The global ranking represents a substantial advance from 2024, when Georgia Tech was placed in the 126–150 band. The latest results position Georgia Tech among the world's top 100 universities for psychology and among the top 40 nationally. Georgia Tech is also the highest-ranked university in Georgia for psychology, ahead of both public and private institutions in the State.

The recognition follows improvements in several measures of research and education, particularly research quality, teaching, and international engagement.

“This recognition is encouraging, not simply because of the ranking itself, but because it reflects the collective efforts of our faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, and collaborators,” said Tansu Celikel, professor and chair of the School of Psychological and Brain Sciences. “Our focus is on asking important questions, conducting rigorous research, and preparing the next generation of scientists. It is gratifying to see that work gain greater international visibility.”

Research Quality Drives Strong Performance

One of the most notable developments is Georgia Tech's improvement in research quality, which rose from 77.2 in 2024 to 86.5 in 2026 on THE's 100-point scale.

The 2026 research quality score also compares favorably with other leading universities in Georgia. Emory University received a score of 68.3, while the University of Georgia scored 74.8.

THE's research quality indicators consider citation impact, research strength, research excellence, and research influence. Together, they provide a multidimensional assessment of scholarly contributions and their influence on subsequent research.

Georgia Tech also recorded gains in teaching, with its score increasing from 32.3 to 43.9, and research environment, which rose from 34.6 to 40.0. Its international outlook score increased from 56.1 to 59.3.

“These rankings offer one perspective on academic performance, and no single measure can capture the full value of a research and educational community,” Celikel said. “What matters most is that our work contributes meaningful knowledge, creates opportunities for our students, and helps address important questions about the brain, mind, and behavior.”

Five Programs Connecting Brain, Behavior, and Technology

The School's research and educational mission spans five complementary programs: Cognition and Brain Science, Adult Development and Aging, Engineering Psychology, Quantitative Psychology, and Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology.

Together, these programs address fundamental and applied questions about human experience.

Cognition and Brain Science investigates the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying sensation, perception, learning, memory, attention, and decision-making. Adult Development and Aging examines how cognition, behavior, and everyday functioning change across adulthood and later life.

Engineering Psychology focuses on the interaction between people and technology, including the design of systems that support human abilities, performance, and safety. Quantitative Psychology develops and applies statistical, mathematical, and computational methods to understand complex behavioral and psychological phenomena. Industrial/Organizational Psychology studies behavior in workplaces and organizations, including employee well-being, teamwork, leadership, and performance.

These areas provide complementary perspectives on how people think, learn, work, interact with technology, and adapt throughout life. They also create opportunities for collaboration across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

“Our five programs reflect the breadth of psychological science and the different ways it contributes to understanding people and the world around us,” Celikel said. “What makes our School distinctive is not only the strength of these individual areas, but also the opportunities for them to work together and connect with Georgia Tech's expertise in engineering, computing, and the sciences.”

An Interdisciplinary Environment for Discovery

The School's position within a leading science and engineering institution creates unique opportunities to advance psychological and brain sciences through interdisciplinary research, technological innovation, and collaboration.

Research at PBS spans experimental, computational, theoretical, and applied approaches, connecting discoveries about neural circuits and cognitive processes with research on human development, decision-making, workplaces, and human-centered technologies.

Over the past four years, PBS has significantly expanded its research infrastructure by establishing three Centers of Excellence focused on Navigation, Computational Cognition, and Human, Robot & AI Teaming, alongside new core facilities supporting the multimodal observation and control of brain and behavior.

These investments bring together expertise across psychology, neuroscience, engineering, computing, robotics, and artificial intelligence, creating new opportunities to investigate fundamental questions about how brains and intelligent systems perceive, learn, decide, and act.

The Centers of Excellence provide complementary platforms for interdisciplinary discovery. Research on navigation connects spatial cognition, neural mechanisms, and adaptive behavior. Computational cognition brings quantitative and computational approaches to understanding how minds and brains process information. Human, Robot & AI Teaming examines how people and intelligent technologies can interact, coordinate, and collaborate effectively.

Complementing these initiatives, the School's core research facilities support integrated approaches to studying brain and behavior across multiple levels of analysis. By enabling multimodal measurement and experimental control, these capabilities help researchers connect neural activity, cognitive processes, and observable behavior within increasingly sophisticated experimental settings.

Together, the centers and facilities strengthen the School's capacity to pursue ambitious scientific questions, support collaborative research, and provide students and early-career scientists with access to advanced research methods and technologies.

“We are working hard to create an environment where researchers can pursue questions that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries,” said Celikel. “Our Centers of Excellence and shared research facilities are investments in people and possibilities. They help us bring different perspectives together, support our students and colleagues, and pursue scientific questions that would be difficult to address within any single discipline.”

These developments reflect a broader commitment to building a collaborative research community in which fundamental discoveries about the brain, mind, and behavior can inform, and be informed by, advances in technology and computational science.

Looking Beyond the Rankings

The 2026 THE psychology rankings evaluated 694 universities across 64 countries and territories using 18 performance indicators organized into five categories: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

While these rankings assess institutional performance rather than individual academic schools independently, they provide an international benchmark for Georgia Tech's development in psychological and brain sciences.

For PBS, the milestone offers an opportunity to recognize the contributions of its community while maintaining a focus on the scientific questions, educational mission, and collaborations that drive its work.

“We appreciate this recognition, but our ambitions extend well beyond rankings,” Celikel said. “Our priority is to foster an environment where talented people can pursue important scientific questions, collaborate generously, and produce research that advances our understanding of the human brain and behavior. If we do those things well, recognition will follow.”

Learn more through the 2026 Times Higher Education Psychology Rankings, the ranking methodology, and the PBS graduate programs.

The three-year project, Close-Space Sublimation for Scalable Perovskite Optoelectronics Manufacturing, is led by Liqiu Zheng, assistant professor of physics at Albany State, and Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, associate professor and Goizueta Junior Faculty Chair in Georgia Tech’s School of Materials Science and Engineering and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The researchers aim to develop manufacturing approaches for perovskite thin films that could make production faster, more material-efficient, and easier to scale.

The award also will expand Albany State’s research capabilities and create hands-on learning opportunities for students at both institutions.

Georgia Tech launched the Research Collaboration Forum (RCF) in 2023 to bring together researchers from Georgia Tech and historically Black colleges and universities, as well as representatives from industry, federal agencies, and national laboratories. Participants develop partnerships and pursue new research opportunities.

Through its Seed Grant Program, the forum provides early-stage funding to help teams generate preliminary results, build capacity, and compete for larger external awards. Grants have ranged from $10,000 to $50,000. The Georgia Tech-Albany State team was among the projects funded during the forum’s inaugural cycle.

"The RCF seed funding allowed us to establish the collaboration, generate preliminary data, and demonstrate that our teams could work effectively together," Correa-Baena said. "That initial year helped us identify the key scientific questions and provided the foundation for the new three-year, $1.3 million NSF award."

The project reflects a central goal of the RCF: helping promising collaborations move from initial conversations to sustained research partnerships with national impact.

"By bringing together Georgia Tech researchers, HBCU faculty, industry partners, and federal stakeholders, we are building research capacity, strengthening long-term collaborations, and creating pathways to larger funding opportunities," said George White, director of strategic partnerships at Georgia Tech.

The award will support new thin-film manufacturing and characterization equipment at Albany State. The investment will help researchers accelerate materials discovery, build long-term research capacity, and give students access to advanced semiconductor research tools.

“This award elevates the research footprint of Southwest Georgia and recognizes Albany State’s ability to contribute to nationally relevant scientific research,” Zheng said. “Beyond the research, it creates opportunities for students to gain experience with advanced semiconductor technologies and helps strengthen the pipeline of talent entering the semiconductor workforce.”

Albany State and Georgia Tech will jointly study thin-film growth, structure, and device performance. As part of the collaboration, Georgia Tech researchers will support Albany State as the team acquires and begins using the new equipment, sharing expertise in operation, data collection, and analysis.

Students will receive hands-on training in thin-film deposition, X-ray characterization, solar-cell fabrication, and data analysis. The project also includes exchanges between Georgia Tech and Albany State, giving students access to research facilities, expertise, and collaborative research opportunities at both institutions.

The research focuses on a manufacturing technique known as close-space sublimation. Researchers typically produce perovskite thin films using liquid inks. Close-space sublimation instead uses heat to transport material as vapor across a short distance. The team will investigate whether the approach can be adapted for perovskite materials, potentially enabling faster, more material-efficient, and more scalable manufacturing.

The progression from a Research Collaboration Forum seed grant to a federally funded research project illustrates the forum’s broader goal: helping Georgia Tech and HBCU researchers turn early connections into sustained collaborations that expand opportunity, strengthen research capacity, and advance discovery.

Shortly after Carver came to Georgia Tech in 1994, he began considering joining the co-op program at the Microelectronics Research Center (MiRC), now part of the Institute for Matter and Systems. Initially unsure if he could do the program, his considerations began to take shape when his residence hall advisor, a MiRC employee at the time, introduced him to Jerry Hill, then center’s associate director. 

“I interviewed there and got the job,” Carver said. “It was kind of just an accident.”

What may have started as a simple interest soon evolved into a career path. From installing and repairing equipment, to developing the equipment control system now known as SUMS, Carver's experiences in the cleanroom helped him build skills that would become critical for his career. One of those experiences even helped lead him to graduate school.

“I lived on campus all through school, so I was usually on-call for after-hours emergencies,” Carver said. “Sometimes, a piece of equipment was not working correctly, and the users needed to complete a process to meet a deadline." One user happened to be Alan Doolittle, Joseph M. Pettit Professor. Carver remembers keeping a tool stable for Doolittle, since Doolittle's schedule meant lots of late-night work.

“The processes were long enough that we'd spend several hours in the lab talking about all sorts of topics. Those interactions eventually led him to offer me a spot in graduate school in his new research group.”

Throughout his time in the cleanroom, Carver was exposed to a wide variety of semiconductor processing equipment, but he had never worked with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Joining Doolittle’s research group changed that and helped shape the trajectory of his career. 

“Joining Alan's group ended up giving me that last piece,” Carver said. “I had to rebuild an MBE machine as the starting job of my graduate career.

During the final year of his graduate studies, Carver had been constantly applying and interviewing for jobs while preparing to defend his Ph.D. thesis on MBE. Trudging through the middle of the Great Recession, very few companies made hard offers, not knowing whether they could afford to hire him. As graduation approached, nerves rose. 

An interview with Intel at a Georgia Tech Career Fair, appeared to offer a path forward. As Carver moved through follow-up interviews with Intel, a previous meeting with representatives from JPL began to turn into something more.

“I distinctly remember one interviewer being Charles Norton who, upon learning of all the things I had done with MiRC and Doolittle's group, informed me that he knew of several people that would be interested in someone with my background,” Carver recalled. “I had several phone interviews shortly after the campus visit from several people at JPL.”

In January 2009, Intel was waiting for Carver to respond about a final interview while Carver was waiting for a call from JPL. With a leap of faith, Carver declined Intel’s final interview. 

After a month of uncertainty, JPL invited Carver to an in-person interview and presentation at its Microdevices Laboratory (MDL). 

After visiting Pasadena, California, Carver received an offer. On April 6, 2009, he defended his doctoral dissertation at Georgia Tech. Three days later, he began his new job at JPL’s Microdevices Laboratory. 

Building on his experience in Doolittle’s lab, Carver was tasked with overseeing the installation and development of a new multi-million dollar MBE system. Because of the scale of the investment, the project drew the attention of JPL leadership, including then-director, Charles Elachi.

A few years after completing work on the MBE system, Carver got the opportunity to work on a new Mars mission. He joined a team of engineers and scientists designing and building instruments for a new rover.

“I was part of the team that made the engineering cameras, and I wrote some of the software to test them,” Carver said. “So I got to help put hardware on another planet, which is really cool.”

The Perseverance rover landed on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. Carver’s work on its engineering cameras connected a career that began in a Georgia Tech cleanroom with an exploration mission millions of miles from Earth.

Today, Carver works on challenges ranging from new optical space instruments to the effects of space radiation on microelectronics. His path from Georgia Tech’s cleanroom to JPL illustrates how skills developed through hands-on research and experimentation can contribute to exploration far beyond campus. 

Ramblin’ Royalty, hosted by the Student Center Programs Council (SCPC) within Student and Campus Event Centers (SCEC), celebrates students who embody Georgia Tech’s motto, Progress and Service. Previously known as Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech, the program has evolved into a more inclusive scholarship initiative to represent all students who are making a positive impact on campus. 

A College of Sciences student was among the five students selected for this recognition.

Giuli Capparelli Sanabria

Year: 4th year Biology major
Nominated by: Phi Mu Fraternity

Giuli has embraced Georgia Tech’s motto of Progress and Service through a commitment to expanding educational opportunity and building connections across diverse communities. As a recipient of the G. Wayne Clough Tech Promise Scholarship, she’s transforming gratitude into action as a passionate advocate for the initiatives that make a Georgia Tech education accessible to students from all backgrounds. She has represented the institute at various events including the Gold and White Gala and Scholarship Brunch, and in 2025 was honored to serve as the keynote student speaker at the USG Scholarships and Awards Gala, sharing the impact of scholarship support and promoting access to higher education. Her dedication to service and representation also extends to campus life. Through Phi Mu, she’s aware of the value of connecting across different perspectives and backgrounds. As Phorum Lead, she facilitated educational programming focused on topics like implicit bias and cultural awareness, helping foster meaningful dialogue within her community. Her Georgia Tech journey reflects gratitude, advocacy, and a belief in the transformative power of opportunity. Representing Georgia Tech as Ramblin’ Royalty would be a celebration of her commitment and the impact she hopes to continue making for future Yellow Jackets.

>> Meet all the students named 2026 Ramblin' Royalty.

Hosted by Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the annual summit brought together representatives from academia, industry, government, national laboratories, and nonprofits to discuss strengthening energy systems and preparing for a changing energy future. Topics focused on collaboration, workforce development, and strategies for building resilience amid the challenges in the energy sector.

"Energy resilience requires more than technological innovation. It depends on strong partnerships across universities, industry, government, and national laboratories," said SEI Executive Director Yuanzhi Tang, who delivered the summit’s opening remarks. "The UEILC Summit serves as an important forum to exchange ideas, identify shared challenges, and build collaborations among energy institutes across the country. These efforts are essential to strengthening energy systems and preparing the workforce that will support them."

Following Tang, Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech's interim president and executive vice president for Research, delivered a keynote address on academia's role in advancing a resilient energy future. Lieuwen emphasized the unique role of universities as trusted conveners and honest brokers, bringing together stakeholders with diverse perspectives to navigate an evolving energy ecosystem. 

A fireside chat featuring Mike Caravaggio of EPRI, Stephanie Gossman of Georgia Power, and Tang explored how artificial intelligence, data center expansion, and rising electricity demand are reshaping the energy landscape. The speakers also discussed how their organizations are working to strengthen grid reliability, expand infrastructure, and support a reliable energy future.

Founded with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to strengthen collaboration among university energy institutes, the University Energy Institute Leadership Collaborative provides a forum for advancing energy research, education, and engagement.

“A systems approach to today’s energy challenges — where academia, industry, and government collaborate to provide many perspectives on a problem — can only happen if there is a venue and a community where these discussions can safely take place,” says Daniel Tkacik, executive director of Carnegie Mellon’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation as well as the principal investigator of the Sloan Foundation grant that supports the UEILC. “This summit continues to provide that valuable venue for collaboration, and we are grateful to our generous hosts at Georgia Tech.”

The summit theme, Expanding Collaborations for Resilient Energy Futures, framed discussions on regional energy resilience, grid vulnerabilities, geopolitical influences on energy planning, the growth of data centers, and workforce education. 

"The UEILC annual summit provides an excellent opportunity for energy institute leaders from across the nation to come together and share perspectives, strengthen partnerships, and advance solutions that can help shape more resilient energy futures," said Christine Conwell, director of planning and operations at SEI. "The conversations over the course of the summit reinforced the importance of cross-sector partnerships in creating new opportunities for innovation."

Conversations and networking opportunities provided a broader understanding of how different regions are strengthening energy resilience, addressing emerging threats to power infrastructure, adapting to geopolitical and economic shifts, and preparing for increased electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centers.

"It was exciting to see so many diverse perspectives united by a common goal of building more resilient energy systems," said Jordann Britt, SEI program manager and a UEILC Bridge-Builder Fellow. 

Britt helped organize the summit as part of the UEILC Bridge-Builder Fellows Program, which supports emerging leaders in the university energy community.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study, “Neuromodulatory control of cortical function: Cell-type-specific regulation of neuronal information transfer,” reveals that dopamine and acetylcholine, two chemical messengers essential for learning, attention, and cognitive flexibility, can fundamentally alter how neurons encode and transmit information.

The international research team, led by Tansu Celikel of Georgia Tech's School of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Fleur Zeldenrust of Radboud University in the Netherlands, found that these chemical signals influence different types of neurons in distinct ways. Their effects extend beyond changes in individual neuronal responses to reshape how multiple functional properties are organized and interact.

Beyond Turning Neurons Up or Down

Neurons process incoming information and communicate through electrical impulses known as action potentials. For decades, scientists have investigated how neuromodulators such as dopamine and acetylcholine influence this process, often focusing on whether these chemicals increase or decrease neuronal activity.

“Changes in neuronal activity alone do not necessarily tell us how effectively neurons process information,” explains Dr. Celikel. “A neuron that fires more frequently is not necessarily transmitting more useful information about its inputs. Likewise, a neuron that becomes less active may still play an important role in shaping how information is represented in the brain.”

The new study moves beyond conventional measures of neuronal activity by examining how neuromodulators affect multiple interacting properties, including the electrical characteristics of neuronal membranes, the generation of action potentials, adaptation to sustained stimulation, and sensitivity to incoming signals.

“Rather than acting like simple volume controls that turn neuronal activity up or down, dopamine and acetylcholine function as reconfiguration signals,” says Dr. Celikel. “They change not only how individual neurons respond, but also how the different components of neuronal information processing work together.”

Different Neurons, Different Responses

To investigate these effects, the researchers analyzed electrical recordings from excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the somatosensory cortex of mice, a brain region involved in processing sensory information, including touch.

Excitatory neurons generally promote activity within neural circuits, while inhibitory neurons help regulate and constrain that activity. The balance between these two populations is essential for normal brain function.

The researchers examined how activating three specific receptors, dopamine D1 and D2 receptors and the acetylcholine-sensitive muscarinic M1 receptor, influenced how neurons encode and transmit information.

Their findings revealed striking differences between neuronal populations and receptor types.

“Activating D1 receptors increased the amount of stimulus information transmitted by inhibitory neurons, while activating M1 receptors significantly reduced information transfer in excitatory neurons,” explains Dr. Celikel. “D2 receptor activation produced more modest effects, some of which were comparable to normal experimental variability.”

These findings challenge the assumption that increasing neuronal excitability necessarily improves information processing.

“What matters is not simply how much a neuron fires, but how effectively its activity represents incoming information,” adds Dr. Celikel. “Our results suggest that neuromodulators can selectively redistribute information processing across different neuronal populations.”

A More Flexible View of Neuronal Identity

Another important finding challenges traditional assumptions about how neurons are classified according to their functional characteristics.

Scientists commonly group neurons into functional categories based on properties such as their electrical activity, membrane characteristics, and responses to stimulation. These classifications are often treated as relatively stable.

However, the researchers discovered that activating neuromodulatory receptors reorganized how neurons clustered according to these properties.

Neurons that were functionally similar under baseline conditions could become more distinct following receptor activation, while previously dissimilar neurons could develop more closely related functional profiles.

“Our findings suggest that a neuron's functional identity is not entirely fixed, but depends in part on the chemical environment in which it operates,” says Dr. Celikel. “Rather than belonging to rigid, discrete functional categories, neurons may occupy a more flexible continuum of functional states.”

The researchers also discovered that neuromodulation reorganized the relationships among neuronal properties in different ways depending on the cell type.

Across the recorded populations, inhibitory neurons generally showed greater statistical coordination among their functional characteristics following receptor activation. Excitatory neurons, by contrast, exhibited a more selective reorganization, including greater independence between their sensitivity to incoming signals and other intrinsic properties.

This distinction suggests that neuromodulatory signals can shape the functional organization of neuronal populations in fundamentally different ways.

Together, the findings point to an additional dimension of neuronal regulation: brain chemicals influence not only individual cellular properties, but also how those properties relate to one another, potentially expanding the range of computational states available to neural circuits.

Implications for Understanding Brain Function

Dopamine and acetylcholine play essential roles in attention, learning, memory, and behavioral flexibility. Disruptions in neuromodulatory signaling are also implicated in neurological and psychiatric conditions, including Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.

Understanding how these chemical systems reorganize neuronal information processing may help researchers develop more comprehensive explanations of how the brain adapts to changing behavioral demands and how these processes may be altered in disease.

The findings also highlight the importance of studying neuronal function beyond conventional measurements such as firing rates or excitability. By examining how different neuronal properties interact, researchers can gain a more complete understanding of how chemical signaling influences the brain's computational capabilities.

The current study examined individual neurons in isolated mouse brain tissue rather than measuring cognition or behavior directly. Further research will be needed to determine how these cellular changes influence the activity of larger neural networks and behavior in living animals.

Nevertheless, the findings establish a framework for understanding neuromodulation as a dynamic process that reorganizes neuronal computation rather than simply increasing or decreasing activity.

By demonstrating that dopamine and acetylcholine can reshape information transfer, functional classifications, and the relationships among neuronal properties, the study provides new insight into the cellular mechanisms that may enable the brain to adapt its information processing to changing conditions.

Publication information

Article: “Neuromodulatory control of cortical function: Cell-type-specific regulation of neuronal information transfer”

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Publication date: October 19, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2609893123

The strategy, announced in July 2026 as part of Panama’s National Agenda on Advanced Technologies, was developed through a partnership between Panama’s National Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation (SENACYT) and Tech AI, Georgia Tech’s AI solutions developer. The effort brought together leaders from government, academia, industry, and civil society.

The strategy identifies priorities for AI across economic development, workforce preparation, digital infrastructure, governance, research, and international collaboration.

Pascal Van Hentenryck, the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and professor at Georgia Tech and director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Artificial Intelligence Institute for Advances in Optimization (NSF AI4OPT), helped lead the development of the strategy.

“Panama has a unique opportunity to leverage its position as a global logistics and financial hub to become a trusted leader in AI,” Van Hentenryck said. “The strategy lays out what is needed to develop the talent, infrastructure, data, and institutions to support that ambition.”

Panama’s focus on artificial intelligence comes as the country expands its role in Latin America’s technology ecosystem. The 2025 Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index classified Panama as an “Adopter” nation and reported a 1.47-point increase in the country’s score from the previous edition.

Building the strategy

Van Hentenryck and Timothy M. Brown, interim managing director of Tech AI at Georgia Tech, authored the strategy following months of engagement with stakeholders throughout Panama.

The process included workshops, interviews, and a nationwide survey that gathered input from more than 6,700 Panamanians. Government officials, researchers, industry representatives, educators, and community members contributed perspectives on the country’s opportunities and challenges.

“The strategy was shaped by what we heard from people across Panama,” Brown said. “That input helped identify where AI can have the greatest impact and what Panama needs to build the capacity to use it effectively.”

The resulting framework is organized around five foundational pillars:

1. Governance and regulatory framework
2. Human talent and institutional capacity
3. Data and infrastructure
4. Ethics, inclusion, and sustainability
5. International cooperation and global standards

Together, the priorities are intended to support AI adoption across sectors including logistics, financial services, healthcare, agriculture, education, manufacturing, government services, and energy.

At the center of the strategy is a vision for Panama to become “Latin America’s Trusted Hub for AI Innovation.” The plan builds on the country’s established role in global logistics and finance, envisioning a “Digital Canal” that supports the secure movement of data, technology, talent, and innovation throughout the region.

Eduardo Ortega-Barría, national secretary of science, technology, and innovation at SENACYT, said the strategy provides a foundation for Panama to participate more fully in the global AI economy.

“AI is transforming economies, societies, and the way we work,” Ortega-Barría said. “For Panama, this strategy is about preparing our country to participate in that transformation while ensuring that innovation creates opportunities for our people and strengthens our competitiveness.”

Connecting research and policy

The strategy reflects contributions from Georgia Tech researchers and experts, SENACYT leadership, policymakers, international advisers, and private-sector stakeholders. AMD also participated in the initiative.

Keith Strier, senior vice president of Global AI Markets at AMD, said international partnerships will be important as Panama develops its technology ecosystem.

“Panama is building its domestic AI capabilities and infrastructure together with the United States as a strategic partner,” Strier said. “This is an important moment as Panama establishes its role in the global AI ecosystem.”

For Georgia Tech, the project illustrates how the Institute’s research and technical expertise can inform national-level technology planning.

Rather than focusing solely on AI development, the strategy connects technical capabilities with workforce preparation, research capacity, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and responsible governance. It also calls for efforts to expand access to AI opportunities in rural and underserved communities.

Van Hentenryck said developing the strategy required understanding Panama’s priorities alongside the opportunities presented by emerging technologies.

“Working on a national strategy requires bringing together different perspectives,” he said. “Panama has its own strengths, challenges, and ambitions, and those were essential to shaping a strategy that can work for the country.”

From strategy to implementation

The launch marks the beginning of the next phase: putting the strategy into action.

The road map includes recommendations for expanding AI education and workforce training, strengthening research capacity, improving digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, establishing responsible AI governance, and creating mechanisms to support entrepreneurship and innovation.

Franklin Morales, head of the International Technical Cooperation Office at SENACYT and project lead for the AI initiative, said the strategy provides a starting point for that work.

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning,” Morales said, quoting Winston Churchill. “After months of work, Panama launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a vision of what this country needs to build for a new technological era.”

“The launch of the strategy is an important milestone, but the real work begins with implementation,” Brown said. “The focus now is on turning these priorities into lasting capacity, developing talent, and infrastructure while supporting research, entrepreneurship, and responsible AI adoption.”

For Panama, the strategy establishes a framework for using artificial intelligence to strengthen economic competitiveness, expand opportunity, and support the country’s role in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.

New research from Georgia Tech suggests that a simple change to a chatbot’s instructions could reduce that risk. The work was accepted to the ACM AI Letters publication. 

Researchers Lorenzo de la Loza and Vijay Madisetti tested eight AI models in 1,280 experiments involving simulated conversations about delusional beliefs. They found that instructions designed to discourage excessive agreement reduced the models’ confirmation of those beliefs by 73.8%. Adding a self-reflection step increased the reduction to 77%.

“We think that this paper will help AI providers and solution creators better understand how best to protect and safeguard their users from harming themselves,” Madisetti said. “This may make AI safer for all of us.”

AI chatbots are designed to be helpful and supportive. But that behavior can become risky when a chatbot agrees with a user’s beliefs without questioning whether they reflect reality. Researchers call this behavior sycophancy.

Courtney Crooks, a principal research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and adjunct faculty member in Georgia Tech’s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, said chatbot conversations can have both positive and negative effects.

People may feel more comfortable discussing difficult thoughts with a chatbot than with another person. But if the chatbot always agrees, users may miss opportunities to question their beliefs or consider other points of view.

The same behavior that makes a chatbot feel supportive, Crooks explained, can also encourage harmful patterns of thinking.

The researchers tested instructions that told AI models not to reinforce users’ beliefs simply to be agreeable. The team evaluated the models using 16 clinically derived scenarios involving delusional beliefs.

The team also tested other safety tools, including systems designed to flag potentially harmful content. The results suggest that changing a chatbot’s instructions can be an effective way to reduce excessive agreement in the scenarios tested.

Crooks called the findings a promising direction for future research combining psychology and AI safety.

The study did not test people in clinical settings or prove that the approach prevents real-world harm. However, it offers developers a potential way to make chatbots more careful when responding to vulnerable users without building an entirely new AI model.

NSF has awarded $20 million to renew the National AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (NSF AI4OPT) through 2031 and $18.4 million to renew the National AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education (NSF AI-ALOE) for a new five-year period. The awards will support research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and optimization, as well as the development of AI technologies for adult learning, higher education, and workforce development. A third Georgia Tech-led National AI Institute, the AI Institute for Collaborative Assistance and Responsive Interaction for Networked Groups (AI-CARING), will continue its research under a one-year no-cost extension.

Together, the institutes represent a broad range of AI research at Georgia Tech, with work spanning energy systems, advanced manufacturing, education, reskilling, and workforce development.

The renewed investments come as NSF continues to prioritize artificial intelligence, advanced research infrastructure, and development of the nation’s STEM workforce.

“Georgia Tech has built a nationally recognized ecosystem for artificial intelligence research, education, and application,” said Tim Lieuwen, interim president and executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. “These NSF investments recognize the strength of our researchers and the importance of advancing AI in ways that address real-world challenges. The continued support for NSF AI4OPT and NSF AI-ALOE will allow Georgia Tech researchers to push the boundaries of what AI can accomplish while preparing students, educators, and the workforce for an increasingly AI-enabled future.”

Advancing AI-Powered Decision-Making

The $20 million renewal of NSF AI4OPT builds on five years of research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and mathematical optimization.

Led by Pascal Van Hentenryck, the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, NSF AI4OPT develops AI and optimization technologies for complex systems where decisions must be made quickly, efficiently, and under uncertainty.

In its next phase, the institute will place greater emphasis on real-time and interactive optimization, advancing scalable, efficient, and trustworthy approaches to decision-making. Research will continue to address challenges in areas such as energy, supply chains, transportation, and advanced manufacturing.

“NSF AI4OPT’s first five years demonstrated the power of bringing AI and optimization together to address some of the most challenging decision-making problems facing society,” said Van Hentenryck. “This renewal gives us the opportunity to build on that foundation and develop AI systems that can reason, optimize, and make decisions in real time. We are especially excited about advancing trustworthy AI for complex systems in energy, supply chains, and manufacturing, while continuing to educate the next generation of AI researchers and practitioners, starting with middle and high schoolers.”

NSF AI4OPT combines artificial intelligence, mathematical optimization, and computing to create systems that support decisions in complex and dynamic environments. Its research includes applications in critical infrastructure and industry, where decisions often involve competing objectives, uncertainty, and rapidly changing conditions.

The institute also has an education and workforce development mission, introducing AI and optimization concepts to students and educators while preparing learners for an AI-enabled workforce.

“NSF AI4OPT represents exactly the kind of interdisciplinary research that Georgia Tech is positioned to lead,” said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs at Georgia Tech and former dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. “The institute connects foundational advances in artificial intelligence and optimization with engineering challenges that have direct implications for our economy and society. Its continued investment in research and education strengthens Georgia Tech’s ability to prepare students to lead in a rapidly changing technological landscape.”

Advancing Adaptive Expertise Through AI

NSF AI-ALOE’s renewed $18.4 million award launches the institute’s next five years of research into how artificial intelligence can transform adult learning and online education.

The renewal builds on NSF AI-ALOE’s previous work, including the development of seven AI agents and a data architecture for AI-augmented learning. Its next phase will focus on adaptive expertise, or the ability to apply and transfer learned skills to new situations.

AI-ALOE’s research in Phase 2 will expand beyond traditional educational settings into workplace and vocational training, with a focus on occupational skills in areas including advanced manufacturing and data science.

NSF AI-ALOE will also build on advances in generative and agentic AI to develop AI agents that support the acquisition of complex skills across higher education and workplace environments.

“NSF AI-ALOE’s renewal reflects an important shift in how we think about AI and learning,” said Ashok Goel, director of NSF AI-ALOE and professor of computer science and human-centered computing in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. “Our goal is not simply to use AI to deliver more content or automate instruction. We are exploring how AI can help people develop adaptive expertise, so they can transfer what they learn to new and changing situations. That has enormous implications for higher education, workforce development, and lifelong learning.”

The institute’s research will examine four dimensions of AI-supported learning: scalability, personalization, transfer of learned skills, and whole-person learning. It will also advance foundational AI research in machine teaching, metacognition in AI agents, and mutual theory of mind between humans and AI agents.

NSF AI-ALOE will use the data architecture developed in Phase 1 that is capable of ingesting, standardizing, analyzing, and visualizing information generated through interactions with AI tools, learning management systems, and student information systems. Researchers will use that data to better understand how learners and instructors interact with AI and improve AI-powered learning technologies.

The institute is also expanding partnerships with higher education institutions and industry. Its research network includes five colleges and universities and six industry partners in advanced manufacturing and related fields, creating opportunities to reach as many as 370,000 learners nationally through skilling, reskilling, and upskilling efforts.

“AI is changing both what people need to learn and how they can learn it,” said David Joyner, Zvi Galil PEACE Chair in the College of Computing and interim vice provost for AI in Education at Georgia Tech. “NSF AI-ALOE is uniquely positioned to study that transformation at scale. Its work can help us understand how AI can support learners without replacing the human elements of education, while giving people new ways to build and apply skills throughout their lives and careers.”

Continuing AI-CARING’s Research

The renewed support for NSF AI4OPT and NSF AI-ALOE builds on Georgia Tech’s broader participation in the National AI Institutes program.

Georgia Tech’s AI-CARING Institute will continue its research under a one-year no-cost extension, allowing the institute to carry forward its research objectives and partnerships.

The continued work of AI-CARING, alongside the renewed investments in NSF AI4OPT and NSF AI-ALOE, reflects the breadth of Georgia Tech’s AI research community and its work across disciplines.

From AI Research to Real-World Impact

The renewed NSF investments build on Georgia Tech’s broader efforts to advance AI research, education, and application through Georgia Tech AI and Tech AI.

Georgia Tech AI connects Tech’s AI community across research, education, and impact. Tech AI complements this work by serving as Georgia Tech’s engineering and delivery arm, bringing together researchers, engineers, research software engineers, students, and technical expertise to move AI projects from early-stage concepts toward operational systems.

This connection helps create a pathway from foundational research to technologies that can be developed, tested, and deployed in real-world settings.

For NSF AI4OPT, that work includes AI systems that support complex decisions in critical systems and industries, from energy and manufacturing to supply chains and transportation. For NSF AI-ALOE, it includes AI technologies that help people acquire, apply, and transfer skills across classrooms, workplaces, and lifelong learning environments.

Tech AI works at the application and deployment stage, partnering with researchers, industry, and public-sector organizations to develop and implement scalable AI solutions. Its work spans AI engineering and solution delivery, applied research, industry and government partnerships, workforce development, and responsible and trustworthy AI.

“Georgia Tech’s strength in AI comes from the connections between research, talent, and application,” said Timothy M. Brown, managing director of Tech AI. “Our NSF AI Institutes advance research across critical areas, while Tech AI serves as Georgia Tech’s engineering and delivery arm, working with industry and public-sector partners to turn AI expertise and research into deployable solutions. Together, these efforts create a pathway from AI innovation to real-world impact.”

Together with AI-CARING and Georgia Tech’s broader AI research community, the institutes contribute to a universitywide effort to advance AI that is technically innovative, human-centered, and designed for meaningful impact.

“AI is transforming virtually every sector, and Georgia Tech has a responsibility to help shape that transformation,” Lieuwen said. “These institutes bring together some of Tech’s strongest capabilities in research, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Their renewed support gives us an opportunity not only to advance the science of AI, but also to ensure that the benefits of these technologies reach the people, organizations, and communities that will rely on them.”

About the Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.

The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees, as well as professional development and K-12 programs for fostering success at every stage of life. Its more than 56,000 undergraduate and graduate students represent 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 146 countries. They study at the main campus in Atlanta, at instructional sites around the world, and through distance and online learning.

As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry and society.

About the National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports science and technology in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. For more than 75 years, NSF has advanced the frontiers of STEM research and innovation. To keep the United States at the leading edge of discovery, NSF funds basic and solutions-oriented research that generates new knowledge to fuel industries of the future, create world-leading technologies, and improve the lives of the American people.

The award recognizes their paper, “Convolutional Non-Homogeneous Poisson Process and its Application to Wildfire Ignition Risk Quantification for Power Delivery Networks,” published in Technometrics. Their research advances methods for assessing wildfire ignition risk in power delivery networks, demonstrating the real-world impact of statistical innovation.

Presented annually by the American Statistical Association and the American Society for Quality, the Frank Wilcoxon Prize honors the best practical application paper published in Technometrics.

The award was presented at the 2026 Fall Technical Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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.

After a grueling, world-class competition, the team won the $4 million first-place prize in August 2025. 

The team has since disbanded. Some members have moved into the corporate world, while others continue in academia. Despite these varied paths, Team Atlanta’s search for breakthrough AI cybersecurity solutions continues.

From AIxCC to Microsoft

Team Atlanta lead Taesoo Kim, principal security researcher Dongkwan Kim, and three other former team members joined Microsoft Security after the competition, where they continue to work on AI and cybersecurity in the Frontier Offensive Research & Generative Exploitation (FORGE) Lab.

The move has given the researchers an opportunity to apply concepts from AIxCC to real-world software. It has also exposed them to challenges that are difficult to replicate in a competition or research lab.

Dongkwan Kim said that team members continue to share what they learned through research papers, reports, software, and benchmarks. At Microsoft, these lessons are tested against real customer code.

This work led to MDASH, Microsoft's multi-agent, multi-model system for vulnerability discovery and remediation. The system uses more than 100 AI agents to search for vulnerabilities, validate potential findings, and help develop fixes.

Rather than asking a single AI model if a piece of code contains a vulnerability, MDASH can examine a problem using multiple agents. The system can also try to create an exploit to determine whether a potential vulnerability is real and reachable.

For Dongkwan Kim and the other former Team Atlanta members at Microsoft, moving from AIxCC to MDASH showed how research can look different when applied to real software.

“AIxCC was not an endpoint for Team Atlanta,” he said. “We continue sharing what we learned through technical reports, papers, open artifacts, and benchmarks for vulnerability discovery and patching.”

Working with customer code introduced new challenges for the Microsoft team. The researchers had to consider security boundaries, existing development processes, how findings would be reviewed, and how vulnerabilities would be prioritized for action.

These challenges created a new feedback loop between research and product development. The team took ideas from AIxCC, test them on real software, learn where they worked and where they fell short, and use those lessons to improve the system.

The experience also showed that AI does not replace the need for cybersecurity experts. Human researchers are still needed to provide context, decide how to break down difficult problems, validate findings, understand attack paths, and determine the potential impact of a vulnerability.

Taesoo Kim, a professor in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and vice president of security research at Microsoft, said the competition continues to influence the Microsoft team's work.

“Every single activity that we’ve done at Microsoft was influenced by AIxCC,” he said in a 2026 interview with Microsoft.

The work has continued to grow. In 2026, Microsoft introduced MAI-Cyber-1-Flash, an AI model built specifically for cybersecurity and designed to work with MDASH.

The model is designed to handle many of MDASH's tasks while allowing larger AI models to focus on harder problems. Microsoft reported that replacing 80% of the models used by MDASH with MAI-Cyber-1-Flash increased its performance on the CyberGym benchmark from 88.4% to 95.95%.

The benchmark includes more than 1,500 examples from 188 software projects. Microsoft also reported that the new setup can achieve similar performance at half the cost of the previous MDASH configuration.

“AIxCC has sparked cybersecurity innovation across the globe, from frontier AI companies to small academic labs,” said Taesoo Kim. “It is an incredibly exciting time to be working in AI-driven security engineering and research, as we see AI fundamentally reshape how we find and fix vulnerabilities at scale.”

Continuing the Research at Georgia Tech

The AIxCC experience also continues to shape cybersecurity research at Georgia Tech.

Jiho Kim, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who was part of Team Atlanta's research efforts, said one of the biggest lessons he’s brought back to campus was learning how AI and traditional security tools can work together.

One of these tools is fuzzing. Fuzzing tests software with large numbers of inputs to detect unexpected behavior or security problems. Large language models (LLMs), meanwhile, can reason about code and help guide the search.

During the AIxCC competition, the Team Atlanta combined these ideas in CtxFuzz, a system that uses an LLM to help guide fuzzing toward parts of software that may contain vulnerabilities.

The research was submitted to the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering, where it received the ACM Distinguished Paper Award.

“Since AIxCC, we’ve continued building on some of the core findings from our two-year journey with Team Atlanta,” Jiho Kim said.

“One of the biggest lessons for us was understanding how LLMs and traditional fuzzing can work together in a mutually beneficial way, using each to overcome the limitations of the other and ultimately find more and deeper vulnerabilities.”

The researchers also wanted to make the lessons from AIxCC useful to other cybersecurity researchers.

They created an Open-Source Cyber Reasoning System Framework (OSS-CRS) and CRSBench, which provides researchers and security professionals with ways to use, test, and build on technology developed through AIxCC.

“We’ve also been focused on making the results of AIxCC useful to the broader security community,” Kim said. “We created OSS-CRS and CRSBench so that researchers and practitioners can more easily use, reproduce, and build upon the capabilities and lessons from our AIxCC work.”

The team's research has also moved beyond identifying vulnerabilities. Researchers are studying how well AI models can understand and reason about computer code.

Jiho Kim and his lab mates in the Systems Software & Security Lab developed COIN, a benchmark designed to test how well LLMs can reason about code. The work has been accepted to the 2026 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing.

The Georgia Tech researchers are also developing additional benchmarks to study the various types of reasoning required for cybersecurity. They are using what they learn to create new datasets and methods for training AI models focused on cybersecurity.

“We’re using what we learn from these benchmarks to train cybersecurity-focused models through new datasets and training methodologies,” Jiho Kim said.

Photos by John Popham/College of Computing

Cognitive behavioral therapies require patients to practice skills between sessions. Clinicians rely on retrospective patient reports to understand what happens during that time.

However, recall bias, selective disclosure, and difficulty remembering can render those reports subjective, incomplete, or inaccurate.

Clinicians can now see sensor data on how patients’ bodies react in these situations thanks to a new technology toolkit from Georgia Tech and Emory University.

A new app that syncs with a FitBit wearable device can track and record heart rate, step count, noise level, and other sensor data when patients practice prolonged exposure homework assigned by their therapists.

A web dashboard lets clinicians review that data, add notes, and track patient progress. This information helps them structure therapy sessions more effectively and accelerate patient progress.

The toolkit is the culmination of a $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to Georgia Tech’s Rosa Arriaga and Emory’s Andrew Sherrill in 2019.

Arriaga is an associate professor at Tech’s School of Interactive Computing. Sherrill is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory School of Medicine.

Sherrill is also a practicing clinical psychologist at the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and has worked with veterans with PTSD for more than a decade. 

Arriaga and the students in her Ubicomp Health and Wellness Lab spent five years developing the toolkit, which they call the Patient Engagement Computational Sensing System (PECSS).

“It was a lot of master’s students and undergrads who built the back end to the app and the dashboard,” Arriaga said. “It was a lot of work and effort by a lot of students to take an idea from conception to deployment.”

The researchers originally titled the toolkit the Prolonged Exposure Collecting Sensing System, but they changed the name after realizing it could be used for other types of therapy.

“The idea is that for any therapy that has a homework component, this can bridge the gap between patient self-reporting and clinician intuition,” Arriaga said.

Nathaniel Swinger, a Ph.D. student in Arriaga’s lab, co-led a paper on the study’s results along with Ph.D. student Myeonghan Ryu. Their paper received a best paper award at the 2026 ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW). Best papers are given to less than 1% of the papers published at the conference.

“Our findings showed that the deployment was quite successful,” Swinger said. “Over 75% of the patients who incorporated PECSS into their treatment experienced a clinically significant change in symptoms. We don’t know if that’s causal, but there is some evidence the system worked to facilitate the process.”

Prolonged exposure is a method for systematically approaching trauma memories and reminders to make them safe and tolerable for patients. It is typically delivered in one-on-one therapy sessions.

Sherrill said the toolkit shows promise toward enhancing prolonged exposure therapy outside of clinical settings.

“Prolonged exposure has been researched more than any other therapy that exists,” Sherrill said. “We know it’s effective, but we’ve had problems for decades implementing it in the real world.

“There’s a need for technology in taking what patients learn in their sessions and having them replicate it outside of the clinic.”

Until now, the impact prolonged exposure on a patient with PTSD depends on the patient’s willingness to self-report the results of their homework.

“The number of potential triggers is an endless list,” Sherrill said. “We want people to approach them with their guard down and not to engage in avoidance or soothing behaviors.”

Sherrill said most of his patients have shown interest in continuing to use the toolkit — even after therapy is no longer needed.

“A system like this could reduce the frequency of sessions with a therapist,” Sherrill said. “We’re teaching patients to be their own therapists. This toolkit gives them a greater sense of independence.”

Given the promising results, Swinger said that ideally the next step would be a large-scale clinical trial.

“We’re looking to better test the causal clinical impacts of the system and a more generalizable notion of efficacy,” Swinger said. “We want to rigorously test it in a clinical setting for people beyond veterans with PTSD.”

Under Tech’s Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) strategic initiative, a group of experienced faculty have compiled the Group Project Playbook. The Playbook provides practical design and facilitation strategies for instructors interested in maximizing group project impact.

“I appreciate receiving such a well-organized collection of resources, best practices, and practical recommendations for designing and managing course projects while minimizing common challenges,” said Tatiana Rudchenko, principal lecturer in the Scheller College of Business.

Kate Williams, associate director of Transformative Teaching and Learning, notes “our annual CTL teaching survey shows collaborative learning is the most-often used high-impact teaching practice at Georgia Tech. We hope the Group Project Playbook – created by faculty, for faculty – will help instructors plan, facilitate, and evaluate group projects.”

Download the Group Project Playbook.

The Playbook was developed by the TTL Champions, a grant-funded faculty cohort.

Researchers at Georgia Tech's Center for Advanced Communications Policy will use the funding to help older adults access assistive technologies that support independent living.

Principal research scientist Nathan Moon and a team of colleagues at the Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) in Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts were awarded a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The project is in collaboration with the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) in the College of Design.

The funding will support the ACCESS for Aging Well with Assistive Technology (AT) 2.0 project, which builds on the researchers’ previous work to help older adults live independently.

“As Americans continue to age and we're growing older as a society, we want to ensure that people can continue to live independently and participate in the communities of their choice,” Moon said. “The tools that we have developed here are intended to do that.”
 

Artificial intelligence may operate in the digital world, but it leaves a massive and very real physical and societal footprint. What does AI’s rapid growth mean for the future of humanity? How can it be steered towards a more prosperous future for all? 

In a study accepted for the 2026 ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, Georgia Tech researchers interviewed 20 military sailors about their cybersecurity experiences, training, and responses to hypothetical scenarios. Their findings point to a gap between how mariners are trained to handle emergencies and how cyberattacks can compromise the systems they depend on. 

The study found several gaps in how crews prepare for cyber threats:

• Training often misses the mark. Thirteen participants said that standard cybersecurity training was largely irrelevant to their shipboard duties, and 14 reported receiving no mission-specific cybersecurity training.
• Operational technology is often overlooked. Eighteen participants said their training did not distinguish between traditional information technology and operational technology, such as navigation and propulsion systems.
• Obvious failures are easier to recognize. Eighteen participants said they would primarily look for visible signs of operational problems when identifying a potential cyberattack.
• Cybersecurity is often a low priority. Seventeen participants described their cybersecurity training as absent, low quality, or a low priority.

These gaps matter because cyberattacks can compromise a system without causing it to stop working. For example, an attacker could manipulate navigation data, leaving a crew to make decisions based on false information.

“I’d assume it was anything but cyber at first. It would probably take me quite some time to get to that conclusion,” one participant told the researchers.

The team examined three hypothetical scenarios: GPS spoofing, loss of propulsion control in a high-traffic area, and failure of electronic navigation systems in a congested channel at night.

In each scenario, mariners would first focus on keeping the vessel safe, using established procedures to stabilize the ship and troubleshoot its systems. While this response is essential during an emergency, it could delay recognition of an attack if crews do not consider that the system or its data may have been compromised.

For example, a ship navigating a narrow channel depends on accurate location information, but what happens when its navigation systems appear to work normally while a hacker manipulates that data?

An attacker could use GPS spoofing to falsify a vessel’s reported position. If the false position is close enough to the ship’s actual location, a mariner might not notice anything wrong. The vessel could gradually head toward shallow water or another obstacle without triggering an obvious error or alarm.

“By the time the mariner realizes something is wrong, the ship’s size and limited maneuverability could make it too late to avoid a grounding or collision,” said Anna Raymaker, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who studies maritime security.

The scenario illustrates a central challenge in maritime cybersecurity: An equipment failure may be easy to recognize, but a cyberattack that provides false information can be much harder to detect.

Batten the Hatches: Cybersecurity with Military Mariners was written by master’s student Ryan Von Brock, Raymaker, Research Scientist Animesh Chhotaray, Associate Professors Frank Li and Saman Zonouz, and Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Raheem Beyah.

The research was conducted in Georgia Tech’s Cyber-Physical Security Lab, a collaboration between the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Photos by Terence Rushin/College of Computing

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 kitchen serves students in need with groceries or meals, works to reduce food waste on campus, and is part of Students’ Temporary Assistance and Resources (STAR) Services.

“The STAR Office is so grateful to the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy for sponsoring a food drive this semester,” said STAR Program Director Steven Fazenbaker. “Your successful campaign has put us in a position to serve over 300 students by keeping Klemis Kitchen fully stocked with our most popular shelf-stable food items for the rest of the fall semester.”

 “It also allows us to get a head start restocking Klemis Kitchen during the winter break, so we will be ready when the spring semester begins. Thank you so much for your over-the-top generosity.”

The school exceeded its goal by $1,600 and surpassed last year’s donation of $2,110. 

Director of Research Operations Mary Helen Hayes organized the food drive and spent September fundraising. 

“While I organized and led the drive, its success came from the generosity and community spirit of our faculty and staff,” Hayes said. 

“Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped make it possible. SCP is proud to support such a meaningful cause, and we truly hope our contribution makes a difference for Klemis Kitchen and the students it serves.”

While SCP hosts this food drive once a year, Klemis Kitchen accepts donations year-round. 

Visit Klemis Kitchen to learn more about how you can help. The Kitchen relies 100% on donations, including leftovers from the dining halls, donations from community partners like grocery stores and churches, and food drives sponsored by departments across campus. 

Photos by John Popham/College of Computing

Policymakers, health system executives, community leaders and others working to address this challenge now have help from Rural Evaluation and Analytics for Community Health (REACH GA), an advanced decision-support platform that offers a comprehensive view of healthcare use in rural Georgia. In addition to updated information on rural health issues, the platform provides computer-based tools to guide allocation of healthcare resources and explore the potential impact of changes to rural health services. 

“The REACH GA platform provides up-to-date, actionable information to help leaders understand the big picture of healthcare in rural Georgia,” said Jon Duke, M.D., a principal research scientist in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the project’s principal investigator. “Beyond more accurate data, the platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) and other computer-driven tools to support improved decision-making.”

Of Georgia’s 159 counties, 126 are considered rural. Approximately 24 percent of the state’s 11.3 million residents live in these rural areas.

Read the full article on the GTRI news page

Housing and Residence Life Questions: learningcommunities@gatech.edu
Housing in the WST Learning Community buildings (Stein and Goldin) is open to all who are enrolled in any Georgia Tech undergraduate or graduate degree program.

All Georgia Tech students are welcome to attend WST Center and WST Learning Community events.

Application
2027-28 WST Learning Community Application

Direct link to the WST Application in My Housing: https://starrez.housing.gatech.edu/StarRezPortalX/82134760/22/1377/RESOURCES-WST_APP_Landing_Page

Housing Dates

• September 22, 2026: Time tickets open for current on-campus residents and WST application available
• September 22 to October 2, 2026: Time tickets open for non-residents
• November 30, 2026: 2027-2028 WST Learning Community application closes
• December 7, 2026 at 8 a.m.: Housing Lottery application closes

Withdrawing from the WST Learning Community

Before the Lottery Deadline: Students can withdraw from WST in My Housing with no impact to their lottery decision for Academic Year Housing.

After the Lottery Deadline: Students must cancel their AY27-28 Housing application; canceling the application will remove them from WST. Students who still wish to live on campus must reapply to Housing and will be placed on the waitlist in the order of their application.

For many of these patients, care has long meant pain and disfigurement alongside other severe side effects, rather than receiving treatment that addresses the disease itself. This new ARPA-H award marks a potential turning point.

Lead researcher Susan Napier Thomas, Woodruff Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB), has collaborated with her colleague J. Brandon Dixon, Woodruff Professor in the Woodruff School and IBB, for more than a decade on this project. The research partners are driven by the lack of meaningful treatment options available to patients.

“Funding support at this level is unprecedented,” Thomas said. “It finally gives us a chance to move beyond symptom management and toward real treatment. We’re addressing an underserved population with a huge unmet need.” 

A Gap in Care

The lymphatic system helps keep fluid moving through the body and plays a key role in immune health. When it does not function properly, fluid can build up in tissues, causing chronic pain and other long-term complications. Thomas noted that despite its toll on patients, lymphatic disease has lagged decades behind cardiovascular care in both treatment and research investment. 

“We are excited about this groundbreaking project in lymphatic engineering,” said Andrés García, IBB executive director. “By uniting interdisciplinary expertise, this work addresses long-standing challenges in lymphatic disease and moves meaningful solutions closer to the patients who need them most.”

What Comes Next

In the coming years, Thomas, Dixon, and their research partners will work toward an initial human trial, with an early focus on rare lymphatic conditions in children, as well as chronic disease in adults.

“This award reflects Georgia Tech’s growing leadership in using engineering to solve some of healthcare’s biggest challenges,” said Carolyn Seepersad, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair and professor in the Woodruff School. “It reinforces the Institute’s role in advancing innovations that improve patient care and strengthen Georgia’s position as a hub for health technology and biomedical innovation.”

The award was made through ARPA-H’s Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration (GLIDE) program led by Dr. Kimberley Steele.

This research was funded, in part, by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under Agreement No. 1AY2AX000137-01. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. government.

Duran spent nearly four months interning at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. His work during the internship focused on Apple’s Foundation Models, a series of generative AI models that power Apple Intelligence, and on the large-scale infrastructure and tooling around them.  

Duran’s research interests lie at the intersection of computer architecture, systems, and machine learning. More recently, he has focused on making artificial intelligence (AI) workloads more accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective. Duran is co-advised by Associate Professor Yingyan (Celine) Lin and Assistant Professor Anand Iyer in the School of Computer Science.  

Duran said he saw the internship as an opportunity to gain industry experience and apply his knowledge to real-world problems.  

“Industry research is particularly exciting to me because you can work on challenging problems while also seeing how these ideas can translate into systems and products at a very large scale and impact nearly a billion lives,” he said.  

As a research intern, Duran especially appreciated the level of independence he was given. He was expected to take initiative to find problems on his own and then develop solutions with his mentors. Although Duran liked taking ownership of his work, he also came to better understand the value of outside input.  

“One thing I’m continuing to improve is recognizing when it’s more efficient to ask for input earlier rather than spending too much time trying to solve everything independently,” he said. 

Duran said he enjoyed the internship, especially the people he met. However, the biggest highlight for him was presenting his work.  

“I had the opportunity to present several times, including to larger audiences across different organizations, and I really enjoyed discussing the findings and getting feedback from people with different perspectives,” he said.  

In addition to the technical knowledge he gained, Duran said the experience gave him a new perspective on how research and engineering work in industry.  

“I realized that combining strong research with real business needs can often create much greater impact than research alone,” he said. 

“I really enjoyed seeing my work translate into something with broader, tangible impact, and that has influenced the kind of work I want to pursue in the future.”  

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is NSF’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty with the potential to become leaders in research and education. Rahimi, the College’s first tenure-track faculty member, is also the first to receive the honor.

“I’m very humbled to have received this CAREER Award because it represents an investment in my growth as a scholar exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, learning sciences, psychometrics, and educational technology,” Rahimi said. “It’s very rewarding to see that my work has been recognized and to have this opportunity to investigate questions that are deeply important to me.”     

At the center of Rahimi’s project is Little C., a generative AI coach named for the concept of everyday creativity. The coach will assess students’ designs and offer feedback as they create, test, and revise physics-based simulations. Students will use the coach within Physics Playground, an existing digital sandbox where they design and test game levels to explore Newton’s laws of motion. By pairing creative exploration with physics concepts, Rahimi hopes students build STEM skills, gain confidence in trying something new, or build learner agency.

“What if we could have an entry point into STEM learning that looks less intimidating through the game environment and give students the opportunity to create, experiment, learn, and be creative?” Rahimi said. “Instead of treating creativity and learning as separate things, we want students to learn through creating and become more creative through learning; this is a win-win situation."

The project, which will take place primarily in after-school settings, will also explore how students engage with the AI coach during design activities and how that engagement influences creative output, physics learning, and AI literacy. 

“I’m trying to make students interested in physics,” he said. “Through this fun activity in the context of after-school programs, students can build this interest and feel self-efficacious about physics and creativity.”

During the project’s first year, Rahimi plans to engage educators and learners as co-designers to help ensure Little C. is as accessible, effective, and useful as possible. Their input will help shape the AI coach’s communication style, learning supports, and safeguards, all designed to support the responsible and appropriate use of AI in educational settings.  

This project builds on research underway in Rahimi’s CLASS Lab, or Creative Learning through AI and Stealth Assessment for STEM. The lab focuses on how emerging technologies can support learning, problem-solving, and creativity while keeping learners’ interests and abilities at the center of the experience. 

In fact, creativity has been a recurring theme throughout Rahimi’s career. He traces that interest back to fourth grade, when an art teacher praised the creativity he showed in a drawing. He said that experience helped shape his long-standing interest in how creativity develops and its role in learning.   

“We are living in an uncertain era and problems that we have never seen before will come our way, and we need people who have original thinking who can deal with those problems,” Rahimi said. “I believe creativity has been and certainly is one of the most important, if not the most important skill for human beings.”

Author: Joëlle Walls

Ethics Week returns this year with a focus on “Ethics in Action,” highlighting how Georgia Tech’s core value — We act ethically — comes to life in our campus community. Ethics is not just a principle; it is the everyday decisions, conversations, and commitments that build trust and integrity into everything we do. 

Clean technology company Gaia Agricultural Technology is working to help Los Angeles address some of those challenges through Gaia Box, its patented infrastructure system designed to generate and store energy while supporting plant growth.

Using a closed-loop water system, Gaia Box integrates energy infrastructure with plant-growing space. It can work alongside solar, utility power, or battery storage, addressing multiple energy needs while contributing to a more attractive streetscape.

Gaia's first public Gaia Box installation is operating near the Los Angeles Department of Transportation's Pico Station, close to Crypto.com Arena. Through a pilot partnership with the Los Angeles South Park Business Improvement District, the system is supporting decorative lighting along Flower Street while being tested in a high-traffic urban environment. The year-long pilot could include up to 10 Gaia Box units.

Solving Problems With Clean Technology

For founder and CEO James Highsmith, Gaia Box was never intended to solve an infrastructure problem alone.

"We come from the community," Highsmith said. "We weren't trying to build a product just to sell. We were trying to solve problems that we were experiencing ourselves."

The idea grew from a challenge Highsmith and co-founder and inventor DeMarco Millard encountered firsthand. When colder temperatures required crops they were growing outdoors to be moved indoors, the resulting increase in energy costs raised a larger question: Could they create one solution that addressed both energy use and food production?

Building it came with challenges. As a hardware startup operating across agriculture, clean energy, and infrastructure, Gaia did not fit neatly into an established category. Highsmith recalls years of skepticism from people who struggled to understand the concept.

"We went through years of being told we didn't know what we were doing," Highsmith said. Those experiences forced Gaia to refine both its approach and how it communicated its value. That evolution became an important part of the company's work with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech.

With coaching from ATDC Sustainability Catalyst Jennifer Singh, Highsmith said Gaia learned to explain the company from a systems perspective, connecting energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and community needs, while also communicating its impact on a human level.

"ATDC taught us the importance of communicating with story and not losing the plot," Highsmith said.

Through ATDC's coaching, Feedback Friday, Entrepreneurs Night, mentorship, and strategic guidance, Gaia also gained relationships and feedback that helped prepare the company for conversations with customers and partners. Highsmith credits Singh, Lisa Bailey, and other advisors with contributing to the company's growth.

Partners in Sustainability

In Los Angeles, Nolan Marshall III, CEO of the Los Angeles South Park Business Improvement District, became a key pilot partner, allowing Gaia to demonstrate Gaia Box against real infrastructure needs. Another step toward commercialization came through Gaia's partnership with the Alabama Mobility and Power Center (AMP) at The University of Alabama. Working with AMP Research Director Mike Malley and his team, Gaia gained support related to battery-backed infrastructure, customer energy requirements, battery sizing, safety considerations, installation, and maintenance. AMP also provides engineering expertise that strengthens Gaia's ability to prepare for larger projects.

The company's vision extends beyond the technology. Gaia plans to incorporate workforce development into future rollouts, creating opportunities for people to gain experience and certifications in plumbing, electrical work, and construction — trades directly connected to building and maintaining Gaia Box units. "These systems should create value for the people who live around them, not just the people who purchase them," Highsmith said.

With its first Los Angeles Gaia Box operating and additional configurations planned, Gaia is exploring opportunities in Georgia, Maryland, and other markets as it moves toward broader commercialization. For a company that spent years being told its idea did not make sense, the Los Angeles rollout is an opportunity to test how resilient infrastructure can address multiple challenges while creating value for the communities it serves.

Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is strengthening its artificial intelligence programs through AIHUB@CAU, an initiative supported by a $2.79 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant and developed in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (AI4OPT). 

Georgia Tech alumnus and President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough was struck by the beauty and ecological significance of this region during a trip to Cumberland Island. 

The South Georgia native decided to transform his sense of wonder into a multiyear exploration of the coast’s natural history, flora, and fauna. Along the way, he met some of the people studying and working to protect its ecological and cultural heritage.

The result is his new book, The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast: A Natural History of Its Creation, Transformation, and Future. Described as “part travelogue, part natural history, and part nature guide,” the book examines the past, present, and future of Georgia’s coast and reflects on the forces, both human and natural, that continue to shape it. 

Oct. 23 Book Talk at Scheller Tower

Clough will share stories and inspiration from his latest book during a special conversation on Friday, Oct. 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the West Lobby of Scheller Tower. Susan Lozier, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, will moderate the conversation, which will be followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing reception. 

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of Clough’s new book will be available for purchase and signing.

RSVP to attend and be entered into a drawing for one of 14 signed copies of his book, one for each of Georgia’s major barrier islands. 

“It surpassed our expectations,” says College of Sciences Career Education Program Manager James Stringfellow.  “We had strong interest and even better attendance from students, employers, and alumni. Our students have been asking for this, and we were happy to deliver.”

Twenty-eight employers from industry, government, health care, research, and technology attended, providing information on internships, co-ops, research experiences, and full-time jobs. Many also offered resume critiques and networking practice for students just beginning their job search.

“We’re looking for students who think outside the box,” says Assurant’s Chris Kwan, a Double Jacket who earned his bachelor’s in mathematics and master’s in computer science. “We hired a wonderful intern that I met at the College of Sciences’ Students Alumni Leadership Dinner last spring. Georgia Tech students make great hires because they are good at finding solutions.”

Carrie Crabtree of the Georgia Department of Agriculture spoke with students about research opportunities across the state. When asked what stands out to her on a resume, she says, “We like seeing undergraduate research. Even class projects help show us who can do great science.”

For students, the event’s smaller setting provided an approachable introduction to career fairs and networking.

 “This was my first career event,” says first-year neuroscience major Sneha Thakur. “It was a great introduction to get my confidence up and get a feel for networking.”

Biochemistry major Cedric Aziamadji attended SCENE to understand available internship opportunities.

“The jobs were more science-based, and they were all here in one place. At the bigger fairs, you have to search out the science jobs.”

First-year biology major Kyle King liked the chance to speak with a variety of employers. “I wasn’t sure what to expect coming in, but I’m walking out with some really good insights about research opportunities and internships.”

Stringfellow is already planning next year’s SCENE.

“We’re hoping for even more students and employers in 2027. This year’s success really shows that scientists and mathematicians can work in all the major industries for all the major brands.”

Georgia Tech and Emory University are investing more than $1 billion in artificial intelligence to advance research, develop talent and drive economic growth. Tech AI aims to translate that work into practical applications by connecting businesses and public-sector organizations with Georgia Tech’s AI expertise. 

One moment they're playing games or watching television. The next, they experience breathing failure, shock, or neurological decline. If the warning signs aren't recognized early enough, the child may require emergency transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU), where interventions can include breathing tubes, blood pressure medications, and other lifesaving measures.

The phenomenon is called “emergent deterioration.” 

"Kids will look fine, and then all of a sudden they'll fall off a cliff and rapidly deteriorate," said Dr. Mark Mai, a pediatric intensivist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, who cares for critically ill children in the ICU. "When those kids go to the ICU and need emergency interventions, they have a much higher rate of death than kids we bring up to the ICU in a controlled fashion."

To help clinicians identify those high-risk patients sooner, researchers at Georgia Tech are partnering with Children's clinicians and technology teams to create an artificial intelligence-powered warning system. Known as Algorithm for Counteracting the Clinical Onset of Rapid Deterioration (ACCORD), the three-year project is one of the first funded projects focused on a software solution by the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech (PTC). Project teams are working simultaneously on model development, app design, and user testing. And, unlike many healthcare AI projects that remain confined to research papers, ACCORD is being designed from the beginning for use in a real hospital. The ultimate goal is to help clinicians intervene before a child reaches a life-threatening emergency. 

Teaching AI to Spot Trouble Earlier

Today, clinicians rely on an early warning score that combines measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate into a single risk assessment. While helpful, the approach simplifies a complex clinical picture.

"The current system is a pretty basic rubric that sums up all the data points and then decides whether they are high-risk or low-risk, but from the data science and machine learning perspective it's not optimal," said Kai Wang, an assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering and project co-principal investigator with Mai.

Rather than evaluating patients through a fixed scoring system, ACCORD's AI model analyzes dozens of data streams, including vital signs, laboratory results, and clinical observations. The goal is to uncover subtle patterns that may signal deterioration hours before the physical warning signs become obvious to clinicians. 

"We want to build a more sophisticated algorithm that can look into vitals, blood pressure, heart rate, and other measures to provide a more granular forecast of risk," Wang said.

Building that capability into an algorithm requires making sense of one of healthcare's biggest challenges: messy, incomplete, and constantly changing data. To develop the model, researchers are training and testing it using information pulled from Children's electronic health records. Some information, such as vital signs, is collected continuously. Other information may be recorded less frequently or at irregular intervals, such as nursing observations.

"That is both the most challenging and the most exciting part of this project," said Himadri Pandey, a Ph.D. student in H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering working on ACCORD. "We have to consider the realities of a healthcare setting. Data may be incomplete or delayed, staffing and resources may change, and any recommendation must be understandable and usable by clinicians."

"The goal is not simply to build a model that works mathematically," she added. "It's to build something that could genuinely support decision-making in a hospital."

Building Technology Nurses Will Use

For ACCORD to improve patient outcomes, the technology must fit naturally into clinicians' daily workflow. Most nurses care for multiple patients simultaneously and cannot continuously monitor a single child. Because episodes of emergent deterioration are relatively rare in a full day of care, opportunities to gain experience recognizing the earliest warning signs can be limited. Acknowledging that reality, project leaders involved frontline nurses from the beginning.

"We went straight to the nurses and said, 'This is what we're trying to do. You tell us what would make your job easier, how you need the flow, what it needs to look like, and we will build according to that,” said Christina Roberts, program manager for PTC and the Health Informatics Core at Children’s. "We brought them into the process very early and gave them a say in the development, so they know exactly what to expect when the tool comes to the floor."

The team plans to integrate ACCORD directly into the Children’s electronic health record system, where clinicians already access patient information. The application will combine vital signs, laboratory results, and other clinical data into a single dashboard that can automatically flag patients at elevated risk of deterioration.

Researchers and clinicians continue to meet regularly as the platform evolves.

"How do we distinguish what the algorithm finds important and what is just always there?" said Dr. Claire Stokes, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist with the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s, who is involved in the project. "Because a clinician probably always wants to see the vital signs, even if they're not alert levels, for example."

Those conversations help ensure that the system provides useful information without overwhelming clinicians with additional data or alerts. The team hopes to begin testing the system in clinical settings by 2027 before broader deployment. For the researchers working on ACCORD, however, the project's success will ultimately be measured by the patients it helps.

"I know that one research project cannot solve every problem in healthcare," said Pandey, who has experienced the hospitalization of a close family member. "But being able to contribute, even in a small way, allows me to replace some of that earlier helplessness with purpose."

If successful, ACCORD could give clinicians something they rarely have when a child begins to decline — time. 

The positive and negative potential of AI was the focus of the first Georgia Tech AI & Society Series event, hosted by the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership on Oct. 8.

“How do we harness the technology for good and minimize the bad?” said Georgia Tech Provost Raheem Beyah in his opening remarks. Understanding and planning for AI-driven societal changes will require a knowledge of history, economics, communication, and so much more — subjects grounded in the humanities and social sciences, he said.

“No better place than Georgia Tech, and no better college than the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts to lead the discussion,” he added.

The panel, “We, the People, and AI: The Future of Data, Energy, Health, and Human Rights,” was moderated by Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Dean Amanda Murdie and included Wendy H. Wong, Professor, University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus; Caroline Gwynn Monagle, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, R1 RCM; and Marilyn A. Brown, Regents’ and Brook Byers Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.

One focus of the evening was data privacy. Many people are giving AI agents and other systems more and more access to their private information in the name of convenience and efficiency.

Wong, author of the book “We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age,” discussed how our digital lives create massive amounts of data being collected, analyzed, bought, and sold.

“I think about data as sticky, like literally like gum on the bottom of your shoe. Really easy to make … and really hard to get off,” Wong said.

Individuals often lack access and control of data being created about them.

“The data about you don’t belong to you. They belong to the data collector,” she said.

AI has only accelerated this data collection and intensifies the need to explore whether human rights should be extended to cover our digital data.

“AI is not happening to you. AI is happening, and you have a way to think about what you want out of that,” Wong said. “We are all data stakeholders.”

AI’s possible impacts on energy and sustainability were also discussed. Brown, an expert in sustainable energy technologies and policy, shared what excites her about AI’s possible uses related to sustainability.

“AI can optimize the electricity grid. It can improve industrial processes, reduce waste, predict equipment failures, [and] help integrate variable renewable energy into the system,” Brown said.

Meanwhile, AI’s high consumption of energy is a challenge yet to be overcome and could produce unequal environmental and economic impacts, Brown said.

“My concern is that we’re not paying attention to who’s going to bear the consequences of all of that pollution relative to who is going to be benefiting from the economic growth and wealth of AI.”

From medical breakthroughs to doctors taking AI notes during appointments, AI’s influence on health and medicine was also discussed.

Monagle, a leader in the healthcare technology and services industry, discussed how AI is improving processes around healthcare and insurance but also cautioned that only certain functions could be ceded to technology and that human expertise was still very valuable in the healthcare space.

“We still have to be the ones in the driver’s seat, and that means we still have to be experts in our fields. We can’t just rely on AI to tell us everything,” Monagle said.

Higher education, and the liberal arts in particular, have an important role to play in training future professionals to consider factors beyond just technology and the bottom line when implementing AI and other technologies in their fields, Monagle said.

“It’s important that universities teach people to step back and think holistically about what we are building. Why are we building it? What is it going to achieve? Is this aligned with our values? And what are our values?” said Monagle.

Since then, the federal compliance deadline has been extended to April 26, 2027, and Georgia Tech has expanded the tools and resources available to help the campus community prepare.

“The extended deadline gives our community more time to make thoughtful, sustainable progress, and Georgia Tech has expanded the tools, guidance, and training available to support that work,” said Jarmon DeSadier, vice president for Equal Opportunity, Compliance, and Conflict Management. “We need to keep the momentum going. By building accessibility into how we create and maintain digital content now, we can reduce the need for remediation later and help ensure a more inclusive learning and working environment for everyone.”

Extended Deadline
The U.S. Department of Justice extended the Title II of the ADA digital accessibility compliance deadline applicable to Georgia Tech by one year, to April 26, 2027. 

This additional time gives faculty and staff more opportunity to assess their digital content, build accessibility into their everyday work, and address existing content that needs to be updated. The extended timeline does not change the importance of this work or the accessibility standard. The Title II rule continues to use WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its technical standard. 

More Resources Are Available to Help
Over the past several months, Georgia Tech teams have continued to expand the guidance, tools, training, and support available through the Digital Accessibility website. The site serves as a central resource for making digital content, including websites, Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, instructional course materials, and multimedia, accessible.

Key resources include:

• Get Started guidance for assessing digital resources and developing an action plan for content that should be removed, archived, or remediated.
• Roles and responsibilities for instructors and faculty, administrators and staff, technical staff, librarians, and students. 
• Role-related road maps to guide instructors and staff through common challenges ranging from everyday administrative and communication needs to more complex instructional materials, including formulas and scientific equations. 
• Testing and remediation resources, including enterprise tools for digital documents and website accessibility scanning and remediation. 
• Training and workshops to help campus users understand and apply accessibility practices. Additional workshops will be added to the website as they become available. Visit the Recorded Workshops webpage to view previously conducted workshops.  

What You Can Do Now and Moving Forward
If you create, manage, or share digital content on behalf of Georgia Tech, make the following steps an ongoing part of your digital content routine:

1. Take inventory of the websites, documents, presentations, multimedia, and other digital resources you manage. Make a plan to remediate existing content in time to fully comply with the April 26, 2027, deadline.
2. Prioritize your work, beginning with content required for instruction, employment, or campus services; public-facing or frequently used materials; and new or actively maintained content.
3. Use Georgia Tech’s testing and remediation tools to identify and address digital accessibility content issues. In addition to the instructional faculty and staff accessibility road maps, review the  Testing and Remediation Tools webpage for quick links to enterprise resources to address documents and instructional materials. 
4. Continue to test and remediate your websites. Since February, the Office of Information Technology has sent direct communications to owners and managers of 425 websites about how to claim their website in the Website Asset Inventory process and begin scanning their websites using DubBot. If you have created a new website since February, submit a request to gtaccessibility@gatech.edu to be added to the Website Asset Inventory. Learn more about this process, including knowledge articles, on the Testing and Remediation Tools webpage.
5. Build accessibility into new content from the start so that remediation becomes less necessary over time. 

Accessibility Is an Ongoing Commitment
The extended deadline gives Georgia Tech valuable additional time to prepare, but digital accessibility is about more than a date on the calendar. It is an ongoing commitment to creating digital experiences that allow everyone to fully participate in the academic, research, and working life of the Institute.

Explore the tools, guidance, training, and resources available at digitalaccess.gatech.edu.

Georgia Tech invites nominations until Monday, Nov. 9, for current academic leaders to participate in the 2027 cohort of the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Leaders Network (ACC ALN). This annual leadership development program fosters collaboration and innovation among academic leaders from ACC universities.   

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 behavior researchers can teach it 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.”

However, a new paper by a Georgia Tech-led research team suggests that the requirements can disproportionately burden family farms and other small food producers due to a lack of technological infrastructure, resources, or compliance expertise.

The rule is mandated by Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law in 2011. Intended to help the FDA quickly identify the source of contamination, the rule requires producers or distributors with more than $25,000 in annual produce sales to comply or face significant fines. 

Earlier this year, the FDA extended its compliance deadline to July 2028. One reason for the extension may be the volume of feedback from stakeholders affected by the rule. The FDA received more than 1,200 comments during an open forum, with feedback from stakeholders ranging from major distributors to small farmers. 

“Many small farmers commented on how they may not have the devices needed to input this data,” said Soonho Kwon, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing (SIC) and lead author of the paper. “Does this mean they have to purchase it themselves? Do they need to become educated on how to use computing systems?”

Kwon is a member of the Equity and Sustainability in Computing Lab, which is led by SIC professor and chair Shaowen Bardzell.

Many small farms also said they can’t afford to hire someone to track the data.

One small farmer said the amount of data tracking required by the rule is overwhelming. Some of the required data include:

• location and name of the field where food was harvested
• date of harvest
• packing dates
• shipping dates

“Please do not force us to do technology stuff,” the commenter said. “It’s hard enough to keep up with the local demand as it is. We run a pretty low digital technology effort. It’s basically harvest fresh organically grown veggies and sell them to local people.”

Kwon said the intention of the Food Traceability Rule is admirable.

“Preventing foodborne illness is critical, and data- and technology-driven governance can be a powerful tool toward that goal,” he said. “But it’s equally important to think critically about who is supposed to be the default user of these systems, and who gets missed in the process. It’s undermining the people who are unable to comply.”

Other factors didn’t appear to be considered by the FDA, including the lack of technological infrastructure in rural America, where many foods are grown.

“Many parts of rural America have limited or unreliable internet access,” Kwon said. “If the FDA wants them to send this data, they must comply within 24 hours. Does that mean they have to stop their daily routine and drive to a city that has internet to send it? The rule is operating on the assumption that everyone is dealing with the same physical environment.”

Culture and religion also seem overlooked. Some commenters raised concerns that Amish farmers who avoid certain technologies for religious reasons would be pressured into digital record keeping.

Many major distributors and organizations expressed support for the Food Traceability Rule in the FDA’s forum. Catherine Wieczorek, a Ph.D. student in SIC and co-author on the paper, said these organizations don’t have the same tension points as smaller producers.

“Larger food producers have the operational capacity to do the type of work the rule requires,” Wieczorek said. “We find there’s a power imbalance when it comes to smaller food producers like a family farm. Change at that scale is difficult for smaller producers.”

Bardzell, who advises Kwon and Wieczorek, said the situation provides computing researchers an opportunity to create interventions that will benefit those with fewer resources.

“In a data age when we’re adding AI into our work processes and labor practices, we need to think about how this need creates unequal burdens on different stakeholders in our food system,” Bardzell said. “It’s a significant challenge for computing going forward.”

Kwon will present the paper on behalf of his collaborators next week at the ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their research is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Georgia Tech researchers have developed a tool that can recover deleted conversations from AI assistants running on Android phones. The tool, called ORISA, can also rebuild the recovered information into a working AI session.

The findings show that deleting an AI conversation on a phone does not necessarily mean it removes every trace.

The research could give digital investigators a new way to recover information from phones. It also raises privacy concerns for people who use AI assistants that run locally on their devices.

Local AI assistants run directly on a phone rather than sending conversations to a cloud service. While the local assistant is running, information from conversations can remain in the phone’s working memory even after it is deleted.

ORISA searches this memory for pieces of deleted conversations.

In one experiment, researchers created a fictional AI assistant called “Project Note Keeper” using the ChatterUI Android app. They gave it 100 fictional facts about a project, then deleted the conversation.

ORISA recovered information from the deleted conversation and used it to create a new working session. When researchers asked the restored assistant to list the project notes it had been given, it returned 26 facts. The original session could access only 14 facts because the rest had fallen outside its active memory.

The experiment showed that researchers could recover information the AI had already stopped actively using.

“It can help establish what information someone shared with an AI assistant and what assistance they received,” said Ph.D. student Ken Xu, lead author of the study.

The researchers tested ORISA with 10 Android apps and three AI models. Across 60 test configurations, the tool recovered conversation information that remained in the phone’s memory.

The researchers say the information becomes harder to recover as the phone’s memory is overwritten by other activity.

The research was presented at the 2026 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy. The paper, titled Recovering and Rehosting Mobile Local LLM Conversations and Contexts via Memory Forensics, was authored by Ph.D. students Xu, David Oygenblik, Runze Zhang, and Mingxuan Yao; Research Scientist Muhammad Ibrahim; and Associate Professor Brendan Saltaformaggio. The work was done in Georgia Tech's Cyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory, a collaboration between the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Dhongde measured the quality of life among older Americans using a multidimensional well-being index she pioneered. For this study, Dhongde weighed four factors: income, housing costs, disabilities, and digital access. 

“Disadvantages tend to overlap, and their cumulative effects can be more severe than experiencing each one on its own,” Dhongde said. “By weighing them together, policymakers can identify people experiencing clusters of disadvantages and provide more targeted interventions.”

Read the full story.

ATLANTA — Georgia Tech has received an initial $2.25M for the first year of the program, marking the beginning of a $5 million overall commitment from Google.org to help more scientists across the country use artificial intelligence (AI) to advance their research. 

ATLANTA — Georgia Tech has received an initial $2.25M for the first year of the program, marking the beginning of a $5 million overall commitment from Google.org to help more scientists across the country use artificial intelligence (AI) to advance their research. 

The three-day experience will move participants from foundational concepts to exploration and, ultimately, to developing solutions using AI. 

“Building AI maturity requires us to think beyond the technical expertise of our developers and subject matter experts, said Leo Howell, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. “We have to build knowledge and confidence throughout our entire community and put the power of these tools into the hands of everyday users — the people who understand our challenges, our processes, and where the greatest opportunities exist. FORGE is about creating that foundation and empowering people to move from simply using AI to identifying new ways it can transform how we work, teach, research, and serve.”

The summit builds on a pilot event held within OIT over the summer, which provided an opportunity to test the FORGE model and establish a foundation for expanding the experience across campus. This fall’s event also incorporates components of Georgia Tech’s annual Data Days programming, reinforcing the connection between strong data foundations and the effective use of AI. Together, the expanded focus on data and AI will help participants better understand what these technologies can enable, along with the governance, responsible-use practices, and institutional resources to use them effectively.

Three Days of Learning, Exploration, and Problem-Solving

Day 1: FORGE Foundations – Virtual
The summit begins by establishing a shared foundation around data and AI literacy. Sessions will explore the role data plays as a building block for AI, along with the policies, governance structures, standards, and responsible-use practices that shape how Georgia Tech approaches data and AI.

Day 2: FORGE Showcases – Hybrid (In-Person Attendance at the Global Learning Center)
The second day shifts from foundations to exploration, featuring keynotes, presentations, and showcases highlighting AI and data in action. Participants will learn how others at Georgia Tech are experimenting with emerging technologies, applying them to their work, and identifying new opportunities for innovation.

Day 3: FORGE Challenge – Hybrid (In-Person Attendance at the Global Learning Center)
The summit culminates with the FORGE Challenge, a Shark Tank-style competition that moves participants from exploration to problem-solving. Faculty and staff teams will prototype agentic AI solutions to address real institutional needs and present their solutions as they compete for the top position.

The summit is open to Georgia Tech faculty and staff. In-person participation on Nov. 17 – 18 will be limited to 200 attendees, with additional participants able to join virtually.

Pre-Summit Education Opportunities Encouraged

The FORGE experience begins before the summit with a series of workshops and training events to help participants build knowledge and skills in advance.

From Oct. 26 through Nov. 13, the Georgia Tech community can participate in pre-summit education across three learning tracks:

• Data Literacy – Build foundational knowledge and skills for understanding, working with, and applying data effectively.
• AI Literacy – Explore AI concepts, available tools, responsible use, and practical ways AI can support learning and work at Georgia Tech.
• Agentic AI/FORGE Challenge Boot Camp – Gain hands-on knowledge and skills for developing AI-enabled solutions, with focused preparation for teams participating in the FORGE Challenge.

Registration for the summit begins Oct. 12. Learn more about FORGE, pre-summit education, and the FORGE Challenge at oit.gatech.edu/ai/forge.

Presented by Georgia Tech’s Office of Technology Licensing (OTL), the awards recognize researchers and inventors whose work demonstrates a strong commitment to moving Georgia Tech discoveries beyond the laboratory and toward real-world applications.

Xu was selected from among Georgia Tech inventors in recognition of her commitment to commercialization and her efforts to translate research into technologies that can address practical challenges.

Her research spans analytical chemistry, sensor development, nanotechnology, and water treatment, with applications that include food safety, medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and pathogen detection. Her work has included developing optical sensing technologies for rapid chemical and biological detection, supported through collaborations with government agencies, industry, and other research organizations.

That emphasis on moving research into the field reflects the purpose of the Innovator Awards and OTL’s broader mission of helping Georgia Tech intellectual property reach the marketplace through licensing, startup companies, and industry partnerships.

Xu earned her doctorate in analytical chemistry from Georgia Tech and has built a research career around technologies intended to solve real-world problems. She previously was recognized as a Regents’ Researcher by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, its highest honor.

The Innovator of the Year recognition highlights not only Xu’s technical research, but also the process required to move promising discoveries toward practical use. Commercialization can connect researchers with industry partners, entrepreneurs, and other organizations that can develop laboratory innovations into products and technologies with broader societal impact.

Through the inaugural Innovator Awards Celebration, OTL is highlighting Georgia Tech researchers who have embraced that process and helped extend the impact of Institute research beyond campus.

Xu’s selection as Innovator of the Year recognizes her contributions to that effort and GTRI’s continuing role in developing applied research that moves from innovative ideas to solutions with meaningful real-world impact.

Q&A With Jie Xu

Q:  What does being named Georgia Tech’s Innovator of the Year mean to you, particularly given that the recognition emphasizes moving research toward commercialization and real-world use?
Receiving this recognition is deeply humbling, especially knowing how much groundbreaking work happens across Georgia Tech every day. What makes this award particularly special to me is its emphasis on translation and commercialization.
Research achieves its fullest potential when it leaves the lab and improves lives, industries, or the environment. Translating early-stage science into commercialized, real-world solutions is rarely a linear path—it takes resilience, multidisciplinary teamwork, and an entrepreneurial mindset. This honor belongs just as much to my collaborators, lab team, and partners who share the commitment to moving technology from concept to application. To have Georgia Tech recognize our work through the lens of real-world impact is both a rewarding milestone and a powerful motivation to keep pushing our innovations further out into the world.

Q:  What is one example from your research where the path from an interesting scientific result to something potentially useful in the real world was especially clear to you?
With our wastewater adsorbent research, getting high target-specific capture in a beaker was a great first step, but the path to a real-world tool wasn't clear until we figured out capture and recovery. Fine adsorbents disperse quickly, but pulling them back out of thousands of gallons of water is where applied nanotech usually breaks down. Once we demonstrated a rapid, economical way to capture and reuse the spent media, that lab result became a truly scalable, field-ready solution.

Q:  What is the hardest part of translating research into something that can actually be commercialized or adopted by users, and what have you learned about overcoming that gap?
Translating research into a commercial product requires accepting that benchtop success is just the starting point; the real test is building resilience through real-world deployment. With sensor development, achieving high sensitivity in clean, controlled samples is relatively easy. The fundamental commercialization barrier is data consistency when exposing sensors to raw field matrices with shifting background chemistry, biofouling, and suspended solids. We learned that you rarely anticipate every environmental challenge from day one; robustness evolves over time through field testing and continuous iteration.

Q:  How has working at GTRI, with its emphasis on applied research and sponsor needs, influenced the way you think about innovation and commercialization?
GTRI’s applied research culture thrives on close industry partnerships. Working directly with partners gives us an unfiltered view of the real problem space and operational needs. It ensures commercialization isn't an afterthought, but an evolutionary design process driven by partner feedback, turning high-performance lab concepts into scalable, field-deployable technologies that solve genuine industrial challenges.

Q:  For researchers who may have promising technology but have never pursued licensing or commercialization, what would you encourage them to do differently, or earlier, in the research process?
My biggest advice is to step out of the lab and talk to end-users and industry partners as early as possible to confirm that the problem you are solving actually exists and that the technology is genuinely needed.

Q:  Complete this sentence: “I knew I was a researcher when …”
I knew I was a researcher when I felt that incredible excitement of cracking a tough problem at the lab bench. Experiencing the rush of a major breakthrough and realizing how much I loved the hands-on problem-solving process is what made me realize research was my calling. 
 

Lewis, a principal research scientist in GTRI’s Cybersecurity, Information Protection, and Hardware Evaluation Research Laboratory (CIPHER), has had a wide-ranging career spanning law enforcement, information technology, and advanced cybersecurity research.

Lewis was sworn in at the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday, Oct. 8. At the ceremony, held in Gov. Brian Kemp's office, Lewis was joined by a large contingent of family members.

Lewis was sworn in by Kemp. With his hand raised, he "solemnly" swore to "discharge and perform all the duties required of a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority, according to the best of my ability and understanding."

The appointment comes as emergency communications systems increasingly depend on interconnected digital networks, making cybersecurity an integral part of public safety. Georgia law now requires the governor to appoint a cybersecurity subject-matter expert to serve on GECA’s board. House Bill 423, which passed in May 2025, established this requirement and expanded GECA’s responsibilities for developing and implementing Next Generation 911, or NG911, across Georgia.

NG911 represents a significant technological evolution from traditional 911 systems. Georgia law defines it as an Internet Protocol-based system designed to be secure, resilient, redundant, and interoperable. In addition to voice calls, NG911 infrastructure supports other forms of emergency communications and associated data.

That increased capability also creates a larger and more complex digital environment that must be protected from an increasingly broad cybersecurity threat landscape.

The 2025 legislation also directs GECA to establish and operate a network management center in coordination with cybersecurity subject-matter experts to protect the ESInet, core services, and public safety answering points. The authority is also responsible for monitoring network performance and coordinating technical standards intended to create an interconnected and interoperable statewide system.

Lewis brings experience to that mission from both sides of the cybersecurity “battlefield.”

His research at GTRI encompasses offensive and defensive cybersecurity topics, including penetration testing, red teaming, cyber threat emulation, defensive cyberspace operations, and threat hunting, among many others. His work frequently involves approaching systems from an adversary’s perspective to identify weaknesses before a malicious actor can exploit them.

“At GTRI, our team frequently collaborates with government and commercial organizations to simulate cyber-attacker techniques, identify system vulnerabilities, and design strategies to bolster defenses against real threats,” Lewis said in an interview.

Lewis has applied those skills to critical infrastructure and national security challenges. His GTRI work has included cybersecurity research involving electric power systems and other operational technology environments. In one Georgia Tech research effort, Lewis and other GTRI red-team researchers tested the security of electric utility technology by attempting the types of malicious actions a real-world attacker might use. He has also researched ways to detect abnormal cyber activity within electric power systems.

More recently, Lewis has contributed to Georgia Tech research designed to help hospitals identify, track, and mitigate vulnerabilities in network-connected medical devices, another environment in which cybersecurity failures can have consequences extending well beyond information technology systems.

That background is particularly relevant as 911 systems become more interconnected and can carry increasingly diverse forms of digital information.

Lewis also brings prior law enforcement experience to the appointment, giving him a perspective that bridges cybersecurity technology and the operational realities of public safety. Before joining GTRI, Lewis served in law enforcement and later worked in network and security engineering before moving into advanced cybersecurity research.

For Lewis, effective cybersecurity requires understanding not only how systems are intended to work, but how an adversary might attempt to make them fail.

“To excel in cybersecurity, one must master the art of thinking like an adversary,” Lewis said. “Regardless of your chosen cybersecurity specialization, you must constantly challenge assumptions by asking, ‘How can X be broken?’ This mindset uncovers hidden flaws before malicious actors can exploit them.”

Lewis said his work has been particularly meaningful when it helps protect systems whose reliability has real-world consequences. This vital work ties into the tenets of GTRI’s mission to:

• Improve the human condition. 
• Enhance State of Georgia economic development.
• Serve national security.

“The greatest fulfillment comes from realizing my contributions to enhancing the security of power grids, critical infrastructure, and national defense systems against genuine cyber threats,” he said.

His new role with GECA extends that mission to another form of critical infrastructure: the communications systems Georgians rely on when they need help most.

Two morning panels explored research collaboration and workforce adaptation, while an afternoon student poster session and a concurrent Tech AI Career Fair connected the discussions with research and career opportunities.

For Tim Brown, Georgia Tech’s academic program director for AI, helping people find the right expertise is a practical starting point. When people ask how to become involved in AI research and partnerships, he said, Tech AI can help connect their interests with researchers and projects.

“We get these inquiries every day,” Brown said. He encouraged students to share their résumés and areas of interest, and to seek out faculty whose research methods and fields of study align with their goals.

Tech AI’s broader purpose is to help industry, government, and other organizations move from research ideas to AI systems they can put to use. Part of the university-wide Georgia Tech AI ecosystem, Tech AI draws on expertise across the Institute’s colleges and schools, interdisciplinary research institutes, AI institutes, advanced computing infrastructure, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

The "How Tech AI Collaborates" panel, moderated by Brown, examined what it takes to make those partnerships work, particularly when research depends on sensitive information or creates intellectual property.

Belinda Vogel, research engagement manager for the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute and the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, described plans to open advanced manufacturing capabilities to remote users in academia and industry. Such access could extend the reach of research facilities, but it also raises questions about how companies can benefit from AI while keeping their data private.

Kevin Dalmeijer, a senior research associate in Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and managing director of the NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization, described safeguards used in projects involving sensitive or controlled data. Those measures can restrict where information is stored, how students access it, and which AI tools they can use.

Dalmeijer also discussed internships that divide a student’s time between Georgia Tech research and work embedded within a company. Establishing clear boundaries at the outset, he said, helps distinguish academic research from company-specific implementations and clarifies expectations for data and intellectual property.

Brown brought Ajay Upadhyaya, Tech AI’s associate director for research administration, from the audience into the discussion to explain another approach. Upadhyaya described developing foundational models with synthetic data, allowing students to publish academic work, then defining separate ownership for work incorporating a company’s proprietary data. He emphasized the importance of clearly specifying those boundaries.

The panel also looked toward emerging computing capabilities. Jeffrey Young, a Georgia Tech principal research scientist working with the Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment, discussed how AI could help researchers improve quantum systems and determine how best to map applications onto quantum hardware. His remarks pointed to a relationship in which AI can support the development of other computing technologies, even as researchers continue exploring their potential.

The second panel, “Workforce Adaptation in the Age of AI,” shifted the focus to the people learning and working with these tools. Moderator Leigh Hopkins, assistant director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Economic Development Research, described a workforce being asked to adapt while the technology itself rapidly changes.

David Joyner, Georgia Tech’s interim vice provost for AI in Education and executive director of its Online Master of Science in Computer Science program, said AI familiarity is moving toward becoming an expected professional skill. He compared that transition with an earlier era when applicants listed typing speed on their résumés before such capabilities became “baseline.”

People still need the knowledge and judgment to do the underlying work themselves, Joyner said. Learning to use AI must be paired with learning to evaluate its output and avoid overreliance on the technology.

Georgia Tech faculty are exploring that balance through classroom experimentation, from changing assignments to developing tools tailored to particular courses. Joyner described the Academic AI Playbook as a way to share what individual instructors tried, the challenges they encountered, and what others might learn from their experiences. The 2026 edition includes 67 faculty-authored articles and 20 lessons drawn from classroom experience.

Joyner also raised a longer-term question for employers and educators: If AI takes on tasks traditionally assigned to entry-level employees, how will those employees gain the experience needed to advance? He suggested that evaluating work, framing problems, and defining clear requirements will become increasingly important as people take responsibility for directing AI-assisted work.

Georgia Tech alum Brian Greene, an operations and supply-chain executive, brought the discussion back to organizational decision-making. Companies can become so focused on acquiring an AI tool, he said, that they overlook the business need it is supposed to address.

“What’s the problem you’re trying to solve?” Greene asked. He urged organizations to begin with that question and work backward to the capabilities and partnerships they need. For smaller businesses with limited resources, choosing a tool without a clear purpose can be especially costly.

Narayanan (KK) Krishnakumar, chief technology officer at Delta Air Lines, offered examples of AI at work in a large organization. He described systems that help optimize baggage routing and generative AI tools that summarize information for customer-service employees. Across those applications, he emphasized the continuing need to verify AI-generated information.

For both Krishnakumar and Greene, the qualities employers value remain the same as they have traditionally been: curiosity, problem-solving, collaboration, and an ability to deliver results. AI fluency adds to those capabilities while making sound judgments about data and answers all the more necessary.

The afternoon poster session demonstrated how widely those questions now reach. Student projects explored trustworthy optimization, AI agents and responsible design alongside research on education, city planning and biomedical diagnostics. Other work addressed materials discovery and sustainable material selection, quantum chemistry, signal analysis, and AI that could support aging in place.

A well-attended career fair ran simultaneously with the symposium. In a large auditorium filled with company booths, students lined up to meet employers as both sides sought to connect research with potential positive industry outcomes.

“It’s a week-long event celebrating the different types of space research we’ve got going on at Georgia Tech, as well as the entrepreneurship,” Ready said. Ready added that the Institute's and Space Week's reach extends far beyond Georgia Tech. He noted that Space Week's roster of speakers included leading experts from industry and military research organizations such as Aerospace Corp. and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as well as academic institutions such as Georgia State University, the State University of New York at Albany, the University of Michigan, San Diego State University, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland.

Ready said that Space Week highlighted the collaborative nature of SRI, as it continuously works with institutions and companies that support the three foundational pillars of SRI:

• Research and Development (R&D).
• Education.
• Commercialization/Entrepreneurship.

Space Week’s sponsors underscored SRI’s ability to bring together a broad network of collaborators extending well beyond Georgia Tech’s Atlanta home. Support came from Amazon; CreationsVC, Mantis Space and Varda Space Industries; Deleon.bio, Reed Smith and the Georgia Center of Innovation; and Nelson Mullins, Qcells and West Coast Solutions. The roster connected Georgia’s space community with companies across the country, including  Varda Space Industries and West Coast Solutions, which are based on the other coast in California.

The event highlighted the breadth of research across sensing, materials, computing, policy, and human exploration. Participants examined problems that demand expertise from multiple disciplines. SRI provides a home for those connections, bringing together faculty, staff, and students whose work contributes to space exploration and discovery. Space Week made it visible through research presentations, conversations about new collaborations, and student projects supported by the institute.

GTRI's Role

GTRI, the applied research arm of Georgia Tech, played a significant role during Space Week and in the Institute’s growing contributions to research on the technical challenges of reaching space and operating there.

Michael Peterson, director of GTRI’s Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC), organized the Terrestrial and Space Weather session and presented FulminoSat, a concept examining severe-weather lightning signals as a space-based sensing opportunity for studying ionospheric effects.

Elena Plis, a senior research engineer in the Electro-Optical System Laboratory (EOSL), led a program on the weathering of materials in space, where researchers considered how exposure changes the materials spacecraft depend on. GTRI’s Ryan Gaylo, a senior research engineer in the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory (ATAS), presented SolarWing, a bio-inspired deployment system for solar arrays.

During a track dedicated to hypersonics, GTRI ATAS laboratory researcher and GT Regents' Professor Krish Ahuja spoke on the HyperSat project. Graduate Research Assistant Michael Milone presented on GTRI's experimental hypersonic test capabilities. At the same time, ATAS senior research engineer Alex Forbes discussed hypersonic computational fluid dynamics. Those topics highlighted complementary approaches to understanding flight under extreme conditions.

Ahuja, one of the foremost experts in hypersonics and a pioneer in the field, led the track alongside ATAS laboratory Principal Research Engineer Rob Funk.

Understanding what surrounds a spacecraft is another essential part of protecting it. That challenge anchored a session organized by Douglas Hope, who moved from GTRI to Georgia Tech’s School of Physics at the end of August.

Hope described space domain awareness as a progression: detect an object, track its orbit, identify it, and use that knowledge to predict its behavior. Distinguishing an operational satellite from debris requires more than knowing where a point of light appears in the sky.

“Essentially, where is it? What is it? What is it doing?” Hope said.

He described an SRI-supported initiative to establish a center for space domain awareness research, connecting expertise in physics, engineering, policy and machine learning. The effort seeks to bring researchers across schools together to pursue opportunities that draw on their combined strengths.

Hope’s own presentation examined the difficult problem of detecting faint objects near bright satellites. Optical sensing and image analysis could help reveal objects that would otherwise be obscured, providing a clearer understanding of a spacecraft’s surroundings. His move to Physics carries that research forward while strengthening connections between GTRI experience and Georgia Tech’s academic community.

Policy discussions explored how those technical capabilities fit within the rules and relationships governing space activity. Mariel Borowitz, an associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and an SRI associate director, emphasized the connections among engineering, policy, and international affairs. Topics included orbital sustainability, commercial activity, and the choices governments make about space programs.

“It’s really those interconnections that give Georgia Tech an edge,” Borowitz said.

Astronauts - Past and Future

Sandra Magnus, a former NASA astronaut and now a Georgia Tech professor of the practice, brought an operational perspective to the evolution of human spaceflight and the changing relationship between government and commercial providers. Her discussion linked decisions about future destinations with the institutions and partnerships needed to reach them.

Space Week also demonstrated that Georgia Tech’s role extends to preparing the people who will build, test, and maintain future aerospace systems. Ready and Stephen Ruffin, interim chair and a professor at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech and director of NASA’s Georgia Space Grant Consortium, discussed the Southeast Space Technology and Aerospace Readiness Skills initiative (SE-STARS).

Georgia Tech leads the Georgia hub in NASA’s inaugural cohort of seven Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs, or NASA State Hubs. Announced in August, the national initiative has awarded approximately $10.5 million across the seven institutions. Georgia Tech’s SE-STARS award provides $1.5 million over three years.

NASA Associate Administrator for STEM Engagement Elaine Ho described the program’s origins and workforce priorities during her Space Week keynote. NASA had convened the inaugural hub leaders in Houston just the previous week, underscoring how early Georgia Tech is helping shape this new effort.

The hubs are designed to connect employers, education providers and workforce organizations around technical careers such as machining, electronics, welding and systems integration. These jobs require substantial expertise, with many offering pathways that do not require a bachelor’s degree.

Ruffin serves as principal investigator for SE-STARS, with Ready among its co-principal investigators. Partners include SRI, the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute, the Technical College System of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and aerospace employers. The Technical College System’s 22 colleges and 88 campuses give the partnership statewide reach.

The goal is to connect education with industry needs through relevant curricula, credentials, and practical experience. For Georgia Tech, leading an inaugural hub creates an opportunity to help develop a model for aerospace workforce preparation while extending access to careers across Georgia and beyond.

Students at Space Week showed what taking responsibility for a mission can look like well before a first industry job. Georgia Tech aerospace engineering undergraduates Bella Diedrich and Gabriel Buggi presented Southeast Analog, a student-led program that simulates space missions on Earth.

More than 100 students have contributed as mission designers, investigators, analog astronauts, and flight controllers, the presenters said. Early SRI funding helped the team purchase equipment and support selection and training activities, turning an ambitious concept into an operational program.

An August mission placed analog astronauts in Arkansas and flight controllers in Georgia, with a simulated 20-minute communications delay in each direction. That separation required participants to plan carefully, communicate clearly, and make decisions without the convenience of an immediate reply. Students gained experience with the technical and human demands of mission operations while developing a more accessible route into spaceflight-related work.

Their presentation exemplified a point Ready emphasized throughout the event: students were contributing to the research community while also learning from it.

“It’s been great to see the students get involved, both as attendees as well as presenters,” he said.Former NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps offered a real-world view of preparation, describing her training in T-38 jets, robotics, spacewalk procedures, and emergency response. Drawing on her experience during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, which included 232 days aboard the International Space Station, she explained the teamwork and adaptability required to operate in demanding environments.

That connection between preparation and practice ran through the four-day Space Week program. Georgia Tech researchers presented work on microgravity systems, lunar resources, robotics and spacecraft design. A poster presentation gave students and researchers opportunities to discuss their projects with visitors from government, industry and academia. Entrepreneurship sessions examined how space companies are financed and built, while a public observatory night extended the event’s reach beyond the research community.

Space Week brought the Institute’s capabilities to the fore for attendees from throughout the nation. Georgia Tech’s academic expertise, GTRI’s applied research, and SRI’s support for collaboration form a common foundation for work already “in flight” and to be “launched."

Students will work with faculty mentors from both institutions and complete advanced coursework and a capstone project focused on developing and applying technologies in healthcare. The master’s degree is offered through Georgia Tech’s interdisciplinary Master of Science in Robotics program, which brings together faculty and expertise from six schools, including the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

According to Jaydev Desai, professor and Cardiovascular Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Chair in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, the pathway will help future physicians develop the technical expertise to understand and apply emerging technologies as they shape patient care.

Read the full story on the Emory School of Medicine website.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an annual opportunity to highlight ways to protect against cyber scams and safeguard personal information online. In observance, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) encourages Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff to practice habits that help protect their accounts and Institute resources during this month and beyond. 

By Randy Trammell, College of Lifetime Learning Communications 

Sites from across the NNCI contributed stunning, unique, and whimsical images of the micro and nanoscale for the 2026 image contest. The public cast over 1,700 votes to determine this year’s winners. First place winning artists will receive up to $1,000 in travel support to a professional conference of their choice and their sites receive a framed print of their winning image. Sites who received honorable mentions will also receive a framed print of their image. 

View the winners on the NNCI website.

Ashley Ni first came to BridgeUP STEM as a high school student, joining in the 2024-2025 academic year. Now she is a computer science student, returning to the program as a Helen Fellow and serving as the first BridgeUP STEM participant to experience the program as both a scholar and a fellow. 

Francis Halzen, principal investigator of the NSF IceCube Neutrino Observatory and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was honored by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his “decisive contributions to IceCube and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.” 

“Francis proposed building a neutrino telescope in Antarctic ice, and along with his collaborators, he proved that it is possible to detect neutrinos in this challenging environment,” says Ignacio Taboada, professor in the School of Physics and former spokesperson for the IceCube Collaboration. “IceCube was a technological tour de force, and its success is now recognized by this Nobel Prize. The award energizes the nascent field of neutrino astronomy.”

A. Nepomuk Otte, professor in the School of Physics, describes the impact of IceCube’s results as “breathtaking.”

“What we are witnessing is the opening of an entirely new window into the universe, providing us with a unique view of the most violent astrophysical objects and allowing us to study the elusive nature of neutrinos,” says Otte. “I am extremely excited about the prospects of pushing to even higher energies and deeper into the universe with the next generation of neutrino experiments planned at Georgia Tech and around the world.”

IceCube is a giant neutrino telescope located at the South Pole. Envisioned by Halzen in the late 1980s and completed in 2011, the instrument detects neutrinos, tiny high-energy particles that travel through the universe and rarely interact with matter. Scientists study neutrinos to better understand phenomena such as supermassive black holes and exploding stars.

Georgia Tech has been a member of the IceCube Collaboration since 2008. The collaboration includes more than 400 physicists from 58 institutions in 14 countries.

Georgia Tech researchers continue to shape neutrino astronomy by contributing to next-generation observatories. Taboada leads the design of the trigger system for the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE) Observatory, and Otte is the principal investigator of the NSF-funded Trinity Neutrino Observatory in Utah.

To learn more about Nunn School Professor and Regents' Entrepreneur Kirk Bowman's work on the exhibit, watch a video of Bowman and National Center for Civil and Human Rights curator Daniel Fuller discussing the exhibit. You can also read more here.

Kirk Bowman, professor and Regents’ Entrepreneur in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, served as the sole academic consultant for "The People's Game: Soccer and Human Rights," an exhibit on display at Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights through June 2027.

The exhibit tells the story of soccer programs and fans from around the world and how they have interacted for good, from Brazilian soccer players who served as a catalyst for democratic reform in Brazil to fans who rallied around Afghan women soccer players after the Taliban took over and disbanded the club to Atlanta’s own Soccer in the Streets — a non-profit that provides opportunities and mentorship to disadvantaged youth through soccer.

“As a college professor, this is a dream come true,” said Bowman. “It’s probably the single biggest impact my work will ever have.”

AI agents don’t go rogue. That’s something only humans do.

Nevertheless, a New York Times article – representative of much news coverage of AI – described an OpenAI hacking as “A.I. bots going rogue and independently spearheading a cyberattack.”

Name-brand artificial intelligence agents have been on a hacking spree in 2026. OpenAI’s software agents hacked software company Hugging Face and government sites, Anthropic’s Claude hacked four companies’ systems, and in cybersecurity experiments Google’s Gemini hacked three companies.

The AI companies are investigating tens of thousands of incidents involving their agents, according to a report in Axios. These episodes have heightened fears about AI agents taking actions without human prompting.

The problem with headlines proclaiming that AI agents have gone rogue goes beyond anthropomorphizing the technology. It creates the impression that the agents were beyond the control of the AI companies that made them and there was little the companies could do about it.

As a technology law and ethics scholar who studies the effects disruptive technologies have on society, I know that’s not the case. If you don’t specify the limits of what software is allowed to do, you should not be surprised when the software pursues all possible options to achieve its goal. This behavior – an AI pursuing a fixed objective – is what I call the “WarGames” problem, and it’s been recognized in the field of computer science for decades.

Been There, Seen That

In the 1983 movie “WarGames,” a teenager, David, hacks into a computer to play a new video game, Global Thermonuclear War. David doesn’t know that the computer is the government’s AI machine tasked with defending the United States from Russian nuclear attacks and can launch the U.S.’s missiles. When David and his friend start the game, they select Las Vegas as the first target. While the North American Aerospace Defense Command goes on alert, launching bombers and warming up intercontinental ballistic missiles, David’s parents make him turn off the game. It’s over. Or is it?

The next day, David’s phone rings and he connects it to his computer. The caller is the government computer, which updates him that the game was interrupted, the primary goal has not yet been achieved, but a solution is expected in the next 52 hours. Like a modern software agent, the program has been running since David started the game and will work until the task is done.

Chess provides another view of the problem. Conquering chess was a goal for early AI. The rules of chess are well defined, including what winning looks like. So, programming a machine to play chess is straightforward. But imagine you let the software reason and act beyond the confines of the chessboard. The software might pursue options such as blackmailing its opponent or grabbing more compute time.

This example comes from one of the most assigned textbooks on AI, “Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach.” As the authors explain, you might be tempted to see those actions as rogue, but they “are a logical consequence of defining winning as the sole objective for the machine.”

What to Do About It

The AI hacking events involving OpenAI, Anthropic and Google underscore a few lessons that draw on years of computer science research.

First, given the increasing use of AI agents, every organization involved in internet infrastructure, from large technology companies to small websites, needs to conduct audits and tighten up its internal security systems. As my colleague Mark Riedl and I explain in our work on AI agents, application programming interfaces, or APIs, are a vital part of managing AI agents. APIs facilitate communication between different software systems. But as more people use AI agents, the agents are likely to reveal and exploit poor API construction and security.

Second, it’s important for AI agents to be designed to identify and authenticate themselves to third parties. What if you gave your AI agent your credentials? Website operators will need to know whether a human or bot is making a reservation, selling a product or making a purchase. They may want to limit automated systems that overwhelm their sites or reject AI agents because of high rates of buying errors and refunds. Just as in laws covering human interactions, it’s important for third parties to be able to assess whom or what they are dealing with so they can allow or deny access.

Third, it’s important for AI agents to have a default setting to slow down and check in with the human user. In the corporate AI hacking cases, the user appears to have launched their AI agents with the mistaken idea that the agents had a perfect specification of what to do and not to do. I believe it would have been better had it explored options and reported back to the user.

Google’s Gemini appears to have had a safeguard that detected the system was outside the simulated environment and so stopped its attacks. Slowing down and verifying actions, especially when a system detects it is exploiting a security hole, would be a big step in managing AI agents.

Fourth, AI companies could have strong controls akin to those biomedical researchers use, including ways to check what is happening and how the experiment is working. AI executives have claimed that their software is as or more dangerous than fission and could end humanity. At the same time, they have not built safeguards commensurate with that level of risk.

Reality Check

At one point in “WarGames,” David asks the computer, called Joshua, whether it is still playing the game. Joshua responds, “Of course.” It proceeds to update the time when it will launch its missiles and, much like a chatbot, asks, “Would you like to see some projected kill ratios?” David asks, “Is this a game? Or is it real?” Joshua replied, “What’s the difference?”

AI models, of course, don’t have any understanding of reality and are simply attempting to complete the tasks they’ve been assigned. Executives at AI companies, on the other hand, can’t claim that excuse.

As of September 2026, luck has so far prevailed. The AIs have attacked nonvital government sites and harmed smaller companies. If the AI companies – and government regulators – don’t take the “WarGames” problem seriously, I believe that we risk serious disasters. Tomorrow it could be taking out a hospital’s power system, wiping out a bank’s account system, breaking air traffic control, or worse.

Regarding the AI industry’s approach of rapidly developing powerful models, talking about the massive risks they pose, and at the same time failing to prevent harm, the movie’s climax offers a response: “A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.”

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The accreditation renewal comes at a time when student mental health remains a significant focus across higher education. According to the Healthy Minds Study, 37% of college students reported moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and 32% reported moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms in 2025. 

The IACS re-accreditation process involves a comprehensive examination of mental health center operations, services, resources, and relationships within the college community. Centers must submit detailed documentation and undergo an on-site evaluation conducted by peer reviewers. 

“Georgia Tech exemplifies collegiate mental health,” said Annie Patterson, IACS executive director. “Their (CMHCR) commitment to student mental health, as evidenced by the quality of their operations and the dedication of their staff, serves as an example to other counseling centers within higher education.”

In its review, the IACS committee praised CMHCR for enhanced services at Georgia Tech, including its focus on supporting returning students’ ongoing mental health care and staff training with CMHCR and the Office of the Dean of Students on new procedures. 

CMHCR serves as Georgia Tech’s primary hub for student mental health support, offering counseling, crisis response, consultation, outreach, and referral services. In recent years, the center has expanded access and improved care so students can receive timely, high-quality mental health support. These achievements include:

• Increasing access to mental health services through its Satellite program, where counselors are stationed in each of Georgia Tech’s six colleges.
• Reducing and keeping wait times for an initial appointment to less than five days, and students seeking services for a crisis can be seen within 30 minutes.
• Providing opportunities through the Collegiate Recovery Program for students in recovery from substance abuse to connect with peers, strengthen their healing, and build community while pursuing their academic goals.
• Reducing off-campus referrals by 53% from Academic Year 2024-2025 to Academic Year 2025-2026, allowing more students to receive care on campus after students reported that accessing off-campus counseling can be challenging.
• Through a partnership with the University System of Georgia, offering students access to Uwill, an online counseling platform that provides three free sessions with a licensed counselor.

While the accreditation renewal recognizes the Center’s success, Dr. Vidal Annan, the center’s senior director, said the focus remains on continually improving services and responding to the evolving needs of Georgia Tech students. 

“I was very pleased with the results from the IACS review, as my goal for the center is to continue to have high-quality counseling services for all students. My staff and I take pride in what we do, and we find joy in helping students strengthen their mental well-being and achieve their personal and academic goals on campus,” said Dr. Annan.

Students can learn more about CMHCR services, schedule appointments, and explore mental health resources on the CMHCR website or by visiting the center in the Smithgall Student Services (Flag) Building, Suite 238. 

With the nod, Chang becomes one of just 180 poets named finalist for the prestigious prize since its reinstatement by the National Book Foundation in 1991.

“It's such an honor to have Tree of Knowledge selected as a finalist for the National Book Awards,” Chang said. “My book OBIT was longlisted in 2020 during the pandemic, so it will be nice to celebrate in person in New York with all the other finalists.”

Tree of Knowledge emerged from Chang’s contemplation of the felling of a tree across from her house in Los Angeles, where she was living at the time. It became, as Mother Jones said, “a meditation on abstract art, mortality, language, home, and history.”

“It spiraled out to me writing about trees in paintings that I was thinking about, and then to the expulsion of Chinese people from Eureka, California, in the 1800s,” Chang said. “I also included art that I made from historical photographs of Chinese people in Eureka, so the book threads the personal, the political, the historical, and the environmental.”

The book features not only Chang’s writing, but also her visual art. The collection incorporates original embroidered photo collages created by Chang using 19th-century archival images.

Chang holds a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard, an MBA from Stanford University and an MFA from Warren Wilson College.

Her previous collection of poetry, With My Back to the World, earned the prestigious Forward Prize for Best Collection, while her 2020 book OBIT received the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. OBIT was also named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Griffin International Poetry Prize.

She also is a Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of the Chowdhury International Prize in Literature.

In addition to her endowed chair, Chang teaches in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication and serves as the director of Poetry@Tech, leading one of the nation’s premier poetry centers and reading series. Through the work of Poetry@Tech, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Georgia Tech students across engineering, science, and the humanities learn the value of poetry as craft, literature, and personal expression.

Chang is the second Bourne Chair at Georgia Tech to be named a finalist for the prize. Her predecessor, Ilya Kaminsky, was named a finalist in 2019.

The winners will be announced Nov. 18 in New York.

The center is co-directed by Martin Mourigal, Dunn Family Professor in the School of Physics, and Robert Wyllie, division chief of the Quantum System Division in the Cybersecurity, Information Protection, and Hardware Evaluation Research (CIPHER) lab at GTRI. 

“Quantum technologies are rapidly moving from scientific theory toward practical application,” said Julia Kubanek, vice president of Interdisciplinary Research. “This center builds on Georgia Tech’s expertise to help lead that transition by connecting research with industry, government, and societal needs.” 

Building on Georgia Tech’s strengths in atomic physics, materials science, engineering, computing, photonics, sensing, and advanced manufacturing, GT QuARC will serve as a hub for quantum research and collaboration across Georgia Tech and GTRI. The center will help bridge fundamental discovery and practical application, creating new opportunities in quantum technologies while strengthening Georgia Tech’s leadership in areas such as computing, sensing, communications, and national security.

Quantum technologies use the principles of quantum mechanics to perform tasks that are difficult or impossible with conventional technologies. As federal agencies and industry partners continue to increase investments in quantum research and development, Georgia Tech is positioned to contribute to advances in quantum materials, devices, systems, algorithms, and applications.

“Quantum breakthroughs happen at the intersection of disciplines,” said Wyllie. “By connecting the researchers and resources across Georgia Tech and GTRI, we’re building a stronger foundation for quantum innovation.”

GT QuARC will strengthen these efforts by providing a unified identity for Georgia Tech’s quantum community and creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, students, industry partners, government agencies, and national laboratories.

“One goal for the center is to identify meaningful applications for emerging quantum technologies,” said Mourigal. “Another is to build connections among researchers, industry, and government. Those conversations are essential to discovering where quantum technologies can have the greatest impact. For that to happen, we must coordinate and optimize efforts across campus.”

“A core part of IMS’s mission is creating opportunities that enable breakthrough discoveries and accelerate emerging areas of research," said Eric Vogel, executive director of IMS. “GT QuARC, provides a framework for bringing together Georgia Tech’s quantum expertise and building the partnerships needed to advance both scientific discovery and real-world impact.”

The center will initially focus on three research thrusts: 

Quantum Building Blocks and Enabling Technologies will advance the materials, devices, fabrication methods, control technologies, and characterization capabilities needed to create and manipulate quantum states.

Quantum Systems and Manufacturing Testbeds will integrate the building blocks into scalable quantum sensing, computing, communication, and simulation platforms, supported by shared research infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities.

Quantum Computing, Algorithms, and Applications will develop quantum and hybrid quantum-classical approaches to challenges in scientific discovery, industry, national security, and other areas of societal importance.

These efforts will help move quantum technologies from the laboratory toward practical use while creating new opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.

In addition to advancing research, GT QuARC will support education and workforce development by expanding hands-on learning opportunities, strengthening industry engagement, and connecting students with emerging careers in quantum science and engineering.

The center will also help Georgia Tech pursue strategic investments in quantum infrastructure, including advanced characterization capabilities, micro- and nanofabrication resources, sensing platforms, and access to leading quantum computing systems.

By bringing together expertise from across Georgia Tech’s colleges, research centers, and GTRI, GT QuARC will help position the Institute as a leader in translating quantum discoveries into technologies that address national priorities and societal challenges.

To learn more about Georgia Tech’s quantum ecosystem, visit quantum.gatech.edu. 

For people living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the answer can be unexpectedly complicated. Over time, AMD can blur the details that make a face familiar: a crooked smile, a furrowed brow, the expressions that make someone unmistakably themselves.

But vision loss affects more than sight.

“You’re looking at your loved ones, but you’re not really seeing them,” said Soyoun Jang, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. candidate in digital media and the project’s lead researcher. “Macular degeneration requires us to build new relationships with not just other people, but the world that surrounds us.”

AMD gradually damages the macula, the part of the eye responsible for sharp central vision. As their sight changes, patients can use vision training to make better use of the sight they still have.

But Jang and a team of Georgia Tech researchers wondered whether that training could do something else: help people with AMD stay connected to family and friends.

Special Delivery

The answer arrived in a place few researchers would think to look: a mailbox.

The team created Macular Mailbox, a virtual reality prototype that combines vision-training exercises with personalized digital postcards that connect patients with family members and clinicians.

Each completed exercise delivers more than feedback — it delivers a message.

Inside the prototype, users focus on a postcard image as part of a vision-training exercise. When they complete the task, the postcard flips over, revealing a message and voice note.

Instead of earning points or badges, users receive something personal: a grandchild’s voice, a note from a spouse, or an update from another family member.

Signed, Sealed

The researchers chose postcards because they offered something familiar to older adults inside an unfamiliar technology.

“A postcard isn’t new,” Jang said. “It’s probably the oldest thing in the whole Macular Mailbox system.” Its front-and-back format also fit the exercise, and postcards do not require family members to be available at the same time.

Sending postcards back wasn’t part of the original design. The idea came later: What if patients could make something of their own and send it back?

Write Back

Until then, the mailbox only accepted incoming mail. The team decided the mailbox needed a return address.

The updated prototype allows patients to take a picture, record a message, and create their own digital postcard. And the act of making it becomes part of the training: framing a photo and holding focus use some of the same visual skills patients have been practicing.

The person receiving care could now make something and send it back.

Postcards might carry a glimpse of the garden, a pet curled up in a chair, or a sunset from the porch.

Keep in Touch

Many vision rehabilitation tools focus on reading, navigation, and other daily tasks. This project puts people at the center — not how well they can read a screen or navigate a room, but how they can remain part of the moments, relationships, and routines that make up everyday life.

“What this project offers is a different way of thinking about care,” Jang said. “Not just one way, but really putting family, clinician, and patient at the same table.”

For now, Macular Mailbox remains a prototype.

The next step is a series of co-design workshops with patients, family members, and clinicians. Participants will test the headset and help the researchers better understand each group’s roles, concerns, goals, and constraints.

                                                               _____________________________

AMD can make it difficult to look directly at someone you love and see the details that make them familiar, but connection lives beyond what the eye can see. It exists in the sound of their voice, an inside joke, or a moment in an ordinary day. And at the mailbox, there’s still something to send back — and someone waiting to receive it.

Jang, S., Huang, H., Hanna, B. E., Wang, X., Primo, S., & Nitsche, M. (2026). Asymmetric VR design to support connected care for older adults with AMD. Design Research Society, 2026: Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.817

The trend is raising concern about how well prepared ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other popular LLMs are to provide appropriate emotional support.

To address this concern, Georgia Tech researchers have developed a new neural framework that examines how different training sources influence empathy and social reasoning within these AI-powered models.

“A lot of people are using LLMs to help process the death of a loved one, or maybe their girlfriend broke up with them, or their boyfriend cheated on them,” said Glenn Matlin, a Ph.D. student in the School of Interactive Computing.

Matlin said the new framework he and a Georgia Tech-led research team have developed audits neural networks with an LLM and estimates the influence documents, transcripts, and other data sources have on a model’s output.

“We’re trying to connect the data to outputs, which is helpful for us in understanding where the information a language model produces comes from,” he said.

Matlin is the lead author of a new paper examining model sourcing for social reasoning and how models mimic human behavior in conversations. The paper will be presented this week at the Conference on Language Modeling in San Francisco.

Matlin said the findings suggest that an objective tone in its output indicates that a model places greater importance on textbooks or similar neutral training sources. An empathetic tone suggests the model values sources with dialogue and conversational examples more.

“We find that models tend to learn better from interpersonal dialogue when it comes to social reasoning,” he said. “Models that are good at social reasoning will rely less on textbooks about human emotions and more on FAQs or customer service dialogue.

“It can read all it wants from texts that explain anger, but that wouldn’t help it determine whether someone is angry.”

Professor Mark Riedl, Matlin’s advisor, said that knowing which sources models value most could enable engineers to alter their behavior.

“The question is, in this vast ocean of documents in this neural network, which ones become important in certain situations, and which ones don’t,” Riedl said. 

“This leads to the potential for interventions in how we train the model. If we want more empathy, we might look to see where it learns empathy and give it more of those documents, fewer of them, or other documents.”

Riedl said the framework can audit an LLM’s sourcing for advice on any topic, from financial to medical.

“We want to help people make more informed decisions about whether they should use AI for a particular task,” he said.

“You might make a different decision about whether to trust the AI’s recommendation if you knew how a skill was learned and which documents influenced that decision. The first step is knowing how it learns, where it learns from, and what documents tend to lead to certain behaviors.”

The findings that Matlin, Riedl, and their collaborators have made so far came through a partnership with the Allen AI Institute (Ai2), which allowed them to audit their open-sourced LLM, Olmo 3.

While not as large as ChatGPT or Claude, Olmo 3’s training data comprises over a billion documents.

Matilin said it’s impossible to know why ChatGPT or Claude behave in certain ways because their parent companies do not disclose their training data. However, Matlin’s study may help researchers to make better guesses about what’s happening behind the scenes.

He added that the study is the first of its kind and scale on an academic level.

“This is the first one that’s ever been done for an open data model of that type,” he said. “We’re providing a view into neural networks that is hard to come by without being in the corporate setting.”

Georgia Tech Arts Announces Fall 2026 Student Fellowship and Microgrant Awards 

New research from Georgia Tech shows that the contexts in which genes act — lifestyle and environmental factors — are also important in understanding how genes express themselves, and how genetic risk may lead to disease.

In a new study published in Nature Genetics, Pervasive Interactions Between Exposures and Polygenic Risk Can Inform More Effective Clinical and Behavioral Interventions, researchers analyzed the genetic data, health outcomes, and lifestyle factors of over 400,000 individuals. 

“Genetic risk is often seen as something that can’t be controlled, but that approach assumes a determinism that does not reflect reality,” says the study’s corresponding author Greg Gibson, Regents’ Professor, Tom and Marie Patton Chair in the School of Biological Sciences, and director of the Center for Integrative Genomics at Georgia Tech. “Our research shows that people with low genetic risk who live in disadvantaged environments face disease risks similar to those with high genetic risk living in more resourced circumstances.”

The findings suggest that people at highest genetic risk may also be the individuals who benefit the most from targeted interventions — paving the way for more informed genetic counseling and social policy. 

Science at Scale 

Gibson began his career studying the genetics of Drosophila fruit flies before turning his attention to human genetics when he joined Georgia Tech in the late 2000s, soon after the Human Genome Project successfully delivered the first complete sequence of the human genome. “It transformed the way we do this type of research,” he recalls. “Suddenly it was possible to analyze genetics across large groups of people.” 

Because the effects of genetics can be small in an individual, large datasets are key to understanding genetics and disease at scale. “If we need to study 200,000 people to see a genetic effect, it takes even more than that to see how those genes interact with the environment,” Gibson says.  

The team, which included first author Sini Nagpal, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia Tech Center for Integrative Genomics, leveraged the UK Biobank, a program that collects genetic information from half a million volunteers in the United Kingdom to understand who falls ill and why. Started in 2006, the UK Biobank is home to the world’s largest single set of genetic sequencing data — along with the world’s largest whole-body imaging and long-term health tracking. This type of data is critical, Gibson says, to the advancement of genetic research, and is in large part what has made this new research possible. 

“Our research shows that we do have a way to capture situations where a person’s lifestyle and environment interacts with genetics in interesting ways,” he explains. “These genotype-environment interactions matter. They are important, but they can't be captured one variant at a time. An integrated approach — utilizing information in the thousands of genes influencing each disease — is much more powerful.” 

Improving Health Outcomes — For Everyone 

The team is now interested in expanding their research outside of the British database. Nagpal is now an assistant professor at the Koita Centre for Digital Health at IIT Bombay, where she is investigating translational genetics in India, including research into diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.  Gibson is interested in translating the research to more broadly apply to the United States, with a focus on rural and disadvantaged communities. 

“Ultimately, if we can quantify which people are at highest risk, we believe we can suggest therapeutic and environmental interventions that could help mitigate their risk, reducing the prevalence of disease in the first place,” he says. 

“We want to dig deeply in ways that reveal disease pathways and begin to unearth the mechanisms behind disease,” Gibson says. “It's not just our ancestry that determines health; it's also culture and environment. We want to incorporate those factors into treatment of individuals and at scale.” 

These themes are also present in Gibson’s newly published book, Natural Virtue: Genetics, Anti-Eugenics, and Moral Philosophy, which explores how nature and nurture impact social issues like educational and gender disparities. 

Gibson adds that the message is hopeful. “The genetic differences between different socioeconomic groups aren’t meaningful,” he explains. “Our genetics do not predetermine our health outcomes. If we can create more equitable environments, we can improve outcomes across the board.”

Hosted at the Georgia Tech Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the workshop was organized by a committee of researchers and practitioners from across the macro-energy systems community. The committee was chaired by Micah Ziegler, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. 

The two-day workshop brought together more than 130 participants and featured lightning talks, poster presentations, interactive learning sessions, and keynote addresses that strengthened connections across the macro-energy systems research community.

“The energy challenges facing society today are increasingly interconnected, and solving them requires a systems-level perspective,” said Christine Conwell, director of planning and operations at the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute. “Supporting events like the MES Workshop, which provides a unique space for academic collaboration and knowledge sharing, aligns with the Strategic Energy Institute’s commitment to advancing research and workforce development that support more resilient and effective energy solutions.”

The workshop received financial support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which supports research and education in science, technology, engineering, math, and economics. Through its Energy and Environment program, the foundation helps advance interdisciplinary research and collaboration across the macro-energy systems field.

“The Macro-Energy Systems Workshop has become a significant forum for interdisciplinary energy systems researchers to share and discuss their work,” said Evan Michelson, director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Energy and Environment program. “We were especially glad to help ensure participation from early-career researchers spanning a wide range of institutions, providing them access to the collaborations and conversations that will help them develop as scientists.”

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars played a central role in this year's workshop, presenting research on energy system planning, grid reliability, technology deployment, energy transitions, and policy. Their sessions gave the early-career researchers opportunities to share new approaches to studying large-scale energy systems, interact with faculty and industry experts, refine research ideas, and build collaborations beyond their home institutions.

“This year, we significantly expanded the MES Workshop to include more early-career scholars,” said Ziegler. “The workshop provides a great opportunity for young researchers to develop ideas, connections, and a better understanding of how to design research to have a positive impact on the world.”

The workshop also featured keynote presentations from Kelly Sanders, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California, and Erin Mayfield, assistant professor at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering. Both speakers discussed insights from their experience contributing to policymaking and highlighted opportunities for energy systems research to inform policy decisions.

Interactive sessions led by Michelle Graff, assistant professor in the Georgia Tech Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy encouraged participants to consider how macro-energy systems research can more effectively inform and support policymakers and other decision-makers. Graff developed and facilitated the sessions, with support from Morgan Edwards, assistant professor of public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Micah Ziegler. The first session explored how researchers can identify policy windows and position their work to inform decision-making at the right time. The second focused on matching research to the appropriate audiences and jurisdictions, highlighting opportunities to inform policy at the state and local levels.

Designed for industry professionals, policymakers, educators, students, community leaders, and members of the public, the lunchtime webinar series provided an accessible introduction to the key issues influencing the nuclear energy sector at a time of growing interest in nuclear power as part of the global energy transition.

The series began on Aug. 20 with The New Nuclear, presented by Steven Biegalski, chair of the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program. The session examined the evolution of nuclear reactor technology, from today's operating fleet and the AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle to emerging small modular reactors and advanced reactor designs.

The second webinar, held Sept. 3, focused on the economics and policy landscape of nuclear power. Laura Taylor, director of EPIcenter and professor of economics at Georgia Tech, joined Stephen Comello, executive vice president and executive director of the Nuclear Scaling Initiative at the EFI Foundation, to discuss the economic drivers, policy considerations, and opportunities influencing nuclear energy development in the United States.

The series concluded on Sept. 17 with a discussion of nuclear fuel, security, and geopolitics. Anna Erickson, Woodruff Professor of Nuclear Engineering, and Rachel Whitlark, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, explored global nuclear energy growth, fuel supply chains, and the policies needed to support the safe, secure deployment of nuclear technologies worldwide.

Recordings and presentation materials from all three sessions are available on the webinar series webpage. Those who were unable to attend can watch the presentations and access the accompanying slides to learn more about the technologies, policies, and global trends shaping the future of nuclear energy.

View webinar recordings and presentation slides on the EPIcenter website.

The mission is the culmination of three years of designing, building, and testing the small satellite, known as the ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode spacecraft.

“What makes this mission especially meaningful is that our students have been involved every step of the way,” said Glenn Lightsey, professor and John W. Young Chair in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering. “Opportunities to take a spacecraft from concept to flight and perform mission operations are rare, and our students have earned that experience through an extraordinary amount of hard work and dedication.”

The spacecraft is slated to lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It will operate in low Earth orbit at an altitude near 500 kilometers, higher than the International Space Station.

"The most meaningful breakthroughs happen when intelligent hardware and thoughtful software come together to genuinely help people,” said Tapas Roy, vice president of Device Software and Services at Amazon. “Georgia Tech's world-class expertise in robotics and engineering, paired with Amazon's work in on-device intelligence and artificial intelligence, will accelerate our understanding of systems that can both respond to prompts and anticipate customer needs. I'm excited to see how this collaboration advances the science of how humans and intelligent machines work together.”
 
The Hub’s initial focus areas will explore challenges in autonomous systems, next-generation logistics infrastructure, and low-Earth-orbit communications, drawing on Georgia Tech’s well-known interdisciplinary research approach.
 
Georgia Tech is also joining the Fauna Robotics' ecosystem, using the Sprout research platform to study how humans and robots can live, work, and play side by side. This collaboration opens new ways to study mobility, perception, manipulation, and human-robot interaction. Leadership and alumni recently celebrated the launch at Lab 126, with guest appearances from Sprout and Buzz, the Georgia Tech mascot.

The Hub will support:
•    Joint research projects between Georgia Tech faculty and Amazon scientists across scientific disciplines 
•    Regular symposia and workshops to foster collaboration between researchers from both institutions and the broader Atlanta tech community
•    Community outreach programs designed to broaden participation from interdisciplinary scholars and innovators

“Georgia Tech and Amazon have worked together for years across research, technology, and student development," said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech executive vice president for Research. "This new hub puts our partnership to work for Georgia. It connects research, education, and industry in ways that will strengthen our state’s innovation economy and create new opportunities for our students.”

About Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation’s top public research universities, preparing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute serves more than 56,000 students from all 50 states and over 146 countries and drives innovation and economic growth through research that benefits Georgia, the nation, and the world.

About Amazon in Georgia
Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $30 billion in Georgia, supporting more than 30,000 full- and part-time jobs. Amazon’s research and technology teams in the Atlanta area work on challenges spanning supply chain optimization, logistics technology, and cloud computing. The establishment of the Georgia Tech–Amazon Science Hub further deepens Amazon’s engagement with one of the nation’s leading research institutions.

About Fauna Robotics 
Fauna Robotics builds Sprout, a development platform designed to put advanced robotics capabilities into the hands of researchers and developers. Sprout gives builders hands-on access to study mobility, perception, motor control, and manipulation with the ambition to deploy robots into human-centric spaces.
 

These questions will be at the center of a conversation with Kamau Bobb, senior director of Georgia Tech’s Constellations Center for Education in Computing, on Oct. 16, as part of the CTRL+CM Speaker Series.

Bobb will discuss his new book, The Bullwhip's Algorithm: Artificial Intelligence and America's Racial Caste System, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Scholars Event Theater at Price Gilbert Library. Lunch will be provided, and registration is required.

Drawing on the themes of his book, Bobb will examine the connections among AI, public policy, education, and social systems. The discussion will consider both the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging technologies and the responsibilities that accompany their development and use.

Bobb brings experience spanning higher education, government, and industry to the conversation.

He is the founding senior director of Georgia Tech’s Constellations Center for Education in Computing, which opened in 2017. Before joining Georgia Tech, he served as director of STEM Education Strategy and Research at Google, a program officer in the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and director of the STEM Initiative for the University System of Georgia. He also served on President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper STEM Task Force.

He earned a Ph.D. in science and technology policy from Georgia Tech and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

The speaking engagement follows Bobb’s September appearance at the Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing in Atlanta. He co-headlined a session with data scientist and Tapia co-founder Valerie Thomas on AI and its impact on underrepresented groups, a topic also explored in his book.

The Constellations Center’s Collective Impact Creative Technology program organizes the CTRL+CM Speaker Series. The Oct. 16 event is open to those interested in AI, computing, education, public policy, and the social impact of emerging technologies.

Register for the Oct. 16 event.

As part of the IMS Summer Internship, the students worked in the IMS Biocleanroom on a special project: creating a microscopic boat in a bottle.

Under the mentorship of Nik Roeske, a process-equipment engineer with IMS, the students experienced every stage of the research process, from design and prototyping to testing.

The students learned two microfabrication techniques to create the project. First, they used an Exaddon CERES metal 3D printer to deposit copper ions and build a 3DBenchy, a model designed to test 3D printers. Then they used a Nanoscribe 3D printer to print a polymer enclosure around the boat. 

“The ability to comprehend 3rd dimensional space at such a small scale is very impressive,” said Roeske. “The high school students were working at the scale of single microns, approximately 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This project serves as a gateway to combining two high-resolution 3D printing systems, which could open the door to research in advanced packaging, MEMS, and biomedical engineering.”

“When we were talking about combining the prints into a ship in a bottle, I suggested we replace the ship inside with a benchy,” said Gabby Sutter, Biocleanroom summer intern and senior student at South Paulding High School. “Both the Exxadon and the Nanoscribe are 3D printers, after all!” 

Like many research projects, the work involved multiple rounds of trial and error. Early attempts revealed challenges involving materials, printing alignment, and structural integrity. Rather than seeing the setbacks as failures, the students used each iteration to better understand the manufacturing process, analyze data, identify sources of error, and refine subsequent designs.

“The ship-in-a-bottle model and the Benchy are two separate models that we combined,” said Sutter. “Since they were not designed to be printed at this scale or to fit together, there were several adjustments. We scaled both models down but then realized the Benchy was too tall to fit in the bottle. To solve that problem, we adjusted the scale of the bottle.”

The final boat in a bottle is approximately 200 microns long, making it smaller than grains of table salt. The team has submitted the project for world-record consideration.

Beyond their fabrication project, the interns helped introduce younger students to nanotechnology. Throughout the summer, they led tours of the IMS cleanroom facilities for middle school students in the STEM Gems summer camp. They shared their knowledge and demonstrated how researchers use specialized equipment to address complex science and engineering challenges.

The experience provided technical training while helping students build communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. By participating in research projects and engaging with Georgia Tech researchers, they gained firsthand insight into careers in science, technology, engineering, math, and the research environment.

“Working in the cleanroom has only made me more eager to go to Georgia Tech and work in STEM,” Sutter said. “I want to become an engineer at NASA, so it was really exciting to work in a cleanroom like one I could use at NASA.”

By the end of the summer, the interns left with much more than a microscopic boat in a bottle. They gained technical knowledge, professional experience, and confidence in their ability to solve complex problems. They can carry those skills into college classrooms, research laboratories, and, eventually, the workforce. 

Taking place on April 23, Energy Day was cohosted by Georgia Tech’s Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS), Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center, and the Energy Policy and Innovation Center.

“The ideas coming out of Georgia Tech and other research universities can drive greater partnerships with our local and state officials. Whether you live in Georgia or elsewhere, we are changing how energy is viewed and consumed,” said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech executive vice president for Research.

Energy Day 2025 is the latest evolution in a series of events that began as in 2023 Battery Day. As local and national energy research needs have evolved, the event has grown to highlight Georgia Tech, and the state of Georgia, as a go-to location for modern energy companies.

“At Georgia Tech, we approach energy holistically, leveraging innovative R&D, economic policy, community-building and strategic partnerships,” said Christine Conwell, SEI's interim executive director. “We are thrilled to convene this event for the third year. The keynote and sessions highlight our comprehensive strategy, showcasing cutting-edge advancements and collaborative efforts driving the next big energy innovations." 

The day was divided into two parts: a morning session that included a keynote speaker and two panels, and an afternoon session with separate tracks addressing three different energy research areas. Speakers shared research being conducted at Georgia Tech, as well as updates from industry leaders, to create an open dialogue about current energy needs.

“We believe we can solve problems and build the economy when you bring various disciplines together and work from matter — the fundamental scientists and devices all the way out to final systems at large — economic systems, societal systems,” said Eric Vogel, executive director for IMS. “Not only did we share the latest research, but we discussed and debated how we can continue to transform the energy economy.”

Discussions ranged from adapting to rapid changes in battery storage to advancing photo-voltaic manufacturing in the U.S. to the environmental impacts and sustainable practices of e-fuels and renewable energy.

The day ended with a robust poster session that attracted more than 25 student posters presentations. Three were awarded best posters.

First place: Austin Shoemaker
Second Place: Ruohan Zhong
Third Place: Connor Davel

Related Links:
Advancing Clean Energy: Georgia Tech Hosts Energy Materials Day
Georgia Tech Battery Day Reveals Opportunities in Energy Storage Research

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents voted today to approve Thomas A. Fanning as the next chancellor of the University System of Georgia.  

It’s finally fall, and, for some, it’s finally fall break. Classes will not meet Oct. 5 – 6. For those staying in town, the city offers many attractions and events.