the Institute’s continued momentum. Cheer stations along the route will be set up for members of the Tech community to encourage riders and take part in the celebration.
The Georgia Tech Alumni Association invites you to celebrate Tech tradition and pride at Buzz Bash, “Homecoming’s signature celebration for alumni, students, families, and friends.” Enjoy pep rally performances, food and beverages, and photo ops.
The Mini 500 returns as teams of seven — three racers and four pit crew members — compete in an eight-lap tricycle race around Peters Parking Deck.
Each team must rotate the front tire of their tricycle at least three times throughout the race as they attempt to complete the course without destroying their tricycle. The event has been hosted by Ramblin' Reck Club since 1969.
Those not competing are welcome to show up and cheer on the teams vying for the title of Mini 500 champions.
Where: Starting line, corner of Fowler and Eighth streets; finish line, Harrison Square
Open to all first-year students, the Cake Race is a half-mile race held before sunrise on the morning of the Homecoming football game. All participants, whether they run, jog, or walk, receive a cupcake at the end, while the top men’s and women’s winners receive a cake and are brought onto the field during halftime later that day.
Once a recruitment tool for the track team, the race has evolved through the years to become one of Tech's most beloved traditions. The event earned its name in 1913 when wives of faculty members and students' mothers baked cakes to reward the winners. It became a standing event in Homecoming festivities in 1935.
Where: Along Fowler Street, between Eighth Street and Ferst Drive
The parade route starts at Eighth and Fowler streets and ends at Ferst Drive. The event features three categories of vehicles: classic cars, fixed body, and contraption.
Inspired by the Wreck, a 1930 Model A Ford, any restored vehicle more than 25 years old qualifies for the classic car category. The fixed-body vehicles feature displays designed and built by students to reflect the Homecoming theme. Like a traditional parade float, these vehicles are either machine-powered or can be pulled by another vehicle. The contraption category features vehicles that are completely human-powered, emphasizing students’ creativity and engineering skills.
The event began in 1929 as a race from Atlanta to Athens but was altered in 1932 due to safety concerns. The parade has taken place each year since, with the exception of 1942 and 1943 because of gas shortages during World War II.
Homecoming week features time-honored Tech traditions, and this event has quickly become a fan favorite. Four hours before each home football game, the north end of the stadium is transformed into the ultimate tailgate zone with live entertainment, games, food trucks, and concessions.
Tech returns to The Flats to take on Boston College. The Yellow Jackets own a 57-18-1 record in Homecoming games and are 4-0 in Homecoming games under head coach Brent Key.
The Georgia Tech Alumni Association is sponsoring class reunions throughout the week as well as tours of campus hot spots such as Clough Commons, The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, Coda at Tech Square, and more.
