{"691223":{"#nid":"691223","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cold Chain, Cold Truth: What Frostbite Teaches Us About Supply Chain Design","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBy \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Managing Director of the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute and a former Vice President of Global Strategic Supply Chain at The Coca-Cola Company.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly in my career, AJC International was my introduction to the global frozen food trade. That is where I first got close to one of the stranger flows in global food: chicken feet, frozen solid and shipped across oceans to markets where they are a delicacy, not a byproduct. Nobody in that business thinks twice about it. But the whole model rests on one thing. You can hold protein at a precise temperature, without a break, across a plant, a port, a vessel, and the final mile. Lose the temperature for a few hours and you do not have a shipment. You have a claim. And nobody in the food trading business wants that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo when my wife handed me \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nicolatwilley.com\/frostbite\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFrostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, she knew exactly what she was doing. She knows how much I geek out on this stuff. Nicola Twilley\u0027s history of the cold chain won the James Beard Award, and it reads like a beach read because it is built on stories and real characters, not jargon. I kept recognizing the plot. I have spent a career around protein, juice, and global cold chains, and this book is the long version of how that world got built.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow We Got Here\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwilley starts before refrigeration existed at all. For most of human history, the only way to keep food past its natural life was to change it. Salt it, smoke it, pickle it, ferment it. Flavor was not a bonus. It was the cost of survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen she introduces Frederic Tudor, a Boston merchant who in the early 1800s decided he could ship frozen lake ice to the Caribbean. He failed, over and over, before it worked. Once it did, an entire industry grew up around cutting, storing, and moving naturally occurring ice, decades before anyone could manufacture cold on demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat sequence matters. Ice in a rail car was brute force. It proved there was demand to move perishable food across distance and time. But brute force was not the real innovation. It demonstrated the demand and created the bridge to mechanical refrigeration. The real one was mobile mechanical refrigeration, and it is worth knowing who delivered it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Innovators Rarely Get the Spoils\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the harder lessons in this history is that the people who create the breakthrough are often not the ones who receive the recognition. The people who invent the breakthrough idea often are not the ones who get celebrated for it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrederick McKinley Jones built the first practical mobile refrigeration unit in the late 1930s. His work is the reason a refrigerated truck, rail car, ship, and eventually a reefer container with a genset became possible. He held more than sixty patents and co-founded the company that became Thermo King. And yet the recognition came a generation late. He was the first African American admitted to the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers, in 1944. He received the National Medal of Technology in 1991, thirty years after he died. The medal went to his widow at a Rose Garden ceremony. The man who rewired the global food supply spent most of his life uncelebrated relative to what he changed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe was not the only one. John Gorrie, a physician, patented mechanical ice making in the 1850s, was ridiculed, could not raise the capital, and died broke and largely forgotten. Different men, same lesson. The breakthrough and the reward do not always land on the same person.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor anyone teaching or leading in this field, that is worth sitting with. We celebrate the optimization. We rarely trace it back to the engineer who made it possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhere the Supply Chain Lessons Live\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the part of the book I would put in front of every student. Twilley keeps making one point from a dozen angles. Refrigeration did not just preserve food. It redesigned the network.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Chicago stockyards are the clearest case. Once you can refrigerate a rail car, you no longer ship a live animal to the city and slaughter it there. You slaughter near the source and ship only the parts people eat. That one change collapsed cost, concentrated an entire industry into a few cities, and pulled population with it. The local butcher who knew the farmer and the animal gave way to a centralized, disassembly line model. Long haul trucking did the same thing again at a different scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGlobalization did it a third time. Each time, the breakthrough did not just lower cost. It moved where the value was created and who captured it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe smaller examples hit just as close to home, and they carry a lesson most readers will recognize from their own grocery cart. Refrigeration lets a business separate when food is harvested from when it is sold. That is postponement, and where you hold the inventory is a network design decision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWatch how differently three products solve it. Oranges and apples are stored close to harvest, because the fruit is stable once it is cooled and the freight is cheaper after processing. I have stood in the juice tank farm in Auburndale, Florida, and the sheer scale was hard to describe. It looked like the final scene in \u003Cem\u003ERaiders of the Lost Ark\u003C\/em\u003E, the government warehouse that just goes on forever. That is what it takes to make a glass of orange juice taste the same in January as it does in June, in a country where oranges grow in two states.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBananas go the other way. They are picked green, moved green, and held in ripening rooms close to the consumer, where the gas mixture is tuned to the purchase and consumption occasion. Same physics, opposite network. The decoupling point moved because the product and the customer demanded it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe postharvest science behind that is just as striking. Twilley notes that two apples from opposite sides of the same tree can need different cooling and atmosphere to stay sellable ten months after picking. The supply chain was no longer simply reacting to time and perishability. It could begin to optimize around these variables.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the Network Bought Us, and What It Cost\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere is where the book earns its subtitle, and where I would add a note of caution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERefrigeration bought us scale, lower cost, and food access no generation before us has had. It also bought us sameness. The same design choices that put apples in your store in July narrowed what gets grown. It is hard to contemplate that there are varieties of bananas and apples most of us will never taste, and tomatoes bred to survive a truck rather than to taste like anything. In many cases, we traded flavor and variety for availability and consistency, often without recognizing the tradeoff.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt bought us concentration risk, as production rolled up into fewer regions and fewer hands. It bought us rural decline, as people followed the rail line and the warehouse instead of the farm. And it carried a human cost, paid largely by the workers, many of them women and minorities, who staffed the packing houses and the cold docks and rarely got named in the story.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd there is the newest cost. The global cold chain is now one of the largest contributors to climate change, through the energy it consumes and the refrigerant gases that leak from it. As the developing world races to build the same system we built a century ago, Twilley asks the question our field should be asking too. Not just whether we can keep scaling this, but whether we should, and at what point the efficiency stops being worth the hidden cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Monday Morning Takeaway\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you work in supply chain, here is what I would want you to carry out of this book.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENetwork design is real work, and it is roughly half the opportunity. Where you put plants, warehouses, and lanes sets the cost structure everything else lives inside. Get it right and you win for years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that design is not durable. \u003Cem\u003EFrostbite\u003C\/em\u003E makes that point at scale, over and over. The refrigerated rail car did not improve the meatpacking network. It rebuilt it and moved an industry to different cities. Mechanical refrigeration did not improve the ice trade. It made it obsolete inside a generation. Every optimized network in this book was eventually reset by an innovation in processing, storage, or logistics that changed cost, quality, and service all at once, and usually faster than the incumbents expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo design your network as well as you can. Then assume it has a shelf life. The next breakthrough is already being built by someone who is not waiting for you to catch up. The job is not to declare the network finished. It is to keep watching for the technology or capability that will change the economics and force the next design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPick up \u003Cem\u003EFrostbite\u003C\/em\u003E as you head out on your next break. It reads like a story because it is one. It also happens to be the story our profession is still living inside.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDiscover how \u003Cem\u003EFrostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves\u003C\/em\u003E reveals the hidden innovations behind the cold chain and why every supply chain professional should rethink how technology reshapes network design, risk, and opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Discover the insights that can help you adapt, build resilience, and keep your organization moving."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 12:03:43","changed_gmt":"2026-07-30 03:13:14","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680720":{"id":"680720","type":"image","title":"Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves","body":null,"created":"1785378484","gmt_created":"2026-07-30 02:28:04","changed":"1785378484","gmt_changed":"2026-07-30 02:28:04","alt":"Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves","file":{"fid":"265025","name":"Frostbite-HowRefrigerationChangedOurFood-OurPlanet-andOurselves_1500x1500px.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/29\/Frostbite-HowRefrigerationChangedOurFood-OurPlanet-andOurselves_1500x1500px.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/29\/Frostbite-HowRefrigerationChangedOurFood-OurPlanet-andOurselves_1500x1500px.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":296248,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/29\/Frostbite-HowRefrigerationChangedOurFood-OurPlanet-andOurselves_1500x1500px.jpg?itok=GzfTqcdq"}},"674087":{"id":"674087","type":"image","title":"Chris Gaffney","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717067903","gmt_created":"2024-05-30 11:18:23","changed":"1771883375","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 21:49:35","alt":"Chris Gaffney, Managing Director, Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute","file":{"fid":"257557","name":"chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":129544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg?itok=_M0fOBTF"}}},"media_ids":["680720","674087"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news-events\/newsletters","title":"View past SCL newsletters and join our mailing list"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194489","name":"scl-spot"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["info@scl.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690900":{"#nid":"690900","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Xiaoming Huo Recognized with Outstanding Mid-Career\/Senior Faculty Achievement in Research Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/xiaoming-huo\u0022\u003EXiaoming Huo\u003C\/a\u003E has received the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u2019s (ISyE)\u003C\/a\u003E Outstanding Mid-Career\/Senior Faculty Achievement in Research Award. The honor annually recognizes a faculty member for their research impact and is based on publication quality and quantity, citations, awards, and the translation of methods into practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs ISyE\u2019s A. Russell Chandler III Professor, Huo\u2019s theoretical research focuses on explaining why modern deep-learning methods preform so well. He also uses statistics, machine learning, and data science to better to better understand the reliability and fairness of learning systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuo has authored more than 15 refereed journal articles since 2023 and currently has 10 papers under review. His career includes 71 journal articles, 41 conference papers, 10 book chapters, and an edited volume.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I find most rewarding is that rigorous theory and useful tools are not in tension \u2013 the mathematical questions that fascinate me most often turn out to be the ones that help others make sense of their data,\u201d Huo said. \u201cI\u2019m deeply honored to receive this award and especially grateful to my students and collaborators, who have been at the heart of this work from the very beginning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuo\u2019s first algorithm for distance covariance remains a standard tool for testing statistical dependence and is reproduced in widely used statistical software. He co-directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiactsa.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiactsa.org\/research\/berd\/index.html\u0022\u003EBiostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design\u003C\/a\u003E program, which is supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Institutes of Health\u003C\/a\u003E. He also serves as a co-principal investigator on the $20 million \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aiinstitutes.org\/institute-action\/\u0022\u003ENSF AI Institute for Agent-based Cyber Threat Intelligence and Operation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuo said he is proud of the researchers he has trained. In the most recent recruiting cycle, his doctoral graduates earned tenure-track faculty offers from Georgetown University and the University of Florida. Earlier advisees hold faculty positions at the City University of Hong Kong, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Seoul National University of Science and Technology, while other former students are researchers at companies that include Apple, Citadel, and JP Morgan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis recently published work includes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jmlr.org\/papers\/v25\/23-0957.html\u0022\u003Etwo\u003C\/a\u003E 2024 papers in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jmlr.org\/papers\/v25\/23-0379.html\u0022\u003EJournal of Machine Learning Research \u003C\/a\u003E(\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jmlr.org\/\u0022\u003EJMLR\u003C\/a\u003E). He and his students established learning guarantees for deep neutral networks, including minimax-optimal convergence rates of neural-network classifiers was accepted in 2026 by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ieeexplore.ieee.org\/stamp\/stamp.jsp?arnumber=11352993\u0022\u003EIEEE Transactions on Information Theory\u003C\/a\u003E, and his work on the universal consistency of wide and deep networks appeared at the International Conference on Machine Learning. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuo\u2019s work on the fairness of learning systems is reflected in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/datasetcatalog.nlm.nih.gov\/dataset?q=0002031630\u0022\u003E2025 Journal of the American Statistical Association paper\u003C\/a\u003E that characterizes the asymptotic behavior of the adversarial-training estimator, complementing his JMLR work on distributionally robust estimation. At the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neurips.cc\/Conferences\/2025\u0022\u003EConference on National Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) 2025\u003C\/a\u003E, Huo and collaborators introduced a kernel-based quantification of the accuracy fairness trade-off in representation learning, along with a new diffusion method for imbalanced text-to-image generation, while a 2026 International Conference on Learning Representations paper advanced policy optimization for large-language-model reasoning.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe honor annually recognizes a faculty member for their research impact and is based on publication quality and quantity, citations, awards, and the translation of methods into practice.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The honor annually recognizes a faculty member for their research impact and is based on publication quality and quantity, citations, awards, and the translation of methods into practice."}],"uid":"36760","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 16:05:20","changed_gmt":"2026-07-30 00:33:28","author":"jsmith830","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680505":{"id":"680505","type":"image","title":"Xiaoming Huo, A. Russell Chandler III Professor ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EXiaoming Huo, A. Russell Chandler III Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782317685","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 16:14:45","changed":"1782317685","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 16:14:45","alt":"Xiaoming Huo, A. Russell Chandler III Professor ","file":{"fid":"264778","name":"Professor-Huo-Square.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Professor-Huo-Square.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Professor-Huo-Square.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":166602,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Professor-Huo-Square.jpg?itok=86UQcDa3"}}},"media_ids":["680505"],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691341":{"#nid":"691341","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Diagnosis to Wellness, AI\u0027s Healthcare Revolution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) is changing far more than hospital paperwork. Researchers say it\u0027s beginning to help doctors make clinical decisions, identify mental health risks earlier, expand care through smartphones and wearable devices, and extend healthcare to people who might otherwise go without it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile adoption varies across healthcare systems, Georgia Tech researchers say AI is becoming increasingly integrated into medicine. At the same time, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9789240037403\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Equestions about privacy, trust, equity, and human oversight\u003C\/a\u003E remain central to how the technology will be used in the years ahead.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedicine has clearly embraced the human-AI fusion approach,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jon-duke\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJon Duke\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/about\/research-facilities\/center-health-analytics-informatics-chai\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Health Analytics \u0026amp; Informatics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. \u201cThe use of AI is encouraged, but reliance on AI is not.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Clinical Workflows to Decision Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of healthcare\u0027s earliest AI applications focused on reducing administrative burdens. Today, researchers say the technology is increasingly helping clinicians access and interpret information.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuke points to the growing use of clinical AI tools such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.openevidence.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOpenEvidence,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ewhich provide healthcare professionals with AI-generated, source-backed answers to medical questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is moving beyond administrative tasks and beginning to play a meaningful role in clinical decision support,\u201d Duke said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin electronic health records, AI is being used to generate clinical notes from patient-provider conversations and summarize complex patient charts. While healthcare systems have moved most quickly on efficiency-focused applications, Duke said AI is steadily becoming part of everyday clinical practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, he believes human oversight will remain essential.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the biggest long-term questions is whether physicians trained alongside AI will develop the same level of independent clinical judgment as previous generations,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Access Beyond the Doctor\u0027s Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers also see AI creating new opportunities outside hospitals and clinics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/munmun-de-choudhury\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Interactive Computin\u003C\/a\u003Eg, said AI is helping public health systems \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/pcd\/issues\/2024\/24_0245.htm\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eidentify emerging mental health concerns\u003C\/a\u003E by analyzing digital and clinical data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is enabling public health systems to move from reactive to more proactive approaches by identifying emerging mental health concerns from diverse digital and clinical data sources,\u201d De Choudhury said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose insights may create opportunities for earlier intervention.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI has the potential to identify subtle behavioral changes that precede worsening mental health, creating opportunities for earlier support before someone reaches a crisis,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/alexander-t-adams\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlexander Adams\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Interactive Computing, studies wearable sensing systems, remote patient monitoring technologies, and point-of-care health tools. He said advances in AI are accelerating innovation in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical imaging, simulation, and biomarker discovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe biggest changes I am seeing are the increased productivity in pharmaceuticals, medical imaging, simulation, and biomarker discovery,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThat has a downstream impact on what we can measure at the point of care.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Adams, smartphones and wearable devices have become increasingly important healthcare tools because of the amount of data they collect.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo stand-alone medical devices generate nearly as much data as smartphones and smartwatches, making them a natural place for modern AI,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also sees significant potential for AI-enabled technologies to improve access in rural and underserved communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese technologies are especially important for underserved and rural populations that often have less access to care and face higher risks of complications,\u201d Adams said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBalancing Innovation and Human Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite growing interest in AI, researchers caution that adoption is not without challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real opportunity lies not in building more autonomous AI, but in designing systems that strengthen human judgment, clinical expertise, and community care,\u201d De Choudhury said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough AI has advanced rapidly, its impact on chronic disease management has remained limited, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/rosa-arriaga\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERosa Arriaga\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Interactive Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI holds a lot of promise but hasn\u0027t delivered much in the way of real-world applications,\u201d Arriaga said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also raised concerns about how increased reliance on data-driven tools could affect interactions between clinicians and patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fear is that clinicians become \u2018data checkers\u2019 and have even less interaction with patients,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, Arriaga said AI is having its greatest impact in the mental wellness space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are now randomized controlled trials showing that some people are willing to receive \u2018therapy\u2019 from an AI agent and that this intervention is beneficial,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, she cautioned that those developments should be considered alongside potential risks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGreater interactions with AI may lead to greater isolation, and parasocial relationships with AI may erode the social fabric,\u201d Arriaga said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShaping the Next Era of Healthcare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite differing views on the opportunities and challenges, the researchers see AI becoming a lasting part of healthcare.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is accelerating everything,\u201d Adams said. \u201cEven through rapid iteration and simulation alone, it will accelerate medical devices and point-of-care technologies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs healthcare organizations continue to explore where AI can improve care, researchers say the future of medicine will depend not only on technological advances but also on how effectively those tools support the people who deliver and receive care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EFrom AI-powered clinical support tools and digital mental health applications to wearable devices and remote monitoring, artificial intelligence is influencing how healthcare is delivered. Researchers say the technology offers significant opportunities to improve care and access while raising important questions about human judgment, patient relationships, privacy, and equity.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into healthcare, researchers are exploring its potential to support clinical decision-making, improve mental health interventions, expand access to care, and accelerate medical innovation."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-07-29 17:13:59","changed_gmt":"2026-07-29 17:13:59","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/new-mobile-app-turns-phones-home-fetal-heart-monitors","title":"New Mobile App Turns Phones into At-Home Fetal Heart Monitors"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195214","name":"Copilot said: AI in healthcare"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"187570","name":"healthcare innovation"},{"id":"195215","name":"clinical decision support"},{"id":"187838","name":"digital health"},{"id":"140471","name":"Health Informatics"},{"id":"110201","name":"electronic health records"},{"id":"195216","name":"AI ethics"},{"id":"195217","name":"human oversight"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"195218","name":"mental health interventions"},{"id":"755","name":"public health"},{"id":"77691","name":"wearable technology"},{"id":"172067","name":"wearable devices"},{"id":"195219","name":"remote patient monitoring"},{"id":"168927","name":"smartphones"},{"id":"195220","name":"healthcare access"},{"id":"195221","name":"rural healthcare"},{"id":"188889","name":"underserved communities"},{"id":"195222","name":"patient care"},{"id":"195223","name":"clinical workflows"},{"id":"195224","name":"physician decision-making"},{"id":"29071","name":"medical innovation"},{"id":"2776","name":"medical imaging"},{"id":"195225","name":"biomarker discovery"},{"id":"170604","name":"Health Analytics"},{"id":"10679","name":"personalized medicine"},{"id":"195226","name":"preventive care"},{"id":"14788","name":"healthcare technology"},{"id":"108111","name":"health equity"},{"id":"114791","name":"Data Privacy"},{"id":"195227","name":"human-AI collaboration"},{"id":"195228","name":"digital therapeutics"},{"id":"195229","name":"point-of-care technologies"},{"id":"195230","name":"future of healthcare"},{"id":"195231","name":"AI adoption"},{"id":"195232","name":"patient-provider relationships"},{"id":"88161","name":"Healthcare transformation"},{"id":"184464","name":"medical research"},{"id":"195233","name":"AI in medicine"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"43321","name":"Georgia Institue of Technology"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"195234","name":"prenatal health"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sar30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691259":{"#nid":"691259","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Predatory Bacteria Help Protect Endangered Caribbean Corals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA microscopic predator may offer a new way to protect some of the Caribbean\u2019s most endangered corals. Georgia Tech researchers found that tiny predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECaused by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EVibrio coralliilyticus\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epathogen, the infection is one of the most notorious causes of tissue loss and death in stony corals. In the study, all untreated corals bleached within 48 hours. But corals exposed to the predatory bacteria fared much better: more than half showed no signs of bleaching beyond the infection site \u2014 and disease progression was effectively halted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDisease is a major driver of death for these corals, and with sea surface temperatures continuing to rise globally, we anticipate that rates of disease will only increase. It\u2019s part of a deadly synergy profoundly threatening Caribbean coral reefs,\u201d says lead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/lauren%20speare\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELauren Speare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cPredatory bacteria function like a living probiotic, fighting coral disease without harsh side effects. This could be a targeted way to protect and treat our most vulnerable coral reefs.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ismej\/article\/19\/1\/wraf270\/8376498\u0022\u003EHalobacteriovorax Halts Disease Progression in Endangered Caribbean Corals\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published in The\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EISME Journal\u003C\/em\u003E. In addition to Speare, the research team included Georgia Tech master\u0027s student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChloe Manley\u003C\/strong\u003E and postdoctoral scholar\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMacey Coppinger\u003C\/strong\u003E; University of California, Santa Barbara graduate students\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESunni Patton\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EEddie Fuques\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eemb.ucsb.edu\/people\/faculty\/vega-thurber\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERebecca Vega Thurber\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the UCSB Marine Science Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatural Defenders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpeare became interested in the research while completing her postdoctoral training with Thurber. \u201cDr. Thurber discovered that predatory bacteria are present in many coral microbiomes,\u201d Speare recalls. \u201cWe theorized that they might be contributing to what keeps the ecosystem healthy, balancing it through predation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt the time, the theory was hard to test. Marine predatory bacteria are difficult to preserve long-term, making experiments challenging. The bacteria are also extremely scarce, with populations increasing during a coral infection and rapidly declining after. Catching them while their populations are high is a matter of timing, Speare says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022It\u0027s a bit like trying to catch a mountain lion in the act of hunting a deer. If we aren\u2019t looking at the right time, we might miss it entirely,\u201d Speare says. \u201cI knew that if I wanted to study these bacteria in more detail, I would need to carefully design my experiments and timing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETesting the Treatment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo test their theory, the team spent six weeks conducting experiments at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mote.org\/location\/summerland-key-lab\/\u0022\u003EMote\u2019s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration (IC2R3)\u003C\/a\u003E in Summerland Key, Florida, a facility that maintains lab-grown living corals in seawater aquariums.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFirst, we had to make our corals sick,\u201d Speare says. \u201cBut there wasn\u2019t an established way to reliably create these infections in this species in a laboratory setting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter weeks of experimenting, Speare developed a \u201cpathogen-sticker,\u201d a small agar patch containing the disease-causing pathogens. When placed at the coral\u2019s base, it mimics how infections spread in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen,\u0026nbsp;at the first sign of infection, the team treated the coral with the \u003Cem\u003EHalobacteriovorax \u003C\/em\u003Epredatory bacteria\u003Cem\u003E. \u003C\/em\u003E\u201cSurprisingly, the most effective method was to pour the bacteria directly into the sick coral\u2019s tank,\u201d Speare says. \u201cThe bacteria are tiny, so we were able to create a concentrated liquid of them by using a filter small enough that only they can pass through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHalobacteriovorax\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eare among the fastest-known predatory bacteria, and quickly navigate to their food source \u2013 presumably the pathogen causing the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Aquariums to Oceans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBecause of the straightforward delivery method, Speare believes the team\u2019s methods could be readily adapted for coral restoration efforts, offering a simple way to deliver treatment on natural reefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere are several approaches to treating corals and mitigating stress, but these techniques don\u2019t work for all situations and all species,\u201d she explains. \u201cCorals are complex, and there is no single cure-all, so we need as many tools as possible to help corals survive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor Speare, the next step will be to move from lab-based work to reef environments.\u0026nbsp; She\u2019s particularly curious as to why the predatory bacteria aren\u2019t already moderating illness on natural reefs. \u201cIf this is such an effective way to control pathogens, why isn\u2019t this system preventing disease outbreaks on reefs already?\u0022 she says. \u0022We need to understand what\u0027s limiting this natural defense system \u2013 and that\u2019s what we\u2019re digging into next.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;Lauren Speare was supported as a Simons Foundation Awardee of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. The Vega Thurber Lab was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf270\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf270\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers found that predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers found that predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 16:39:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-29 01:42:03","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680709":{"id":"680709","type":"image","title":"Staghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EStaghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1785289113","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","changed":"1785289113","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","alt":"Staghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.","file":{"fid":"265012","name":"coral-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3474517,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg?itok=YDfZY4SX"}},"680710":{"id":"680710","type":"image","title":"Lauren Speare sampling corals in the lab. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELauren Speare sampling corals in the lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785289113","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","changed":"1785289113","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","alt":"Lauren Speare sampling corals in the lab. ","file":{"fid":"265013","name":"sampling-1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2816600,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png?itok=7gsS4R-m"}}},"media_ids":["680709","680710"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETechnical Research Writer \/ Editor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691311":{"#nid":"691311","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hope Among the Pines: A Field Tour in Southeast Georgia Presents Carbon Exchange as Solution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we take care of our forests, our forests will take care of us,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/dr-yanshu-li\u0022\u003EYanshu Li,\u003C\/a\u003E associate professor of forest economics at the University of Georgia (UGA). This message was a main takeaway from a field tour held January 29-30, 2026, across working forests in Southeast Georgia. Organized by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gffgrow.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(GFF) in partnership with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022\u003ERay\u0026nbsp;C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Scheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/\u0022\u003EClemson University\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUGA\u0026nbsp;Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources\u003C\/a\u003E, the trip brought together university researchers, foresters, potential carbon credit buyers, and family landowners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is the number one forestry state in the country, with more than 22\u0026nbsp;million\u0026nbsp;of its\u0026nbsp;roughly 24\u0026nbsp;million forested acres held in private hands. According to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southernforests.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/SGSF_Fact-Sheet-1.pdf\u0022\u003ESouthern Group of State Foresters\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;forests and the forest products industry in the Southern U.S. provide for more than 18% of the world\u2019s pulpwood for paper and paper-related products and 7% of the world\u2019s industrial roundwood.\u0026nbsp;The timber industry also supports thousands of rural livelihoods and\u0026nbsp;sequesters\u0026nbsp;enormous amounts of carbon. Yet today, Georgia forests are under pressure due to natural disasters and market changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe field tour promoted a Georgia-specific carbon exchange that has the potential to save forests, help companies\u0026nbsp;purchase\u0026nbsp;high quality\u0026nbsp;carbon credits, and provide co-benefits for the entire state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPressure Points: Helene\u2019s Wake and Market Headwinds\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross pine-forested Southeast Georgia, the devastation left by Hurricane Helene\u0026nbsp;remains\u0026nbsp;impossible to miss. A year and a half later, the cleanup \u2013 which is slow, expensive, and disheartening \u2013 is still ongoing across thousands of acres. Downed timber, too old to be sold for profit, lies in heaps. Throughout the field tour, landowners and foresters shared personal narratives that made it easy to feel the weight of what has been lost.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHelene only worsened troubles that were already underway. The markets for timber and pulpwood have been weakening. Demand for paper products has fallen sharply, taking pulpwood prices with it. In the last year alone, three mills have closed in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDo I bother to replant?\u0026nbsp;If I plant, will someone actually buy my timber in 20 years?\u0026nbsp;These are the questions landowners across Georgia are wrestling with. Landowners\u2019 decisions today can lead to a future with fewer forested acres, less healthy forests, and forests converted to development \u2013 a loss that is permanent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pressing question throughout the field tour was:\u0026nbsp;What happens next?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EStorytelling Matters: The Power of the Personal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the benefits of a field tour is the chance to hear\u0026nbsp;firsthand,\u0026nbsp;personal accounts from the people whose livelihoods depend on forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tour began in Emanuel County at the Willie Hodges Family Farm Estate. Herbert Hodges welcomed the group to the 600-acre property his family has stewarded for four generations. Hodges shows his respect for the land through thoughtful stewardship \u2013 for which he was honored when he was named\u0026nbsp;2025 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.nwf.org\/2025\/09\/celebrating-landowner-mentor-herbert-hodges-2025-conservationist-of-the-year\/\u0022\u003EConservationist of the Year\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts. However, Hodges worries whether the fifth generation will keep the land, and he wants to\u0026nbsp;demonstrate\u0026nbsp;to his heirs that the land is worth holding onto. He remembers his father telling him, \u201cNever get rid of the land.\u0026nbsp;As long as\u0026nbsp;you keep it, you have somewhere to live, somewhere to go.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jmhestad\/\u0022\u003EMatt Hestad\u003C\/a\u003E, senior vice president of GFF, said, \u201cMr. Hodges has to identify new opportunities for his property not only to keep his family engaged but also to prove the land is economically valuable, both today and into the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon exchange, if built well, could be exactly that kind of new opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding a Georgia Carbon Exchange\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative to develop a Georgia Carbon Exchange,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/georgia-tech-and-partners-to-establish-state-specific-forest-carbon-exchange.html\u0022\u003Elaunched in 2025\u003C\/a\u003E, is being led collaboratively by the organizers of the field tour.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;designed to create a voluntary carbon credit marketplace specifically tailored to Georgia\u2019s forest landscape, Georgia\u2019s landowners, and companies that are interested in\u0026nbsp;purchasing\u0026nbsp;high quality\u0026nbsp;carbon credits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/eady\/index.html\u0022\u003EDavid Eady\u003C\/a\u003E, director of industry engagement at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, described the vision: \u201cWe\u0027re looking at creating a marketplace for companies doing business in Georgia or headquartered in Georgia, so they can\u0026nbsp;acquire\u0026nbsp;credits that specifically\u0026nbsp;benefit\u0026nbsp;local communities and ecosystems. We want to make sure that we can continue to manage our valuable forest resources that make up well over half of the land in Georgia.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCompanies are concerned about sustainability because their customers are \u2013 and one of the things that that\u0027s manifested is a market for carbon credits,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/leslie-boby\u0022\u003ELeslie Boby\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the UGA Southern Regional Extension Forestry. \u201cBeing in forestry, we have the original carbon sequestration system: trees. And we have a lot of trees in Georgia.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe foundation for the Georgia Carbon Exchange already exists, waiting to be built on.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAll the Players at the Table\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe January tour was a pilot that can be replicated for other groups of potential carbon buyers, policymakers, and stakeholders who need to understand what is at stake in Georgia\u2019s forests before they can meaningfully invest in their future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHestad described what made this first tour valuable: \u201cWe need all the players at the table: academics, buyers, and landowners. I feel like\u0026nbsp;we\u2019ve\u0026nbsp;learned from a variety of people about forest management \u2013 from a private family landowner about intergenerational challenges, from a recreation-focused landowner about wildlife management, and from landowners who have been\u0026nbsp;impacted\u0026nbsp;by Hurricane Helene.\u0026nbsp;We\u2019ve\u0026nbsp;been provided with context for how a carbon exchange could serve those different sectors of landowners.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor industry representatives on the tour, the experience was eye-opening. They joined the tour to learn more about recovery efforts, community support, and the mechanics of a carbon exchange. At the end of the tour, they said they had a clearer sense of both\u0026nbsp;the urgency\u0026nbsp;and the opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lucasclay\/\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, extension professional at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, said, \u201cLandowners are focused on the economics of forestry, and buyers are looking for quality credits. I think\u0026nbsp;there\u0027s\u0026nbsp;a lot of opportunity for\u0026nbsp;both of these\u0026nbsp;things to happen.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA successful carbon exchange requires trust, understanding, and shared\u0026nbsp;purpose\u0026nbsp;to be cultivated deliberately. Tours like this one are part of that cultivation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EA Common Goal in Focus\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has everything it needs to make a carbon exchange work: the forests, the science, the institutions, and the will. What it needs now is exactly what the field tour was designed to build: awareness, connection, and shared commitment among the people and organizations whose decisions will shape the future of the state\u2019s forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/zach-johnson-19096918\/\u0022\u003EZach Johnson\u003C\/a\u003E, procurement\u0026nbsp;manager\u0026nbsp;at Beasley Timber Management, LLC, told the group: \u201cWith every one green ton of tree growth, you sequester approximately one metric ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.\u0026nbsp;Let\u2019s\u0026nbsp;find a way to certify this wonderful resource we have and prop up these jobs in Georgia \u2013 before\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s\u0026nbsp;too late.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaintaining\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s forests is not only about carbon. Well-managed forests filter water, support native wildlife, improve air quality, protect public health, and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. These are co-benefits that a carbon credit does not fully capture but that are very much part of the value proposition for\u0026nbsp;maintaining\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s private forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the pines of Southeast Georgia, a common goal came into focus. The forests are worth saving. And the right people are coming together with the right plan to make it happen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBusiness and forestry experts from Georgia Tech, Clemson University, University of Georgia, and the Georgia Forestry Foundation led a field tour in Southeast Georgia that illuminated current challenges facing landowners and the forestry industry. Organizers shared how a Georgia Carbon Exchange can provide economic incentives to help landowners keep and manage their forests for carbon sequestration, with benefits to impact the entire state.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"eorgia Carbon Exchange can provide economic incentives to help landowners keep and manage their forests for carbon sequestration, with benefits to impact the entire state."}],"uid":"36808","created_gmt":"2026-07-28 15:41:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-28 20:12:36","author":"bmcdonald64","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680696":{"id":"680696","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EField tour attendees in Soperton, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Field tour attendees in Soperton, Georgia. ","file":{"fid":"264998","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2323053,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg?itok=TTP9Db5g"}},"680697":{"id":"680697","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EForest in Soperton, Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Forest in Soperton, Georgia","file":{"fid":"264999","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2639195,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg?itok=aGzumHGQ"}},"680698":{"id":"680698","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETouring a recreational working forest in Metter, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Touring a recreational working forest in Metter, Georgia. ","file":{"fid":"265000","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2048200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg?itok=Lk2rGbaN"}},"680699":{"id":"680699","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHerbert Hodges displays photos: one of his father, Willie Hodges, and the other of his father, brother, and mother (photo credit: Sandra S. Hodges). Hodges leads a tour of the Willie Hodges Family Farm Estate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Collaboration image of Herbert Hodges showing his farm estate. ","file":{"fid":"265001","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2472549,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg?itok=-vSvhoGE"}},"680700":{"id":"680700","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClockwise from top left: Viewing habitat for gopher turtles. Hurricane Helene damage in Soperton, Georgia, on land owned by Gillis Ag and Timber. Attendees learn about the Georgia Carbon Exchange. Foresters share how Hurricane Helene and market changes have impacted their industry and community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Collaboration image of the field tour in south Georgia","file":{"fid":"265002","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2521516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg?itok=zkyZRVxD"}}},"media_ids":["680696","680697","680698","680699","680700"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the Georgia Carbon Exchange and upcoming field tours, contact\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/clay\/index.html\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWritten by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/lux\/index.html\u0022\u003EJennifer Holley Lux\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhotography (unless otherwise noted) by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mike-gregory-22629a200\/\u0022\u003EMike Gregory\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Georgia Forestry Association \u0026amp; Foundation)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lucas.clay@gatech.edu","jennifer.lux@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691264":{"#nid":"691264","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Jain Awarded Whitehall Foundation Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/saumya-jain\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaumya Jain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has received a $300,000 grant from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.whitehall.org\/#introduction\u0022\u003EWhitehall Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E to support research examining how genes influence the brain\u2019s wiring and how these neural connections shape behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs the brain develops, billions of neurons form precise networks that enable perception, movement, and cognition. Disruptions in this process can contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. To better understand how such disorders arise, Jain\u2019s lab will use molecular and genetic tools to trace the pathway from gene expression to neural connectivity to behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI am honored and excited to receive support from the Whitehall Foundation,\u201d Jain says. \u201cIt will help us pursue research questions at a stage when our findings can still shape our lab\u2019s long-term direction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJain joined Georgia Tech in 2024. He earned a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona and completed postdoctoral work at the University of California, Los Angeles.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Saumya Jain received a grant to support research on how genes shape neural connectivity and behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Professor Saumya Jain received a grant to support research on how genes shape neural connectivity and behavior."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 18:44:24","changed_gmt":"2026-07-28 19:09:21","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680155":{"id":"680155","type":"image","title":"Saumya Jain","body":null,"created":"1777915309","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 17:21:49","changed":"1777915309","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 17:21:49","alt":"Saumya Jain stands in front of plants","file":{"fid":"264397","name":"Saumya-Jain.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":577179,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg?itok=3UIiedV8"}}},"media_ids":["680155"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/news\/biology-faculty-named-searle-scholar","title":"Saumya Jain Named Searle Scholar "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.thejainlab.com\/","title":"The Jain Lab "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"192253","name":"cos-neuro"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691265":{"#nid":"691265","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yuanzhi Tang Named Fellow of the American Chemical Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (ACS) Fellow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ACS is one of the world\u2019s largest scientific societies, and its Fellows Program recognizes outstanding achievements in scientific research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical profession and honors a select group of members each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Election as an ACS Fellow is a significant honor that recognizes not only scientific excellence but also leadership and service to the profession,\u0022 said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech\u0027s vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0022Yuanzhi\u0027s pioneering research, her leadership within ACS and the Strategic Energy Institute, and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration have strengthened Georgia Tech\u0027s impact in chemistry, energy, and environmental research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang was recognized for her contributions to environmental chemistry, biogeochemistry, and energy-related research, as well as for her leadership and service to the chemical sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Given her exceptionally energetic research program, which spans topics ranging from the basic understanding of chemical cycling on Earth to creative solutions to recover rare elements from wastes, this honor is richly deserved and completely unsurprising,\u0022 said Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0022We are lucky to have Yuanzhi as part of EAS.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs SEI executive director, Tang leads Institute-wide efforts to strengthen Georgia Tech\u0027s energy research enterprise by connecting expertise across disciplines and fostering partnerships with industry, government, and national laboratories. She also maintains an internationally recognized research program focused on understanding the chemical and biological processes that shape natural and engineered environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished in 2008, the ACS Fellows Program honors a distinguished group of scientists who have made exceptional contributions to chemistry and related fields while also demonstrating dedicated service to the society. With this election, Tang joins 17 Georgia Tech ACS Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u2019m deeply honored,\u0022 Tang said. \u0022This recognition reflects the contributions of many outstanding students, postdoctoral researchers, colleagues, collaborators, and mentors throughout my career. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such talented people to advance scientific discovery and build interdisciplinary partnerships that address critical energy and environmental challenges.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1876, the American Chemical Society represents more than 170,000 members worldwide and is a leading source of scientific information through its journals, conferences, and educational programs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (ACS) Fellow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ACS is one of the world\u2019s largest scientific societies, and its Fellows Program recognizes outstanding achievements in scientific research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical profession and honors a select group of members each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Election as an ACS Fellow is a significant honor that recognizes not only scientific excellence but also leadership and service to the profession,\u0022 said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech\u0027s vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0022Yuanzhi\u0027s pioneering research, her leadership within ACS and the Strategic Energy Institute, and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration have strengthened Georgia Tech\u0027s impact in chemistry, energy, and environmental research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Yuanzhi Tang, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has been named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 18:57:07","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 18:59:18","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680685":{"id":"680685","type":"image","title":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785178716","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 18:58:36","changed":"1785178716","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 18:58:36","alt":"Yuanzhi Tang","file":{"fid":"264986","name":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":933435,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg?itok=--SwhGU3"}}},"media_ids":["680685"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691245":{"#nid":"691245","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Incoming SCP Faculty Member Selected for CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into everyday life, researchers are working to better understand and reduce the new digital safety risks it creates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVeronica Rivera\u003C\/strong\u003E, an incoming assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E (SCP), studies human-computer interaction, security, and privacy to create safer digital experiences. Her research earned her selection to the second cohort of the Computing Research Association (CRA) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/cra-trustworthy-ai-research-fellowship\/#2026-2027-fellows\u0022\u003ETrustworthy AI Research Fellowship for Early Career Scholars\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am excited and honored to be part of this year\u0027s CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship cohort,\u0022 said Rivera.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This program reflects the importance of cross-disciplinary research and collaboration in building AI systems that benefit and support society. I look forward to spending the next year building collaborations that support me and my students\u0027 research into protecting the digital safety of the diverse communities who use AI tools.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERivera\u0027s research examines how technology shapes interpersonal relationships. Using empirical and design-based methods, she partners with communities affected by technology-facilitated abuse to understand digital safety risks and develop technologies that better protect users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the fellowship, Rivera will study how AI is reshaping technology-facilitated abuse and develop data collection methods that enable researchers to assess these evolving risks over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Trustworthy AI is a key research area in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the College of Computing,\u0022 said SCP Interim Chair \u003Cstrong\u003EMustaque Ahamad\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u0022The CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship recognizes Veronica\u0027s innovative research and will help her build a research program that advances an area of strategic importance to our school and the broader AI community.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by Microsoft, the CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship recognizes early-career computing researchers who combine technical expertise with interdisciplinary approaches to address the ethical, societal, and human-centered challenges of artificial intelligence. The fellowship provides interdisciplinary training, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities that help researchers integrate ethical, societal, and human-centered perspectives into AI research and development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next year, Rivera and the other fellows will participate in a series of professional development activities, including a four-day Field School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The program also includes quarterly virtual meetings, mentoring opportunities, and collaboration with scholars participating in related AI and data ethics programs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVeronica Rivera, an incoming assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), studies human-computer interaction, security, and privacy to create safer digital experiences. Her research earned her selection to the second cohort of the Computing Research Association (CRA) Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship for Early Career Scholars.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Veronica Rivera, an incoming assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) has been selected for the second cohort of the Computing Research Association (CRA) Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship for Early Career Scholars."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 13:30:51","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 13:49:21","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680674":{"id":"680674","type":"image","title":"464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","body":null,"created":"1785159063","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 13:31:03","changed":"1785159063","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 13:31:03","alt":"A graphic for Vernoica Rivera, CRA Trusterworthy AI Research Fellowship","file":{"fid":"264965","name":"464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1958097,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg?itok=L9W5Yq44"}}},"media_ids":["680674"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"194393","name":"AI and Cybersecurity"},{"id":"181818","name":"cybersceurity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691122":{"#nid":"691122","#data":{"type":"news","title":"DeMillo Recognized for Lasting Contributions to Software Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERichard DeMillo, professor, founding chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), and Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing, has been named to the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeMillo was among 80 computer scientists worldwide selected for the Academy\u0027s founding class and was the only Georgia Tech faculty member recognized.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am honored to be included in the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy,\u0022 said DeMillo. \u0022This recognition reflects the work of outstanding students, collaborators, and colleagues over many years. Software engineering research has transformed the way society builds and depends upon software, and I hope our community will continue to advance the scientific foundations needed to make software more reliable, secure, and worthy of the trust people place in it.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished by ACM SIGSOFT, the Software Engineering Academy is a standing body of honor that recognizes members of the software engineering community whose lasting technical contributions, leadership, and service have shaped the field. The Academy celebrates researchers whose cumulative work and influence have advanced software engineering as both a scientific discipline and professional practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Rich\u0027s research in software testing is recognized among the most influential contributions to the field of software engineering,\u0022 said SCP Interim Chair Mustaque Ahamad. \u0022His inclusion in the inaugural ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy demonstrates the lasting impact of his research on building more reliable software systems.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe inaugural class was selected from leaders whose contributions have already been widely recognized across the software engineering community, including ACM Fellows and recipients of ACM SIGSOFT\u0027s Outstanding Research Award. Beginning next year, new Academy members will be elected annually through a community nomination process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeMillo served as the founding chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, the first school of its kind at a top research university. He previously served as the John P. Imlay Dean of the College of Computing and directed the Georgia Tech Information Security Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout his career, DeMillo has held leadership positions across academia, industry, and government. He served as Hewlett-Packard\u0027s first chief technology officer, led computing research at Bell Communications Research, directed the Computer Research Division at the National Science Foundation, and led the Software Test and Evaluation Project in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research spans software engineering, cybersecurity, election security, and the societal impacts of digital technology. His 1979 paper, Social Processes and Proofs of Theorems and Programs, is widely regarded as a foundational work in software engineering and has been recognized as one of the 50 most influential papers in computer science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his research, DeMillo has helped shape higher education through the creation of Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for 21st Century Universities. He is a fellow of both the Association for Computing Machinery and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERichard DeMillo, professor, founding chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), and Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing, has been named to the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeMillo was among 80 computer scientists worldwide selected for the Academy\u0027s founding class and was the only Georgia Tech faculty member recognized.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Richard DeMillo has been named to the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-07-14 19:00:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:28:31","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673662":{"id":"673662","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Cybersecurity and Privacy Professor Rich DeMillo","body":null,"created":"1712679629","gmt_created":"2024-04-09 16:20:29","changed":"1712679629","gmt_changed":"2024-04-09 16:20:29","alt":"Georgia Tech Cybersecurity and Privacy Professor Rich DeMillo","file":{"fid":"257084","name":"Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/09\/Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/09\/Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":50395,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/09\/Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg?itok=qBhdaP00"}}},"media_ids":["673662"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689850":{"#nid":"689850","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Doing the Dirty Work of Sustainability ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not glamorous. It\u2019s not trendy. In fact, it\u2019s downright grubby. But the work that a Georgia Tech researcher and his students are doing is improving campus sustainability, one pound of food waste at a time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2820\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, gave his senior-level biology class this semester a unique assignment: Feed food waste to black soldier fly larvae, collect the organic byproduct (called \u201cfrass\u201d), and analyze the results. What they\u2019ve found so far is a composting method with the potential to dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while producing a nutrient-dense fertilizer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s something special about these grubs,\u201d said Hu, who is also a faculty member within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThey smell, and they\u2019re kind of ugly, but they process food extremely efficiently. When we feed them, they eat twice their body weight, finish that in five hours, and you can do it again the next day. Traditional composting could never be that fast.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a unique closed-loop system pioneered by private-industry partner and early-stage startup \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biotechnicausa.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiotechnica\u003C\/a\u003E, the larvae eat their way through more than 300 pounds of food in one semester, creating valuable frass that students harvest. When the larvae mature into adults, they fly into a shared chamber to reproduce, make more grubs, and start the process over again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can get a turnaround from food waste to frass in a day or two, and then from the raw frass to our ground-up frass that we use for our plants,\u201d said Mikkelle Peters, a fourth-year biology major in Hu\u2019s class. \u201cIt\u2019s just a much quicker process to get rid of the food waste.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeeding and studying an army of larvae that can eat more than 10 gallons of food a day keeps Hu\u2019s students busy. The solution? Divide and conquer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first group in the process gathers and grinds food scraps to feed the grubs, then collects the frass they produce. The next group mixes the frass with soil and analyzes its chemical makeup, comparing its nutrient density to commercial fertilizers. A third group uses the fertilized soil to grow vegetables like arugula and radishes that are measured against plants grown using synthetic fertilizer. The final two groups observe the environmental conditions that affect productivity and analyze the grubs\u2019 digestion to uncover the secrets to their success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore testing will need to be done on outdoor farms to provide rigorous results. Data over the past few semesters were, at times, inconsistent. But the students\u2019 projects reveal a lot of promise for future experiments. Despite limitations to the study, including a small sample size and minor instrument malfunction, the students have been able to find helpful nutrients in their product and grow certain crops more successfully with frass than with commercial fertilizer. Unlike chemically based products or some traditional composts that need to be specially treated, black soldier fly frass is organic and easily processed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of fertilizers can cause harmful runoff, and they can change soil balances over time,\u201d Peters said. \u201cFrass is a natural product, has more fibrous material, and has a lot more organic compounds.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the science that the students are exposed to, Hu said it is also eye-opening for them to see the work of sustainability. The project is an excellent case study for how a small group can make a big impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe students have learned a lot,\u201d Hu said. \u201cFor one of the activities, we had them bring in their own food waste from home to feed the composter. They realized that a person makes pounds of waste per day.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E, the campus produces about 400 tons of food waste per year. Although Georgia Tech boasts \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/07\/new-composter-enhance-campus-waste-reduction\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eone of the largest commercial composters\u003C\/a\u003E on an urban campus in the Southeast, the machine can only process 175 tons per year. That leaves a gap that Hu said his research might one day be able to fill.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRight now, it\u2019s working,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to expand and see if it can work some more. The big issue is visibility, getting people to know that what we\u2019re doing is good. Because in some ways, saving the planet takes energy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the main energy sources for the experimental composter is something Hu hopes to reduce: manpower. With a campus the size of Georgia Tech\u2019s, it\u2019s a very labor-intensive process for students to collect food waste from campus partners. Hu hopes that more community members will volunteer, not only to collect food, but also to improve the system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need people power \u2014 people willing to volunteer to move, because right now, campus produces a lot of waste in different places,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we also need biologists and engineers and computer scientists. We need people to make this system more well-engineered.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the current black soldier fly composter still has some flaws, Hu said his goal is to create an affordable, climate-friendly food waste recycling system that can scale up to support U.S. agriculture. By solving problems at the local level, his research is potentially removing economic and operational barriers to sustainability. But, according to Hu, the final step to long-term success is community involvement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the end, we need people who care,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take that much effort to do a little bit, and a little bit can go a long way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech researcher and his students are using experimental composting to reduce campus food waste and support agriculture. Using a unique closed-loop system, black soldier fly larvae eat their way through more than 300 pounds of food in one semester, creating valuable frass that students harvest. What they\u2019ve found so far is a composting method with the potential to dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while producing a nutrient-dense fertilizer. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech researcher and his students are using experimental composting to reduce campus food waste and support agriculture. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 19:22:36","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:18:56","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679998":{"id":"679998","type":"image","title":"web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776688432","gmt_created":"2026-04-20 12:33:52","changed":"1776688432","gmt_changed":"2026-04-20 12:33:52","alt":"A male researcher opens the top of a blue barrel that is part of a composting system inside a greenhouse","file":{"fid":"264230","name":"web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":232961,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg?itok=HEj6TZyg"}}},"media_ids":["679998"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691121":{"#nid":"691121","#data":{"type":"news","title":"She Lost Her Mother. She Found Her Purpose.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMeghna Iyer came to Georgia Tech determined to understand the disease that was slowly taking her mother\u0027s life. Working with researchers in the Georgia Tech Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, she helped use AI to analyze 36 million biomedical research papers, uncovering biological connections among ALS, Alzheimer\u0027s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. After losing her mother, Meghna returned to the lab with an even stronger resolve to continue the work, earning first-author publication on the study and helping create a tool that could accelerate future research for families facing these devastating diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neurodegenerative-diseases\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Meghna Iyer came to Georgia Tech trying to understand her mother\u2019s illness. What she discovered is changing how scientists connect three neurodegenerative diseases."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMeghna Iyer came to Georgia Tech determined to understand the disease that was slowly taking her mother\u0027s life. Working with researchers in the Georgia Tech Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, she helped use AI to analyze 36 million biomedical research papers, uncovering biological connections among ALS, Alzheimer\u0027s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. After losing her mother, Meghna returned to the lab with an even stronger resolve to continue the work, earning first-author publication on the study and helping create a tool that could accelerate future research for families facing these devastating diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech student transformed her search to understand her mother\u0027s ALS into AI-driven research that could reshape how scientists study neurodegenerative diseases. "}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-07-14 16:53:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:39:44","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680604":{"id":"680604","type":"image","title":"als-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech student, Meghna Iyer, transformed her search to understand her mother\u0027s ALS into AI-driven research that could reshape how scientists study neurodegenerative diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784048017","gmt_created":"2026-07-14 16:53:37","changed":"1784048017","gmt_changed":"2026-07-14 16:53:37","alt":"Two smiling researchers wearing jackets sit on rocks at a sunny beach with shoreline homes and the ocean in the background.","file":{"fid":"264887","name":"als-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2526212,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg?itok=glNqw-cB"}}},"media_ids":["680604"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neurodegenerative-diseases","title":"Read the Full Feature"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691214":{"#nid":"691214","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rapid Testing Offers Path to More Sustainable Material Choices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E-Written by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled materials promise a cleaner future, but recycled content alone does not necessarily make a product sustainable. At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, assistant professor, National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient, and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Faculty Fellow Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. Their article in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E details a new testing protocol that reduces cost, increases speed, and simulates real-world conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials shape nearly every part of modern life, from packaging and consumer products to bridges and medical devices. Choosing the right material involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne way that materials frequently fail is by cracking. A small crack can begin almost invisibly. Over time, it can spread from regular wear and tear and exposure to common environmental factors like moisture, temperature fluctuations, or even dirt. Eventually, the crack expands, and the part fails. Engineers have studied fracture for more than a century, but connecting the science of cracking to practical decisions about sustainability remains a major challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe characteristics of recycled plastics often vary from those of the same material in unrecycled, or virgin, form. Products made from recycled plastics may be sold with sustainability claims under the assumption that they will perform as if they were made with virgin material. However, premature failure requiring repair or replacement can quickly change the sustainability equation as well as the acceptance of recycled materials by manufacturers and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond Conventional Fracture Testing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials rarely fail due to a single factor. They may be exposed to several factors simultaneously, such as mechanical loading, chemical environments, temperature changes, moisture, and time. Traditional fracture protocols test one specimen at a time under carefully controlled laboratory conditions, which bear little resemblance to the real world. To move beyond this limitation, Sun developed an in-situ, high-throughput platform capable of studying how materials degrade and fail under more realistic conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform changes conventional fracture testing in three important ways. First, it can test multiple specimens simultaneously rather than one at a time. By monitoring samples in parallel, testing time can be reduced by more than 60%. Second, it allows materials to be tested in realistic environments. In this study, researchers examined virgin and recycled plastics in alkaline environments that resemble conditions encountered in applications like landfill liner membranes and geotextiles. Third, the platform incorporates an imaging technique known as photoelasticity, which reveals the formation of stress fields that form around the origin of a newly developing crack. This allows researchers to see cracks develop earlier than before, giving them a clearer picture of the forces that drive crack growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have made the technology available for licensing through Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing. \u201cOur goal was to make fracture testing not only faster but also more informative,\u201d Sun said. \u201cBy combining high-throughput testing, realistic environments, and full-field stress imaging, we can better understand how materials fail under conditions closer to real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Honest View of Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastics are often viewed as a greener choice. But according to the study, it\u2019s not always so straightforward. If a recycled product fails prematurely and needs to be replaced frequently, its environmental and economic costs can increase despite its recycled content. As Athanasiou puts it, \u201cFailing materials don\u2019t just break products. They can break sustainability promises.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, comparing virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with recycled PET (rPET) in applications such as landfill geotextiles, the researchers discovered that rPET showed lower resistance to environmental stressors, particularly in alkaline conditions over a pH of 9. In this application, specifying rPET over virgin PET would likely eliminate all of the presumed economic and environmental advantages of using a recycled material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecycling is essential, but recycled content alone does not tell the full story. If a material fails too soon, the environmental benefits can disappear,\u201d Athanasiou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Cracks to Circularity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the researchers, the significance of the work extends beyond recycled plastics. The broader goal is to provide a fast, affordable, and realistic platform for evaluating the sustainability of any material choice. Because current testing protocols are costly, not widely available, and limited in the information they yield, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers often have little choice but to continue to specify non-recycled materials because they will perform as expected. Having cheap and accurate data on recycled materials will help to accelerate their adoption because matching the engineering properties of recycled materials to their most appropriate applications will become more obvious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to expand the platform to simulate even more complex environments and apply it to a wider range of materials. Because the system generates large amounts of detailed data, it may enable opportunities to use computational modeling or artificial intelligence to digitally simulate mechanical testing, driving down costs and expanding availability even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe larger vision is a future in which sustainability is judged not by labels or assumptions, but by evidence for how a material performs, how long it lasts, how it fails, and what it costs society and the environment over its full lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease visit the Daedalus Lab YouTube channel to see an explainer video about this new testing protocol: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the paper here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award No. 2338508.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChoosing the right materials for manufacturing products involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. "}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 20:31:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:22:28","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680664":{"id":"680664","type":"image","title":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784836559","gmt_created":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","changed":"1784836559","gmt_changed":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","alt":"Side-by-side scientific visualization comparing in-situ photoelasticity and modeled stress field evolution during fracture testing of a transparent material. The left panel shows a rectangular specimen with rainbow-colored stress patterns radiating from a crack tip near the center-right edge, while the right panel shows a corresponding color-coded stress map with blue, green, yellow, and red regions indicating increasing stress concentration around the crack tip. Labels at the top identify the two methods.","file":{"fid":"264955","name":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg?itok=35tzJwYR"}}},"media_ids":["680664"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192170","name":"Christos Athanasiou"},{"id":"178818","name":"circular economy"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communication Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691241":{"#nid":"691241","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Advance Nanoscale 3D Printing With Faster, Higher Fidelity Method ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology\u0027s broader use in manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir work, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/saha\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, and Harnjoo Kim, who conducted the research during his doctoral studies and later as a postdoctoral fellow in Saha\u0027s lab, was recently published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-73782-x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoscale 3D printing allows researchers to create structures thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. These structures have potential applications in fields ranging from advanced computing and optics to biomedical devices and clean energy technologies. However, increasing printing speed often comes at the expense of quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/researchers-advance-nanoscale-3d-printing-faster-higher-fidelity-method\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology\u0027s broader use in manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir work, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/saha\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, and Harnjoo Kim, who conducted the research during his doctoral studies and later as a postdoctoral fellow in Saha\u0027s lab, was recently published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-73782-x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoscale 3D printing allows researchers to create structures thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. These structures have potential applications in fields ranging from advanced computing and optics to biomedical devices and clean energy technologies. However, increasing printing speed often comes at the expense of quality.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech research team has developed a nanoscale 3D printing technique that overcomes the traditional tradeoff between speed and accuracy, enabling faster fabrication with higher fidelity."}],"uid":"36881","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:46:32","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:56:59","author":"ttroha3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680671":{"id":"680671","type":"image","title":"fig1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784915737","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 17:55:37","changed":"1784915737","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 17:55:37","alt":"Diagram illustrating a nanoscale 3D printing process using a femtosecond near-infrared laser, mirrors, lenses, and a digital micromirror device to project patterned light into a photoresist on a glass slide.","file":{"fid":"264962","name":"fig1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":326251,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/fig1.jpg?itok=K0nzR-sv"}},"680670":{"id":"680670","type":"image","title":"fig5_no_letters.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EComparison of nanoscale 3D-printed structures produced without grayscale patterning (top row) and with grayscale projection two-photon lithography (GP-TPL) (bottom row). The top row shows scanning electron microscope images with defects such as bulging struts, uneven surfaces, collapsed internal features, and distorted curved structures, highlighted by red arrows. The bottom row shows the same structures fabricated with GP-TPL, exhibiting smoother surfaces, more uniform lattice geometry, well-defined curved features, and significantly thinner, higher-fidelity bridges as narrow as 53 nanometers. Insets provide magnified views of the improved lattice quality. Scale bars range from 50 micrometers to 53 nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784915214","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 17:46:54","changed":"1784915214","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 17:46:54","alt":"Diagram illustrating a nanoscale 3D printing process using a femtosecond near-infrared laser, mirrors, lenses, and a digital micromirror device (DMD) to project patterned light into a photoresist on a glass slide.","file":{"fid":"264961","name":"fig5_no_letters.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig5_no_letters.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig5_no_letters.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":455545,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/fig5_no_letters.jpg?itok=Q7k0R419"}}},"media_ids":["680671","680670"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETracie Troha\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ttroha3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691208":{"#nid":"691208","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SCI Faculty Brings Human-Centered AI Expertise to International Fulbright Summit","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA School of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member recently shared his expertise in computing education with to an international audience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCI Instructor \u003Cstrong\u003EPedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewas selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fulbright.edu.co\/en\/fulbright-reimagined-summit\/\u0022\u003EFulbright Reimagined Summit 2026: AI Horizons: Learning Pathways for Tomorrow.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHeld last month at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia, the summit convened scholars, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education, work, governance, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFulbright Colombia invited Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda to moderate the closing discussion, \u003Cem\u003EFrom Adopters to Architects: Professions of Tomorrow\u003C\/em\u003E, in recognition of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/research\/sigcse-2026\/\u0022\u003Ehis research on human-AI interaction\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/sci-lecturer-presents-research-exploring-impostor-phenomenon-cs\u0022\u003Ehidden curriculum\u003C\/a\u003E in engineering and computer science education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As a Fulbright alumnus, being invited to contribute to such an important event was an honor and a privilege,\u0022 Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda said. \u0022Beyond the personal recognition, I viewed this opportunity as a meaningful platform to facilitate conversations around the future of education, technology, and workforce development.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Computing Education to AI Futures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda directs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/undergrads-earn-national-recognition-computing-research\u0022\u003Ethe People-Agents Research for Computing Education (PARCE) Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. His research examines the intersection of computing education, STEM learning, and AI, focusing on student preparedness, professional development, and the hidden curriculum- which he explains as the implicit skills and expectations that shape students\u0027 academic and career success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda says his perspective is shaped by years of work in computing education. During his master\u0027s studies in systems and computing engineering at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, he explored ways to expand access to computing education through interactive programming environments. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in human-centered computing from the University of Florida, where he focused his research on computing education and human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI is transforming how we learn, work, communicate, make decisions, and interact with one another,\u0022 Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda said. \u0022As educators, we need to prepare students not only with technical competencies, but also with critical thinking, ethical reasoning, collaboration, and the ability to adapt.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPreparing Students for the Professions of Tomorrow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than viewing AI as a challenge for higher education, Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda sees it as an opportunity for universities to rethink how they prepare students for an evolving workforce. He believes educators should help students develop the judgment to know when AI can enhance their work and when independent reasoning and human expertise are essential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The conversation should not revolve around whether AI belongs in education, but rather how we integrate it responsibly and intentionally,\u0022 Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also hopes students begin to think of AI not only as artificial intelligence, but as augmented intelligence. \u0022The goal should not be to replace human thinking, but to enhance it,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda emphasized that AI should augment human capabilities rather than replace human judgment. Preparing students for an AI-driven workforce requires helping them understand when AI can support their work and when human reasoning, creativity, and expertise are essential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrengthening U.S.\u2013Colombia Collaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe summit reinforced the value of collaboration among scholars, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders in advancing research and education. Earlier this year, Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda participated in another Fulbright Colombia event focused on strengthening scientific collaboration between Colombia and the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fulbrightspecialist.worldlearning.org\/the-fulbright-program\u0022\u003EFulbright Program\u003C\/a\u003E, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide, is the United States government\u2019s flagship international academic exchange program to support peaceful relations between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries. Fulbright Colombia, the binational commission for educational exchange between the U.S. and Colombia, has supported academic and scientific collaboration between the two countries since 1957.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda\u2019s academic journey reflects the impact of these collaborations. The Fulbright Program supported his doctoral studies in the United States, and he continues to build connections between Colombia and the U.S. through his work at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Scientific diplomacy is built on people,\u0022 Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda said. \u0022Events like the Fulbright Reimagined Summit provide the environment where trust is established, ideas are exchanged, and collaborations begin.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA School of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member recently shared his expertise in computing education with a distinguished to an international audience.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A School of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member recently shared his expertise in computing education with a distinguished to an international audience."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 13:28:12","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 12:06:56","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680649":{"id":"680649","type":"image","title":"pedroheadshot1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784726988","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","changed":"1784726988","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","alt":"SCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda","file":{"fid":"264939","name":"pedroheadshot1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/pedroheadshot1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/pedroheadshot1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1996917,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/pedroheadshot1.jpg?itok=SexFD3bo"}},"680650":{"id":"680650","type":"image","title":"PedroFulbright1-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784727329","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:35:29","changed":"1784727329","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:35:29","alt":"SCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI. ","file":{"fid":"264940","name":"PedroFulbright1-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbright1-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbright1-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":81319,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbright1-copy.jpg?itok=APEaoFfa"}},"680645":{"id":"680645","type":"image","title":"PedroFulbrightCopy2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784726988","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","changed":"1784726988","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","alt":"SCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI. ","file":{"fid":"264935","name":"PedroFulbrightCopy2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":89090,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy2.jpg?itok=KqWv8Ci8"}},"680646":{"id":"680646","type":"image","title":"PedroFulbrightCopy3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784726988","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","changed":"1784726988","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","alt":"SCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI. ","file":{"fid":"264936","name":"PedroFulbrightCopy3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":50615,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy3.jpg?itok=NY71vEJn"}},"680647":{"id":"680647","type":"image","title":"PedroFulbrightCopy4.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784726988","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","changed":"1784726988","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","alt":"SCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI. ","file":{"fid":"264937","name":"PedroFulbrightCopy4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":43596,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy4.jpg?itok=VKP3DilG"}},"680648":{"id":"680648","type":"image","title":"PedroFulbrightCopy5.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784726988","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","changed":"1784726988","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:29:48","alt":"SCI faculty member Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda was selected by Fulbright Colombia to moderate the closing panel of the Fulbright Reimagined Summit on AI. ","file":{"fid":"264938","name":"PedroFulbrightCopy5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":195416,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/PedroFulbrightCopy5.jpg?itok=-btovN4l"}}},"media_ids":["680649","680650","680645","680646","680647","680648"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691156":{"#nid":"691156","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alumna Ann Dunkin to Chair Inaugural Emerging Technologies Virtual Forum  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnn Dunkin, P.E. (BSIE 1986, MSIE 1988), will serve as event chair for the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers\u2019 (IISE) inaugural Emerging Technologies Forum on Aug. 26.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDunkin is an IISE Fellow, the highest classification of IISE membership that recognizes outstanding leaders of the profession who have made significant, nationally recognized contributions to industrial and systems engineering. She has served as chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as chief strategy and innovation officer at Dell Technologies. She has also held numerous leadership positions at Hewlett Packard, largely in the areas of manufacturing, research and development and IT. She currently serves as a distinguished external fellow with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDunkin holds appointments as a distinguished professor of the practice in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. She is also a distinguished external fellow at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Emerging Technologies forum is a great opportunity for practicing ISEs to get exposure to a range of emerging technologies in a short period of time and identify those that they want to experiment with and implement in their organizations,\u201d Dunkin said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Aug. 26 event, which will be held virtually from 1-5 p.m. EDT, will explore technologies shaping the future of industrial and systems engineering, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, and robotics and autonomy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs event chair, Dunkin will be joined by experts from the healthcare, aerospace, logistics, manufacturing and technology industries, including representatives from Royal Caribbean, The Boeing Company, UPS and other organizations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe complimentary event is open to engineers and improvement professionals of all backgrounds. Registration is available through the IISE Emerging Technologies Forum \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/events.teams.microsoft.com\/event\/da4e0df1-dcfe-4f8a-afd7-e7f2187d5b54@1bf21f59-ba3f-4757-8a65-44b4acb89f42\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EISyE alumna Ann Dunkin, P.E. (BSIE 1986, MSIE 1988), will lead discussions on emerging technologies as chair of IISE\u0027s inaugural forum.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ISyE alumna Ann Dunkin, P.E. (BSIE 1986, MSIE 1988), will lead discussions on emerging technologies as chair of IISE\u0027s inaugural forum."}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2026-07-20 13:06:12","changed_gmt":"2026-07-23 21:28:44","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680654":{"id":"680654","type":"image","title":"Ann Dunkin, P.E. (BSIE 86, MSIE 88)","body":null,"created":"1784828578","gmt_created":"2026-07-23 17:42:58","changed":"1784828578","gmt_changed":"2026-07-23 17:42:58","alt":"Ann Dunkin, P.E. (BSIE 86, MSIE 88)","file":{"fid":"264945","name":"AnnDunkin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/AnnDunkin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/AnnDunkin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1608010,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/23\/AnnDunkin.jpg?itok=Ac3E1P50"}}},"media_ids":["680654"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anna.akins@isye.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnna Akins\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Manager I\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691196":{"#nid":"691196","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Where the Money Comes From Matters","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn finance,\u0026nbsp;there\u2019s\u0026nbsp;a simple assumption that money is money. A dollar is a dollar, no matter where it comes from. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut a forthcoming study in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/he\/index.html?_gl=1*14qr2yj*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTEwMzMyOTU3LjE3ODQ2NTQwNzc.*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODQ2NTQwNzYkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODQ2NTQwODIkajU0JGwwJGgxNTg3NTY4NjE2\u0022\u003EXindi He\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of finance at the Scheller College of Business, and his co-author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.saif.sjtu.edu.cn\/faculty-research\/zhu-ning\u0022\u003ENing Zhu\u003C\/a\u003E, professor at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, suggests that individual investors don\u2019t always treat money as fungible when making decisions in their brokerage accounts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir findings complicate that assumption. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe and Zhu\u2019s research\u0026nbsp;shows\u0026nbsp;that investors often treat money differently depending on where it comes from. A dollar transferred from a savings account does not feel the same as a dollar generated by selling a stock, even when both sit side by side as cash in the same brokerage account.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Idea of \u201cCash Temperature\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo capture that difference, He introduced the idea of \u201ccash temperature.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would describe cash temperature as a way to measure how money feels to an investor based on its recent history,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said. \u201c\u2018Cold\u2019 cash is money that recently came from a stable source, such as a savings account. \u2018Hot\u2019 cash is money generated by selling stocks or other risky assets.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat distinction might sound subtle, but in practice, it shapes how people invest. As He and his co-author analyzed detailed brokerage data, a clear and surprising pattern\u0026nbsp;emerged.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat struck us was how systematic the pattern was,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said. \u201cThis was not just about one measure of risk.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAcross nine dimensions, investors using colder cash behaved more cautiously. They chose\u0026nbsp;less\u0026nbsp;volatile stocks, stocks with weaker recent run-ups and lower attention measures, and stocks\u0026nbsp;more\u0026nbsp;likely to be part of major market indexes. They also held these positions longer, and the stocks had better\u0026nbsp;subsequent\u0026nbsp;performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe consistency across these dimensions made the pattern much more compelling,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy contrast, when investors used hotter\u0026nbsp;cash,\u0026nbsp;money that had already been exposed to market risk, they were more willing to take chances. They pursued riskier stocks, often without better returns to show for it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe evidence points to harm, especially when investors treat hot cash as easier to risk,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said. \u201cIn our data, hotter cash leads investors to buy riskier stocks, and those purchases are followed by lower\u0026nbsp;subsequent\u0026nbsp;returns.\u0026nbsp;Investors take more risk but do not appear to be rewarded for it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeaning Behind the Money\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of this behavior is something deeply intuitive.\u0026nbsp;People assign meaning to their money.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA dollar from savings may feel like protected wealth, while a dollar from selling a stock may feel like money already set aside for investing,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a pre-registered experiment, that feeling showed up in how people experienced loss. Participants reported that a hypothetical loss felt more painful when the money was framed as coming from a savings account than when it was framed as coming from a brokerage account.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat suggests that the source of money changes how investors experience potential losses,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effect plays out in everyday decisions. Someone who transfers $5,000 from savings into an investment account may tread carefully, treating it as something to preserve. But that same person might take bigger risks with money that came from a recent stock sale, seeing it as already \u201cin the market.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also finds that these mental labels are not fixed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were also surprised by how dynamic the effect was,\u201d he said. \u201cCash labels were not fixed forever. They were refreshed as money moved through the brokerage account and faded over time when there was no salient account activity.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Investors Can Learn\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor investors, the takeaway is\u0026nbsp;simple but powerful. Before deciding, pause and strip away the story attached to the money.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe practical lesson is to pay attention to the mental labels attached to cash,\u201d\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;said. \u201cAsk yourself, \u2018Would I still make this purchase if I ignored where the cash came from and evaluated the stock on its own merits?\u2019\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile money may be identical on paper, it does not always feel that way in practice. Its source can shape the stocks investors choose and the returns that follow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4211981\u0022\u003ERead More: \u0022Portfolio Choice with Non-Fungible Brokerage Cash\u0022\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA study by Xindi He, assistant professor of finance at the Scheller College of Business, forthcoming in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, shows that investors treat brokerage cash differently based on its source, leading them to take greater risks with \u201chot\u201d money from prior trading, often with lower returns.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Investors treat brokerage cash differently based on its source, leading them to take greater risks with \u201chot\u201d money from prior trading, often with lower returns."}],"uid":"36730","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 17:16:57","changed_gmt":"2026-07-23 20:24:20","author":"klowe36","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680637":{"id":"680637","type":"image","title":"Xindi He, assistant professor of finance at the Scheller College of Business.","body":null,"created":"1784654063","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 17:14:23","changed":"1784654150","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 17:15:50","alt":"Xindi He","file":{"fid":"264926","name":"xindi-he.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/xindi-he.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/xindi-he.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":271925,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/xindi-he.jpg?itok=aicOJkHv"}}},"media_ids":["680637"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/why-where-money-comes-from-matters.html?_gl=1*1r7cgip*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTEwMzMyOTU3LjE3ODQ2NTQwNzc.*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODQ2NTQwNzYkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODQ2NTQwODEkajU1JGwwJGgxNTg3NTY4NjE2","title":"Read More"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12132","name":"finance and investment"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kristin.lowe@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687060":{"#nid":"687060","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Y Combinator Backing and $30M Investment\u202f Take Startup Greptile to the Next Level\u202f","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreptile, founded by three current and former Georgia Tech students, has quickly emerged as one of Silicon Valley\u2019s most promising young technology companies. The startup, led by Daksh Gupta, CS 2023; Soohoon Choi, CS 2023, MTH 2023; and computer science major Vaishant Kameswaran, builds artificial intelligence tools that help engineering teams review, analyze, and improve their code.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its launch in 2023, the company has gained traction with more than 2,000 customers, including Brex, Whoop, and Substack. In 2025, Greptile raised $25 million in Series A funding from Benchmark, bringing its total capital raised to $30 million and valuing the company at $180 million.\u202fThat same year, Greptile was also accepted into the winter 2024 cohort of Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that helped launch Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Gupta, the road to building Greptile began at Georgia Tech. The founders entered Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch program with an entirely different idea: an AI shopping assistant called Tabnam. But through the program\u2019s customer-discovery process \u2014 an intensive cycle of testing, feedback, and rapid iteration \u2014 the team realized their technology had stronger potential when applied to software development. That pivot became the foundation for Greptile.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCREATE-X did two things without which Greptile would not exist,\u201d Gupta said. \u201cIt introduced me to my co-founder, Soohoon, and it gave us the confidence to consider starting a company as a real career path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe founders credit the program with shaping their entrepreneurial thinking, but they describe Y Combinator as the force that helped propel their company to the next stage. Gupta says Y Combinator\u2019s value mirrors some of what they found at Georgia Tech. \u201cLike Georgia Tech, a lot of Y Combinator\u2019s value comes from three things: being surrounded by ambitious people, gaining credibility, and having smart, accomplished people believe in you before you fully believe in yourself,\u201d he said. \u201cThat combination does wonders for your self-esteem, which in turn has enormous compounding effects.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s recent fundraising experience reflects this momentum. Gupta describes their investor pitches as \u201cfast and painless,\u201d noting that they entered the process with compelling metrics and a refined story. Today, the team is supported by an impressive roster of founders-turned-investors \u2014 including partners from Initialized Capital and Benchmark \u2014 who have helped the company hire talent and make key strategic decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking back, Gupta says the lessons from CREATE-X continue to guide their approach to building technology and scaling a company. \u201cY Combinator helped us scale, but Georgia Tech is where it started,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022\u003EApplications for the next CREATE-X Startup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003Ecohort are now open, \u003C\/strong\u003Ewith limited spots available. Early applicants receive priority consideration and feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGreptile, founded by three Georgia Tech students, has quickly become a standout Silicon Valley startup building AI tools that help engineering teams understand and improve their code. After pivoting from an earlier idea during Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE\u2011X program, the company launched in 2023 and now serves more than 2,000 customers, including major tech firms. In 2025, it raised a $25\u202fmillion Series A from Benchmark, reached a $180\u202fmillion valuation, and joined Y Combinator\u2019s winter cohort. The founders credit both CREATE\u2011X and Y Combinator for shaping their trajectory, from discovering their true product to scaling with confidence.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Greptile, a fast\u2011growing AI startup founded by Georgia Tech students, has rapidly scaled from a CREATE\u2011X pivot to a Y Combinator\u2013backed, $180\u202fmillion\u2013valued company serving thousands of customers with tools that help engineering teams analyze and improve"}],"uid":"36810","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 16:20:16","changed_gmt":"2026-07-23 16:49:21","author":"zzhang860","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678924":{"id":"678924","type":"image","title":"Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","body":null,"created":"1767642907","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 19:55:07","changed":"1767642907","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 19:55:07","alt":"Students smiling","file":{"fid":"263021","name":"Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":901544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/Greptile-Web-Article--1200-x-630-px-.png?itok=Jlt7JUpq"}}},"media_ids":["678924"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form","title":"Apply to Startup Launch"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Amanda Dudley\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternal Contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003Cbr\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bdurham31@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691200":{"#nid":"691200","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College\u0027s Expanded GTSI Offering Showcases Creativity, Challenges Computing Myths","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor more than 100 rising 11th-grade students attending this year\u2019s Georgia Tech Summer Institute (GTSI), computing wasn\u0027t presented as a single career path or a fixed set of programming languages. Instead, students were able to explore the creative side of computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTSI brings talented students from across the state to campus for a weeklong taste of college life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with learning about academic programs and scholarship opportunities, GTSI offers participating students \u2013 many from rural and under-resourced communities \u2013 hands-on STEM experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDiscovering a Different Side of Computing\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn its second year of participating in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/expandedlearning.ceismc.gatech.edu\/summer-institute\u0022\u003EGTSI\u003C\/a\u003E, the College of Computing broadened its partnership with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC)\u003C\/a\u003E this summer, offering two full-day, interactive experiences that integrated creativity and computational thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The College of Computing first participated in 2025 and is excited to build on that partnership,\u0022 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAneesah\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAllen\u003C\/strong\u003E, senior education outreach manager, who coordinated the College\u0027s involvement with CEISMC.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our goal is to create a memorable experience that helps students see themselves in computing while learning new skills in a fun, engaging way.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EHands-On Learning, Real-World Connections\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve this goal, the GT Computing-led sessions gave GTSI students the opportunity to experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, explore physical computing, and discover how technology intersects with:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e111dd3c363a827cbd867e31bcb120568\u0022\u003EArts \u0026amp; entertainment\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e313fce5b8181446acaeffa8ec7e98ea2\u0022\u003ESports\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e26d1950e0579e4244d1bb53ea9b5c0d5\u0022\u003EInteractive media\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e09e4bef4a3cc1ba358cf2485d92edc7c\u0022\u003EAnd more\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESababu\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EBarashango\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003ETerry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EFoster\u003C\/strong\u003E, CS instructional specialists and research associates at the College\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/constellations.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EConstellation Center for Education in Computing\u003C\/a\u003E, along with \u003Cstrong\u003ECedric\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EStallworth\u003C\/strong\u003E, GT Computing assistant dean for outreach, led the College\u2019s participation in this year\u2019s GTSI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Barashango, the interactive sessions \u2013 focused on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/bachelor-science-computer-science\u0022\u003Ecomputer science (CS)\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/bachelor-science-computational-media\u0022\u003Ecomputational media (CM)\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 were designed to broaden students\u0027 understanding of what computing can be.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The College of Computing and its Constellations Center for Education in Computing are partnering with CEISMC to help high school students understand the many possibilities computer science and computational media offer,\u0022 said Barashango. \u0022The students were deeply engaged in the interactive sessions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The content ranged from an introductory icebreaker using Google Maps and pixel art to block coding and physical computing, and finally to AI and machine learning.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with presenting computing\u2019s creative side and emphasizing hands-on participation, the GT Computing-led sessions were designed to challenge long-held assumptions about who belongs in computing and what skills the field requires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The experiences in our sessions directly challenge the myth that you can\u0027t be both creative and logical,\u0022 Barashango said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EExpanding Students\u0027 View of Computing\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFoster believes that introducing students to all aspects of computing before they make decisions about college can help them see opportunities well beyond what they might have considered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Learning about CS and CM pathways broadens their view of computing and allows them to apply computing in fields they care about,\u0022 Foster said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe pointed to computational media as an especially powerful gateway because it integrates technical and creative thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When speaking specifically about CM, which is an excellent entry point into computing, students can be both creative and technical, not just one or the other,\u0022 Foster said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GT Computing-led sessions also encouraged students to think beyond traditional technology careers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One of the key messages we shared with students was that earning a computer science degree does not mean they have to become software engineers,\u0022 Foster said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We emphasized the wide range of computing careers available, including fields such as sports technology, film production, and interactive media, in which CS and CM skills are highly valued.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding Tomorrow\u0027s Computing Workforce\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the success of the College\u2019s GTSI session, Barashango recognizes that the goal of helping students see themselves in computing extends beyond a single summer program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIntroducing students to computational thinking early can help prepare them for whatever path they choose,\u201d he said. \u0022Regardless of their career choices, their lives will continue to be affected by and integrated with computer science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If they do not develop computational thinking and skills, they will be left behind in the technology and wealth gap.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn its second year participating in GTSI, the College of Computing broadened its partnership with the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) this summer by offering two full-day, interactive experiences that integrated creativity and computational thinking. The goal of the expanded offering is to create a memorable experience that helps GT Summer Institute students see themselves in computing while learning new skills in a fun, engaging way.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GT Computing is combining creativity and computational thinking to help Georgia high school students reconsider what computing is all about."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 18:18:22","changed_gmt":"2026-07-22 01:29:41","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680639":{"id":"680639","type":"image","title":"GT Computing\u0027s Sababu Barashango (top) monitors a student\u0027s progress during an interactive session that\u0027s part of the 2026 Georgia Tech Summer Institute.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto by Terence Rushin\/GT Computing: GT Computing\u0027s Sababu Barashango (top) monitors a student\u0027s progress during an interactive session that\u0027s part of the 2026 Georgia Tech Summer Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784659267","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 18:41:07","changed":"1784659267","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 18:41:07","alt":"GT Computing\u0027s Sababu Barashango (top) monitors a student\u0027s progress during an interactive session that\u0027s part of the 2026 Georgia Tech Summer Institute.","file":{"fid":"264928","name":"GTComputing-2026-GTSI-session-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-session-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-session-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":167818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-session-1.jpg?itok=7rWdoPLf"}},"680640":{"id":"680640","type":"image","title":"GT Computing Assistant Dean for Outreach Cedric Stallworth (right) is a longstanding advocate of sharing the creative side of computing with high school students.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto by Terence Rushin\/GT Computing: College of Computing Assistant Dean for Outreach Cedric Stallworth is a longstanding advocate of sharing the creative side of computing with high school students.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784659547","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 18:45:47","changed":"1784659547","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 18:45:47","alt":"GT Computing Assistant Dean for Outreach Cedric Stallworth (right) is a longstanding advocate of sharing the creative side of computing with high school students.","file":{"fid":"264929","name":"GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":146757,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-2.jpg?itok=pQjpWlgo"}},"680641":{"id":"680641","type":"image","title":"GT Computing\u0027s Terry Foster (right) helped to develop the College\u0027s expanded offering for the 2026 Georgia Tech Summer Institute.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto by Terence Rushin\/GT Computing: GT Computing\u0027s Terry Foster (right) helped to develop the College\u0027s expanded offering for the 2026 Georgia Tech Summer Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784659778","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 18:49:38","changed":"1784659778","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 18:49:38","alt":"GT Computing\u0027s Terry Foster (right) helped to develop the College\u0027s expanded offering for the 2026 Georgia Tech Summer Institute.","file":{"fid":"264930","name":"GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":107567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/GTComputing-2026-GTSI-Session-3.jpg?itok=1NmxO938"}}},"media_ids":["680639","680640","680641"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"606703","name":"Constellations Center"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"194637","name":"Georgia Tech Summer Institute"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESr. Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691203":{"#nid":"691203","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Is Rewriting Cybersecurity\u0027s Rules","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETop 3 Takeaways\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022eeb89add9349ec415091fe31ebaa1343a\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI is accelerating cyberattacks.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022edd916d25ee1c6dac5bbbe6ebba43c535\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe same technology can strengthen defenses.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022ec76b0f5b2756d385f2e78000e51dc367\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe biggest risk is falling behind.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity on both sides of the battlefield. The technology helping organizations improve efficiency also enables cybercriminals to identify vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and launch attacks at unprecedented speed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) say the greatest concern is not that AI is creating entirely new forms of cyberattacks. Instead, it is accelerating activities that attackers already perform, making existing threats quicker, cheaper, and harder to stop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI is dramatically speeding up cyberattacks,\u0022 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/saltaformaggio.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the SCP and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). \u0022AI can identify vulnerabilities far faster than humans and often in places humans wouldn\u0027t think to look.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHackers Are Moving Faster\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost cyberattacks include several stages: finding vulnerabilities, developing ways to exploit them, gaining access to systems, and pursuing a goal such as stealing information or disrupting operations. According to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/frank-li\u0022\u003EFrank Li\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the SCP and ECE, AI is having its biggest impact on the early phases of that process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI can help attackers explore potential decisions and implement attacks faster than in the past, whether it\u0027s identifying software bugs or constructing social engineering hooks,\u0022 Li said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pace of attacks has already changed dramatically.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/swire\/index.html\u0022\u003EPeter Swire\u003C\/a\u003E, J.Z. Liang Chair in the SCP and professor of law and ethics in the Scheller College of Business, says attackers are moving from vulnerability discovery to exploitation much faster than in the past.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The average time until an exploit is detected even a couple of years ago was measured in months,\u0022 Swire said. \u0022Now it is measured in hours.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat compressed timeline is forcing organizations to rethink how quickly they identify, prioritize, and patch vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Risk Reaches Everyone\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHealthcare systems, critical infrastructure providers, government agencies, and small businesses remain attractive targets because they often manage sensitive information or essential services while relying on legacy technology. But experts emphasize that no organization is immune.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Unfortunately, everyone is at risk,\u0022 Saltaformaggio said. \u0022AI is not creating new victims; AI is making attackers faster and more effective at targeting the same organizations they have always pursued.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations with outdated systems or limited cybersecurity resources face particular challenges because AI allows attackers to identify weaknesses in less time and at lower cost than ever before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFighting AI With AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECybersecurity defenders also have access to the same technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts say AI can strengthen defenses before, during, and after a cyberattack. Defenders can use AI to identify and patch vulnerabilities more quickly, reducing opportunities for attackers to gain access. AI can also detect subtle signs of intrusion by correlating activity across networks and recognizing patterns that would be difficult for humans to spot in real time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce an attack occurs, AI can support rapid investigation and response by analyzing how the compromise happened, identifying root causes, and helping deploy targeted protections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI can help defenders in every step of stopping a cyberattack,\u0022 Saltaformaggio said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are already demonstrating AI\u0027s defensive potential. Saltaformaggio pointed to Georgia Tech\u0027s recent success in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\u2019s (DARPA)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/11\/georgia-tech-makes-history-wins-darpa-challenge\u0022\u003EArtificial Intelligence Cyber Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E, which highlighted how AI systems can autonomously discover and reason about software vulnerabilities at large scale. Swire also noted that a Georgia Tech team led by Professor Taesoo Kim won a $4 million DARPA prize for developing advanced AI-based cybersecurity defenses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpeed Is the New Defense\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the promise of AI-powered security, significant challenges remain. Security teams need AI tools they can trust, ones that explain how they reached conclusions and provide evidence that analysts can verify. Attackers may also attempt to manipulate AI systems, creating new risks for organizations that rely heavily on automated tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELi says organizations cannot rely on traditional, human-paced security processes to keep up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI\u0027s primary impact on cyberattacks is enhancing speed and scale,\u0022 Li said. \u0022Organizations need to adapt to more agile defenses and processes that account for this, in many cases relying on AI as well to help speed up defensive actions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations also need to rethink how they respond to vulnerabilities. Swire argues that traditional patch management is no longer fast enough in a world where exploits can emerge within hours.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The entire process for patching systems will have to be re-engineered,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cybersecurity landscape has always been an arms race between attackers and defenders. AI hasn\u0027t changed that reality. It has simply accelerated it. The organizations that will be best positioned are those that adopt AI as quickly as the adversaries they are trying to stop.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is reshaping cybersecurity by accelerating how quickly cybercriminals can identify vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and launch attacks. Georgia Tech cybersecurity experts warn that AI is not creating entirely new threats but making existing cyberattacks faster, cheaper, and more difficult to stop. At the same time, AI-powered cybersecurity tools can help organizations detect vulnerabilities, strengthen defenses, and respond to incidents in real time. As AI-driven cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations that adopt AI-based security strategies will be better positioned to protect critical systems, data, and infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AI is giving cybercriminals new speed and scale, but researchers say the technology could also become one of cybersecurity\u2019s strongest defenses."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 18:44:13","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 19:04:11","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680638":{"id":"680638","type":"image","title":"Cybersecurity and AI","body":null,"created":"1784659059","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 18:37:39","changed":"1784659173","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 18:39:33","alt":"man sitting at computer doing programming. ","file":{"fid":"264927","name":"AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":925220,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg?itok=U06hGV0R"}}},"media_ids":["680638"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"9641","name":"Cyber Threats"},{"id":"194393","name":"AI and Cybersecurity"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691185":{"#nid":"691185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Richard Simmons Named Interim Director of Student Competition Center ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRichard brings a unique combination of industry experience, research leadership, and deep commitment to student success,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1078\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarolyn Seepersad\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair. \u201cAs an accomplished engineer and a Georgia Tech alumnus, he understands the value of experiential learning and is well-positioned to lead the Student Competition Center.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimmons, ME 1993, joined Georgia Tech in 2016 after spending the first 20 years of his career leading research, technology, and business development initiatives in the automotive industry, energy sector, and federal government. After graduating from Tech, he earned his master\u2019s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University and later became a licensed professional engineer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past decade, Simmons has held several leadership and research positions within Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, including founding director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and, most recently, director of Research and Studies. He has also taught a variety of courses at the Woodruff School, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2110.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EME 2110\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/capstone-design\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECapstone Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Systems, and Renewable Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ME News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Richard Simmons, principal research engineer in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been named interim director of the Student Competition Center (SCC)."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:23:10","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:28:44","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680632":{"id":"680632","type":"image","title":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons on a F1-style race car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784597001","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","changed":"1784597001","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","alt":"Rich Simmons on a car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway","file":{"fid":"264921","name":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1156844,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg?itok=yGJWQXKq"}}},"media_ids":["680632"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center","title":"Read Full Story on ME News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETraci Troha,\u003C\/a\u003E ME Communications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691168":{"#nid":"691168","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Building the Energy Workforce of Tomorrow Through Energy Unplugged at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlending engineering challenges, field experiences, and team-based design projects, the weeklong program in June gave students a dynamic introduction to energy, sustainability, and engineering innovation and a rare opportunity to engage directly with the technologies, infrastructure, people, and ideas that help power the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to get outside of the classroom, have fun, and demonstrate how a STEM education can literally help turn on lightbulbs,\u201d said SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, who also directs Energy Unplugged. \u201cThrough hands-on learning, field trips, and real-world experiences, these creative students are learning that everyone can play a role in our energy future. Along the way, they are gaining a deeper understanding of the tradeoffs and challenges engineers face and learning from experts about pathways to an energy career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMousetrap-Powered Cars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPutting those ideas into practice from day one,\u0026nbsp;the camp began with an engineering challenge in which students designed and constructed mousetrap-powered cars. Using the stored potential energy of a mousetrap spring to propel their vehicles, participants explored how energy is converted from one form to another and identified sources of friction and inefficiency that affect the distance traveled. The activity encouraged students to think like engineers, iteratively testing and refining their designs to improve results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering Optimization and Tradeoffs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESimilar problem-solving skills were put to the test during an RC car optimization challenge. Equipped with a battery-powered vehicle and energy-monitoring systems, students were tasked with completing a driving course while maximizing their score by balancing speed, energy consumption, safety, and cargo capacity. Participants had the option to add weights and tennis balls to increase potential points, but doing so increased the risk of penalties from dropped cargo, missed obstacles, or vehicle rollovers. The exercise highlighted the tradeoffs engineers routinely face when optimizing systems under competing constraints.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overall interest in green energy among youth is increasing, so having demonstrations and experiments as well as some high-level lectures on the actual science was a great way to engage the students,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003EWilliam Nudd\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior in mechanical engineering who assisted with the camp. \u201cWhen I was in their shoes, I had never attended a physics class, so the camp was definitely getting them a step ahead and did a great job introducing and showcasing key concepts related to energy: How does my home get electricity? Where does energy come from? How do power plants operate?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrivia, Demos, and Scavenger Hunts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdditional activities throughout the week included energy-themed trivia competitions, a steam engine demonstration, a solar microgrid exercise, and a campus scavenger hunt. Together, they reinforced classroom concepts through interactive learning and encouraged students to connect technical principles with practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EField Trips to Power Plants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile these activities taught foundational concepts,\u0026nbsp;a highlight of the camp was a series of field trips that allowed students to observe large-scale energy infrastructure in operation. Participants toured the Georgia Power McDonough-Atkinson Plant, where they learned how combined-cycle power plants generate electricity using both gas and steam turbines to improve efficiency. Students also visited the Morgan Falls hydroelectric facility, getting an up-close view of the massive generators and equipment used to convert the energy of flowing water into electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Tours\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn addition to exploring regional energy infrastructure, students were introduced to Georgia Tech\u2019s innovation ecosystem through visits to campus makerspaces and research facilities, including the Flowers Invention Studio and The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Students explored one of the nation\u2019s most advanced examples of sustainable building design during a guided tour of The Kendeda Building, which generates 200% of the energy it consumes. Here they learned how energy efficiency, renewable generation, and resource conservation can be integrated into the built environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinal Projects\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETo bring together the concepts explored throughout the week, students worked in teams on a final design challenge centered around a solar-powered disaster relief trailer on loan from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.footprintproject.org\/\u0022\u003EFootprint Project\u003C\/a\u003E. Equipped with photovoltaic panels and battery storage, the trailer was originally designed to provide off-grid power during emergencies. Students were challenged to identify additional uses for the system during periods when disaster response was not required. Many teams proposed sustainable food truck businesses powered by the trailer\u2019s solar energy system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeams also evaluated cooking technologies such as pressure cookers and slow cookers, comparing energy consumption, power requirements, efficiency, and operating costs. Students examined how energy demand aligned with available solar generation and battery storage while conducting economic analyses to determine business viability and profitability. The project integrated engineering, economics, and sustainability principles while encouraging creative thinking and collaborative problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Unplugged is an inspiring demonstration of how hands-on engineering experiences can spark curiosity and passion in the next generation of STEM leaders,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior mechanical engineering student. \u201cWorking with this group and seeing the fun they were having brought back fond memories of my own childhood. It was an amazing experience.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: Alvaro Hucker, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and William Nudd, Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u00a0Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the\u00a0Energy Policy and Innovation Center, and\u00a0CEISMC, attracted students from across the country for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-20 15:50:28","changed_gmt":"2026-07-20 17:06:11","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680626":{"id":"680626","type":"image","title":"IMG_1862.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies, teaches at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562762","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:52:42","changed":"1784597458","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:30:58","alt":"SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies Rich Simmons teaching at the Energy Unplugged Camp","file":{"fid":"264914","name":"IMG_1862.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3624927,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg?itok=-7R0Exb2"}},"680627":{"id":"680627","type":"image","title":"IMG_1906.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, teaches energy production and consumption with The Footprint Project\u0027s solar trailor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562893","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:54:53","changed":"1784597502","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:31:42","alt":"Rich Simmons, teaches energy production and consumption using Footprint Project\u0027s Solar Trailor ","file":{"fid":"264915","name":"IMG_1906.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3510767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg?itok=GamNCFu_"}},"680628":{"id":"680628","type":"image","title":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged camp participants with Rich Simmons, camp director and student assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566485","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:54:45","changed":"1784597592","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:12","alt":"Group Picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged Camp Participants along with Rich Simmons, and Student Assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker","file":{"fid":"264916","name":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2602791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg?itok=_A0EJ3y9"}},"680629":{"id":"680629","type":"image","title":"IMG_1978.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Unplugged camp participants presenting their group project\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566760","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:59:20","changed":"1784597618","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:38","alt":"Energy Unplugged camp participants presenting their group project","file":{"fid":"264918","name":"IMG_1978.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3017113,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg?itok=EKTNvzdb"}},"680630":{"id":"680630","type":"image","title":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group project presented at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566885","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 17:01:25","changed":"1784597533","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:32:13","alt":"A group project from the Energy Unplugged Camp","file":{"fid":"264919","name":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1176069,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg?itok=g9_3G5_I"}}},"media_ids":["680626","680627","680628","680629","680630"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communicatios Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWilliam Nudd,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691153":{"#nid":"691153","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Daughter\u2019s Determination: How Hope Drove Discovery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeghna Iyer\u003C\/strong\u003E (Biology 2026) came to Georgia Tech determined to understand the disease that was slowly taking her mother\u0027s life. Working with researchers in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/cassie-mitchell-lab\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics\u003C\/a\u003E, she helped use AI to analyze 36 million biomedical research papers, uncovering biological connections among ALS, Alzheimer\u0027s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. After losing her mother, Meghna returned to the lab with an even stronger resolve to continue the work, earning first-author publication on the study and helping create a tool that could accelerate future research for families facing these devastating diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neurodegenerative-diseases\u0022\u003ERead the full story. \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeghna Iyer (Biology 2026) came to Georgia Tech trying to understand her mother\u2019s illness. What she discovered is changing how scientists connect three neurodegenerative diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Meghna Iyer (Biology 2026) came to Georgia Tech trying to understand her mother\u2019s illness. What she discovered is changing how scientists connect three neurodegenerative diseases."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-07-17 14:49:22","changed_gmt":"2026-07-17 14:58:12","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680604":{"id":"680604","type":"image","title":"als-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech student, Meghna Iyer, transformed her search to understand her mother\u0027s ALS into AI-driven research that could reshape how scientists study neurodegenerative diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784048017","gmt_created":"2026-07-14 16:53:37","changed":"1784048017","gmt_changed":"2026-07-14 16:53:37","alt":"Two smiling researchers wearing jackets sit on rocks at a sunny beach with shoreline homes and the ocean in the background.","file":{"fid":"264887","name":"als-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2526212,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg?itok=glNqw-cB"}}},"media_ids":["680604"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690376":{"#nid":"690376","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Online Age Checks Create a Pointless Privacy Risk","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a bartender checks an ID, they quickly verify a customer\u2019s date of birth and identity before serving them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies that employ online age verification claim their products function the same way on the web. That bartender analogy has, in part, justified laws passed in twenty-five US states \u2014 comprising more than 40% of Americans \u2014 mandating the use of digital age verification to gate access across social media and adult content online. Further regulation, targeting social media sites, is currently in process in a number of states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mikespecter.com\/assets\/pdf\/AgeVerification.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew research\u003C\/a\u003E from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) reveals that the reality of online age verification is far from ideal.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that the vast majority of sites covered by these laws do not appear to enforce age verification at all. When sites \u003Cem\u003Edo \u003C\/em\u003Ecomply, they often route users through third party age verification services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that one such third party, Yoti, a London-based company used by Meta, OnlyFans, Sony PlayStation, and TikTok, provides services for an estimated 60% of websites deploying age verification services.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepending on the verification method, a verification attempt via Yoti may transmit a user\u2019s IP address and\/or OS and browser metadata sufficient to uniquely identify and track devices. Some of the IP, OS, and browser metadata may be sent to credit card companies and IP geolocation services, while ID information may be sent to a known \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/data-broker\/registration\/186885\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edata broker\u003C\/a\u003E, or another verification service.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere have been laws passed and court cases settled on the promise that these companies are incentivized to keep users\u2019 data private,\u201d said Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mikespecter.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael A. Specter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. \u201cWe found that reality is starkly different.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from privacy concerns, researchers note that differing state policies could lead to what they call the \u201cBalkanization of the U.S. web.\u201d In other words, users may have access to different parts of the internet depending on the state they are in\u2014potentially limiting the free exchange of ideas and information.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/hoppenheimer\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarry Oppenheimer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, users are already accustomed to experiencing the internet differently across countries. However, this may signal the beginning of similar fragmentation within the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are going to start seeing comparable differences between U.S. states,\u201d said Oppenheimer. \u201cUsers in some states will now have to go through additional steps to access information. Close your laptop in New York before a flight to Dallas and try to load the same web page\u2014now you see two different results.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe also observed age verification deployed on websites accessed from New York, which has no law requiring verification,\u201d said Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pearce.prof\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Pearce\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eof UC Irvine\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cs.ics.uci.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDepartment of Computer Science\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe don\u2019t know why these sites are deploying such verification\u2014it could be a move to limit liability or simplify operations. Regardless, it points to an emerging threat for the open Internet where restrictive laws from some states could impact the entire country and beyond.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study, \u003Cem\u003EPapers Please: A First Look at Age Verification on the Web,\u003C\/em\u003E was led by Georgia Tech Ph.D. student Shreyas Minocha, undergraduate Isaac Sheridan, and professors Oppenheimer, Pearce, and Specter. It is part of the proceedings of the 47th \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sp2026.ieee-security.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and was presented in San Francisco on May 20th, and featured in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Ftech-policy%2F2026%2F03%2Fafter-discord-fiasco-age-check-tech-promises-privacy-by-running-locally-does-it-work%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cjohn.popham%40cc.gatech.edu%7C9618dbf4c61140338f5508deb7673edd%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639149851249813372%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=WDS9aMmP8UCwjQdFIuZh73PMNG%2Be4Ks949IjaeUZv%2FI%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EArs Technica\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECORRECTION: A previous version of this article, posted in error, included statements that were not part of the researchers\u2019 findings or intent. This version has been updated for clarity, and to reflect the research as published in IEEE S\u0026amp;P.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew cybersecurity research indicates that one of the world\u2019s leading age verification providers collects and shares highly sensitive personal data with third parties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research also reveals that most websites that require age verification don\u2019t enforce the policy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New cybersecurity research indicates that one of the world\u2019s leading age verification providers collects and shares highly sensitive personal data with third parties and in some cases don\u0027t even enforce the policy.."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-05-19 15:01:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:35:39","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680309":{"id":"680309","type":"image","title":"Digital-ID.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779203176","gmt_created":"2026-05-19 15:06:16","changed":"1779203176","gmt_changed":"2026-05-19 15:06:16","alt":"A hand holds up a digital identification card. The card has the silhouette of a man wearing a suit and tie. ","file":{"fid":"264556","name":"Digital-ID.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/Digital-ID.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/Digital-ID.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1508599,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/19\/Digital-ID.jpg?itok=M-WXTSUO"}}},"media_ids":["680309"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"182941","name":"cc-research; ic-cybersecurity; ic-hcc"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690809":{"#nid":"690809","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Gets to the Core of AI Drone Crashes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown as FIRA, the tool analyzes drone crashes to determine whether they were caused by tampered machine-learning (ML) models. The team will present its findings at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\u0022\u003E35th USENIX Security Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E in August.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research addresses a growing safety challenge as drones are increasingly used for deliveries, infrastructure inspections, and agriculture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs drones rely more on machine learning to navigate and make decisions, they also become vulnerable to model poisoning attacks. In these attacks, adversaries manipulate an AI system during its learning phase, embedding hidden triggers that can cause failures under specific conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMachine learning drones are making more decisions in flight, which makes ML a safety-critical component of these systems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYizhi Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. student and lead researcher on the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen something goes wrong, investigators need a way to ask whether the model was responsible, but the model is the part of the system that no one can examine after a crash.\u0026nbsp;FIRA\u0026nbsp;gives investigators a way to investigate these cases by reconstructing what the model was doing during the crash. As more drones run with ML, this kind of forensic capability can help drones be used more effectively and safely.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a drone crashes, investigators must determine whether the cause was malicious interference, weather, or mechanical failure. Without reliable forensic tools, accountability is difficult to establish, and safety standards are harder to enforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIRA identifies how drone components interact with machine learning models and monitors those interactions in real time, even with limited bandwidth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system functions like a flight recorder, capturing key system activity and reconstructing a timeline after a crash. It then analyzes the model\u2019s behavior to determine whether a malicious trigger was introduced via poisoned ML training data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn tests across multiple drone platforms and crash scenarios, FIRA identified failure causes and distinguished cyberattacks from environmental or mechanical issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system does not require access to a drone\u2019s source code, making it practical for real-world investigations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs commercial drone use expands, tools like FIRA could help improve accountability and trust in AI-powered systems operating in public airspace,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Huang.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/system\/files\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\/sec26_prepub_huang-yizhi.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFIRA: Enabling Automatic Forensic Investigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was led by Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyber Forensics Innovation Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in cooperation with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. These labs reside in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computing Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to determine whether a cyberattack caused drone crashes."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-06-18 17:56:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:35:19","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660599":{"id":"660599","type":"image","title":"CyFI Lab Sign","body":null,"created":"1661532564","gmt_created":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","changed":"1661532564","gmt_changed":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","alt":"Sign reading Cyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory The CyFI Lab","file":{"fid":"250302","name":"SCP August 2022-66.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9087261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png?itok=7KS9Gbz_"}}},"media_ids":["660599"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690918":{"#nid":"690918","#data":{"type":"news","title":"World Cup Demand Highlights Georgia Tech Startup\u2019s Ticketing Solution ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs fans around the world search for tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, a team of Georgia Tech students is working to make buying tickets to major events less stressful and more transparent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoorTix, a startup ticket-buying concierge founded by computer science major \u003Cstrong\u003EArayna Saxena\u003C\/strong\u003E, industrial engineering major \u003Cstrong\u003EShinhai Chen\u003C\/strong\u003E, and mechanical engineering major \u003Cstrong\u003EDhruv Narang\u003C\/strong\u003E, helps users navigate the increasingly complex world of event ticketing. Earlier this year, the startup earned \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/teams-cs-students-capture-2026-georgia-tech-inventure-prize-win-laurels-peoples-choice-award\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe People\u2019s Choice Award at Georgia Tech\u2019s InVenture Prize competition\u003C\/a\u003E for its approach to combating dynamic pricing and improving access to live events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Problem\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether fans are trying to attend a sporting event or a concert, the team says that securing tickets often means navigating fluctuating prices, limited inventory, hidden fees, and the risk of scams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBuying tickets today can feel like entering a maze with a timer running,\u201d Saxena said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPrices change, listings disappear, fees show up late, and fans often feel like they need to be experts just to get into the event they care about.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow DoorTix Works\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoorTix was built from that frustration. Instead of requiring users to constantly monitor multiple ticket marketplaces, the platform tracks listings across sites and automatically purchases tickets when they meet a user\u2019s target price.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system is designed to respond to dynamic pricing and automated purchasing bots that can cause ticket costs to shift rapidly across platforms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat gives fans fair and predictable access without the guesswork,\u201d Saxena said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe wanted to build something that brings the human side back into ticketing, something that feels less like fighting an algorithm and more like having someone in your corner.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe World Cup: A Global Test Case\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe World Cup tournament is a high-profile example of the problem DoorTix is designed to solve. With global demand and limited availability, the tournament reflects the same challenges seen across major live events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen fans are trying to attend something as massive as the World Cup, the stakes are higher. The excitement is higher. The confusion is also higher,\u201d Saxena said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat is exactly where DoorTix can be useful. The World Cup gives us a real, high-pressure use case for what we are building.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Idea to Startup\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea for DoorTix began with a simple observation: buying tickets often creates more stress than excitement.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a computer science student, Saxena has helped translate that idea into a working product, balancing technical development with user experience design.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cA lot of the work is not just \u2018write code and ship it.\u2019 It\u2019s asking what the user needs, where they\u2019re confused, and how we can make a complex process feel simple.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch program\u003C\/a\u003E, the team has tested assumptions, gathered customer feedback, and refined its business model as it develops the product.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ve already seen real customer demand, and now the focus is on improving the experience and making it more scalable. Long-term, the founders envision DoorTix continuing to be a trusted ticket-buying concierge for high-demand events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not just helping someone buy a seat. We\u2019re helping them get to a once-in-a-lifetime memory.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs fans around the world search for tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, a team of Georgia Tech students is working to make buying tickets to major events less stressful and more transparent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As fans around the world search for tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, a team of Georgia Tech students is working to make buying tickets to major events less stressful and more transparent. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-06-25 18:20:42","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:34:53","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680519":{"id":"680519","type":"image","title":"doortix2.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1782487995","gmt_created":"2026-06-26 15:33:15","changed":"1782488019","gmt_changed":"2026-06-26 15:33:39","alt":"DoorTix","file":{"fid":"264792","name":"doortix2.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/26\/doortix2.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/26\/doortix2.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":373967,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/26\/doortix2.jpeg?itok=nrgX04gV"}},"680514":{"id":"680514","type":"image","title":"DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe founders of DoorTix won the People\u0027s Choice Award at the Inventure Prize Competition for their approach to combating dynamic pricing and improving access to live events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782411656","gmt_created":"2026-06-25 18:20:56","changed":"1782411656","gmt_changed":"2026-06-25 18:20:56","alt":"DoorTix","file":{"fid":"264787","name":"DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":89696,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/25\/DoorTix-2026-InVenture-Prize-People-s-Choice.jpg?itok=5T_boJ3j"}},"680515":{"id":"680515","type":"image","title":"Image-6-24-26-at-3.55-PM.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDoorTix founders attended the World Cup.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782412104","gmt_created":"2026-06-25 18:28:24","changed":"1782412104","gmt_changed":"2026-06-25 18:28:24","alt":"DoorTix founders attended the World Cup.","file":{"fid":"264788","name":"Image-6-24-26-at-3.55-PM.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/Image-6-24-26-at-3.55-PM.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/Image-6-24-26-at-3.55-PM.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":607566,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/25\/Image-6-24-26-at-3.55-PM.jpeg?itok=jrzRm356"}},"680516":{"id":"680516","type":"image","title":"IMG_2335.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDoorTix founders attended the World Cup.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782412104","gmt_created":"2026-06-25 18:28:24","changed":"1782412104","gmt_changed":"2026-06-25 18:28:24","alt":"DoorTix founders attended the World Cup.","file":{"fid":"264789","name":"IMG_2335.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/IMG_2335.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/IMG_2335.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":187431,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/25\/IMG_2335.jpeg?itok=FxyXoQhp"}}},"media_ids":["680519","680514","680515","680516"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195155","name":"World Cup 2026"},{"id":"195177","name":"World Cup Atlanta"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"58331","name":"College of Engineering; school of mechanical engineering; engineering"},{"id":"1191","name":"industrial engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmily Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691079":{"#nid":"691079","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Professor Receives Third Test of Time Honor in Three Years","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/moin.cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMoinuddin Qureshi\u003C\/a\u003E received the ACM SIGARCH\/IEEE-CS TCCA Influential ISCA Paper Award at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iscaconf.org\/isca2026\/\u0022\u003EInternational Symposium on Computer Architecture\u003C\/a\u003E (ISCA 2026) on June 30.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresented annually, the ISCA Influential Paper Award recognizes a standout paper from the ISCA Conference 18-22 years prior. Winning papers are those which have demonstrated \u201cthe most impact on the field (in terms of research, development, products or ideas) during the intervening years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe awarded paper, \u003Cem\u003EAdaptive Insertion Policies for High-Performance Caching\u003C\/em\u003E, has been highly influential in cache replacement research. As a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin, Qureshi co-authored the paper with his advisor Yale Patt and collaborators from Intel, including Aamer Jaleel, Simon Steely, and Joel Emer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve been working on memory systems for 20 years and if I had to pick one favorite paper, it would be this one,\u201d Qureshi said. \u201cBoth because of the simplicity of the solution and for the impact it had.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the paper was published at ISCA 2007, on-chip cache sizes were growing but still managed almost exclusively by the\u0026nbsp;Least Recently Used (LRU) replacement policy.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper showed that more than half of the lines in cache were discarded before they could be used under LRU policy and that this happened because the workloads being run were larger than the cache size. The team came up with a simple solution of modifying the \u201cInsertion Policy\u201d, such that the incoming lines were inserted at the LRU position instead of the MRU position, thus protecting the cache from thrashing patterns. The problem was that some workloads benefited from this policy while others were hurt by it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of applying one policy across the whole cache, their solution dynamically tested two small segments against each other, each running a different policy. Whichever policy had fewer cache misses was applied to the entire cache. They named this technique Set Dueling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQureshi clearly remembers the moment he knew this paper would be important. He was up late working on the project when he ran the final simulation with the solution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was so excited that I just didn\u2019t sleep that night. I knew that the solution would get incorporated and it would change how people think about caching. I could not wait to share the results with my collaborators\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESet Dueling has since become a common technique for choosing between two competing policies when neither wins on all workloads. With close to 1,000 citations, the paper has greatly influenced research on cache optimization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis recognition is Qureshi\u2019s third test-of-time honor. In 2024, he received one at the IEEE\/ACM International Symposium on Microarchitecture, for his work on Multi-core Cache Partitioning and in 2025, at the IEEE\/IFIP International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks, for his work on DRAM Reliability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQureshi said that his goal in working in computer architecture is to have an industry impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s very gratifying to see that the ideas that we developed a decade or two decades ago are having an impact and being incorporated,\u201d Qureshi said. \u201cAs a researcher, these are the best awards you can have because it serves as a validation that the work you\u2019ve done is valuable to both industry and follow-up research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/moin.cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMoinuddin Qureshi\u003C\/a\u003E received the ACM SIGARCH\/IEEE-CS TCCA Influential ISCA Paper Award at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iscaconf.org\/isca2026\/\u0022\u003EInternational Symposium on Computer Architecture\u003C\/a\u003E (ISCA 2026) on June 30. The awarded paper, \u003Cem\u003EAdaptive Insertion Policies for High-Performance Caching\u003C\/em\u003E, has been highly influential in cache replacement research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Moinuddin Qureshi received the ACM SIGARCH\/IEEE-CS TCCA Influential ISCA Paper Award at the International Symposium on Computer Architecture (ISCA 2026) on June 30. "}],"uid":"36532","created_gmt":"2026-07-10 14:44:32","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:33:44","author":"Morgan Usry","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680590":{"id":"680590","type":"image","title":"moin_isca.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783701216","gmt_created":"2026-07-10 16:33:36","changed":"1783701216","gmt_changed":"2026-07-10 16:33:36","alt":"moin","file":{"fid":"264869","name":"moin_isca.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/10\/moin_isca.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/10\/moin_isca.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":163890,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/10\/moin_isca.jpg?itok=hFw3xbfW"}}},"media_ids":["680590"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"182764","name":"microarchitecture"},{"id":"175184","name":"computer architecture"},{"id":"170453","name":"Test of Time Award"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:morgan.usry@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMorgan Usry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691044":{"#nid":"691044","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Use GeoGuessr Champion to Test Geolocation Accuracy in VLMs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe house in the distance, with a red, hip-shaped roof and white walls, tells Radu Casapu that this place is probably somewhere in Spain or Portugal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe surrounding trees resemble those of a eucalyptus forest, which could indicate northern Portugal or the Spanish region of Galicia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s the signposts on the road that give it away. They are flat and wide, which is common in Spain but not in Portugal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECasapu, a master\u2019s student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of City and Regional Planning, correctly reasons that the picture of a road he\u2019s looking at is in Galicia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGive Casapu a photo, and he will likely be able to tell you where it was taken.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI start with infrastructure clues that are specific to a country, region, state or province,\u201d Casapu said. \u201cThey include roads or electricity poles, which often remain consistent throughout a country. Once you narrow down the country, you can use more specific factors like vegetation, specific landscapes, or architecture, because these are very nuanced. It\u2019s a top-down approach.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is why Casapu is the reigning\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/23\/georgia-tech-graduate-student-wins-geoguessr-world-championship\u0022\u003EGeoGussr World Champion\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 and the ideal expert to test vision-language models (VLMs) on how good they are at geolocation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeoGuessr is a geography browser game launched in 2013 that invites players to guess the location of random Google Street View images. Casapu was already known as one of the top players in the world before he won the third annual GeoGussr World Championship in September.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the beginning of the spring 2025 semester, School of Interactive Computing professor James Hays reached out to Casapu and invited him to collaborate on a new project. Hays was looking to create a dataset to evaluate VLMs\u0027 geolocation ability and reasoning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cVLMs are surprisingly good at geolocation right out of the box, even when they\u2019re not trained to be good at it,\u201d Hays said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays and his colleagues, associate professors Alan Ritter and Wei Xu, took issue with many AI companies claiming that the VLMs they were releasing were not good at geolocation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen Open AI released GPT 4 Vision, there were privacy concerns about the model\u2019s ability to geolocate someone based on photos they\u2019ve shared on the internet,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cOpen AI said this wasn\u2019t a concern and claimed the model wasn\u2019t good at geolocation beyond being able to recognize a city or famous monument. We found that wasn\u2019t the case. These VLMs are state-of-the-art at image geolocation tasks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShow Your Work\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays and Ritter enlisted a team of some of the world\u2019s top geolocators. It consisted of Casapu, Joshua Diao, a master\u2019s student in computer science, and Tejas Santanam, a Ph.D. student in industrial engineering. They each received 500 images to geolocate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeam members recorded their reasons for each of their answers. The result was GeoRC, the first benchmark for VLM geolocation performance, consisting of 800 \u201cground truth\u201d reasoning chains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays and Ritter gave the same images to GPT 5, Gemini, Llama, and Qwen. The highest-performing model geolocated with 90% accuracy \u2014 not far off from the team\u2019s 96% score.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, a major distinction showed up in the reasoning chains. While Casapu and Diao provided clear explanations for how they deduce each location, the VLMs either couldn\u2019t provide reasoning for their guesses or were vague in their answers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe research community has been demanding explanations from these models,\u201d Hays said. \u201cFor example, how do they know the location is in Italy?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays has been researching this subject for almost 20 years. As a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, he was the first researcher to take a machine learning approach to geolocation. He introduced a new algorithm that could estimate a geographic location from a single image.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen experts have audited these reasoning chains, we\u2019ve noted many suspicious or hallucinated attributes,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen they hallucinate a geographic property, why is it so often consistent with the correct guess?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI believe they\u2019re not revealing the true reasoning pathway that they used to determine the image was Italy. They\u2019re just implicitly recognizing that it was Italy for many reasons, then hunting for evidence to support that. Some of the things they say are true and supported by the image, and some are fabrications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractice Partner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECasapu said there may be only a handful of GeoGuessr players who can currently outperform some top-tier VLMs in geolocation, and it may not be long before no one can.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think it could be more difficult playing against these models than playing against another human because a human has the possibility of making mistakes at the top level,\u201d Casapu said. \u201cIf a well-trained model has that level of consistency, that is far beyond a normal person, and it would be much more difficult to beat.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added that working with Hays and competing against a machine improved his skill level and provided valuable practice ahead of the world championship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt helps to take a step back and see why you\u2019re making the guesses that you are,\u201d he said. \u201cSince then, I\u2019ve taken a more methodical approach to how I practice. Writing these things down is a great way to see what you know and see why you make the guesses that you do. It\u2019s been a great training tool.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECasapu will defend his title at the 2026 GeoGussr World Championship in September.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays, Ritter, Xu, Casapu, Diao, and Santanm are all co-authors of a paper on GeoRC along with lead author Mohit Talrej and Ph.D. students Ethan Mendes and Jim Thannikary. The paper will be presented next week at the 64th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) in San Diego.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers James Hays, Alan Ritter, and Wei Xu partnered with reigning GeoGuessr World Champion Radu Casapu and other top players to build GeoRC, the first benchmark evaluating how well vision-language models (VLMs) can geolocate images. They found LLMS are almost as good at geolocation as the world\u0027s best players, but they struggle to explain their reasoning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed what they believe is the strongest benchmark dataset on measuring the geolocation accuracy of LLMs."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 17:43:39","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:30:54","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680557":{"id":"680557","type":"image","title":"_DSC7175.JPG","body":null,"created":"1783359838","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 17:43:58","changed":"1783359838","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 17:43:58","alt":"Radu Casapu","file":{"fid":"264834","name":"_DSC7175.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/_DSC7175.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/_DSC7175.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":122620,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/_DSC7175.JPG?itok=vNYr-PmK"}}},"media_ids":["680557"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"193556","name":"large language models"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691128":{"#nid":"691128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Receives Commitment to Launch New AI-Driven Health Innovation Center\u00a0 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology today announced the creation of the Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation, a new research center that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict, treat, and prevent disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Petit Center is made possible by a transformational commitment from technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Georgia Tech alumnus Parker H. \u0022Pete\u0022 Petit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1980, Petit has provided significant philanthropic support across campus, including the naming of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)\u003C\/a\u003E, one of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11 Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IBB is an interdisciplinary hub for transforming biological discovery into real-world health impact, bringing together engineers, scientists, and clinicians to accelerate innovations in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and biomanufacturing. With more than 300 interdisciplinary faculty researchers, 13 research centers, and 1,300 trainees making unprecedented discoveries and generating innovative technologies, IBB is a catalyst for innovative bioengineering and bioscience research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe success of IBB led Petit to make his latest investment, which will build on Georgia Tech\u2019s broader commitment to medical innovation: applying engineering, computing, AI, biosciences, and systems thinking to health challenges that require more than any one field can solve. The Petit Center\u2019s work will strengthen the tools, partnerships, and research pathways needed to help more discoveries move from the lab toward real-world patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key goal of the Petit Center will be to use AI to build more precise models of how disease works in the body. Its first research initiative will focus on creating virtual models of human cells. Led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/jeff-skolnick\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and Mary and\u0026nbsp;Maisie Gibson Chair\u0026nbsp;and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology\u0026nbsp;in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers will use those models to study how diseases progress and to identify treatments that may work best for individual patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy modeling disease at the cellular level, researchers can test ideas faster, uncover links among different diseases, and focus on therapies most likely to help patients based on their unique biology. The work could expedite the discovery of new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat diseases, including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedical innovation is one of the fastest-growing areas in Georgia Tech\u2019s research, and Pete Petit\u2019s commitment will help us further shape the future of medicine,\u0022 said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cThis new research center will find new ways to harness the power of AI to accelerate critical medical discoveries and move them into clinical settings so patients can get the care they need. We\u2019re deeply grateful for Pete\u0027s support, and we\u2019re excited to get started.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation will operate under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E (IDEaS) and bring together researchers from across Georgia Tech to advance AI-driven approaches to human health. Researchers affiliated with the Petit Center will work across fields and with clinical and healthcare organizations to help close the gap between discovery and practical use. Over time and with additional investments, the Petit Center\u2019s work will expand into areas such as cancer biomarker discovery, healthy aging, advanced cellular therapies, and AI-supported healthcare systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech has the expertise to redefine what is possible in healthcare through AI,\u0022 said Skolnick. \u0022By combining advanced computational methods with biological and medical insights, we can create powerful new approaches to predicting disease, identifying treatments, and improving patient outcomes.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit\u2019s commitment will support advanced computing infrastructure, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, seed research grants, and annual programs that will bring together leading researchers from around the world working at the intersection of AI and health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit hopes this investment will inspire others to support interdisciplinary research at the Institute. \u0022Georgia Tech has long demonstrated its ability to solve complex challenges,\u0022 said Petit. \u0022I believe artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape healthcare, and I am excited to support a center that can help accelerate discoveries to improve and save lives.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis transformative commitment is included in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and is propelling the comprehensive campaign\u2019s success.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u2019s leading public research universities, developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Through education, research, and innovation, Georgia Tech creates solutions that improve lives and drive economic opportunity in Georgia and around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Parker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-07-16 16:52:47","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 17:19:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680618":{"id":"680618","type":"image","title":"Jeffrey Skolnick","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJeffrey Skolnick will lead the first research initiative in the new Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784163552","gmt_created":"2026-07-16 00:59:12","changed":"1784163635","gmt_changed":"2026-07-16 01:00:35","alt":"Jeffrey Skolnick","file":{"fid":"264904","name":"skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":386791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg?itok=AL8IuxCW"}}},"media_ids":["680618"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"351","name":"development"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"},{"id":"172458","name":"biological sciences"},{"id":"4449","name":"ideas"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anne.stanford@dev.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Stanford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Development\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691056":{"#nid":"691056","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Startup Develops Defense Technology to Counter Emerging Drone Threats ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Robbie van Zyl first started working with drones, it was not for defense. It started with curiosity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a high school student, van Zyl spent summers in a Georgia Tech aerospace lab, where he was introduced to rotorcraft and autonomous systems. By the time he enrolled at Georgia Tech, that early exposure had grown into a deeper interest. He became a competitive drone racer, gaining hands-on experience with the technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut even then, he recognized a growing risk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was using this technology to have fun,\u201d said van Zyl, founder and CEO of Askari. \u201cBut I also recognized it could equally be used to do very malicious things.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat realization became the foundation for Askari, a counter-drone defense company developing systems designed to detect, track, and stop hostile drones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Real-World Problem Comes Into Focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVan Zyl first pitched the idea for Askari as a first-year student through Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch, an accelerator that empowers students to launch successful startups. \u0026nbsp;At the time, the concept of counter-drone defense was not widely seen as urgent. However, that perspective shifted as global conflicts began to demonstrate the impact of low-cost, unmanned systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe widespread use of drones in Ukraine revealed how inexpensive and accessible technologies could reshape modern warfare. Unmanned systems now account for a significant share of battlefield activity, exposing new vulnerabilities across defense and infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat was the first moment I could point to and say this is real,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cThis is not theoretical anymore.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Student Idea to Scalable Solution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAskari is building autonomous systems that can identify and neutralize drone threats in real time. The company\u2019s technology is designed to distinguish among objects such as drones, people, and the surrounding environment, allowing it to respond with precision.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are building systems that can understand what they are looking at,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cThey can tell the difference between a drone, a person, or a tree, and act accordingly.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike traditional defense systems that rely on expensive infrastructure, Askari is focused on developing solutions that are scalable and accessible to a wider range of users, including frontline operators and security teams. The goal is to provide a faster, more adaptable approach to this challenge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company has raised approximately $1.7 million in early funding and is already working with U.S. Department of Defense customers, with growing demand for counter-drone solutions. The team has expanded to 10 people and is scaling to meet that demand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Role of CREATE-X and Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem played a critical role in Askari\u2019s development.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough CREATE-X, van Zyl was able to test and refine his idea while gaining exposure to the fundamentals of building a company. He also gained access to a community of founders, mentors, defense leaders, and builders who helped him navigate early-stage challenges. The experience provided an environment to pressure-test the concept and receive feedback, helping him better understand how it could function in real-world scenarios. At the time, the idea was still taking shape, but it helped clarify how it could evolve into a viable solution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter gaining experience in the robotics and defense sectors, van Zyl reengaged with Georgia Tech, where the Institute\u2019s network of mentors, resources, and programs helped accelerate the company\u2019s growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has been instrumental,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cWe would not be where we are today without it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, Askari operates out of The Biltmore, home to CREATE-X and part of Georgia Tech\u2019s innovation ecosystem in Tech Square, placing the company back within the same environment where the idea first began.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAskari is a strong example of what we aim to do,\u201d said Rahul Saxena, CREATE-X director. \u201cStudents building companies that address real, emerging challenges. It reflects the kind of thinking we want to encourage early on, paired with the ability to continue developing an idea as the need becomes clearer. That progression is a critical part of how students move from concept to company.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReturning to Atlanta to Build\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating, van Zyl gained experience working in robotics and autonomous systems, including in Silicon Valley. He also spent time building the company outside of Atlanta before ultimately returning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe decision to come back was both strategic and mission-driven.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of Askari\u2019s customers, including Department of Defense organizations, are based in the Southeast. Being in Atlanta allows the company to remain close to those partners while continuing to build within Georgia Tech\u2019s ecosystem. The company\u2019s return also reflects its deep ties to Georgia Tech\u2019s talent pipeline. van Zyl\u2019s co-founders include his younger brother, Marc van Zyl, a Georgia Tech computer science student, and Benjamin Airdo, a close friend and mechanical engineering graduate. Eight of the company\u2019s 10 team members are connected to the Institute as current students, graduates, or researchers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Broader Vision for Security\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Askari\u2019s current focus is counter-drone technology, van Zyl sees the startup\u2019s mission as part of a larger shift in how modern warfare is evolving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the first time, autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence are moving beyond the digital world into physical environments. That transition introduces new risks that extend beyond traditional defense scenarios.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is not just a drone problem,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cIt is the broader proliferation of robotics in real-world environments.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Campus to Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAskari\u2019s trajectory reflects how Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem supports founders as they move from early ideas to companies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom its start in CREATE-X to its return to The Biltmore, the company remains closely tied to the Institute while building technology focused on real-world deployment and impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to build systems that help protect people,\u201d van Zyl said.\u0026nbsp; As Askari continues to grow, that focus remains central to its mission.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAskari\u0027s journey from a first-year student idea to a growing defense technology company demonstrates how Georgia Tech\u0027s commercialization ecosystem helps founders transform emerging technologies into real-world solutions. Supported by CREATE-X and the Institute\u0027s innovation ecosystem, the company is developing autonomous counter-drone systems to address one of today\u0027s fastest-growing national security challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From a student startup idea to a growing defense technology company, Askari demonstrates how Georgia Tech\u0027s commercialization ecosystem helps founders transform emerging technologies into solutions addressing real-world challenges."}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 20:31:08","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 20:54:56","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680562":{"id":"680562","type":"image","title":"Askari-056.JPG","body":null,"created":"1783369879","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 20:31:19","changed":"1783369879","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 20:31:19","alt":"Askari Team","file":{"fid":"264840","name":"Askari-056.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-056.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-056.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2747369,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-056.JPG?itok=jcTZ7qHA"}},"680563":{"id":"680563","type":"image","title":"Askari-030.JPG","body":null,"created":"1783369913","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 20:31:53","changed":"1783369913","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 20:31:53","alt":"Askari  Founders","file":{"fid":"264841","name":"Askari-030.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-030.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-030.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2447871,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-030.JPG?itok=EALr52LH"}}},"media_ids":["680562","680563"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELacey Cameron Lcameron30@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690883":{"#nid":"690883","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alumni Making a Difference: Tara Stoinski","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a scientific advisor for the Netflix documentary\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u201cA Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETara Stoinski\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. Psychology 2000) helped translate decades of fieldwork into a poignant story of the historic Pablo gorilla family.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a role she knows well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor more than 11 years, Stoinski has served as president, CEO, and chief scientific officer of the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gorillafund.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund\u003C\/a\u003E, leading efforts to help the world better understand and protect Rwanda\u2019s mountain gorillas \u2014 a species with only about 1,000 left in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAlthough she now oversees a multimillion-dollar budget and 400 employees worldwide, she never planned to be a CEO.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m a scientist at my core,\u201d says Stoinski. \u201cDay to day, I function more as a leader and executive, but I still think of myself as a scientist first.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer job covers a wide range of responsibilities, including fundraising, public speaking, budgeting, and strategy.\u0026nbsp;One week, she might find herself observing gorilla behavior in Rwanda; the next, she\u2019s back in the U.S., discussing conservation on\u0026nbsp;the popular\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EArmchair Expert\u003C\/em\u003E podcast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI love my job,\u201d she says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel like work; it\u2019s a passion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Helluva Scientist\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne of the reasons Stoinski chose Georgia Tech for her Ph.D. was its connection to Zoo Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer doctoral advisor, the late Terry Maple, emeritus professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Psychological and Brain Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, served as director of Zoo Atlanta, giving students rare access to conservation-focused research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe zoo was our lab. I studied elephants, lemurs, gorillas, and golden lion tamarins, both in the zoo and in the wild in Brazil and Africa,\u201d says Stoinski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe appreciates how Georgia Tech prepared her for the challenges of her career.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe rigor of a Georgia Tech education is something you need as a scientist,\u201d she says. \u201cI also had the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking and teaching, which are huge parts of my job now.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeading Global Conservation Efforts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter earning her Ph.D., Stoinski spent 14 years with Zoo Atlanta while also working with the Atlanta-based Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. She became CEO in 2014 and now oversees conservation and research programs in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUnder her leadership, the Fossey Fund has expanded its footprint, including opening its Ellen DeGeneres Campus in 2022, a 12-acre research and education center in Rwanda.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe site includes labs, classrooms, and a restored landscape, where roughly 250,000 plants from 110 species have been planted to reestablish native ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe host hundreds of students \u2014 including groups from Georgia Tech, and support dozens of graduate and postdoctoral researchers, from countries all over the world including many from Africa,\u201d she explains. \u201cSeeing their excitement and commitment gives me lots of hope for the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScientific Storytelling\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA Gorilla Story\u003C\/em\u003E follows the Pablo family of mountain gorillas living on the slopes of Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Pablo group goes back to Dian Fossey\u2019s time,\u201d explains Stoinski. \u201cIt\u2019s the largest group of gorillas ever recorded, at one point reaching 65 individuals. An average gorilla family is about 10.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDue to Rwandan regulations, filming could take place for just one hour each day. Filmmakers and scientists would often have to hike for five to six hours to reach the gorillas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBecause Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund researchers have followed these gorilla families for decades, they were already familiar with the individual gorillas, including six generations of family history, which \u201cmakes the story incredibly rich,\u201d says Stoinski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cYou see grief, relationships, alliances \u2014 all of it,\u201d she says. \u201cUltimately, I hope that connection leads people to care and to take action.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaborative Conservation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStoinski\u2019s career is all about taking action \u2014 and inspiring others to do the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe need people on the ground doing this work, but we also need people outside of our field to support and be aware of what\u2019s happening to gorillas and the planet\u2019s biodiversity,\u201d she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe encourages Tech students to stay informed:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cEven if you\u2019re not going into conservation, take a class, listen, learn,\u201d she says. \u201cUnfortunately, there are real challenges facing the next generation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe frequently points out that by helping gorillas, we\u2019re saving ourselves, sharing that gorillas live in the Congo Basin, one of the most important ecosystems on Earth. By dispersing seeds and maintaining forest structure, they help sustain environments critical for climate stability and planetary health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cProtecting gorillas means\u0026nbsp;protecting\u0026nbsp;those ecosystems, which ultimately support human survival.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Lasting Georgia Tech Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStoinski maintains strong ties to Georgia Tech through research collaborations and student engagement. Projects over the years have included helping to establish the Center for Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing at the University of Rwanda, geospatial mapping, and architectural design and planning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe invites alumni and students to engage with the work firsthand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI encourage more Georgia Tech alumni and students to work with us or come see us. And if you want to meet with a Georgia Tech grad, I lead tours: we can put on our Tech gear and take a photo with the gorillas!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith a career rooted in science, alumna Tara Stoinski is shaping the future of wildlife conservation and gorilla preservation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With a career rooted in science, alumna Tara Stoinski is shaping the future of wildlife conservation and gorilla preservation. "}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 13:55:41","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 13:33:12","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680497":{"id":"680497","type":"image","title":"Tara Stoinksi","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETara Stoinksi\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782309768","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:02:48","changed":"1782309863","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:04:23","alt":"Headshot of a woman wearing a Dian Fossey gorilla fund ball cap","file":{"fid":"264770","name":"webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3359387,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/webheadshotTara-Stoinksi-copy.png?itok=pIBTHOOG"}},"680498":{"id":"680498","type":"image","title":"Stoinski has studied gorillas for more than three decades and is the author of over 200 scientific publications and books.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStoinski has studied gorillas for more than three decades and is the author of over 200 scientific publications and books.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782310646","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:17:26","changed":"1782311350","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:29:10","alt":"A woman wearing a mask stands near a gorilla.","file":{"fid":"264771","name":"Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":561592,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-Hiwra-group-2024.jpg?itok=vngR6B6J"}},"680499":{"id":"680499","type":"image","title":"As president, CEO, and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Stoinski splits her time between the Atlanta headquarters and Rwanda.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAs president, CEO, and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Stoinski splits her time between the Atlanta headquarters and Rwanda.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782310961","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:22:41","changed":"1782312006","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:40:06","alt":"A woman stands in the muddy jungle.","file":{"fid":"264772","name":"Tara-mud.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-mud.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-mud.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5853839,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Tara-mud.jpg?itok=q3MOOx6R"}}},"media_ids":["680497","680498","680499"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/news\/2022\/gorilla-power.html","title":"Gorilla Power"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"783","name":"conservation"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Segraves Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691073":{"#nid":"691073","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Data Centers Are Booming. Who Benefits?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate and driving a historic surge in data center construction across the United States. These sprawling facilities, sometimes spanning more than 1,000 acres, represent one of the largest waves of capital investment in American history.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor communities across the country, this growth hits close to home, and not without controversy. What do data centers actually deliver for the local economies that host them?\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6497238\u0022\u003ENew research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/yue\/index.html?_gl=1*22ff1a*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjU1MDU4NDM5LjE3ODM2MTc4Nzg.*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODM2MTc4NzckbzEkZzEkdDE3ODM2MTc4ODEkajU2JGwwJGgxNzkwMjU1NjAy\u0022\u003EDaniel Yue\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of Information Technology Management at Georgia Tech\u2019s Scheller College of Business, and his co-author,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/zeng\/index.html?_gl=1*1771i5w*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTM1MDIxNjE3NC4xNzgzNjE4MTk5*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODM2MTgxOTkkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODM2MTgxOTkkajYwJGwwJGgxMTY0MTA2MjA4\u0022\u003EYiyang Zeng\u003C\/a\u003E, examines how data center openings affect local jobs, wages, business activity, and electricity prices. Their findings suggest that geography plays a decisive role in whether communities see meaningful economic gains.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnormous amounts of capital are flowing into specific communities, much of it tied to new construction, while rigorous evidence on the local benefits of these facilities has been thin,\u201d said Yue. \u201cCommunity pushback has organized rapidly across the country. Our paper begins to fill that gap by providing new evidence using detailed, facility-level data paired with county-level economic indicators.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Historic Investment Wave\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are more than 2,500 data centers, either active or under construction, across the United States. Individual hyperscale facilities often cost more than $1 billion to construct and can consume as much electricity as a small city. Is it all worth it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn average, Yue and Zeng found that when a data center opens, the host county sees a measurable lift: Employment rises by about 3.5%, wages by 5%, business establishments by nearly 5%, and household income by about 2%. Building permits also increase sharply, reflecting construction activity tied to new facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are real, economically meaningful gains. But Yue and Zeng discovered that these gains are much smaller than what might be expected from a large investment. And they\u2019re not evenly distributed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Metro Areas Benefit More\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u2019 clearest finding is that metropolitan areas capture most of the economic benefits from data centers, while rural areas see far fewer spillover effects. While metro counties saw increases in employment and new business growth, non-metro counties saw no measurable gains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reason comes down to what economists call \u201cagglomeration,\u201d or economic density.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData centers don\u2019t operate in isolation. They rely on construction contractors, engineers, equipment suppliers, professional services, and a skilled workforce. Those connections are far easier to build in places that already have deep labor markets and established business networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMetropolitan areas are well-positioned to absorb the indirect spending that data centers generate. High-wage technical employees support restaurants, retail, and local services. Suppliers and contractors can scale up quickly. These spillover effects amplify the impact of the initial investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn rural areas, that amplification is much harder to achieve. Facilities tend to employ relatively few permanent workers \u2014 often fewer than 100 \u2014 and many specialized services are imported from outside the county. As a result, the broader economic ripple never materializes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat doesn\u2019t mean rural communities see no benefit at all. The research finds a small but real drop in unemployment rates in non-metro counties, and local governments may still gain tax revenue or infrastructure investments. But the sweeping job and wage growth often promised during local recruitment efforts will not likely arrive on its own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLocation, not facility size, determines whether the local benefits show up,\u201d Yue said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Hidden Cost: Electricity Prices\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYue and Zeng\u2019s research also uncovers an important trade-off. Data centers use a lot of electricity. A single large facility can use as much power as roughly 80,000 homes. In areas where the researchers can cleanly measure price effects, electricity prices rise by about 5% after a data center enters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen the benefits to communities are small, even downsides like higher electricity prices that strain infrastructure will be felt by locals,\u201d Yue shared.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWho pays for the increased cost of electricity isn\u2019t straightforward. Yue and Zeng\u2019s research suggests communities should ask specific questions about who pays for new infrastructure and how those costs will be distributed. Local utility companies divide costs differently among homeowners, businesses, and large industrial users, including data centers. Because cost-sharing systems vary by state, each data center development is unique.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Communities Should Consider\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs states and cities work to attract or push back against data center construction, Yue and Zeng hope their research will encourage more evidence-based decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor metro areas with strong labor markets and dense business ecosystems, data centers can deliver meaningful, though not transformative, economic gains. For rural communities, the positive impact is more complicated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn 10 years, communities will likely wish they had pressed harder on the quality of the decision itself, including whether the debate was evidence-based, whether their local economy was equipped to capture the gains, and whether the fine print aligned with residents\u0027 long-term interests,\u201d Yue said. \u201cIt\u2019s vital that communities look past flashy, headline incentive packages and focus on the details: tax abatement structures, electricity tariff arrangements, and who ultimately pays for infrastructure upgrades.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs data centers continue to dot the American landscape, understanding where they create shared value \u2014 and where they don\u2019t \u2014 will be critical for community leaders and policymakers alike.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6497238\u0022\u003ERead More: The Local Economic Effects of Data Center Entry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs data centers expand across the U.S., new research by Daniel Yue, assistant professor of IT management, and his co-author, Yiyang Zeng, reveals that their economic benefits are real but uneven, shaped largely by local economic conditions and geography.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Data centers continue to expand across the U.S. Do the communities nearby really benefit?"}],"uid":"36730","created_gmt":"2026-07-09 17:25:59","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 13:27:47","author":"klowe36","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680584":{"id":"680584","type":"image","title":"The economic impact of data centers","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELead story image for Scheller News story \u0022Data Centers Are Booming. Who Benefits?\u0022 A hazy photo of an electronic board, possibly an internal image of a data center.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783617674","gmt_created":"2026-07-09 17:21:14","changed":"1783617834","gmt_changed":"2026-07-09 17:23:54","alt":"A hazy photo of an electronic board, possibly an internal image of a data center.","file":{"fid":"264862","name":"data-center.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/data-center.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/data-center.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":117567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/09\/data-center.jpg?itok=hj8qj4-z"}}},"media_ids":["680584"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/data-centers-are-booming-who-benefits.html?_gl=1*3nsm4t*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjU1MDU4NDM5LjE3ODM2MTc4Nzg.*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODM2MTc4NzckbzEkZzEkdDE3ODM2MTc4ODAkajU3JGwwJGgxNzkwMjU1NjAy","title":"Read More"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168537","name":"Data Center"},{"id":"110561","name":"data centers"},{"id":"336","name":"information technology"},{"id":"602","name":"economics"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kristin.lowe@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691105":{"#nid":"691105","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Lightning Mapping Array Helps Protect World Cup Visitors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soccer enthusiasts from around the globe made their way to World Cup matches and visited outdoor FIFA Fan Festival events in Atlanta, a lightning tracking system operated by the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was providing weather forecasters information that could help protect the fans.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (NGLMA) uses specialized detection equipment to generate detailed maps of the lightning that occurs in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Through a collaboration between GTRI and the National Weather Service (NWS), the array provided continuous lightning information to agencies responsible for visitor safety.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array is providing decision-support information to agencies responsible for protecting events in Atlanta related to the World Cup,\u201d said Michael Peterson, director of the GTRI Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC). \u201cThe system has been up and running and gave us excellent measurements of the thunderstorms that occurred in mid-June. It complements the other sources of weather information that the agencies have available.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/georgia-tech-lightning-mapping-array-helps-protect-world-cup-visitors\u0022\u003ERead the full article\u003C\/a\u003E on the Georgia Tech Research Institute news page\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Severe Storms Research Center provides early warning of approaching storms"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soccer enthusiasts from around the globe made their way to World Cup matches and events in Atlanta, a lightning tracking system operated by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was providing weather forecasters information that could help protect the fans.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech lightning mapping array is helping authorities protect World Cup visitors from severe weather."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-07-13 18:31:56","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 18:35:10","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680601":{"id":"680601","type":"image","title":"Setting up a lightning mapping array unit near Atlanta","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI researchers set up a lightning mapping array unit at a location near Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783966872","gmt_created":"2026-07-13 18:21:12","changed":"1783967144","gmt_changed":"2026-07-13 18:25:44","alt":"Researchers set up a lightning mapping array unit at a location near Atlanta","file":{"fid":"264884","name":"weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5455243,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg?itok=kZf_h_cy"}}},"media_ids":["680601"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691066":{"#nid":"691066","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Creating Synthetic Life in a Lab? SpudCell Falls Short of the Goal, But Raises Even More Useful Questions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENature is beautiful, powerful and essential. But nature is not always gentle. The same biological world that gives rise to forests, coral reefs and human life also produces infections, cancer, genetic disease, crop blights and toxins. Natural processes can heal, sustain and inspire, but they can also destroy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat dichotomy is part of what drives the field of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/synthetic-biology-promised-to-rewrite-life-with-the-death-of-its-pioneer-j-craig-venter-how-close-are-scientists-281963\u0022\u003Esynthetic biology\u003C\/a\u003E: where scientists apply engineering principles to learn from and carefully adapt nature\u2019s biological systems to address human problems. By understanding biological systems, scientists can carefully redirect them when natural processes cause harm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis principle has shaped my work \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Xe78w-wAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eas a biomedical engineer\u003C\/a\u003E for over two decades. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/deanslab\/\u0022\u003EMy lab\u003C\/a\u003E studies how to program cells in order to better understand their behavior and ultimately use them as medicine. The goal is not to discard or replace nature, but to learn from biological principles and use that knowledge to responsibly help society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to Create Cells From Scratch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural cells are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cells-have-more-mini-organs-than-researchers-thought-unbound-by-membranes-these-rogue-organelles-challenge-biologys-fundamentals-239558\u0022\u003Eastonishingly complicated\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers want to use synthetic cells to learn more about how life works, and they are doing this by rebuilding some of life\u2019s basic features in a simpler, more understandable form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier designs of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-023-06288-x\u0022\u003Eminimal cells\u003C\/a\u003E, used to test which components are necessary for lifelike behavior, began with existing living cells and reduced the size of their genomes. A minimal cell is useful because it is simple, but that simplicity comes at a cost. It may reveal which parts are needed for lifelike behavior, but it usually lacks the autonomy, resilience, metabolism and evolutionary capacity of natural cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, synthetic cells are built through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1211701\u0022\u003Ebottom-up engineering\u003C\/a\u003E approach. Scientists start with a simplified compartment \u2013 a kind of biological \u201cbox\u201d \u2013 and ask what must be added for it to behave more like a living cell. A membrane separates the inside from the outside. Genetic material stores instructions. Molecular machinery reads those instructions to make molecules. Energy sources power reactions. Other components can allow growth, division and adaptation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Diagram showing a few membrane-bound components of an animal cell and a eurakyotic cell\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA useful way to think about synthetic cells is to compare them with technologies society already depends on. The radio wasn\u2019t invented all at once. Engineers learned how to combine an antenna, tuner, amplifier, power source and speaker to convert invisible electromagnetic waves into sound. A car is not just a metal shell; it becomes transportation only when a frame is connected to wheels, brakes, steering, an engine, and transmission and control systems. A computer began with switches and strings of ones and zeros that could be assembled into circuits capable of storing and processing information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003ESpudCell was assembled\u003C\/a\u003E from the bottom up with purified, nonliving parts. Researchers used lipid molecules to create a cell-like membrane, DNA molecules to store genetic instructions, purified enzymes to copy and read those instructions, and other molecular machinery to help build proteins and other molecules from small chemical building blocks, such as amino acids and nucleotides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell is exciting scientists because it appears to bring several features of life together in one system. The researchers describe it as capable of feeding, growth, genome replication, genetically encoded division and something close to evolution. These features resemble a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26869\/\u0022\u003Ebiological cell cycle\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClose to Life, But Not Quite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Estops short\u003C\/a\u003E of being a fully synthetic living cell. A membrane-bound compartment containing DNA is not automatically a living cell, just as a pile of car parts is not a car.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell can carry out several life-like processes, but it is not independent. It still relies on carefully controlled laboratory conditions and on researchers to supply its molecular machinery. It doesn\u2019t reliably pass on its genetic material or spontaneously evolve the way natural cells do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo approach life, a synthetic cell must coordinate many processes at once. NASA describes life as a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.nasa.gov\/research\/life-detection\/about\/\u0022\u003Eself-sustaining chemical system\u003C\/a\u003E capable of Darwinian evolution,\u201d meaning it must independently use energy, copy information, grow, divide, respond to its surroundings and persist over time. Natural cells do this with extraordinary reliability because they are the products of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/rain-may-have-helped-form-the-first-cells-kick-starting-life-as-we-know-it-238291\u0022\u003Ebillions of years of evolution\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Microscopy image of a green sphere dividing into two\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell still \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Efalls short of that standard\u003C\/a\u003E. It depends on researchers to continuously supply it with the molecular machinery to function and to physically help it divide. It also cannot reproduce indefinitely outside a carefully controlled laboratory environment. In other words, SpudCell may have been built rather than born, but it is not yet autonomous life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat limitation does not make the achievement unimportant. In fact, it is scientifically valuable precisely because it exposes what is still missing to create life. Which parts are essential? Which processes must be coordinated? How much complexity is necessary before chemistry begins to look like biology?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Create Synthetic Cells?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose questions have practical importance. Answering them can help scientists and engineers design safer biological systems for a wide range of industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESynthetic cells allow scientists to more cleanly test how the surrounding membrane separates the inside of a cell from its environment, how genetic instructions are read, how energy is used, and how growth and division are coordinated. These cell-like systems could eventually become \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nist.gov\/blogs\/taking-measure\/promise-synthetic-cells-revolutionary-new-drugs-outer-space-explorers-and\u0022\u003Esimplified test beds\u003C\/a\u003E for studying biological circuits, disease mechanisms and the origins of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey could also help scientists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/projects\/DELS-BLS-22-12\u0022\u003Ebuild safer systems\u003C\/a\u003E for making medicines, fuels or materials, detecting environmental toxins, or delivering therapies without relying on fully living organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, synthetic biology connects medicine and biotechnology: Viruses can be redesigned \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-puzzle-of-viral-vector-vaccines-was-solved-leading-to-todays-covid-19-shots-167341\u0022\u003Einto vaccines\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gene-therapy-restores-hearing-in-toddlers-and-teenagers-born-with-congenital-deafness-new-research-258112\u0022\u003Egene therapy\u003C\/a\u003E, immune cells can be reprogrammed to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/anti-cancer-car-t-therapy-reengineers-t-cells-to-kill-tumors-and-researchers-are-expanding-the-limited-types-of-cancer-it-can-target-196471\u0022\u003Erecognize cancer\u003C\/a\u003E, and microbes can be engineered to make useful molecules, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/insulin-injections-could-one-day-be-replaced-with-rock-music-new-research-in-mice-216787\u0022\u003Esuch as insulin\u003C\/a\u003E, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/genetically-engineered-bacteria-make-living-materials-for-self-repairing-walls-and-cleaning-up-pollution-191411\u0022\u003Edetect pollutants\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, researchers could use synthetic cells to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Edeliver a drug\u003C\/a\u003E only to diseased tissue, or create microbial systems that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13036-023-00379-z\u0022\u003Edetect toxins or pathogens\u003C\/a\u003E in water. They can also act as simplified biological factories that can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/helping-cells-become-better-protein-factories-could-improve-gene-therapies-and-other-treatments-a-new-technique-shows-how-187515\u0022\u003Emake medicines\u003C\/a\u003E without requiring a fully living organism, or as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0016292\u0022\u003Ebiosensors providing early warning\u003C\/a\u003E of dangerous threats, such as bioweapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating Life Responsibly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe philosophical question \u201cIs SpudCell alive?\u201d may not have a simple yes or no answer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepending on whether your definition of life emphasizes metabolism, reproduction, evolution, autonomy or cellular organization, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Eboundary between living and nonliving\u003C\/a\u003E can look very different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife is not defined by one property alone. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-viruses-blur-the-boundaries-of-life-230802\u0022\u003EViruses\u003C\/a\u003E contain genetic information but depend on host cells to reproduce. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/mitochondria-can-sense-bacteria-and-trigger-your-immune-system-to-trap-them-revealing-new-ways-to-treat-infections-and-autoimmunity-255939\u0022\u003EMitochondria\u003C\/a\u003E perform essential metabolism but cannot live independently outside of cells. A \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/svalbard-global-seed-vault-evokes-epic-imagery-and-controversy-because-of-the-symbolic-value-of-seeds-240086\u0022\u003Eseed can remain dormant\u003C\/a\u003E for years before resuming growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen synthetic biology is guided by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.1c00129\u0022\u003Estrong sense of responsibility\u003C\/a\u003E, scientists can learn how to redirect harmful processes, build safer tools and help society. This requires not only asking whether biological systems can be built, but also whether their creation should be controlled, where they should function and what safeguards are needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past two decades, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nchembio.1979\u0022\u003Escientists have built\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cell.2007.05.045\u0022\u003Emany kinds of\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41564-024-01913-5\u0022\u003Ebiological kill switches\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 that is, genetic circuits that can shut down engineered cells under specific conditions. Some researchers have made cells dependent on a specific nutrient. Others have created cells that can survive only in a particular environment or activate self-destructive pathways when conditions change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKill switches are not magic off buttons and do not replace careful regulation, physical containment or public oversight. But they are an important example of synthetic biology\u2019s moral compass: to not only build useful biological tools, but to build them with safety, accountability and humility in mind.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/286762\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components. The lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it stops short of being a fully synthetic living cell."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-08 19:42:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:12:48","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680580":{"id":"680580","type":"image","title":"spudcell.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783539781","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","changed":"1783539781","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","alt":"A rendering of transparent cells on a blue background","file":{"fid":"264858","name":"spudcell.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4473489,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg?itok=ybyDU2tc"}}},"media_ids":["680580"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETara Deans, associate professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691040":{"#nid":"691040","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Develop a Safer, More Reliable Material for Growing Small-Scale Models of the Human Gut ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor years, scientists studying the human gut have relied on a material that most people would never expect: a jelly made from mouse tumors. Called Matrigel, it is used to grow tiny, patient\u2011derived versions of the intestine that help researchers understand disease, test new drugs, and explore future therapies. However, since this material comes from animal tissue, it\u2019s unpredictable, difficult to control, and limits medical applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.edu\/node\/1\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E researchers and partners from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.upenn.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003C\/a\u003E offers a promising alternative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work includes contributions from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/andres-j-garcia\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and Executive Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, whose research focuses on how engineered materials can guide cell behavior. Instead of relying on a biological mixture with hundreds of variable components, the team created a fully synthetic gel designed to give intestinal stem cells exactly what they need to grow and organize into healthy tissue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo build it, the researchers analyzed the genetic signals of human intestinal cells to understand what kind of environment they naturally prefer. They found that these cells latch onto collagen\u2011like structures and reshape their surroundings as they expand. Using that information, the team engineered a customizable gel that mimics those cues, without using any animal\u2011derived ingredients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results were striking. Human intestinal cells grown in the synthetic gel formed realistic, well\u2011organized small-scale digestive tract models that closely match those grown in the traditional animal\u2011derived material. They maintained the same cell types, developed the same structures, and preserved patient\u2011specific features.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications reach far beyond the lab bench.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA fully synthetic, precisely defined gel means researchers can grow small-scale organs more consistently and ethically, reducing reliance on animal tissue and improving reproducibility. It also opens the door to future medical applications, from personalized drug testing to regenerative therapies, where animal\u2011based materials simply can\u2019t be used.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u0022Reproducible, well-defined culture conditions are essential to generating reliable data from patient-derived organoids in human disease research, and we were glad to contribute to work that brings the field a real synthetic alternative to Matrigel,\u201d said Kathryn Hamilton, a co-author of the study. Hamilton is an associate professor at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.upenn.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003C\/a\u003E and a primary investigator at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy replacing one of the biggest barriers in organoid science, this work moves the field closer to a future where patient\u2011specific tissues can be grown safely, reliably, and at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are excited about engineering this synthetic matrix as an alternative to natural materials and expect that it will accelerate human organoid research and clinical applications,\u201d Garc\u00eda said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by Georgia Tech researchers and partners offers a promising alternative to gel derived from animal tissue that is currently used to grow organ models. A fully synthetic, precisely defined gel means researchers can grow small-scale organs more consistently and ethically, reducing reliance on animal tissue and improving reproducibility.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a synthetic gel that could open new possibilities for drug testing and disease treatment."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 14:57:35","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 12:52:44","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680577":{"id":"680577","type":"image","title":"_0000_organoids.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists are able to use patient-derived tissue samples to grow miniature versions of human organs, allowing them to test new medications and disease treatments for personalized care.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783515079","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 12:51:19","changed":"1783515079","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 12:51:19","alt":"Microscopic image of pink tissue cells","file":{"fid":"264855","name":"_0000_organoids.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":355456,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg?itok=b2NxWXSv"}}},"media_ids":["680577"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691061":{"#nid":"691061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Memoriam: Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA nationally recognized leader in energy systems, Shelton founded SEI as an interdisciplinary organization that brought together engineers, researchers, policy experts, and industry leaders to advance high-impact energy solutions. That vision remains central to SEI\u2019s mission and continues to guide its work today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam was the quintessential engineer and innovator, whose vision was always accompanied by the development and demonstration of actual products instead of leaving them as promising concepts,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garimella\u0022\u003ESrinivas Garimella\u003C\/a\u003E, Hightower Chair in the College of Engineering and professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u201cHe had the rare ability to see through nebulous ideas and claims and get to the fundamental engineering truths. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to seek his advice, which he freely gave. I will miss his friendship and counsel very much.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a career of more than 35 years, Shelton made lasting contributions to sustainable energy and engineering innovation. His work spanned combustion research, solar energy technologies, and offshore wind systems. He secured more than $30 million in research funding, held eight patents, founded two energy-focused companies, and helped translate research into real-world energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his research, Shelton was deeply committed to education. During his academic career, he developed undergraduate and graduate courses in energy technology, teaching both in person and online. His\u0026nbsp;Energy 101 course reached tens of thousands of learners through a massive open online course platform, covering topics such as energy supply, independence, economics, and society\u2019s energy demands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first started at SEI in 2016, Sam and I would meet for lunch to discuss the latest research, consider how far we\u0027ve come since the Carter administration, and grapple over the world\u2019s energy problems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies.\u0026nbsp;\u201cSam was genuine and objective, not working backward from a preconceived notion, but working forward with an open mind to understand, appreciate, and apply the first and second law. He was also colorful and witty! We are all privileged to pay these lessons forward to future energy students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond academia, Shelton\u2019s engineering expertise reached a global stage as the designer of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2016\/07\/20th-anniversary-atlanta-games\u0022\u003EOlympic torch for the 1996 Atlanta Games\u003C\/a\u003E, an enduring symbol of innovation recognized worldwide. \u201cThe Olympics represented world peace, mankind coming together, and overcoming adversity. It was an amazing event to think about, to witness, to live through, and be a part of helping to create it,\u201d Shelton said in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WyuWSPeGTXk\u0022\u003E2016 interview\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelton is survived by his\u0026nbsp;daughters, Suzie and Stacy, three granddaughters,\u0026nbsp;and a wide network of students, colleagues, and collaborators. His legacy continues through the programs he built, partnerships he fostered, and the people he helped.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/atlanta\/name\/samuel-shelton-obituary?id=61831858\u0022\u003Ememorial service\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E celebrating Shelton\u2019s life will be held Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. at The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant in Atlanta. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be directed to Roll Call, Georgia Tech\u2019s Fund for Excellence.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Donations may be made at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/63028\/donations\/new?\u0026amp;utm_source=ALMR26Q40NY1BU02KUD\u0022\u003Egtalumni.org\/SamShelton\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sam Shelton, founding director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), longtime professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 21:11:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 02:35:40","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680575":{"id":"680575","type":"image","title":"SamShelton.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783458862","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","changed":"1783458862","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute (Photo Credit: Georgia Tech Institute Communications)","file":{"fid":"264853","name":"SamShelton.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":485843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg?itok=LXffzX8m"}},"680574":{"id":"680574","type":"image","title":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783458708","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","changed":"1783458708","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","file":{"fid":"264852","name":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":33796,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg?itok=LUMuoM7e"}}},"media_ids":["680575","680574"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691060":{"#nid":"691060","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Staffer Prioritizes Building School Culture","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAround a table at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/studentcenter.gatech.edu\/paper-clay\u0022\u003EPaper and Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s on-campus pottery studio, the staff of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E (SCP) gathered for one of its regular team-building exercises.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe outing, organized by Director of Research Operations \u003Cstrong\u003EMary Helen Hayes\u003C\/strong\u003E, is one of a series of activities designed to bring the school\u2019s staff together to foster close relationships between peers. Developing staff culture has been a priority for Hayes since she started at SCP in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/external-news\/not-built-day-cybersecurity-and-privacy-school-increases-staff-five-fold\u0022\u003EJanuary 2024\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese types of events build trust and remove perceptions,\u201d she said. \u201cIt brings together leadership and employees to show that we are all rowing the boat together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESoon after she was hired, Hayes attended a meeting to help shape SCP\u0027s culture. The fledgling school and its new staff had yet to develop a culture of their own, and Hayes saw an opportunity to draw on her experience planning staff outings to bring people together early on.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt started with a staff retreat over lunch in 2024. Hayes built a playlist based on the staff\u2019s favorite songs, and the group played icebreakers. From that point forward, SCP staff outings included ceramic pumpkin painting contests, holiday ornament decoration, and more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe school also sponsors a welcome breakfast each fall for SCP students and, more recently, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/scp-food-drive\u0022\u003Ehosted a food drive\u003C\/a\u003E. Both organized by Hayes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMary Helen has the rare talent to bring process improvements to life while bringing people together, creating lasting improvements that benefit SCP, the College of Computing, and the Institute,\u201d said School Administrative Officer \u003Cstrong\u003EJan Morian\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile staff culture has become one of Hayes\u0027 most visible contributions, it is only part of her impact on SCP. In her two and a half years at the school, she has launched training on research proposals, travel, and expenses. She has also established regular meetings among faculty, administrative, and finance staff and created methods to expedite undergraduate hiring and research proposal intake.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have been at Georgia Tech for about 15 years now, and I looked back on my experience when coming up with new processes for the school,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining SCP, Hayes was a financial manager and administrator at several Georgia Tech departments. In 2024 she was hired by SCP as the assistant director for financial operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow as director of research operations, Hayes supports 26 school faculty and oversees a team of four research administrators. She oversees all financial operations for the school including proposal development, sponsor compliance, post-award administration, financial reporting, and award closeout activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHayes runs a tight ship, a fact she will freely admit to. Her department is organized down to the filing system to keep everyone on the same page. Her team of four staff each bring their own strengths to the school\u2019s finances, and Hayes has made sure they are cross trained so there is coverage if someone is out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to make sure my team can rely on each other,\u201d she said. \u201cI want them to be able to ask questions and admit if they don\u2019t know something.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as dedicated to the culture of her own team as she is with the overall, Hayes encourages her colleagues to engage in career development conferences and courses. She also was vocal\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ein the job families effort to ensure her staff receive job titles that reflect their day-to-day responsibilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo develop her own career further, Hayes is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Georgia Southern University through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benefits.usg.edu\/work-life\/tuition-assistance-program\u0022\u003ETuition Assistance Program\u003C\/a\u003E (TAP) offered to full-time employees by the University System of Georgia. She also received the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/cybersecurity-school-takes-home-multiple-awards\u0022\u003EOutstanding Staff Leadership Award\u003C\/a\u003E from the College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than waiting for challenges to arise, Hayes looks for opportunities to improve workflows before they become obstacles. She regularly gathers feedback from colleagues, refines procedures, and documents best practices to ensure knowledge is shared across the school instead of remaining with a single person.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESince joining the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy in 2024, Mary Helen Hayes has helped shape the school\u0027s culture while strengthening its research operations. She has organized regular team-building events, student welcome activities, and service projects to foster collaboration and trust among staff. Beyond building community, Hayes has streamlined administrative processes by launching training programs, improving proposal and hiring workflows, and establishing regular coordination between faculty and staff. As director of research operations, she oversees the school\u0027s financial and research administration, leads a cross-trained team, and emphasizes continuous improvement, professional development, and knowledge sharing to support SCP\u0027s long-term success.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"One staff member at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy works overtime to ensure the culture at the school remains strong."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 17:25:55","changed_gmt":"2026-07-07 17:31:37","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680571":{"id":"680571","type":"image","title":"Mary-Helen-Hayes-2-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783445192","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 17:26:32","changed":"1783445192","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 17:26:32","alt":"A woman standing against a table with her arms folded on the table top. ","file":{"fid":"264849","name":"Mary-Helen-Hayes-2-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Mary-Helen-Hayes-2-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Mary-Helen-Hayes-2-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1709579,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/Mary-Helen-Hayes-2-web-copy.jpg?itok=M6dwBn4y"}},"680570":{"id":"680570","type":"image","title":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783445192","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 17:26:32","changed":"1783445192","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 17:26:32","alt":"A man shakes hands with a woman who is holding a certificate","file":{"fid":"264848","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":19616005,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg?itok=P_gtmU2i"}}},"media_ids":["680571","680570"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691058":{"#nid":"691058","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Zhu Receives NSF CAREER Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/weizhumath\/home\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWei Zhu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E, has been awarded a five-year,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award?AWD_ID=2540370\u0022\u003E$500,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E (NSF). The CAREER Award, NSF\u2019s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty, helps promising researchers establish a foundation for a lifetime of leadership in their fields. Zhu\u2019s award will support research and education initiatives focused on artificial intelligence (AI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI am very honored and excited to receive the NSF CAREER Award,\u201d says Zhu. \u201cThis award will support research by my fantastic team of students and post-doctoral researchers and give me the opportunity to carry out education and outreach programs that expand our impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing AI Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESince joining Georgia Tech in 2024, Zhu\u2019s research has focused on the mathematical foundations of machine learning and their applications in science and engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWith support from the CAREER Award, Zhu and his team will explore the two-way relationship between data and structure in machine learning. They aim to understand how known structures in scientific and engineering problems (e.g., symmetries or physical constraints) can help machine learning models learn more accurately and efficiently from limited data. They will also study how machine learning can uncover hidden structures directly from data, revealing patterns or principles that may not be known in advance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project focuses on settings where large amounts of high-quality data are difficult or expensive to obtain, as is often the case in science and engineering. Using mathematical analysis, Zhu and his team will examine how much data is required to accurately learn a model, how structural information can reduce this data requirement, and how much data is needed to reliably identify a model\u2019s underlying structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAccording to Zhu, this approach could reduce the amount of data and time needed to build and test accurate models, leading to more reliable, interpretable, and efficient AI for scientific discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSuch advances align with national AI priorities and help strengthen the mathematical foundations needed for future scientific and engineering applications of AI,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding AI Literacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EZhu believes it is important to help students understand AI, noting that they must learn how to interpret and evaluate its outputs rather than accept them\u0026nbsp;uncritically.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAI has increasingly become incorporated into many fields of study,\u201d he says. \u201cInstitutions must determine how to best integrate it into education while also teaching students how it works. The AI education and outreach components of my project aim to help prepare students for careers at the intersection of mathematics, computing, and science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EZhu\u2019s CAREER Award will support educational initiatives at multiple levels, including new graduate and undergraduate courses on machine learning. It will also support a machine learning boot camp for high school students, organized by the School of Mathematics in collaboration with Emory University\u2019s Department of Mathematics. The boot camp seeks to introduce students to foundational ideas in AI and machine learning, with an emphasis on the mathematical principles needed to understand and responsibly use these tools.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMathematics Assistant Professor Wei Zhu has been awarded a five-year,\u0026nbsp;$500,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The award will support Zhu\u0027s research and education initiatives focused on artificial intelligence.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mathematics Assistant Professor Wei Zhu has been awarded a five-year,\u00a0$500,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:18:34","changed_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:41:26","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680568":{"id":"680568","type":"image","title":"Wei Zhu of the School of Mathematics","body":null,"created":"1783441160","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 16:19:20","changed":"1783441160","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 16:19:20","alt":"Headshot of Wei Zhu","file":{"fid":"264846","name":"wei_zhu_mathematics.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/wei_zhu_mathematics.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/wei_zhu_mathematics.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2399324,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/wei_zhu_mathematics.png?itok=abwEK1tx"}}},"media_ids":["680568"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168854","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"193356","name":"cos-math"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691059":{"#nid":"691059","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Expert: Brian An","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy resilience broadens the scope of urban policy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHousing and transportation are top priorities for many city mayors, policymakers and public policy researchers\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian An\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. But in February 2021, soon after Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc in Texas, an eight-hour power outage at his Atlanta home became an epiphany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile housing stability had long been on my mind, losing power drove home the importance of another piece of urban infrastructure: reliable access to electricity,\u201d says An, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter faculty affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urbanresearch.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt sparked my interest in studying the intersection of energy and urban policy to help make cities and communities not only socially equitable but also resilient to extreme weather.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/06\/30\/meet-the-expert-brian-an\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy resilience broadens the scope of urban policy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHousing and transportation are top priorities for many city mayors, policymakers and public policy researchers\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian An\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. But in February 2021, soon after Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc in Texas, an eight-hour power outage at his Atlanta home became an epiphany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile housing stability had long been on my mind, losing power drove home the importance of another piece of urban infrastructure: reliable access to electricity,\u201d says An, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter faculty affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urbanresearch.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt sparked my interest in studying the intersection of energy and urban policy to help make cities and communities not only socially equitable but also resilient to extreme weather.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In this EPIcenter Expert series, meet Brian An, EPIcenter Affiliate, studying the intersection of energy resilience and urban policy to improve grid equity during extreme weather."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:26:49","changed_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:31:03","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680569":{"id":"680569","type":"image","title":"Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBrian An, EPIcenter Faculty Affiliate and Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783441679","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 16:27:59","changed":"1783441679","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 16:27:59","alt":"Brian An, EPIcenter Faculty Affiliate and Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy ","file":{"fid":"264847","name":"Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":69638,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg?itok=wcUA_U3y"}}},"media_ids":["680569"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStory Written by: Silke Schmidt\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENews Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690894":{"#nid":"690894","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Discover Membrane-Based Approach to More Sustainable Oil Refining","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERefining crude oil into gasoline, jet fuel, and other everyday products requires enormous amounts of energy. The atmospheric and vacuum distillation processes used in refineries worldwide consume more than 1,100 terawatt-hours of energy annually \u2014 roughly enough to power 100 million U.S. homes for a year \u2014 while generating millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESix years after demonstrating that membranes could separate crude oil at the molecular level, Georgia Tech researcher Ryan Lively is part of an international team that has taken the concept a significant step further.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team, including investigators at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), discovered that a membrane material widely believed to be non-selective for molecules as small as those found in crude can in fact selectively separate crude oil into lighter and heavier fractions in a way researchers did not expect.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPublished in \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-026-10677-3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etheir findings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E suggest that using membranes to separate crude oil before distillation could significantly reduce the energy, water, and carbon footprint of petroleum refining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lively.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELively\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the Thomas C. DeLoach Jr. Endowed Professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, served as an advisor and corresponding author on the study. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pure.kaist.ac.kr\/en\/persons\/dong-yeun-koh\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDong-Yeun Koh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor at KAIST and a former postdoc in the Lively Lab at Georgia Tech, led the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on Earlier Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the 2020 \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E paper, Lively and collaborators demonstrated that specially designed membranes could separate crude oil into valuable fractions without relying solely on traditional heat-driven distillation. The work helped establish membrane-based crude oil fractionation as a promising alternative for reducing energy use in refining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This work grew directly out of the challenges we identified in our original findings in the 2020 article,\u0022 Lively said. \u0022One of the key challenges that the KAIST team set out to tackle was the very low oil productivities of the membrane units, which has limited the ability of this concept to leave the lab. Along the way, we not only increased the productivities, but we also uncovered a surprising new mechanism that could make membrane-based crude oil separations even more practical.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new study built on that foundation. The researchers investigated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes, a material commonly used as a non-selective support layer in filtration systems. Because the material is porous, the team generally did not expect it to perform precise molecular separations on its own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what they found surprised them, Lively said. As crude oil flowed through the membrane, heavier hydrocarbon molecules accumulated within the membrane\u0027s pores. Instead of clogging the membrane, the buildup created a stable internal layer that gradually narrowed the pathways through which molecules could travel. Surprisingly, the molecules that caused the buildup in the first place were eventually excluded from entering the membrane, resulting in a steady production of higher quality oil through the narrow pathways that remained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn effect, the membrane created its own molecular-scale filter. The result was a process that allowed lighter hydrocarbons to pass through while holding back heavier components.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe membrane enriched lighter fractions such as naphtha and kerosene while achieving crude oil flow rates more than 23 times higher those reported in the 2020 paper for whole crude oils\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen Buildup Becomes an Asset\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn most filtration systems, buildup inside a membrane (or fouling) is considered a problem because it reduces performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut according to the researchers, this study demonstrates that something different can happen under the right conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a range of analytical techniques, the researchers found that long-chain hydrocarbon molecules accumulated inside the membrane and became an essential part of the separation process. The deposits effectively transformed larger pores into stable transport pathways measuring less than two nanometers across, they deduced based on available experimental evidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe membrane maintained consistent separation performance during four weeks of continuous operation, suggesting the filtration pathways remained stable over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe findings challenge traditional assumptions about membrane fouling and may offer new opportunities for designing industrial separation systems that take advantage of similar behavior,\u201d Lively said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPotential Impact on Refining\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday\u0027s refineries heat entire streams of crude oil to separate them into useful products. By using membranes to remove a substantial portion of the lighter hydrocarbons before distillation, refineries could reduce the amount of material that must undergo energy-intensive heating. Alternatively, the refinery can use the membranes to incrementally increase refinery capacity, which is currently not possible using large-scale distillation equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the potential impacts of the membrane system, the researchers modeled a refinery process that incorporated a membrane separation step before conventional distillation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis study reveals a new scientific principle in which a membrane interacts with a complex mixture and spontaneously forms its own separation channels,\u0022 Koh said. \u0022Working with real crude oil supplied by HD Hyundai Oilbank allowed us to validate the technology under conditions relevant to industrial operation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u0027s technoeconomic analysis showed that incorporating the membrane process could reduce distillation energy use by 30%, carbon dioxide emissions by 35%, and water consumption by 20%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplied across U.S. atmospheric crude distillation capacity \u2014 about 18 million barrels per day \u2014 those savings would be equivalent to powering roughly 2.2 million homes, removing about 3 million passenger vehicles from the road, and supplying enough water for approximately 660,000 people each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Turning crude oil into useful products has relied on essentially the same basic approach for more than a century,\u0022 Lively said. \u0022Membranes offer a path toward achieving those separations with dramatically lower energy requirements and emissions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0027s findings also suggest that the phenomenon may not be limited to a single membrane chemistry. Researchers observed similar behavior in a second membrane material, raising the possibility that the approach could be extended to other membrane systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a terrific piece of research that rewards curiosity,\u0022 said Andrew LIvington, vice president of research and innovation and professor at Queen Mary University of London, who was not involved with the study. \u0022This work adds significantly to the field of membrane separations of crude oil streams as it tackles the first, hard to achieve separation of heavy hydrocarbons \u2013 most work to date has focused on lighter oils\u0026nbsp;\u2013 and it uses a simple and readily available membrane.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJihoon Choi, Hyeokjun Seo, Minyong Lee, Woong-Chul Shin, Jaemin Choi, Keonwoo Choi, Min-Jun Jang, Sung Gap Im, Jae W. Lee, Ryan P. Lively, and Dong-Yeun Koh, \u0022\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-026-10677-3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECrude oil fractionation by means of mesoporous polyacrylonitrile membranes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0022 \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPublished in \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers\u0027 findings suggest that using membranes to separate crude oil before distillation could significantly reduce the energy, water, and carbon footprint of petroleum refining.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Published in Nature, the researchers\u0027 findings suggest that using membranes to separate crude oil before distillation could significantly reduce the energy, water, and carbon footprint of petroleum refining."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 15:45:46","changed_gmt":"2026-07-06 17:19:42","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680502":{"id":"680502","type":"image","title":"RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProfessors Ryan Lively (Georgia Tech) and Dong-Yeun Koh (KAIST). Koh used to be postdoctoral researcher in the Lively Lab.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782316293","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:51:33","changed":"1782316293","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:51:33","alt":"Professors Ryan Lively (Georgia Tech) and Dong-Yeun Koh (KAIST). Koh used to be postdoctoral researcher in the Lively Lab.","file":{"fid":"264775","name":"RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":190547,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/RyanDong-Yeun.jpg?itok=-eLTFUXj"}},"680503":{"id":"680503","type":"image","title":"PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchematic illustration of the membrane-based pre-fractionation process, showing the selective separation of light hydrocarbon fractions from crude oil feedstock to reduce energy requirements for subsequent atmospheric distillation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782316323","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:52:03","changed":"1782316323","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:52:03","alt":"Schematic illustration of the membrane-based pre-fractionation process, showing the selective separation of light hydrocarbon fractions from crude oil feedstock to reduce energy requirements for subsequent atmospheric distillation.","file":{"fid":"264776","name":"PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":84713,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg?itok=6Y4qawLU"}},"680504":{"id":"680504","type":"image","title":"PAN-Crude.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPhotographs illustrating the distinct color change upon fractionation of crude oils via PAN membrane.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782316357","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:52:37","changed":"1782316357","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:52:37","alt":"Photographs illustrating the distinct color change upon fractionation of crude oils via PAN membrane.","file":{"fid":"264777","name":"PAN-Crude.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":141397,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude.jpg?itok=9_uTRAtb"}}},"media_ids":["680502","680503","680504"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11764","name":"filtration"},{"id":"2177","name":"membranes"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690966":{"#nid":"690966","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dingjing Shi Earns Rising Star Distinction","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAssistant Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/dingjing-shi\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Dingjing Shi\u003C\/a\u003E in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Psychological and Brain Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E has been named an\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.psychologicalscience.org\/members\/awards-and-honors\/aps-rising-stars\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Association for Psychological Science Rising Star.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The honor recognizes exceptional early-career researchers whose innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for continued contributions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDingjing\u2019s selection for this honor is a remarkable recognition of the originality, impact, and promise of her scholarship,\u201d says School of Psychological and Brain Sciences Chair\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/tansu-celikel\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETansu Celikel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis achievement is especially significant for Georgia Tech as she is the first person from the Institute to receive this distinction and only the third recipient from the state of Georgia.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShi obtained her Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology from the University of Virginia in 2020. After working as an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, she joined Georgia Tech in 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cReceiving this award is an honor and a responsibility,\u201d says Shi. \u201cThis international recognition of my early work encourages me to keep pushing the scientific boundaries of my field and to continue pursuing research that creates meaningful and lasting real-world impacts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFoundational Methodology Development\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a quantitative methodologist, Shi develops statistical and computational models that focus on reducing dimensionality (the number of attributes, features, or independent directions needed to describe an object, dataset, or mathematical space); improving classification; and enabling technology-based, real-time adaptive assessment in psychological, brain, biomedical, and health-related research. Specifically, her research transforms complex brain imaging outputs (such as MRIs and EEGs), real-time ecological assessments, and multi-sensor wearable streams into compact, information-rich representations, and she designs personalized, adaptive intervention systems to deliver context-aware and dynamically updated support for individuals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShi\u2019s work has been funded by federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security. She was a recipient of the SAS Institute Advanced Statistical Fellowship as well as the Citation Abstract Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m excited to work at Georgia Tech in the School of Psychological and Brain Sciences because its strong focus on technology and psychological brain sciences aligns perfectly with my research program,\u201d says Shi. \u201cBeing part of such a stimulating academic environment, with outstanding colleagues and talented students, makes it an ideal place to contribute, collaborate, and grow as a researcher and educator.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECongratulations to Dingjing Shi, for being recognized as an APS Rising Star. The designation is presented to outstanding APS members in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Congratulations to Dingjing Shi, for being recognized as an APS Rising Star. "}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-06-29 18:26:15","changed_gmt":"2026-07-06 15:49:59","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680527":{"id":"680527","type":"image","title":"Dingjing Shi","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDingjing Shi\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782757602","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:26:42","changed":"1783352948","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 15:49:08","alt":"Headshot of Dingjing Shi","file":{"fid":"264831","name":"dingjingshi0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/dingjingshi0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/dingjingshi0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128958,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/dingjingshi0.jpg?itok=YcESWvpl"}}},"media_ids":["680527"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"26011","name":"faculty honors"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691032":{"#nid":"691032","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Experts in the News: AI, Prices, and the War","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, ongoing geopolitical tensions are driving fluctuations in global oil markets and fuel prices. The expansion of AI data centers is also increasing demand for land, power, and water resources. And conflicts involving energy infrastructure in parts of the Middle East and Europe have affected supply stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResponding to these challenges requires careful analysis of emerging trends, supported by strong research in policy and economics. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E study these complex, interconnected issues affecting energy systems, costs, and access. They analyze emerging trends, evaluate policy options, and identify practical pathways forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/07\/01\/epicenter-affiliated-experts-inform-public-understanding-of-energy-systems-and-their-economic-impacts\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"EPIcenter Faculty Affiliates have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:40:46","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680549":{"id":"680549","type":"image","title":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","body":null,"created":"1783021099","gmt_created":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","changed":"1783021099","gmt_changed":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","alt":"4 panel image: clockwise from upper left - solar panels in field, data center and cooling complex, Hormuz Island, gas pump in a car\u0027s fuel port","file":{"fid":"264825","name":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","mime":"image\/png","size":103965,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png?itok=GVkV7SSC"}}},"media_ids":["680549"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690967":{"#nid":"690967","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Myth of the \u2018Lizard Brain\u2019 and the Real Trade-Off Inside Your Mind","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESo many of life\u2019s most pivotal decisions come down to one question: Should you listen to your logic or your emotions? Popular culture often frames this tension as a struggle between two minds \u2014 a \u201cmore evolved\u201d rational layer built atop an ancient \u201clizard brain\u201d driven by primal instincts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis battle of the brains has also been playing out over the course of evolution, but not as a simple clash between old and new.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere was a theory proposed in the \u201850s that the brain evolved in layers starting with basic bodily functions, to emotions in the reptilian brain, leading up to sophisticated reasoning in humans,\u201d explains \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/nabil-imam\u0022\u003ENabil Imam\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and a faculty member with Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS). \u201cThis is not how an evolutionary biologist would think about the problem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of a \u201cnew\u201d brain layered over an \u201cancient\u201d one \u2014 or even a logical brain versus an emotional one \u2014 research published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/full\/10.1126\/sciadv.aec6112\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E reveals that brain evolution may come down to wiring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the architecture of both biological and artificial brains, Imam\u2019s team found that brain evolution is a strategic allocation of limited real estate. They propose a computational tug-of-war between two fundamentally different types of internal wiring \u2014 ones established even before birth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis new understanding not only helps resolve a longstanding mystery in brain evolution but could also help us design more efficient AI systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Problem With the \u201cLizard Brain\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we refer to our \u201clogical\u201d or \u201clizard\u201d brains, we\u2019re really talking about different groups of brain regions. The logical brain is known as the neocortex, the brain\u2019s outer layer responsible for vision, perception, reasoning, and other higher-level functions. For the lizard brain, the story gets a bit complicated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe limbic system, sometimes called the \u2018reptilian brain,\u2019 controls emotion broadly speaking \u2014 but it also has other components with distinct functions,\u201d explains Imam. The system has separate regions for memory, smell, and navigation in addition to emotional regulation. \u201cWhy do people group all these different regions into one big system? There hasn\u2019t been a good theory for what is common between these different circuits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo investigate, Imam\u2019s team looked beyond individual regions to examine how these systems scale across species. Instead of comparing single areas based on function, the team analyzed how the limbic system and the neocortex change together across evolutionary history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result was remarkably consistent. When one component of the limbic system was larger, the others were also larger, while the neocortex was consistently smaller. These regions don\u2019t vary independently. \u201cRather,\u201d says Imam, \u201cit\u2019s a coordinated expansion of these regions across species.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis reveals something new: The limbic system behaves not as a loose collection of functions, but as a unified network that expands and contracts as a group across evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what is driving this coordinated push and pull?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaps Versus Barcodes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImam argues that it comes down to how these different parts of the brain are wired before birth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the neocortex, neural circuits are organized as spatial maps. Areas that process touch in nearby parts of your body, like your index finger and thumb, are physically close to each other in the brain. The same is true for sight and sound.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWires in the limbic system, however, are not spatially organized. They function more like a bar code, firing in unique, distributed patterns to represent specific scents or complex memories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test whether this was an innate trait or acquired through experience, the team developed AI models for different senses. They found that when they pre-wired an AI with localized, spatial connectivity, the network was naturally very good at processing vision, sound, and touch information. Conversely, distributed, \u201cbarcode-style\u201d networks were essential for the AI to excel at scent recognition and memory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Evolutionary Tug-of-War\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe final piece of the puzzle explains how the size of brain components changes predictably across species. Because resources like space and energy are limited, natural selection chooses which system to prioritize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team simulated evolution by creating a multimodal network where the spatial and distributed domains competed for \u201creal estate.\u201d When the environment rewarded smell, all areas of the distributed system expanded and the neocortex shrank. When vision was rewarded, the opposite occurred.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis explains why the nine-banded armadillo, which relies on scent, has a massive limbic system, while the highly visual squirrel monkey is dominated by its neocortex. Across the 182 species studied, the research shows that brain evolution is not about adding new layers of \u0022logic,\u0022 but about strategically reallocating space between different wiring systems to support survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy translating this biological architecture to AI systems, engineers could create machines that learn as efficiently as the human brain, requiring far less data and energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cToday\u0027s artificial neural networks are trained by vast amounts data \u2014 it\u2019s about nurture,\u201d says Imam. \u201cBut the brain is not a blank slate that gets trained by experience. It is a mix of nature and nurture, and the nature is that pre-wired architecture.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe could translate that architecture to AI systems to make it more brain-like, or make it learn or function as efficiently as the brain.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was a collaboration with Cornell University and was supported by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aec6112\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Edoi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aec6112\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study from Georgia Tech examines how different brain systems scale together across species, offering a new perspective on brain organization \u2014 and its potential applications in artificial intelligence.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study from Georgia Tech examines how different brain systems scale together across species, offering a new perspective on brain organization \u2014 and its potential applications in artificial intelligence."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-06-29 18:27:57","changed_gmt":"2026-07-02 14:56:41","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680528":{"id":"680528","type":"image","title":"brain-halves.jpeg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EResearchers found that coordinated changes across brain systems may be explained by two distinct wiring strategies \u2014 spatially organized circuits and distributed networks \u2014 that expand and contract together over evolution.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1782757701","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:28:21","changed":"1782757701","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 18:28:21","alt":"Digital illustration of a brain surrounded by two distinct visual patterns. One side is composed of structured blue connections resembling an organized network map, while the other features colorful, dispersed light patterns, representing distributed neural activity. The image symbolizes competing brain architectures explored in the study.","file":{"fid":"264802","name":"brain-halves.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/brain-halves.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/brain-halves.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5350147,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/brain-halves.jpeg?itok=7doQLT23"}},"680530":{"id":"680530","type":"image","title":"Fig2.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EA conceptual illustration of the two wiring strategies identified in the study. Spatially organized circuits in the neocortex (left) preserve map-like relationships, while distributed networks in the limbic system (right) connect information across locations, creating a tradeoff that may shape brain evolution.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1782758455","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:40:55","changed":"1782758455","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 18:40:55","alt":"A balance scale holds two diagrams representing different brain wiring strategies. The left side shows an ordered rainbow-colored map labeled \u0022Neocortex,\u0022 illustrating localized connections that preserve spatial organization. The right side shows a web of interconnected colored nodes labeled \u0022Limbic System,\u0022 representing distributed connections that integrate information across space. The image symbolizes the tradeoff between these competing neural architectures proposed by the study.","file":{"fid":"264804","name":"Fig2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":866124,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig2.png?itok=7rXvH4XZ"}},"680531":{"id":"680531","type":"image","title":"Fig1-Imam.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECross-sections of a squirrel monkey brain (left) and a nine-banded armadillo brain (right) illustrate how different neural systems expand or shrink together across species. The highly visual squirrel monkey has a larger neocortex (blue), while the scent-reliant armadillo has a larger olfactory complex (purple) and memory center (green).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782758808","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:46:48","changed":"1782758808","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 18:46:48","alt":"Comparative brain images showing a squirrel monkey on the left and a nine-banded armadillo on the right. Colored overlays highlight major brain systems: extensive blue neocortical regions in the monkey and enlarged purple olfactory regions in the armadillo, illustrating how different species allocate brain space according to their sensory needs.","file":{"fid":"264805","name":"Fig1-Imam.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig1-Imam.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig1-Imam.png","mime":"image\/png","size":158938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig1-Imam.png?itok=dbPFTe7d"}}},"media_ids":["680528","680530","680531"],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAudra Davidson\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bwine3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBryant Wine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bwine3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690920":{"#nid":"690920","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Earns Top-10 Rankings in Innovation Commercialization","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech continues to strengthen its position as one of the nation\u2019s leaders in research commercialization, earning top-10 rankings among U.S. higher education institutions in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/autm.net\/surveys-and-tools\/surveys\/licensing-survey\/2025-licensing-survey\u0022\u003E2025 AUTM Licensing Activity Survey.\u003C\/a\u003E In two key measures of innovation performance, Georgia Tech came in at No. six for invention disclosures with 454 total disclosures, as well as No. 8 in new patent applications with 230 filings. Additionally, Georgia Tech came in No. 12 in the number of issued U.S. patents with 124 granted. The annual AUTM survey is widely regarded as the leading benchmark for academic technology transfer and commercialization activity in the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe latest rankings build on a record year for Georgia Tech commercialization. In 2025, the Institute \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-advances-500-technologies-toward-market-real-world-impact\u0022\u003Ereported\u003C\/a\u003E advancing hundreds of technologies toward the marketplace, while achieving record levels of invention disclosures, issued patents, and licensed technologies. Those milestones underscore Georgia Tech\u2019s expanding role in transforming research discoveries into products, companies, and partnerships that create economic and societal value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe strong performance reflects a commercialization strategy focused not only on protecting IP, but also on helping researchers translate discoveries into practical applications,\u201d said Raghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar, chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech. \u201cWhether through licensing technologies, launching startups, or partnering with industry, we are building pathways that help researchers transform discoveries into real-world solutions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom advanced health technologies to environmental monitoring tools and next-generation aerospace ventures, Georgia Tech innovations are reaching users and markets in increasingly diverse ways. One example is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/05\/11\/kinemo-turning-small-movements-new-possibilities\u0022\u003EKinemo\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup developed through Georgia Tech research that is helping people with limited mobility regain independence through wearable assistive technology. Founded by researchers from the College of Engineering, Kinemo uses physiological sensing and small intentional movements to enable users to control digital devices. The company works closely with clinicians and patients at Shepherd Center to refine the technology and expand accessibility for individuals living with spinal cord injuries and mobility limitations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother example is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/02\/georgia-tech-researchers-commercialize-new-technology-faster-water-and-environmental\u0022\u003ESkopii\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup launched from research in the lab of environmental engineering professor Ameet Pinto. The company is commercializing portable imaging and artificial intelligence technology that enables users to rapidly analyze microorganisms in water and environmental systems, eliminating the need for lengthy laboratory testing. The technology has the potential to improve decision-making for water utilities, food production systems, and environmental monitoring efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs research institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate impact beyond publications and laboratory discoveries, Georgia Tech continues to show how world-class research can translate into technologies, startups, jobs, and solutions that improve lives. The latest AUTM rankings provide another measure of that success, highlighting an innovation ecosystem that consistently moves ideas from the lab to the marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartups such as Kinemo and Skopii illustrate the broader commercialization approach reflected in Georgia Tech\u0027s AUTM rankings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech earns top-10 rankings among U.S. higher education institutions in two key measures of innovation performance in the 2025 AUTM Licensing Activity Survey.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech continues to strengthen its position as one of the nation\u2019s leaders in research commercialization"}],"uid":"34602","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:24:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 19:44:19","author":"Georgia Parmelee","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680518":{"id":"680518","type":"image","title":"Kinemo co-founders Nordine Sebkhi and Arpan Bhavsar work with Wendell Odom during an assistive technology session using the Kinemo device to support independent computer and device control.","body":null,"created":"1782417464","gmt_created":"2026-06-25 19:57:44","changed":"1782417464","gmt_changed":"2026-06-25 19:57:44","alt":"Two researchers and a patient using the Kinemo technology. ","file":{"fid":"264791","name":"Kinemo-020.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/Kinemo-020.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/Kinemo-020.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2571708,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/25\/Kinemo-020.JPG?itok=oJVLRVqN"}}},"media_ids":["680518"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"},{"id":"192930","name":"gt-commercializationnews"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Parmelee\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["georgia.parmelee@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691018":{"#nid":"691018","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Research Seeks to Help Transplanted Cells Thrive in Type 1 Diabetes Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/alexander-e-vlahos\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Vlahos\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been awarded a five-year, research grant from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.breakthrought1d.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener nofollow noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreakthrough T1D\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, to support pioneering work aimed at improving therapies for T1D. The award will support Vlahos\u2019 project, \u003Cem\u003E\u201cRewiring Cellular Microenvironments with Synthetic Circuits for Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E through the Georgia Tech Research Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ET1D is caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, requiring individuals to manage their blood glucose levels through lifelong insulin therapy. Transplanting pancreatic islets has long been investigated as a potential curative treatment, but long-lasting success in extrahepatic sites has been limited\u2014particularly when islets are transplanted beneath the skin\u2014due to poor blood vessel formation, immune rejection, and cellular stress following transplantation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVlahos\u2019 research addresses these limitations by combining synthetic biology\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eand tissue engineering\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ein a new way: engineering cells to actively reshape their local environment after transplantation to make it more hospitable for the graft. Rather than relying solely on biomaterials or porous structures to support transplanted cells, the project focuses on programming the cells themselves to sense stress and respond dynamically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/news\/new-research-seeks-help-transplanted-cells-thrive-type-1-diabetes-treatment\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support Vlahos\u2019 project, \u003Cem\u003E\u201cRewiring Cellular Microenvironments with Synthetic Circuits for Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E through the Georgia Tech Research Corporation. Transplanting pancreatic islets has long been investigated as a potential curative treatment, but long-lasting success in extrahepatic sites has been limited. Vlahos\u2019 research addresses existing limitations by combining synthetic biology\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eand tissue engineering\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ein a new way: engineering cells to actively reshape their local environment after transplantation to make it more hospitable for the graft.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alexander Vlahos has been awarded a five-year, research grant to support pioneering work aimed at improving therapies for T1D."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-01 17:34:15","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 17:39:38","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680543":{"id":"680543","type":"image","title":"_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","body":null,"created":"1782927261","gmt_created":"2026-07-01 17:34:21","changed":"1782927261","gmt_changed":"2026-07-01 17:34:21","alt":"A medical worker wearing latex gloves uses a device to test a patient\u0027s blood sugar.","file":{"fid":"264817","name":"_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76893,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg?itok=MSzUqn6I"}}},"media_ids":["680543"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"171033","name":"Synthetic Biology"},{"id":"178211","name":"islet"},{"id":"49591","name":"Diabetes"},{"id":"195186","name":"cell engineering"},{"id":"1039","name":"pancreas"},{"id":"3344","name":"insulin"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly Petty | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689494":{"#nid":"689494","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computational Cognition Conference Showcases Georgia Tech\u0027s Advancements in Research Related to the Mind  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence isn\u0027t just changing the way we think about human intelligence \u2014 it\u0027s changing the way we study the mind. \u0022In recent years,\u0022 says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Psychology\u003C\/a\u003E Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/apurva-ratan-murty\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERatan Murty\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0022it has become very apparent to us that we have new ways to study the brain.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose new methods were top of mind as over 100 researchers from across Atlanta gathered for this year\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu\/coco-conference-2026\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EComputational Cognition Conference\u003C\/a\u003E (CoCo Con). Hosted by Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter of Excellence in Computational Cognition (CoCo)\u003C\/a\u003E on March 13, the conference allowed researchers from Georgia Tech and beyond working at the intersection of the mind and advanced computing to gain insights into both human cognition and artificial intelligence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoCo itself is \u201ca hub for research, education, and community\u201d housed within the Georgia Tech School of Psychology says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/robert-wilson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERobert Wilson\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in Psychology and director of CoCo. Launched in 2023, the center is home to more than 50 affiliate faculty and 100 trainees across Georgia Tech, Atlanta, and beyond using computational methods to study the mind. Through chalk talks, educational programs, and conferences like CoCo Con, the center aims to rethink how we approach the study of the mind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conference featured multidisciplinary talks spanning the full breadth of computation cognition \u2014 from exploration and avoidance in anxiety, what makes music memorable, the theory of mind in humans and machines, dynamic drift diffusion modeling, and the structure of memory for narratives \u2014 overall highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the day featured a robust poster session highlighting work by the eight inaugural \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu\/coco-pilot-grants\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECoCo Pilot Grant recipients\u003C\/a\u003E as well as other postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates doing computational cognition research at Atlanta-based institutions. In total, there were 20 posters ranging from the physics of cognition to naturalistic decision making and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA running theme throughout the conference was the growing influence of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence \u2014 and how researchers are preparing for the ethical, social and practical challenges that they bring. \u201cThe next operating system won\u2019t run on your phone,\u201d said DeBrae Kennedy-Mayo, senior academic professional in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E and one of the conference speakers. \u201cIt will run on your brain.\u201d With such rapidly advancing technology and the growing reach of computational cognition research, institutions like CoCo are looking to rethink the current practices of studying brain data in a modern light.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnding the conference was a panel discussion with researchers from across psychology, anthropology, and related fields to reflect on the future of brain research. Together, they explored what it means to do computational cognition research through the central question: What should be in the CoCo canon?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discussion emphasized that understanding what we are studying \u2014 and how we study it \u2014 is particularly important in an interdisciplinary field. While the narrative or canon of a field is defined by shared knowledge, skills, and history, computational cognition blurs those boundaries. Ultimately, as posed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/anthropology.emory.edu\/people\/bios\/stout-dietrich.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEmory Department Chair and Professor of Anthropology Dietrich Stout\u003C\/a\u003E, the field is \u201can interdisciplinary space trying to become a disciplinary space\u201d within the vast array of sciences, technology, mathematics, and engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith or without a defined canon, the day underscored the importance of computational cognition for understanding not just how the mind works, but the future of cutting-edge technologies that shape how we approach the study of the mind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA running theme throughout the conference was the growing influence of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence \u2014 and how researchers are preparing for the ethical, social and practical challenges that they bring.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A running theme throughout the conference was the growing influence of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence \u2014 and how researchers are preparing for the ethical, social and practical challenges that they bring."}],"uid":"36781","created_gmt":"2026-04-07 16:33:19","changed_gmt":"2026-06-30 16:41:21","author":"hashcraft6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679876":{"id":"679876","type":"image","title":"Image of CoCo Con 2026 Poster Presentations ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is an image of 2 of the CoCo Con 2026 Posters. Poster presenters are interacting with conference attendees.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775580160","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","changed":"1775580160","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","alt":"CoCo Con 2026 Image 1","file":{"fid":"264096","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-07-124002.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124002.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124002.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1227681,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124002.png?itok=nHU52DG1"}},"679877":{"id":"679877","type":"image","title":"Image of CoCo Con 2026 Neurotechnologies, Brain Data, Privacy, and Cybersecurity presentation","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is an image of the Neurotechnologies, Brain Data, Privacy, and Cybersecurity: Examining the Present and Looking to the Future presentation, given by DeBrae Kennedy-Mayo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775580160","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","changed":"1775580160","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","alt":"CoCo Con 2026 Image 2","file":{"fid":"264097","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-07-124019.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124019.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124019.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1032596,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124019.png?itok=GsNH67aY"}},"679878":{"id":"679878","type":"image","title":"Image of CoCo Con 2026 Attendee Collaboration","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is an image of some CoCo Con 2026 attendees collaborating and discussing their research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775580160","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","changed":"1775580160","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","alt":"CoCo Con 2026 Image 3","file":{"fid":"264098","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-07-124027.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124027.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124027.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1170295,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124027.png?itok=AcwAIsYj"}},"679879":{"id":"679879","type":"image","title":"Image of CoCo Con 2026 CoCo Canon Panel","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is an image of the CoCo Con 2026 CoCo Canon Panel, featuring Georgia Tech and Emory research faculty and academic professionals involved with computation cognition research and education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775580160","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","changed":"1775580160","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 16:42:40","alt":"CoCo Con 2026 Image 4","file":{"fid":"264099","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-07-124040.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124040.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124040.png","mime":"image\/png","size":904147,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-124040.png?itok=SRWOFK5J"}}},"media_ids":["679876","679877","679878","679879"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coco.psych.gatech.edu\/","title":"More about the CoCo"},{"url":"https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/news\/brain-ai-and-back-georgia-tech-hosts-inaugural-computational-cognition-conference","title":"From Brain to AI and Back: Georgia Tech Hosts Inaugural Computational Cognition Conference"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Hunter Ashcraft\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Student Assistant\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Audra Davidson\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690903":{"#nid":"690903","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mining New Possibilities for Critical Minerals: Mapping a Stronger U.S. Supply Chain","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECritical minerals power the technologies that define modern life, from batteries and semiconductors to advanced manufacturing systems and defense applications. They are also essential to the nation\u2019s energy future, manufacturing competitiveness, and national security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/cmei\/articles\/does-office-critical-minerals-and-energy-innovation-launches-regional-consortia\u0022\u003Emajor investment\u003C\/a\u003E from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Georgia Tech is helping accelerate the development of domestic critical minerals from unconventional and secondary resources. The $7.5 million award positions the Institute to advance supply chain solutions that span resource discovery, processing, recycling, and circular materials management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESelected by DOE\u2019s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Georgia Tech will lead the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. The regional effort builds on DOE\u2019s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) initiative and will examine potential resources across the Atlantic coastal plain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CM-MAP project will focus on sedimentary deposits, including kaolin, bauxite, heavy mineral sands, and phosphates, as well as legacy mining residues, coal combustion byproducts, and other unconventional and secondary resources that could support future recycling and circular economy opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on existing infrastructure, regional assets, industry bases, and scientific expertise, CM-MAP will establish a regional innovation ecosystem that supports domestic critical mineral production, recycling, and advanced manufacturing, while fostering new economic opportunities throughout the Southeast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a powerful example of how Georgia Tech brings together leading research capabilities and partnerships from industry, government, nonprofits, and national labs to address complex national challenges,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president for Research. \u201cBy identifying and domestically sourcing critical minerals, we are helping secure essential supply chains, while enabling the next generation of energy and materials technologies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe DOE award builds on a growing network of research, industry, regional, and international partnerships led by Georgia Tech to translate scientific discovery into real-world supply chain solutions, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea149f3a1369a08e50ecd550f254e4fc6\u0022\u003EResearch leadership \u2014 Founded in 2024, Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research and technology development across the Institute.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3525757baf2e98febb34b5a40cf084bc\u0022\u003ERegional partnerships \u2014Through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Partnership for Essential Materials\u003C\/a\u003E, a flagship regional collaboration platform, Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and the Georgia Mining Association convene stakeholders from across the critical minerals sector. The partnership brings together industry, nonprofit organizations, regional economic development agencies, national labs, universities, and technical colleges to connect, collaborate, and stay engaged in the latest developments.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebccf1688cc8ca7d30f05f3e54fb5b005\u0022\u003EInternational engagement \u2014 A\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/04\/13\/georgia-universities-and-uk-partners-strengthen-collaboration-critical-minerals-gems-4\u0022\u003EU.K.-U.S. working group\u003C\/a\u003E extends partnerships across the Southeastern United States and Southwest United Kingdom, connecting researchers, industry leaders, and government agencies working to strengthen global supply chains.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1647f02ab83f892d6c95813afcbe8a2e\u0022\u003EGeorgia Critical Mineral Supply Chain Manufacturing Demonstration Center \u2014 Supported through\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/buddycarter.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=16085\u0022\u003Econgressional funding\u003C\/a\u003E, the center is developing capabilities and regional supply chain demonstrations that connect resource development, materials processing, recycling, and advanced manufacturing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of CM-MAP, researchers will analyze materials collected from natural deposits and industrial sites throughout the Southeast to identify their critical mineral content. The resulting large datasets will be combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to better understand and predict where resources exist, optimize extraction pathways, and inform future recovery and recycling strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project brings together a highly collaborative team from Georgia Tech, national labs, industry partners, and research institutions across the region,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, the principal investigator and Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is also the founding director of the Center for Critical Mineral Solutions and executive director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough this award, we are working to build secure and resilient critical materials supply chains, from resource discovery and characterization to processing, recovery, recycling, and advanced manufacturing, while also developing the skilled workforce needed to support these emerging industries,\u201d Tang said. \u201cOur vision is to create a regional innovation ecosystem that embraces both unconventional resources and circular economy approaches to maximize the value of materials already in use.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about critical materials research and workforce development efforts at Georgia Tech by visiting the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E webpage.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESelected by DOE\u2019s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Georgia Tech will lead the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. The regional effort builds on DOE\u2019s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) initiative and will examine potential resources across the Atlantic coastal plain.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:37:05","changed_gmt":"2026-06-30 16:31:15","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680536":{"id":"680536","type":"image","title":"Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EUnited States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/netl-exchange.energy.gov\/FileContent.aspx?FileID=fe48ff94-6a59-4df7-b490-54b66c8a22ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDepartment of Energy Core-CM Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782837023","gmt_created":"2026-06-30 16:30:23","changed":"1782837023","gmt_changed":"2026-06-30 16:30:23","alt":"United States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: Department of Energy Core-CM Initiative","file":{"fid":"264810","name":"Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","mime":"image\/png","size":709702,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png?itok=7Qcc14JW"}}},"media_ids":["680536"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690961":{"#nid":"690961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Advances in Wave Mathematics: Gong Chen Awarded CAREER Grant for Soliton Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWaves play a central role in systems ranging from fluids to fiber optics, yet their long-term behavior can be difficult to predict.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/people\/gong-chen\u0022\u003EGong Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E, has received a\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award\/?AWD_ID=2540992\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;$450,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award\u003C\/a\u003E to study the long-term behavior of solitons \u2014\u0026nbsp;coherent, particle-like waves observed across physics and mathematics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile most waves spread out as they disperse (for example, ripples on water), a soliton is different: it can keep a coherent shape while moving, and in some cases, it can interact with other waves and still emerge recognizable afterward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSolitons are important because they appear across many areas of science, including fluid dynamics, optics, plasma physics, field theory, and models from mathematical physics,\u201d says Chen. \u201cFrom a mathematical point of view, they are a beautiful testing ground for understanding nonlinear behavior.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPredicting Waves\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAccording to Chen, a guiding idea in the field is that complex nonlinear waves may eventually resolve into a collection of stable solitons alongside dispersive radiation \u2014 the more diffuse portion of the wave that spreads out and weakens. Chen\u2019s research focuses on how these waves behave over long periods of time, especially when multiple solitons interact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIf we start with a complicated nonlinear wave, can we predict what it will look like far in the future?\u201d asks Chen. \u201cI want to understand not just whether a wave is stable, but how it evolves: how stability can fail, how energy is exchanged, and how complicated wave motion eventually organizes itself.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHis work examines multi-soliton systems and more complex wave structures, including topological solitons, where long-range interactions and internal fluctuations make the mathematics more challenging.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EChen is developing new mathematical frameworks tailored to these moving and interacting waves, including tools from spectral theory and nonlinear scattering. These approaches allow researchers to analyze wave behavior with new precision in settings where existing methods are limited.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA key part of this work involves nonlinear dispersive equations, which capture the competing effects that shape wave systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cA complicated wave may contain several solitons, some radiation that spreads away, and small oscillations trapped near the solitons,\u201d explains Chen. \u201cNonlinear dispersive equations allow us to ask precise questions: Which part of the wave persists? Which part disperses? How much energy is released during a collision? Does the system eventually simplify into solitons plus radiation?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAlthough the work is theoretical, it strengthens the foundation for models used widely in science and engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cA better theoretical understanding of solitons and dispersive waves improves the reliability of these models,\u201d Chen says. \u201cIt helps us know when coherent structures should persist, when they should radiate energy, and when instability or collision effects may change the outcome.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond Research: Teaching and Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EChen plans to use the CAREER Award to integrate research and education. He is organizing a summer school focused on dispersive waves and developing new courses, including a second-level course in partial differential equations that emphasizes connections to physical phenomena.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe CAREER Award provides the stability and long-term support needed to pursue a coherent research program rather than isolated projects,\u201d says Chen. \u201cFor me, the award is especially meaningful because the research and education components are closely connected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EChen aims to help students connect mathematical theory with real-world phenomena.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor Chen, that connection is what makes the field compelling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOne point I would emphasize is that soliton dynamics is a place where abstract mathematics meets very intuitive physical pictures,\u201d says Chen. \u201cUnderstanding when that particle-like behavior persists, when it breaks down, and what remains afterward is both mathematically deep and scientifically natural.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program is a five-year grant designed to help promising researchers establish a foundation for a lifetime of leadership in their field. Known as CAREER awards, the grants are NSF\u2019s most prestigious funding for early-career faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith support from\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean NSF CAREER Award, Gong Chen is advancing new mathematical frameworks to predict how complex wave systems evolve\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;unlocking deeper insights into solitons, the rare waves that hold their shape while traveling at a constant speed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With support from an NSF CAREER Award, Gong Chen is advancing new mathematical frameworks to predict how complex wave systems evolve \u2014  unlocking deeper insights into solitons, the rare waves that hold their shape while traveling at a constant speed."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-06-29 14:51:53","changed_gmt":"2026-06-29 17:23:30","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678904":{"id":"678904","type":"image","title":"Gong Chen","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGong Chen\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767127050","gmt_created":"2025-12-30 20:37:30","changed":"1767127050","gmt_changed":"2025-12-30 20:37:30","alt":"Man sitting in wall in front of brick building.","file":{"fid":"263000","name":"IMG_7035-2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/30\/IMG_7035-2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/30\/IMG_7035-2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4852545,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/30\/IMG_7035-2.png?itok=OJKdlm_g"}}},"media_ids":["678904"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/news\/chen-named-bergman-fellow","title":"Chen Named Bergman Fellow"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"7842","name":"NSF CAREER Award"},{"id":"193356","name":"cos-math"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"},{"id":"193733","name":"_for_math_site_manual_feed_"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690736":{"#nid":"690736","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Professor, Student Lead Pioneering Research in Women\u2019s Health ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt affects up to one-third of the human population and can create symptoms severe enough to lead to hospitalization, yet much about what causes it remains a mystery. It\u2019s rarely discussed in public, often goes undiagnosed, and remains a consistently \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/immersive\/d41586-023-01475-2\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eunderfunded\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aamc.org\/news\/why-we-know-so-little-about-women-s-health\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eunderstudied\u003C\/a\u003E area of science.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is this mystery condition? Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), which can cause severe pain, anemia, fatigue, and may even require some women to get blood transfusions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScience has historically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/time.com\/7171341\/gender-gap-medical-research\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoverlooked\u003C\/a\u003E diseases and conditions such as HMB that predominantly affect women, but one Georgia Tech researcher and his doctoral student are working to change that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAbout 30 percent of women have heavy menstrual, and that can cause them to become anemic,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/david-ku\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThere are a lot of lost days where there\u0027s fatigue and embarrassment from bleeding too much, and the causes of that bleeding are poorly understood.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKu, a faculty member in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, has received initial funding from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wellcomeleap.org\/the-missed-vital-sign\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWellcome Leap\u003C\/a\u003E to study whether clotting disorders contribute to HMB. The condition is most often attributed to hormone imbalances, leading many patients to receive treatments such as hormonal therapies that help manage symptoms. But in some cases, these treatments may treat symptoms while leaving an underlying bleeding disorder undiagnosed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf a woman goes on the pill, it supposedly regulates the hormones and masks if there\u0027s a blood clotting problem,\u201d Ku said. \u201cIf she has a clotting problem and doesn\u2019t know it, she could run into other clotting problems if she has an injury or some type of trauma in the future. By diagnosing it properly, we can fix it properly.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the study, Ku and his team of Chris Bresette, Minki Kang, and Raphaelle Dodart, are using a microfluidic blood-clotting test developed in the Ku laboratory to investigate whether clotting dysfunction contributes to heavy menstrual bleeding. This handheld instrument \u2014 which runs blood through a microfluidic tube about the width of a human hair \u2014 measures the speed of blood clotting and may open up possibilities for more personalized patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to develop a point of care device that could allow gynecologists to diagnose the problem while the patient is visiting, as opposed to sending the blood off to the lab,\u201d Ku said. \u201cCurrently, there is no good test for that. We\u2019ve simplified the microscope system so that you can directly see whether the blood is clotting by going through that small tube.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDodart, who was studying the mechanics of clotting and hypothesized the prevalence in HMB, is recruiting volunteers for the study. She is currently working with women who exhibit symptoms of HMB and are willing to give a small amount of blood to be tested through the diagnostic device. If her hypothesis around blood clotting is proven true, the study can expand further into the realm of treatment options.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe main goal now is that we identify a cause,\u201d Dodart said. \u201cIn the future, hopefully we can focus on finding some solutions, some non-hormonal treatments, because we are looking for a treatable dysfunction.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough women\u2019s health remains a largely underfunded area of science, the landscape is beginning to shift thanks to researchers like Ku and Dodart.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a widespread problem that not too many people have studied,\u201d Ku said. \u201cWhat we are studying is one of the treatable causes for heavy menstrual bleeding that we could actually change the outcome of right now.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Study Could Eventually Result in Improved Diagnostic Tool and Treatments for Common Disorder "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHeavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) affects up to one-third of the human population and can create symptoms severe enough to lead to hospitalization, yet much about what causes it remains a mystery. David Ku, a faculty member in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, has received initial funding from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wellcomeleap.org\/the-missed-vital-sign\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWellcome Leap\u003C\/a\u003E to study whether clotting disorders contribute to HMB.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Science has historically overlooked diseases and conditions that predominantly affect women, but one Georgia Tech researcher and his doctoral student are working to change that. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-06-12 13:12:55","changed_gmt":"2026-06-25 15:52:30","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680456":{"id":"680456","type":"image","title":"HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDoctoral student Raphaelle Dodart looks through a microscope at a small sample of clotted blood contained in a microfluidic chip.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1781269982","gmt_created":"2026-06-12 13:13:02","changed":"1781269982","gmt_changed":"2026-06-12 13:13:02","alt":"A woman in a laboratory wearing a white lab coat looks through a microscope on a benchtop. Petri dishes and a digital scale sit nearby, with lab supplies and equipment arranged on shelves and counters. A window in the background shows greenery outside, and cables connect the microscope to nearby devices.","file":{"fid":"264718","name":"HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/12\/HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/12\/HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":116366,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/12\/HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg?itok=05VYGJ1j"}}},"media_ids":["680456"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690746":{"#nid":"690746","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GIGABYTE Grant Supports Robotics and AI Ecosystem at Tech ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lab-idar.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELaboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots (LIDAR)\u003C\/a\u003E was awarded a $1 million, three-year industrial grant from GIGABYTE to advance robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) research, with a focus on helping robots better interact with the real world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grant will support building a robotics and AI ecosystem for dexterous and mobile manipulation, enabling robots to move through environments, interact with objects, and adapt to changing conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/zhao\u0022\u003EYe Zhao\u003C\/a\u003E, LIDAR director and associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, leads the project, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/anqi-wu\u0022\u003EAnqi Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, serving as co-principal investigator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/gigabyte-grant-supports-robotics-and-ai-ecosystem-tech\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Laboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots (LIDAR) was awarded a $1 million, three-year industrial grant from GIGABYTE to advance robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) research, with a focus on helping robots better interact with the real world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grant will support building a robotics and AI ecosystem for dexterous and mobile manipulation, enabling robots to move through environments, interact with objects, and adapt to changing conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYe Zhao, LIDAR director and associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, leads the project, with Anqi Wu, assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering, serving as co-principal investigator.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Laboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots (LIDAR) was awarded a $1 million, three-year industrial grant from GIGABYTE to advance robotics and AI research, with a focus on helping robots better interact with the real world. "}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-06-12 19:28:34","changed_gmt":"2026-06-25 14:20:07","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690910":{"#nid":"690910","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What It Takes to Deliver a Tech\u2011Heavy World Cup","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith an estimated 500,000 visitors coming to the eight games in Atlanta over the next two months, the 2026 World Cup will be one of the biggest sporting events to come to the city since the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIFA President Gianni Infantino likened the scale of each game to that of a Super Bowl. The success of a tournament that large will rely heavily on technology, affecting everything from the players on the pitch, all the way to viewers at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn top of the state-of-the-art technology used at many large events, this World Cup will also see the debut of new technology. At the center of much of it will be electrical and computer engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts from the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) weigh in on how the field is enabling the technology behind the world\u2019s largest sporting event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/what-it-takes-deliver-tech-heavy-world-cup\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ECE News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWith hundreds of thousands of people attending the 104 World Cup games over the next 39 days and billions more watching at home, an immense amount of technology will be needed to ensure a seamless, safe, and enjoyable experience. Experts from ECE explain how electrical and computer engineering are facilitating some of the tournament\u0027s newest and most crucial technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With hundreds of thousands of people attending the 104 World Cup games, Georgia Tech experts explain  how electrical and computer engineering are facilitating some of the tournament\u0027s newest and most crucial technology."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 21:24:12","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 21:28:36","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680512":{"id":"680512","type":"image","title":"What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1782336352","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 21:25:52","changed":"1782336420","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 21:27:00","alt":"Stock image that shows a soccer stadium as the center of an AI chip design","file":{"fid":"264785","name":"What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":272785,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg?itok=EGonBxq9"}}},"media_ids":["680512"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/what-it-takes-deliver-tech-heavy-world-cup","title":"Read Full Story on ECE News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EZachary Winiecki\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDan Watson, Georgia Tech ECE\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690808":{"#nid":"690808","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Gets to the Core of AI Drone Crashes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown as FIRA, the tool analyzes drone crashes to determine whether they were caused by poisoned machine-learning (ML) models. The team will present its findings at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\u0022\u003E35th USENIX Security Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E in August.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research addresses a growing safety challenge as drones are increasingly used for deliveries, infrastructure inspections, and agriculture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs drones rely more on machine learning to navigate and make decisions, they also become vulnerable to model poisoning attacks. In these attacks, adversaries manipulate an AI system during its learning phase, embedding hidden triggers that can cause failures under specific conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMachine learning drones are making more decisions in flight, which makes ML a safety-critical component of these systems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYizhi Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. student and lead researcher on the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen something goes wrong, investigators need a way to ask whether the model was responsible, but the model is the part of the system that no one can examine after a crash.\u0026nbsp;FIRA\u0026nbsp;gives investigators a way to investigate these cases by reconstructing what the model was doing during the crash. As more drones run with ML, this kind of forensic capability can help drones be used more effectively and safely.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a drone crashes, investigators must determine whether the cause was malicious interference, weather, or mechanical failure. Without reliable forensic tools, accountability is difficult to establish, and safety standards are harder to enforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIRA identifies how drone components interact with machine learning models and monitors those interactions in real time, even with limited bandwidth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system functions like a flight recorder, capturing key system activity and reconstructing a timeline after a crash. It then analyzes the model\u2019s behavior to determine whether a malicious trigger was introduced via poisoned ML training data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn tests across multiple drone platforms and crash scenarios, FIRA identified failure causes and distinguished cyberattacks from environmental or mechanical issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system does not require access to a drone\u2019s source code, making it practical for real-world investigations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs commercial drone use expands, tools like FIRA could help improve accountability and trust in AI-powered systems operating in public airspace,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Huang.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/system\/files\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\/sec26_prepub_huang-yizhi.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFIRA: Enabling Automatic Forensic Investigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was led by Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyber Forensics Innovation Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in cooperation with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. These labs reside in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computing Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to determine whether a cyberattack caused drone crashes."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-06-18 17:32:32","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 20:39:30","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660599":{"id":"660599","type":"image","title":"CyFI Lab Sign","body":null,"created":"1661532564","gmt_created":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","changed":"1661532564","gmt_changed":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","alt":"Sign reading Cyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory The CyFI Lab","file":{"fid":"250302","name":"SCP August 2022-66.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9087261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png?itok=7KS9Gbz_"}}},"media_ids":["660599"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690884":{"#nid":"690884","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ICSFlux: Using Physics to Uncover Cyberthreats ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe factories, water utilities, and power systems that keep daily life running rest on the assumption that as long as no one breaks into the computers that run the equipment, the equipment stays safe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELogically this makes sense and has been backed up by past security research. However, researchers at Georgia Tech have found hidden paths in cyber-physical systems that attackers can use to disrupt or even destroy them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find these hidden paths before an attacker does, the researchers built a testing tool called ICSFlux. This new tool leans on the physics used by the industrial process and maps out the system to find new threats that were once thought impossible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EICSFlux was deployed across 11 different programmable logic controllers in six industrial sectors, including chemical manufacturing, water treatment, power grids, aircraft, desalination, and waste processing. The process uncovered twenty genuine safety violations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one case drawn from a chemical-plant simulation, an attack path uncovered by the tool drove a reactor past its safe pressure limit and into a simulated explosion. By using nothing but valid operator commands, the team took the reactor from a completely normal and stable state to critical territory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the method relies only on the physics of a process and not on the details of any one controller, the same tool worked across all six sectors without being rebuilt, and it reduced the search space by roughly 50%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sahinburak.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBurak Sahin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech and the study\u0027s lead author, found that by sending a series of perfectly normal, fully authorized commands, intruders can slowly nudge a physical process toward a dangerous state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese systems are usually judged safe as long as nobody hacks into them,\u0027\u0027 Sahin said. \u201cWhat we found is that an attacker who can send everyday commands, the same ones a normal operator sends, can patiently steer the process toward a failure. No single command looks wrong, which is exactly why the usual defenses miss it.\u0027\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost existing tools assume an attacker can rewire the controller or change the software inside it. In the real world, those controllers are locked down and cannot be touched. ICSFlux takes the opposite and more realistic view. It treats the controller as a sealed box that cannot be opened and works only with the commands an operator is normally allowed to send.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than measuring how much of a controller\u0027s software it has exercised, the usual yardstick for this kind of testing, ICSFlux measures how close the physical system is getting to an unsafe limit and steers its testing in that direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTwo different sensor readings can run through the exact same code and still send a reactor in completely different directions,\u0027\u0027 Sahin said. \u201cLooking only at the software tells you nothing about whether the physical system is safe. We had to follow the physics, not the code.\u0027\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the study\u0027s most important takeaways emerged when the researchers tightened the safety margins to see whether caution alone would help. Even when every command stayed within approved limits, the way the controller reacted to a steady stream of small adjustments could still cause pressure to overshoot and the reactor to fail. In other words, staying inside the rules was not always enough.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of the team\u0027s experiments were carried out on secured, controlled test beds. The work was conducted with Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Systems Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, whose research spans the security of cyber-physical systems from industrial programmable logic controllers to marine, automotive, and drone platforms. Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, a team of researchers who work together to further the investigation of advanced cyber crimes and the analysis and prevention of next-generation malware attacks, also contributed to the paper.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe labs are a collaboration between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuzzing the Physical Space: Physics-Aware Testing of Black-Box Industrial Control Systems\u003C\/em\u003E\u0027 was accepted to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sp2026.ieee-security.org\/\u0022\u003E2026 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E. In addition to Sahin, the team includes Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Oygenblik\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMingxuan Yao\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EYizhi Huang \u003C\/strong\u003Eas well as Associate Professors \u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe factories, water utilities, and power systems that keep daily life running rest on the assumption that as long as no one breaks into the computers that run the equipment, the equipment stays safe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELogically this makes sense and has been backed up by past security research. However, researchers at Georgia Tech have found hidden paths in cyber-physical systems that attackers can use to disrupt or even destroy them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find these hidden paths before an attacker does, the researchers built a testing tool called ICSFlux. This new tool leans on the physics used by the industrial process and maps out the system to find new threats that were once thought impossible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"To find hidden vulnerabilites before an attacker does, researchers built a testing tool called ICSFlux that leans on the physics used by the industrial process and maps out the system to find new threats once thought impossible. "}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 14:57:00","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 15:10:58","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680500":{"id":"680500","type":"image","title":"utilities.jpg","body":null,"created":"1782313123","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:58:43","changed":"1782313123","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:58:43","alt":"A collection of utilities like power plants, geothermal stations, solar farms, etc.","file":{"fid":"264773","name":"utilities.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/utilities.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/utilities.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3540206,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/utilities.jpg?itok=RC1Hy0vy"}},"680501":{"id":"680501","type":"image","title":"Burak-Sahin.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBurak Sahin\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, advised by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/samanzonouz4n6\/saman-zonouz\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECPSec Lab\u003C\/a\u003E) and co-advised by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/saltaformaggio.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyFI Lab\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782313398","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:03:18","changed":"1782313398","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:03:18","alt":"A side profile of a man\u0027s face. He has long hair and a beard","file":{"fid":"264774","name":"Burak-Sahin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Burak-Sahin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Burak-Sahin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75559,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Burak-Sahin.jpg?itok=3mVGJ9eI"}}},"media_ids":["680500","680501"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690868":{"#nid":"690868","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Logistics in Transition: What to Know, What to Watch, and How to Keep Moving","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBy \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Managing Director of the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute and a former Vice President of Global Strategic Supply Chain at The Coca-Cola Company.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn this article:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed13dbb9bf72908398cb97fe89266003f\u0022\u003EWhy the relentlessness of change in logistics is a legitimate concern \u2014 not a complaint\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3b86c34b3fa5a085d70d3ad6966c9e9c\u0022\u003EStructural shifts reshaping the competitive floor\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec066ede3e1622b112d34df2b330f7a9d\u0022\u003EPredictions most leaders are still underweighting\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb96017cf9b196ac23bb69766030517cb\u0022\u003EWhat staying current actually requires of individuals and teams\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Weight of Constant Curveballs\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA few months ago, I caught up with a former colleague at an industry event. He is a senior leader at a large global company with a well-regarded supply chain organization. His team had been through a lot since we last talked. Port closures. Tariff escalations. Freight volatility. Inventory repositioning. The kinds of disruptions that used to arrive once in a cycle had become an avalanche, and this was before Hormuz!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis people had responded well. They had adapted. But now he was thinking about something harder to solve: \u0026nbsp;what it would take to keep them in the game longer term. The experience his team had gained came at a cost and he worried some would look for roles that were not on the \u201cfiring line\u201d. He also wondered whether he could still attract the best and brightest in the next generation of talent who would be looking at this field and asking whether the complexity was worth it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat conversation has stayed with me. Supply chain and logistics has always been a field of cycles \u2014 demanding, but navigable. What has changed is that the field has moved from cyclical difficulty to something more structural: a persistent state of volatility where the curveballs do not stop coming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat conversation was in the back of my mind as I developed a recent talk on logistics trends from 2026 to 2030 for GT SCL Industry Partner Manhattan\u2019s annual Momentum conference. The brief was to look ahead and be a bit provocative. What follows builds on that talk, but with a broader point in view: if the curveballs keep coming, leaders need a clearer sense of which shifts matter most and what they should do about them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe New Operating Environment\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELogistics has entered a structurally more volatile era, not a groundbreaking insight given the last four years. Several things changed at roughly the same time, and they have not changed back:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral shifts hit the industry at once, and none of them have meaningfully reversed. Geopolitics is now a supply chain design variable, not something to catch up on in a podcast. Strategic decoupling between China and the United States, instability in the Middle East, and the long shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict have pushed energy, sourcing, and network design into the same conversation. What once sat in the news feed now needs to be in the nominal scenario during business planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, customer expectations have permanently shifted. Amazon reset the standard for visibility, precision, and speed, and that standard now applies even more as Amazon is emerging as an open source 3PL. Labor and energy costs have also changed the economics of physical logistics in ways that will not self-correct. Demographic pressure, wage inflation, and energy volatility have altered the baseline cost structure calling into question existing network locations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, AI and automation have moved out of the experimental category and into the realm of near-term value creation. The tools are real, and organizations that understand where to apply them are making materially better decisions than those that do not. That matters because networks now have to optimize for two things at once: cost and recovery. Efficiency still matters, but a network that performs well in steady state and fails under disruption no longer meets the standard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is also a macro pattern worth calling out: the industry is in a longer-duration rebalancing cycle than many executives expected. We examined the Hormuz disruption and its downstream effects in a recent SCL Spotlight piece. The short version is that energy pass-through effects, freight volatility, and extended planning uncertainty will impact costs and capacity well into 2027. Executives planning around a near-term return to normal are making a strategic error.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe next decade will reward adaptable logistics networks more than simply optimized ones.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Benchmark Has Changed \u2014 For Everyone\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmazon\u0027s logistics operation is not just something to amaze us as packages arrive at our doorstep consistently with compressed lead times. It is a capability demonstration that has redefined what customers consider normal \u2014 same-day expectations, ETA precision, real-time visibility, low-friction returns. The important implication is not that every organization needs to replicate Amazon\u0027s infrastructure. It is that Amazon-shaped expectations are now the standard against which every supply chain is measured, whether or not Amazon is a direct competitor. Amazon\u2019s recent announcement that it is making its capabilities available to all only raises the bar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations that understand this have shifted their strategic question from \u0022how do we improve our operations\u0022 to \u0022where will we compete, where will we leverage others\u0027 capabilities, and where will we differentiate on something Amazon cannot replicate.\u0022 The benchmark is no longer functional excellence alone. It is well oiled end-to-end execution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Real Automation Story: Error-Proofing Over Spectacle\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is a version of the automation conversation that focuses on \u0026nbsp;\u201cwow\u201d demos \u2014 autonomous vehicles, lights-out warehouses, robotics showcases. That version makes for compelling conference content. It is also not where most of the real value is being created today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe highest-value wins tend to be quieter: fewer errors, fewer touches, fewer injuries, fewer claims. Computer vision that catches a loading error before a truck leaves the dock. Sensor verification that eliminates a reconciliation step. An alert from a Machine Learning model that prevents a cascading service failure. These are error-proofing stories, and they are compelling because the ROI is measurable in terms operations leaders understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reason automation is scaling in these areas is not novelty \u2014 it is because the math finally works, driven by labor scarcity, safety pressure, and the compounding cost of variability. My own view informed by industry contacts and academic researchers is that computer vision may become one of the most quietly transformative technologies of this decade, not because it is the most advanced, but because it applies to so many high-variability, human-intensive touchpoints across logistics operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat said, a high percentage of large-scale automation efforts still fail. \u0026nbsp;Many of the reasons are well known and tackling this issue is critical for those who do not yet have a model for success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next margin pool may come more from consistency and reliability than from flashy robotics demonstrations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis theme generated significant discussion at the Manhattan Associates\u0027 Momentum conference this spring \u2014 enough that we are dedicating our July SCL webinar to it directly. If your organization is navigating automation decisions, the session is worth your time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAutonomy: Watch the Middle Mile Before the Long Haul\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAutonomous vehicle technology has generated significant hype and its share of missed timelines. A more realistic view is emerging. Autonomy scales first where variability is lowest, economics are clearest, and environments are most constrained \u2014 yard operations, middle-mile freight on repetitive lanes, internal shuttles, port drayage, and warehouse orchestration. This amounts to millions of miles and load counts that are increasing daily.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe organizations watching this most carefully are not asking when full autonomy will arrive. They are asking which specific lanes and operations have the cost structure where autonomy pays out today. One dynamic worth watching: the scaling of urban robotaxi operations is building safety data, insurance frameworks, and regulatory precedent that may indirectly accelerate confidence in middle-mile freight and warehouse applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe shift that matters is not from no autonomy to full autonomy. It is from technology demonstrations to lane economics \u2014 and that is the transition that creates real operating decisions for logistics leaders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAI Is Real \u2014 But Workflow Discipline Matters More Than Tool Selection\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe common reality in most logistics organizations today includes AI copilots, workflow assistance tools, exception management support, improved ETA prediction, and document automation. These are useful. They are also early.\u003Cbr\u003EWhat is still uncommon: autonomous execution, fully integrated AI decisioning across functions, self-optimizing networks, and end-to-end agentic orchestration. Those capabilities exist in pilots and in forward-leaning early adopters. They are not yet standard operating practice in most organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe framing that I keep coming back to is this: start with a broken logistics workflow, then apply the lightest AI capable of clearing a hard ROI threshold. I got a text from a mentee today that showed a picture of a Microsoft Co-pilot Studio agent he built that automates a daily inventory check on a critical SKU. Organizations that start by selecting the most impressive tool and then look for a process to apply it to are making the investment in the wrong order.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is another structural shift worth highlighting. The industry has moved out of data scarcity and is living in decision overload. The challenge is not access to information \u2014 it is building the discipline to convert that information into insight and informed decisions at the right time to impact action.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELogistics first, AI second. Start with the broken workflow. Then apply the lightest tool that clears a hard ROI threshold.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Rising Value of Human Judgment\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBack to the conversation I opened with. The concern was not that my friend\u2019s team lacked technical skills \u2014 it was sustaining engagement and attracting talent to a field that had become genuinely exhausting. That challenge is real, and it is connected to something missed in the automation conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI automates more routine work \u2014 reporting, documentation, tracking, reconciliation \u2014 the work that remains becomes more demanding in different ways. The value shifts toward judgment: escalation management, cross-functional orchestration, interpreting second-order consequences, maintaining trust when the data is ambiguous. The organizations that will attract and retain the strongest professionals are not necessarily those with the most advanced tools. They are the ones that create conditions where smart people make consequential decisions and continue to grow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI capabilities become more democratized across the industry, the differentiating capabilities will increasingly be leadership, communication, collaboration, and the kind of critical thinking that no tool can fully replicate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPredictions Leaders Should Keep an Eye On\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are the shifts I believe deserve more attention than they are getting in most leadership conversations:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb3990583ba42d892b8c0da99a5b8b02c\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Next Major Logistics Disruption May Come From Energy, Not Freight\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGrid strain, electrification demand, AI compute infrastructure buildout, and charging capacity constraints are converging in ways that could reshape logistics economics faster than expected. Power availability is not yet a front-burner strategic issue for most logistics leaders. It should be.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef437499f47298f3ed4f1703bea6703d9\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmazon, Walmart, and Chinese Platforms May Become Competing Logistics Operating Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECompetition is shifting from retailer vs. retailer to ecosystem vs. ecosystem. The organizations that do not think clearly about which ecosystems they are part of, and on what terms, may find themselves structurally disadvantaged.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb276d917f66951b5152b3a81b772f51b\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECyber Attacks on Physical Supply Chains Will Become a Defining Executive Risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs logistics networks become more connected, more automated, and more AI-dependent, your exposure grows. The distinction between cyber risk and operational risk is collapsing. This belongs on the executive agenda as a strategic issue, not just an IT issue.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e50bc6a738d71eec2c18b650738e464af\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrusted Operational Data May Become the Most Valuable Logistics Asset\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOrganizations with clean, well-governed operational data will be able to move fast on AI adoption. Organizations with fragmented, inconsistent data will face a structural disadvantage that no AI investment can overcome. Data discipline is a strategic investment, not a cleanup project.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e6313c2ad5ac7b88704dd03357ed8a40e\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInsurance Companies May Quietly Become Gatekeepers of Automation Adoption\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EScaling autonomy and connected logistics infrastructure depends as much on insurability, liability frameworks, and safety validation as on technical capability. Insurance market dynamics will shape the adoption curve for autonomous operations in ways that are not yet widely discussed in logistics circles.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef08414480855d8814fc8a6671baff198\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Industry May Shift From \u0022Lowest Cost\u0022 to \u0022Fastest Recovery\u0022 as the Defining Competitive Dimensio\u003C\/strong\u003En\u003Cbr\u003EPure cost optimization as a primary network design principle may increasingly underperform against resilience and recovery speed as the basis of competition. The organizations that have already internalized this are building different networks than those still optimizing for cost alone.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Staying Current Actually Requires\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI want to close by coming back to my colleague\u0027s concern \u2014 and to the question he was really asking: how do we help our people process all of this and remain effective?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere is my honest answer. The field is not going to slow down. \u003Cstrong\u003EWhat staying current requires is not reading every article or attending every conference. It requires developing a point of view on the shifts that matter most for your specific context, and then actively deciding how you will act and adjust\u003C\/strong\u003E. Passive awareness is not enough. The question is not whether you know what is changing. It is what you have decided to do about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor organizations, that means investing in conditions that allow talented people to keep learning. For individuals, it means resisting the temptation to treat busyness as a substitute for development. The professionals who remain most valuable will be those who continue to understand what is changing and develop the judgment to translate that understanding into better decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou cannot sit still. The question is not whether you know what is changing. It is what you have decided to do about it.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Opportunity on the Other Side\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI want to end where I began \u2014 with empathy for everyone in this field who is carrying a lot right now. Fatigue is real. The complexity is real. The ongoing intensity is real.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd so is the opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELogistics is no longer just moving product. It is becoming a resilience system, a customer experience system, a technology system, an energy system, and a real-time decision system simultaneously. The professionals who learn to navigate that complexity \u2014 who develop both technical fluency and human judgment \u2014 will be among the most valuable people in any organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe future arrives not as one dramatic breakthrough, but as a sequence of operational readthroughs: decisions made well, workflows redesigned thoughtfully, capabilities built deliberately. That is hard work. It is also genuinely exciting work. And I believe the best of it is still ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ERelated Upcoming SCL Webinar 7\/2\/2026\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/2117803348049\/WN_528KNX2LRFWvO3bZXYaYtg\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Do So Many Automation Projects Fail?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAutomation in logistics is accelerating \u2014 but so is the gap between what is promised and what is delivered. Systems get sized on optimistic assumptions. Hidden dependencies become single points of failure. Technology that shines in the demo struggles under real operating conditions.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELeaders from Georgia Tech\u0027s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute join industry practitioners to dig into the root causes of automation underperformance \u2014 and the design, evaluation, and implementation practices that build more resilient, effective operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/2117803348049\/WN_528KNX2LRFWvO3bZXYaYtg\u0022\u003ERegister Online to attend via Zoom\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECan\u0027t attend live? Register anyway, and we\u0027ll send you the recording afterward\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELogistics isn\u0027t just changing \u2014 it\u2019s being redefined by constant disruption, rising expectations, and new technology. This SCL Spotlight breaks down the biggest shifts shaping the next decade and what leaders must do to stay ahead. Discover the insights that can help you adapt, build resilience, and keep your organization moving.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Discover the insights that can help you adapt, build resilience, and keep your organization moving."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-06-22 21:33:45","changed_gmt":"2026-06-23 12:25:43","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680492":{"id":"680492","type":"image","title":"Logistics in Transition","body":null,"created":"1782163725","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 21:28:45","changed":"1782163725","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 21:28:45","alt":"Promotional graphic titled \u2018SCL Spotlight: Logistics in Transition: What to Know, What to Watch, and How to Keep Moving,\u2019 featuring a global supply chain scene with a cargo ship at port, a truck on a highway, a warehouse robot, and an airplane overhead, overlaid with digital icons for visibility, resilience, and adaptability.","file":{"fid":"264762","name":"spotlight-newsletter_LogInTransition_202606.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/spotlight-newsletter_LogInTransition_202606.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/spotlight-newsletter_LogInTransition_202606.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":167439,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/spotlight-newsletter_LogInTransition_202606.jpg?itok=i2cx834H"}},"674087":{"id":"674087","type":"image","title":"Chris Gaffney","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717067903","gmt_created":"2024-05-30 11:18:23","changed":"1771883375","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 21:49:35","alt":"Chris Gaffney, Managing Director, Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute","file":{"fid":"257557","name":"chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":129544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg?itok=_M0fOBTF"}}},"media_ids":["680492","674087"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/2117803348049\/WN_528KNX2LRFWvO3bZXYaYtg","title":"Related SCL webinar 7\/2\/2026 \u0022Why Do So Many Automation Projects Fail?\u0022"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news-events\/newsletters","title":"View past SCL newsletters and join our mailing list"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"194489","name":"scl-spot"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["info@scl.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690843":{"#nid":"690843","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Classroom to Manufacturing Floor: Teachers Build Real-World Manufacturing Skills at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor three days in June, a dozen middle and high school teachers from rural Georgia traded their classrooms for Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/montgomery-machining-mall\u0022\u003EMontgomery Machining Mall\u003C\/a\u003E, a machine shop where students and researchers design and build custom parts. Instead of grading papers, they cut metal on bandsaws, lathes, and milling machines while learning skills they\u2019ll take back to their students this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop is part of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/advanced-manufacturing-program\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pathways (AMP) program\u003C\/a\u003E, a collaboration between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtmi.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI), which connects rural educators with hands-on manufacturing training. This particular training was delivered through a partnership between GTMI, STEM@GTRI \u2014 GTRI\u2019s K-12 outreach program \u2014 and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, leveraging the facilities and expertise of the Montgomery Machining Mall to provide teachers with direct experience in modern manufacturing. Building on GTRI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/rural-cs-initiative\u0022\u003ERural Computer Science Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, the program expands access to high-skill, high-wage career pathways across rural communities. The initiative is supported through state funding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop comes at a time when demand for skilled manufacturing workers continues to grow nationwide, particularly in roles requiring precision, technical expertise, and problem-solving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EInside the Machine Shop\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe training took place June 3 \u2013 5 in the Montgomery Machining Mall, where staff provided access to facilities, equipment, and technical expertise that made the immersive learning experience possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeachers designed and manufactured a metal meat tenderizer and a metal coaster etched with both the Georgia Tech logo and their name. For many, this was their first exposure to advanced manufacturing tools and processes, and a glimpse into high-skill, high-wage careers within reach for their students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany of these teachers have never been exposed to any advanced manufacturing,\u201d said Sean Mulvanity, a program manager for STEM@GTRI and project lead for this workshop. \u201cBy the time they walk out of here, they\u2019ve actually created and manufactured physical items they can take back to their students.\u201d Unlike traditional professional development, the workshop places teachers directly in the machine shop, working on heavy equipment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor AMP program leaders, this pilot was a way to build momentum for school districts that may add advanced manufacturing courses and to make the machine shop feel less intimidating in the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the biggest misconceptions about modern manufacturing is that it is inaccessible or limited to specialized factory environments,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtmi.gatech.edu\/people\/steven-ferguson\u0022\u003EGTMI Deputy Director Steven Ferguson\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cToday\u2019s manufacturing combines hands-on skills, digital technologies, AI, and problem-solving in ways that are relevant to students across many career pathways. By giving teachers direct experience in the machine shop, we help them bring that excitement back to their classrooms and show students that they can design, build, and innovate in their own communities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFrom the Shop Floor to the Classroom\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the workshop participants is James Beveridge, who teaches computer science for grades 6-12 in the Chattahoochee County School District, a small, rural district south of Columbus. He has participated in multiple Georgia Tech-led training programs, and he runs a full computer science pathway for 450 middle and high school students. This fall will mark his third year in the Rural Computer Science Initiative and teaching computer science after two decades in industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeveridge had some informal experience with tools growing up \u2014 his father taught him basic carpentry and welding \u2014 but he had never done formal machining work before the AMP workshop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWorking with metal is different than working with wood, obviously, but it\u2019s been really interesting to see the precision involved,\u201d he said. \u201cWith wood, you can be off by a sixteenth of an inch, and nobody cares. When you\u2019re machining metal parts, it has to be very, very precise. Learning to use the precision measuring tools has been eye-opening.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Beveridge, one of the biggest benefits of his ongoing work with Georgia Tech through the Rural Computer Science Initiative and related programs is that he never leaves empty-handed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery time I come up here to learn something new, they send me home with the equipment to teach it with,\u201d he said. \u201cThe first time, I left with a classroom set of robots so my students could learn to program. Another time, it was a more advanced humanoid robot with artificial intelligence. Now, I\u2019m going back with new skills in machining and a physical project I can show my students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother participant, Juone Brown, teaches high school computer science and AI to students at Dooly County High School in Vienna, Georgia. This is her second year in the rural computer science partnership and her fourth year teaching at Dooly. Previously, Brown was a professor for 25 years at Fort Valley State University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Beveridge, Brown has no formal machining background but said the way workshop instructors broke down each step \u2014 especially the math behind the cuts \u2014 made the work feel approachable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt has been fantastic and really well-paced,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all come from different backgrounds, but the way they present the information makes it click. We know the math, but when you\u2019re on the machine, and they show you easier ways to get the cut you need, it\u2019s very encouraging.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe\u2019s already thinking about how to translate that feeling for her students, many of whom prefer building things to writing code. \u201cI\u2019m always telling them that skills pay the bills,\u201d Brown said. \u201cA lot of my students are hands-on. Now I can connect what we\u2019re doing in class to real parts and jobs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBringing Advanced Manufacturing to More Georgia Classrooms\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the workshop, teachers are expected to integrate machining concepts into existing courses or help build new manufacturing pathways at their schools. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAMP program leaders intentionally kept this pilot cohort small. The team plans to repeat the workshop several times over the coming year, expanding to more schools and districts across Georgia, building local champions who can help launch advanced manufacturing programs in their communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) convenes industry leaders, government partners, and top researchers to collaborate on the grand challenges facing manufacturing today: accelerating technology development and deployment; creating, maintaining, and filling quality jobs; ensuring global competitiveness; and advancing economic and environmental stability.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOur vision is to ensure rapid innovation that secures U.S. dominance in advanced manufacturing. Through the design and development of artificial intelligence systems, secure digital manufacturing, additive and subtractive processes, and large-scale production enterprises, GTMI stands at the forefront of manufacturing innovation \u2014 leveraging state-of-the-art facilities, including the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, to turn research breakthroughs into market-ready solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 3,000 employees, supporting eight laboratories across more than 20 locations nationwide and performing more than $919 million in problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERural Georgia teachers gain practical machine shop training at Georgia Tech, bringing advanced manufacturing skills back to their classrooms.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rural Georgia teachers gain practical machine shop training at Georgia Tech, bringing advanced manufacturing skills back to their classrooms."}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2026-06-22 13:56:29","changed_gmt":"2026-06-22 14:28:20","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680485":{"id":"680485","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJuone Brown (left), a teacher at Dooly County High School in Vienna, Georgia, called the bootcamp well-paced and plans to bring what she learned back to her students this fall, many of whom prefer hands-on learning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"A participant at a Georgia Tech manufacturing workshop cuts metal on industrial equipment. ","file":{"fid":"264755","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":15053651,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG?itok=DogDs26z"}},"680488":{"id":"680488","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERural Georgia teachers pose with the metal meat tenderizers they made during a machining workshop hosted by the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) at the Montgomery Machining Mall.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"Participants in a Georgia Tech machining workshop pose for a group photo. ","file":{"fid":"264758","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":19978833,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG?itok=6CoXkoFp"}},"680487":{"id":"680487","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJames Beveridge, a computer science teacher in the Chattahoochee County School District, said he is excited to take back new machining skills and physical items back to share with his students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"A participant at a Georgia Tech manufacturing workshop cuts metal on industrial equipment. ","file":{"fid":"264757","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":17227017,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG?itok=G0dCSa97"}},"680486":{"id":"680486","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA metal meat tenderizer created by participants during the workshop.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"A metal meat tenderizer with a textured striking surface created by participants at a Georgia Tech workshop. ","file":{"fid":"264756","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":20854471,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG?itok=hDoa2ebX"}}},"media_ids":["680485","680488","680487","680486"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"94431","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"415","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"170709","name":"STEM@GTRI"},{"id":"185675","name":"Montgomery Machining Mall"},{"id":"1690","name":"rural economic development"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Anna Akins\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jennifer Martin | jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotos: \u003C\/strong\u003ESean McNeil\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECopyediting:\u003C\/strong\u003E Stacy Braukman\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690757":{"#nid":"690757","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Fossils to Function: Armita Manafzadeh Honored by Scientific American","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScientific American\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has named\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/user\/275\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArmita Manafzadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to the inaugural class of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/report\/young-american-scientists-2026\/\u0022\u003EYoung American Scientists\u003C\/a\u003E, recognizing a new generation of leaders and innovators in science, technology, and medicine. The 2026 cohort includes 28 early-career scientists based in the United States who are changing the world with their work.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous honor to be recognized alongside such an inspiring group of scientists,\u201d Manafzadeh says. \u201cI\u2019ve always been motivated by big, fundamental questions, and it\u2019s exciting to see that kind of curiosity-driven research celebrated.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EManafzadeh will join Georgia Tech in August 2026 as an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. Her research investigates how joints function and how they evolved, using advanced technology to create animations of moving skeletons with sub-millimeter precision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMy research is aimed at understanding how joints work and where they come from,\u201d she explains. \u201cPhysicians can repair ACL injuries and perform hip replacements, but we still don\u2019t fully understand joint mechanics at a fundamental level.\u201d Because joints are a shared feature of virtually all vertebrates, she adds, nearly all movement \u2014 from slithering to sprinting to soaring \u2014 depends on them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EManafzadeh first applied these methods to pterodactyls, \u201creanimating\u201d the extinct animals to study how they flew. Now, her research could also open doors to personalized surgical treatments for people and new designs for bio-inspired robots.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 cohort includes 28 early-career scientists based in the United States who are changing the world with their work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2026 cohort includes 28 early-career scientists based in the United States who are changing the world with their work. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-06-16 15:23:38","changed_gmt":"2026-06-16 20:38:32","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680460":{"id":"680460","type":"image","title":"Armita Manafzadeh (Credit: Scientific American)","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EArmita Manafzadeh (Credit: \u003Cem\u003EScientific American\u003C\/em\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781530791","gmt_created":"2026-06-15 13:39:51","changed":"1781530994","gmt_changed":"2026-06-15 13:43:14","alt":"Armita Manafzadeh (Credit: Scientific American)","file":{"fid":"264725","name":"saw070826YAS-21-Armita-Manafzadeh.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/saw070826YAS-21-Armita-Manafzadeh.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/saw070826YAS-21-Armita-Manafzadeh.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":499752,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/saw070826YAS-21-Armita-Manafzadeh.jpg?itok=8DV0mp8m"}}},"media_ids":["680460"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/report\/young-american-scientists-2026\/","title":"The Young American Scientists (Scientific American)"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/armita-manafzadeh\/","title":"Armita Manafzadeh Profile in Scientific American"},{"url":"https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/joints-motion-armita-manafzadeh-receives-carl-gans-young-investigator-award","title":"Joints in Motion: Armita Manafzadeh Receives Carl Gans Young Investigator Award"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnical Research Writer \/ Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690623":{"#nid":"690623","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rising From the Ashes: A Hidden Supply of Critical Elements","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/anujatripathi\/\u0022\u003EAnuja Tripathi\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Egrew up in Kanpur, India, where coal fly ash from a nearby power plant coated rooftops, windowsills, and laundry hung outside to dry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI used to see ash settling on our terrace from time to time and thought it was just waste,\u201d Tripathi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYears later, at Georgia Tech, Tripathi started looking at that ash differently. What once appeared to be ordinary industrial waste became the focal point for her work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a postdoctoral researcher in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ethe School of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, Tripathi, along with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chuang.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChing-Hua Huang, Turnipseed Family Chair and Professor\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/xing-xie\u0022\u003EXing Xie, Carlton S. Wilder Assistant Professor\u003C\/a\u003E, both in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, developed a method to recover rare earth elements from coal fly ash.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERare earth elements (REEs) help power electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, MRI machines, smartphones, and defense systems because of their unusually strong magnetic and electrical properties. Despite the name, most REEs are not actually rare in quantity. They\u2019re rare in concentration. REEs are scattered through the Earth\u2019s crust in amounts too small to mine easily, and much of their global supply chain remains concentrated outside of the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat imbalance has turned REEs into both an economic and national security concern. Countries are competing for the materials sustaining advanced manufacturing, energy systems, and military technologies, increasing pressure to find domestic sources. That urgency has pushed researchers like Tripathi, Huang, and Xie to look at coal fly ash differently: not just as industrial waste but as a potential source of materials that modern technology depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoal naturally contains trace amounts of rare earth elements. Burning the coal concentrates those elements in the ash left behind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETripathi developed a method for extracting rare earth elements that avoids the corrosive chemicals used in conventional extraction. The same ash that once coated her rooftop could now become a secondary domestic source of critical materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMining What Was Left Behind\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoal fly ash already exists in enormous quantities across the United States. About 2 billion tons are stored in impoundments, such as storage ponds and landfills, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-04\/Coal%20Factsheet_4.18.24.pdf\u0022\u003EDepartment of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose sites require long-term monitoring because coal fly ash can release contaminants into soil and groundwater. Major storms can also damage storage sites and spread the material into surrounding communities and waterways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInside that ash, REEs are dispersed in tiny concentrations. Recovering them is a challenge; recovering them cleanly is an even greater one. Many existing recovery methods rely on concentrated acids, large amounts of water, or extreme heat during extraction. Some techniques require temperatures high enough to rival industrial furnaces. Others create additional waste streams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETripathi and her team wanted a different approach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey built the system around a recyclable ionic liquid, a salt-based substance stable enough to operate under conditions that would break down water-based systems. The liquid pulls rare earth elements away from the ash. An applied electrical current then causes the recovered elements to collect onto a surface where they can be removed. Afterward, the liquid can be cleaned and reused.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe beauty of this system is that it works beyond the limits of water,\u201d Tripathi said.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe ionic liquid allows us to recover rare earth elements under conditions that water-based systems just can\u2019t handle.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe process also changes depending on the voltage applied. At lower voltages, the system selectively recovers neodymium, an REE used in high-strength permanent magnets found in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense systems. At higher voltages, it recovers a broader mixture. The system recovered nearly half of the available neodymium during testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBeyond Coal Ash\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETripathi has shown that the chemistry works in small batches. The next challenge is scale: whether the system can recover enough rare earth elements efficiently enough to make the process commercially practical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same approach could extend beyond coal fly ash. Batteries, discarded electronics, and medical waste all contain valuable metals that often end up buried in landfills or destroyed during disposal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Tripathi, the idea began at home, where fly ash would settle on her terrace. What once seemed like an ordinary nuisance could help reshape how critical materials are recovered from waste.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETripathi\u2019s research is published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.est.5c16688\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science and Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIt was supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EU.S. Department of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers turn a widespread waste product into materials that power modern technology."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Anuja Tripathi developed a method to recover rare earth elements from coal ash using a recyclable ionic liquid and electricity. The process could turn a major waste product into a domestic source of critical materials used in technologies ranging from electric vehicles to MRI machines.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers turn a widespread waste product into materials that power modern technology."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-06-03 18:15:40","changed_gmt":"2026-06-16 13:27:30","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680412":{"id":"680412","type":"image","title":"Anuja Tripathi","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnuja Tripathi works in a lab developing an energy and environmentally friendly method for extracting rare earth elements from coal fly ash.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780509434","gmt_created":"2026-06-03 17:57:14","changed":"1780510271","gmt_changed":"2026-06-03 18:11:11","alt":"Anuja Tripathi works in the lab","file":{"fid":"264669","name":"Anuja_lab.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/Anuja_lab.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/Anuja_lab.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":227470,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/03\/Anuja_lab.jpeg?itok=tBlE3N82"}}},"media_ids":["680412"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10960","name":"chemical engieering"},{"id":"4776","name":"civil and environmental engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Research Writer \u2013 Editor\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003Emazriel3@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mazriel3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690754":{"#nid":"690754","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Wearable Reroutes Lost Sensation, Restores Stability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMisjudge a curb or miss a step on the stairs, and there is a split second of panic as your foot doesn\u2019t land when you expect it to. That brief loss of pressure can be enough to throw off your balance entirely.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor most, that heart-pounding uncertainty ends the moment the foot finds solid ground. But for many individuals living with conditions like stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI), that sense of disconnect is a permanent reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese conditions of course have a huge effect on our ability to move around and be independent \u2014 but the other side of it is the sensory feedback that we lose,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/matthew-t-flavin\u0022\u003EMatthew Flavin\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. Most rehabilitation treatments primarily focus on restoring movement, but \u201ceven if you have motor control, if you can\u2019t feel when your foot\u0027s touching the ground it can be really hard for you to move around safely.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a new study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2536577123\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Flavin and an interdisciplinary team of researchers introduce a way to bridge this gap: a wearable \u201csensory substitution\u201d system that translates foot pressure into high-tech patterns of heat and vibration they can feel elsewhere.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system uses high-resolution pressure-sensing insoles designed by the team, which are placed inside a user\u0027s shoes to record how their weight shifts in real-time. This data is streamed via Bluetooth to a flexible, skin-conformable array of haptic receivers worn on the forearms, a part of the body that often retains sensation in SCI. The receivers give quick pressure feedback through vibration, while also alerting the user to longer-term pressure \u201chotspots\u201d through heat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the limitations of a lot of approaches in haptics is that you\u0027re having to map a missing sense onto a completely different sense,\u201d says Flavin. \u201cWe\u2019re keeping the type of information that we\u0027re missing, which is the distribution of pressure, and we\u0027re just basically putting it on a different part of their body.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERerouting the lost sensation was key to making the device intuitive to learn. Participants were able to correctly identify the \u201cfeel\u201d of the ground through their arms with high accuracy within a mere two-hour session. When tested with a small group of participants with stroke or SCI, the wearable significantly improved standing balance and led to steadier walking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s encouraging about these early results is that participants appeared to use the feedback in ways that supported balance and walking,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mccormick.northwestern.edu\/research-faculty\/directory\/profiles\/rogers-john.html\u0022\u003EJohn Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E, a materials science and engineering professor at Northwestern University who collaborated on this study. \u201cOur study suggests that providing pressure information through another part of the body could be a practical path for helping people compensate for lost sensation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile vibration provides immediate feedback for walking and balance, the team views the thermal feedback as a tool for long-term health. Heat is a slower, low-frequency signal that could alert patients to pressure hotspots, potentially preventing diabetic foot ulcers or pressure injuries for those who are bedridden or use wheelchairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe small, lightweight system is completely untethered, making it suitable for use during daily activities in and outside the clinic. It\u2019s also highly adaptable to different injury types, which is ideal for conditions as variable as stroke, SCI, and diabetic neuropathy. Placement of the haptic receivers can be adjusted based on where a patient has the most sensation, and the sensitivity of the insoles can be tailored to each patient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a member of several of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/interdisciplinary-research-institutes\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Research Institutes\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/robotics\u0022\u003EInstitute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 Flavin credits the project\u2019s success to an interdisciplinary effort and deep engagement with clinicians and patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis reinforces the importance of really engaging with your stakeholders very early on,\u201d says Flavin. \u201cIf you\u0027re not continually refining that concept with those stakeholders, you quickly find that they might be looking for something that your device isn\u0027t delivering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith new funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the team is now working to make the technology even smaller and more reconfigurable, moving closer to a standard wearable for daily clinical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2536577123\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2536577123\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a wireless wearable that translates foot pressure into heat and vibration, helping individuals with sensory impairments regain balance and mobility.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a wireless wearable that translates foot pressure into heat and vibration, helping individuals with sensory impairments regain balance and mobility."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-06-15 20:56:13","changed_gmt":"2026-06-16 12:16:33","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680466":{"id":"680466","type":"image","title":"Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe system converts pressure underfoot into vibration and heat felt elsewhere on the body, helping people with sensory loss regain awareness of their footing and improve balance.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781557523","gmt_created":"2026-06-15 21:05:23","changed":"1781557523","gmt_changed":"2026-06-15 21:05:23","alt":"Close-up of hands positioning a flexible haptic device with embedded electronics under a microscope, highlighting the small components and patterned array used to deliver sensory feedback.","file":{"fid":"264732","name":"Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","mime":"image\/png","size":10816942,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png?itok=7OCs2RGM"}},"680467":{"id":"680467","type":"image","title":"Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EMatthew Flavin, assistant professor in electrical engineering and lead author of the study, holds the flexible haptic device.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781557731","gmt_created":"2026-06-15 21:08:51","changed":"1781557731","gmt_changed":"2026-06-15 21:08:51","alt":"A researcher stands in a laboratory holding a flexible, transparent wearable device embedded with small electronic nodes, with microscopes and lab equipment visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"264733","name":"Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","mime":"image\/png","size":12093054,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Portrait.png?itok=7qCineau"}},"680468":{"id":"680468","type":"image","title":"Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EPressure-sensing insoles in the shoes transmit real-time data to flexible haptic arrays worn on the forearms, where patterns of vibration and heat recreate a sense of foot-ground contact through sensory substitution.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781571167","gmt_created":"2026-06-16 00:52:47","changed":"1781571167","gmt_changed":"2026-06-16 00:52:47","alt":"Schematic diagram of a wearable sensory substitution system showing pressure-sensing insoles placed inside shoes, flexible haptic arrays worn on both forearms, and a smartphone interface. Close-up views highlight the insole sensor layout and a dense grid of small actuators on the forearm device that deliver vibration and heat.","file":{"fid":"264734","name":"Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2450907,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Schematic.png?itok=U8hkGUYv"}}},"media_ids":["680466","680467","680468"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/new-wearable-device-monitors-skin-health-real-time","title":"New Wearable Device Monitors Skin Health in Real Time"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/confronting-roadblocks-medical-technology-innovation","title":"Confronting the Roadblocks in Medical Technology Innovation"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/head-toe-georgia-tech-researchers-treat-entire-human-body-through-neuroscience-research","title":"Head to Toe: Georgia Tech Researchers Treat the Entire Human Body Through Neuroscience Research"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotos:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMaxwell Guberman\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690735":{"#nid":"690735","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlanta\u2019s World Cup Beyond the Hype","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe four things to know:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e92b51cd2ec612499b756351e5480bb27\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s not about exposure anymore.\u003C\/strong\u003E Atlanta is already a global city, so the focus is on whether the World Cup delivers lasting value for residents.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e95a356753ccab3041b43cd0aee75e0c5\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomic impact is uneven.\u003C\/strong\u003E Big headline numbers do not show who actually benefits, and much of the spending may not reach local communities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e192ee39142326916d971c3083b6337b3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInfrastructure will be tested.\u003C\/strong\u003E Transportation and downtown systems will face heavy strain, raising concerns about what improvements last beyond the event.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec674ae8213efc1dbf5cad605f912e402\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe hidden story is food and logistics.\u003C\/strong\u003E Behind the scenes, Georgia Tech researchers are working to reduce food waste and strengthen systems that could outlast the tournament.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee a curated list of Georgia Tech experts available to comment on the World Cup \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/world-cup-experts\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Global Stage and Familiar Promises\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Atlanta welcomes the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the promises are familiar: millions of visitors, global attention, economic growth, and a chance to showcase the city on one of the biggest stages in sports.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut Georgia Tech experts say the real question is not whether the tournament will generate activity \u2014 it is who benefits from it and what remains after the final match is played.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Visibility to Value\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMega-events have long been sold as catalysts for transformation. The 1996 Olympics reshaped Atlanta\u2019s physical landscape and helped position the city as a global destination. Thirty years later, the World Cup arrives at a very different moment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are similarities,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/emily-barrett\u0022\u003EEmily Barrett\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of City and Regional Planning. \u201cLike the Olympics, the World Cup is an accelerator for infrastructure upgrades and public and private investment alike.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is seeing significant public investment in transportation improvements and billions of dollars in private development downtown. But today\u2019s Atlanta is very different from Atlanta in the 1990s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta is no longer a city seeking recognition on the world stage,\u201d Barrett said. \u201cWe are a thriving and growing city.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat shifts the conversation from visibility to value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe open question is whether hosting mega-events makes the city work better for the people who live here,\u201d Barrett added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Economics Behind the Headlines\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssessing that value becomes more complicated when economic forecasts enter the conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELarge projections often dominate headlines, but\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/8e6ac738-7497-5f94-ab1a-0c3fd32d15a7\u0022\u003EDeclan Abernethy\u003C\/a\u003E, lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, cautions that economic impact estimates rarely tell the whole story.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is far easier to put out an economic impact projection compared to the difficulty of measuring impact,\u201d Abernethy said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile visitors will spend money on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment, he notes that much of that spending may not reach the community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we look closely at that spending, we can see that much of the profit will be taken in by large corporations or FIFA in the immediate vicinity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and not as much by Atlanta residents or small businesses,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Barrett, economic studies often overlook a critical question: What could alternative investments have accomplished?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEconomic studies rarely account for displacement costs, or whether the same public dollars could have generated similar or better outcomes if invested elsewhere,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPressure Points Across the City\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe World Cup\u2019s impact extends beyond economics; it will also test Atlanta\u2019s infrastructure at a scale few events can match.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/michael-p-hunter\u0022\u003EMichael Hunter\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, says the biggest challenge may be the volume of people moving through the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere will be a number of pressure points. However, one of the most significant will be just the number of people,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cThis event will attract significant crowds.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta\u2019s transportation agencies have spent years preparing, drawing on lessons learned from events including the Super Bowl, World Series, and major concerts. Still, capacity limits are unavoidable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is only so much traffic that MARTA or any transit agency can handle,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cPeople need to understand that there will be congestion and longer wait times. The key is to be patient.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe concern is whether those investments result in lasting improvements or merely support a few weeks of activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbernethy argues that the World Cup should be viewed as part of a broader vision for Atlanta rather than a standalone catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are seeing the World Cup as a part of a longer-running and more cohesive vision for sport and economic development downtown,\u201d he said. \u201cAtlanta may not be repeating the same cycle nor cracking downtown\u2019s development problem with the World Cup itself.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBehind the Scenes: Food and Logistics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure challenges extend beyond transportation. Feeding hundreds of thousands of visitors while minimizing waste requires its own network of logistics, coordination, and planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, a research scientist at Georgia Tech\u2019s Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, views the tournament as an opportunity to strengthen how food moves throughout the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese large events are a really big opportunity for us to coordinate and test our infrastructure,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cWe have to think critically about how to improve the infrastructure and ensure its resilience and efficiency.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with organizations such as Second Helpings Atlanta,\u0026nbsp;the official food rescue partner for the World Cup, Georgia Tech researchers\u0026nbsp;are building technologies and tools to improve coordination among food rescue groups.\u0026nbsp;The effort aims to\u0026nbsp;keep surplus food out of landfills by quickly moving it from stadiums and vendors to local food organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s really a logistics problem, a data problem, and a coordination problem,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cThe faster you can move food from the point of surplus directly to a pantry, the more likely it is to reach people who need it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Legacy Looks Like\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Atlanta\u2019s World Cup legacy may not be measured by attendance figures or visitor spending alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHow we evaluate success depends on what we choose to measure, and too often we focus on headline numbers instead of who actually benefits,\u201d said Abernethy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKennard sees the tournament as a chance to build systems that outlast the event itself. \u201cWhat we build for the World Cup could become critical infrastructure for future emergencies and disasters,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta already knows how to host a global event. Whether the investments, partnerships, and infrastructure created for the World Cup leave the city stronger after the crowds leave remains to be seen.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta already has global credibility, so the real question surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup is not exposure but lasting impact. Georgia Tech experts warn that big economic projections often obscure who actually benefits, with much of the revenue likely flowing to large corporations and FIFA rather than local businesses and residents. Transportation infrastructure will face significant strain, and whether World Cup investments produce permanent improvements or simply support a few weeks of activity remains uncertain. One bright spot is a Georgia Tech partnership with Second Helpings Atlanta to build food rescue systems that could outlast the tournament and serve the city for years to come.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts say the 2026 World Cup will bring global attention and economic activity, but the real measure of success is who benefits and what lasting impact the tournament leaves behind."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-06-12 00:15:09","changed_gmt":"2026-06-15 19:24:31","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680455":{"id":"680455","type":"image","title":"World Cup in Atlanta","body":null,"created":"1781232926","gmt_created":"2026-06-12 02:55:26","changed":"1781233217","gmt_changed":"2026-06-12 03:00:17","alt":"Drone photo of FIFA decorated Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia","file":{"fid":"264717","name":"AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/11\/AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/11\/AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png","mime":"image\/png","size":29696386,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/11\/AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png?itok=PGdi97nU"}}},"media_ids":["680455"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/world-cup-experts","title":"World Cup Experts"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/06\/how-world-cup-reshaping-downtown-atlanta","title":"Generating Buzz: How the World Cup Is Reshaping Downtown Atlanta"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/05\/world-cup-puts-atlanta-back-global-spotlight","title":"Generating Buzz: World Cup Puts Atlanta Back in Global Spotlight"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195176","name":"World Cup economic impact"},{"id":"195177","name":"World Cup Atlanta"},{"id":"174223","name":"food waste"},{"id":"172","name":"infrastructure"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690711":{"#nid":"690711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Maintains No. 1 Ranking in Energy and Fuels for Third Consecutive Year","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/education\/best-global-universities\/united-states\/energy-fuels\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has named\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech the top-ranked public university in energy and fuels research (No. 3 nationally). The Institute has maintained this ranking every year since the category was first introduced in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-named-top-ranked-public-university-energy\u0022\u003Econtinued recognition\u003C\/a\u003E highlights Georgia Tech\u2019s research leadership in advancing energy solutions across technology, science, policy, and economics and in delivering technically advanced solutions that is scalable, secure, and sustainable for the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe scale and integration of our energy ecosystem is among Georgia Tech\u2019s great strengths,\u201d said Executive Vice President for Research\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cA defining part of that ecosystem is the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), our interdisciplinary research institute that brings together the talents of researchers from across disciplines to accelerate energy innovation and deliver real-world solutions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESEI integrates energy activities at Georgia Tech by connecting more than 1,000 researchers across the entire energy value chain and enabling collaboration with industry, government, communities, and nonprofits.\u0026nbsp;SEI is deeply engaged in building community, developing resources, promoting thought leadership, and marshaling the full resources of Georgia Tech around tackling the tough energy and environmental problems and opportunities society faces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s energy leadership is built on the depth of our research and the breadth of our collaborations,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI\u2019s executive director. \u201cBy connecting expertise across the full energy value chain, we are advancing solutions that enhance affordability, reliability, security, and sustainability.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E evaluates the academic research performance of universities in 51 subject areas using indicators such as publications, citations, and global and regional research reputation. Georgia Tech was assessed among 292 institutions in the U.S. and\u0026nbsp;continues its strong\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-colleges\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1569\/overall-rankings\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Estanding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the rankings, claiming the No. 32 spot overall in the nation and No. 9 among public universities.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/education\/best-global-universities\/united-states\/energy-fuels\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has named\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech the top-ranked public university in energy and fuels research (No. 3 nationally). The Institute has maintained this ranking every year since the category was first introduced in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-named-top-ranked-public-university-energy\u0022\u003Econtinued recognition\u003C\/a\u003E highlights Georgia Tech\u2019s research leadership in advancing energy solutions across technology, science, policy, and economics and in delivering technically advanced solutions that is scalable, secure, and sustainable for the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. News \u0026 World Report has named Georgia Tech the top-ranked public university in energy and fuels research (No. 3 nationally). The Institute has maintained this ranking every year since the category was first introduced in 2024."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-09 17:01:43","changed_gmt":"2026-06-15 13:28:52","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680441":{"id":"680441","type":"image","title":"EnergyGraphic.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1781024511","gmt_created":"2026-06-09 17:01:51","changed":"1781024511","gmt_changed":"2026-06-09 17:01:51","alt":"Graphic showing #1 public university in energy in Georgia Tech colors","file":{"fid":"264700","name":"EnergyGraphic.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/09\/EnergyGraphic.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/09\/EnergyGraphic.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":134834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/09\/EnergyGraphic.jpeg?itok=3L5Z9pvJ"}}},"media_ids":["680441"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPriya Devarajan | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690118":{"#nid":"690118","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grants Awarded","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most recent round of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainability-next-plan\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Research Seed Grants has been awarded to 15 transdisciplinary teams featuring 36 collaborators from across Georgia Tech and beyond. The teams span 21 units from six of Georgia Tech\u2019s seven Colleges, including Schools, research centers, and Interdisciplinary Research Institutes, as well as organizations external to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe seed grant program, administered by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), reaches faculty members from a diverse array of disciplines due to the generous support provided by broad-based partnerships in addition to the funds provided by the Sustainability Next committee. This year\u2019s partners are\u0026nbsp;the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;College of Design\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBBISS,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;Renewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of the program is to nurture promising research areas for future large-scale collaborative sustainability research, research translation, and\/or high-impact outreach; to provide mid-career faculty with leadership and community-building opportunities; and to broaden and strengthen the Georgia Tech sustainability community as a whole. The call for proposals was modeled after the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Moving Teams Forward and Forming Teams programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb093cfb5ae8a6b6a3830c19ddc0e62f9\u0022\u003EAI and Sustainability, and the Sustainability of AI Infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ee5eed9c59345c67cf16a2095a3c1ca59\u0022\u003EClimate Science, Technology, and Solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eeff06928324490ae6ab7715e8e5a1716\u0022\u003EHealthy Environments and Sustainable Resource Use.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eeaef417908461d165bb4284022466f40\u0022\u003EResilience and Regeneration.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe 2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grant awards are:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForming Teams:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e25f6df467676a7c1cc7e3a56d4c134de\u0022\u003EActualize Shallow Geothermal Systems for Decentralized Heating.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPrincipal Investigator (PI):\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sheng-c-dai\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESheng Dai\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1d482fbc517458d8123f6d8c5b4b2674\u0022\u003EBuilding Community University Research Capacity for PFAS Testing and Treatment. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/ruthie-yow\u0022\u003ERuth C. Yow\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ECo-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs): \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/yongsheng-chen\u0022\u003EYongsheng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seeel.ce.gatech.edu\/our-team-2\/\u0022\u003EAhmed Ibrahim Yunus\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e927b790b8958ca6a0d675948dad53b31\u0022\u003EA Global Sustainability Analysis of Places \u201cUrbanizing from Within.\u201d PI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-randolph\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGregory\u0026nbsp;Randolph\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theigc.org\/people\/sabina-dewan\u0022\u003ESabina Dewan\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/yiyi-he\u0022\u003EYiyi He\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/john-e-taylor\u0022\u003EJohn Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/independent.academia.edu\/CelineVacchianiMarcuzzo\u0022\u003ECeline Vacchiani\u2011Marcuzzo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5fc89393dc8654e6991c59dafc1c54b5\u0022\u003ECreating a Refusal Taxonomy to Explore Alternate Computing Practices. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/richmond-wong\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERichmond\u0026nbsp;Wong\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/624a4663-6439-585b-8bb0-3633dbbf089f\u0022\u003EHeidi Biggs\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/people\/carl-disalvo\u0022\u003ECarl DiSalvo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef6184112845dc36886ab6996d162cc00\u0022\u003EDemystifying Data Centers: Examining Georgia Tech\u2019s Coda HPCC in the Context of Sustainability and Resilience. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/scott-j-duncan\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScott\u0026nbsp;Duncan\u003C\/a\u003E. Co-PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jung-ho-lewe\u0022\u003EJung-Ho Lewe\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/david-solano-sarmiento\u0022\u003EDavid Solano Sarmiento\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9709e50e9a293bcbbd1e752223b3c7dd\u0022\u003EPhysical Transport of Sunlight\u2011Exposed Dissolved Organic Carbon in the New Arctic. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/lily-dove\u0022\u003ELilian Dove\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-bowen\u0022\u003EJennifer Bowen\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoving Teams Forward:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec012ec93ef9cc92e5c82d516f070fd8d\u0022\u003EAgentic AI Digital Twins for Hurricane Resilience in Coastal Georgia. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/sarhadi-ali\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAli\u0026nbsp;Sarhadi\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed86bd082992b186131f9ef933c629e08\u0022\u003ECLEAR\u2011SE: Co\u2011Creating a Center\u2011Scale Network for Advancing Collaborative, Long\u2011Term Action Research on Community\u2011Led Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Southeast. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda\u0026nbsp;P\u00e9rez\u2011Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/our-team\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer\u0026nbsp;Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e82478e789a048825abcc3157e9db6535\u0022\u003EData Center Effects on Communities in Georgia\u2019s Black Belt. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/people\/cindy-kaiying-lin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECindy\u0026nbsp;Kaiying\u0026nbsp;Lin\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs:\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tony-harding\u0022\u003EAnthony Harding\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/allen-hyde\u0022\u003EAllen Hyde\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jung-ho-lewe\u0022\u003EJung-Ho Lewe\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/people\/ahmed-saeed\u0022\u003EAhmed Saeed\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebfb94066d0a2555e5c67ef6e930bea7c\u0022\u003EReimagining Southern Forests: Enabling Cost\u2011Effective Sustainable Production of High\u2011Value Climate\u2011Ready Southern Pines. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/caitlin-petro\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECaitlin\u0026nbsp;Petro\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/clay\/index.html\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ulrika-egertsdotter\u0022\u003EUlrika Egertsdotter\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef714ab155b21002722ebcf190dddf60\u0022\u003EHuman\u2011Technology Collaborations: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Food Systems. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/rosemarie-santa-gonzalez\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERosemarie\u0026nbsp;Santa\u0026nbsp;Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/ashutosh-dhekne\u0022\u003EAshutosh Dhekne\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/sylvia-janicki\u0022\u003ESylivia Janicki\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/yaman-sangar\u0022\u003EYaman Sangar\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/people\/abigale-stangl\u0022\u003EAbigale Stangl\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0d944f2e85ddfd8b4fd8e29e8fd4acc8\u0022\u003EGuiding Transportation with Community Action through Research, Education, and Service (GT\u2011CARES). PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003ERounaq Basu\u003C\/a\u003E. Co-PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda\u0026nbsp;P\u00e9rez\u2011Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/our-team\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer\u0026nbsp;Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-moffat\u0022\u003EScott Moffat\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb89b80d033629196b64c7b6ebc8685ba\u0022\u003EInstability\u2011Resolved Ocean Mixing for Climate Prediction and Climate Solutions. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1086\u0022\u003ESuhas S. Jain\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/mohammad-mohaghar\u0022\u003EMohammad Mohaghar\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/donald-r-webster\u0022\u003EDonald Webster\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e72e6c1ade52f81e05c4a967a8110c6da\u0022\u003EBuildings Next: Forming a Transdisciplinary Consortium for Sustainable Building Innovation. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fptd.gatech.edu\/people\/paula-gomez\u0022\u003EPaula Gomez\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/bridges\/index.html\u0022\u003EAllison Bridges\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5f679ec3c5c8332e040392bdc39f6430\u0022\u003EPaper and Natural Dye Living Exhibition. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/people\/anna-doll\u0022\u003EAnna Doll\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/people\/virginia-howell\u0022\u003EVirginia Howell\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Next seed grant program, administered by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), reaches faculty members from a diverse array of disciplines due to the generous support provided by broad-based partnerships in addition to the funds provided by the Sustainability Next committee.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This year\u2019s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges"}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 16:57:44","changed_gmt":"2026-06-11 18:10:32","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680154":{"id":"680154","type":"image","title":"2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage","body":"\u003Cp\u003E2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grant Principal Investigators:\u0026nbsp;(R to L, Top to Bottom) Rounaq Basu, Sheng Dai, Anna Doll, Lilian Dove, Scott Duncan, Paula Gomez, Suhas S. Jain, Cindy Kaiying Lin, Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez Guzm\u00e1n, Caitlin Petro, Gregory Randolph, Rosemarie Santa Gonzalez, Ali Sarhadi, Richmond Wong, and Ruth C. Yow.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777913877","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 16:57:57","changed":"1777916844","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 17:47:24","alt":"Collage of multiple individual portrait photos arranged in a grid, showing people photographed from the shoulders up in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Backgrounds include office spaces, greenery, campus walkways, and neutral studio backdrops, with individuals wearing professional or business\u2011casual clothing. The images vary in lighting and composition but share a consistent head\u2011and\u2011shoulders portrait style.","file":{"fid":"264396","name":"2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1325301,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg?itok=cKUbBHG-"}}},"media_ids":["680154"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"191514","name":"sustainability next"},{"id":"174822","name":"seed grants"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690320":{"#nid":"690320","#data":{"type":"news","title":" How the Global Energy Crisis Is Affecting Americans","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEscalating Middle East tensions are rattling global oil markets, and the effects are already showing up in American wallets, affecting everything from travel to food prices. Georgia Tech economists and public policy experts break down what Americans need to know right now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. You\u2019re paying more at the pump, and it\u2019s not going away anytime soon.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGas prices are the most visible sign of the crisis, and the increases are already significant. National average retail gasoline prices are more than $1.20 higher than they were in February, before the conflict escalated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven though U.S. petroleum production often exceeds our consumption, we are not insulated from disruptions in global oil supply because oil is a globally traded commodity,\u201d says director of the Energy Policy and Innovation Center,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIf supply is restricted anywhere in the world, prices will rise everywhere, including in the U.S.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarkets expect some relief by fall, with future prices pointing lower than today\u2019s levels. But\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tony-harding\u0022\u003ETony Harding\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, cautions, \u201cPrices are likely to remain above pre-conflict levels for the foreseeable future, and temporary relief measures, such as Georgia\u2019s motor fuel tax suspension, will not last forever.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaylor puts it plainly: \u201cWages are not rising faster than prices, so people are feeling the pinch and will continue to do so.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u003Cstrong\u003EYour summer plans just got more expensive.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impact does not stop at the gas station. For Americans planning summer travel, the timing of this conflict could not be worse.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/matthew-oliver\u0022\u003EMatthew Oliver\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the School of Economics, points to commercial air travel as one of the most exposed sectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cJet fuel prices have roughly doubled in the wake of the current oil price spike, putting immediate upward pressure on airfares,\u201d says Oliver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ripple effects extend far beyond travel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOil is an input into the supply chain of nearly every good at some point,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/889222ee-d2fd-599b-9140-79d7dc30afeb\u0022\u003EBobby Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Economics. \u201cWhen input costs go up, prices go up.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Expect to pay more at the grocery store.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe connection between Middle East tensions and the American dinner table is more direct than many realize, because petrochemicals are a key feedstock for fertilizer production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHigher oil prices lead to higher fertilizer prices, which lead to higher food prices,\u201d says Oliver.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECombined with existing tariff pressures and tight supply chains, the strain on household budgets is coming from multiple directions at once.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf the crisis persists, there will be upward pressure on the prices of nearly every physical good,\u201d Oliver adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. The government\u2019s options are limited, and the clock is ticking.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWashington has tools to respond, but none are silver bullets. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently holds around 400 million barrels and can release about 4 million barrels per day, roughly 20% of U.S. daily demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI see the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a tool to buy time during a crisis,\u201d says public policy professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/daniel-matisoff\u0022\u003EDan Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBut if the conflict drags on, we will ultimately be in a more vulnerable position.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuick fixes like price caps or demand subsidies carry trade-offs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSubsidies can mitigate the impact of price shocks, but they can also mask important market signals that help balance supply and demand,\u201d says Harding, using Europe\u2019s 2022 energy crisis as a cautionary example.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. The smartest thing Americans can do right now is think about efficiency.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople in general tend to undervalue energy efficiency,\u201d says Matisoff. \u201cThink of energy efficiency investments as a sort of hedge or insurance against volatile energy prices.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat means considering fuel efficiency when buying a car, and looking at heat pumps, electric vehicles, and home energy upgrades when the time is right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHigher energy prices increase the value of investing in energy efficiency upgrades to your home and adopting technologies that are less dependent on fossil fuels,\u201d says Harding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor families navigating uncertainty, both economists and policy experts point to the same practical advice: Reduce your exposure to fossil fuel price swings before the next crisis hits.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EEscalating tensions in the Middle East are fueling global oil price volatility and driving up costs for U.S. consumers, from gas and airfare to groceries. Georgia Tech experts explain that because oil is traded globally, supply disruptions anywhere raise prices everywhere, keeping fuel costs elevated above pre-conflict levels. Higher oil prices are also increasing transportation and supply chain expenses, while rising fertilizer costs are pushing food prices higher. Although the federal government can deploy short-term measures such as tapping reserves, experts note these solutions are limited and temporary. As uncertainty continues in energy markets, households are encouraged to reduce long-term costs by improving energy efficiency and lowering reliance on fossil fuels.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Experts break down five things to know about how global oil disruptions are already hitting American households."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-05-18 15:28:36","changed_gmt":"2026-06-11 00:01:34","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680298":{"id":"680298","type":"image","title":"How the Global Energy Crisis Is Affecting Americans","body":null,"created":"1779115821","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 14:50:21","changed":"1779115944","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 14:52:24","alt":"Hand of the man putting money into the opening gas tank of his car. Refueling car with gasoline at gas stations. ","file":{"fid":"264545","name":"AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4443863,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg?itok=a__vbUHh"}}},"media_ids":["680298"],"related_files":{"264054":{"fid":null,"name":"Strait of Hormuz","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":255785,"description":null}},"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"195138","name":"global oil disruptions"},{"id":"194980","name":"iran conflict"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aisles3@gatech.edu \u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690716":{"#nid":"690716","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tim Lieuwen Donates ASME Gold Medal to the Woodruff School","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alumnus and faculty member \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, M.S. ME 1997, Ph.D. ME 1999, has donated his American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Medal \u2014 the society\u2019s highest honor \u2014 to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The $14,000 gold medal is displayed in the School Chair\u2019s suite, where it serves as a symbol of excellence and achievement for students, faculty, and visitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003Eexecutive vice president for Research\u003C\/a\u003E and Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/tim-lieuwen-receives-asme-medal-societys-highest-honor\u0022\u003Ereceived the ASME medal in 2025\u003C\/a\u003E in recognition of his pioneering contributions to combustion, clean energy, and the science of resilient energy systems. It is the first ASME Medal ever awarded to a Georgia Tech faculty member or graduate, marking a milestone both for Lieuwen and the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/tim-lieuwen-donates-asme-gold-medal-woodruff-school\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alumnus and faculty member Tim Lieuwen, M.S. ME 1997, Ph.D. ME 1999, has donated his American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Medal \u2014 the society\u2019s highest honor \u2014 to the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. The $14,000 gold medal is displayed in the School Chair\u2019s suite, where it serves as a symbol of excellence and achievement for students, faculty, and visitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen, the executive vice president for Research and Regents\u2019 Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, received the ASME medal in 2025 in recognition of his pioneering contributions to combustion, clean energy, and the science of resilient energy systems. It is the first ASME Medal ever awarded to a Georgia Tech faculty member or graduate, marking a milestone both for Lieuwen and the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The $14,000 gold medal is displayed in the School Chair\u2019s suite, where it serves as a symbol of excellence and achievement for students, faculty, and visitors."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-06-10 14:39:55","changed_gmt":"2026-06-10 14:51:29","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690506":{"#nid":"690506","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Breakthrough Study Sheds Light on How BRCA\u2011Related Cancers Repair Broken DNA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is shared jointly with the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.osu.edu\/best-snapshots-yet-of-dna-repair-protein-relevant-to-brca-mutations\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOhio State University\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E newsroom.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EScientists have captured the most detailed structural images to date of a specific type of protein\u2019s DNA repair process. The research could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations that heighten the risk for breast, ovarian, and other cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis work lets us see, step by step, one mechanism by which cancer cells could manage to repair their DNA when BRCA genes mutate and fail,\u201d says study co-author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/vicki-wysocki\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVicki Wysocki\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewho is chair of the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBy capturing this process in detail, this study opens the door to understanding how those cancerous cells survive and how treatments might disrupt that mechanism.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDesignated as a Breakthrough Article, the study\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/nar\/article\/54\/8\/gkag320\/8661651?login=false\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMechanism of single-strand annealing from native mass spectrometry and cryo-EM structures of RAD52 homolog Mgm101\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was recently published in \u003Cem\u003ENucleic Acids Research.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to Wysocki, who is a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and a professor emerita at Ohio State University, the Georgia Tech research team included co-first author\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EZihao Qi,\u003C\/strong\u003E a Ph.D. candidate in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/wysocki-group\/\u0022\u003EWysocki Lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThey were joined by Ohio State researchers co-first author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/osbp.osu.edu\/people\/wheat.35\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarter Wheat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and senior author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medicine.osu.edu\/find-a-researcher\/charles-bell-100003449\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECharles Bell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who is a professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medicine.osu.edu\/news#\/search\/brac\u0022\u003ECollege of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E. Additional authors include Metro High School student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMiqdad Hussain\u003C\/strong\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cas.org\/\u0022\u003ECAS\u003C\/a\u003E researcher \u003Cstrong\u003EKaterina Zakharova\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen BRCA Fails\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENormally, BRCA genes help prevent cancer by acting as tumor suppressors \u2014 producing proteins that help repair broken DNA. When cancer cells lack the tumor-suppression function of normal BRCA genes, research has shown that a protein called RAD52 performs DNA repair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESince RAD52 allows cancer cells to survive and replicate without tumor suppression, researchers have wondered if blocking it would kill the cancerous cells. Blocking RAD52, however, requires fully understanding its repair activities, which have been difficult to capture with even the most sophisticated techniques.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDNA strands break every day in cells, which is why proteins exist to fix the breaks and keep cellular processes running smoothly, the team says. But because repairs must happen quickly and human proteins are often more complex than their ancestral counterparts, even the most advanced imaging equipment can\u2019t capture every step in the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn order to understand RAD52 better, the research team turned to its ancestral protein, Mgm101, to observe several key steps in its DNA repair process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Clearer Image\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team decided to leverage multiple types of imaging. Wysocki\u2019s lab at Georgia Tech conducted native mass spectrometry and mass photometry, using light to measure masses of protein-DNA complexes. The results showed that the ancestral protein Mgm101 assembled from a single copy of itself into a large multi-unit ring composed of 19 copies of the protein.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis ring is essentially a template,\u201d Wysocki explains. \u201cThe first strand of DNA can come down, and then the second strand comes on and starts being annealed to the first strand.\u201d Annealing occurs when two single strands of DNA come together to form the characteristic double helix structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe findings were supported by what Bell\u2019s lab determined using cryogenic electron microscopy, observing structures floating in solution and frozen in a thin layer of ice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cRAD52 high-resolution structures have been determined with single-stranded DNA, but not with the two DNAs that it\u2019s trying to anneal,\u201d Bell says. \u201cIts job is to bind single-stranded DNA and anneal it to its complement sequence. It\u2019s been captured structurally, but only in a few states relevant to the reaction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHere, we have more of the states along the full pathway from substrate, to intermediate and product. And the duplex intermediate is a conformation that\u2019s never been seen before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, researchers were unsure if this DNA repair process used one protein ring or two rings working together, the team says. Their findings show that just one ring is used\u0026nbsp;\u2014 and that\u0026nbsp;this is likely consistent across different species.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaths to Treatment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENext, the team plans to try capturing the same phases of the DNA repair process with RAD52 from humans. A clearer understanding of how this family of proteins binds to DNA strands and coaxes them back together after a break provides insights for drug targets that could halt the process in cancer cells empowered by mutated BRCA genes, they say.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s still a proposed mechanism: Just because we see these snapshots of the process doesn\u2019t mean we know all the details, but we do have the best snapshots for any protein that does this single-strand annealing,\u201d says Bell. \u201cThis focuses our strategies for drug development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/nar\/gkag320\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/nar\/gkag320\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The cryo-EM data were collected at Ohio State\u2019s Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis and processed using the Ohio Supercomputer Center.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research captures detailed snapshots of a process that helps cancer cells survive \u2014 and may point to new treatments.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The research captures detailed snapshots of a process that helps cancer cells survive \u2014 and may point to new treatments."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 13:56:51","changed_gmt":"2026-06-05 16:50:08","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680421":{"id":"680421","type":"image","title":"Vicki Wysocki","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVicki Wysocki\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780677825","gmt_created":"2026-06-05 16:43:45","changed":"1780677825","gmt_changed":"2026-06-05 16:43:45","alt":"Vicki Wysocki","file":{"fid":"264678","name":"Vicki-Wysocki.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/Vicki-Wysocki.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/Vicki-Wysocki.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":299719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/05\/Vicki-Wysocki.jpg?itok=coGCKGlG"}}},"media_ids":["680421"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.osu.edu\/best-snapshots-yet-of-dna-repair-protein-relevant-to-brca-mutations\/","title":"Best snapshots yet of DNA repair protein relevant to BRCA mutations"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch Writer \/ Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690586":{"#nid":"690586","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Accenture Managing Director Conrad Grajczak Joins SCL Industry Advisory Board","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESCL is pleased to announce the appointment of Conrad Grajczak to its Industry Advisory Board. Grajczak brings nearly 15 years of deep expertise at the intersection of procurement, supply chain logistics, and private equity value creation to the role.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrajczak currently serves as a Managing Director in Accenture\u0027s Supply Chain \u0026amp; Engineering practice. He is a leader in the firm\u0027s Private Equity practice, where he advises operating partners on developing and executing high-impact value creation plans across their investment portfolios.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are thrilled to welcome Conrad to our Industry Advisory Board,\u0022 said SCL Managing Director Chris Gaffney. \u0022His extensive background as a management consultant specializing in margin improvement and cost reduction for private equity-backed companies will be invaluable. We look forward to leveraging his insights to drive our strategic initiatives forward.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EA Proven Track Record in Value Creation\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout his career, Grajczak has partnered closely with Private Equity Operating Partners to deliver bottom-line value through strategic sourcing. He routinely leads pre-purchase and post-acquisition initiatives to establish a value creation roadmap and implement transformative cost programs across Consumer, Industrial, and Healthcare clients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrior to Accenture, Grajczak was part of Insight Sourcing for 11 years and promoted to Partner. \u0026nbsp;Insight Sourcing was a boutique procurement consulting firm where he focused on Private Equity. \u0026nbsp;Insight Sourcing was acquired by Accenture in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore consulting, Grajczak started his career out at Merck \u0026amp; Co. in Vaccine Manufacturing Science and Commercialization. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAcademic Credentials\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA proud Georgia Tech alumnus, Grajczak earned his B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Business through the Technology \u0026amp; Management Program. He also holds an MBA from Emory University\u2019s Goizueta Business School.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMr. Grajczak brings nearly 15 years of deep expertise at the intersection of procurement, supply chain logistics, and private equity value creation to the role.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mr. Grajczak brings nearly 15 years of deep expertise at the intersection of procurement, supply chain logistics, and private equity value creation to the role."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-06-01 20:12:09","changed_gmt":"2026-06-05 12:27:25","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680397":{"id":"680397","type":"image","title":"Conrad Grajczak","body":null,"created":"1780345464","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 20:24:24","changed":"1780345464","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 20:24:24","alt":"Conrad Grajczak","file":{"fid":"264653","name":"ConradGrajczak.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/ConradGrajczak.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/ConradGrajczak.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":81370,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/ConradGrajczak.jpg?itok=bgEL7oiz"}}},"media_ids":["680397"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/people\/industry-advisory-board","title":"SCL Industry Advisory Board Members"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news-events\/newsletters","title":"View past SCL newsletters and join our mailing list"}],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"126331","name":"Advisory Board Member"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["info@scl.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690639":{"#nid":"690639","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Steven Ferguson Builds Better On-Ramps to Georgia Manufacturing, Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Steven Ferguson, deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E, advancing Georgia\u2019s manufacturing industry and its workforce is personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was Ferguson\u2019s own first manufacturing industry job at Glidden Paint in high school that tipped a row of dominoes, clearing his way out of poverty. Following next in the Hall County native\u2019s\u0026nbsp;favor was his receiving the Pell Grant and HOPE Grant, which led to his associate\u2019s degree and first job in education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince then, Ferguson has spent the better part of three decades advancing workforce preparation and education access in Georgia, first as chief information officer for the Technical College System of Georgia, and now through his current roles at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAccess to higher education changed the trajectory of my life. The question now is how we build systems that create those same opportunities for others \u2014 whether someone starts their career right out of high school, earns credentials while working, or returns later to pursue advanced technical education or engineering. We need to create flexible pathways that develop talent at every stage of life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForged in Manufacturing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFerguson was born into a family of \u201cmakers,\u201d who got by on odd jobs and money from their small bait and tackle shop on Lake Lanier and later peddling a variety of goods. At a young age, Ferguson learned salesmanship and picked up the tinkering spirit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dad was always entrepreneurial, and I think you might even consider us manufacturers, always making fishing equipment or other things,\u201d said Ferguson. \u201cFrom a very young age, I was out making jig heads, tying flies, and bagging hooks or sinkers. It was definitely in my blood.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen he was in 10th grade, a teacher nominated Ferguson for a new youth apprenticeship program. That opportunity ultimately led to his role as an information technology apprentice at Glidden Paint, which became Ferguson\u2019s first job in the manufacturing industry. The job was a perfect fit for Ferguson, who enjoyed learning more about the manufacturing process and the practical outlet for his computing knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe continued working there until he began studying computer science at North Georgia College and State University. Later, he transferred to Gainesville College (GC) to participate in a joint enrollment program designed to lead to eventual enrollment for a bachelor\u2019s degree at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, before Ferguson completed his time at GC, he had an \u003Ca\u003Eassociate\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E degree and, more importantly, a job offer. GC wanted him to train others for careers in information technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2026\/05\/27\/access-steven-ferguson-manufacturing-education\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the Enrollment Management News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Steven Ferguson, deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E, advancing Georgia\u2019s manufacturing industry and its workforce is personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was Ferguson\u2019s own first manufacturing industry job at Glidden Paint in high school that tipped a row of dominoes, clearing his way out of poverty. Following next in the Hall County native\u2019s\u0026nbsp;favor was his receiving the Pell Grant and HOPE Grant, which led to his associate\u2019s degree and first job in education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince then, Ferguson has spent the better part of three decades advancing workforce preparation and education access in Georgia, first as chief information officer for the Technical College System of Georgia, and now through his current roles at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For Steven Ferguson, deputy director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute and executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium, advancing Georgia\u2019s manufacturing industry and its workforce is personal."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-04 14:17:03","changed_gmt":"2026-06-04 14:21:17","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680416":{"id":"680416","type":"image","title":"StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Ferguson, deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780582672","gmt_created":"2026-06-04 14:17:52","changed":"1780582713","gmt_changed":"2026-06-04 14:18:33","alt":"Steven Ferguson","file":{"fid":"264673","name":"StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":176331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/04\/StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg?itok=xDe8xlwi"}}},"media_ids":["680416"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2026\/05\/27\/access-steven-ferguson-manufacturing-education\/","title":"Full Story on the Enrollment Management News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amanda.budd@ssc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmanda Budd\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amanda.budd@ssc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690611":{"#nid":"690611","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Common Language to Understand AI Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a simple idea that shows up in just about every engineering discipline: you can\u2019t improve what you can\u2019t measure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat principle is especially relevant today across the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. As systems scale, they increasingly become harder to measure, compare, and fix, particularly within proprietary environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team led by Georgia Tech, working with collaborators across industry, has developed a new approached called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlcommons.org\/working-groups\/research\/chakra\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChakra\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to bring greater clarity to complex AI systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImagine a room where everyone is trying to collaborate, but each person speaks a different language,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/tushar-krishna\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETushar Krishna\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who is leading the effort. \u201cThat\u2019s a bit like today\u2019s AI ecosystem. The internet worked because it was built on shared practices and protocols. In AI, we\u2019re still building that kind of common foundation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work, which Krishna leads through the nonprofit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlcommons.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMLCommons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was released \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2605.11333\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ealongside a paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlsys.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Conference on Machine Learning and Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E(MLSys) in Bellevue, Wash.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Systems Without Exposing Them\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECloud companies, chip designers, software developers, and infrastructure providers all describe their systems differently, relying largely on internal, proprietary approaches that are not publicly shared.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis slows innovation, reduces efficiency, and increases the cost of running AI at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChakra, named after the Sanskrit word for \u201cwheel\u201d to reflect a continuous cycle of improvement, is designed around that reality. Its release is not a single finished system, but a set of shared tools and building blocks.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are making available a standardized format for representing AI workloads, along with tools for collecting and analyzing data from what\u2019s known as an execution trace.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAn execution trace is essentially a recording of how an AI system behaves,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cRather than focusing only on outcomes like speed or accuracy, it captures what computations happened, when machines needed to communicate, and where delays or bottlenecks occurred.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose traces don\u2019t expose the underlying code or data. Instead, they reflect patterns of behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose traces don\u2019t expose the underlying code or data. Instead, they reflect patterns of behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like sharing a map of traffic patterns in a city, instead of handing over the blueprints for every building,\u201d Krishna said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approach can also be used to explore how future systems might behave, giving researchers a way to test ideas and identify potential bottlenecks before those systems are built.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of this dramatically lowers the barrier to participating in AI systems innovation,\u201d Krishna said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Shared Standard\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Chakra project began in 2023 as a collaboration between Georgia Tech and Meta, building on parallel efforts to better understand how AI workloads behave across production systems and simulation environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of that work built on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astra-sim.github.io\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EASTRA-sim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an open-source distributed AI system simulator developed and maintained by Krishna\u2019s group, which models how large-scale AI systems perform across hardware and software.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe knew that for AI to scale responsibly, we needed better ways to understand what\u2019s happening under the hood,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cCompanies struggle to compare systems fairly or reproduce why something worked well\u2014or failed\u2014because everyone uses different tools and proprietary setups.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe early collaboration expanded into a broader effort called the Chakra Working Group (CWG) within MLCommons, a consortium that brings together companies and researchers to develop shared benchmarks and standards for AI systems, including widely used efforts like MLPerf.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDavid Kanter, co-founder of MLCommons and head of MLPerf, has praised the group for \u201cdefining an industry roadmap for AI workload tracing support and benchmarking.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, CWG includes industry partners such as NVIDIA, AMD, Meta, HPE, and Keysight, along with contributions from multiple Georgia Tech faculty, students, and alumni (seven of whom are now working across partner organizations).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChakra is a fantastic showcase of the role ECE and Georgia Tech play in connecting academic research with real-world systems,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of ECE. \u201cWe can bring together expertise spanning the full AI stack in really the only way that makes complex work like this possible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat level of collaboration is essential to developing something that can be used across the broader AI ecosystem, according to Winston Liu, a chief architect at Keysight Technologies and a member of CWG.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat the Chakra community has built is meaningful, but the collaboration model that produced it is worth recognizing just as much,\u201d he said. \u201cThat combination\u2014early enough to shape the spec together and open enough that the output belongs to everyone\u2014is genuinely rare.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Real-world Testbed at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the team\u2019s work has depended on access to infrastructure capable of running AI systems at a realistic scale. Georgia Tech has built that capability through its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/academics\/ai-for-engineering\/ai-makerspace\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI Makerspace\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, one of the largest computing clusters in the world dedicated to supporting student-driven AI workloads while also serving as a real-world testbed for large-scale systems research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pace.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPartnership for an Advanced Computing Environment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (PACE), CWG researchers utilized the AI Makerspace to run workloads across 128 advanced GPUs and collect execution traces from systems operating under real conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe AI Makerspace was built on a simple belief: AI should be accessible to as many as possible,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/matthieu-bloch-phd\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthieu Bloch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate dean in the College of Engineering. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see our colleagues using it to amplify impact and give back to the broader community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat level of access allowed the work behind Chakra to move beyond theory and into environments where performance challenges actually emerge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one case study, Chakra helped identify a hidden communication bottleneck that only appeared under realistic conditions when different types of workloads were running at the same time. More simplified tests failed to surface the issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Comes Next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the Chakra tools and standards are released, the focus now turns to how they will be adopted and extended.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKrishna sees the current moment less as a finish line and more as a starting point for broader participation across the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFive years from now, Chakra will help make AI systems development dramatically more reproducible and accessible,\u201d he said. \u201cResearchers could test ideas against realistic workloads without needing access to massive datacenters, and companies could identify problems much earlier in the design process.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI infrastructure grows more costly, the ability to model new system designs allows researchers and companies to make informed decisions before committing to large-scale investments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLonger term, it could move us toward a \u2018digital twin\u2019 of AI infrastructure,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cA way to model and optimize systems before they\u2019re ever built.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELike the internet before it, AI systems need shared standards to work together. Tushar Krishna and industry collaborators have released Chakra, a new set of tools designed to help make that possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Like the internet before it, AI systems need shared standards to work together. Tushar Krishna and industry collaborators have released Chakra, a new set of tools designed to help make that possible. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2026-06-03 14:33:16","changed_gmt":"2026-06-03 14:37:18","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680409":{"id":"680409","type":"image","title":"DSC05583.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Tushar Krishna (center) and members of his research team \u2014 William Won (recently graduated, now at AMD), Changhai Man, Hanjiang Wu, and Jinsun Yoo \u2014 have announced Chakra, a new shared platform for understanding and improving complex AI systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780497224","gmt_created":"2026-06-03 14:33:44","changed":"1780497224","gmt_changed":"2026-06-03 14:33:44","alt":"Associate Professor Tushar Krishna (center) and members of his research team \u2014 William Won (recently graduated, now at AMD), Changhai Man, Hanjiang Wu, and Jinsun Yoo \u2014 have announced Chakra, a new shared platform for understanding and improving complex AI systems.","file":{"fid":"264665","name":"DSC05583.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/DSC05583.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/DSC05583.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1141078,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/03\/DSC05583.jpg?itok=Y0JL6Acd"}}},"media_ids":["680409"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195159","name":"Chakra"},{"id":"173453","name":"Tushar Krishna"},{"id":"193101","name":"MLCommons"},{"id":"195160","name":"AI systems"},{"id":"11444","name":"benchmarking"},{"id":"195161","name":"execution trace"},{"id":"170894","name":"standards"},{"id":"185447","name":"ASTRA-sim"},{"id":"195162","name":"AI Makerspace"},{"id":"139771","name":"Arijit Raychowdhury"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson71@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690589":{"#nid":"690589","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ph.D. Student Gets the Assist as Bike Robot Performs First Front Flip","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA bicycle robot from the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Cambridge, Mass., has become the first to perform an unassisted acrobatic front flip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERAI calls the bicycle robot an ultra-mobility vehicle (UMV). It can reach a height of 3 feet and can jump from the floor onto a platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe contributions of a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student helped make these feats possible through a robot control policy he developed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJeonghwan Kim, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics under the advisement of Associate Professor Sehoon Ha, spent two semesters interning at RAI. His task was to design a policy to teach the UMV to land after a flip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result was iterative motion imitation (IMI), a novel method that imitates flip trajectories generated from prior examples. Kim said the robot bases its flip on a demonstration, and human engineers reconstruct and refine the flip path through simulation to fill in the gaps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo guide the robot to flip, we started with an imperfect trajectory generated by a motor-based controller and then ran simulations,\u201d Kim said. \u201cIt\u2019s an unstable trajectory, but we use it as a guide to train a single policy that can track it as it lands and tries to balance itself.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESticking the Landing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim interned under the supervision of Shamel Fahmi, a research scientist at the RAI Institute. RAI has been developing the UMV for nearly three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe wanted to work on a different robot morphology that wasn\u2019t legs or legs with wheels,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cThat\u2019s when we thought of working with bikes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to merge the athleticism of (Boston Dynamics\u2019) Atlas with the mobility of a bike. We wanted a robot that can go anywhere, do parkour, and acrobatics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFahmi said that before Kim arrived, the research team had trouble getting the UMV to land consistently without breaking or falling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UMV has two joints \u2014 an upper and a lower. The upper joint contains the motors and pulls the lower joint along as it propels into the air. The problem is getting the lighter lower joint to absorb the impact of landing without being crushed by the heavier upper joint.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s what brings reinforcement learning into the equation,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cWe teach the robot to minimize its impact on the ground to land gracefully.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFahmi said that Kim proved the imitation examples the robot learns from don\u2019t have to be perfect. The process takes some time, but all it needs is a rough idea to get started.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can have an imperfect sketch and then constantly refine it,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cThe first time, it\u2019s not going to go well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t care about torque or power limits as long as it does the motion. Then we\u2019ll have a slightly better reference, repeat it, and imitate it again. In every iteration, we can add more parameters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUp Against the Clock\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim said he felt the pressure of time constraints during his two semesters with RAI as he worked to achieve consistent, successful landings. Even though he had multiple UMVs to experiment with, they broke down dozens of times. Each time one broke, a hardware team at RAI had to repair it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere was a lot of pressure to not only get this working before my internship ended, but also knowing there are costs behind every failed attempt, and every time the robot breaks, it takes time to repair it,\u201d Kim said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt took almost five months for it to land without breaking. Then we needed two more months for it to stay balanced after the landing. It requires a lot of engineering effort to achieve a robust control policy for a safe flip.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the time Kim left RAI, the IMI policy had achieved consistent, seamless landings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe jump right now is what we call the visitor demo,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cIf there are guests coming over to see it, we want to show them something that is extremely impressive, but also, more importantly, extremely reliable. It never fails.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was only possible because of the huge effort we put into designing, maintaining, and continuously improving the robot.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim authored a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/imi-umv.github.io\/\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E on his framework and will present it at this week\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2026.ieee-icra.org\/\u0022\u003EInternational Conference on Robotics and Automation\u003C\/a\u003E (ICRA) in Vienna.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the UMV project, please visit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rai-inst.com\/resources\/blog\/designing-wheeled-robotic-systems\/\u0022\u003ERAI blog\u003C\/a\u003E or watch their\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cjaZUFMZWOY\u0026amp;t=95s\u0022\u003Evideo\u003C\/a\u003E on YouTube.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA bicycle robot from the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Cambridge, Mass., has become the first to perform an unassisted acrobatic front flip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJeonghwan Kim, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics under the advisement of Associate Professor Sehoon Ha, spent two semesters interning at RAI. His task was to design a policy to teach the UMV to land after a flip.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech Ph.D. student\u0027s robot control policy helped the Robotics and AI Institute develop the first bike robot capable of an unassisted front flip."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 13:06:16","changed_gmt":"2026-06-02 13:11:56","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680398":{"id":"680398","type":"image","title":"DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto courtesy of the Robotics and AI Institute\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780405593","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 13:06:33","changed":"1780405662","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 13:07:42","alt":"Bike robot","file":{"fid":"264654","name":"DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":131530,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg?itok=12RGh4JN"}}},"media_ids":["680398"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187991","name":"go-robotics"},{"id":"184632","name":"mobile robotics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690572":{"#nid":"690572","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Joel Kostka to Lead Coastal Marsh Restoration Study in Georgia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow (GT\u00b2)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;will lead a new research project aimed at strengthening coastal marsh restoration efforts along Georgia\u2019s coast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHis project was selected through a competitive, peer-reviewed process involving scientific experts, state and local resource managers, and coastal community stakeholders as part of a biennial research competition sponsored by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/research\/biennial-funding\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u2019s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant\u003C\/a\u003E, supported by the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seagrant.noaa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;NOAA National Sea Grant College Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI am excited to continue to contribute to Sea Grant\u2019s critical mission of research that strengthens the resilience of coastal ecosystems,\u201d says Kostka.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrengthening Coastal Marsh Restoration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka\u2019s team will examine how locally sourced Spartina plants and beneficial root-associated microbes can improve marsh restoration outcomes. The research will evaluate plant growth, stress tolerance, and field performance to identify practical, scalable strategies for supporting coastal ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESelected projects are intended to \u201cadvance the understanding, management, and strategic use of Georgia\u2019s coastal and marine resources,\u201d while producing results that address coastal management needs and remain accessible to communities, according to an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/marine-extension-georgia-sea-grant-funds-coastal-research\/\u0022\u003Earticle\u003C\/a\u003E from Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. In addition to faculty from Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;the 2026 research awards will support investigators from Georgia Southern University and Savannah State University.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKostka\u2019s project will advance marsh restoration along Georgia\u2019s coast through applied research and local collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Kostka\u2019s project will advance marsh restoration along Georgia\u2019s coast through applied research and local collaboration."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-06-01 13:22:21","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 16:52:36","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680387":{"id":"680387","type":"image","title":"Joel Kostka","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780320216","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 13:23:36","changed":"1780320216","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 13:23:36","alt":"man in front of Georgia Tech campus","file":{"fid":"264643","name":"GT-COS-Joel-Kostka-copy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/GT-COS-Joel-Kostka-copy.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/GT-COS-Joel-Kostka-copy.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4153062,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/GT-COS-Joel-Kostka-copy.png?itok=hbURNwYJ"}},"680388":{"id":"680388","type":"image","title":"Native Spartina grasses anchor Georgia\u2019s coastal marshes, the focus of a new study exploring how plants and root microbes can improve restoration success.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003ENative Spartina grasses anchor Georgia\u2019s coastal marshes, the focus of a new study exploring how plants and root microbes can improve restoration success.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1780320655","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 13:30:55","changed":"1780321156","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 13:39:16","alt":"A marsh surrounded by grass","file":{"fid":"264644","name":"kostka_saltmarsh_2-copy.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/kostka_saltmarsh_2-copy.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/kostka_saltmarsh_2-copy.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":970227,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/kostka_saltmarsh_2-copy.jpeg?itok=gYOJ3jKP"}}},"media_ids":["680387","680388"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/news\/18\/georgias-tomorrow-awarded-national-climate-resilience-grant","title":"Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow Awarded National Climate Resilience Grant"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"193679","name":"coastal salt marshes"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690188":{"#nid":"690188","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What\u2019s in the Price of a Gallon of Gas?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Energy Information Administration expects nationwide retail gasoline prices to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/outlooks\/steo\/\u0022\u003Eaverage near $4.30 a gallon\u003C\/a\u003E for April 2026 \u2013 the highest monthly average of the year. The political response has been familiar. Georgia has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.multistate.us\/insider\/2026\/4\/6\/lawmakers-push-fuel-tax-relief-amid-rising-gas-costs\u0022\u003Esuspended its state gas tax\u003C\/a\u003E, other states are weighing their own tax holidays, and the White House has issued a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/story\/2026\/03\/19\/waiving-the-jones-act-will-boost-the-number-of-ships-available-to-transport-oil-in-the-us\u0022\u003Etemporary waiver of a law known as the Jones Act\u003C\/a\u003E in hopes of moving more domestic fuel to East Coast ports.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=jjvorcAAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003Eenergy economist\u003C\/a\u003E, I am often asked about what contributes to gas prices and what different policies can do to affect them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe price of a retail gallon of gas is the sum of four things: the cost of crude oil, refining, distribution and marketing, and taxes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn nationwide figures from January 2026, crude oil accounted for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/petroleum\/gasdiesel\/\u0022\u003Eabout 51% of the pump price\u003C\/a\u003E, refining roughly 20%, distribution and marketing about 11% and taxes about 18%. That mix shifts with conditions: When crude oil prices spike, that can drive more than 60% of the price; when the price drops, taxes and logistics are larger shares of the cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECrude Oil is the Biggest Ingredient\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the price of crude oil is the largest element, most of the price at the pump is derived from the global oil market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\u0022\u003EPrivacy Policy\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\u0022\u003ETerms of Service\u003C\/a\u003E apply.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsually, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1257\/aer.99.3.1053\u0022\u003Ebig swings in crude prices\u003C\/a\u003E come mainly from shifts in global demand and expectations \u2013 not from supply disruptions, according to widely cited research in 2009 by the economist Lutz Kilian.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what is happening in early 2026 with the war in Iran is one of the exceptions: a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-is-less-prone-to-oil-price-shocks-than-in-past-decades-277709\u0022\u003Eclassic supply shock\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/oil-market-report-april-2026\u0022\u003ESevere disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz\u003C\/a\u003E and attacks on Middle East oil infrastructure have taken millions of barrels a day off the global market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost drivers generally can\u2019t quickly reduce how much they drive or how much gas they use when prices rise, so \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dallasfed.org\/research\/economics\/2020\/0616\u0022\u003Egasoline demand doesn\u2019t change much in the short run\u003C\/a\u003E. That means a jump in crude costs tends to result in people paying more rather than driving less.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERefining, Regulations, and the California Puzzle\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERefining turns crude into gasoline at industrial scale. The U.S. doesn\u2019t have a single gasoline market, though. Roughly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/gasoline-standards\/reformulated-gasoline\u0022\u003Ea quarter of U.S. gasoline\u003C\/a\u003E is a cleaner-burning blend of petroleum-derived chemicals called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/gasoline-standards\/reformulated-gasoline\u0022\u003Ereformulated gasoline\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d which is required in urban areas across 17 states and the District of Columbia to reduce smog.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalifornia uses an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ww2.arb.ca.gov\/our-work\/programs\/fuels-enforcment-program\/california-reformulated-gasoline\u0022\u003Eeven stricter formulation\u003C\/a\u003E that few out-of-state refineries make. California is also geographically isolated: No pipelines bring gasoline in from other U.S. refining regions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalifornia\u2019s gasoline prices have long run above the national average, explained in part by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/todayinenergy\/detail.php?id=65184\u0022\u003Ehigher state taxes\u003C\/a\u003E and stricter environmental rules. But since a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.csb.gov\/exxonmobil-torrance-refinery-explosion-\/\u0022\u003Erefinery fire in Torrance, California, in 2015\u003C\/a\u003E reduced production capacity, the state\u2019s prices have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haas.berkeley.edu\/energy-institute\/about\/in-the-media\/mystery-gasoline-surcharge\/\u0022\u003Eabout 20 to 30 cents a gallon\u003C\/a\u003E higher than what those factors would indicate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy economist and University of California, Berkeley, professor Severin Borenstein has called this the \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haas.berkeley.edu\/energy-institute\/about\/in-the-media\/mystery-gasoline-surcharge\/\u0022\u003Emystery gasoline surcharge\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and attributes it to the fact that there isn\u2019t as much competition between refineries or gas stations in California as in other states. California\u2019s own Division of Petroleum Market Oversight says the surcharge cost the state\u2019s drivers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.ca.gov\/publications\/2025\/division-petroleum-market-oversight-2024-annual-report\u0022\u003Eabout $59 billion from 2015 to 2024\u003C\/a\u003E. It\u2019s not exactly clear who is getting that money, but it could be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyathaas.wordpress.com\/2023\/01\/09\/whats-the-matter-with-californias-gasoline-prices\/\u0022\u003Egas stations themselves or refineries\u003C\/a\u003E, through complex contracts with gas stations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting the Gas Into Your Car\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe distribution and marketing category covers the costs of everything involved in getting the gasoline from the refinery gate to your tank.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGasoline moves by pipeline, ship, rail and truck to wholesale terminals, and then by local delivery truck to service stations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the retailer\u2019s end, the key factors are station rent and labor, the cost to buy gasoline in bulk to be able to sell it, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/credit-cards\/learn\/what-are-credit-card-interchange-fees\u0022\u003Ecredit card fees\u003C\/a\u003E of as much as 6 to 10 cents a gallon at current prices, and franchise fees paid to the national brand, such as Sunoco or ExxonMobil, for permission to put their branding on the gas station.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost gas station operators net \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.convenience.org\/Media\/conveniencecorner\/Who-Makes-Money-Selling-Gas\u0022\u003Eonly a few cents per gallon\u003C\/a\u003E on fuel itself \u2013 which is why many gas stations are really convenience stores with pumps out front. Borenstein and some of his collaborators have also documented that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/003355397555118\u0022\u003Eretail gas prices rise quickly\u003C\/a\u003E when wholesale costs climb but fall slowly when wholesale costs drop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Question of Gas Tax Holidays\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe federal government charges a tax on fuel, of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/tools\/faqs\/faq.php?id=10\u0026amp;t=5\u0022\u003E18.4 cents a gallon for gasoline\u003C\/a\u003E and 24.3 cents a gallon for diesel. States charge their own taxes, ranging from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/taxfoundation.org\/data\/all\/state\/gas-taxes-state\/\u0022\u003E70.9 cents a gallon for gas\u003C\/a\u003E in California to 8.95 cents in Alaska.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen gas prices rise, many politicians start talking about temporarily suspending their state\u2019s gas tax. That does reduce prices, but not as much as politicians \u2013 or consumers \u2013 might hope. Research on past gas tax holidays has found that consumers get \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu\/issues\/2022\/6\/15\/effects-of-a-state-gasoline-tax-holiday\u0022\u003Eabout 79% of the reduction\u003C\/a\u003E in gas taxes. That means oil companies and fuel retailers keep about one-fifth of the tax cut for themselves rather than passing that savings to the public.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGas tax holidays also reduce funding for what the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.turbotax.intuit.com\/tax-deductions-and-credits-2\/the-highs-and-lows-of-gasoline-tax-15098\/\u0022\u003Etaxes are designed to pay for\u003C\/a\u003E, typically roads and bridges. That pushes road and bridge upkeep costs onto future drivers and general taxpayers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is an additional problem, too: Taxes on gasoline are supposed to charge drivers for some of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nber.org\/papers\/w14685\u0022\u003Ecosts their driving imposes on everyone else\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 carbon emissions, local air pollution, congestion and crashes. But Borenstein has found that U.S. fuel tax levels are already \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energyathaas.wordpress.com\/2022\/02\/28\/cut-the-electricity-tax-not-the-gas-tax\/\u0022\u003Efar below the true cost to society\u003C\/a\u003E. Removing the tax on drivers effectively raises the costs for everyone else.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Jones Act: A Small Number That Adds Up\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/soaring-gas-prices-prompt-trump-to-ease-oil-tanker-rules-how-waiving-the-jones-act-affects-what-you-pay-at-the-pump-278387\u0022\u003E1920 Jones Act\u003C\/a\u003E is a federal law that requires cargo moving between U.S. ports to travel on vessels built and registered in the U.S., owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed primarily by U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Of the world\u2019s 7,500 oil tankers, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2026\/03\/18\/jones-act-suspended-shipping-oil\/\u0022\u003Eonly 54 meet this requirement\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cato.org\/blog\/jones-act-forces-us-gasoline-take-long-way-home\u0022\u003EOnly 43 of these\u003C\/a\u003E can transport refined fuels such as gasoline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, despite significant refining capacity on the Gulf Coast, some U.S. gasoline is exported overseas even as the Northeast imports fuel, in part reflecting the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/analysis\/transportationfuels\/padd1n3\/\u0022\u003Erelatively high cost of moving fuel\u003C\/a\u003E between U.S. ports.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEconomists Ryan Kellogg and Rich Sweeney estimate that the law \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nber.org\/papers\/w31938\u0022\u003Eraises East Coast gasoline prices by about a penny and a half per gallon\u003C\/a\u003E on average, costing drivers roughly $770 million a year. In light of the war\u2019s effect on gas prices, the Trump administration has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/soaring-gas-prices-prompt-trump-to-ease-oil-tanker-rules-how-waiving-the-jones-act-affects-what-you-pay-at-the-pump-278387\u0022\u003Etemporarily suspended the Jones Act requirements\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 an action more commonly taken when \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/publication\/september-2017-jones-act-waivers\u0022\u003Ehurricanes knock out Gulf Coast refineries and pipeline networks\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Moves the Number\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result of all these factors is that the price that drivers see at the pump mostly reflects the global price of crude, plus a stack of domestic costs, only some of which are inefficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETax holidays give a partial, short-lived rebate. Jones Act waivers trim pennies, though permanent repeal may cause more fundamental changes, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cato.org\/publications\/policy-analysis\/jones-act-burden-america-can-no-longer-bear\u0022\u003Ereduced rail and truck transport of all goods\u003C\/a\u003E, which could lower costs, emissions and infrastructure damage associated with cargo transportation. Harmonizing fuel blends across states and seasons may lower prices somewhat, but likely at the expense of increased emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the best protection against oil price shocks is a more efficient gas-burning vehicle, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/04\/02\/evs-autos-energy-oil-iran-war-electric-transport-fossil-fuels.html\u0022\u003Eone that doesn\u2019t burn gasoline\u003C\/a\u003E at all. In the meantime, the best I can offer as an economist is clarity about what that $4.30 actually buys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/whats-in-the-price-of-a-gallon-of-gas-281494\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech energy economist Bobby Harris said U.S. gasoline prices are driven mainly by crude oil costs, with refining, distribution and taxes accounting for a smaller and shifting share of what consumers pay at the pump.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech energy economist Bobby Harris said U.S. gasoline prices are driven mainly by crude oil costs, with refining, distribution and taxes accounting for a smaller and shifting share of what consumers pay at the pump. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-07 13:46:11","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 14:59:37","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680213":{"id":"680213","type":"image","title":"What-s-inthepriceofagallonofgas.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGas prices were well over $4 a gallon on April 28, 2026, in Brooklyn, N.Y. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/fuel-prices-are-displayed-at-a-brooklyn-gas-station-on-news-photo\/2273575764\u0022\u003ESpencer Platt\/Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778162898","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 14:08:18","changed":"1778162898","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 14:08:18","alt":"A person filling gas in his car with the gas prices shown in the foreground","file":{"fid":"264457","name":"What-s-inthepriceofagallonofgas.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/What-s-inthepriceofagallonofgas.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/What-s-inthepriceofagallonofgas.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":243115,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/What-s-inthepriceofagallonofgas.jpeg?itok=ROlYqpjU"}},"680212":{"id":"680212","type":"image","title":"the-cost-of-crude-oil-is-a-key-driver-of-gas-and-diesel-prices.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs of January 2026.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EChart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/petroleum\/gasdiesel\/\u0022 rel=\u0022nofollow noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EU.S. Energy Information Administration\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022javascript:void(0)\u0022 target=\u0022_self\u0022\u003EGet the data\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/CnmrT\/1\/#embed\u0022\u003EEmbed\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/CnmrT\/full.png\u0022\u003EDownload image\u003C\/a\u003E Created with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.datawrapper.de\/_\/CnmrT\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDatawrapper\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1778162088","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 13:54:48","changed":"1778162088","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 13:54:48","alt":"Chart showing cost distribution of crude oil, refining, marketing and distribution and taxes for gas and diesel","file":{"fid":"264456","name":"the-cost-of-crude-oil-is-a-key-driver-of-gas-and-diesel-prices.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/the-cost-of-crude-oil-is-a-key-driver-of-gas-and-diesel-prices_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/the-cost-of-crude-oil-is-a-key-driver-of-gas-and-diesel-prices_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":81655,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/the-cost-of-crude-oil-is-a-key-driver-of-gas-and-diesel-prices_0.png?itok=p_-8Gzh1"}},"680210":{"id":"680210","type":"image","title":"BobbyHarris-file-20260429-57-ux2drz.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA tanker truck delivers fuel to a gas station. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/IranUSOil\/aa65c07d8aa34344acfa1aa5bcfda39c\/photo\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Erin Hooley\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778161952","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 13:52:32","changed":"1778161952","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 13:52:32","alt":"A tanker truck delivers fuel to a gas station. AP Photo\/Erin Hooley","file":{"fid":"264454","name":"BobbyHarris-file-20260429-57-ux2drz.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/BobbyHarris-file-20260429-57-ux2drz.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/BobbyHarris-file-20260429-57-ux2drz.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":101295,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/BobbyHarris-file-20260429-57-ux2drz.jpeg?itok=SkqSopUw"}},"680211":{"id":"680211","type":"image","title":"BobbyHarris-file-20260318-71-tw0cca.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESuspending the Jones Act allows foreign-based oil tankers to sail between U.S. ports. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/OilPrices\/773825116ccd4cf8943c40836038be54\/photo?vs=false\u0026amp;currentItemNo=25\u0026amp;startingItemNo=0\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Eric Gay\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778161998","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 13:53:18","changed":"1778161998","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 13:53:18","alt":"An oil tanker ship with the sun in the background and a man with a cap with a fishing poll in the foreground","file":{"fid":"264455","name":"BobbyHarris-file-20260318-71-tw0cca.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/BobbyHarris-file-20260318-71-tw0cca.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/BobbyHarris-file-20260318-71-tw0cca.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":127210,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/BobbyHarris-file-20260318-71-tw0cca.jpeg?itok=1ZUJVvv4"}}},"media_ids":["680213","680212","680210","680211"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/whats-in-the-price-of-a-gallon-of-gas-281494","title":"Original Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/robert-i-harris-2669057\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERobert I. Harris\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690553":{"#nid":"690553","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New App Allows Anyone to Operate a Robot From Their Phone","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESomeone with no computing experience may soon be able to remotely control a robot from anywhere on the planet using a smartphone, thanks to new technology developed by Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new technology is also set to revolutionize the scale of policy training data collection, which is essential to advancing robotic capabilities and meeting growing production demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cobalt-teleop.github.io\/\u0022\u003ECOBALT\u003C\/a\u003E is a mobile app that turns smartphones into controllers for robot arms. With a secure Wi-Fi connection to a server, users can move their phones in any direction, and the robot arm will mirror the motion \u2014 from anywhere in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAyush Agarwal, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing who leads a research team developing COBALT, said it works like the games people play on smartphones. Users can press a button to have the arm grasp an object, move it, and release it with another button.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal conducted several user studies with participants in nine countries who remotely operated robot arms inside Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pair.toronto.edu\/\u0022\u003EPeople, AI \u0026amp; Robotics (PAIR) Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. The lab is directed by Assistant Professor Animesh Garg, who advises Agarwal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe built an entire distribution system for remote teleoperation scaled to where we had people from Indonesia, India, and Pakistan operating for us,\u201d Agarwal said. \u201cThey were novice operators who had never done it before. By collecting data from these new users, we showed that we can train policies to automate certain tasks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg envisions a world where data collection for policy training is done through crowdsourcing. He began working toward this goal 10 years ago as a postdoc at Stanford University, when he developed\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/roboturk.stanford.edu\/\u0022\u003ERoboTurk\u003C\/a\u003E, an earlier version of COBALT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is a large-scale data collection requirement for mass robot production to be possible, and it will not be solved purely through simulation,\u201d Garg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur idea was, what if we could get almost every person on the planet to be a passive source for data collection? There are almost five billion people who have smartphones and know how to use them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation and Economy Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother major implication of COBALT could be expanded access to CS and robotics education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents can learn to operate a robot remotely in any classroom. In fact, Garg and his lab recently hosted students from Midtown High School in Atlanta to demonstrate COBALT and let them control robot arms from a phone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg also sees the possibility of a \u201cgig economy\u201d in which people pay remote operators to control assistive robots in their homes and complete household chores for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could be Uber for robots,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople who want to log onto the platform can do so at their convenience and for as long as they want.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies with robot-dependent labor tasks could also use the platform to enable human oversight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf I deploy a robot in a factory that achieves high autonomy for most tasks, but there are still times it needs help, a human could operate the robot from anywhere in the world,\u201d Garg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Network\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal\u2019s studies showed that people prefer to interact with and control a robot using a smartphone rather than virtual reality (VR) headsets, controllers, keyboards, mice, or other devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe phone is a more intuitive interface and can provide data quality that\u2019s on par with other commonly used devices,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal also said there is minimal latency in the video feed sent back to operators on the other side of the world. That\u2019s because the amount of data being processed is small.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe data is carried over Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC), the same technology used by many streaming services and web conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a connection from your phone to the teleoperation server, which is connected to the robots,\u201d Agarwal said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThen there\u2019s another connection from the teleoperation server back to the user, which allows for a video stream. We need low latency on both because you don\u2019t want the user to move their phone and wait 10 seconds to see the visual feed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal is the co-lead author of a paper on COBALT that is being presented at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2026.ieee-icra.org\/\u0022\u003EIEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation\u003C\/a\u003E this week in Vienna. He said the paper stands out because it has moved from theory to the implementation of an entire distribution network.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real novelty of our paper is the systems that we build around it to actually support the scaling of remote operation and data collection at a global level,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith a secure Wi-Fi connection to a server, users can move their phones in any direction, and the robot arm will mirror the motion \u2014 from anywhere in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new mobile app turns smartphones into controllers for robot arms. "}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-29 16:37:15","changed_gmt":"2026-05-29 16:43:09","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680381":{"id":"680381","type":"image","title":"Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","body":null,"created":"1780072785","gmt_created":"2026-05-29 16:39:45","changed":"1780072785","gmt_changed":"2026-05-29 16:39:45","alt":"Three men use their phones to control a robot arm","file":{"fid":"264637","name":"Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":186525,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/29\/Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg?itok=8WOofrjN"}}},"media_ids":["680381"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"168927","name":"smartphones"},{"id":"44461","name":"robot arm"},{"id":"93131","name":"ICRA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690525":{"#nid":"690525","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Framework Enhances AR Experience by Predicting Where Users Will Look","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAugmented reality (AR) devices like smart glasses may soon be able to predict where a user will look and provide an enhanced interactive experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fkryan.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFiona Ryan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is pioneering research that tracks and predicts user gaze from a first-person perspective in 3D environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, most AR devices react to where users look, playing catch-up. Ryan\u2019s method could give these devices a heads-up and make the user experience more seamless.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt allows an AR system to anticipate what the person will interact with next and where they\u2019re going to look next so it can proactively render the experience,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan is the lead author of the paper \u003Cem\u003EForecasting 3D Scanpaths in Egocentric Video,\u003C\/em\u003E which she will present next week at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cvpr.thecvf.com\/\u0022\u003EIEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition\u003C\/a\u003E (CVPR) in Denver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile there is existing research on predicting user gaze from 2D still images, her work is the first to address the issue through a 3D framework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause we live in a 3D world and people are dynamically moving around from multiple points of view, we need to predict gaze in 3D rather than 2D,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a path of the person\u2019s attention in 3D through space. Our paper is the first to attempt to model this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan conducted most of the research while interning at Meta, where she used data from Meta\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.projectaria.com\/datasets\/adt\/\u0022\u003EAria Digital Twin dataset\u003C\/a\u003E. The dataset contains first-person video footage of users interacting with objects in an apartment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe chose that dataset because it has a high-fidelity 3D reconstruction of a full environment, which helps us get a ground-truth 3D gaze,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can trace eye movement and see how it intersects with the environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA video demonstration of Ryan\u2019s work shows her software tracking a user\u2019s path toward a table with a cup on it. Once the user picks up the cup, the software correctly predicts the direction the user will turn next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we look at a scene, we don\u2019t take in everything in full detail all at once,\u201d she said. \u201cWe fixate on certain areas, and our gaze is a sequence of fixations, which might depend on what we\u2019re trying to do. If we want to pick up a cup, we might look toward that and then the next step would be looking at where we\u2019re going to put it down.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said the software can predict, on average, up to three seconds into the future \u2014 and as far as 10 seconds in some cases. That\u2019s enough time for the AR system to proactively render a more enhanced environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not looking that far into the future right now, but it would be interesting to explore longer forecasting windows,\u201d she said. \u201cI think potential futures would diverge pretty quickly, so we\u2019re trying to explore what can reasonably be predicted from a short segment of a person looking and moving through space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said her paper served as a proof-of-concept, and that there is still much future work to be done. She already has some ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think future models can include different scenarios to help narrow down possibilities. Sometimes a person\u2019s gaze stays on one thing for a long time. If we know what someone is trying to do, we\u2019ll have a better idea of the likely path their attention might go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere could also be future implications for her work in robotics research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could potentially be used for training algorithms for robots to emulate active human perception. If we can understand what a person looks at as they perform a task, we could use that to facilitate a robot learning to do that same task.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices. If these devices know where a user will look next, it can proactively display information and interactive features more seamlessly.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices"}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 21:15:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 21:16:17","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680364":{"id":"680364","type":"image","title":"IMG_2114.JPG","body":null,"created":"1779916518","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 21:15:18","changed":"1779916518","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 21:15:18","alt":"Fiona Ryan","file":{"fid":"264620","name":"IMG_2114.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/IMG_2114.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/IMG_2114.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":100549,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/27\/IMG_2114.JPG?itok=uM3cBtPX"}}},"media_ids":["680364"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1597","name":"Augmented Reality"},{"id":"11506","name":"computer vision"},{"id":"183308","name":"smart glasses"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690524":{"#nid":"690524","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Framework Enhances AR Experience by Predicting Where Users Will Look","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAugmented reality (AR) devices like smart glasses may soon be able to predict where a user will look and provide an enhanced interactive experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fkryan.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFiona Ryan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is pioneering research that tracks and predicts user gaze from a first-person perspective in 3D environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, most AR devices react to where users look, playing catch-up. Ryan\u2019s method could give these devices a heads-up and make the user experience more seamless.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt allows an AR system to anticipate what the person will interact with next and where they\u2019re going to look next so it can proactively render the experience,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan is the lead author of the paper \u003Cem\u003EForecasting 3D Scanpaths in Egocentric Video,\u003C\/em\u003E which she will present next week at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cvpr.thecvf.com\/\u0022\u003EIEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition\u003C\/a\u003E (CVPR) in Denver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile there is existing research on predicting user gaze from 2D still images, her work is the first to address the issue through a 3D framework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause we live in a 3D world and people are dynamically moving around from multiple points of view, we need to predict gaze in 3D rather than 2D,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a path of the person\u2019s attention in 3D through space. Our paper is the first to attempt to model this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan conducted most of the research while interning at Meta, where she used data from Meta\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.projectaria.com\/datasets\/adt\/\u0022\u003EAria Digital Twin dataset\u003C\/a\u003E. The dataset contains first-person video footage of users interacting with objects in an apartment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe chose that dataset because it has a high-fidelity 3D reconstruction of a full environment, which helps us get a ground-truth 3D gaze,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can trace eye movement and see how it intersects with the environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA video demonstration of Ryan\u2019s work shows her software tracking a user\u2019s path toward a table with a cup on it. Once the user picks up the cup, the software correctly predicts the direction the user will turn next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we look at a scene, we don\u2019t take in everything in full detail all at once,\u201d she said. \u201cWe fixate on certain areas, and our gaze is a sequence of fixations, which might depend on what we\u2019re trying to do. If we want to pick up a cup, we might look toward that and then the next step would be looking at where we\u2019re going to put it down.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said the software can predict, on average, up to three seconds into the future \u2014 and as far as 10 seconds in some cases. That\u2019s enough time for the AR system to proactively render a more enhanced environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not looking that far into the future right now, but it would be interesting to explore longer forecasting windows,\u201d she said. \u201cI think potential futures would diverge pretty quickly, so we\u2019re trying to explore what can reasonably be predicted from a short segment of a person looking and moving through space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said her paper served as a proof-of-concept, and that there is still much future work to be done. She already has some ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think future models can include different scenarios to help narrow down possibilities. Sometimes a person\u2019s gaze stays on one thing for a long time. If we know what someone is trying to do, we\u2019ll have a better idea of the likely path their attention might go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere could also be future implications for her work in robotics research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could potentially be used for training algorithms for robots to emulate active human perception. If we can understand what a person looks at as they perform a task, we could use that to facilitate a robot learning to do that same task.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices. If these devices know where a user will look next, it can proactively display information and interactive features more seamlessly.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices"}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 20:42:33","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 20:42:33","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1597","name":"Augmented Reality"},{"id":"11506","name":"computer vision"},{"id":"183308","name":"smart glasses"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690488":{"#nid":"690488","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Program Backs Pioneering Antibody Research with Global Reach","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new grant from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gra.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E (GRA) is backing an ambitious effort by Georgia Tech scientists to accelerate the development of human antibody therapies \u2014 a class of medicines that has transformed treatment across cancer, autoimmune disease, and infectious illness, yet it cannot be generated against many disease targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $250,000 funding award, made through GRA\u2019s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I\u0026amp;E) program, supports the translational work of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/ankur-singh\u0022\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/andres-j-garcia\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor in Mechanical Engineering and the Executive Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E. Singh and Garc\u00eda are collaborating to develop functional human antibodies against some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases. While antibody therapies already benefit an estimated 20 million patients worldwide, fewer than 10 percent of discovery efforts ultimately yield candidates suitable for clinical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis shortfall spans major disease areas \u2014 from oncology and autoimmune disorders to heart and metabolism-related conditions and neurological and infectious diseases \u2014 limiting therapeutic options for patients. The challenge lies not only in identifying candidate antibodies, but in engineering them to function reliably in the human body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe I\u0026amp;E program exists to bridge the gap between a discovery that works in the lab and one that can anchor a company,\u201d said Justin Burns, Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at GRA. \u201cSingh and Garc\u00eda are tackling a problem the field has faced for decades: A significant fraction of drug targets remains inaccessible to antibody-based therapies. Our goal is to help move bold, high-potential science toward real-world impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGRA\u2019s model targets a well-known bottleneck in translation. While university labs generate promising technologies, many stall before reaching the marketplace due to a lack of validation and early-stage development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh and Garc\u00eda aim to overcome this barrier by using a proprietary antibody-engineering framework developed in Singh\u2019s laboratory, and supported by an earlier GRA grant. The objective is straightforward: Increase the success rate of discovery efforts so more antibody candidates can advance toward clinical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe implications extend well beyond our laboratory,\u201d said Singh. \u201cBy expanding the pipeline of functional human antibodies, we can begin to address diseases that currently lack durable treatment options. GRA\u2019s support is transformative \u2014 not only for advancing the science, but for positioning Georgia as a leader in biotechnology innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project is built with real-world use in mind, aiming to turn the research into a new company and eventually a clinical product. By testing the idea early and lowering risk, the team hopes to attract investment and move the technology quickly beyond the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda emphasized the translational vision of the work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a transformative platform technology that overcomes major bottlenecks in antibody discovery and will accelerate and increase the efficiency of this powerful class of therapeutics,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis effort is about rethinking how we design antibodies from the ground up \u2014 integrating biological insight with engineering principles to produce molecules that are not just viable, but clinically meaningful,\u201d he said. \u201cWith GRA\u2019s support, we can de-risk early discovery and create a clearer path from promising concepts to therapies that reach patients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Tracey Mullen, a seasoned biopharma executive, entrepreneur, and antibody discovery and engineering leader currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Mosaic Biosciences, is advising the team on translational strategy, commercial development, and company formation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe ability to rapidly generate functional human antibodies in physiologically relevant systems could meaningfully change how therapeutic discovery is approached,\u201d Mullen said. \u201cBy moving beyond largely empirical, animal- or screening-heavy workflows and incorporating human-specific, mechanism-informed evaluation earlier in the process, this platform has the potential to generate more relevant antibody candidates and create a stronger path from discovery concept to translational development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs global demand for advanced therapeutics grows, efforts like this reflect a broader shift in how innovation moves from bench to bedside \u2014 one driven not only by scientific ingenuity, but by targeted investment at critical early stages.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAntibody therapy is a class of medicines that has transformed treatment across cancer, autoimmune disease, and infectious illness, yet it cannot be generated against many disease targets. The $250,000 funding award, made through GRA\u2019s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I\u0026amp;E) program, will help two Georgia Tech researchers develop functional human antibodies against some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new grant from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) is backing an ambitious effort by Georgia Tech scientists to accelerate the development of human antibody therapies "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 12:28:35","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 14:06:25","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680359":{"id":"680359","type":"image","title":"_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779890722","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 14:05:22","changed":"1779890722","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 14:05:22","alt":"A man sits in a lab in front of a fume hood and uses tweezers to hold a plastic chip out toward the camera.","file":{"fid":"264616","name":"_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":130894,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/27\/_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg?itok=Cdmy-61A"}}},"media_ids":["680359"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690486":{"#nid":"690486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"INTERSECT 2026 Marks a Decade of Impact in Advancing the Southeast\u2019s Energy Policy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s INTERSECT 2026 brought together leading voices in energy on May 18 to explore critical issues in the Southeast\u2019s energy ecosystem. Hosted by the Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E), INTERSECT coincided with the center\u2019s 10th anniversary, reflecting its sustained impact in convening cross-sector leaders to advance regional energy innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith more than 150 attendees from industry, academia, and research organizations, the event\u2019s high-level engagement underscored the urgency of critical issues facing the energy sector today, including the surging electricity demand, resiliency of the grid, and evolving supply chains, as well as the value of a dedicated space for candid, solutions-oriented dialogue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cINTERSECT 2026 demonstrated the power of bringing together leaders who are actively shaping the future of energy,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cWhat began as a forum to explore emerging ideas has grown into a critical platform for aligning perspectives and advancing actionable solutions across the Southeast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s program focused on real-world implementation challenges, including managing large-scale load growth and coordinating infrastructure investments to meet demand reliably and affordably. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/intersect-2026\/\u0022\u003EPanels\u003C\/a\u003E featuring leaders from utilities, global energy corporations, and research organizations emphasized the importance of aligning strategy across sectors to ensure that the Southeast remains competitive and resilient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southerncompany.com\/about\/leadership\/chris-womack.html\u0022\u003EChris Womack\u003C\/a\u003E, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the unprecedented scale of current energy demands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMeeting this moment requires us to think differently \u2014 serving growth while ensuring reliability, resilience, and long-term value for our customers and communities,\u201d said Womack.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaunched in 2017, the inaugural INTERSECT conference marked the launch of EPIcenter itself and established Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to connecting research, industry insight, and policy development. It focused on the need to bridge the gap between rapidly advancing technologies and slower-moving regulatory and market frameworks, a theme that continues to shape its mission today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs INTERSECT 2026 concluded, participants pointed to a shared takeaway: With its\u0026nbsp;industrial base, growing population, and integrated energy systems,\u0026nbsp;the Southeast is uniquely positioned to lead in the next phase of the energy transition. With AI-driven power demand and grid infrastructure playing a significant role going forward, it is imperative to bring together the right voices to shape policies and strategies that will connect ideas to action.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s INTERSECT 2026 brought together leading voices in energy on May 18 to explore critical issues in the Southeast\u2019s energy ecosystem. Hosted by the Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E), INTERSECT coincided with the center\u2019s 10th anniversary, reflecting its sustained impact in convening cross-sector leaders to advance regional energy innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s INTERSECT 2026 brought together leading voices in energy on May 18 to explore critical issues in the Southeast\u2019s energy ecosystem."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 00:38:33","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 10:50:35","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680346":{"id":"680346","type":"image","title":"Intersect 2026 Leadership Group Picture","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom Left to Right: EPIcenter Director Laura Taylor, Southern Company Chairman and CEO Chris Womack, President Angel Cabrera, EVPR Tim Lieuwen, SEI Executive Director Yuanzhi Tang\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779842466","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 00:41:06","changed":"1779842579","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 00:42:59","alt":"EPIcenter Director Laura Taylor, Southern Company Chairman and CEO Chris Womack, President Angel Cabrera, EVPR Tim Lieuwen, SEI Executive Director Yuanzhi Tang","file":{"fid":"264599","name":"Intersect-2026-41.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/Intersect-2026-41.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/Intersect-2026-41.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2791358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/Intersect-2026-41.jpg?itok=Lrxn0Af_"}},"680347":{"id":"680347","type":"image","title":"Intersect 2026 Keynote - Laura Taylor with Chris Womack","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEPIcenter Director Laura Taylor with Southern Company Chairman and CEO Chris Womack during the keynote address\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779842599","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 00:43:19","changed":"1779842670","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 00:44:30","alt":"EPIcenter Director Laura Taylor with Southern Company Chairman and CEO Chris Womack during the keynote address","file":{"fid":"264600","name":"Intersect-2026-33.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/Intersect-2026-33.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/Intersect-2026-33.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5201223,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/Intersect-2026-33.jpg?itok=ghZ3_4bp"}},"680353":{"id":"680353","type":"image","title":"IMG_1467.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIntersect 2026 Participants\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779847503","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:05:03","changed":"1779847503","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 02:05:03","alt":"Intersect 2026 Participants","file":{"fid":"264607","name":"IMG_1467.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1467.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1467.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4724973,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1467.jpg?itok=_TJKw5ax"}},"680348":{"id":"680348","type":"image","title":"Panel 1 Participants","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPanel Moderator Marc Miller (ScottMadden) with Panelists Steve Chriss (Walmart), Aaron Mitchell (Georgia Power), and Srimonto Ghosh (Chevron)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779842699","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 00:44:59","changed":"1779844181","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 01:09:41","alt":"Panel Moderator Marc Miller (ScottMadden) with Panelists Steve Chriss (Walmart), Aaron Mitchell (Georgia Power), and Srimonto Ghosh (Chevron)","file":{"fid":"264602","name":"IMG_1434.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1434.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1434.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2102204,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1434.jpg?itok=j8RsnUOk"}},"680354":{"id":"680354","type":"image","title":"IMG_1449.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EFireside chat featuring Rich Simmons, Strategic Energy Institute, and Rich Voorberg, QII.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1779847562","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:06:02","changed":"1779889346","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 13:42:26","alt":"Fireside chat featuring Rich Simmons, Strategic Energy Institute, and Rich Voorberg, QII.","file":{"fid":"264608","name":"IMG_1449.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1449.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1449.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2495542,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1449.jpg?itok=vr1zD1ce"}},"680352":{"id":"680352","type":"image","title":"IMG_1514.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EModerator Craig Jones (Oglethorpe Power Corporation) with Panelists Lisa Epifani (ClearPath, William Pizer (Resources for the Future) and Brad Townsend (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779847353","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:02:33","changed":"1779848242","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 02:17:22","alt":"Moderator Craig Jones (Oglethorpe Power Corporation) with Panelists Lisa Epifani (ClearPath, William Pizer (Resources for the Future) and Brad Townsend (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)","file":{"fid":"264606","name":"IMG_1514.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1514.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1514.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2456990,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1514.jpg?itok=NKTo9xm8"}},"680355":{"id":"680355","type":"image","title":"IMG_1464.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EModerator Scott McWhorter (Strategic Energy Institute), with Panelists Neva Espinoza (EPRI), Sherman Knight (Competitive Power Ventures), and Barbara Hampton (Georgia Transmission Corporation)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779847699","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:08:19","changed":"1779848292","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 02:18:12","alt":"Moderator Scott McWhorter (Strategic Energy Institute), with Panelists Neva Espinoza (EPRI), Sherman Knight (Competitive Power Ventures), and Barbara Hampton (Georgia Transmission 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Energies)","file":{"fid":"264610","name":"IMG_1536.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1536.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1536.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2400022,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1536.jpg?itok=dxTsR50P"}}},"media_ids":["680346","680347","680353","680348","680354","680352","680355","680356"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690463":{"#nid":"690463","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Advance Energy, Science Innovation Through National Lab Internships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students are gaining hands-on research experience at U.S. national laboratories this summer, reinforcing the Institute\u2019s strong and enduring partnerships across the national lab system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe highly competitive\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/About\/Laboratory-Participants\u0022\u003ELaboratory Placement program\u003C\/a\u003E is a paid opportunity offered through the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/suli\u0022\u003EScience Undergraduate Laboratory Internships\u003C\/a\u003E. It provides students from a wide range of disciplines an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at leading facilities, including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anl.gov\/\u0022\u003EArgonne National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ameslab.gov\/\u0022\u003EAmes National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nlr.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Laboratory of the Rockies\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pppl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.srnl.gov\/\u0022\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program\u2019s 2026 cohort includes 16 Georgia Tech students from disciplines such as artificial intelligence, materials science, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics. Their research placements reflect the interdisciplinary nature of today\u2019s scientific challenges, with projects covering bioinformatics, high-energy and condensed matter physics, accelerator science, environmental management, and advanced materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of the internships are closely aligned with national energy priorities, with students working in research areas including nuclear energy, hydrogen and chemical systems, materials for energy applications, plasma and fusion sciences, and complex engineered systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s deep engagement with the national laboratory system creates unparalleled opportunities for our students to contribute to the future of energy,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute. \u201cBy connecting interdisciplinary talent with world-class research environments, we are not only advancing discovery but also shaping the next generation of leaders who will drive secure, sustainable, and resilient energy systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking alongside national lab scientists, students will not only gain access to world-class facilities but benefit from mentorship and professional networks, while contributing to research critical to national security, economic competitiveness, and a more sustainable energy future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese internships demonstrate the strength of Georgia Tech\u2019s relationships across the federal research ecosystem,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gov.gatech.edu\/staff-directory\u0022\u003ERobert Knotts\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of Federal Relations in the Office of Institute Relations. \u201cThey provide a direct pathway for students to engage in public service through mission-driven research at national laboratories \u2014 while strengthening connections that are vital to advancing national priorities in energy, security, and innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students are gaining hands-on research experience at U.S. national laboratories this summer, reinforcing the Institute\u2019s strong and enduring partnerships across the national lab system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe highly competitive\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/About\/Laboratory-Participants\u0022\u003ELaboratory Placement program\u003C\/a\u003E is a paid opportunity offered through the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/suli\u0022\u003EScience Undergraduate Laboratory Internships\u003C\/a\u003E. It provides students from a wide range of disciplines an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at leading facilities, including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anl.gov\/\u0022\u003EArgonne National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ameslab.gov\/\u0022\u003EAmes National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nlr.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Laboratory of the Rockies\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pppl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.srnl.gov\/\u0022\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech students are gaining hands-on research experience at U.S. national laboratories this summer, reinforcing the Institute\u2019s strong and enduring partnerships across the national lab system."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-26 14:34:26","changed_gmt":"2026-05-26 19:23:02","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680345":{"id":"680345","type":"image","title":"National Lab Student Internships 2026","body":null,"created":"1779823309","gmt_created":"2026-05-26 19:21:49","changed":"1779823332","gmt_changed":"2026-05-26 19:22:12","alt":"Logos of national labs including Oak Ridge National Lab, AMES Lab, Argonne National Lab, Savannah River National Lab, PPPL, National Lab of the Rockies, National Fusion Facility, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab and Sandia national lab","file":{"fid":"264598","name":"GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2027423,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg?itok=SiYNOZ89"}}},"media_ids":["680345"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690279":{"#nid":"690279","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Soft, Skin-Like Nasal Patch Could Transform Sleep Monitoring","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESleep-related breathing disorders, including sleep apnea, affect millions of people worldwide but frequently go undiagnosed. One major barrier to diagnosis is the test itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional sleep monitoring systems often rely on bulky equipment and nasal cannulas \u2014 small tubes inserted into the nostrils to measure airflow. While effective, these systems can be uncomfortable, intrusive, and difficult to tolerate overnight, limiting their use for long-term monitoring at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yeo\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW. Hong Yeo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, have developed a soft, wireless nasal patch that could offer a more comfortable alternative for monitoring breathing during sleep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology, described in a recent study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnas.org%2Fdoi%2F10.1073%2Fpnas.2605960123\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctracie.troha%40me.gatech.edu%7Cce0da602964f459c097e08deb13aa914%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639143062664873257%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=7v2YqFZdB%2F1EBX3YLD0J2SiAQNkex92qZDCERO1qR7E%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, uses ultrathin, skin-like wearable electronics to detect subtle movements of the nose caused by breathing without tubes, wires, or direct airflow measurements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/soft-skin-nasal-patch-could-transform-sleep-monitoring\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESleep-related breathing disorders, including sleep apnea, affect millions of people worldwide but frequently go undiagnosed. One major barrier to diagnosis is the test itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional sleep monitoring systems often rely on bulky equipment and nasal cannulas \u2014 small tubes inserted into the nostrils to measure airflow. While effective, these systems can be uncomfortable, intrusive, and difficult to tolerate overnight, limiting their use for long-term monitoring at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers led by W. Hong Yeo, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, have developed a soft, wireless nasal patch that could offer a more comfortable alternative for monitoring breathing during sleep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology, described in a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uses ultrathin, skin-like wearable electronics to detect subtle movements of the nose caused by breathing without tubes, wires, or direct airflow measurements.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers led by W. Hong Yeo, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research at the Woodruff School, have developed a soft, wireless nasal patch that could offer a more comfortable alternative for monitoring breathing during sleep."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-05-14 21:46:23","changed_gmt":"2026-05-26 15:20:24","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680281":{"id":"680281","type":"image","title":"Figure-5.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778795216","gmt_created":"2026-05-14 21:46:56","changed":"1778795216","gmt_changed":"2026-05-14 21:46:56","alt":"Soft, wireless nasal patch","file":{"fid":"264528","name":"Figure-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Figure-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Figure-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":98315,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/14\/Figure-5.jpg?itok=P93vxp6D"}}},"media_ids":["680281"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690462":{"#nid":"690462","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Sciences Students and Alumni Awarded Prestigious NSF Fellowships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Sciences alumni and graduate students are among the seventy-five Yellow Jackets awarded Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF) from the National Science Foundation. The fellowships, valued at $159,000, include funding for three years of graduate study and tuition for graduate students pursuing full-time, research-based master\u2019s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or STEM education.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech recipients of the fellowship, which has supported over 70,000 students since its inception in 1952, were selected from a pool of more than 14,000 applicants nationwide. Fellowships are awarded to students \u201cwho have demonstrated potential for significant achievements in research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAlumni:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e859bbc3055da7b1312b87b6925470341\u0022\u003EMariah Castillo \u2013 Chemical Catalysis\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e06df0a5449ddef10776341feb35dc08b\u0022\u003EBrandon Choi \u2013 Physics and Astronomy - Artificial Intelligence\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea935fb94f5b1a4266183414c5307dceb\u0022\u003EBrice Bradley Edelman \u2013 Comp\/IS\/Eng - Artificial Intelligence\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5c69077e5a97c1160080f87af6f094ac\u0022\u003EMarielle Frooman \u2013 Chemistry \u2013 Chemical Synthesis\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022edd41933852e3d8b6fdbe25529f49b9a8\u0022\u003EKush Gandhi \u2013 Physics and Astronomy - Quantum Information Science\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e7d95baff19dff606d39fbfae4a961247\u0022\u003EDivya Iyer \u2013 Materials Research - Chemistry of Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e65ca54c39c5659f3608daa6bd9662598\u0022\u003EElizabeth Mone \u2013 Physics and Astronomy - Astronomy and Astrophysics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed1c665b92ec9c06e9795488b48fe21b5\u0022\u003EAkash Narayanan \u2013 Mathematical Sciences \u2013 Topology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e96c26bb11d4078461e693b81af732b00\u0022\u003EMatthew Rohan \u2013 Materials Research - Chemistry of Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e12fef2f57a1ca2554b33c7a9a83d14ae\u0022\u003EIsaac Sipp-Alpers \u2013 Geosciences \u2013 Paleoceanography\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9a6f462ac62e5990ac52531cea077c6b\u0022\u003ESkylar Taylor \u2013 Life Sciences \u2013 Organismal Biology\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGraduate Students:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb660015e5459bd7ed8fca6d029273ce1\u0022\u003ESierra Paige Bornheim \u2013 Life Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e8923146c28635585b4436f0b620dab53\u0022\u003EZahria Patrick \u2013 Chemistry \u2013 Chemical Synthesis\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e204c614dc59e5646c78d252db237b0f1\u0022\u003EBrendan Michael Shrader \u2013 Mathematical Sciences - Mathematical Biology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea693b4778b41b9ea55f46d0d71777948\u0022\u003EYufei Xiao \u2013 Physics and Astronomy - Physics of Living Systems\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiscover the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/21\/georgia-tech-students-and-alumni-awarded-prestigious-nsf-fellowships\u0022\u003Efull list of Georgia Tech awardees\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF Graduate Research Fellowship supports \u201coutstanding students with exceptional potential for leadership in STEM.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship supports \u201coutstanding students with exceptional potential for leadership in STEM.\u201d"}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-05-26 14:29:09","changed_gmt":"2026-05-26 14:38:07","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680330":{"id":"680330","type":"image","title":"Researcher in Lab","body":null,"created":"1779391476","gmt_created":"2026-05-21 19:24:36","changed":"1779391476","gmt_changed":"2026-05-21 19:24:36","alt":"Researcher in Lab","file":{"fid":"264577","name":"25-5006-P1-013.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/21\/25-5006-P1-013.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/21\/25-5006-P1-013.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1915407,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/21\/25-5006-P1-013.jpg?itok=LxDSYdF9"}}},"media_ids":["680330"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/21\/georgia-tech-students-and-alumni-awarded-prestigious-nsf-fellowships","title":"Georgia Tech Students and Alumni Awarded Prestigious NSF Fellowships"},{"url":"https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/qbios-students-win-2026-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship-program-awards","title":"QBioS Students Win 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Awards"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"174240","name":"NSF graduate fellowship"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690439":{"#nid":"690439","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Associate Professor John Blazeck Receives NSF\u2019s CAREER Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Blazeck, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), has won a 2026 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECAREER\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Award is the NSF\u2019s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/john-blazeck\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlazeck\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will receive $647,941 over five years for \u201cCreating and evolving antibodies from scratch in yeast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntibodies are key proteins of the immune system that help fight disease. In people, immune cells called B cells create antibodies and then evolve them. B cells take months to do this, which makes it difficult to study antibody creation and evolution, Blazeck explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis CAREER project will design a method to evolve antibodies \u201cfrom scratch\u201d in yeast, which will open new avenues for exploring antibody creation, evolution, and function.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the full story on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/associate-professor-john-blazeck-receives-nsfs-career-award\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biomolecular Engineering\u0027s website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECAREER\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Award is the NSF\u2019s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"John Blazeck, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), has won a 2026 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF)."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-05-22 11:51:40","changed_gmt":"2026-05-22 11:53:35","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680331":{"id":"680331","type":"image","title":"Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779450727","gmt_created":"2026-05-22 11:52:07","changed":"1779450727","gmt_changed":"2026-05-22 11:52:07","alt":"A man with brown hair and a short beard smiles for a portrait while wearing a dark blue suit and red tie.","file":{"fid":"264579","name":"Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":250304,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/22\/Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg?itok=lElpIX1Z"}}},"media_ids":["680331"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"94981","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690309":{"#nid":"690309","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Leaner and Meaner: Materials Tested in Space Could Help Build More Space-Resilient Satellites","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have come close to simulating space environments in Earth labs, but the combination of extreme thermal swings, complex cosmic radiation, and sustained microgravity that spacecraft experience make it impossible to capture the real thing perfectly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, in a project led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) researchers are closing the gap between Earth-based simulations and the true space environment by sending experimental materials to the International Space Station (ISS) for several months of in-orbit exposure. In a rare chance for space research, where most hardware is either left in orbit or burns up on reentry, they are getting those samples back for detailed analysis on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe materials are set to launch to the ISS in the near future as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment 22 (MISSE-22), a testbed attached to the outside of the station. Mounted on the forward-facing side of the ISS to ensure predominant exposure to highly corrosive atomic oxygen, the test samples will spend several months enduring the extreme temperatures, radiation, and reactive environment of low Earth orbit. The team is testing a selection of lightweight, research-grade polymers designed to survive these harsh conditions. Once the samples return to Earth, engineers will examine how they held up and use that data to enhance the strategic of future satellite constellations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project represents a collaboration across government, academia, and industry, bringing together GTRI, Georgia Tech, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a California-based R\u0026amp;D firm Hedgefog Research Inc., and DuPont de Nemours, Inc. The research is also supported by Aegis Aerospace, which owns and operates the MISSE Flight Facility platform aboard the ISS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Space is So Hard on Satellites\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarsh conditions in low Earth orbit \u2014 the region of space extending from approximately 100 miles to over 1,000 miles above Earth, where many satellites and the ISS travel \u2014 can darken, roughen, and weaken spacecraft surfaces over time. That damage shortens satellite lifetimes and requires engineers to add extra layers of protection, increasing overall logistical burden and mission costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOptimizing material durability is a strategic necessity, explained Elena Plis, a GTRI senior research engineer and principal investigator for the project, because every additional unit of shielding increases the cost of getting to orbit. To design lighter, more resilient materials, researchers need to examine how they degrade in a true space environment. However, most hardware is built for a one-way trip \u2014 designed to operate in orbit and then burn up on reentry, taking that valuable material data with it.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe beauty of this type of experiment is that the materials return to Earth,\u201d said Plis, who is also an affiliate of the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cFor many missions, stuff is sent up and never seen again. Being able to test returned samples from real space conditions is unique, and I can\u2019t stress enough how exciting that is for us.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA New Generation of Polymers Head for Space\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstead of relying on familiar spacecraft materials like DuPont\u2019s Kapton \u2014 a tough, heat-resistant polyimide plastic film that has coated spacecraft exteriors since the Apollo era \u2014 the team is sending up a set of new, lightweight, research-grade polymers. These materials are designed to improve the survivability of assets against space\u2019s unforgiving elements.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPlis and her collaborators started with dozens of candidate materials they developed. To earn a spot on the MISSE-22, a sample has to be transparent or translucent, so light can pass through it, and researchers can examine how its optical properties change in orbit. The materials also have to be tough enough to withstand intense atomic oxygen exposure without fragmenting, which would create debris near the ISS. In the end, only a select number of the team\u2019s materials made the cut.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe MISSE-22 testbed holds multiple experimental polymers. Instead of standard illumination, the team constructed a custom on-orbit polariscope: LEDs beneath each sample shine polarized light up through the material. A small camera system then slides over the top to capture these highly specific optical changes on a set schedule over the course of several months in space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUsing Light to Reveal Space Strain\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EUsing polarized light and machine learning to rapidly analyze color patterns in the images they receive from orbit, the researchers can track how stress inside each sample changes over time. Periodically, the system will cycle through the materials, and the images will be downlinked to Earth.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhen the extended mission ends and the samples return, the team will compare those in-orbit measurements with detailed lab tests on the actual pieces that flew. Without returned materials, they would only have images and sensor data to work from. By testing the same samples in the lab, they can check how accurate the remote measurements really are and refine their methods.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIf the materials perform as expected, the results could help engineers design satellites that last longer in orbit without carrying so much protective weight \u2014providing a significant technological advantage in space domain awareness and asset longevity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAbout the Space Research Institute\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Space Research Institute (SRI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology is an interdisciplinary hub that unites faculty, staff, and students to advance research, education, and collaboration in space science and technology. Bringing together expertise across engineering, science, policy, and the humanities, SRI drives innovative projects in areas such as astrophysics, aerospace systems, astrobiology, and space policy while fostering partnerships with academia, industry, and government. As Georgia Tech\u2019s central nexus for space-related initiatives, SRI is committed to advancing discovery, developing the future workforce, and expanding humanity\u2019s understanding of space and its impact on life on Earth. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Espace.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers, led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, are sending new polymers to the International Space Station to study their durability in harsh space conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers, led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, are sending new polymers to the International Space Station to study their durability in harsh space conditions."}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 15:06:45","changed_gmt":"2026-05-21 15:11:47","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680284":{"id":"680284","type":"image","title":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the GTRI research team who helped develop and qualify materials that will be tested on the ISS during the MISSE-22 mission (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778857869","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","changed":"1778857869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","alt":"Four GTRI researchers pose for a photo in a lab space. ","file":{"fid":"264531","name":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":17428791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG?itok=q2wP1JPi"}},"680285":{"id":"680285","type":"image","title":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClose-up of a sample similar to those that will be sent to the ISS to study their durability in harsh space conditions (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778857869","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","changed":"1778857869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","alt":"A photo of a sample similar to the one that will be sent to the International Space Station. ","file":{"fid":"264532","name":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14395883,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG?itok=xg6C06mf"}},"680286":{"id":"680286","type":"image","title":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPlis and her team are sending new lightweight, research-grade polymers to the ISS for months of in-orbit exposure and later testing on Earth. Here, she is pictured in a laboratory at a GTRI facility in Atlanta, GA (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778857869","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","changed":"1778857869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","alt":"A photo of a GTRI researcher leading effort to send research-grade polymers to the ISS for months of in-orbit exposure and later testing on Earth. ","file":{"fid":"264533","name":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":15484992,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG?itok=YD7p2sd9"}}},"media_ids":["680284","680285","680286"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"415","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"2798","name":"International Space Station"},{"id":"190596","name":"space research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ENews Contact\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAuthor:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnna Akins \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAyana Isles\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690277":{"#nid":"690277","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ph.D. Graduate Q\u0026A: Marina Vemmou","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Class of 2026\u202fcelebrated\u202fone of its\u202fmost significant\u202faccomplishments\u202flast week.\u202fAmong those crossing the stage for the 2026 Spring Commencement is\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/marinavemmou\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMarina Vemmou\u003C\/a\u003E, who\u202fwill be\u202freceiving\u202fher Ph.D. in computer science.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring her time at Georgia Tech,\u202fVemmou\u202fwas heavily\u202finvolved\u202fwith the School of Computer Science Graduate\u202fStudent Association, where she served as\u202fthe student and faculty affairs chair for a term. In 2023,\u202fVemmou\u202freceived\u202fthe College of Computing\u202fOutstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, an honor she is especially proud of.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore\u202ffinishing this chapter of her\u202facademic journey,\u202fVemmou\u202fshared\u202fabout her Ph.D. journey and what she\u2019s\u202ftaken from the experience.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat did your research focus on?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy general area is computer architecture. I work a lot at the intersection of different components and how we can, instead of trying to optimize each component on its own,\u202fcoordinate among components so that we get the\u202fbest\u202fperformance out of\u202fa\u202fsystem without completely changing everything.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat made you interested in\u202fstudying\u202fthat\u202ftopic?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my mind, it\u2019s kind of like Legos because you have a bunch of building blocks\u202fand you\u2019re trying to make something new with them. I find that fascinating. I also like that\u202fin computer architecture,\u202fthere\u2019s never a singlecorrect answer,\u202fand everything\u202fis a trade-off. I like that extra difficulty.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy did you choose to study at Georgia Tech?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think it was a combination of my advisor and the location. I had met with\u202fmy advisor, Alex Daglis, before and\u202fknew\u202fI wanted to work with him. I also preferred the urban environment of Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre there any specific people who helped you during your Ph.D. journey?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~adaglis\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlex\u202fDaglis\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fis the ideal advisor.\u202fHe\u2019s smart, a good researcher, and an excellent advisor. He truly cares about\u202fstudents,\u202fand\u202fhe\u2019s been involved in everything and has helped so many people, including me.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also want to\u202fshout out the School of Computer Science staff, specifically Tiffany Ntuli.\u202fWe appreciate the admins and all the work that you do.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice\u202fwould you give someone interested in\u202fpursuing a Ph.D.?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t forget that there\u2019s a life outside of your research.\u202fThe research is great, but it\u2019s not the most important thing. You can take\u202fthe\u202ftime to\u202fgo on a walk, call your family\u202f, or\u202fsee friends.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s the most important lesson you learned during your\u202ftime at Georgia Tech?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerfection is futile.\u202fA lot of students come in expecting\u202fthat we have to be perfect immediately, that they already\u202fknow how to write the perfect paper or do research on their own. But the point of a Ph.D. is to learn how to do those things.\u202fThat was important for me to work through.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your plans after graduation?\u202f\u003C\/strong\u003E\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI want to stay in academia\u202fand am\u202fconsidering postdoc positions.\u202f\u202f\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERecent Ph.D. graduate in computer science Marina Vemmou discusses her experience at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Q\u0026A with recent Ph.D. graduate Marina Vemmou"}],"uid":"36532","created_gmt":"2026-05-13 21:18:52","changed_gmt":"2026-05-20 20:02:38","author":"Morgan Usry","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50875","name":"School of Computer Science"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166941","name":"School of Computer Science"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMorgan Usry, Communications Officer, morgan.usry@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["morgan.usry@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690386":{"#nid":"690386","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vida Jamali Receives the Inaugural Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Vida Jamali is the inaugural recipient of the new Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE@GT).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHer outstanding research accomplishments and contributions to the School and Georgia Tech led to this selection,\u201d said Professor Christopher W. Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair in ChBE@GT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $20,000 in discretionary funding from this one-year fellowship will support \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vidajamali.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJamali\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s research activities focused on developing new tools for \u003Cem\u003Ein situ\u003C\/em\u003E liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, stochastic thermodynamics, and nanoscience-based platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Spencers established the endowment from which the term fellowship funding comes in 2017. This endowment will eventually lead to the establishment of a professorship in ChBE@GT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBob Spencer is a successful alumnus who has remained connected to our chemical engineering program,\u201d according to Jones. \u201cHis family\u2019s gift will allow ChBE@GT to support an early career professor at a critical stage of their development\u2014the crucial years just before their promotion and tenure review. We are grateful for their support and generosity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/vida-jamali-receives-inaugural-dr-james-robert-and-margaret-spencer-early-career\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ChBE Newspage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Vida Jamali is the inaugural recipient of the new Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE@GT).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHer outstanding research accomplishments and contributions to the School and Georgia Tech led to this selection,\u201d said Professor Christopher W. Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair in ChBE@GT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $20,000 in discretionary funding from this one-year fellowship will support \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vidajamali.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJamali\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s research activities focused on developing new tools for \u003Cem\u003Ein situ\u003C\/em\u003E liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, stochastic thermodynamics, and nanoscience-based platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Professor Vida Jamali is the inaugural recipient of the new Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE@GT)."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-19 20:50:46","changed_gmt":"2026-05-19 20:54:42","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680322":{"id":"680322","type":"image","title":"vida_image_0.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVida Jamali, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779223851","gmt_created":"2026-05-19 20:50:51","changed":"1779223851","gmt_changed":"2026-05-19 20:50:51","alt":"Vida Jamali, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"264569","name":"vida_image_0.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/vida_image_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/vida_image_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":30687,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/19\/vida_image_0.jpeg?itok=tgpG-de0"}}},"media_ids":["680322"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrad Dixon\u003C\/a\u003E, ChBE\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690318":{"#nid":"690318","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Accelerating Discovery With AI ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientific discovery is often portrayed as the result of long hours alone in a lab, but true science is inherently collaborative. The most robust experimental processes are developed through partnerships across multiple areas of research. The need for specialized, multidisciplinary teams slows experiment design, execution, data analysis, and process updates, delaying technological validation and deployment. But if the increasingly automated tools scientists already use in the lab could contribute to this team process of experimental design, the timeline for these goals could be greatly accelerated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis concept of \u201clab tool as lab assistant\u201d is the premise of a recent paper in \u003Cem\u003Enpj | Computational Materials\u003C\/em\u003E titled \u201cThinking Microscopes: Agentic AI and the Future of Electron Microscopy,\u201d by Vida Jamali, assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Amirali Aghazadeh, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Josh Kacher, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, the team introduces the concept of \u201cthinking electron microscopes,\u201d in which agentic AI systems are directly integrated with the instrument. This allows microscopes to move beyond their conventional role as characterization tools and toward functioning as co-scientists for human users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on advances in specialized large language models, or LLMs, that demonstrate their ability to collaborate, reason over data, and integrate prior knowledge, the team envisions specialized LLM-based agents assigned to specific roles and areas of knowledge expertise. By explicitly incorporating domain knowledge into specialized agents and distributing information across multiple agents with focused expertise, the approach enables parallel evaluation of competing hypotheses, clearer separation of roles \u2014\u0026nbsp;such as planning, simulation, and critique \u2014 and more transparent and robust reasoning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin the experimental pipeline, these agents can analyze materials\u2019 properties, physical data, chemical processes, and other relevant parameters. They could also collaborate with an agent that specializes in experimental design, refining iterative closed-loop experimentation, and real-time scientific discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the research focuses on AI collaboration, the team notes that human researchers must retain accountability for the accuracy and integrity of both the experimental process and the results reported. This oversight begins with advocating for greater open access to research materials in all formats, building community-driven data repositories, and adopting standardization in how experimental parameters and metadata are reported. Equally important, researchers should be willing to report data from failed experiments as well as successful outcomes. Finally, organizations should work together to standardize secure APIs that enable shared, remote access to infrastructure across distances.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe see this as a step toward scientific instruments that do more than acquire data; systems that can reason over experiments, adapt measurements, and participate in the scientific discovery process alongside researchers. - Vida Jamali,\u0026nbsp;assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is already developing these systems by connecting cloud-based, agentic infrastructures to microscopes at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E. With the addition of agentic AI, the goal is to accelerate discovery and engineering of new nanoscale materials for energy and quantum applications, as well as advance capabilities in cryo-electron microscopy and structural biology. These tools can optimize data collection, link real-time microscope observations with structural models of proteins, and dynamically adjust and prioritize experiments. The team sees this work as the first step toward the next generation of \u201cthinking\u201d electron microscopes, as well as an advancement in scientific discovery across domains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;- Christa M. Ernst\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis research is supported by the Institute for Data Engineering and Science and the Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOriginal Publication\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EJamali, V., Aghazadeh, A. \u0026amp; Kacher, J.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41524-026-02077-y\u0022\u003EThinking microscopes: agentic AI and the future of electron microscopy.\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cem\u003Enpj Computational Materials\u003C\/em\u003E 12, 149 (2026). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41524-026-02077-y\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Automating Electron Microscopy Experimental Design With Agentic AI"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientific discovery is often portrayed as the result of long hours alone in a lab, but true science is inherently collaborative. The most robust experimental processes are developed through partnerships across multiple areas of research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New paper teams AI agents with microscopy tools to increase productivity in research processes."}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2026-05-18 13:04:05","changed_gmt":"2026-05-18 19:16:22","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680296":{"id":"680296","type":"image","title":"Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA photo of Vida Jamali, assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Amirali Aghazadeh, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Josh Kacher, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering standing in front of a TEM at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779109455","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 13:04:15","changed":"1779109455","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 13:04:15","alt":"Vida Jamali, assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Amirali Aghazadeh, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Josh Kacher, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.  Photo courtesy of Amelia Neumeister; Georgia Institute of Technology","file":{"fid":"264543","name":"Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4622660,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg?itok=gH8M9NAb"}}},"media_ids":["680296"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"194241","name":"Institute for Matter and Systems"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChrista M. Ernst - \u003C\/strong\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager | Klaus Advance Computing Building 1120E | 266 Ferst Drive | Atlanta GA | 30332 | christa.ernst@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690314":{"#nid":"690314","#data":{"type":"news","title":"MSHCI Receives Board of Regents Award for Best Department or Program","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (MSHCI) program has another reason to celebrate as it prepares to mark its 30th anniversary later this year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia awarded the program the 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mshci.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMSHCI program\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Edirector Dick Henneman and assistant director Carrie Bruce received the award on May 12 during a Board of Regents (BOR) meeting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHenneman has served as director of the program since 2015, and Bruce has served as assistant director since 2014. The program began in 1996 and has since expanded to be offered by four Georgia Tech schools:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInteractive Computing\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIndustrial Design\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELiterature, Media, and Communications\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPsychology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs we put our award submission together, it was nice for us to reflect on all our hard work and to understand the impact this program has had on students,\u201d Bruce said. \u201cWe recently surveyed alums, and so many said they were thankful for the way this program shaped their careers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder the leadership of Henneman and Bruce, the program has achieved a 99% graduation rate, with about 60 graduates per year, up from about 30 since 2015. Henneman said the program has become one of the most competitive of its kind in the world, with an admission rate under 10%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have some incredibly qualified students who are a part of the program,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a number of graduates move into design management positions, and some have started their own companies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHenneman and Bruce said that one thing that distinguishes Tech\u2019s MSHCI program is its close partnerships and alignment with industry. The program has an industry advisory board that keeps students informed about the skills companies value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe adapted our core classes quite a bit to ensure that they weren\u2019t just getting the academic version of HCI methods,\u201d Bruce said. \u201cOur program is practical and focuses on what they are going to do when they get into industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the program continues to grow, Henneman says it has maintained a sense of community among students, which he says is another thing that sets it apart. Many alumni keep in touch and return to offer industry advice, critique resumes, and conduct mock interviews with current students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of times graduate school can be all about the individual,\u201d he said. \u201cAs we prepare students to go work in industry, it\u2019s all about collaboration and the people you\u2019re working with and learning how to work on teams.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech had 21 faculty and researchers recognized in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/13\/georgia-tech-faculty-and-researchers-recognized-2026-regents-awards?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Faculty%2C%20Researchers%20Recognized%20With%20Regents%E2%80%99%20Awards\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20May%2014%2C%202026\u0022\u003E2026 Regents Awards\u003C\/a\u003E. From the College of Computing, Santosh Vempala was named a Regents\u2019 Professor, while Srinivas Aluru and Ellen Zegura had their Regents\u2019 titles renewed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMSHCI program director Dick Henneman and assitant director Carrie Bruce reflect on 30 years of success after they received the 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program from the USG Board of Regents.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s MSHCI program received the 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program from the University System of Georgia\u0027s Board of Regents."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 17:00:12","changed_gmt":"2026-05-18 18:36:27","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680288":{"id":"680288","type":"image","title":"USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778864433","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 17:00:33","changed":"1778864433","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 17:00:33","alt":"Raheem Bayeh, Carrie Bruce, Sonny Perdue, Dick Henneman","file":{"fid":"264535","name":"USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":163281,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg?itok=DFT3DWbz"}}},"media_ids":["680288"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"}],"keywords":[{"id":"21151","name":"mshci"},{"id":"186678","name":"USG Board of Regents"},{"id":"172013","name":"Faculty Awards and Honors"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690316":{"#nid":"690316","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Georgia\u2019s Severe Weather Season Has Been Unusually Quiet","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe peak of the severe weather season is nearing its end, but in Georgia, it\u0027s been a quieter period than residents have become accustomed to in years past, devoid of the flurry of tornado warnings, heavy rain bands, and thunderstorms. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/handlos.eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EZachary Handlos\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences degree program, explains that the region lacked a major component of the severe weather formula. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor an active season, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/pcZn3dGWQ-U?si=dz8s_PXnW44Eq8_l\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efour key ingredients typically exist\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1. Moisture\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E2. A mechanism to lift air upward\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E3. Instability\u003Cbr\u003E4. Wind Shear\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/droughtmonitor.unl.edu\/CurrentMap\/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?GA\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edrought conditions\u003C\/a\u003E persisting throughout the state, there is sufficient moisture in the air, carried by warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, to create favorable conditions for severe weather. Instability is created as the air warms, and wind shear is created by the changing direction and speed of the wind. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Handlos, what was missing this season was a consistent lifting mechanism.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027ve been stuck with high-pressure systems for most of the season. The air in these systems spirals clockwise instead of counterclockwise and spins away from the center, causing the air above it to sink, which in turn suppresses or shuts off any cloud or precipitation formation. So, even if all the other factors aligned, there would\u0027ve been nothing to lift that air into creating those storms,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe lingering high-pressure systems over Georgia are the result of the state\u2019s location relative to the jet stream, which Handlos describes as an interstate highway for storms. The jet stream is a fast current of air above the Earth\u0027s surface that brings storm activity with its movement. This season, the stream moved through the Midwest, resulting in record precipitation in the region, while a drought rages on in the Southeast. As of May 4, Illinois had confirmed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.accuweather.com\/en\/severe-weather\/this-state-leads-the-nation-for-tornado-reports-in-2026\/1887912\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E119 tornadoes\u003C\/a\u003E in 2026, which began with a historically busy early season.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If you didn\u0027t pay attention to any other part of the country (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/jan\/2026tornadoinfo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoutside of Mississippi recently\u003C\/a\u003E), you\u0027d think it was the most boring severe weather season because there was very little activity in Georgia.But if you live along that jet stream line between Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, and southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and southern Michigan, that has been the active area of severe weather.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile it has been a uniquely quiet season in Georgia, Handlos says that as it ends, the region can expect a typical summer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022No matter if it\u0027s an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/media\/14483\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEl Ni\u00f1o or La Ni\u00f1a\u003C\/a\u003E or neither, the quintessential Atlanta summer is one where, most days, you wake up, and it\u0027s warm and humid out in the morning with clear skies. Then, it\u0027s hot and just awful in the afternoon before you start to see the puffy cumulonimbus clouds pop up, and sometimes you get hit with a thunderstorm. For what feels like about three straight months, if you live here, you don\u0027t even need to look at the weather forecast to know what the weather will be like outside here until we get to the fall,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA quiet spring season could be a precursor to a brewing \u201csuper El Ni\u00f1o\u201d at summer\u0027s end, experts predict. The potential pattern could cause a drastic rise in sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, and the disruption of weather systems could increase the likelihood of precipitation and severe weather in the Southeast. The increased precipitation could be a welcome sight for the region, lessening drought concerns and reducing the likelihood of wildfires. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A missing component of the severe weather formula led to quiet season in the Southeast. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA missing component of the severe weather formula led to quiet season in the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A missing component of the severe weather formula led to quiet season in the Southeast. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 16:32:19","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 19:10:27","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680292":{"id":"680292","type":"image","title":"Radar Image Over Georgia","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA 2010 storm system moving eastward, which brought severe weather to the Atlanta region. Image credit: NOAA NESDIS Environmental Visualization Laboratory; NOAA GOES-13 Satellite\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778871863","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 19:04:23","changed":"1778871863","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 19:04:23","alt":"Weather Radar","file":{"fid":"264539","name":"pl23_spac0590.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/pl23_spac0590.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/pl23_spac0590.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1014121,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/pl23_spac0590.jpg?itok=ZPLGa4DP"}}},"media_ids":["680292"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"169297","name":"severe weather"},{"id":"2621","name":"radar"},{"id":"61541","name":"Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690269":{"#nid":"690269","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nathan McDonald and Farzaneh Najafi Awarded Curci Foundation Grants","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETwo\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professors,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/nathan%20mcdonald\u0022\u003ENathan McDonald\u003C\/a\u003E and\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/farzaneh-najafi\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Farzaneh Najafi\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;have received Curci Foundation grants to support new research in their fields.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/curcifoundation.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShurl and Kay Curci Foundation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E funds science-based projects with an emphasis on advancing a healthy and sustainable future for humans, focusing on early-stage research with\u0026nbsp;far-reaching and lasting implications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis is a special program that supports junior faculty with particular creativity,\u201d says School of Biological Sciences Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETodd Streelman\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe best part for me is that representatives from the Curci Foundation visit our campus and conduct in-person interviews, showing they value both the projects and the young scientists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENathan McDonald: Understanding Synapses and Engineering their Repair\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mcdonald-lab.org\/\u0022\u003EMcDonald Lab\u003C\/a\u003E studies the fundamental biology of synapses, the tiny structures that allow neurons to communicate. Their research focuses on understanding how the nervous system and brain develop, specifically how hundreds of billions of neurons form and connect through trillions of synapses \u2013 and how they continue to change throughout adult life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s exciting about the grant is that it allows us to apply that knowledge and explore whether and how we might control synapse formation,\u201d explains McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe McDonald Lab will examine whether the molecular processes neurons use to build synapses during early development can be reactivated later in life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf successful, the new research could have implications for aging and neurodegenerative conditions in which synapses are lost, potentially revealing ways to repair specific synapses and restore their function.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMany researchers are interested in repairing or regenerating synapses. Most approaches so far have focused on pharmaceuticals \u2013 using drugs to influence synaptic strength.\u0026nbsp;What makes our approach unique is that we are trying to leverage the developmental machinery that neurons already have,\u201d he explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMcDonald and his team are working with\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ECaenorhabditis elegans\u003C\/em\u003E, a microscopic roundworm widely used in neuroscience research. The organism offers a simplified, tractable system for examining how synapses are built, dismantled, and potentially rebuilt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIf we can demonstrate proof of concept in a simple nervous system, that opens the door to scaling these approaches to more complex models,\u201d explains McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe plans to use the Curci funds to support students and staff as they explore these new methods for engineering synapse formation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe work has the potential to be developed into something more translational and applicable to disease,\u201d says McDonald. \u201cThese sources of funding are incredibly important for launching new research directions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFarzaneh Najafi: Exploring Sleep and the Cerebellum\u2019s Role in Cognitive Health\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.najafilab.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Farzaneh Najafi Lab\u003C\/a\u003E examines predictive processing, how the brain makes and learns predictions about the world. Najafi\u2019s research focuses on deepening understanding of how sleep supports learning and cognitive health across the lifespan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENajafi\u2019s Curci-funded research will examine how the brain uses sleep to reorganize itself after learning, with a particular focus on the cerebellum, a region that contains nearly 80 percent of the brain\u2019s neurons. By identifying changes in cerebellar activity during sleep, her work has the potential to improve early detection of neurological disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe know that sleep stabilizes memories in areas like the cortex and hippocampus, but we know very little about what sleep does in the cerebellum,\u201d says Najafi. \u201cThis grant allows us to bring sleep, cerebellar circuitry, and learning together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENajafi and her team will combine behavioral experiments with high-resolution imaging to study how cerebellar circuits and synapses change across wake and sleep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re looking at cerebellar activity during sleep at the circuit and synapse level to see how learning-related changes unfold,\u201d explains Najafi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn some cerebellar disorders, sleep disturbances can appear five to 10 years before motor symptoms begin. By identifying early changes in cerebellar activity during sleep, Najafi\u2019s research could help pinpoint neurological disease at a stage when intervention may still be possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECurci funding will allow Najafi\u2019s lab to collect foundational data needed to establish the first mechanistic links between sleep, cerebellar activity, and long-term brain health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMany traditional funding mechanisms are hesitant to support these kinds of higher\u2011risk directions, especially early on, but this award makes it possible to pursue a new and promising line of inquiry,\u201d says Najafi.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EBy funding two distinct early-stage projects, the Curci Foundation will help advance research focused on improving neurological health.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" By funding two distinct early-stage projects, the Curci Foundation will help advance research focused on improving neurological health."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-05-13 16:52:38","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 19:02:25","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680269":{"id":"680269","type":"image","title":"Nathan McDonald","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENathan McDonald\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778691207","gmt_created":"2026-05-13 16:53:27","changed":"1778691207","gmt_changed":"2026-05-13 16:53:27","alt":"Male headshot","file":{"fid":"264515","name":"Nathan-McDonald-headshot_new.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/13\/Nathan-McDonald-headshot_new.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/13\/Nathan-McDonald-headshot_new.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":268203,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/13\/Nathan-McDonald-headshot_new.jpg?itok=w7k-LGCd"}},"680270":{"id":"680270","type":"image","title":"Farzaneh Najafi","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFarzaneh Najafi\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778691268","gmt_created":"2026-05-13 16:54:28","changed":"1778691268","gmt_changed":"2026-05-13 16:54:28","alt":"Headshot of a young woman","file":{"fid":"264516","name":"farzaneh1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/13\/farzaneh1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/13\/farzaneh1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":626473,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/13\/farzaneh1.jpg?itok=KdVImNcw"}}},"media_ids":["680269","680270"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/molecules-mind-farzaneh-najafi-receives-multiple-awards-cognitive-research","title":"From Molecules to Mind: Farzaneh Najafi Receives Multiple Awards for Cognitive Research"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"5775","name":"Bioscience Research"},{"id":"762","name":"Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690067":{"#nid":"690067","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hard Work Energizes Year of Achievement","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe mood was electric on April 20, as the College of Computing hosted its 35th Annual Awards Celebration. While individual success was on full display, the banquet also honored the community and perseverance that truly power achievement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom my seat, I can feel the energy. I see the momentum. We\u0027re all about growth and change,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E, dean and John P. Imlay Jr. Chair of the College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBut those are just words. What\u0027s really behind the words is all the hard work put in by all of you.Today\u0027s celebration is for the entire College, all of you, and all your hard work.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents, faculty, and staff from the School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) were among those recognized at the celebration. Their accomplishments reflected a year dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and service. School of CSE award recipients included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrace Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E, M.S. computer science (CS) student: Donald V. Jackson Fellowship\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESri Ranganathan Palaniappan\u003C\/strong\u003E, M.S. CS student: Donald V. Jackson Fellowship\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEthan Yang\u003C\/strong\u003E, M.S. CSE student: Marshall D. Williamson Fellowship\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAlumnus \u003Cstrong\u003EAustin Wright\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2025): Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHuili Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. CSE student: Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArlene Washington-Capers\u003C\/strong\u003E, school administrative officer: 25 Years of Service Acknowledgment\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo lecturers in the School of Computing Instruction with ties to the School of CSE received awards at the celebration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E received a Dean\u2019s Award, which went to instructors who taught class sizes over 350 students this year. A Class of 2019 CSE alumnus, Roozbahani teaches \u003Cem\u003ECSE 6242: Data and Visual Analytics\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENimisha Roy\u003C\/strong\u003E received the Monica Sweat Outstanding Lecturer in External Engagement Award. She earned her Ph.D. in CSE in 2021.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor \u003Cstrong\u003EPolo Chau\u003C\/strong\u003E advises Kim, Palaniappan, and Wright, and recommended them for their awards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChau is an associate director of Georgia Tech\u2019s M.S. Analytics program, which won the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.informs.org\/News-Room\/INFORMS-Releases\/Awards-Releases\/Georgia-Tech-Awarded-the-2026-INFORMS-UPS-George-D.-Smith-Prize\u0022\u003EUPS George D. Smith Prize\u003C\/a\u003E at the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The award recognizes excellence in preparing students to become practitioners of operations research and analytics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Kim, the Jackson Fellowship was the latest achievement in a year decorated with accolades. She was one of two School of CSE students to receive the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program award (GRFP). Kim was also selected for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EAbir Haque\u003C\/strong\u003E was CSE\u2019s second NSF GRFP awardee, receiving the grant to advance research in scientific computing. Advised by School of CSE Professor and Associate Chair \u003Cstrong\u003EEdmond Chow\u003C\/strong\u003E, Haque additionally received a Department of Energy (DOE) Computational Science Graduate Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChow was appointed to several leadership roles this year in the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). The organization selected Chow as vice president for programs. SIAM also named him as co-chair of next year\u2019s Conference on Computational Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENSF presented the CAREER award to two CSE faculty. Assistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EYunan Luo\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/nsf-grant-funds-protein-research-drug-discovery-and-personalized-medicine\u0022\u003Ereceived a grant\u003C\/a\u003E to build artificial intelligence models to study understudied proteins in biology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth Qian\u003C\/strong\u003E is an assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering with a joint appointment in the School of CSE. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/elizabeth-qian-lands-nsfs-prestigious-early-career-award\u0022\u003EHer NSF CAREER award\u003C\/a\u003E will support research developing machine learning methods that learn from multi-fidelity data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the School of CSE were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/record-breaking-simulation-boosts-rocket-science-and-supercomputing-new-limits\u0022\u003Efinalists for the 2025 Gordon Bell Prize\u003C\/a\u003E. Assistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESpencer Bryngelson\u003C\/strong\u003E led a team that included Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EBen Wilfong\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EAnand Radhakrishnan\u003C\/strong\u003E, Research Staff \u003Cstrong\u003Emember Dan Vickers\u003C\/strong\u003E, and alumnus \u003Cstrong\u003EHenry Le Berre\u003C\/strong\u003E (CS 2025).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team achieved the largest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to date, exceeding the current record by a factor of 20. The group simulated interacting plumes of 33 rocket thrusters inspired by the SpaceX Super Heavy booster.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBryngelson advises \u003Cstrong\u003EMelody Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E, an undergraduate student who was one of three Georgia Tech students to receive a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/undergraduate.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-celebrates-three-goldwater-scholars-for-2026\/\u0022\u003EBarry Goldwater Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E this year. She received the award to continue research at the intersection of quantum computing and CFD.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EQi Tang\u003C\/strong\u003E received the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/department-energy-award-power-nuclear-research-machine-learning\u0022\u003EDOE Early Career Research Award\u003C\/a\u003E. He is the first-ever faculty member from CSE and the College of Computing to receive the award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $875,000 award will support Tang for five years as he researches particle data processing and compression, with applications in fusion, accelerator, and nuclear physics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang was also selected as a Summer Early Career Scholar of Digital Futures at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBryngelson and Tang were selected as collaborators for three DOE Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/articles\/nnsa-announces-selection-next-round-predictive-science-academic-alliance-program\u0022\u003EPSAAP IV\u003C\/a\u003E) Centers. The program leverages the academic community to advance science-based modeling and simulation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of Tang\u2019s students, \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex de Magalhaes\u003C\/strong\u003E, received a SPARK Award scholarship from the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute. The award recognizes outstanding student engagement in energy research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded prestigious R01 grants to three CSE faculty, each valued at $1.2 million.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EAnqi Wu\u003C\/strong\u003E is using the grant to study multi-animal social behavior using advanced representation learning and reinforcement learning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENIH awarded a grant to Assistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EKai Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E and Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EB. Aditya Prakash\u003C\/strong\u003E to build an AI framework to efficiently treat patients diagnosed with diabetes and other chronic diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrakash advises M.S. student \u003Cstrong\u003ESudarshan Anand\u003C\/strong\u003E, who claimed two awards at the 2025 International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics. First, Anand was the champion of the conference\u2019s data challenge competition. Then, the conference selected him as a Young Professional NextGen Scholar.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EYiqiao (Ahren) Jin\u003C\/strong\u003E was selected as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlcommons.org\/about-us\/programs\/\u0022\u003E2026 MLCommons ML and Systems Rising Star\u003C\/a\u003E. He was one of 39 total awardees and participated at the 2026 ML and Systems Rising Stars workshop is hosted by AMD.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EVictor Fung\u003C\/strong\u003E won a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.google\/programs-and-events\/research-scholar-program\/recipients\/\u0022\u003E2025 Google Scholar Program\u003C\/a\u003E award. He received the award in the Applied Science category for multi-modal scientific agents for in silico materials discovery and inverse design. The Research Scholar Program provided up to $60,000 to early-career professors to support advancement of their research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year, the College of Computing selected School of CSE Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ERich Vuduc\u003C\/strong\u003E as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-software-center-director-lead-next-wave-scientific-discovery\u0022\u003Edirector of Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Scientific Software Engineering (CSSE)\u003C\/a\u003E. The center was formed in 2022 from an $11 million investment from Schmidt Sciences. Georgia Tech was one of four universities that Schmidt Sciences selected to host a center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSSE develops custom software tools and best practices to meet scientists\u0027 needs. Overall, this approach accelerates the pace and quality of scientific discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc advised alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth Hong\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CS 2025), who received a Fulbright U.S.-Korea Presidential STEM Initiative Award. Designed to promote academic and cultural exchange, the award provided graduating college seniors and graduate students funding to pursue independent research projects in Korea on STEM topics of their choice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc advises Ph.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Hawkins\u003C\/strong\u003E, who was selected for the OMSCS Pre-Doctoral Fellowship program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program provided Hawkins support to design and teach a one-credit, pass\/fail\/audit seminar course. Hawkins taught \u003Cem\u003EComputing at Scale: The Design, Operation, and Societal Impacts of Data Centers\u003C\/em\u003E in Fall 2025 and a research course in Spring 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHawkins also received a $3,000 scholarship through the 7X24 Exchange Atlanta Scholarship Program. He was one of three scholarship recipients awarded to students in the greater Atlanta area with research interests in the data center industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVuduc advises Team Phoenix, Georgia Tech\u2019s student cluster competition team. Team Phoenix placed first among USA participants and sixth internationally at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/undergrads-team-phoenix-wins-top-us-honor-international-supercomputing-competition-0\u0022\u003ESC25\u2019s IndySCC competition\u003C\/a\u003E (30 total teams, 12 USA and 18 international). The team was graded on optimizing techniques and running industry standard benchmarks on supercomputers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team included computer science undergraduate students \u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Ichtovkin\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EAiden Lambert\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003ESahil Samar\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003ESeth Yiming Shi\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EVenkata Sai Aditya Reddy Devarapalli\u003C\/strong\u003E. Graduate students \u003Cstrong\u003ECharles Lindsey\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EJay Saraha\u003C\/strong\u003E mentored the team coached by Research Scientists \u003Cstrong\u003EJeff Valdez\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Jezghani\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EWill Powell\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlumni \u003Cstrong\u003EZiyi (Francis) Yin\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2024), \u003Cstrong\u003ERafael Orozco\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2024), \u003Cstrong\u003EMathias Louboutin\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. CS-CSE 2020), and Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EFelix Herrmann\u003C\/strong\u003E received an honorable mention for the Best Paper of 2024 from the journal \u003Cem\u003EGeophysics\u003C\/em\u003E. The award, presented in 2025, recognized the group\u2019s work on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.geoscienceworld.org\/seg\/geophysics\/article-abstract\/89\/4\/A23\/644597\/WISE-Full-waveform-variational-inference-via?redirectedFrom=fulltext\u0022\u003EWISE\u003C\/a\u003E: a full-waveform variational inference via subsurface extensions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech approved both of CSE\u2019s promotion cases \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/institute-announcement-recognizes-faculty-achievement-and-excellence\u0022\u003Ethis year\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth Cherry\u003C\/strong\u003E will be promoted to full professor. \u003Cstrong\u003ESrijan Kumar\u003C\/strong\u003E will be promoted to associate professor with tenure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe mood was electric on April 20, as the College of Computing hosted its 35th Annual Awards Celebration. While individual success was on full display, the banquet also honored the community and perseverance that truly power achievement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom my seat, I can feel the energy. I see the momentum. We\u0027re all about growth and change,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E, dean and John P. Imlay Jr. Chair of the College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBut those are just words. What\u0027s really behind the words is all the hard work put in by all of you.Today\u0027s celebration is for the entire College, all of you, and all your hard work.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents, faculty, and staff from the School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) were among those recognized at the celebration. Their accomplishments reflected a year dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and service.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students, faculty, and staff from the School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) were among those recognized at the College of Computing\u0027s 35th Annual Awards Celebration.."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-04-30 11:38:22","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 18:55:24","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680120":{"id":"680120","type":"image","title":"Grace-Kim-College-Awards.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777549195","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 11:39:55","changed":"1777549195","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 11:39:55","alt":"College of Computing 35th Annual Awards Celebration","file":{"fid":"264360","name":"Grace-Kim-College-Awards.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Grace-Kim-College-Awards.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Grace-Kim-College-Awards.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114660,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/Grace-Kim-College-Awards.jpg?itok=lrTMnfa-"}}},"media_ids":["680120"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690280":{"#nid":"690280","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emily Sanders Awarded NSF CAREER Award for Research on Shape-Shifting Materials ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sanders\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Sanders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation\u2019s (NSF) Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER Award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. The award provides $662,045 over five years to support Sanders\u2019 project, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award?AWD_ID=2542321\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPatterning Hard Interlocking Particles to Achieve Soft Materials and Structures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/emily-sanders-awarded-nsf-career-award-research-shape-shifting-materials\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEmily Sanders, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation\u2019s (NSF) Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER Award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. The award provides $662,045 over five years to support Sanders\u2019 project, Patterning Hard Interlocking Particles to Achieve Soft Materials and Structures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Emily Sanders, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the NSF\u2019s Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 00:24:06","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 00:26:06","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680282":{"id":"680282","type":"image","title":"Sanders-Wide.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778804663","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 00:24:23","changed":"1778804663","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 00:24:23","alt":"Emily Sanders","file":{"fid":"264529","name":"Sanders-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Sanders-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Sanders-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":829767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/14\/Sanders-Wide.jpg?itok=aQG4gj83"}}},"media_ids":["680282"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690249":{"#nid":"690249","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Class of 2026 Steps Forward to Tackle Global Challenges in Science and Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt a time when medicine, energy, artificial intelligence, and national security increasingly depend on computing, the world looks to Georgia Tech\u2019s newest graduates for answers to life\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat sense of purpose shaped Spring 2026 Commencement, where School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) graduates celebrated years of research, collaboration, and discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cToday, we celebrate you, your accomplishments, and your potential,\u201d said Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera in his commencement address to Ph.D. graduates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI thank you for choosing a career of science and research when some question science and research. We need you to continue on this path. The world needs you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to administering its flagship CSE Ph.D. and M.S. programs, the School of CSE offers doctoral degrees in computer science and machine learning. Ph.D. students who received their diplomas and doctoral hoods on May 7 at McCamish Pavilion were:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mfbal.in\/\u0022\u003EMuhammed Balin\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CS-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Professor \u00dcmit \u00c7ataly\u00fcrek\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dilab.gatech.edu\/andrew-hornback\/\u0022\u003EAndrew Hornback\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CS-CSE 2026), co-advised by School of CSE Assistant Professor Yunan Luo and Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Professor May Wang\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/music-and-magic-inspire-new-phd-graduates-work-brain-science\u0022\u003EChengrui Li\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Assistant Professor Anqi Wu\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/xinhai-pan-85b47817b\/\u0022\u003EXinhai Pan\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Assistant Professor Anqi Wu\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kaansancak.com\/\u0022\u003EKaan Sancak\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Professor \u00dcmit \u00c7ataly\u00fcrek\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-graduate-builds-fintech-startup-using-leadership-mindset\u0022\u003EAgam Shah\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2026), co-advised by Scheller College of Business Professor Sudheer Chava and School of CSE Associate Professor Chao Zhang\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ksartik.github.io\/\u0022\u003EKartik Sharma\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CS-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Assistant Professor Srijan Kumar\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis semester, 14 CSE doctoral students completed M.S. degrees and will continue their studies at Georgia Tech. They are:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bin-bai-gt\/\u0022\u003EBin Bai\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. EAS-CSE), advised by School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Assistant Professor Pengfei Liu\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/afrouz-delshad\/\u0022\u003EAfrouz Delshad\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. CSE-CSE 2026), advised by College of Computing Associate Dean for Graduate Education and School of CSE Associate Professor Elizabeth Cherry\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ece-prg\/roy-makkar-gabriel\/\u0022\u003ERoy Makkar Gabriel\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. ECE-CSE 2026), advised by School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Ali Adibi\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/alina-gorbunova\u0022\u003EAlina Maximovna Gorbunova\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. ISYE-CSE 2026), co-advised by H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Professors Kamran Paynabar and Jianjun Shi\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wenbo-hao-4575a3222\/\u0022\u003EWenbo Hao\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. MATH-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Assistant Professor Peng Chen\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/xueyu-hu\u0022\u003EXueyu Hu\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. MSE-CSE 2026), advised by School of Materials Science and Engineering Regents\u2019 Professor Meilin Liu\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dkang339.github.io\/\u0022\u003EDayoung Kang\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. AE-CSE 2026), advised by Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering and School of CSE joint Assistant Professor Elizabeth Qian\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/skim\/\u0022\u003ESoohwan Kim\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. ME-CSE 2026), advised by George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Professor David Hu\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/xuanang\/author\/xli944\/\u0022\u003EXuanang Li\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. MATH-CSE 2026), advised by School of Mathematics Assistant Professor Tom Kelly\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nityamv\/\u0022\u003ENitya Maruthuvakudi Venkatram\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. AE-CSE 2026), advised by School of AE Regents\u2019 Professor Dimitri Mavris\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioinformatics.gatech.edu\/nilavrah-sensarma\u0022\u003ENilavrah Sensarma\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. BIO-CSE 2026), advised by School of Biological Sciences Professor John McDonald\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benwilfong.com\/\u0022\u003EBenjamin Wilfong\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. CSE-CSE 2026), advised by School of CSE Assistant Professor Spencer Bryngelson\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/xiaofeng-wu-3053b6226\/\u0022\u003EXiaofeng (Alex) Wu\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. CEE-CSE 2026), advised by School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur David Frost\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/keyang-zhong-4a1727266\/\u0022\u003EKeyang (Alfred) Zhong\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. ISYE-CSE 2026), advised by School of ISyE Professor Chelsea White\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s CSE graduate program includes 12 schools and departments participating as home units. These home units represent the colleges of Computing, Engineering, and Sciences. This approach facilitates an immersive, interdisciplinary experience in which students study computational methods within their respective domains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech celebrated master\u2019s graduates at a May 9 ceremony at Bobby Dodd Stadium. After the Institute celebration, graduates were recognized during ceremonies held by their respective colleges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMohammed Wazir Adain (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAditi Agarwal (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESudarshan Anand (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArjun Bansal (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShraddha Bharadwaj (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAarushi Biswas (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnurita Bose (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHao-Cheng Chang (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENai-Jen Cheng (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYida Cheng (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDenys Chernenko (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAarushi Vishal Dhanuka (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMacKenzie Taylor Starr Drury (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChandra Sekhar Reddy Edula (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShiqi Fan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYuanting Fan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWen (Ava) Feng (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmrutha Praveen Ganapathiyat Othayoth (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAman Garg (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXin Guan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYunmei Guan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESrihas Gunda (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYihui Han (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKeenan Wai-sean Hom (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShiqi Hu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWenxin Jiang (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarneet Singh Khanuja (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHyunjeong Kim (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVijay Prabhas Kodamalla (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENeel Kothari (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZiji Li (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQinye Liu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERuixin Liu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYibo Liu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShenyifan Lu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWenliya Lyu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAditya Akash Mavle (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESamuel Wesley Moss (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShruti Santosh Murarka (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarthic Palaniappan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShrey P. Patel (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETanish R. Patwa (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETim Minh Phan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJing Qi (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWanrong Qi (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHui Qiao (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAditya Raghavan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAraceli Rodriguez Vallejo (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChlo\u00e9 Saleh (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVanshika Shah (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKaichen Shen (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBohan Shu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKunhao Song (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAjeet Karthik Subramanian (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJingyun Sun (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYupeng Tang (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMichael Kenneth Thompson (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYu Chu Tsai (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EViren Dipin Varma (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAarushi Chetan Wagh (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYiling Wu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYitong Wu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJiayi Xu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShuyan Yang (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYiming Ye (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhenghao You (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYijia Zeng (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJinkai Zhan (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYuehan Zhang (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXinyu Zhao (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYuqian Zheng (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlexander Zhou de Magalhaes (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShizhuo Zhu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXiaoai Zhu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXinjie Zhu (M.S. CSE 2026)\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt a time when medicine, energy, artificial intelligence, and national security increasingly depend on computing, the world looks to Georgia Tech\u2019s newest graduates for answers to life\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat sense of purpose shaped Spring 2026 Commencement, where School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) graduates celebrated years of research, collaboration, and discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cToday, we celebrate you, your accomplishments, and your potential,\u201d said Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera in his commencement address to Ph.D. graduates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI thank you for choosing a career of science and research when some question science and research. We need you to continue on this path. The world needs you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) graduates celebrated years of research, collaboration, and discovery at Spring 2026 Commencement."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-05-13 12:37:12","changed_gmt":"2026-05-13 17:25:29","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680271":{"id":"680271","type":"image","title":"Spring-2026-Commencement-16x9.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778693097","gmt_created":"2026-05-13 17:24:57","changed":"1778693097","gmt_changed":"2026-05-13 17:24:57","alt":"CSE Spring 2026 Commencement","file":{"fid":"264517","name":"Spring-2026-Commencement-16x9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/13\/Spring-2026-Commencement-16x9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/13\/Spring-2026-Commencement-16x9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":243920,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/13\/Spring-2026-Commencement-16x9.jpg?itok=ZeO3X6wS"}}},"media_ids":["680271"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690069":{"#nid":"690069","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Inside CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab: A Foundation for Entrepreneurial Thinking","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t need an idea to begin. You don\u2019t need a co\u2011founder, a pitch deck, or a perfect plan. What you need is curiosity, a willingness to talk to real people, and a place where it\u2019s safe to learn by doing. That\u2019s exactly what CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab delivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOmar Garcia Urdiales, CREATE\u2011X\u2019s associate director of Learn, brings a global entrepreneurial experience to Georgia Tech: founder and CEO of a startup operating in the AWS Accelerator Loft, longtime startup coach in Europe\u2019s major innovation hubs, lecturer across multiple universities, and an external doctoral researcher in entrepreneurship and digitalization. He brings this background to his teaching of Startup Lab\u2019s latest iteration \u2013 a significant redesign developed by VentureLab\u2019s Director Keith McGreggor. McGreggor created the course and has evolved it over many years, building on its initial success. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis new iteration of Startup Lab allows us to meet students exactly where they are,\u201d said McGreggor. \u201cBy doing this, we give them the strongest foundation possible, providing them with the tools to grapple with uncertainty and build their confidence.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab has long anchored the Institute\u2019s entrepreneurial pathway with clearer structure, a unified language, and a deeper focus on reflective growth, so more Georgia Tech students can discover (and trust) their own entrepreneurial judgment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab is expanding responsibly, with six sections in Atlanta and additional global sections in France and Asia-Pacific taught by faculty trained in the curriculum. Students here benefit from a program that\u2019s learning across borders and bringing that learning back to campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab is not about becoming an entrepreneur, but about engaging in the unknown and adopting entrepreneurial behavior, which can be applied to all career paths,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cStudents become better equipped to identify problem spaces and solve them through evidence-based building.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStart Where You Are\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrdiales emphasized that Startup Lab is built for students who are still exploring, uncertain, or are simply curious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany students tell us they\u2019re curious about entrepreneurship but feel not ready,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worry they\u2019re too introverted for customer interviews or assume Startup Lab is only for people with fully formed ideas. In fact, those are the most common misconceptions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course\u2019s first few weeks focus on training students to see struggles and patterns in the world. Then, they apply those skills on a team, exploring, designing, and testing a concept with real people. The nonnegotiable outcome isn\u2019t the best idea; it\u2019s a more confident, evidence-driven version of you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab is strengthening that self-awareness. All of us who are entrepreneurs, we don\u2019t grow linearly. We have various iterations of how we see things,\u201d\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EUrdiales said. \u201cThis ability to see patterns or to see problems with customer discovery, it\u2019s a learning process and a growth process.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBuilding Muscle Memory\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrdiales said that students won\u2019t have a passive experience in the lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo become an entrepreneur, you need to do it. You need to engage with customers. You need to get out of the building,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gives you the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions and then understand these more practical outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAligning with CREATE-X\u2019s culture of continuous iteration, Startup Lab is tightening the hands-on core of the course around four simple, repeatable tools so that entrepreneurial thinking becomes muscle memory, not a one-off assignment. The new iteration of the curriculum, developed by McGreggor, helps students learn to:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElicit grounded problem stories\u003C\/strong\u003E from real people (and separate observations from interpretations).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake explicit strategic decisions\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2014 who you serve, what you offer, how you deliver, how you get paid \u2014 and back them with discovery evidence.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExternalize your logic\u003C\/strong\u003E with clear Business Model Canvas snapshots (hypotheses \u2260 decisions \u2260 open questions).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesign minimum viable experiments (MVEs)\u003C\/strong\u003E that can \u003Cem\u003Efalsify\u003C\/em\u003E assumptions, not just confirm them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we have is a frontier model in entrepreneurial education,\u201d said McGreggor. \u201cThe result is a course that teaches sound decision making and builds entrepreneurial confidence that rewards authentic discovery and iteration over performative polish. It creates a more solid foundation for entrepreneurial thinking and sets students up to engage more deeply with everything that follows in their CREATE-X pathway.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReflection as a Feature\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a part of Startup Lab, instructors integrate reflection throughout the semester, which helps students notice patterns of work, make small experiments, and adjust based on what\u2019s learned. Students often worry they\u2019re not the founder type or that their introversion will hold them back; Startup Lab reframes those worries as raw material for growth, including communication skill building and one-on-one interactions you won\u2019t always get in higher-level courses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab integrates HaradaLite \u2014 McGreggor\u0027s adaptation of the Japanese Harada Method \u2014 as a weekly reflection practice in which students keep a reflection log, helping them notice patterns of work, run small experiments, and adjust based on what\u0027s learned. With this approach, educators are able to measure the growth of entrepreneurial confidence by self-report, leading to a more quantitative approach to teaching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Common Language Across CREATE\u2011X\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s no mandated order for CREATE-X courses. Startup Lab simply makes the next steps clearer by providing a shared language and milestone structure across sections and instructors, so whatever comes next (I2P, Capstone, Launch, or an internship), you can carry forward a coherent, evidence- aware story of your work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll CREATE\u2011X Learn sections will work with the same milestone objectives,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cStudents trained in Startup Lab are already trained in the muscles of entrepreneurship. They\u2019re more equipped to go into Make and Launch or be a leader within their industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBuilt To Be Inclusive Across Disciplines and Needs\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab is about becoming the kind of person who can see opportunities, reason from evidence, and make better decisions when the path isn\u2019t obvious.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not need an idea or a pre\u2011built team\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2014 curiosity is enough.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not need special permits to enroll\u003C\/strong\u003E. Startup Lab is open to anyone ready to explore.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can benefit from the course before \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E after I2P or Capstone\u003C\/strong\u003E, since there\u2019s no fixed order to the CREATE\u2011X pathway.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroverts are welcome\u003C\/strong\u003E. The course intentionally builds communication skills through structured, low-pressure interviews and guided interaction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab helps students see the world\u2019s problems and fill the gaps with fresh ideas, teaching them to see and understand the important difference between evidence and inference,\u201d said McGreggor. \u201cThis lays the foundation that leads to good founders, and builds the entrepreneurial confidence needed to succeed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat You\u2019ll Actually Do\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents in Startup Lab can expect a workshop-heavy, conversation-rich semester with weekly artifacts, scenario-based decision prompts, startup reports, and quizzes that keep you honest about what you\u2019re learning. You\u2019ll assemble a Continuity Pack near the end: a compact bundle of your best discovery evidence, decisions, MVEs, economics, and final story slides so your future self (or your I2P\/Launch application) can pick up right where you left off.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course also sets norms for modern tool use. AI is welcomed as a coach and organizer, after your own baseline thinking and research, and as an enhancement of the real conversations you have. That matters because Startup Lab\u2019s promise is that you build solid judgment under the test of uncertainty, critical to the world of today and the future that is being built.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJump Into Startup Lab\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t have to have it all figured out. If you\u2019re a first-year student still exploring, a junior craving real-world projects, or a senior looking to stand out in interviews, Startup Lab is for you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeats fill quickly across all sections \u2014 and for good reason.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis course gives you the clearest, most supportive on\u2011ramp into CREATE\u2011X, with a global methodology, a unified curriculum, and instructors who believe deeply in your potential to grow. Learn how to think entrepreneurially. See the world differently. Build the confidence that will follow you long after the semester ends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister for Startup Lab for Fall 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECREATE\u2011X Startup Lab serves as the foundation of Georgia Tech\u2019s entrepreneurial pathway, giving students a structured but low\u2011pressure environment to explore the unknown and develop entrepreneurial thinking. Recently updated curriculum provides clearer structure, shared language, and hands\u2011on tools that emphasize real\u2011world discovery, iteration, and reflection over polished pitches. Students learn by engaging directly with people, testing assumptions through minimum viable experiments, and documenting evidence\u2011based decisions they can carry into future courses or careers. By welcoming students from all disciplines, experience levels, and personality types, Startup Lab equips learners with confidence and transferable skills that extend far beyond entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab helps students build entrepreneurial confidence by learning how to navigate uncertainty, test assumptions, and develop sound judgment."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:39:04","changed_gmt":"2026-05-13 14:49:34","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680124":{"id":"680124","type":"image","title":"Omar Garcia","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOmar Garcia, associate director of CREATE-X Learn, teaches Startup Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777554943","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:15:43","changed":"1777555243","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:20:43","alt":"Omar Garcia gives a lecture in Startup Lab","file":{"fid":"264364","name":"image--7---1-.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg?itok=JD38L1JD"}}},"media_ids":["680124"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab","title":"Register for Startup Lab for Fall 2026."},{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article","title":"Register for Startup Launch Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690166":{"#nid":"690166","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Music and Magic Inspire New Ph.D. Graduate\u2019s Work in Brain Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Chengrui Li walks across the stage this Thursday at Commencement, it will be his final, and perhaps easiest, performance at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBetween orchestra concerts, magic shows, and yo-yo exhibitions, Li thrives in the limelight. In fact, not much rattles his nerves considering the five years of pressure he endured studying computational neuroscience at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore he returns to New York City to continue building brain-interface technologies at Meta, we caught up with Li to learn how he keeps such a cool head at Georgia Tech and beyond. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGraduate:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jerrysoybean.github.io\/\u0022\u003EChengrui Li\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Interests:\u003C\/strong\u003E Computational neuroscience, eye-tracking experiments and data analysis, statistical machine learning\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ph.D. in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EComputational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (CSE)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E: School of CSE Assistant Professor Anqi Wu\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat persuaded you to attend graduate school at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMy undergraduate was at Sichuan University in China. We knew that the most cutting-edge technology and research were in the United States, so I participated in an undergraduate exchange program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, during my third year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience while also becoming very proficient in math and computer science (CS). This led me to apply to the CSE Ph.D. program over others. Georgia Tech\u2019s CS ranking is very high, and the CSE program is very interdisciplinary, which matched my expectations super well. I did attain a solid education in math and CS at Georgia Tech. I also advanced my interest in neuroscience and its application by studying mathematical models and algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat research project from Georgia Tech are you most proud of?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openreview.net\/forum?id=HD5Y7M8Xdk\u0022\u003Evariational importance sampling paper\u003C\/a\u003E is a favorite. That one was based heavily on statistical inference. I spent many hours working through complicated derivation calculations, often half-awake and half-asleep after several late nights.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis paper confirmed to me, though, that innovative research requires both hard work and inspiration, and that this endeavor can be rewarding. The paper was selected as a top 5% spotlight paper at ICLR 2024, a world-leading conference on artificial intelligence research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECould you share more about your role as a research scientist at Meta?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have been working on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.meta.com\/ai-glasses\/meta-ray-ban-display-glasses-and-neural-band\/?srsltid=AfmBOoopWx7e8KGmSJVD8ItoQBedev-lha3aSZpHPkknZxNC4voGwoqN\u0022\u003EMeta\u2019s electromyography (EMG) neural band\u003C\/a\u003E. This next-generation human-computer interaction device connects with and navigates Meta\u2019s AI glasses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the neural band, you can use finger gestures to control the display content you see through the glasses, like swiping your thumb to scroll the screen, or writing on your lap as if you had a pen in your hand to send WhatsApp messages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did your Georgia Tech education prepare you for this role?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy pursuing my Ph.D., I am more proficient in critical thinking, math, coding, and presentation. During my interview, I demonstrated these skills and provided my publication records. This helped me land an internship, enabled my success in that role, and led to a full-time position. Additionally, my background in computational neuroscience best matched the work on the EMG neural band team at a big tech company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give someone interested in graduate school?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, be clear whether a bachelor\u2019s or master\u2019s degree meets your work needs, or if you are truly interested in a scientific research topic. This interest should be based on your own passion, not the current trends. Interest is an important factor in deciding to pursue a Ph.D. because you have to like the topic and like it for a long time. A Ph.D. will require you to dive deep into a subject you must be genuinely curious about.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESecond, we are in a new era with rapid advances in information technology. Time is an invaluable resource and is shaped by technology. You have to think more about your time, consider where and how you spend it, and embrace ways to use it more efficiently.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you tell us more about your hobbies and how you keep up with them?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI started learning violin when I was five years old, and magic tricks when I was 11. The brain is a supercomputer suitable for functional computation. Our brain is an interface between the objective and subjective, where computation plays a core role in integrating these exact mechanics into interpretations of the world. This realization was one of the important factors that inspired me to pursue my Ph.D. research in computational neuroscience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother comparison I\u2019ve learned after playing violin for 23 years is that the cochlea in our inner ear is a fast Fourier Transformer that simultaneously computes the aesthetic of music for us. Performing magic tricks for 17 years taught me that all the occurrences of seemingly low-probability magic phenomena are achieved by either letting it be a certain event or exhausting all possibilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also have other hobbies, like yo-yo balls. I enjoy performing all these skills in front of audiences. Performing brings me satisfaction when I see excitement and happiness from the people I entertain. I am very grateful to my parents for their cultivation and encouragement in doing things that bring me fulfillment. They taught me to be curious and explore my interests, to enjoy pastimes, and instilled the habit to not give up my passions. These were not secondary things that distracted me from coursework or Ph.D. research, but rather complementary parts of my life that bring out the best in me.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your favorite Georgia Tech memory?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have a lot. For my research, I debated frequently with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/brainml\/pi?authuser=0\u0022\u003EAnqi Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, my advisor. These often went late into the night to defend my stances. These challenged my beliefs and made me a stronger scholar, for which I am grateful to Anqi for her time and patience. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also enjoyed performing in the Georgia Tech symphony orchestra with our great conductor,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/music.gatech.edu\/people\/chaowen-ting\u0022\u003EChaowen Ting\u003C\/a\u003E. I was involved with the Georgia Tech Chinese Students and Scholars Association, where I showcased magic and yo-yo performances at organization events.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Chengrui Li walks across the stage this Thursday at Commencement, it will be his final, and perhaps easiest, performance at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBetween orchestra concerts, magic shows, and yo-yo exhibitions, Li thrives in the limelight. In fact, not much rattles his nerves considering the five years of pressure he endured studying computational neuroscience at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore he returns to New York City to continue building brain-interface technologies at Meta, we caught up with Li to learn how he keeps such a cool head at Georgia Tech and beyond. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Before he returns to New York City to continue building brain-interface technologies at Meta, we caught up with Chengrui Li to learn how he keeps such a cool head at Georgia Tech and beyond.   "}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 09:39:58","changed_gmt":"2026-05-13 12:36:58","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680188":{"id":"680188","type":"image","title":"Meet_CSE_Chengrui_Li1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778060414","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 09:40:14","changed":"1778060414","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 09:40:14","alt":"Meet CSE Profile: Chengrui Li","file":{"fid":"264430","name":"Meet_CSE_Chengrui_Li1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Meet_CSE_Chengrui_Li1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Meet_CSE_Chengrui_Li1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":113848,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/Meet_CSE_Chengrui_Li1.jpg?itok=5fWD2dio"}}},"media_ids":["680188"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"194568","name":"Arts and Performance"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"193614","name":"gt-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690227":{"#nid":"690227","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What the Public Discussion on Hormuz Is Still Getting Wrong","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe energy shock is already widely understood. What is not yet widely understood is what comes after it \u2014 and why a diplomatic deal, when it comes, will not be the end of the story.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBy \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Managing Director of the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute and a former Vice President of Global Strategic Supply Chain at The Coca-Cola Company.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree weeks ago, I started hearing from contacts in my network. Senior supply chain executives, people who have managed through COVID and the Suez Canal blockage, were expressing concern. The kind of concern that doesn\u2019t make it into earnings calls or press releases. The kind that shows up in private conversations between people who actually move goods around the world for a living.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir worry wasn\u0027t about crude oil prices. Crude oil prices are now widely discussed. Their worry was about what happens after crude oil prices. About the plastic in your water bottle, the fertilizer going into this year\u0027s corn crop, the engine oil in your car, the polyester in your running shoes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose conversations sent me back to the data. The geopolitical crisis and the energy shock are now well-documented in mainstream reporting. What is less discussed and what my conversations with experienced practitioners suggested was being systematically underestimated is the operational cascade downstream of that energy shock. \u003Cstrong\u003EI wanted to answer a specific question: given that the Strait has been effectively closed since February 28, what aspects of the downstream impact are already locked in regardless of a diplomatic solution, and what is still unfolding?\u003C\/strong\u003E Could I use publicly available data, straightforward analytical tools, and accessible modeling to produce a defensible, quantified view of that question?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe answer, after several weeks of work, is yes. And what the analysis shows is more operationally significant than most of the public commentary has yet captured.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStart with what is already true.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iea.org\/\u0022\u003EInternational Energy Agency\u003C\/a\u003E (IEA) has characterized this as what it describes as one of the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. Flows through the Strait fell from roughly 20 million barrels per day before the conflict to low single-digit levels in March and early April. Asian crude stocks dropped 31 million barrels in March alone, with further declines expected through April. Global refinery runs in Asia were cut by around 6 million barrels per day. Middle distillate prices in Singapore hit all-time highs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut energy prices, as alarming as they are, are the visible part of this problem. The less visible part is what those commodities become.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Naphtha\u0022\u003ENaphtha\u003C\/a\u003E, a petroleum derivative most people have never heard of, is the feedstock for the polyester in your clothing, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Polyethylene_terephthalate\u0022\u003Epolyethylene terephthalate\u003C\/a\u003E (PET) in your water bottle, the polypropylene in your food packaging, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Polyvinyl_chloride\u0022\u003Epolyvinyl chloride\u003C\/a\u003E (PVC) in your plumbing. Roughly 80 percent of the naphtha imported into Asia comes from the Middle East. South Korean petrochemical plants were running at 60 to 70 percent of capacity by late April. Japanese crackers at 65 to 75 percent. The IEA confirmed it in plain language: Asian petrochemical plants curtailed operating rates as feedstock supply dried up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Liquefied_petroleum_gas\u0022\u003ELiquefied petroleum gas\u003C\/a\u003E (LPG) is the cooking gas that 60 percent of Indian households depend on for daily meals and was the first fuel to be rationed. Queues formed as deliveries were delayed. This reflected physical supply constraints alongside severe price pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFertilizer prices hit 49 percent above last year\u0027s levels by April, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dtn.com\/\u0022\u003EDTN\u003C\/a\u003E data. Corn planting intentions dropped 3.5 percent. The math on that is straightforward: the food prices that result from this spring\u2019s planting decisions will show up at the grocery store in 2027. The disruption has a long tail, and most of that tail is still ahead of us.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe question isn\u2019t whether this will affect what you pay for everyday goods. It already is. The question is how far the cascade goes and how long it lasts.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHere is what the modeling shows.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking from publicly available IEA, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\u0022\u003EU.S. Energy Information Administration\u003C\/a\u003E (EIA), and commodity price data, I built a scenario model that tracks 12 commodity-region pairs through a 300-day simulation horizon. I then ran that model over 1,500 times with slightly varying assumptions to produce a range of outcomes rather than a single point estimate. That range is more honest than a single number, because the genuine uncertainty in this situation deserves to be represented.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThree findings stand out.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst\u003C\/strong\u003E: a diplomatic deal today would be unlikely to quickly reverse what has already happened. This is the finding that surprised me most, and it held across almost every simulation. The high-import-dependency commodities have already depleted enough inventory that functional shortage is already embedded in the near-term outlook regardless of when the Strait reopens. The diplomatic question determines how long the pain lasts and how severe the recovery will be. For consumers, this means the effects may show up long after the headlines fade through higher prices, product shortages, and delays in everything from clothing and packaging to fertilizer-dependent food production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond\u003C\/strong\u003E: Europe\u0027s most visible supply chain story, airlines canceling flights, is a price story, not a physical shortage story. The IEA documents approximately six weeks of European jet fuel supply. Airlines are grounding aircraft because fuel has doubled in price, not because airports are running dry. Meanwhile, Asian petrochemical plants are curtailing because feedstock physically stopped arriving. These two situations look similar in the headlines. They require completely different responses. For consumers, the difference matters because one problem mainly makes travel and goods more expensive, while the other can interrupt the actual production of the products modern life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThird\u003C\/strong\u003E: the recovery will be harder and longer than most public commentary assumes. S\u0026amp;P Global estimates five weeks to seven months for full supply normalization after a reopening, depending on infrastructure damage. Mine clearance alone requires 60 to 90 days of sustained operations before commercial vessels can transit safely. Insurance premiums will not normalize until underwriters see months of safe transit. And when supply does restart, suppressed demand returns simultaneously with a supply base that is still rebuilding. The EIA\u0027s 2027 demand forecast of 1.6 million barrels per day growth (nearly three times the depressed 2026 rate) makes this concrete. We have seen this pattern before. COVID demonstrated it at scale. The bullwhip effect, applied to a supply-side energy shock, produces a second dislocation on the back side of the crisis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat this means for your grocery bill, your gas tank, and your business.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe analysis maps 36 supply chain pathways from raw commodity to consumer shelf across 15 product categories. Here are three examples that are or will be visible to you.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake construction materials. PVC pipe, insulation, and window profiles all begin with petrochemical feedstocks moving through the Gulf region. PVC resin prices in India rose nearly 80 percent in March. Since PVC pipe is largely PVC resin, the pass-through to construction costs is immediate and difficult to absorb. The result is likely to show up in higher prices for building materials, repairs, and infrastructure projects long before most consumers connect the cause.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same pattern is unfolding in synthetic motor oil. Shell\u0027s Pearl Gas-to-Liquid facility in Qatar \u2014 one of the world\u0027s most important sources of premium Group III base oil \u2014 was taken offline by missile strikes. Producers in Bahrain and the UAE have declared force majeure. Roughly 40 percent of global Group III supply is now offline or unable to ship. For consumers, that eventually means higher oil-change costs, more expensive industrial lubricants, and added operating costs moving quietly through trucking, aviation, manufacturing, and delivery networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFood arrives later, but it arrives. Fertilizer prices are already sharply elevated, and planting decisions are being made right now under those conditions. The agricultural calendar creates a lag most consumers do not see. Disruptions this spring can become higher grocery prices many months from now. That is not speculation. It is simply how agricultural supply chains work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe tend to underestimate the breadth and duration of these events while they are happening, and overestimate how quickly things return to normal after they appear to resolve.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat we did, and why it matters how we did it.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery number in this analysis traces to a cited source. Where data was insufficient and judgment was required, those judgment calls are labeled as such. The model is not a black box. It is a documented, reproducible simulation that any researcher can run independently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also used AI \u2014 specifically Claude by Anthropic \u2014 as a partner to help analyze and build this work. While I provided the analytical framework, the practitioner judgments, and the validation of assumptions, the AI assisted with drafting, building models, computation, and data synthesis. This collaboration is fully detailed in the paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis represents a new way of performing analytical work. The results are significant: a quantified, sourced, and reproducible analysis of a complex disruption in the actual world. What usually takes a traditional research team months was completed in weeks. That speed is vital when a situation is still unfolding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe larger point.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESixty-seven days in, the global supply chain community is navigating a disruption that has no precise historical parallel. The 1973 OAPEC embargo lasted months and produced lasting structural change in how the world consumes energy. The 1990 Gulf War shock was brief enough that it produced relatively mild downstream consequences. The 2022 European energy crisis showed us what happens when industrial feedstock costs become uneconomic for months at a time: capacity comes offline, and some of it does not come back for a long time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Hormuz closure is now 72 days old. It has already lasted longer than the 1990 Gulf War shock. It is approaching the territory where the worse historical outcomes become the more relevant comparators. Every additional week of closure moves the probability distribution toward the scenarios that produced lasting structural damage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth public and private entities may be underestimating the magnitude of what recovery will require. Restoring normal supply chain function after an event of this scale and duration is not a matter of reopening a waterway. It is a matter of rebuilding inventory buffers, restarting industrial capacity, normalizing insurance markets, reestablishing commercial relationships, and managing the demand surge that hits simultaneously with the supply restart. The organizations that are planning for that recovery now will be materially better positioned than those that wait.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe people I talked to three weeks ago were right to be concerned. Their concern was based on experience and instinct and what they were seeing in their own business. Our work over the past weeks validates their perspective.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn enduring diplomatic solution is the essential precondition for any of this to improve. Without it, the cascade continues. With it, the hard work of recovery begins. Either way, the time to understand the full scope of what is in motion is now \u0026nbsp;and not after the headlines move on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor\u2019s note:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/research\/scl-intelligence-reports#scl-26-02.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EView the related report\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E: technical analysis, scenario modeling, Monte Carlo simulation methodology, consumer impact assessment.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe energy shock is already widely understood. What is not yet widely understood is what comes after it \u2014 and why a diplomatic deal, when it comes, will not be the end of the story.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While modern supply chain analytics and AI are more advanced than ever, technical capability must be paired with rigorous critical thinking and operational discipline to ensure data-driven models translate into successful real-world decisions."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-05-11 16:55:05","changed_gmt":"2026-05-12 22:27:52","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680256":{"id":"680256","type":"image","title":"The Hormuz Supply Shock: What Happens Next to Your Supply Chain","body":null,"created":"1778526062","gmt_created":"2026-05-11 19:01:02","changed":"1778526062","gmt_changed":"2026-05-11 19:01:02","alt":"A sophisticated, high-tech horizontal banner design featuring an abstract global supply chain network. The composition uses a series of interconnected translucent hexagons and mosaic tile patterns showing maritime shipping routes and industrial icons: chemical structures (naphtha), PVC, plastics, food and agriculture, liquefied petroleum gas, fertilizer, apparel.","file":{"fid":"264500","name":"hormuz-public-discussion_sq.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/11\/hormuz-public-discussion_sq.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/11\/hormuz-public-discussion_sq.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1300124,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/11\/hormuz-public-discussion_sq.png?itok=X8OAJzyP"}},"674087":{"id":"674087","type":"image","title":"Chris Gaffney","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717067903","gmt_created":"2024-05-30 11:18:23","changed":"1771883375","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 21:49:35","alt":"Chris Gaffney, Managing Director, Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute","file":{"fid":"257557","name":"chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":129544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg?itok=_M0fOBTF"}}},"media_ids":["680256","674087"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/03\/why-strait-hormuz-more-energy-crisis","title":"Why the Strait of Hormuz Is More Than an Energy Crisis"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news-events\/newsletters","title":"View past SCL newsletters and join our mailing list"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"194489","name":"scl-spot"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["info@scl.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690119":{"#nid":"690119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biology Faculty Named Searle Scholar","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/saumya-jain\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaumya Jain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named a 2026 Searle Scholar and awarded a $450,000 research grant. His research focuses on how connections in the brain form during development and what goes wrong in conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJain is one of 15 scientists selected this year for \u201ctheir promise to change their fields by solving nature\u2019s puzzles in a broad range of fields and develop next-generation technologies that can reveal biological function,\u201d according to a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/searlescholars.org\/2026\/04\/29\/searle-scholars-program-names-15-scientists-as-searle-scholars-for-2026\/\u0022\u003ESearle Scholars Program press release\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are honored to be part of the Searle Scholars Program,\u201d Jain says. \u201cFor a young lab with ambitious goals, this kind of recognition means everything. It gives us the confidence and resources to pursue high-risk, high-reward questions that could one day make a real difference for people affected by neurodevelopmental disorders.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJain received his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona and completed his postdoctoral work at the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined Georgia Tech in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESaumya Jain, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;School of Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the Searle Scholars Program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Saumya Jain, assistant professor in the\u00a0School of Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the Searle Scholars Program."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 17:16:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-12 19:11:21","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680155":{"id":"680155","type":"image","title":"Saumya Jain","body":null,"created":"1777915309","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 17:21:49","changed":"1777915309","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 17:21:49","alt":"Saumya Jain stands in front of plants","file":{"fid":"264397","name":"Saumya-Jain.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":577179,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg?itok=3UIiedV8"}}},"media_ids":["680155"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.thejainlab.com\/","title":"The Jain Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192253","name":"cos-neuro"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690206":{"#nid":"690206","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IBB Launches New Spatial Omics and Data Analytics Center ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB) at Georgia Tech has launched the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/soda\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpatial Omics and Data Analytics (SODA) Center\u003C\/a\u003E, a new interdisciplinary research hub advancing the next frontier of biomedical discovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe center is co-directed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/ahmet-coskun\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAhmet Coskun\u003C\/a\u003E, Bernie-Marcus Early-Career Professor and Associate Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/xiuwei-zhang\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EXiuwei Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E, J.Z. Liang Early Career Associate Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rapidly growing field of spatial omics is a way to study lipids, genes, proteins, and other biological molecules while keeping track of where they are in tissue. This can allow researchers to determine how cells interact with their native environment, providing potentially critical information for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SODA Center envisions a future where spatial omics is used to help researchers understand biological function through their precise spatial and temporal relationships within tissues and organs, rather than solely through molecular components. By integrating expertise in biomedical engineering and computational science, the center seeks to transform raw spatial omics data into predictive models of health and disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the development of next-generation analytical methods, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/news\/seeing-big-picture-tissue-dynamics\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecomputational tools\u003C\/a\u003E, and open-source resources, SODA aims to empower researchers to map the cellular and molecular architecture of life with unprecedented resolution and translational impact. The center\u2019s broader goal is to establish Georgia Tech as a global leader in spatial omics research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo build community and foster collaboration, the center is launching the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/events\/spatial-omics-and-data-analytics-soda-seminar\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESODA Synergy Seminar Series\u003C\/a\u003E, beginning May 15 from 12\u20131 p.m. in the Krone Engineered Biosystems Building, CHOA Seminar Room. This series will bring together researchers across disciplines to share emerging discoveries and accelerate innovation in spatial omics and data analytics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SODA Center represents a major step forward in uniting data science and bioengineering to unlock new insights into complex biological systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe rapidly growing field of spatial omics is a way to study lipids, genes, proteins, and other biological molecules while keeping track of where they are in tissue. This can allow researchers to determine how cells interact with their native environment, providing potentially critical information for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The SODA Center envisions a future where spatial omics is used to help researchers understand biological function through their precise spatial and temporal relationships within tissues and organs, rather than solely through molecular components."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-05-08 18:42:27","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 18:45:11","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680241":{"id":"680241","type":"image","title":"SODA-image-16X9.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778265754","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 18:42:34","changed":"1778265754","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 18:42:34","alt":"Images of fluorescent cells in orange, blue, purple, pink, and green are shown on a black background. ","file":{"fid":"264485","name":"SODA-image-16X9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/SODA-image-16X9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/SODA-image-16X9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":393921,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/SODA-image-16X9.jpg?itok=z8Kfv1fF"}}},"media_ids":["680241"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"33301","name":"data analytics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690204":{"#nid":"690204","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What It\u2019s Like to Be the Human in Mosquito Research ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChristopher Zuo never thought of himself as someone mosquitoes singled out. They bit him from time to time, he said, but no more than anyone else who spent a lot of time outdoors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI don\u2019t know if I would say I\u2019m prone,\u201d Zuo said. \u201cI do get bitten, but I also think that\u2019s partly because I\u2019m just outside a lot more.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, that assumption did not hold up once he stepped inside a sealed mosquito chamber as part of a Georgia Tech research study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo, a Georgia Tech alum and co-author on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz7063\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe study\u003C\/a\u003E, worked alongside Georgia Tech faculty member \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E and researchers in Hu\u2019s fluid dynamics lab \u2014 and co-authors Chenyi Fei, Alex Cohen, Jorn Dunkel from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology \u2014 on a multi-year effort to understand how mosquitoes locate people. Using high-speed cameras, careful controls, and mathematical modeling, the research examined how mosquitoes respond to carbon dioxide and visual cues. To confirm whether the data reflected real-world behavior, the team needed a human subject.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo volunteered.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore entering the chamber, he knew the mosquitoes were safe. They had been raised in a laboratory environment and were carefully controlled, making the experiment safer than being outdoors during peak mosquito activity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe knew exactly how all of these mosquitoes were reared, so we knew they\u2019re disease-free,\u201d he said. \u201cHonestly, even if I got bitten 100 plus times, the actual danger that I was in was very little.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWearing a mesh suit, Zuo stood nearly motionless inside the chamber while mosquitoes were released and flew freely around him. Any movement could disrupt the data, so remaining still was critical even as mosquitoes gathered close to his face and upper body.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe response was immediate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou release the mosquitoes, and they\u2019re already on top of you,\u201d Zuo said. \u201cAlmost felt like it was instant.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat surprised him most was not the bites but the sound.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how loud they were,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen they\u2019re flying around your head, it\u2019s that annoying buzzing sound. I didn\u2019t realize how annoying it can get with just enough mosquitoes flying around.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experience was not limited to a single trial. Zuo entered the chamber multiple times as the research progressed, testing different variables including posture, clothing, and body positioning. In some experiments, he was required to hold his arms extended so cameras could capture a consistent silhouette.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt felt more like an exercise at the gym,\u201d Zuo said. \u201cI was very much more focused on keeping my arms up and being as still as possible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross those repeated interactions, patterns emerged that closely matched what the data predicted. Mosquitoes found him quickly, clustered in specific areas, and lingered only when certain conditions aligned.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd once the conditions were right,\u201d Zuo said, \u201cthey stayed.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo\u2019s role helped bridge the gap between abstract modeling and human experience. It also challenged common assumptions about mosquito behavior that many people take for granted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat follows are some of the most common mosquito myths, and what the Georgia Tech research and Zuo\u2019s firsthand experience actually showed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMosquito Myths vs. Reality\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Mosquitoes swarm because they are following each other.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Mosquitoes respond independently to the same cues, which creates the appearance of swarming.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrajectory data collected during the experiments showed no evidence that mosquitoes were coordinating or communicating with one another. Zuo explained that what people often describe as swarming is the result of multiple mosquitoes responding simultaneously to the same environmental signals. When carbon dioxide and a clear visual target are present, many mosquitoes converge on the same area independently. Zuo compared it to people arriving separately at the same crowded place because something there is attractive, not because they are following the crowd.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Mosquitoes randomly target different parts of the body.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E In this study, mosquitoes concentrated near the head and shoulders, but only for the species observed, which is present in parts of the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech experiments focused on \u003Cem\u003EAedes aegypti \u003C\/em\u003E(dengue or yellow fever mosquito), a species found in parts of Georgia and other areas of the southeastern United States. Within that species, both trajectory data and Zuo\u2019s experience inside the chamber showed mosquitoes repeatedly clustering near the head and shoulders rather than distributing evenly across the body. Zuo observed this pattern while standing still in the mesh suit, as mosquitoes returned again and again to his upper body. The study also confirmed previous biting studies showing that \u003Cem\u003EAedes aegypti\u003C\/em\u003E mosquitoes target the upper body, while other mosquitoes might focus on other areas. Researchers linked the behavior to carbon dioxide released through breathing near the mouth and nose, paired with a strong visual target. Zuo emphasized that other mosquito species behave differently and that these findings should not be applied to all mosquitoes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Carbon dioxide alone explains why mosquitoes find people.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Carbon dioxide and visual cues work together, and neither is enough on its own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZuo described experiments that isolated carbon dioxide using inanimate objects before introducing a human subject. Carbon dioxide alone helped mosquitoes locate the general area of a target but did not consistently keep them there. Visual cues alone helped mosquitoes recognize an object but did not hold their attention. When both signals were combined, mosquito behavior changed significantly. The research showed the response was nonlinear, meaning the combined effect was stronger than simply adding the two cues together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: Once mosquitoes find a target, they always stay nearby.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Mosquitoes do not linger unless conditions align.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe data showed that mosquitoes often passed by targets unless both carbon dioxide and visual signals were present at the same time. Zuo observed that once those conditions aligned during the mesh suit experiments, mosquitoes stayed close and returned repeatedly to the same areas. Without the full set of cues, they were less likely to remain focused on a target.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth: All mosquitoes behave the same way.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReality:\u003C\/strong\u003E Mosquito behavior varies by species and environmental conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAedes aegypti\u003C\/em\u003E, Zuo described, are capable of feeding in well-lit conditions rather than relying solely on dusk. He contrasted this with \u003Cem\u003EAnopheles\u003C\/em\u003E (marsh) mosquitoes, which require darker conditions and are closely tied to light and dark cycles during experiments. Zuo emphasized that the findings reflect the behavior of a single species and that different mosquito species respond to different cues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat the CDC Recommends During Mosquito Season\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Georgia Tech research explains how mosquitoes locate people, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mosquitoes\/prevention\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenters for Disease Control and Prevention\u003C\/a\u003E (CDC) outlines steps people can take during mosquito season to reduce the risk of bites.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CDC recommends using \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/insect-repellents\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnvironmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents\u003C\/a\u003E on exposed skin and wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Clothing and gear can also be treated with permethrin, which is designed for use on fabrics and not directly on skin. The agency also advises controlling mosquitoes indoors and outdoors by eliminating standing water and keeping window and door screens in good repair. The CDC notes that mosquitoes can bite during the day or night, depending on the species, and encourages precautions whenever mosquitoes are active.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EStanding still inside a sealed mosquito chamber, Georgia Tech student and alum Christopher Zuo became the human test subject behind the science, offering a firsthand look at how mosquitoes find and fixate on people when breath and visual cues collide.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The science behind the buzz, as told by the guy who stood still. "}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-05-08 17:48:26","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 18:04:23","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680238":{"id":"680238","type":"image","title":"IMG_1500.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1778262537","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 17:48:57","changed":"1778262537","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 17:48:57","alt":"image of Chris Zuo in a mesh mosquito suit","file":{"fid":"264482","name":"IMG_1500.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/IMG_1500.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/IMG_1500.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1836258,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/IMG_1500.jpeg?itok=o87xp0fP"}},"680239":{"id":"680239","type":"image","title":"file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESome of Chris Zuo\u2019s itchy results after his session with the mosquitoes.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778262756","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 17:52:36","changed":"1778262756","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 17:52:36","alt":"Image of Chris Zuo\u0027s arm after an experiment","file":{"fid":"264483","name":"file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":159199,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260316-57-8quhxt.jpg?itok=2Jo2IT7K"}},"680240":{"id":"680240","type":"image","title":"file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team visualized the mosquito trajectories as they flew around Zuo.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778262869","gmt_created":"2026-05-08 17:54:29","changed":"1778262869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-08 17:54:29","alt":"mosquito trajectory around Chris Zuo","file":{"fid":"264484","name":"file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":987262,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/08\/file-20260317-57-gbcbz7.jpg?itok=rEqOpCxG"}}},"media_ids":["680238","680239","680240"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/why-mosquitoes-swarm-your-head-theyre-following-signals-not-each-other","title":"Why Mosquitoes Swarm Your Head: They\u2019re Following Signals, Not Each Other"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/hundreds-hungry-mosquitoes-student-volunteer-and-mesh-suit","title":"Hundreds of Hungry Mosquitoes, a Student Volunteer and a Mesh Suit"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195108","name":"mosquito research"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193225","name":"student researcher"},{"id":"28201","name":"Alum"},{"id":"195109","name":"human test subject"},{"id":"195110","name":"mosquito chamber experiment"},{"id":"195111","name":"mosquito behavior"},{"id":"195112","name":"carbon dioxide cues"},{"id":"195113","name":"visual cues"},{"id":"195114","name":"breathing signals"},{"id":"195115","name":"mosquito attraction"},{"id":"195116","name":"Aedes aegypti"},{"id":"195117","name":"Southeast United States mosquitoes"},{"id":"195118","name":"fluid dynamics research"},{"id":"195119","name":"applied physics"},{"id":"249","name":"Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"195120","name":"high-speed imaging"},{"id":"10825","name":"Mathematical Modeling"},{"id":"195121","name":"trajectory data"},{"id":"195122","name":"mosquito myths"},{"id":"195123","name":"mosquito swarming myth"},{"id":"195124","name":"mosquito targeting patterns"},{"id":"195125","name":"head and shoulder targeting"},{"id":"195126","name":"disease-free lab mosquitoes"},{"id":"195127","name":"controlled laboratory environment"},{"id":"195128","name":"firsthand research experience"},{"id":"195129","name":"student-led science storytelling"},{"id":"195130","name":"experiential research"},{"id":"195131","name":"vector science"},{"id":"195132","name":"public health relevance"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690167":{"#nid":"690167","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Graduate Builds Fintech Startup using Leadership Mindset","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInvestment is the best word that summarizes Agam Shah\u2019s journey as a graduate student at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is clearest on the surface, where Shah studied how public statements by businesses and financial institutions shape market behavior. At a deeper level, though, his success was buoyed by support from professors and his mentorship of younger students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShah\u2019s ability to connect and invest in others led him to partner with Georgia Tech colleagues and start a financial technology business. He returns to campus this week to officially graduate from Tech, giving us a chance to catch up about his grad school experience and life as an entrepreneur.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGraduate:\u003C\/strong\u003E Agam Shah\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Interests:\u003C\/strong\u003E Quantitative and computational finance, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, large language models (LLMs)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ph.D. in Machine Learning, home unit in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (CSE)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Advisors\u003C\/strong\u003E: Scheller College of Business Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESudheer Chava\u003C\/strong\u003E and School of CSE Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EChao Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat persuaded you to attend graduate school at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s dedicated College of Computing strongly appealed to me. I was particularly drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of its machine learning Ph.D. program and the School of Computational Science and Engineering, both of which align well with my research interests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat research project(s) from Georgia Tech are you most proud of and why?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am proud of all 20-plus research papers I have had the opportunity to contribute to at Georgia Tech. However, if I had to choose one, it would be my work on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2305.07972\u0022\u003EFederal Open Market Committee (FOMC) text analysis\u003C\/a\u003E, which was also\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/dataset-committees-public-comms-yields-new-insights-federal-reserves-influence\u0022\u003Ehighlighted in the news\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work is not only well-cited in academic literature, but the language model developed in the paper is also actively used by economists at many of the world\u2019s top central banks, including researchers at the FOMC and the Bank of England. It is also used by leading financial institutions such as BlackRock and Daiwa Securities. Since its release, the model has achieved over 100,000 downloads on Hugging Face.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat can you tell us more about your startup, ZettaQuant?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.zettaquant.ai\/\u0022\u003EZettaQuant\u003C\/a\u003E aims to solve one of the biggest challenges in using LLMs and agents: working effectively with massive underlying datasets. We serve as a layer between raw data and LLMs, helping distill billions of tokens into the relevant context that models can use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a deep-tech startup, we are actively engaging with industry practitioners to better understand how to design and engineer our system to integrate seamlessly with their evolving AI workflows. Given the complexity of the problem we are tackling, particularly in advancing document intelligence systems, we are currently very focused on research and foundational development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did your Georgia Tech education prepare you for starting ZettaQuant?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot just my education, but my entire experience at Georgia Tech, extending beyond the classroom, prepared me for this journey. I met my co-founders at Georgia Tech, and many of the initial use cases we are exploring at ZettaQuant are built on open-source research I conducted there.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to research, I mentored more than 300 students through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Project\u003C\/a\u003E \u201cNLP for Financial Markets.\u201d This experience taught me how to manage teams and think about building systems with a long-term vision.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give someone interested in graduate school?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Most people pursue graduate school after already completing more than 15 years of education. Also, people who are admitted to a top school like Georgia Tech are often already well-positioned to secure strong job opportunities. So, graduate school should provide value beyond what you could learn outside the classroom.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore deciding, think carefully about what you hope to gain from graduate school that you cannot otherwise. Once you enroll, take full advantage of the faculty, research labs, networks, and seminars. Many students underutilize these opportunities during their undergraduate and graduate years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI would also like to quote the epilogue of my Ph.D. thesis: \u2018Advice is abundant; conviction must be your own.\u2019 Build a strong conviction about what you want to achieve from graduate school before committing to it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat did you do for fun and relaxation while attending Georgia Tech? Do you still keep up with these now?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;This may sound unconventional, but I spent a significant amount of time mentoring and teaching throughout my Ph.D. Many of my mentees went on to gain admission to top graduate programs. This included two students I mentored for all four years of their undergraduate studies who later joined the ML Ph.D. program at Georgia Tech. They are now teaching and mentoring students, completing a full-circle journey.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with mentees and supporting their growth gives me a strong sense of fulfillment and serves as a form of relaxation. In addition, I enjoy listening to music, especially while coding, and I continue to do that today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your favorite Georgia Tech memory?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;If I had to choose one favorite memory, beyond the many exciting late nights in the lab, it would be proposing to my wife on Tech Green at Georgia Tech. She is also a Yellow Jacket, having completed her undergraduate degree here and currently pursuing her Ph.D. Our home truly is a hive of Yellow Jackets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInvestment is the best word that summarizes Agam Shah\u2019s journey as a graduate student at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is clearest on the surface, where Shah studied how public statements by businesses and financial institutions shape market behavior. At a deeper level, though, his success was buoyed by support from professors and his mentorship of younger students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShah\u2019s ability to connect and invest in others led him to partner with Georgia Tech colleagues and start a financial technology business. He returns to campus this week to officially graduate from Tech, giving us a chance to catch up about his grad school experience and life as an entrepreneur.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Agam Shah returns to campus this week to officially graduate from Tech, giving us a chance to catch up about his grad school experience and life as an entrepreneur."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 09:47:39","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 11:48:29","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680189":{"id":"680189","type":"image","title":"Meet_CSE_Agam_Shah3.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778060870","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 09:47:50","changed":"1778060870","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 09:47:50","alt":"Meet CSE Profile: Agam Shah","file":{"fid":"264431","name":"Meet_CSE_Agam_Shah3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Meet_CSE_Agam_Shah3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Meet_CSE_Agam_Shah3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":714059,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/Meet_CSE_Agam_Shah3.jpg?itok=WrdlWHya"}}},"media_ids":["680189"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690175":{"#nid":"690175","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computational Media Grad Builds at the Intersection of Computing and Music ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJack Hayley\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s path through Georgia Tech\u2019s computational media program centers on exploring how sound and software work together across film, games, and interactive media.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore arriving in Atlanta, Hayley attended Yew Chung International School in Chongqing, China, where he completed the Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) program, before returning to the United States to earn an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma from the Utica Academy for International Studies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith longstanding interests in computer science (CS) and digital music, he sought a program that would allow him to develop both simultaneously.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wanted a program that had a strong technical foundation but with creative applications in music,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s computational media program stood out for its connection between the College of Computing and the School of Music. By choosing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/threads-better-way-learn-computing\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethreads in Intelligence and music technology\u003C\/a\u003E, Hayley explored the intersection of the two disciplines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating Through Code and Sound\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Tech, Hayley explored computing and creativity through programs such as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/teams-all-in-one\/entry\/1309\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERobotic Musicianship VIP\u003C\/a\u003E. He credits Center for Music Technology Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EGil Weinberg\u003C\/strong\u003E and Ph.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003EAmit Rogel\u003C\/strong\u003E with pushing him to do his best work and for strengthening his confidence in blending technical and artistic approaches.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat blend of mentorship and experimentation carried into his broader creative practice. As technical director of Baja Badlands Productions, a film and multimedia studio he co-founded, he composes music, designs sound, and manages technical production, including the studio\u2019s website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the studio\u2019s recent short films, \u003Cem\u003EMyopia\u003C\/em\u003E, was showcased at several film festivals and received recognition for its original score and cinematography.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe has also collaborated with Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/student-organizations\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudent organization VGDev\u003C\/a\u003E and indie developers to create audio for video games.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI find this to be a great avenue for my combined interests, as creative control of audio often requires software implementation to achieve immersive sound,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong his favorite projects is \u003Cem\u003ESleighers\u003C\/em\u003E, a game he co-led. The project integrated networking systems, 3D modeling, level design, and immersive audio, and was later exhibited at DreamHack Atlanta, where the team gathered feedback from players and developers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearning and Leadership\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond creative production, Hayley developed technical and leadership skills as a teaching assistant for \u003Cem\u003ECS 1332: Data Structures \u0026amp; Algorithms\u003C\/em\u003E, eventually becoming a head TA.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe role challenged him to communicate complex ideas,\u0026nbsp;support students one-on-one,\u0026nbsp;and coordinate with large instructional teams, thereby deepening his understanding of core CS principles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing a TA reinforced my understanding of CS concepts as I designed assignments and explained material clearly,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also contributed to course development by helping design assignments and synchronous assessments that emphasized application-based learning. His work was recognized by Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Teaching and Learning with the Online TA of the Year award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe credits faculty mentors, including School of Computing Instruction (SCI) faculty member \u003Cstrong\u003EFrederic Faulkner\u003C\/strong\u003E and Interim Chair \u003Cstrong\u003EMary Hudachek-Buswell\u003C\/strong\u003E, for shaping his growth as an educator.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey\u2019ve both been instrumental in my development as a leader, and I admire their determination to strengthen the quality of CS undergraduate education at Tech,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his time at Tech, Hayley interned as a software development engineer at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Atlanta, where he worked on an infrastructure-based solution. The experience reinforced the importance of adaptability in the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I\u2019ve found from this experience is that software development is not a skill that is solidified once; instead, it necessitates continual lifelong learning,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduation, Hayley will return to AWS as a full-time software development engineer while continuing his creative work in film and game development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe encourages other students to take full advantage of interdisciplinary opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTake advantage of the opportunities Tech has to offer with respect to technology and creativity,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI found tailoring these components towards a blend of CS and music allowed me to get the most out of my time here.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJack Hayley\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s path through Georgia Tech\u2019s computational media program centers on exploring how sound and software work together across film, games, and interactive media.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jack Hayley\u2019s path through Georgia Tech\u2019s computational media program centers on exploring how sound and software work together across film, games, and interactive media. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 16:37:59","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 11:47:15","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680194":{"id":"680194","type":"image","title":"jack1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778086565","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 16:56:05","changed":"1778086565","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 16:56:05","alt":"Jack","file":{"fid":"264436","name":"jack1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/jack1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/jack1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1199987,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/jack1.jpg?itok=jtkRQ5Ov"}},"680195":{"id":"680195","type":"image","title":"jack2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778086565","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 16:56:05","changed":"1778086565","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 16:56:05","alt":"Jack","file":{"fid":"264437","name":"jack2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/jack2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/jack2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":82971,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/jack2.jpg?itok=PybAr4Kb"}},"680196":{"id":"680196","type":"image","title":"jack3.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778086565","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 16:56:05","changed":"1778086565","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 16:56:05","alt":"Jack","file":{"fid":"264438","name":"jack3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/jack3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/jack3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":820212,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/jack3.jpg?itok=e4Yo4Uyz"}}},"media_ids":["680194","680195","680196"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"42951","name":"Student Art"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690180":{"#nid":"690180","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Industry to Impact: A Ph.D. Journey in Cybersecurity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter earning a master\u2019s degree in 2016, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.cc.gatech.edu\/grads\/a\/abhaskar9\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbhishek Bhaskar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s plan was straightforward: build a career in industry and stay close to research without committing to a doctoral program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat plan lasted about three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI initially thought I\u2019d just continue in research without a Ph.D.,\u201d Bhaskar said. \u201cMy advisor encouraged me to stay, but I wanted to experience industry first.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to perspective, working outside academia offered Bhaskar clarity. Over time, he found himself drawn back to the kind of deeper, more impactful research he had glimpsed during his graduate studies. Watching colleagues with doctoral degrees tackle complex problems reinforced his decision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI realized I missed research,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd seeing the kind of work Ph.D. graduates were doing motivated me to apply.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat decision led him to Georgia Tech, where the strength of its cybersecurity and network security research stood out. The program\u2019s interdisciplinary approach was a major draw.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome schools are strong in one area,\u201d he said. \u201cHere, there\u2019s collaboration across domains. That was important to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Bhaskar arrived, the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy had not yet fully taken shape. Research groups, including the Institute for Information Security and Privacy, were already active, but the school\u0027s formal structure emerged during his second year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with his advisor, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pearce.prof\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Pearce\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Bhaskar shifted his research focus from binary and static analysis to network security, a transition that required both adjustment and curiosity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wanted to move into something with more direct real-world impact,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis led him to work on censorship measurement, internet security and privacy, areas where technical findings can have global implications. With guidance from Pearce and support from other faculty working in similar areas, he quickly found his footing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis favorite research project however, was in fact \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity22\/presentation\/bhaskar\u0022\u003Ehis first\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn earlier research, unexplained anomalies had appeared in measurement data. At first, the assumption was that they stemmed from geolocation issues. However, after digging deeper, Bhaskar uncovered a different cause: routing changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat discovery showed that routing can significantly affect measurement results,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a narrow investigation turned into a broader insight. One that reshaped how those measurements could be interpreted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong the way, other milestones followed, including his first paper accepted to a top conference.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat was a big moment,\u201d Bhaskar said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut beyond publications and research breakthroughs, it\u2019s the day-to-day experience of doctoral life that made the strongest impression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe camaraderie stands out the most,\u201d he said. \u201cEspecially during deadlines. Everyone is working hard, but you still take time to step away, talk, and support each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat sense of community extended beyond his own lab. Interactions with neighboring groups and researchers in fields like cryptography broadened his perspective and shaped his approach to problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe way different groups think about problems is really valuable,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOutside the lab, Atlanta played its own role in the experience. From sporting events to concerts, the city offered a balance to the intensity of research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to do,\u201d Bhaskar said. \u201cI tried to take advantage of that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, as he prepares to graduate, the next chapter is already in motion. Bhaskar will move to the West Coast for a post-doctorate security research role at Stanford University, following a summer internship that offers time to reset before the transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAbhi\u0027s work is excellent,\u201d said Pearce. \u201cDuring the course of his Ph.D. he discovered important underlying phenomena that influence how we measure and understand internet censorship and end-to-end network behaviors broadly.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe\u0027s an outstanding researcher and community leader, and while his contribution as a student to my group and SCP will be missed, we\u0027re excited about what he accomplished and his next steps!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbhishek Bhaskar, who earned his master\u2019s in 2016, returned to academia after several years in industry to pursue a Ph.D. in cybersecurity at Georgia Tech. Drawn by the program\u2019s collaborative research environment, he shifted his focus to network security and conducted impactful work on internet measurement and routing. Along the way, he built strong research collaborations and published widely, while valuing the community and experiences both inside and outside the lab. After graduating, Bhaskar will transition to a security research role at Stanford University, marking the next step in a journey shaped by curiosity, impact and collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Abhishek Bhaskar\u0027s story from industry to Ph.D."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 18:13:56","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 11:41:45","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680201":{"id":"680201","type":"image","title":"Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778091256","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 18:14:16","changed":"1778091256","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 18:14:16","alt":"A man wearing glasses and a suit","file":{"fid":"264444","name":"Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1765354,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg?itok=Xr9IZ72D"}}},"media_ids":["680201"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II for the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690187":{"#nid":"690187","#data":{"type":"news","title":"52-Year-Old Entrepreneur Has New Outlook After Completing Ph.D.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E52-Year-Old Entrepreneur Has New Outlook After Completing Ph.D.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMizan Rahman knows there\u2019s much that academia and industry can learn from each other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe\u2019s living proof of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 52-year-old entrepreneur will receive his Ph.D. in human-centered computing (HCC) as he walks across the stage on Thursday at Georgia Tech\u2019s Spring 2026 Ph.D. Commencement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Rahman was accepted into the HCC Ph.D. program, he\u2019d already founded three successful tech startups and was an angel investor in numerous others. He also earned a master\u2019s in computational science and engineering from Georgia Tech in 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman took on the challenge of a Ph.D. because he\u2019s always been in pursuit of a holistic view of technology. One perspective he said he needed to understand was that of the end user.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019d already done computer science and computational science and engineering, so I wanted to look at the human dimension, the user\u2019s perspectives, and society,\u201d Rahman said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to build technology that fits into our human dynamics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman\u2019s journey began as an undergraduate in chemical engineering at Miami Dade College and Florida Atlantic University. He switched to computer science after his roommate, also a CS major, showed him some programming he had been working on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep after that,\u201d Rahman said. \u201cI was writing software all night. I loved solving problems through technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarly Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman invented BayBuilder, a strategic sourcing automation technology, in 1999. The software was adopted by major Fortune 500 companies. Rahman estimates it has saved these companies $1 billion in procurement spending.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaybuilder was acquired by a NASDAQ-listed firm in 2001, and he was ready to start his next company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve been an entrepreneur as far back as I can remember,\u201d Rahman said. \u201cI was born with it. If I saw something that didn\u2019t exist, I created it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter relocating to Atlanta, Rahman founded a new company, M2SYS Technology. Governments around the world used the company\u2019s innovative identity technology to automate processes and deliver efficient services to citizens. M2SYS also worked with the CDC to treat HIV in Haiti and Zambia, as well as many U.S. hospitals, including Grady Memorial in Atlanta, to protect patients from fraud and receiving the wrong treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman\u2019s most recent startup, CloudApper AI, introduced a new system architecture that generates secure software requiring minimal ongoing maintenance. His non-biased algorithm, which he created during his Ph.D. for CloudApper, is now used by major companies to streamline automated resume analysis and candidate scoring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiving in Two Worlds\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman began his Ph.D. in 2021, but he kept his new venture to himself and his family. He didn\u2019t tell his employees he was pursuing a Ph.D., and he didn\u2019t disclose his industry background to his fellow doctoral students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI kept the other side of me far away,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people who knew, they knew, but I purposefully didn\u2019t discuss my outside activities and experience. I wanted to fit in, and I think I was able to do that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Rahman was at his company, he was a CEO and entrepreneur, and when he was at Georgia Tech, he was a researcher. But what he was learning as a researcher began to change how he perceived his business.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wanted to be a researcher and think like a researcher and not just always think about sales and marketing,\u201d he said. \u201cI started bringing in more ideas about how the user should be thought of in our products. I\u2019m sure they were wondering why I was emphasizing that so much, but it was because I was applying what I was learning in my Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow I\u2019ve been on both sides, I want to be connected to both in the future, applying research principles and practices in product development and innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Community Through Makerspaces\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen it came time for Rahman to choose a subject for his dissertation, he returned to his roots and looked for ways technology can support young entrepreneurs and their startups. That\u2019s when he began conducting research in makerspaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wanted to find out how we can bring innovation to a scale where anybody can participate,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw this happening in makerspaces where regular people learn, collaborate, and build products and companies from scratch. I saw that the community at large is facing a sustainability crisis.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman argued in his dissertation that makerspaces can play a significant role in local innovation. When people struggle to survive, it disrupts communities in numerous ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman details four studies conducted over three-and-a-half years that show how socio-technical factors drive organizational sustainability in makerspaces and how AI tools can foster an innovative culture within them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe compelling thing about his research is that he shows that people come to makerspaces for the tools, but they stay for the people,\u201d said Rosa Arriaga, associate professor and Rahman\u2019s advisor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe has plenty of work from his ethnographic research that shows that a makerspace can have all the tech and resources, but if there isn\u2019t cohesion among the people, there\u2019s a problem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt Takes a Village\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman is the first to admit that it\u2019s not possible for one man to run a company while pursuing a Ph.D. He needed a community. This starts with his family. His wife, Mohu Sultana, now serves as interim CEO of M2SYS and has supported Rahman throughout his Ph.D. research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech community has been part of Rahman\u2019s life in some way since he started his career.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESultana holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science from Tech, and their daughter, Malisha Rahman, is graduating this week with a bachelor\u2019s in economics and international affairs. Malisha Rahman has also been accepted into the HCC program and will begin her Ph.D. in the fall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERahman said that any student who wants to create a tech startup will have an advantage from access to Georgia Tech\u2019s network.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Georgia Tech startup community is fantastic,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is a tremendous amount of knowledge here, and the research community can help shape the next big thing. We have CREATE-X, a place where you can find mentorship from faculty who started in industry. You\u2019ll learn things I wish I knew before I started.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMizan Rahman, a 52-year-old entrepreneur with three successful tech startups, is completing his Ph.D. in human-centered computing. Driven by a desire to understand the human dimension of technology, his dissertation focused on makerspaces as hubs for community-driven innovation, arguing that social cohesion \u2014 not just tools and resources \u2014 is key to their sustainability. Rahman credits his academic journey with transforming how he approaches product development, and he now aims to bridge industry and research going forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mizan Rahman, a tech entrepreneur who has founded three companies, is having his Ph.D. in human centered computing conferred this week."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-07 12:31:35","changed_gmt":"2026-05-08 11:40:21","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680208":{"id":"680208","type":"image","title":"Mizan-Rahman_P9A6201.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778157109","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 12:31:49","changed":"1778157109","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 12:31:49","alt":"Mizan Rahman","file":{"fid":"264450","name":"Mizan-Rahman_P9A6201.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/Mizan-Rahman_P9A6201.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/Mizan-Rahman_P9A6201.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":145195,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/Mizan-Rahman_P9A6201.jpg?itok=u5fwQmtM"}}},"media_ids":["680208"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"}],"keywords":[{"id":"629","name":"graduation"},{"id":"195105","name":"2026 Spring Commencement"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690194":{"#nid":"690194","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When oil prices spike, where does the money go?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe market for oil is global, which is why events like the war in Iran affect oil prices \u2013 and prices of the wide range of products made from oil \u2013 literally everywhere. Federal data shows that the price at the primary crude oil hub in the U.S. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/dnav\/pet\/hist\/RWTCD.htm\u0022\u003Ewas US$66 a barrel in late February 2026\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran \u2013 and $101 a barrel on April 13. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/09\/nx-s1-5745144\/oil-company-profits-high-oil-prices\u0022\u003ESimilar price increases\u003C\/a\u003E have reverberated around the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=WhCSHYkAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003Eenergy economist\u003C\/a\u003E and an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=p4hJf78AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Einternational trade economist\u003C\/a\u003E, we field a lot of questions during such episodes, because when oil prices go up, manufacturers, businesses and ultimately \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/soaring-gas-prices-and-disrupted-supply-chains-will-ripple-out-to-increase-costs-in-every-store-and-sector-of-the-economy-278349\u0022\u003Econsumers pay more\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESome basic economics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrude oil may be the most important commodity in the global economic system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a literal fuel for the industrial economy. It powers the engines that drive transportation and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pavementinteractive.org\/reference-desk\/materials\/asphalt\/asphalt-production-and-oil-refining\/\u0022\u003Epaves the roads\u003C\/a\u003E vehicles drive on. It\u2019s a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/tools\/faqs\/faq.php?id=34\u0026amp;t=6\u0022\u003Esource for plastics\u003C\/a\u003E from which the world\u2019s products get made and packaged, and a key ingredient at some point in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/oil-isnt-just-fuel-iran-conflict-could-disrupt-markets-for-everything-from-plastics-to-fertilizers-277946\u0022\u003Ealmost every supply chain\u003C\/a\u003E. Even \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hormuz-closure-threatens-the-global-food-supply-why-grocery-price-hikes-are-coming-279899\u0022\u003Efertilizers that boost the food supply\u003C\/a\u003E are made from it. In short, it is difficult to imagine modern life without \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/world-news\/oil-role-modern-life-petrochemicals-impact-everyday-products-explained-126032300615_1.html\u0022\u003Eoil and its derivatives\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd when its supply changes, its price changes. Economists explain this using a fundamental model of our field: the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/l\/law-of-supply-demand.asp\u0022\u003Esupply-demand\u003C\/a\u003E diagram. When there\u2019s less of something to go around, competition among consumers who want it and companies that need it can drive the price up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes this process can play out over time, allowing people to adjust their purchasing or activities to dampen price shocks. But when a significant source of the world\u2019s oil is effectively blocked without much advance notice, such as when the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hormuz-closure-threatens-the-global-food-supply-why-grocery-price-hikes-are-coming-279899\u0022\u003Ethe U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz\u003C\/a\u003E, prices can rise sharply in a short period of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA natural question many people ask when oil prices spike is: Where does all that additional money go, and who benefits from it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome people have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262536165\/energy-and-civilization\/\u0022\u003Ewritten\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/paperback\/9780691159638\/the-oil-curse\u0022\u003Eentire\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/global.oup.com\/academic\/product\/the-world-for-sale-9780197651537\u0022\u003Ebooks\u003C\/a\u003E dissecting all the places that money goes when it leaves consumers\u2019 pockets. But ultimately, the bulk of the money heads in the direction of the source of the oil itself \u2013 the oil companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat they do with the money varies widely, depending on where in the world an oil company is operating and who owns it. What also matters is the business environment \u2013 the set of laws and regulations \u2013 in which the company operates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMiddle East faces danger\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOil producers in the Middle East face significant new risk because of the war in Iran, including threats to production, processing locations and shipping routes. These risks raise their costs for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/gulfs-worst-case-scenario-2026-04-08\/\u0022\u003Einsurance, security and transportation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-the-persian-gulf-has-more-oil-and-gas-than-anywhere-else-on-earth-279303\u0022\u003Eproduction costs in the region\u003C\/a\u003E are relatively low, so higher global oil prices typically still translate into strong profits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor a major exporter such as Saudi Arabia, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/saudi-aramco-oil-colossus-2024-05-30\/\u0022\u003Ethe government owns and controls nearly all oil production\u003C\/a\u003E, so high prices generally benefit the government\u2019s finances and investments, even during a war. In Saudi Arabia, oil revenue has historically been used to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agsi.org\/analysis\/aramco-and-the-saudi-government-budget\/\u0022\u003Efund public spending\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWest Texas gets a windfall\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dallasfed.org\/research\/energy11\/permian\u0022\u003EPermian Basin\u003C\/a\u003E, the largest oil field in the U.S., is a long way from the Persian Gulf. When global oil prices rise because of the war in Iran, oil companies operating in West Texas effectively get a windfall gain: Prices rise more quickly than costs, at least in the short run.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe immediate effect is more income from higher prices. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.houstonpublicmedia.org\/articles\/economy\/2026\/03\/11\/545798\/texas-oil-iran-war-gas-prices\/\u0022\u003EThe money largely goes to company owners\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 meaning shareholders \u2013 through dividends, debt reduction, company-backed purchases of its own stock, and reinvestment in drilling and production. Over time, companies may decide to spend some of that windfall on building more production capacity or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/breakingviews\/us-shale-wont-repeat-old-boom-iran-war-2026-04-02\/\u0022\u003Epipelines to get more oil and gas to market\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENorth Sea boosts government revenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the North Sea, between the island of Great Britain and Scandinavia, a mix of multinational and government-owned companies produce most of the oil.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the U.K., private shareholders are the primary beneficiaries of higher profits from increased oil prices, though an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commonslibrary.parliament.uk\/research-briefings\/cbp-9578\/\u0022\u003Eadditional tax on oil and gas companies\u2019 profits\u003C\/a\u003E means the government also collects a significant share of the money, which it uses to help pay public expenses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Norway, oil revenues flow into the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nbim.no\/en\/\u0022\u003EGovernment Pension Fund Global\u003C\/a\u003E, the world\u2019s largest sovereign wealth fund, valued at over $2 trillion. Laws govern how much, and for what purposes, money can be withdrawn from the fund, supporting \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nbim.no\/en\/about-us\/about-the-fund\/\u0022\u003Epublic spending and preserving wealth\u003C\/a\u003E for future generations. This is a similar model to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apfc.org\/\u0022\u003EAlaska\u2019s state-owned program\u003C\/a\u003E, funded by oil revenue, that pays for government services and sends an annual dividend to every permanent resident.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERussian oligarchs get rich\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERussian oil is subject to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/national-security-daily\/2026\/04\/13\/the-return-of-russia-oil-sanctions-00869329\u0022\u003Estringent economic sanctions\u003C\/a\u003E imposed by major industrial countries as a response to the Russian invasion and occupation of parts of Ukraine. While the U.S. cannot control how much Russia charges for its oil, it can control services needed to move Russian oil around the world. Under current price sanctions, Western shipping, insurance and financing can be used to ship and sell Russian crude oil only if the price is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sanctionsnews.bakermckenzie.com\/g7-sets-price-cap-for-russian-oil-at-usd-60-per-barrel\/\u0022\u003Ebelow $60 per barrel\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERussia\u2019s oil industry is dominated by government-controlled companies whose \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c4g6xgv1n41o\u0022\u003Eleaders maintain close ties\u003C\/a\u003E to President Vladimir Putin. The dealings of those shadowy figures are often shrouded in secrecy, but it is likely that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigates\/section\/comrade-capitalism\/\u0022\u003Ethey and Putin\u2019s military-industrial complex\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 not the Russian people \u2013 are the main beneficiaries of high oil prices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat this means for you\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEveryday U.S. consumers may not like the idea of their hard-earned cash going into the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tu.no\/artikler\/the-10-wealthiest-people-in-the-oil-industry\/231147\u0022\u003Ealready deep pockets\u003C\/a\u003E of any of these groups. But in the short run, there\u2019s not much to do but pay the price. For the long run, however, people around the world are already thinking and talking about, and opting for, sources of energy that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-is-less-prone-to-oil-price-shocks-than-in-past-decades-277709\u0022\u003Edon\u2019t depend on fossil fuels\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/when-oil-prices-spike-where-does-the-money-go-280763\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe market for oil is global, which is why events like the war in Iran affect oil prices \u2013 and prices of the wide range of products made from oil \u2013 literally everywhere. Federal data shows that the price at the primary crude oil hub in the U.S. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/dnav\/pet\/hist\/RWTCD.htm\u0022\u003Ewas US$66 a barrel in late February 2026\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran \u2013 and $101 a barrel on April 13. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/04\/09\/nx-s1-5745144\/oil-company-profits-high-oil-prices\u0022\u003ESimilar price increases\u003C\/a\u003E have reverberated around the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=WhCSHYkAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;oi=ao\u0022\u003Eenergy economist\u003C\/a\u003E and an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=p4hJf78AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Einternational trade economist\u003C\/a\u003E, we field a lot of questions during such episodes, because when oil prices go up, manufacturers, businesses and ultimately \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/soaring-gas-prices-and-disrupted-supply-chains-will-ripple-out-to-increase-costs-in-every-store-and-sector-of-the-economy-278349\u0022\u003Econsumers pay more\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEveryday U.S. consumers may not like the idea of their hard-earned cash going into the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tu.no\/artikler\/the-10-wealthiest-people-in-the-oil-industry\/231147\u0022\u003Ealready deep pockets\u003C\/a\u003E of any of the oil-producing groups. But in the short run, there\u2019s not much to do but pay the price. For the long run, however, people around the world are already thinking and talking about, and opting for, sources of energy that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/us-is-less-prone-to-oil-price-shocks-than-in-past-decades-277709\u0022\u003Edon\u2019t depend on fossil fuels\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2013affiliated energy and trade economists describe how higher oil prices don\u2019t just hurt consumers\u2014they also shift enormous amounts of money to oil producers, with impacts varying by region, ownership, and government policy."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-07 20:10:19","changed_gmt":"2026-05-07 20:20:00","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680221":{"id":"680221","type":"image","title":"file-20260415-71-kc4tq8.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIn general, when supply of a product is reduced, prices rise. As a result, even when demand remains stable, the quantity consumers buy decreases because of higher prices. Matthew E. Oliver and Tibor Besede\u0161, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\u0022\u003ECC BY-NC-ND\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778184730","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 20:12:10","changed":"1778184730","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 20:12:10","alt":"Graph showing supply demand of crude oil with price plotted in the Y axis and quantity in million barrels per day in the X axis during the months of Feb-April 2026.","file":{"fid":"264465","name":"file-20260415-71-kc4tq8.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260415-71-kc4tq8.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260415-71-kc4tq8.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":115393,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260415-71-kc4tq8.jpeg?itok=T4qXe3oZ"}},"680222":{"id":"680222","type":"image","title":"file-20260416-63-ul6ilw.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA satellite photo shows damage from the war at Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ras Tanura oil refinery, which must be repaired before full operations can resume. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/vantor-satellite-image-shows-the-damaged-sections-and-burnt-news-photo\/2263898268\u0022\u003ESatellite image (c) 2026 Vantor via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778184836","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 20:13:56","changed":"1778184836","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 20:13:56","alt":"A satellite photo shows damage from the war at Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ras Tanura oil refinery, which must be repaired before full operations can resume. Satellite image (c) 2026 Vantor via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"264466","name":"file-20260416-63-ul6ilw.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260416-63-ul6ilw.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260416-63-ul6ilw.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":869181,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260416-63-ul6ilw.jpeg?itok=t6bc4Mxq"}},"680223":{"id":"680223","type":"image","title":"file-20260416-63-4z9v13.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDrilling rigs in the North Sea are still operating and shipping oil. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/detail\/DenmarkCarbonCapture\/9c2bf7ede3bf4f4b9a938934131da66d\/photo\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/James Brooks\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778184879","gmt_created":"2026-05-07 20:14:39","changed":"1778184879","gmt_changed":"2026-05-07 20:14:39","alt":"Drilling rigs in the North Sea. AP Photo\/James Brooks","file":{"fid":"264467","name":"file-20260416-63-4z9v13.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260416-63-4z9v13.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260416-63-4z9v13.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":249017,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/07\/file-20260416-63-4z9v13.jpeg?itok=7sBRd-Bu"}}},"media_ids":["680221","680222","680223"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/when-oil-prices-spike-where-does-the-money-go-280763","title":"Original Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/matthew-e-oliver-2656330\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew E. Oliver\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAssociate Professor of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/tibor-besedes-2656327\u0022 rel=\u0022author\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETibor Besede\u0161\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EProfessor of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690170":{"#nid":"690170","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emily Weigel Receives National Award for Excellence in Ecology Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn recognition of her\u0026nbsp;extraordinary teaching, outreach, and mentoring activities,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/emily-weigel\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Weigel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been awarded the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/esa.org\/about\/awards\/eugene-p-odum-award-for-excellence-in-ecology-education\/\u0022\u003EEugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education\u003C\/a\u003E by the Ecological Society of America (ESA).\u0026nbsp;Each year, the award celebrates a singleone individual\u2019s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m honored to receive the 2026 Odum Award,\u201d says Weigel, who is a senior academic professional in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cGeorgia Tech is widely recognized for its research excellence, but teaching is mission-critical to the ways we serve the public good. This award reflects the incredible work happening in our classes and communities that drives science, and science education, forward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel is among 10 individuals selected nationwide for annual ESA awards. \u201cThis year\u2019s award recipients have each contributed something important to ecology, often in very different ways,\u201d says ESA President\u003Cstrong\u003E Peter Groffman\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cThese are ecologists whose efforts have shaped the field, supported colleagues and created opportunities for others. I\u2019m glad to see that kind of work acknowledged.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAbout Emily Weigel\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel\u2019s work focuses on improving biology education by examining how student backgrounds, values, and instructional practices shape learning outcomes. Her impact spans K\u201312 students, undergraduates, graduates, and members of the Atlanta community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKnown for her teaching innovations, she has pioneered new courses in biology, ecology, and statistics, and is also a leader in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects program\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrom studying the dynamics of flu, to using drone aerial footage to monitor Georgia Tech\u2019s changing landscape, to a long-term project monitoring the trees of the Campus Arboretum, Weigel shares that \u201cstudents thrive when they develop skills through real-world experiences.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel has also creatively infused the traditional \u201cnature\u201d topics and fieldwork found in ecology curricula with modern technology and programming skills used in research. \u201cEffectively introducing professional skills, like programming in the language R, is innovative nationally,\u201d she says. By making R, an open-source programming language, more accessible, \u201cwe\u2019re preparing undergraduates for success in graduate school and their careers, and empowering them to learn other programming languages in the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to teaching, Weigel plays a central role in mentoring and supporting students across the Institute.\u0026nbsp;She serves as the undergraduate academic advisor for around one-sixth of Georgia Tech\u2019s Biology majors, mentors graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, and is\u0026nbsp;an instructor for the \u201cTech to Teaching\u201d capstone course in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cetl.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Teaching and Learning\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award celebrates Weigel\u0027s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award celebrates Weigel\u0027s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 14:54:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-06 16:03:47","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675732":{"id":"675732","type":"image","title":"Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences","body":null,"created":"1732636877","gmt_created":"2024-11-26 16:01:17","changed":"1732636877","gmt_changed":"2024-11-26 16:01:17","alt":"Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences","file":{"fid":"259393","name":"Emily Weigel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1688447,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg?itok=3q5Ssysf"}}},"media_ids":["675732"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/esa.org\/blog\/2026\/05\/06\/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2026-award-recipients\/","title":"Ecological Society of America announces 2026 award recipients"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690139":{"#nid":"690139","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Awards Inaugural Funding to Advance Energy Policy Impact in the Southeast","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech has awarded funding to a new cohort of faculty through its ACCELERATE program, an initiative designed to strengthen Georgia Tech\u2019s thought leadership and real\u2011world impact in energy policy, decision\u2011making, and innovation across the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEight faculty members received funding for projects that advance Georgia Tech energy research by generating early insights, expanding shared research tools, and exploring solutions related to energy policy, grid reliability, clean energy incentives, and industry\u2011driven innovation shaping Georgia\u2019s energy future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy supporting timely, policy-relevant research and engagement that connect Georgia Tech expertise with pressing regional energy challenges, the ACCELERATE program encourages collaboration across the Institute and with external partners, supports graduate student involvement, and amplifies research outputs that inform policy, regulatory, and market decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cACCELERATE is designed to help early- and mid-career faculty move quickly on ideas that can shape energy policy and practice,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cBy supporting both early\u2011stage collaboration and more developed policy research, the program enables Georgia Tech researchers to engage decision\u2011makers and stakeholders when it matters most.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProposals considered for funding were grounded in policy and behavioral research, including studies that examined how past or potential policies and regulations worked, and analyses of current market and behavioral outcomes that revealed management, policy, or regulatory gaps and opportunities. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunded projects span a range of disciplines and policy\u2011focused topics aligned with EPIcenter\u2019s mission, with a strong emphasis on challenges facing Georgia and the Southeast. Collectively, the awards support research development, data creation, stakeholder engagement, and public-facing thought leadership intended to inform energy policy and implementation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As electricity demand grows, it is increasingly important to understand how\u0026nbsp;industrial processes could use energy flexibly to enable efficient use of renewable resources like solar and wind,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003EMicah Ziegler\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. \u201cSupport from the EPIcenter ACCELERATE program enables us to ask fundamental questions about how to design flexible systems and supply chains.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAwards ranged from $5,000 to $75,000. Projects that received ACCELERATE funding include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeasuring the Alignment Between Legislators\u2019 Energy Bill Votes and Their District Characteristics in the Georgia House of Representatives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researcher:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/clio-andris\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClio Andris\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E Associate Professor, School of City and\u0026nbsp;Regional Planning and School of Interactive Computing\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrengthening Georgia Tech\u2019s National Energy Modeling of Priority Research Areas\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researcher:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/marilyn-brown\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMarilyn Brown\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Regents\u0027 Professor and Brook\u0026nbsp;Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProtecting Consumers From Price Volatility: Evidence and Policy Lessons From Georgia\u0027s Natural Gas Market\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researcher:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/dylan-brewer\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDylan Brewer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Economics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan Place-Based Incentives Accelerate the Energy Transition?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researcher:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/gaurav-doshi\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGaurav Doshi\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Assistant Professor, School of Economics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Revolving Door in Utility Regulation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researcher:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/f276dd8a-0e13-5b66-b4cf-3d2960e01b2d\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMichelle Graff\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Assistant Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Do Data Centers Affect Tradeoffs Between Reliability and Decarbonization?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researchers:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/anthony-harding\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETony Harding\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Assistant Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBrian An\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Assistant Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECalculating the Emissions Cost of the Solar Rebound for the United States\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researcher:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/matthew-oliver\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMatt Oliver\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Associate Professor, School of Economics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEvaluating Long-Duration Flexibility of Industrial Demand in Electric Power Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty Researchers:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMicah Ziegler\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u0026nbsp;assistant professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/constance-crozier\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EConstance Crozier\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Assistant Professor, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EACCELERATE is an annual program open to all Georgia Tech faculty, focusing on policy\u2011 and decision\u2011relevant research that advances energy affordability, reliability, resilience, and decarbonization in the region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore information about EPIcenter\u2019s research areas and programs is available at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eepicenter.energy.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech has awarded funding to a new cohort of faculty through its ACCELERATE program, an initiative designed to strengthen Georgia Tech\u2019s thought leadership and real\u2011world impact in energy policy, decision\u2011making, and innovation across the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEight faculty members received funding for projects that advance Georgia Tech energy research by generating early insights, expanding shared research tools, and exploring solutions related to energy policy, grid reliability, clean energy incentives, and industry\u2011driven innovation shaping Georgia\u2019s energy future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Energy Policy and Innovation Center at Georgia Tech has awarded funding to a new faculty cohort through its ACCELERATE program, designed to strengthen Georgia Tech\u2019s thought leadership and real world impact in energy policy in the Southeast."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-05 15:53:02","changed_gmt":"2026-05-06 02:11:13","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680187":{"id":"680187","type":"image","title":"ACCELERATE-Program-Funding-Recipients--EPIcenter---1-.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEPIcenter ACCELERATE Program Recipients: Top (Left to Right) - Clio Andris, Marilyn Brown, Dylan Brewer, Gaurav Doshi, Michelle Graff; Bottom (Left to Right) - Tony Harding, Brian An, Matt Oliver, Micah Ziegler, Constance Crozier\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778033435","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 02:10:35","changed":"1778033435","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 02:10:35","alt":"EPIcenter ACCELERATE Program Recipients: Top (Left to Right) - Clio Andris, Marilyn Brown, Dylan Brewer, Gaurav Doshi, Michelle Graff; Bottom (Left to Right) - Tony Harding, Brian An, Matt Oliver, Micah Ziegler, Constance Crozier","file":{"fid":"264429","name":"ACCELERATE-Program-Funding-Recipients--EPIcenter---1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/ACCELERATE-Program-Funding-Recipients--EPIcenter---1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/ACCELERATE-Program-Funding-Recipients--EPIcenter---1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":382746,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/05\/ACCELERATE-Program-Funding-Recipients--EPIcenter---1-.jpg?itok=9suDx9ym"}}},"media_ids":["680187"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689912":{"#nid":"689912","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Is Building for an AI Future That May Not Happen","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWalton County, Georgia, didn\u2019t ask to become a test case for the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure boom.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.meta.com\/about\/?srsltid=AfmBOorq5DbaO21MiOmnzavdCGimvjUKN-1Hxf4u3ZVf7y4qlNfEjReW\u0022\u003EMeta\u003C\/a\u003E, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, made the decision for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, the company broke ground in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.socialcirclega.gov\/\u0022\u003ESocial Circle\u003C\/a\u003E, a small town an hour east of Atlanta with about 5,000 residents, to build one of its largest U.S. data centers. It opened in 2020.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocal officials called it a win.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022\/\/\/Users\/mazriel3\/Downloads\/Shane%20Short,\u0022\u003EShane Short\u003C\/a\u003E, president and CEO of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/choosewalton.com\/\u0022\u003EDevelopment Authority of Walton County\u003C\/a\u003E, said the plant generates about $10 million annually in property tax revenue and has led to road improvements and expanded broadband.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectric vehicle maker\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rivian.com\/\u0022\u003ERivian\u003C\/a\u003E followed Meta\u2019s lead and began construction on a plant near Social Circle in September 2025, adding to the area\u2019s rapid industrial growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut for residents, the shift from a largely rural, agricultural economy to an energy-intensive industrial one has put new pressure on power and water systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey\u2019re seeing higher water and power bills, worse air quality, and very few jobs in return for this, while large corporations get tax benefits,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/people\/ahmed-saeed\u0022\u003EAhmed Saeed\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computer Science\u003C\/a\u003E, describing why residents in some communities push back on new data center development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaeed and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/josiah-hester\u0022\u003EJosiah Hester\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of interactive computing and computer science and director of the Center for Advancing Responsible AI, have spent the past year studying the energy, water, and financial demands associated with these facilities, and how those costs are distributed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBetting on Demand\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI data centers run on specialized chips that use large amounts of electricity. That power generates heat, which requires energy- and water-intensive cooling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe state is adding capacity based on expected demand, not current use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast year, the Georgia Public Service Commission approved an estimated $16 billion expansion for Georgia Power to support that growth. It is expected to produce about 10 gigawatts of electricity at a given time. That\u2019s enough energy to power about 7.5 million homes for a year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf that demand materializes, the electricity is used. If it doesn\u2019t, the cost still has to be paid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGrid Stability\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose workloads can put a very large demand on the grid all at once, and then remove it just as quickly,\u201d Saeed said. \u201cThat sudden change is difficult for the system to handle.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat volatility is a separate issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven if data center operators pay for the infrastructure they use, large swings in demand can still strain grid operations, especially during peak periods or extreme weather.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Comes Next\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBack in Walton County, the Meta facility is already\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.covnews.com\/news\/cities\/social-circle-planning-commission-recommends-latest-data-center-request\/\u0022\u003Eattracting additional data centers\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach new site adds power and water infrastructure designed to operate for decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe servers inside need to be upgraded every few years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaeed and Hester said if Georgia wants to remain an AI and cloud hub, the state needs to set the terms and companies need to meet them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat starts with disclosure \u2014 how much power data centers draw from the grid, how that demand spikes, and how much water they use. It includes clear expectations for how those facilities respond when the grid is under stress, and protections for the communities where they\u2019re built.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers maintain that \u201cbuild it and hope\u201d is not a strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The state is spending $16 billion to power data centers that could be obsolete in seven years. Two Georgia Tech researchers say residents will pay for that gamble either way."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is betting $16 billion on power infrastructure to support an AI-driven data center boom that may not materialize \u2014 and residents will pay either way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe story follows two Georgia Tech researchers who argue the state is building for speculative demand: AI workloads drive massive, volatile energy use, data centers become obsolete within years, and efficiency gains only increase total consumption.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn places like Walton and Newton counties, the promised benefits \u2014 tax revenue and development \u2014 collide with higher utility costs, water strain, and minimal job creation. If demand falls short, the financial burden of overbuilt infrastructure shifts to ratepayers, leaving communities with the costs long after the companies move on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The state is spending $16 billion to power data centers that could be obsolete in seven years. Two Georgia Tech researchers say residents will pay for that gamble either way."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-04-21 14:45:44","changed_gmt":"2026-05-04 16:27:22","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680009":{"id":"680009","type":"image","title":"Data centers","body":null,"created":"1776780028","gmt_created":"2026-04-21 14:00:28","changed":"1776780264","gmt_changed":"2026-04-21 14:04:24","alt":"AI rendering of the servers inside of a data center","file":{"fid":"264242","name":"Data-Centers.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/Data-Centers.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/Data-Centers.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2439341,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/21\/Data-Centers.png?itok=xre68az6"}}},"media_ids":["680009"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"194190","name":"AI data centers"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel\u003Cbr\u003ESr. Writer-Editor\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mazriel3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emazriel3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689630":{"#nid":"689630","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Create \u201cLiving\u201d Polymers That Grow, Heal, and Transform ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMost plastic and rubber materials remain in a fixed shape from the moment they leave the mold. Their size and function are the same until they wear out or break. But what if synthetic materials could behave more like living organisms, growing or repairing themselves when needed?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA research team led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYuhang Hu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has created a new material designed to do exactly that. In a new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adma.202518567\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Estudy published in \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Hu and her collaborators describe a groundbreaking class of \u201cliving\u201d polymers that can grow, shrink, heal, and even regenerate long after fabrication.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir work combines advances in chemistry, mechanics, and materials design into a polymer platform that could reshape how engineered products are built, maintained, and recycled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-researchers-create-living-polymers-grow-heal-and-transform\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMost plastic and rubber materials remain in a fixed shape from the moment they leave the mold. Their size and function are the same until they wear out or break. But what if synthetic materials could behave more like living organisms, growing or repairing themselves when needed?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA research team led by Yuhang Hu, associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has created a new material designed to do exactly that. In a new study published in Advanced Materials, Hu and her collaborators describe a groundbreaking class of \u201cliving\u201d polymers that can grow, shrink, heal, and even regenerate long after fabrication.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir work combines advances in chemistry, mechanics, and materials design into a polymer platform that could reshape how engineered products are built, maintained, and recycled.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A research team led by Yuhang Hu describe a groundbreaking class of \u201cliving\u201d polymers that can grow, shrink, heal, and even regenerate long after fabrication."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 18:49:20","changed_gmt":"2026-05-01 19:06:52","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679916":{"id":"679916","type":"image","title":"IMG_2578.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775846974","gmt_created":"2026-04-10 18:49:34","changed":"1775846974","gmt_changed":"2026-04-10 18:49:34","alt":"Yuhang Hu and students in the lab","file":{"fid":"264137","name":"IMG_2578.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/IMG_2578.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/IMG_2578.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5920775,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/10\/IMG_2578.jpg?itok=TLH4hBVG"}}},"media_ids":["679916"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690016":{"#nid":"690016","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How a Lens Is Pushing the Limits of Near-Zero\u2011Power Wireless Communication to Gigabits\u2011Per\u2011Second Speeds","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this year, Georgia Tech researchers showed that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/energy-wireless-signals-could-power-smart-cities-and-ai-enabling-systems\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Especially designed lenses could harvest energy from ambient wireless signals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, pointing toward a future of battery-free sensors embedded throughout smart cities and digital infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut powering devices is only part of the challenge. Enabling those same systems to communicate at modern data rates is a much harder. That\u2019s the leap the team is now making. The same lens-based approach is being used to unlock high-speed communication once considered out of reach for ultra-low-power systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-70454-8\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Estudy published in Nature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/emmanouil-m-tentzeris\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Manos (Emmanouil) Tentzeris\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/athena.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAgile Technologies for High-performance Electromagnetic Novel Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ATHENA) lab demonstrated a first-of-its-kind lens-enabled backscatter system capable of multi-gigabit data rates, reaching up to 4 gigabits per second (Gbps). At the same time, it operates using only a fraction of the power required by conventional wireless devices \u2014 bringing high-speed connectivity to systems that were never meant to support it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor years, backscatter has been treated as a tradeoff: extremely low power, but extremely limited performance. Rather than generating its own radio signal, a backscatter device modulates and reflects existing wireless transmissions to communicate, allowing it to operate with minimal energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, backscatter has typically been used only to send small amounts of data, most often in simple identification and sensing systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we\u2019ve shown is that backscatter doesn\u2019t have to be slow,\u201d said Marvin Joshi, the research lead and Ph.D. candidate in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWith the right architecture, it can operate at gigabit\u2011per\u2011second speeds while remaining ultra\u2011low power.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Lens That Makes It Possible\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team\u2019s dielectric lens \u2014 similar in spirit to an optical lens \u2014 focuses incoming millimeter-wave energy onto an array of tiny antenna elements, enabling both wireless energy capture and high\u2011speed backscatter communication within the same system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system reshapes and reflects\u0026nbsp;existing wireless signals,\u0026nbsp;with each element modulating the reflected signal to enable high-speed data transmission without requiring a traditional transmitter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt millimeter-wave frequencies, used by 5G and future 6G systems, there is plenty of available bandwidth, but signals at these frequencies are highly directional and sensitive to alignment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn practice, that means even small misalignment can break the link. This has been a major limitation for real-world deployment. The lens overcomes that constraint by enabling high gain and wide angular coverage simultaneously, without the need for active beam steering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThink of it like a camera lens for wireless signals,\u201d Tentzeris said, who is a Ed and Pat Joy Chair Professor in ECE. \u201cIt captures energy coming from many different directions and focuses it efficiently onto the device.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result is a system that can communicate over a \u00b155-degree field of view, maintaining strong performance even when the device and the reader are not perfectly aligned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFiber-Level Speeds, Nearly Zero Power\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn controlled experiments, the researchers achieved data rates of up to four Gbps, with sustained gigabit communication at distances of up to 20 meters, using high-order modulation schemes like those used in modern cellular networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor a system that doesn\u2019t generate its own signal, those numbers are unexpectedly efficient. The system operates at just 0.08 picojoules per bit \u2014 approaching million-fold improvements compared to conventional wireless radios.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo put that in perspective,\u201d Tentzeris said, \u201ca typical wireless transmitter burns milliwatts of power. This system operates at essentially near-zero power while pushing the data rates 1,000 times higher than what traditional backscatter could do.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaken together, the results point to a fundamentally different class of wireless system, according to Tentzeris, one that combines high data rates with ultra-low power in a way that hasn\u2019t been demonstrated before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on standard wireless modeling, the team estimates the technology could support Gbps communication over distances of kilometers when paired with existing 5G millimeter-wave infrastructure, extending high-speed, ultra-low-power links far beyond what has been achievable with backscatter systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat combination is exactly what future wireless networks are moving toward. This capability aligns naturally with next\u2011generation 6G systems,\u201d said Tentzeris, pointing to the growing importance of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) and Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS) frameworks that require simultaneous communication, sensing, and localization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Smart Cities to Disaster Response\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut speed and efficiency are only part of the story. Because the devices are low-cost, lightweight, and printable, they could be deployed at massive scale on buildings, roads, vehicles, drones, or wearable systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a smart city, thousands of these tags could continuously exchange information about traffic, air quality, or structural health without ever needing batteries. That means dense, always-on sensing and communication without worrying about power or upkeep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn disaster zones, temporary high-speed networks could be set up almost instantly, without cables or power infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImagine an ambulance transmitting high-resolution medical images in real time, or first responders building a live digital map of a disaster area,\u201d Joshi said. \u201cYou get fiber-like performance, but completely wireless and energy-efficient.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s Next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe architecture also lends itself to intelligent optimization, where AI-based control can be enabled to dynamically enhance signal capture and system efficiency, further expanding performance in large-scale deployments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is really about adding intelligence to anything, anywhere,\u201d Tentzeris said. \u201cWhen communication becomes this fast, efficient, and scalable, entirely new applications become possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the core architecture now demonstrated, the ATHENA Lab team is shifting focus from proof\u2011of\u2011concept to deployment. That means moving out of the lab and into real-world environments. The next phase includes testing the system outdoors, integrating it onto drones and mobile platforms, and exploring flatter, more compact lens designs that could be easier to mount on real-world infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re thinking about how this fits into the broader wireless ecosystem,\u201d Joshi said. \u201cWe\u2019ve shown what\u2019s possible. Now the question is how far we can push it in the real world.\u0022\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEmmanouil Tentzeris and Marvin Joshi\u2019s new work demonstrates how a lens\u2011enabled backscatter system can deliver modern wireless capability without traditional transmitters.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Emmanouil Tentzeris and Marvin Joshi\u2019s new work demonstrates how a lens\u2011enabled backscatter system can deliver modern wireless capability without traditional transmitters."}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2026-04-24 18:52:15","changed_gmt":"2026-05-01 19:06:21","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680070":{"id":"680070","type":"image","title":"Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication_Cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Emmanouil \u201cManos\u201d Tentzeris and Ph.D. student Marvin Joshi hold a lens\u2011enabled backscatter system that could support battery\u2011free wireless communication across future smart city infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1777056803","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","changed":"1777056803","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","alt":"Professor Emmanouil \u201cManos\u201d Tentzeris and Ph.D. student Marvin Joshi hold a lens\u2011enabled backscatter system that could support battery\u2011free wireless communication across future smart city infrastructure.","file":{"fid":"264304","name":"Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication_Cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication_Cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication_Cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2337169,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication_Cropped.jpg?itok=Gu4as_BP"}},"680071":{"id":"680071","type":"image","title":"In-Front-of-Emergency-Box_Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EShown near existing campus emergency infrastructure, the lens\u2011enabled backscatter device highlights how ultra\u2011low\u2011power wireless systems could be integrated directly into everyday infrastructure without relying on batteries or wired power.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777056803","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","changed":"1777056803","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","alt":"Shown near existing campus emergency infrastructure, the lens\u2011enabled backscatter device highlights how ultra\u2011low\u2011power wireless systems could be integrated directly into everyday infrastructure without relying on batteries or wired power.","file":{"fid":"264305","name":"In-Front-of-Emergency-Box_Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/In-Front-of-Emergency-Box_Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/In-Front-of-Emergency-Box_Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4596093,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/In-Front-of-Emergency-Box_Marvin-and-Manos-Holding-Lens-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.jpg?itok=o2b8SZXE"}},"680072":{"id":"680072","type":"image","title":"Close-UP-of-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA close\u2011up view of the device displays an array of tiny antenna elements positioned behind the lens, each modulating reflected wireless signals to enable high\u2011speed communication with minimal energy use.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777056803","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","changed":"1777056803","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","alt":"A close\u2011up view of the device displays an array of tiny antenna elements positioned behind the lens, each modulating reflected wireless signals to enable high\u2011speed communication with minimal energy use.","file":{"fid":"264306","name":"Close-UP-of-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Close-UP-of-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Close-UP-of-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9238983,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/Close-UP-of-Device-for-Low-Power-Communication.png?itok=EAWIcr6A"}},"680073":{"id":"680073","type":"image","title":"Lens-enabled-Backscatter-Concept-Illustration.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA concept illustration shows how the\u0026nbsp;lens-enabled system\u2019s\u0026nbsp;wide angular coverage and passive backscatter communication enable flexible deployment on moving platforms such as drones and aircraft, as well as fixed smart city infrastructure and personal devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777056803","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","changed":"1777056803","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 18:53:23","alt":"A concept illustration shows how the lens-enabled system\u2019s wide angular coverage and passive backscatter communication enable flexible deployment on moving platforms such as drones and aircraft, as well as fixed smart city infrastructure and personal devices.","file":{"fid":"264307","name":"Lens-enabled-Backscatter-Concept-Illustration.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Lens-enabled-Backscatter-Concept-Illustration.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Lens-enabled-Backscatter-Concept-Illustration.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":621750,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/Lens-enabled-Backscatter-Concept-Illustration.jpg?itok=OfC3c6C8"}}},"media_ids":["680070","680071","680072","680073"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195061","name":"Marvin Joshi"},{"id":"413","name":"Manos Tentzeris"},{"id":"167025","name":"ATHENA Lab"},{"id":"195062","name":"Nature 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Fellowships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing professor and his Ph.D. student have been named to the 2026 list of Microsoft Research Fellows and Fellowship Advisors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Alan Ritter and Ph.D. student Ethan Mendes were awarded fellowships for their work on creating artificial intelligence (AI) agents that function as teammates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMendes was named a fellow, while Ritter will serve as his fellowship advisor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Microsoft Research Fellowship is open to faculty, students, and postdocs. Ritter said that if Microsoft sees alignment in a project, it gives recipients the opportunity to work even closer with their collaborators by inviting them to join as additional fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat turned out to be the case with Mendes after Ritter listed him as a collaborator in his fellowship proposal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m delighted to serve as Ethan Mendes\u2019 fellowship advisor,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cHe is an exceptionally strong researcher, and I\u2019m excited to see his work recognized through the Microsoft Research Fellowship.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the fellowship, Ritter and Mendes will design AI systems that better support collaboration and decision-making within organizations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal is to move beyond AI as a tool for a single user and instead study how AI can help groups make more informed, transparent, and coordinated decisions,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cWe will focus on methods that bring together information from many different sources, help people reason under uncertainty, and generate analyses that support collective problem-solving in complex work settings.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Named to Sustainability Cohort\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Purple Mai\u2019a Foundation has selected Associate Professor Josiah Hester to join its Eahou Global Immersion Cohort.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Purple Mai\u2019a Foundation is a technology education nonprofit headquartered in Aiea, Hawaii, that teaches coding and computer science to Native Hawaiian students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 29 members of the Eahou Global Immersion Cohort from 15 countries are leaders from indigenous communities recognized for their contributions to sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHester is a Native Hawaiian whose research centers on sustainable and battery-free technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cohort will gather on O\u2019ahu May 1-3 for Eahou Fest, where they will share stories and solutions from research around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m honored to be selected for the Eahou Global Immersion Cohort and to learn alongside such an inspiring group of resilience leaders who come from around the globe,\u201d Hester said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cParticipants are selected for their significant leadership over the past decade and their ability to bring what they learn back to their communities and integrate it into ongoing work and partnerships. I\u2019m excited to connect these experiences with my work and bring these lessons back into research and teaching at Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJill Watson Creator Receives AAAI Lecture Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Ashok Goel received one of the most distinguished awards from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoel was selected as the 20th recipient of the AAAI Robert S. Engel Memorial Lecture Award. Established in 2003, the award is given to those who have demonstrated excellence in AI scholarship, outstanding applications of AI, and extraordinary service to AAAI and the AI community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoel received the award in January during the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Singapore. According to the awards program, Goel was recognized for contributions to biologically inspired design, case-based reasoning, and application of AI in virtual teaching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoel is the inventor of Jill Watson, one of the first AI virtual teaching assistants used in higher education classrooms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAAAI is also the publisher of AI Magazine, which Goel served as editor-in-chief from 2016 to 2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am both honored and humbled to receive AAAI\u0027s Robert Engelmore Award,\u201d Goel said. \u201cBob was a long-time editor of AAAI\u0027s AI Magazine, and many years after he retired, I became the editor of the magazine. This makes the Engelmore Award special to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Associate Professor Alan Ritter and Ph.D. student Ethan Mendes were named as Microsoft Research Fellows and Fellowship Advisors. Associate Professor Josiah Hester has joined The Purple Mai\u0027a Foundation\u0027s Eahou Global Immersion Cohort. Professor Ashok Goel received the Robert S. Engle Memorial Lecture Award from AAAI.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Interactive Computing faculty and students have recently received notable awards and honors, including Microsoft research fellowship awards."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-04-30 10:52:51","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 20:08:06","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680119":{"id":"680119","type":"image","title":"2X6A9222.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777546387","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 10:53:07","changed":"1777546387","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 10:53:07","alt":"Alan Ritter","file":{"fid":"264359","name":"2X6A9222.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/2X6A9222.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/2X6A9222.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":81758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/2X6A9222.jpg?itok=2h-1p1bj"}}},"media_ids":["680119"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"335","name":"Microsoft"},{"id":"14597","name":"MIcrosoft Research"},{"id":"173384","name":"Microsoft Research fellowship"},{"id":"183739","name":"Microsoft Research Ph.D. Fellowship"},{"id":"84331","name":"and sustainability"},{"id":"98401","name":"AAAI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690060":{"#nid":"690060","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Senior Design Teams Showcase Projects at Expo; Contact Point Win ISyE Prize ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter months of hard work, 32 groups (including one Create-X team) capped their undergraduate journeys through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) by presenting their Senior Design Projects at Capstone Design Expo. The expo featured teams from 12 different schools at the Institute, displaying innovative ways to solve problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EISyE brought the most teams of any school to the expo, where the senior design teams had the opportunity, for the first time, to present their problems and solutions to the public. In the packed McCamish Pavilion, teams erected their poster boards and demos, ready to explain their work to other interested students, donors, parents, and leaders from other schools at the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe projects spanned industries from aluminum smelters and artisan popsicle companies, NCAA football stadium queues and hospital emergency rooms, Atlanta nonprofits and Marine Corps operations. The breadth reflected both the versatility of industrial engineering and the program\u0027s reach into Atlanta\u0027s business community and beyond. One team, \u201cShift Happens,\u201d showed how they improved dispatcher scheduling for American Airlines. Their solution takes employees\u2019 preferences, flight schedules, the dispatcher\u2019s flexible day use, and training days into account to produce an improved schedule that minimizes the number of understaffed and overstaffed shifts. The scale of their solution was enormous.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we combine that all into our one model, we have three shifts to account for: morning, evening, and midnight. We have eight regions to account for with American Airlines. It\u2019s a massive model: twenty-one million variables, thirty-five million constraints,\u201d explained \u201cShift Happens\u201d team member Colin Fravel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith their improved schedule, they expected a 73% reduction in unmet demand where there is no dispatch to work a flight. By better distributing dispatchers, they also estimate that their solution will save American Airlines $1.3 million dollars in reduced staffing costs over the course of a year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother team, \u201cBuzz on the Beach,\u201d worked with company VayKLife \u2014 a guest engagement and beach gear rental platform \u2014 to optimize transportation resource usage by reducing the number of trucks required, total miles traveled, labor hours, fuel consumption, and reliance on rental equipment during peak seasons. The team developed a routing model that accounts for inventory availability and vehicle capacity constraints, enabling the company to maintain its current level of service while operating more efficiently with fewer resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn peak season, we were able to see the savings of nine, almost ten thousand dollars in Charleston alone. And then in the off-season, we\u2019re able to save almost 13.7 thousand dollars, just in Charleston,\u201d said Rohan Prabhuram, one of the \u201cBuzz on the Beach\u201d team members.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the expo, industry judges gave \u201cContact Point\u201d the Industrial Engineering monodisciplinary award. Team members Skyler Malmberg, Visakhi Miriyapalli, Nick Nist, Hannah Mathew, Justin Collins, Pardha Kanchiraju, Esha Pentakota, and Saba Ansari developed a work-process solution for Elevate Solutions Group.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir new process improves the way Elevate Solutions Group loads trays with contact lenses, as specified by their clients. The old process involved four to six workers loading individual trays, manual sorting, and long travel times between steps. \u201cContact Point\u2019s\u201d solution included constructing a new workstation for loading trays, a handheld scanner, custom software, and a tray attachment to make loading easier. They also counterintuitively decreased the number of workers at a time to just one.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to note an almost up to 50% decrease in time usage per tray,\u201d Collins explained. \u201cWe estimated this will save them over $126,000 over the first year on just this one product line that we\u0027re working with.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost of that cost savings came from labor, which they reduced by an average of 9 hours per client order. The team\u2019s impact, their client\u2019s satisfaction, and the rapid adoption of their solution were decisive factors in awarding this team the top prize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor most of the 237 students in the ISyE senior design groups, the expo was the most public moment of their time throughout this experience. They showed not just a semester\u2019s work, but what four years of study, dedication, and determination look like. This final event was the culmination of all the steps it took for each one of them to become a Georgia Tech industrial engineer.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe ISyE teams covered a wide range of industrial engineering applications; some worked to improve their clients\u2019 inventory management, while others designed new processes to reduce patient wait times, allocate staffing resources, and shorten travel times.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Spring 2026 Capstone Design Expo featured teams from 12 different schools at the Institute, displaying innovative ways to solve problems and challenge the norm."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 20:39:14","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 18:11:52","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680115":{"id":"680115","type":"image","title":"ISyE Monodisciplinary Winner - Team Contact Point (Spring 2026 Capstone Design Expo)","body":null,"created":"1777495165","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 20:39:25","changed":"1777495165","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 20:39:25","alt":"ISyE Monodisciplinary Winner - Team Contact Point (Spring 2026 Capstone Design Expo)","file":{"fid":"264355","name":"IMG_1442.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1442.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1442.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":935758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1442.jpg?itok=PZSZtoYf"}}},"media_ids":["680115"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/engage\/engage-isye-students\/senior-design-clients","title":"More information relating to ISyE Senior Design "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.capstone.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Capstone Expo"}],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EParker Avery, Student Writing Assistant\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETiffany Ng, Senior Design Student Assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690034":{"#nid":"690034","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Blind Spot in Modern Supply Chain Analytics: Where Did Critical Thinking Go?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBy Chris Gaffney, Managing Director of the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, Supply Chain Advisor, and former executive at Frito\u2011Lay, AJC International, and Coca\u2011Cola.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn this issue:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe real blind spot in analytics teams\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThree failures where the model was \u201cright\u201d and the decision was wrong\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA five-question checklist to run before anything goes to leadership.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Subtle but Growing Concern\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past several months, I have had conversations with senior leaders at several large, well-established supply chain organizations with strong teams responsible for Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and supply chain network design and optimization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese teams are technically strong. They know how to build models. They are comfortable with large data sets. Many are now incorporating AI tools into their workflows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the same concern keeps surfacing across those conversations:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe analytical capability is improving\u2014but the decision-making discipline around it is not keeping pace.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalysts move quickly to building models without fully defining the business problem. Assumptions are not always surfaced or challenged. Outputs are evaluated mathematically, not operationally. And recommendations are not always translated into real-world implications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeaders are concerned about this and are looking for ways to address. I share their concern because I have been in their shoes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the Experience Taught Us\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier in my career, across different roles at Coca-Cola, we did not formally teach critical thinking. We learned it through experience and often through mistakes. Three situations shaped how I think about this today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPowerade: When the Model Works but the Thinking Doesn\u2019t\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile working with optimization groups at Coca-Cola North America, we overbuilt capacity for Powerade. The model did exactly what it was supposed to do. The problem was upstream of the model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe took the demand forecast at face value. At the time, we deferred to the brand teams without interrogating their assumptions. We never asked what was driving the projected volume\u2014whether the competitive dynamics supported it, whether the channel assumptions were realistic, whether pricing and distribution plans were grounded, whether overall market growth would materialize as projected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe consequence was idle capacity, production lines that were purchased and never installed, write-offs, and a fundamental change to our process. Going forward, brand and supply chain teams were both required to sign off on future business cases. The model was technically correct. The thinking around the model had not been.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ELittle Rock: When Feasibility Isn\u2019t Reality\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater, within Coca-Cola Supply, we made a network decision to close a plant in Little Rock. On paper, the remaining system had the capacity to absorb the volume. The model said so.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat the model assessed was production capacity based on rated line speeds. What it did not account for was dock and storage capacity at peak, or the practical limitations of standing up a new shift at the receiving plants. Those constraints were real. They were also invisible in the model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the short term, we had to source sub optimally from other plants\u2014which directly undermined the business case we had built to justify the closure. The math was right. The operational validation was incomplete.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EMini Cans: When the Thinking Matches the Model\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the time I led the National Product Support Group, we had evolved. Decisions like the launch of mini cans required cross-functional alignment, scenario-based thinking, and a clear understanding of how demand would actually be generated across channels and routes to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe got that one right, not because the model was more sophisticated, but because the discipline around the model was stronger. We had learned, the hard way, to ask the questions the model could not ask for itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMost of the Work Is Outside the Model\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is a line I first heard from Chris Janke: \u0022Most of the work is outside the model.\u0022 He may have learned it from someone else; I don\u2019t know the original source, but it is the framing that has stayed with me. With the advances in data and machine learning we have seen over the past decade, that proportion may be closer to 75 percent today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe are better than ever at collecting and cleansing large data sets, processing high volumes of information, and identifying mathematical errors. But the most important work still happens outside the model: defining the right business question, building meaningful scenarios, interpreting outputs in real-world terms, and stress-testing the assumptions that drive the recommendation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJanke captured this precisely in documenting his own experience with a modeling error that illustrated the point. An analyst had validated the math on a labor cost model\u2014everything checked out numerically. But when the output was translated into real-world terms, it implied production workers earning roughly $300,000 per year while working approximately 60 hours total annually. The math was internally consistent. The result was operationally impossible. The question that should have been asked early: does this make sense in the context of how the business actually operates? It was not asked until after the analysis was complete.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discipline to ask that question is not modeling skill. It is a critical thinking skill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhere the Breakdown Happens\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBefore the Model: Skipping the Hard Questions\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA common pattern today is that analysts move quickly to building the model. The harder and more important step of defining the business decision before the model is built gets compressed or skipped entirely. The questions that require that step are not complicated, but they take time and engagement to answer well:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat business decision are we actually trying to make?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat scenarios matter, and why?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat does success look like\u2014not mathematically, but operationally?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat constraints are real versus assumed?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese questions are not as clean as coding a model. They require conversations with people who understand the constraints, not just the data. That is part of why they get skipped.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAfter the Model: Mistaking Mathematical Accuracy for Business Validity\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where more serious errors occur. Model issues can usually be fixed with more time. Misinterpretation of output leads to bad decisions that are much harder to unwind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Powerade and Little Rock situations both illustrate this. In each case, the model was not wrong in any technical sense. What was missing was the translation layer\u2014 where someone asks, \u201cwhat changes on a Tuesday night shift, at Plant B, when demand spikes 12 percent?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat translation layer does not happen automatically. It has to be built into how teams work. And it is exactly the discipline that gets squeezed when organizations reward speed and analytical sophistication above everything else.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Critical Thinking Actually Means in Supply Chain\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECritical thinking in supply chain is not skepticism for its own sake, and it is not a soft skill that sits alongside the analytical work. It is a discipline applied to decisions and not just to models. The word itself points to what we mean: kritikos, the Greek root, means skilled in judging, able to discern*. That is the right definition for our purposes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt means asking whether the right question is being answered before investing in answering it well. It means making the assumptions that drive a recommendation visible and testable. It means translating analytical output into operational consequence: what actually changes, for whom, at what cost, and under what conditions the answer flips.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat discipline shows up or breaks down at four specific moments:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBefore the model is built\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0026nbsp;Is the business question defined precisely enough to model?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhile the model is running\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0026nbsp;Are the assumptions embedded in the data realistic and challenged?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen the output is ready\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0026nbsp;Does this result make sense in how the business actually operates?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBefore the recommendation goes forward\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0026nbsp;Have we planned for how this will be received, and by whom?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen these moments are skipped because of time pressure, overconfidence in tools, or a culture that rewards analytical speed over decision rigor the gap between analysis and action grows. The Powerade and Little Rock situations were both failures at these moments, not failures of the models themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*DeCesare, M. (2009). Casting a critical glance at teaching \u201ccritical thinking.\u201d Pedagogy and the Human Sciences, 1(1), 73\u201377.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Five-Question Diagnostic\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore an analysis or recommendation moves forward, teams should be able to answer five questions clearly. If any of them cannot be answered, the analysis is not ready\u2014regardless of how strong the model is.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/news\/2026-04\/5-question-diagnostic.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022Strategic Analysis Checklist infographic.\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2026-04\/20260430_Figure1_Five-QuestionDiagnostic_SpotlightArticle.docx\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFigure 1: A Five-Question Diagnostic (accessible version)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are \u0026nbsp;questions that should have specific, grounded answers before a recommendation reaches leadership. If the team cannot answer question two (what assumption would flip the result) then the recommendation rests on unexamined ground. If question four cannot be answered, the change management work has not started yet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the Powerade situation, questions one and two were the misses. In Little Rock, it was question three. The models were not the problem. The diagnostic would have surfaced both gaps before the decisions were made.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThis Gap Is Well Documented\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat I am describing from my own experience is consistent with what the research shows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA long-running finding in operations research is that many models are built and comparatively few actually drive decisions, and the breakdown is organizational, not technical. A widely cited review in the European Journal of Operational Research frames this as an implementation problem rooted in how models are connected (or not connected) to the people and processes that own the decision.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessional credentialing bodies have recognized the same gap. The INFORMS Certified Analytics Professional blueprint explicitly lists business problem framing, stakeholder analysis, and business case development as core analytics competencies\u2014not optional additions. The signal is clear: being analytically strong is necessary but not sufficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the training side, a field study published in the European Journal of Operational Research tested the effects of structured decision training across roughly 1,000 decision makers and analysts. The results showed measurable improvement in proactive decision-making skills and decision satisfaction. The gap is real, and it is addressable. It is a training and design issue, not a talent issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe 4 C\u2019s: A Decision-Focused Framework\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech SCL, we organize this thinking around what we call the 4 C\u2019s. These soft skills play a key role in the decision process. Each one asks a specific question about whether the decision, not just the analysis, was made well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/news\/2026-04\/the-4-Cs.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022The 4 Cs Decision Test infographic.\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2026-04\/20260430_Figure2_The4Cs_SpotlightArticle.docx\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFigure 2: The 4 C\u2019s: A Decision-Focused Framework (accessible version)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENotice what this framework does not include: model accuracy, data quality, or visualization quality. Those matter, and they are inputs to the decision. But a team can have a perfect model, a clean dataset, and a compelling dashboard and still fail all four of these tests.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Powerade situation failed the Collaboration test The supply chain team did not sufficiently interrogate the brand team\u2019s assumptions. Little Rock failed the Critical Thinking test: the right question was not asked about what the model was not capturing. In both cases, the Communication and Change Management failures followed directly from those upstream gaps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen all four are present, analysis becomes a decision. When one or more is missing, the analysis and translation to a solid recommendation are at risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhere to Start\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis topic keeps coming up in conversations with companies, in work with practitioners, and in what we hear from students as they move into industry roles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tools are not the problem. AI-assisted analytics, optimization models, and advanced forecasting are real assets. But tools amplify the thinking behind them. Weak decision discipline and better tools is a faster path to the wrong answer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf this shows up in your org, try the five-question diagnostic on your next recommendation before it hits leadership. If it surfaces gaps you cannot close quickly, SCL can help. We are building workshops and courseware on decision-focused critical thinking, and we will cover this in our \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/events\/calendar\/day\/2026\/06\/04\/13298\u0022\u003EJune Lunch and Learn\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuestions or comments? \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:info@scl.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EReach out to SCL\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDespite the rapid advancement of AI and data modeling in supply chain management, many organizations face a growing \u0022blind spot\u0022 where sophisticated mathematical outputs are not adequately challenged by human intuition or operational reality. Drawing on experience, author Chris Gaffney illustrates how neglecting to stress-test assumptions can lead to costly mistakes even when the data itself is accurate. To bridge this gap, the article introduces a strategic diagnostic framework designed to help leaders move beyond technical validation and toward more holistic, cross-functional decision discipline.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While modern supply chain analytics and AI are more advanced than ever, technical capability must be paired with rigorous critical thinking and operational discipline to ensure data-driven models translate into successful real-world decisions."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 11:56:46","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 17:24:02","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680113":{"id":"680113","type":"image","title":"The Blind Spot in Modern Supply Chain Analytics: Where Did Critical Thinking Go?","body":null,"created":"1777489767","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 19:09:27","changed":"1777490058","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 19:14:18","alt":"Two data analysts, a man in a suit and a woman, are seated at a desk in a high-tech logistics control center. They monitor various displays, including a comprehensive data dashboard with charts and graphs, a US network map, and a tablet for a video conference. A massive, towering warehouse filled with stacked cardboard boxes is visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"264353","name":"spotlight-SC_critical_thinking_1200x1200.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/spotlight-SC_critical_thinking_1200x1200.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/spotlight-SC_critical_thinking_1200x1200.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":73445,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/spotlight-SC_critical_thinking_1200x1200.jpg?itok=X_C2KZvU"}},"674087":{"id":"674087","type":"image","title":"Chris Gaffney","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717067903","gmt_created":"2024-05-30 11:18:23","changed":"1771883375","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 21:49:35","alt":"Chris Gaffney, Managing Director, Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute","file":{"fid":"257557","name":"chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":129544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg?itok=_M0fOBTF"}}},"media_ids":["680113","674087"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news-events\/newsletters","title":"View past SCL newsletters and join our mailing list"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"194489","name":"scl-spot"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["info@scl.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690023":{"#nid":"690023","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student-Led Symposium Spotlights the Impact of Undergraduate Neuroscience Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, undergraduate students are an integral part of the research enterprise \u2013 particularly when it comes to neuroscience. That dedication to undergraduate research was on full display on April 8, when more than 100 students from Atlanta-area universities gathered for the annual ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis student-run event, hosted by the Georgia Tech Student Neuroscience Association (SNA) and co-sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuroscience.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENeuroscience Undergraduate Program at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, aimed to bring together students and faculty from the broader Atlanta neuroscience community for an evening of data-blitz talks showcasing faculty research, undergraduate poster presentations, and catered networking.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal was to bridge the gap between Atlanta\u2019s institutions and showcase the diversity of undergraduate research,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/harshinvijay\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHarshin Vijay\u003C\/a\u003E, symposium director of SNA. \u201cBy bringing these groups together through SNA, we\u2019re fostering an ecosystem where the next generation of scientists can exchange ideas and build collaborative networks essential for future innovation.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impact of undergraduate neuroscience research is \u201cmore than bench to bedside,\u201d said INNS Executive Director Chris Rozell at the event. \u201cIt\u2019s about advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology to improve society through discovery and innovation. Undergraduate research catalyzes innovation \u2013 invigorating and advancing educational programs through collaboration that empowers society \u2013 fueling impact and fostering the community of next-generation scientists.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeaturing more than 40 undergraduate posters, research topics ranged anywhere from the impact of music on associative memory to the role of taste projection neurons in\u003Cem\u003E Drosophila\u003C\/em\u003E. Some students even examined their own coursework, either as a TA or their involvement with capstone research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are neuroscientists in every College at Georgia Tech, and we have undergraduate neuroscience students performing research all over campus and in the broader Atlanta neuroscience community,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/user\/1322\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKatharine McCann\u003C\/a\u003E, the director of Undergraduate Research for Georgia Tech\u2019s neuroscience program. \u201cEvents like this bring those students together to learn from each other and broaden their networks. It is exciting to see so many students passionate about their research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFour posters were awarded for their work:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest Poster Design:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cRole of Taste Projection Neurons in Drosophila Taste Processing\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHanti Jiang, Emory University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest Presentation:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cNeuroscience and Computer Science Roots of Pattern Recognition\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERishi Polepally, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAryan Kumar, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVedanth Natarajan, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest 4001 Group: \u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EEvaluating Cognitive Engagement in AI-Generated VS. Human-Created Educational Content\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHannah Ammari, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShobini Palaniappan, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERayhan Quraishi, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAryan Shah, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDivya Tadanki, \u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople\u0027s Choice Award:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cVibration as an effective facilitation of sensorimotor learning in\u003Cem\u003E Blaptica dubia \u003C\/em\u003Ecockroaches\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiana Sethna, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJacob Hayes, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEllie Kate Watson, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EArya Oak, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EEsha Panse, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHersh Mathur, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech undergraduates organized and hosted a cross-campus symposium showcasing the impact and breadth of undergraduate neuroscience research.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech undergraduates organized and hosted a cross-campus symposium showcasing the impact and breadth of undergraduate neuroscience research."}],"uid":"36781","created_gmt":"2026-04-27 15:12:14","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 15:45:31","author":"hashcraft6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680106":{"id":"680106","type":"image","title":"OpeningRemarksattheATLNeuroNetworkingandSymposiumNight.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Rozell is giving the opening remarks at the ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777483840","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 17:30:40","changed":"1777486932","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:22:12","alt":"Chris Rozell is giving the opening remarks at the ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.","file":{"fid":"264345","name":"IMG_1481.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1481.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1481.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":298534,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1481.jpg?itok=PXcqMivU"}},"680109":{"id":"680109","type":"image","title":"Postersession1photo1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of students is discussing a poster, and the presenter is giving an example during the first poster session.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777483840","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 17:30:40","changed":"1777487034","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:23:54","alt":"A group of students is discussing a poster, and the presenter is giving an example during the first poster session. ","file":{"fid":"264348","name":"IMG_1488.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1488.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1488.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1702587,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1488.jpg?itok=zLBZ5OjP"}},"680108":{"id":"680108","type":"image","title":"Postersession2photo2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of students and faculty is discussing a poster during the second poster session.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777483840","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 17:30:40","changed":"1777487140","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:25:40","alt":"A group of students and faculty is discussing a poster during the first poster session.","file":{"fid":"264347","name":"IMG_1513.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1513.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1513.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1933691,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1513.jpg?itok=s1xYLez9"}},"680107":{"id":"680107","type":"image","title":"Postersession2photo1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of students and faculty is discussing a capstone poster during the second poster session.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777483840","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 17:30:40","changed":"1777487220","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:27:00","alt":"A group of students and faculty is discussing a capstone poster during the second poster session.\u00a0","file":{"fid":"264346","name":"IMG_1515.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1515.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1515.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1352788,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1515.jpg?itok=73TZajK6"}}},"media_ids":["680106","680109","680108","680107"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/","title":"Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuroscience.cos.gatech.edu\/","title":"Neuroscience Programs"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/undergraduate-neuroscience-research-program-gives-georgia-tech-students-advantage","title":"Undergraduate Neuroscience Research Program Gives Georgia Tech Students an Advantage"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Hunter Ashcraft\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Student Assistant\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Audra Davidson\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690073":{"#nid":"690073","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Student Honors Celebration Recognizes Excellence in ISyE","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) proudly celebrates the outstanding students recognized at the annual Student Honors Celebration on Thursday, April 23. The event highlights students who demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and service throughout the year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlpha Pi Mu Academic Excellence Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYubin Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYubin Kim received the Alpha Pi Mu Academic Excellence Award in recognition of outstanding academic achievement, research excellence, and active involvement in scholarly activities. As part of this honor, Kim\u2019s name will be added to the Alpha Pi Mu perpetual plaque displayed in the ISyE office.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEvelyn Pennington Outstanding Service Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhong Nguyen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhong Nguyen was honored with the Evelyn Pennington Outstanding Service Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the ISyE community. His dedication to service, support of student initiatives, and commitment to academic excellence embody the spirit of this award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIISE Excellence in Leadership Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESujan Ganesh Kumar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESujan Ganesh Kumar received the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Excellence in Leadership Award in recognition of impactful leadership within ISyE student organizations. Through dedicated efforts to foster student engagement and collaboration, Kumar has helped strengthen community and enrich the student experience within the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe School congratulates all honorees for their dedication, leadership, and contributions to the ISyE community. To view the full list of honorees, click this\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/23\/student-excellence-celebrated-honors-event\u0022\u003Elink\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree ISyE students were honored in recognition of outstanding academic achievement, research excellence, and active involvement in scholarly activities\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Student Honors Celebration recognizes outstanding students across the Institute for their academic achievement, leadership, and service to the community."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-04-30 15:12:20","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 15:20:08","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680129":{"id":"680129","type":"image","title":"Yubin Kim","body":null,"created":"1777562249","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 15:17:29","changed":"1777562249","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 15:17:29","alt":"Yubin Kim","file":{"fid":"264369","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.17.11-AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.17.11-AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.17.11-AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":88850,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.17.11-AM.png?itok=Y5_rBKT-"}},"680130":{"id":"680130","type":"image","title":"Phong Nguyen","body":null,"created":"1777562296","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 15:18:16","changed":"1777562296","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 15:18:16","alt":"Phong Nguyen","file":{"fid":"264370","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.18.08-AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.18.08-AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.18.08-AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":85563,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.18.08-AM.png?itok=ybRY0XS5"}},"680131":{"id":"680131","type":"image","title":"Sujan Ganesh Kumar","body":null,"created":"1777562355","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 15:19:15","changed":"1777562355","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 15:19:15","alt":"Sujan Ganesh Kumar","file":{"fid":"264371","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.19.07-AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.19.07-AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.19.07-AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":102135,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-11.19.07-AM.png?itok=-mpZsdJw"}}},"media_ids":["680129","680130","680131"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690057":{"#nid":"690057","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hyundai Motor Group, Georgia Tech Sign MOU on Hydrogen Mobility Development ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHyundai Motor Group and the Georgia Institute of Technology have announced an expansion of their growing collaboration to advance hydrogen-powered transportation, deepen applied research and education, and accelerate the use of zero-emissions vehicles in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding upon a multifaceted relationship, the two are bringing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and fueling infrastructure to campus \u2014 turning Georgia Tech into one of the nation\u2019s most prominent campus-based examples for hydrogen mobility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHyundai Motor Group is proud to strengthen our collaboration with Georgia Tech as we work together to accelerate the future of clean mobility. Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in innovation and its commitment to developing the next generation of problem-solvers make it a natural partner in advancing technologies,\u201d said Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group. \u201cBy combining the university\u2019s excellent research with Hyundai\u2019s global experience, we are creating the foundation for real-world solutions that will help drive the energy transition and inspire future mobility leaders.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERam\u00edrez is also a 1991 Georgia Tech graduate and a member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s very fulfilling to donate a handful of our NEXO fuel cell SUVs as part of our expanding relationship with Georgia Tech. Hydrogen-powered NEXO fuel cell vehicles will immediately serve to expand the clean mobility footprint on campus while providing real-world experiences with the cutting edge of zero-emissions transportation technology,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Randy Parker, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has a long history of working with industry to move breakthrough technologies from the lab into the real world. By expanding our work with Hyundai, we\u2019re advancing hydrogen research, reducing emissions on our campus, and strengthening Georgia\u2019s role in the future of clean mobility,\u0022 Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow the Partnership Drives Hydrogen Innovation and Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe partnership includes the\u0026nbsp;donation of four Hyundai NEXO fuel cell electric SUVs by Hyundai Motor North America\u0026nbsp;and a\u0026nbsp;hydrogen electrolyzer project, which will be installed at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;North Avenue Research Area, positioning Tech as one of the most visible real-world test beds for hydrogen mobility in the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vehicles and infrastructure will support campus operations and interdisciplinary research. Key areas of focus include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering\u003C\/strong\u003E: Exploring hydrogen-based systems and mobility solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E: Assessing the environmental benefits of hydrogen technologies.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy systems\u003C\/strong\u003E: Understanding the integration of hydrogen fuel cells into current infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPublic policy\u003C\/strong\u003E: Evaluating the regulatory and social implications of hydrogen adoption.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis initiative connects Georgia Tech\u2019s research enterprise with campus operations, using the Institute as a living laboratory for clean transportation technologies. Faculty and students will study:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReal-world performance of hydrogen technology.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInfrastructure requirements for large-scale deployment.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnvironmental impacts of hydrogen energy systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInsights gathered from this initiative aim to inform and accelerate the widespread use of hydrogen technology in campuses, fleets, cities, and freight corridors. The initiative also supports Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/strategicplan.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Estrategic plan\u003C\/a\u003E, which includes the goal of expanding the use of zero-emissions vehicles powered by sustainable energy sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Is the Partnership with Georgia Tech Key to Hyundai Motor Group\u2019s Vision?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaboration between Hyundai and Georgia Tech is a testament to the power of aligning academic expertise with corporate innovation. Beyond hydrogen energy, the partnership seeks to advance innovation in the areas of:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAutonomous driving\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EElectric vehicle (EV) batteries\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECharging infrastructure\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaterials science\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECybersecurity\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Hyundai\u2019s presence in Georgia underscores its commitment to the region. Georgia is home to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and also serves as a hub for zero-emissions transportation through HTWO Logistics, a clean logistics partnership that operates Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell heavy-duty trucks in logistics operations near Savannah. The collaboration with Georgia Tech builds on this regional foundation, reinforcing the link between education, research, and Hyundai\u0027s long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s Next for the Partnership?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe partnership between Hyundai and Georgia Tech represents more than an investment in research. It\u2019s a shared effort to lead the next generation of mobility advancements. Additional announcements about the partnership\u2019s research projects, educational programs, and vehicle deployment are expected in the coming months.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Tech has entered into a multiyear partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to advance hydrogen mobility solutions on campus, expanding research, education, and real-world application of zero-emissions transportation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has entered into a multiyear partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to advance hydrogen mobility solutions on campus, expanding research, education, and real-world application of zero-emissions transportation. "}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 18:54:35","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:43:04","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680125":{"id":"680125","type":"image","title":"\u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, and Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, and Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group, commemorate MOU to further collaborate on hydrogen mobility development.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777556386","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:39:46","changed":"1777556386","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:39:46","alt":"\u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, and Ken Ram\u00edrez, executive vice president and head of Global Energy and Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Group","file":{"fid":"264365","name":"-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3627344,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-2--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg?itok=oogQA24U"}},"680112":{"id":"680112","type":"image","title":"-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777489041","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 18:57:21","changed":"1777489041","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:57:21","alt":"Image of Hyundai solar vehicles","file":{"fid":"264351","name":"-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1491306,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/-Photo-3--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg?itok=pyPah714"}},"680126":{"id":"680126","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group leaders at MOU signing","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group leaders at MOU signing.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777556502","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:41:42","changed":"1777556502","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:41:42","alt":"Georgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group leaders","file":{"fid":"264366","name":"-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3233894,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/-Photo-1--HMG-and-GT-sign-MOU-to-Further-Collaborate-on-Hydrogen-Mobility-Development.jpg?itok=BH8UZzpo"}}},"media_ids":["680125","680112","680126"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690061":{"#nid":"690061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Engineers to Develop a New Catheter to Improve Heart Procedures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen patients undergo procedures to open blocked heart arteries, precision matters. Even small imperfections in placing a stent can affect blood flow and long-term health. Now, a research team led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/degertekin\u0022\u003EF. Levent Degertekin\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur, George W. Woodruff Chair in Mechanical Systems, and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, is working to change that with a new kind of catheter designed to give doctors clearer, real-time insight during these life-saving procedures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBacked by a four-year, $2.2 million National Institutes of Health Research Project (R01) grant, the project aims to develop a microcatheter that combines high-resolution imaging with precise pressure sensing in a single device.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/tech-engineers-develop-new-catheter-improve-heart-procedures\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen patients undergo procedures to open blocked heart arteries, precision matters. Even small imperfections in placing a stent can affect blood flow and long-term health. Now, a research team led by F. Levent Degertekin, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur, George W. Woodruff Chair in Mechanical Systems, and professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, is working to change that with a new kind of catheter designed to give doctors clearer, real-time insight during these life-saving procedures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBacked by a four-year, $2.2 million National Institutes of Health Research Project (R01) grant, the project aims to develop a microcatheter that combines high-resolution imaging with precise pressure sensing in a single device.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Backed by a four-year, $2.2 million National Institutes of Health Research Project (R01) grant, the project led by F. Levent Degertekin aims to develop a microcatheter that combines high-resolution imaging with precise pressure sensing in a single device."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 21:28:57","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 21:30:38","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680116":{"id":"680116","type":"image","title":"Figs_for_Degertekin_news_article.png","body":null,"created":"1777498147","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 21:29:07","changed":"1777498147","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 21:29:07","alt":"A new kind of catheter designed to give doctors clearer, real-time insight during these life-saving procedures.","file":{"fid":"264356","name":"Figs_for_Degertekin_news_article.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Figs_for_Degertekin_news_article.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Figs_for_Degertekin_news_article.png","mime":"image\/png","size":493579,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/Figs_for_Degertekin_news_article.png?itok=sgFOB9q_"}}},"media_ids":["680116"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689973":{"#nid":"689973","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cybersecurity School Takes Home Multiple Awards ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeven members of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E (SCP) community were recognized for their leadership and excellence on Monday afternoon at the 35th Annual College of Computing Awards Ceremony.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am pleased to be able to recognize all of this hard work,\u201d said Dean \u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E during the ceremony.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne student, two staff members, and four faculty members were nominated by their SCP peers and received awards for their achievements over the past year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStudent Solves Real World Problems\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYibin Yang\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. CS 2025) was awarded a 2025 Dissertation Award for his thesis on zero-knowledge proofs in real-world problems. SCP Professor and Senior Associate Chair \u003Cstrong\u003EVlad Kolesnikov\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eadvised Yang and acknowledged that Yang\u2019s work advances the field of cryptography.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYang contributed to the advancement of zero-knowledge proofs and multi-party computations, while also building toolchains that are faster and more usable than existing systems. His work earned a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/cryptographic-research-receives-distinguished-paper-award-acm-ccs-23\u0022\u003Edistinguished paper award\u003C\/a\u003E at the 2023 ACM CCS, and he also served as an RSAC Security Scholar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStaff Lead the Way\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the staff category, \u003Cstrong\u003EMary Helen Hayes\u003C\/strong\u003E was awarded the Outstanding Staff Leadership Award, and \u003Cstrong\u003EGina Anderson\u003C\/strong\u003E received the Ruthie Book Outstanding Staff Team Member Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Outstanding Staff Leadership Award is given to a full-time administrative staff member in recognition of an outstanding record of leadership that has resulted in a significant positive impact on the College of Computing, the Institute, or the computing community. Hayes was nominated by four faculty and staff members for this award for her steady presence in SCP since she began her role as director of research operations in 2024.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Ruthie Book Outstanding Staff Team Member Award is presented to a staff member in recognition of their outstanding performance in honor of Ruthie Book, who exemplified excellence in her work. Anderson was nominated by SCP faculty and staff for her outstanding leadership and mentorship as assistant director of business operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth received praise for their hard work from the college as well as from their supervisor, Senior Academic Officer \u003Cstrong\u003EJan Morian\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am so incredibly proud of our staff in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy who won awards this year at the College of Computing Annual Awards ceremony,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMary Helen Hayes and Regina Anderson are truly outstanding staff members who exemplify Georgia Tech\u2019s values. Their leadership has contributed substantially to the success of the school.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECybersecurity Faculty Net Four Awards\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Computing also recognized four SCP faculty members for excellence in teaching and research during the college\u2019s annual award ceremony.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/external-news\/new-faculty-wants-secure-ai-wild\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeodora Baluta\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E received the Junior Faculty Teaching Award for developing a new graduate-level course that brought together generative artificial intelligence (AI) security, adversarial machine learning, cryptography, and differential privacy. Her nominator, SCP Associate Professor Vassilis Zikas, said the course bridged a critical gap in a rapidly evolving area of computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor his role in leading \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/team-atlanta.github.io\/\u0022\u003ETeam Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E to victory in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-makes-history-wins-darpa-challenge\u0022\u003EDARPA AI Cyber Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETaesoo Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E received the Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award. His nominator, Regents Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EWenke Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E, praised the team\u2019s performance, which not only won the competition but also beat the combined score of all other competitors. The AI developed by Team Atlanta is now open sourced with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/competition-community-how-team-atlantas-ai-cybersecurity-breakthrough-going-open-source\u0022\u003EOpen Source Security Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Li\u003C\/strong\u003E received the Junior Faculty Research Award for establishing world-class research \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~frankli\/beeslab.html\u0022\u003EBEES Lab\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. One of his nominators, Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E, put Li\u2019s name forward for his work empirically evaluating and improving internet security and privacy from an operational standpoint.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E received\u0026nbsp;the Mid-Career Faculty Research Award. Zikas nominated him for establishing internationally recognized research in cybersecurity forensics, malware analysis, AI security, and software supply chain security. Saltaformaggio\u2019s research highlights include the discovery of over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/follow-money-2-billion-crypto-scams-found-ethereum\u0022\u003E$2 billion in stolen funds\u003C\/a\u003E on the Ethereum blockchain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We know SCP faculty conduct highly impactful research that is of the highest quality,\u201d said SCP Interim Chair \u003Cstrong\u003EMustaque Ahamad\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cOur faculty receiving research awards at all levels recognizes this and shows how we are working to realize SCP\u2019s vision of creating security for everyone and everything.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeven members of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E (SCP) community were recognized for their leadership and excellence on Monday afternoon at the 35th Annual College of Computing Awards Ceremony.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Seven members of the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) community were recognized for their leadership and excellence on Monday afternoon at the 35th Annual College of Computing Awards Ceremony."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-04-23 17:30:25","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 18:12:25","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680111":{"id":"680111","type":"image","title":"Group-Photo-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777486202","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 18:10:02","changed":"1777486202","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:10:02","alt":"A group photo of people standing in front of a banner holding up certificates","file":{"fid":"264350","name":"Group-Photo-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Group-Photo-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Group-Photo-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1644636,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/Group-Photo-web-copy.jpg?itok=bSasTVNh"}},"680046":{"id":"680046","type":"image","title":"Teodora-CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_MG_0187.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAssistant Professor Teodora Baluta receiving the Junior Faculty Teaching Award. Photos by Terence Rushin\/College of Computing\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776965449","gmt_created":"2026-04-23 17:30:49","changed":"1777037484","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 13:31:24","alt":"A woman accepting a certificate.","file":{"fid":"264280","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_MG_0187.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/23\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_MG_0187.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/23\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_MG_0187.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8044523,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/23\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_MG_0187.jpg?itok=VOZBsEp8"}},"680057":{"id":"680057","type":"image","title":"Gina-CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0051-1-.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Computing Dean Vivek Sarkar\u0026nbsp;(left) stands with Assistant Director of Business Operations\u0026nbsp;Regina Anderson, recipient of the Ruthie Book Outstanding Staff Team Member Award. 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The woman is holding a certificate.","file":{"fid":"264288","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0051-1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0051-1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0051-1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":20979588,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0051-1-.jpg?itok=R6w555C4"}},"680056":{"id":"680056","type":"image","title":"Mary Helen-CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Computing Dean Vivek Sarkar\u0026nbsp;(left) stands with Director of Research Operations\u0026nbsp;Mary Helen Hayes, recipient of the Outstanding Staff Leadership Award. 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The woman is holding a certificate.","file":{"fid":"264287","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":19616005,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0049.jpg?itok=vOgkdmcd"}},"680053":{"id":"680053","type":"image","title":"Taeosoo-CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0026.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Computing Dean Vivek Sarkar\u0026nbsp;(left) stands with Professor Taesoo Kim, recipient of the Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award. Photos by Terence Rushin\/College of Computing\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777035510","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 12:58:30","changed":"1777035510","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 12:58:30","alt":"Two men shaking hands and standing in front of a step and repeat banner","file":{"fid":"264284","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0026.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0026.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0026.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":26123520,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0026.jpg?itok=ue8yb6hR"}},"680055":{"id":"680055","type":"image","title":"Frank-CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0029.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Computing Dean Vivek Sarkar\u0026nbsp;(left) stands with Associate Professor Frank Li, recipient of the Junior Faculty Research Award. Photos by Terence Rushin\/College of Computing\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777035510","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 12:58:30","changed":"1777035510","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 12:58:30","alt":"Two men shaking hands. One is holding a certificate. They are standing in front of a step and repest banner.","file":{"fid":"264286","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0029.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0029.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0029.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":23848897,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0029.jpg?itok=DpdB8XRZ"}},"680054":{"id":"680054","type":"image","title":"Brendan-CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0027.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Computing Dean Vivek Sarkar\u0026nbsp;(left) stands with Associate Professor Brendan Saltaformaggio, recipient of the Mid-Career Faculty Research Award. Photos by Terence Rushin\/College of Computing\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777035510","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 12:58:30","changed":"1777035510","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 12:58:30","alt":"Two men shaking hands and holding a certificate.","file":{"fid":"264285","name":"CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0027.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0027.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0027.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":25351491,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/CoC-Awards-Spring-2026_86A0027.jpg?itok=6ShvW-6v"}}},"media_ids":["680111","680046","680057","680056","680053","680055","680054"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690025":{"#nid":"690025","#data":{"type":"news","title":"James Stroud Awarded Linnean Society\u2019s Bicentenary Medal","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEvolutionary ecologist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/the-linnean-society-announces-2026-medal-and-award-recipients\u0022\u003Eawarded the Bicentenary Medal\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/\u0022\u003ELinnean Society of London\u003C\/a\u003E in recognition of his pioneering work in evolutionary ecology and community contributions. Stroud serves as an Elizabeth Smithgall-Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/the-society\u0022\u003Eoldest existing biological societies in the world\u003C\/a\u003E, the Linnean Society of London is renowned as the venue where, in July 1858,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ECharles Darwin\u003C\/strong\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlfred Russel Wallace\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efirst publicly announced the theory of evolution by natural selection \u2014 more than a year before Darwin published\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EOn the Origin of Species\u003C\/em\u003E. The annual Bicentenary Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards for researchers studying natural history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis honor is profoundly meaningful to me \u2014 both as an evolutionary biologist and a Londoner,\u201d says Stroud. \u201cTo be recognized here, at the very heart of evolutionary biology\u2019s history, is deeply personal, incredibly exciting, and very special.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud is one of 10 exemplary researchers to be recognized by the Linnean Society this year with a medal or award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are thrilled to celebrate the 2026 Linnean Society medal and award recipients, whose work advances our vision of a world where nature is understood, valued and protected,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMark\u0026nbsp;Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E, who serves as\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Epresident of the Linnean Society. \u201cAt a time when the importance of biodiversity and conservation has never been clearer, their achievements show the power of curiosity, dedication and scientific endeavor.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Lizards \u2014 and Life on Earth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Stroud investigates the ecological and evolutionary processes of lizards in order to understand patterns of biological diversity at a larger scale.\u0026nbsp;\u201cStudying lizards in their natural habitats allows us to directly investigate how species adapt and evolve in real time,\u201d he explains, \u201cand this helps us understand how ecological and evolutionary processes shape life on Earth.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor over 10 years, he has run one of the longest-running evolutionary studies of its kind: catching, documenting, and releasing each of the 1,000 lizards who reside on \u201cLizard Island,\u201d Stroud\u2019s living lab in Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn 2025, he was awarded a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/mapping-evolution-james-stroud-named-2025-packard-fellow\u0022\u003EPackard Fellowship\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eto further develop the project by\u0026nbsp;equipping each lizard with a tiny sensor backpack to document their behaviors and movements in real time \u2014 with the goal of creating evolution\u2019s first high-definition map.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn 2014, Stroud also founded a community science project called \u201cLizards on the Loose\u201d to introduce middle school students to ecological science. A collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the program now reaches students from over 100 schools across South Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe annual Bicentenary Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards for researchers studying natural history.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The annual Bicentenary Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards for researchers studying natural history."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-04-27 17:53:01","changed_gmt":"2026-04-28 15:43:30","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674805":{"id":"674805","type":"image","title":"James Stroud ","body":null,"created":"1725457026","gmt_created":"2024-09-04 13:37:06","changed":"1725457266","gmt_changed":"2024-09-04 13:41:06","alt":"James Stroud ","file":{"fid":"258368","name":"Stroud_BES_portrait.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/04\/Stroud_BES_portrait.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/04\/Stroud_BES_portrait.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1200520,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/04\/Stroud_BES_portrait.png?itok=G30UrFWd"}}},"media_ids":["674805"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/the-linnean-society-announces-2026-medal-and-award-recipients","title":"The Linnean Society Announces 2026 Medal and Award Recipients"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690010":{"#nid":"690010","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When Promising Cures Collapse Before They Reach Patients","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHospitals filled to capacity. Case counts climbing by the hour. Quarantine became routine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe world needed a vaccine that didn\u2019t exist, and there was no clear timeline for one. No one knew how long the vaccine development process would take \u2014 or whether it would work at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, less than a year later,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/news\/press-release\/press-release-detail\/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-topline-data-demonstrating\u0022\u003EPfizer and BioNTech\u003C\/a\u003E set a record for how fast a drug moved from clinical trials to federal authorization \u2014 and to people waiting as the virus surged worldwide. \u0026nbsp;That speed depended on more than scientific discovery. It hinged on trials, regulatory approval, and manufacturing at scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EExperience Made the Difference\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup BioNTech, a small biotech firm, had spent years developing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/genetics\/understanding\/therapy\/mrnavaccines\/\u0022\u003EmRNA technology\u003C\/a\u003E. Pfizer, a huge pharmaceutical company, brought deep experience running large clinical trials, working with regulators, and manufacturing at scale. The two companies had worked together before, which meant they did not have to build trust, decision-making structures, or workflows in the middle of a crisis. Trials moved quickly. They knew what regulators required and how to meet those demands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Georgia Tech research, that kind of business alignment is far from common \u2014 and can explain why many promising drugs never reach patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/hora\/index.html\u0022\u003EManpreet Hora\u003C\/a\u003E, senior associate dean for programs and professor of operations management in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E, studies what happens after a drug leaves the lab. In a study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/10591478261419268\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProduction and Operations Management\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, he and his coauthors analyzed nearly 300 biotech\u2013pharma partnerships to understand why some drugs make it through and others stall.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIf you are a patient, this process is out of your control,\u201d Hora said. \u201cIn some cases, it can cost lives.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhere It Breaks Down\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrug development often depends on handoffs. Small biotech firms typically generate early discoveries. Larger pharmaceutical companies step in to run trials, work with regulators, and bring products to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut complications can arise when companies that lack similar experience levels try to develop the drug together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDecision-making slows down. Roles become unclear. The process starts to erode.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0022That\u0027s why partner choice matters,\u0022 Hora said, comparing the process to a popular TV show. \u0022It\u0027s like going on \u003Cem\u003EShark Tank\u003C\/em\u003E \u2014 just because someone is offering money doesn\u0027t mean they\u0027re the right partner.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHora said the Pfizer\u2013BioNTech partnership worked because both companies approached the work the same way, despite the difference in their size. Pfizer is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. BioNTech was a much smaller firm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Decides the Outcome\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of September 2025,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/news\/press-release\/press-release-detail\/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-topline-data-demonstrating#:~:text=This%20study%20was%20conducted%20to,or%20equivalents%20in%20other%20countries.\u0026amp;text=COMIRNATY%20(COVID%2D19%20VACCINE%2C,severe%20outcomes%20from%20COVID%2D19.\u0022\u003E5 billion doses\u003C\/a\u003E of the Pfizer\u2013BioNTech Covid vaccine have been distributed globally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPfizer\u2019s chairman and CEO,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/people\/leadership\/executives\/dr-albert_bourla\u0022\u003EAlbert Bourla\u003C\/a\u003E, attributes the unprecedented success to a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/intuitionlabs.ai\/articles\/global-pharma-thought-leaders-profiles\u0022\u003Eworld class collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d with BioNTech. He said,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/blogs\/new-atlanticist\/pfizers-albert-bourla-on-how-the-pandemic-ends\/#:~:text=So%20that%20also%20followed%20me,during%20these%20eight%20marvelous%20months.\u0022\u003E\u0022I think it was because both companies had developed very similar cultures\u2026We were both really very purpose-driven.\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHora\u0027s research comes to the same conclusion: In an industry where drugs can take a decade to reach patients, the wrong partner can mean they never arrive at all.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new Georgia Tech study finds that when a drug succeeds or fails, the science is only half the story. The other half is whether the companies developing it actually fit together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EManpreet Hora, a professor at Georgia Tech\u0027s Scheller College of Business, analyzed nearly 300 biotech\u2013pharma partnerships and found that mismatched partners, such as companies with different experience levels, cultures, or decision-making styles, stall drug development. Roles blur. Trials drag. Promising treatments never reach patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Pfizer\u2013BioNTech Covid vaccine is the counterexample: two companies, vastly different in size, aligned on purpose and process. That alignment is what made speed possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHora\u0027s takeaway: in an industry where drugs take a decade to reach patients, the wrong partner can mean they never arrive at all.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech research shows how misaligned biotech\u2013pharma partnerships can delay or derail drug development."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-04-24 16:58:28","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 15:29:29","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680062":{"id":"680062","type":"image","title":"Biotech Partnerships","body":null,"created":"1777050820","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 17:13:40","changed":"1777050964","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 17:16:04","alt":"Two medical professionals shaking hands in a lab","file":{"fid":"264298","name":"Biotech.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Biotech.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Biotech.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1959093,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/Biotech.png?itok=CYp9PkmA"}}},"media_ids":["680062"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"179350","name":"biomedical egnineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Writer, Editor \u2014 Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mazriel3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emazriel3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mazriel3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689714":{"#nid":"689714","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bringing the Classroom to the Coast","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile many students spent Spring Break chasing sun and surf, a group enrolled in the \u003Cem\u003EEAS 4755: Sea Level Rise and Global Geotechnics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ecourse, taught by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/robel-alexander\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jorge-macedo\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJorge Macedo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eheaded to the coast for a different reason \u2014 to learn how three coastal communities across the Southeast are responding to sea-level rise and flooding and how science, engineering, and community priorities intersect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis is the third time the class has been offered, but the first to include an extended community-based learning experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe students were able to see firsthand how concepts discussed in the classroom translated into real infrastructure decisions shaping vulnerable coastal communities,\u201d says Robel, an associate professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn previous years, the course relied on guest speakers, often remote, to provide real-world insights. Robel and Macedo, an associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, advocated for this year\u2019s field trip to give students direct exposure to how the concepts taught in class are used in coastal communities.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cPlaces like Savannah, Tybee Island, and Charleston aren\u2019t planning for a distant future; they\u2019re making real infrastructure decisions right now,\u201d explains Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoastal Case Studies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOn Tybee Island, city leaders and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff discussed with students how to balance tourism, environmental protection, and shoreline preservation. Site visits highlighted tide gates and living shorelines as flood mitigation strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen, in Savannah, students met with city staff to explore challenges facing historic, low-lying cities and visited the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chsgeorgia.org\/pin-point-heritage-museum\/?gad_source=1\u0026amp;gad_campaignid=22849387911\u0026amp;gbraid=0AAAABAqP5dcvz7sLdulhSOGywjIQeklj1\u0026amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw-dfOBhAjEiwAq0RwI59jWRaJPfy1zynMN4cT3osvJhOlKEqoDZFGnC_BVcL3GUjTwKwtmxoCHcwQAvD_BwE\u0022\u003EPin Point Heritage Museum\u003C\/a\u003E where Gullah-Geechee community leaders spoke about the cultural, environmental, and equity dimensions of flood planning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe trip concluded in Charleston with discussions led by the city\u2019s chief resilience officer and tours of the Low Battery Seawall and a neighborhood pump station, illustrating how flood infrastructure can serve both functional and public-facing roles. Students also visited\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jmt.com\/\u0022\u003EJMT\u003C\/a\u003E, the engineering firm behind several of the projects studied, where engineers discussed design trade-offs and career paths in coastal and municipal infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegional Risks, Real Responses\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe regional context is especially important because Georgia Tech graduates are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, and many go on to careers designing, managing, or approving infrastructure projects in coastal communities,\u201d says Robel. \u201cWith a more concentrated vulnerability to sea-level rise in the Southeast than any other part of the United States, the most potential flooding is likely to occur here in the Atlantic Southeast and Gulf Coast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe adds that \u201cif we\u2019re educating the scientists, engineers, and decision-makers who will be working in these communities, they must understand the practicalities of flood resilience and how to make informed decisions based on the best current science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAlthough the idea for the field experience had been years in the making, it became feasible only recently with support from an internal grant on sustainability education and community-based learning administered by the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E. Robel also emphasized the importance of long-standing relationships with coastal communities and governments in making the trip a success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe reached a point where we had both the resources and the relationships to make the experience meaningful,\u201d he shares.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECareer Context\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe students met professionals from a wide range of career paths, including federal and local government agencies, private engineering firms, and municipal stormwater departments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cA major goal of the trip was giving students the chance to see what career paths in coastal resilience really look like,\u201d says Robel. \u201cThose conversations helped students understand not just the technical work, but also the financing, politics, and community concerns that shape infrastructure decisions \u2014 parts of the job that are harder to capture in the classroom.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStudents enjoyed the opportunity to get real-world context:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis trip made me reconsider my post-graduation plans. I used to think the geology industry was just oil and gas, but this trip showed me different ways I can apply my skills to help the environment as well as local communities in their efforts to adapt to sea-level rise concerns,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMandala Pham\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Ph.D. student studying geophysics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe most valuable part of the experience was observing sea-level rise mitigation infrastructure in-person, and the trip was a great experience overall to make new friends and gain valuable experiences,\u201d adds\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Brison\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year environmental engineering major.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy grounding classroom concepts in real places and real decisions, the Spring Break field experience reinforced the course\u2019s goal: preparing students to engage thoughtfully with the challenges coastal communities are already facing.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents study sea-level rise and coastal resilience on spring break field experience.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students study sea-level rise and coastal resilience on spring break field experience."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 18:08:43","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:37:15","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679933":{"id":"679933","type":"image","title":"Class members spent the first day on the beach at Tybee Island learning how beach nourishment and dune restoration are helping preserve one of the most popular beaches in the southeast.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClass members spent the first day on the beach at Tybee Island learning how beach nourishment and dune restoration are helping preserve one of the most popular beaches in the southeast.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776104340","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 18:19:00","changed":"1776104340","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 18:19:00","alt":"A group of people standing on a beach.","file":{"fid":"264156","name":"Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":29262725,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png?itok=u1Hmq958"}},"679934":{"id":"679934","type":"image","title":"Charleston city officials spoke with students about how multiple municipal departments work together on flood mitigation","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003ECharleston city officials spoke with students about how multiple municipal departments work together on flood mitigation\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1776105481","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 18:38:01","changed":"1776105481","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 18:38:01","alt":"A group sitting around a big table in a conference room.","file":{"fid":"264158","name":"bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":746185,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg?itok=w6YrOj_G"}},"679935":{"id":"679935","type":"image","title":"A highlight of the trip included a visit to the Pin Point Heritage Museum to learn about one of the largest remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the Southeast and their historical relationship to the marsh, fisheries, and flooding.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA highlight of the trip included a visit to the Pin Point Heritage Museum to learn about one of the largest remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the Southeast and their historical relationship to the marsh, fisheries, and flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776105560","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 18:39:20","changed":"1776105560","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 18:39:20","alt":"A group of students standing by a wooden rowboat.","file":{"fid":"264159","name":"Pinpointbafkreidtshhdvtbuwgbtiwwjlmu4yhxnkx4ieku66lipuhiw6xcpzflzze.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Pinpointbafkreidtshhdvtbuwgbtiwwjlmu4yhxnkx4ieku66lipuhiw6xcpzflzze.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Pinpointbafkreidtshhdvtbuwgbtiwwjlmu4yhxnkx4ieku66lipuhiw6xcpzflzze.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":899292,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Pinpointbafkreidtshhdvtbuwgbtiwwjlmu4yhxnkx4ieku66lipuhiw6xcpzflzze.jpg?itok=M1juWLG6"}}},"media_ids":["679933","679934","679935"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/news\/17\/eas-faculty-named-endowed-positions","title":"EAS Faculty Named to Endowed Positions"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura Segraves Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689875":{"#nid":"689875","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Hidden Language of Life\u2019s Early Proteins","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHow did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins \u2014 once limited to just half of today\u2019s amino acids \u2014 could still form the sophisticated structures life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe paper,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S258959742600047X\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Borderlands of Foldability: Lessons from Simplified Proteins\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is a meta-analysis of six decades of protein research and reveals that ancient proteins may have been far more complicated and dynamic than previously thought.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERecently published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ETrends in Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E, the study includes Georgia Tech researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Chair in Molecular Design, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/academics\/degrees\/phd\/quantitative-biosciences-phd\u0022\u003EQuantitative Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/user\/231\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlfie-Louise Brownless\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECo-authors also include\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isct.ac.jp\/en\u0022\u003EInstitute of Science Tokyo\u003C\/a\u003E graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKoh Seya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/liamlongo.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiam M. Longo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who serves as a specially appointed associate professor at Science Tokyo and as an affiliate research scientist at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bmsis.org\/\u0022\u003EBlue Marble Space Institute of Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe research has implications ranging from the origins of life and the search for life in the universe to cutting-edge medical innovation. \u201cOne of the biggest unanswered questions in science is how life first began,\u201d says Kamerlin, who is a corresponding author of the study. \u201cUnderstanding how the first protein-like molecules formed and what the earliest proteins may have been like is a key part of that puzzle.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cProteins power our bodies \u2014 and all life on Earth,\u201d she adds. \u201cSimply put, the evolution of proteins is the reason that we\u2019re able to have this conversation at all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Protein Folding Paradox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf proteins are the scaffolding of life, amino acids are the components that make up that scaffolding. \u201cToday, an average protein is constructed from a chain of about 300 amino acids, involving 20 different types of amino acids,\u201d Kamerlin shares. Proteins fold when these chains twist into a specific 3-dimensional shape, creating structures critical for biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHowever, while these folds are essential, exactly\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ehow\u003C\/em\u003E a protein knows which way to fold remains a mystery. \u201cWe know that proteins didn\u2019t just fold randomly,\u201d Kamerlin shares, \u201cbecause randomly trying all possible configurations would take a protein longer than the age of the universe.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a cornerstone problem in biological science called \u201cLevinthal\u2019s Paradox,\u201d and highlights a fundamental mystery: Proteins fold incredibly quickly into very specific combinations \u2014 but like a sheet of paper spontaneously folding into an origami swan, researchers don\u2019t know how proteins \u201cchoose\u201d the folds they make.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe can predict what a protein will look like, but can\u2019t tell you how it got there,\u201d Kamerlin adds. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re interested in exploring: how small early proteins developed into the complex proteins that support every living thing on today\u2019s Earth.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimple Letters, Sophisticated Structures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEarly proteins likely had access to just half of today\u2019s amino acids. \u201cAbout 10-12 amino acids were likely available on early Earth,\u201d Kamerlin says. Like writing a story with just the letters \u201cA\u201d through \u201cL,\u201d researchers assumed that the \u2018vocabulary\u2019 proteins could build from such a limited amino acid alphabet would also be constrained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is a language to protein folding,\u201d Kamerlin explains. \u201cThat language is hidden in their structures. Our research is in trying to understand the rules \u2014 the grammar and vocabulary that dictate a protein fold.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe grammar they discovered was surprising: with a combination of creative techniques and environmental support, complex structures can arise from limited amino acid alphabets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe found that it is possible to develop complex folds with very simple tools \u2014 and certain environments, like salty ones, can help support that,\u201d Kamerlin shares. \u201cEarly proteins could also cross-link and associate, interacting like LEGO blocks to create more complex structures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPioneering Proteins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENow, the team is conducting research in environments that could mimic conditions on early Earth \u2014 aiming to discover more about how these regions could have given rise to today\u2019s complex proteins. \u201cThis aspect of our research also ties into the amazing\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/2026-frontiers-science-advancing-space-exploration-0\u0022\u003Espace research\u003C\/a\u003E happening at Georgia Tech,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cWhile we\u2019re interested in understanding early life on Earth, our work could help inform where best to look for evidence of life beyond our planet.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin specializes in creating computer models that simulate possible scenarios \u2013 creating an opportunity to quickly and efficiently test many theories. The most compelling of these can then be tested by her collaborator and co-author at Science Tokyo, Liam Longo, in lab experiments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EProtein folding is also at the forefront of medical innovation, ranging from diagnostic tools to cancer treatments and neurodegenerative diseases. \u201cIn the broader scope, we\u2019re interested in discovering what we can design, what we can stress test, and what we can reconstruct with AI and other computational tools,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cBecause if you can understand how proteins fold, you gain the ability to design them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: NASA, the Human Frontier Science Program, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.trechm.2026.03.001\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Persistent link using digital object identifier\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.trechm.2026.03.001\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHow did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins formed the sophisticated structures life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Life\u2019s first alphabet was likely small \u2014 but surprisingly powerful."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-04-20 16:06:30","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:35:23","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}},"680000":{"id":"680000","type":"image","title":"Amino acid diversity in peptides and proteins over time. Now, in the era of biotechnology, the amino acid alphabet is poised to expand again. (Figure Credit: \u201cThe borderlands of foldability: lessons from simplified proteins,\u201d Trends in Chemistry, 2026)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAmino acid diversity in peptides and proteins over time. Over time, the genetic code expanded into the 20-amino acid alphabet found in contemporary biology. Now, in the era of biotechnology, the amino acid alphabet is poised to expand once more. (Figure Credit: \u201cThe borderlands of foldability: lessons from simplified proteins,\u201d Koh Seya, Alfie\u2011Louise R. Brownless, Shina C. L. Kamerlin, and Liam M. Longo, \u003Cem\u003ETrends in Chemistry, \u003C\/em\u003E2026)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776701693","gmt_created":"2026-04-20 16:14:53","changed":"1776701693","gmt_changed":"2026-04-20 16:14:53","alt":"A diagram showing the history of peptides and proteins over time. It is shaped like an hourglass.","file":{"fid":"264232","name":"Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":591690,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg?itok=l_Fxw_Fs"}}},"media_ids":["677019","680000"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689256":{"#nid":"689256","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Shows Explainability is a Must for Older Adults to Trust AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVoice-activated, conversational artificial intelligence (AI) agents must provide clear explanations for their suggestions, or older adults aren\u2019t likely to trust them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s one of the main findings from a study by AI Caring on what older adults expect from explainable AI (XAI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai-caring.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI Caring\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is one of three AI Institutions led by Georgia Tech and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The institution supports AI research that benefits older adults and their caregivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENiharika Mathur, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Interactive Computing, was the lead author of a paper based on the study. The paper will be presented in April at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chi2026.acm.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Barcelona\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMathur worked with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/empowerment.emory.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECognitive Empowerment Program at Emory University\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to interview 23 older adults who live alone and use voice-activated AI assistants like Amazon\u2019s Alexa and Google Home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of them told her they feel excluded from the design of these products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe assumption is that all people want interactions the same way and across all kinds of situations, but that isn\u2019t true,\u201d Mathur said. \u201cHow older people use AI and what they want from it are different from what younger people prefer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne example she gave is that young people tend to be informal when talking with AI. Older people, on the other hand, talk to the agent like they would a person.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf Older adults are talking to their family members about Alexa, they usually refer to Alexa as \u2018she\u2019 instead of \u2018it,\u2019\u201d Mathur said. \u201cThey tend to humanize these systems a lot more than young people.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood Explanations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study evaluated AI explanations that drew information from four sources of data:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUser history (past conversations with the agent)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnvironmental data (indoor temperature or the weather forecast)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EActivity data (how much time a user spends in different areas of the home)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInternal reasoning (mathematical probabilities and likely outcomes)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMathur said older users trust the agent more when it bases its explanations on data from the first three sources. However, internal reasoning creates skepticism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternal reasoning means the AI doesn\u2019t have enough data from the other sources to give an explanation. It provides a percentage to reflect its confidence based on what it knows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overwhelming response was negative toward confidence scores,\u201d Mathur said. \u201cIf the AI says it\u2019s 92% confident, older adults want to know what that\u2019s based on.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is another example that Mathur said points to generational preferences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of explainable AI research that shows younger people like to see numbers in explanations, and they also tend to rely too much on explanations that contain numerical confidence. Older adults are the opposite. It makes them trust it less.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKnowing the Context\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMathur said that AI agents interacting with older adults should serve a dual purpose. They should provide users with companionship and support independence while reducing the caretaking burden often placed on family members.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome studies have shown that engineers have tended to favor caretakers in the design of these tools. They prioritize daily tasks and routines, leaving some older adults to feel like they are merely a box to be checked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe discovered that in urgent situations, older users prefer the AI to be straightforward, while in casual settings, they desire more conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHow people interact with technological systems is grounded in what the stakes of the situation are,\u201d she said. \u201cIf it had anything to do with their immediate sense of safety, they did not want conversational elaboration. They want the AI to be very direct and factual.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENot Just Checking Boxes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMathur said AI agents that interact with older adults are ideally constructed with a dual purpose. They should provide companionship and autonomy for the users while alleviating the burden of caretaking that is often placed on their family members.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome studies have shown that engineers have strayed toward favoring caretakers in the design of these tools. They prioritize daily tasks and routines, leaving some older adults to feel like they are a box to be checked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey\u2019re not being thought of as consumers,\u201d Mathur said. \u201cA lot of products are being made for them but not with them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also said psychological well-being is one of the most important outcomes these tools should produce.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShowing older adults that they are listened to can significantly help in gaining their trust. Some interviewees told Mathur they want agents who are deliberate about understanding their preferences and don\u2019t dismiss their questions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeeting these needs reduces the likelihood of protesting and creating conflict with family members.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt highlights just how important well-designed explanations are,\u201d she said. \u201cWe must go beyond a transparency checklist.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI Caring study led by Georgia Tech researchers shows that older adults are more likely to trust conversational AI systems that provide them with clear explanations for their decision-making. The study also shows that including older adults more in the design process benefits their well-being and reduces the caretaking burden of family members\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech study finds older adults are more likely to trust voice-activated AI systems when those systems clearly explain how and why they make decisions."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 14:01:07","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:31:27","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679796":{"id":"679796","type":"image","title":"0A6A0355.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774965687","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 14:01:27","changed":"1774965687","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 14:01:27","alt":"An older couple sitting on a couch as a man helps them use Amazon\u0027s Alexa","file":{"fid":"263999","name":"0A6A0355.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/0A6A0355.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/0A6A0355.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":171883,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/0A6A0355.jpg?itok=t62aVqXD"}}},"media_ids":["679796"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"14342","name":"older adults"},{"id":"148721","name":"Amazon Alexa"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689263":{"#nid":"689263","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Transformer Explainer Shows How AI is More Math Than Human","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile people use search engines, chatbots, and generative artificial intelligence tools every day, most don\u2019t know how they work. This sets unrealistic expectations for AI and leads to misuse. It also slows progress toward building new AI applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are making AI easier to understand through their work on Transformer Explainer. The free, online tool shows non-experts how ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models (LLMs) process language.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/transformer-explainer\/\u0022\u003ETransformer Explainer\u003C\/a\u003E is easy to use and runs on any web browser. It quickly went viral after its debut, reaching 150,000 users in its first three months. More than 563,000 people worldwide have used the tool so far.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGlobal interest in Transformer Explainer continues when the team presents the tool at the 2026 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chi2026.acm.org\/\u0022\u003ECHI 2026\u003C\/a\u003E). CHI, the world\u2019s most prestigious conference on human-computer interaction, will take place in Barcelona, April 13-17.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/research\/chi-2026\/\u0022\u003ERelated: GT @ CHI 2026\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are moments when LLMs can seem almost like a person with their own will and personality, and that misperception has real consequences. For example, there have been cases where teenagers have made poor decisions based on conversations with LLMs,\u201d said Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aereeeee.github.io\/\u0022\u003EAeree Cho\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding that an LLM is fundamentally a model that predicts the probability distribution of the next token helps users avoid taking its outputs as absolute. What you put in shapes what comes out, and that understanding helps people engage with AI more carefully and critically.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA transformer is a neural network architecture that changes data input sequence into an output. Text, audio, and images are forms of processed data, which is why transformers are common in generative AI models. They do this by learning context and tracking mathematical relationships between sequence components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETransformer Explainer demystifies how transformers work. The platform uses visualization and interaction to show, step by step, how text flows through a model and produces predictions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing this approach, Transformer Explainer impacts the AI landscape in four main ways:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt counters hype and misconceptions surrounding AI by showing how transformers work.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt improves AI literacy among users by removing technical barriers and lowering the entry for learning about AI.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt expands AI education by helping instructors teach AI mechanisms without extensive setup or computing resources.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt influences future development of AI tools and educational techniques by providing a blueprint for interpretable AI systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first learned about transformers, I felt overwhelmed. A transformer model has many parts, each with its own complex math. Existing resources typically present all this information at once, making it difficult to see how everything fits together,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gracekimcy.github.io\/\u0022\u003EGrace Kim\u003C\/a\u003E, a dual B.S.\/M.S. computer science student.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy leveraging interactive visualization, we use levels of abstraction to first show the big picture of the entire model. Then users click into individual parts to reveal the underlying details and math. This way, Transformer Explainer makes learning far less intimidating.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany users don\u2019t know what transformers are or how they work. The Georgia Tech team found that people often misunderstand AI. Some label AI with human-like characteristics, such as creativity. Others even describe it as working like magic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurthermore, barriers make it hard for students interested in transformers to start learning. Tutorials tend to be too technical and overwhelm beginners with math and code. While visualization tools exist, these often target more advanced AI experts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETransformer Explainer overcomes these obstacles through its interactive, user-focused platform. It runs a familiar GPT model directly in any web browser, requiring no installation or special hardware.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsers can enter their own text and watch the model predict the next word in real time. Sankey-style diagrams show how information moves through embeddings, attention heads, and transformer blocks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform also lets users switch between high-level concepts and detailed math. By adjusting temperature settings, users can see how randomness affects predictions. This reveals how probabilities drive AI outputs, rather than creativity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMillions of people around the world interact with transformer-driven AI. We believe that it is crucial to bridge the gap between day-to-day user experience and the models\u0027 technical reality, ensuring these tools are not misinterpreted as human-like or seen as sentient,\u201d said Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.alexkarpekov.com\/\u0022\u003EAlex Karpekov\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cExplaining the architecture helps users recognize that language generated by models is a product of computation, leading to a more grounded engagement with the technology.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECho, Karpekov, and Kim led the development of Transformer Explainer. Ph.D. students\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/alechelbling.com\/\u0022\u003EAlec Helbling\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seongmin.xyz\/\u0022\u003ESeongmin Lee\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bhoov.com\/\u0022\u003EBen Hoover\u003C\/a\u003E, and alumni\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minsuk.com\/\u0022\u003EMinsuk Kahng\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CS-CSE 2019) assisted on the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/polochau\/\u0022\u003EPolo Chau\u003C\/a\u003E supervised the group and their work. His lab focuses on data science, human-centered AI, and visualization for social good.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcceptance at CHI 2026 stems from the team winning the best poster award at the 2024 IEEE Visualization Conference. This recognition from one of the top venues in visualization research highlights Transformer Explainer\u2019s effectiveness in teaching how transformers work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTransformer Explainer has reached over half a million learners worldwide,\u201d said Chau, a faculty member in the School of Computational Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m thrilled to see it extend Georgia Tech\u0027s mission of expanding access to higher education, now to anyone with a web browser.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are making AI easier to understand through their work on Transformer Explainer. The free, online tool shows non-experts how ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models (LLMs) process language, improving AI literacy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are making AI easier to understand through their work on Transformer Explainer. The free, online tool shows non-experts how ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models (LLMs) process language, improving AI literacy."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 16:42:57","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:30:50","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679798":{"id":"679798","type":"image","title":"Transformer-Explainer-Head-Image.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774975392","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 16:43:12","changed":"1774975392","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 16:43:12","alt":"CHI 2026 Transformer Explainer","file":{"fid":"264002","name":"Transformer-Explainer-Head-Image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Transformer-Explainer-Head-Image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Transformer-Explainer-Head-Image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":120484,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/Transformer-Explainer-Head-Image.jpg?itok=eryBAi-R"}},"679799":{"id":"679799","type":"image","title":"Transformer-Explainer-Text-Image.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774975428","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 16:43:48","changed":"1774975428","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 16:43:48","alt":"CHI 2026 Transformer Explainer","file":{"fid":"264003","name":"Transformer-Explainer-Text-Image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Transformer-Explainer-Text-Image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Transformer-Explainer-Text-Image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":69012,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/Transformer-Explainer-Text-Image.jpg?itok=0B-WDInX"}}},"media_ids":["679798","679799"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/transformer-explainer-shows-how-ai-more-math-human","title":"Transformer Explainer Shows How AI is More Math than Human"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"170447","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"176858","name":"machine learning center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"14646","name":"human-computer interaction"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"194384","name":"Tech AI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689931":{"#nid":"689931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Competition to Community: How Team Atlanta\u2019s AI Cybersecurity Breakthrough Is Going Open Source","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/team-atlanta.github.io\/\u0022\u003ETeam Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E claimed first place in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-makes-history-wins-darpa-challenge\u0022\u003EDARPA AI Cyber Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E last year, they weren\u2019t just celebrating a win\u2014they were demonstrating that artificial intelligence (AI) could autonomously detect and patch software vulnerabilities at a scale once considered impossible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, the team is working with the Linux Foundation and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openssf.org\/\u0022\u003EOpen Source Security Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E (OpenSSF) to ensure that its breakthrough doesn\u2019t remain confined to a competition environment. The team\u2019s new initiative, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openssf.org\/projects\/oss-crs\/\u0022\u003EOSS-CRS\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to standardize and operationalize cyber reasoning systems (CRSs) for real-world use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe AI Cyber Challenge pushed the boundaries of autonomous software security, with seven teams developing systems capable of finding and remediating vulnerabilities at scale,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew Chin\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student and lead on the OSS-CRS program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHowever, after the competition\u2019s conclusion, it has been difficult to apply these advancements to the open-source community due to infrastructure incompatibilities and the lack of long-term maintenance for the open-sourced CRS implementations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address this gap, Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gts3.org\/\u0022\u003ESystems Software Lab\u003C\/a\u003E (SSLab), directed by Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ETaesoo Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E, is leading the development of OSS-CRS, which provides both a common framework for CRS development and the infrastructure needed to deploy these systems seamlessly across open-source projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of this effort, the team has ported its competition-winning system, Atlantis, into the OSS-CRS framework. The move makes it compatible with laptops and other everyday machines with flexible resource and budget configurations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInteroperability is also central to the framework\u2019s design. Atlantis can be combined with other CRSs to improve performance, including systems developed by fellow AIxCC finalists and newer agentic, command-line-based tools. This modular approach reflects a key lesson the team learned from the competition: collaboration between systems can outperform any single solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOSS-CRS has been accepted as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/github.com\/ossf\/oss-crs\u0022\u003Esandbox project\u003C\/a\u003E within OpenSSF\u2019s AI\/ML Security Working Group, a milestone that brings added technical guidance and community support to the project. This includes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAccess to mentorship\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDedicated working group meetings\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBroader visibility through industry events, publications, and outreach efforts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaboration will also foster stronger connections with open-source maintainers, helping streamline vulnerability disclosure and remediation workflows.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETeam Atlanta, winners of the DARPA AI Cyber Challenge, are turning their competition-winning AI cybersecurity system into a real-world tool for the open-source community. In partnership with the Linux Foundation and the Open Source Security Foundation, the team has launched OSS-CRS, a framework designed to standardize and deploy autonomous cyber reasoning systems at scale. By open sourcing their technology and enabling collaboration between multiple AI systems, the initiative aims to make it easier to detect and fix software vulnerabilities\u2014strengthening the security of critical open-source infrastructure worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Team Atlanta, winners of the DARPA AI Cyber Challenge, are turning their competition-winning AI cybersecurity system into a real-world tool for the open-source community."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-04-21 17:28:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:30:30","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680033":{"id":"680033","type":"image","title":"AIxCC-2025-27-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776880174","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 17:49:34","changed":"1776880174","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 17:49:34","alt":"A group of people standing inside of a convention hall. ","file":{"fid":"264266","name":"AIxCC-2025-27-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/AIxCC-2025-27-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/AIxCC-2025-27-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1078593,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/AIxCC-2025-27-web-copy.jpg?itok=6t8OfTPC"}}},"media_ids":["680033"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689945":{"#nid":"689945","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Zoo Atlanta Elephants Embrace New GT-Designed Interactive Enrichment Wall","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETitan, Msholo, Kelly, and Tara are just like any other African elephants \u2014 intelligent creatures that require mental stimulation in their everyday lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey would normally get this in their natural habitats while foraging for food and staying alert to predators that might target calves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zooatlanta.org\/animal\/african-elephant\/\u0022\u003Ethe four elephants reside at Zoo Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E, so they don\u2019t have to worry about these things.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why zoo caretakers are always on the lookout for better ways to help their elephants exercise their brains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe caretakers at Zoo Atlanta found one when they met\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ariannamastali.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArianna Mastali\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing. Mastali designed an audio enrichment wall to help stimulate Zoo Atlanta\u2019s elephants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany zoos build concrete enrichment walls to foster elephant problem-solving and critical thinking. The walls usually have holes for the elephants to reach through with their trunks as they search for food, treats, or playful objects on the other side.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMastali enhanced Zoo Atlanta\u2019s enrichment wall by adding an interactive audio component. A nearby speaker system emits distinctive low-frequency tones when an elephant sticks its trunk into a hole.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey\u2019re intelligent creatures that require a lot of complexity in their habitat,\u201d Mastali said. \u201cWe wanted to add to that complexity while giving them more control.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExperimenting in the Wild\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMastali\u2019s system uses cameras and computer vision to detect when an elephant\u2019s trunk is inside a hole and then sends a signal to the speakers to play a sound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMastali is a member of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/animalab.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Animal Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, directed by School of IC professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/melody-jackson\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMelody Jackson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The lab often uses sensing technology to enhance animal wellness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMastali said she tried incorporating sensing devices into her project several times. She constructed an insert made of PVC pipe and attached a sensor to its base that used infrared beams to detect the elephant\u2019s trunk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, she said it was difficult to account for the elephants\u2019 strength. Their trunks would break the insert after a day or two.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe pivoted toward computer vision to remove the risk of damage and keep the enrichment wall as close to natural as possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA big lesson we learned was that using existing materials the elephants are already familiar with was the best way to do things, and it simplified our design process,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShane Rosse\u003C\/strong\u003E, a student in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/omscs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOnline Master of Science in Computer Science\u003C\/a\u003E (OMSCS) program, assisted Mastali with the computer vision component.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnhancing Environmental Enrichment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMastali observed the elephants\u2019 behavior at the wall seven days before and seven days after the installation of the audio enrichment system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe number of times the elephants approached the wall after installation increased by 176%, and time spent at the wall increased by 71%\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe weren\u2019t sure at first if they would care that much, so it was great to see how much time they spent at the wall, especially our less dominant females,\u201d said Kirby Miller, senior elephant caretaker at Zoo Atlanta. \u201cThey seem to like it the most.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiller said the elephants used to only approach the wall when they knew there was food behind it. That started to change after the audio enrichment system was installed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe would be off somewhere else, and we\u2019d hear the speaker playing the sounds, and we knew there wasn\u2019t any food back there,\u201d Miller said. \u201cTara had her trunk in one of the holes, just listening to the sound. That let us know they do like it, and they\u2019re very curious about it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiller said because elephants have sharp memories and acute senses of hearing and smell, their habitats must be designed with that in mind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZoo Atlanta\u2019s African Savanna elephant habitat was redesigned in 2019. In addition to the enrichment wall, it includes a bathing pond, two waterfalls, and swing boom devices that hold hay for elephants to eat as they would in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiller said elephants sheltered at any zoo or conservation would benefit from enrichment devices enhanced by technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think anything they can participate in that gives them choice and control is great for all zoo elephants,\u201d she said. \u201cIt depends on the elephants, but with our elephants, they can hear much higher frequencies than we can. That noise isn\u2019t that loud for us, but for them, they\u2019re feeling that noise, and they can hear much more, which makes it more stimulating for them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Ph.D. student Arianna Mastali designed an interactive audio enrichment wall for Zoo Atlanta\u0027s four African elephants. A speaker system plays low-frequency tones when an elephant inserts its trunk into one of the wall\u0027s holes, deteced by computer vision.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is working with Zoo Atlanta to design an audio enrichment wall for African elephants."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-04-22 14:20:53","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:29:54","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680026":{"id":"680026","type":"image","title":"DSC_2500.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1776867679","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 14:21:19","changed":"1776867679","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 14:21:19","alt":"Arianna Mastali stands in front of an African elephant in the background at Zoo Atlanta.","file":{"fid":"264259","name":"DSC_2500.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_2500.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_2500.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":203094,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_2500.jpeg?itok=g1EF8go7"}},"680027":{"id":"680027","type":"image","title":"DSC_0455.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1776867787","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 14:23:07","changed":"1776867787","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 14:23:07","alt":"Elephant at Zoo Atlanta sticks its trunk into a hole in the enrichment wall","file":{"fid":"264260","name":"DSC_0455.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0455.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0455.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":429358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0455.jpeg?itok=7sLBTWa8"}},"680028":{"id":"680028","type":"image","title":"DSC_0522.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1776867847","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 14:24:07","changed":"1776867847","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 14:24:07","alt":"Elephant uses its trunk to grab hay that is suspended in the air","file":{"fid":"264261","name":"DSC_0522.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0522.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0522.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":455927,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0522.jpeg?itok=7GaCnto5"}},"680029":{"id":"680029","type":"image","title":"DSC_0500.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1776867908","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 14:25:08","changed":"1776867908","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 14:25:08","alt":"Zoo Atlanta visitor walk past the elephant exhibit with an elephant in the background","file":{"fid":"264262","name":"DSC_0500.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0500.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0500.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":235033,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/DSC_0500.jpeg?itok=0F8wEbaE"}},"680030":{"id":"680030","type":"video","title":"Play That Trunk Music: Elephant Enrichment x Computer Science","body":"\u003Cp\u003EElephants require mental stimulation in their everyday lives, which is why Zoo Atlanta redesigned its African Savanna habitat that shelters four African elephants in 2019. The habitat includes an elephant enrichment wall that has numerous holes for elephants to stick their trunks into as they search for food on the other side.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe elephant enrichment wall at Zoo Atlanta recently received an upgrade thanks to a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student. Arianna Mastali designed an audio enrichment system that uses computer vision to detect when an elephant sticks its trunk into the enrichment wall as it searches for food. The system then sends a signal to play a unique tone from a nearby speaker that corresponds to each hole. So far, Mastali has found that elephant wall interactions have increased by 176%, and the elephants are visiting the wall even when there isn\u0027t food behind it.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776868980","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 14:43:00","changed":"1776868980","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 14:43:00","video":{"youtube_id":"ANlIAhp4YTs","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ANlIAhp4YTs"}}},"media_ids":["680026","680027","680028","680029","680030"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"6765","name":"zoo atlanta"},{"id":"174264","name":"elephants"},{"id":"3237","name":"enrichment"},{"id":"104701","name":"animal computer interaction lab"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690009":{"#nid":"690009","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mark Prausnitz Receives 1934 Distinguished Professor Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Mark Prausnitz talks about his work as a professor, researcher, and entrepreneur, one theme comes through clearly: collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drugdelivery.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrausnitz\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur, and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is this year\u2019s recipient of the Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile I may be the focal point, it\u2019s not a recognition of me as an individual. It\u2019s a recognition of everything the team has done,\u201d Prausnitz said. \u201cI know how to do some things, but there are many things I don\u2019t know how to do. That\u2019s why working with others matters. You bring people together, fill in the gaps, and solve the whole problem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u201csome things\u201d Prausnitz knows how to do have led to revolutionary medical innovation over a 30-year career at Georgia Tech, where he has led transformative work in microneedle drug delivery, launching 10 companies in the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring that time, Prausnitz published hundreds of peer-reviewed papers, was granted dozens of patents, and advanced his work from early laboratory studies into more than 20 human clinical trials. His research has produced multiple FDA\u2011approved or clinically tested technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding Prausnitz\u2019s success starts with his approach to engineering in practice. Science may begin with discovery, but engineering, as he describes it, focuses on taking something uncertain and making it work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the things that really distinguishes engineering from science is the work of problem-solving to reach an answer,\u201d he said. \u201cYou start with something diffuse and figure out how to put all the pieces together. That to me is a hallmark of engineering.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat way of thinking took shape early in his life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/04\/mark-prausnitz-receives-1934-distinguished-professor-award?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Prausnitz%20Receives%201934%20Distinguished%20Professor%20Award%C2%A0\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20April%2024%2C%202026\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drugdelivery.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrausnitz\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor, Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur, and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is this year\u2019s recipient of the Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Prausnitz is awarded the highest honor given to a Georgia Tech professor."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-24 16:47:54","changed_gmt":"2026-04-24 16:52:12","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680061":{"id":"680061","type":"image","title":"_0000_Prausnitz-1934-Award.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777049281","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 16:48:01","changed":"1777049281","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 16:48:01","alt":"A man in a light blue lab coat standing at a laboratory bench with pipettes, containers, and scientific supplies on shelves behind him.","file":{"fid":"264295","name":"_0000_Prausnitz-1934-Award.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/_0000_Prausnitz-1934-Award.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/_0000_Prausnitz-1934-Award.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":152732,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/_0000_Prausnitz-1934-Award.jpg?itok=30tRGEiv"}}},"media_ids":["680061"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"94981","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJulian Hills | Executive Communications Specialist\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689990":{"#nid":"689990","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Hosts Third Annual Crane Safety Research Center Meeting ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech hosted the third annual Crane Safety Research Center meeting April 9\u201310, uniting students, faculty, safety advocates, and crane industry representatives for two days focused on innovation, research, and safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresentations and lab demonstrations from nearly 50 faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, as well as partners from the University of Washington and the University of Texas at Austin, spotlighted new research and technologies to improve tower crane safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-hosts-third-annual-crane-safety-research-center-meeting\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech hosted the third annual Crane Safety Research Center meeting April 9\u201310, uniting students, faculty, safety advocates, and crane industry representatives for two days focused on innovation, research, and safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresentations and lab demonstrations from nearly 50 faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students at Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, as well as partners from the University of Washington and the University of Texas at Austin, spotlighted new research and technologies to improve tower crane safety.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The two-day event showcased student research, innovations in advancing tower crane safety."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-04-24 13:30:09","changed_gmt":"2026-04-24 13:35:04","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680058":{"id":"680058","type":"image","title":"crane-safety-2026-71_55205345886_o.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777037441","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 13:30:41","changed":"1777037441","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 13:30:41","alt":"Third Annual Crane Safety Research Center meeting","file":{"fid":"264292","name":"crane-safety-2026-71_55205345886_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/crane-safety-2026-71_55205345886_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/crane-safety-2026-71_55205345886_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1163600,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/crane-safety-2026-71_55205345886_o.jpg?itok=066uYJ4W"}}},"media_ids":["680058"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689951":{"#nid":"689951","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/andres-j-garcia\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E has been elected to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amacad.org\/news\/new-member-announcement-2026\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, joining an honorary society that includes Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Albert Einstein, and Martin Luther King Jr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Academy recognizes leaders across fields of study who have addressed humanity\u2019s greatest challenges while also gathering knowledge to advance learning and the public good. This year\u2019s class of 252 honorees was elected in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda is one of nine honorees in the \u201cEngineering and Technology\u201d division. His research \u2014 both in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E where he serves as Regents\u2019 Professor and in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E where he is the executive director \u2014 aligns with the Academy\u2019s service-minded mission. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am inspired to find engineering solutions to serious health conditions to help people,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a kid, I developed a musculoskeletal condition that required biomaterial devices to treat. Although imperfect, this treatment allowed me to lead a normal life.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoved by his personal experience, Garc\u00eda\u2019s research centers on cellular and tissue engineering, which integrate biological and engineering principles to restore organ function lost to injury or disease. By studying how cells interact with the materials around them, he and his team have engineered biomaterials for the controlled delivery of therapeutic proteins and cells that enhance tissue regeneration, which could speed the healing process for patients. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis future work will integrate biomaterials with lab\u2011grown replicas of human organs, known as organoids, that can be used to identify new therapies for a variety of human diseases. These organoids, though smaller and simpler than true organs, can mimic key functions that may help Garc\u00eda and his team to find better ways to repair damaged tissues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda has spent the past 27 years at Georgia Tech and carries on the legacy of another Academy member \u2014 the Petit Institute\u2019s founding executive director Robert Nerem, who was inducted in 1998. Garc\u00eda credits his success to the support of his loved ones and the Yellow Jacket community. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am deeply honored and humbled,\u201d he said. \u201cThis award is only possible by the unending love and support of family, friends and mentors, my phenomenal past and present trainees, fantastic collaborators, and awesome ecosystem at Georgia Tech.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Academy was chartered in 1780 during the American Revolution by a group that included John Adams and John Hancock. It was established to recognize accomplished individuals and engage them in addressing the greatest challenges facing the young republic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMembership has broadened over the years to celebrate excellence in a variety of fields. Honorees have included poet Robert Frost, musician John Legend, and chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/17\/chef-and-humanitarian-jose-andres-receives-ivan-allen-jr-prize-social-courage\u0022\u003Ewho was given this year\u2019s Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda and the rest of this year\u2019s class, which includes actor Jodie Foster, will be inducted in October. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/andres-j-garcia\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E has been elected to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amacad.org\/news\/new-member-announcement-2026\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, joining an honorary society that includes Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Albert Einstein, and Martin Luther King Jr. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The honorary society dates to the early days of the United States and honors excellence and contributions that advance society.  "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-22 18:35:45","changed_gmt":"2026-04-23 15:23:47","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680035":{"id":"680035","type":"image","title":"Andr\u00e9s J. Garc\u00eda","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAndr\u00e9s J. Garc\u00eda\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776882954","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 18:35:54","changed":"1776948169","gmt_changed":"2026-04-23 12:42:49","alt":"A man with silver hair wears a white lab coat, white shirt, and gold tie will sitting behind a lab bench with research equipment on top of it.","file":{"fid":"264268","name":"ExecDirGarcia10-lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/ExecDirGarcia10-lab.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/ExecDirGarcia10-lab.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2396467,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/ExecDirGarcia10-lab.jpg?itok=1-GrI-YP"}}},"media_ids":["680035"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashlie.bowman@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshlie Bowman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJason Maderer\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689961":{"#nid":"689961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Joint Workshop Highlights Emerging Research at the Intersection of Sustainability, Mobility, and Health\u202f ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents, faculty, and researchers from\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fand\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kennesaw.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKennesaw State University\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fgathered on April 8 for\u202fa joint workshop between Georgia Tech\u0027s\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/nsf-susmed\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENSF Sustainable Development of Smart Medical Devices\u003C\/a\u003E\u202f(SUSMED) program and KSU\u0027s\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/campus.kennesaw.edu\/offices-services\/research\/centers-facilities\/move-center\/index.php\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMobility for Everyone (MOVE) Center\u003C\/a\u003E. The full-day\u202fevent explored\u202fhow sustainable design, mobility science, and health technologies are converging to shape the next generation of medical devices.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted in Georgia Tech\u2019s Marcus Nanotechnology Building, the workshop brought together trainees from the\u202fNSF SUSMED program\u202fand students from the MOVE Center for a day of presentations, posters, and hands\u2011on demonstrations.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event was co\u2011led by\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2943\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHong Yeo\u003C\/a\u003E, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research in the\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fat Georgia Tech; Karam Kim, research faculty at the same school; and Ayse Tekes, associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at\u202fKSU.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am thrilled to have hosted this first joint event between the NSF NRT in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/wish\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWISH Center\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and the KSU MOVE Center. When I first envisioned it, I hoped it would spark meaningful conversations between students and researchers \u2014 but what unfolded far exceeded every expectation,\u201d Yeo said. \u201cThis was not just a gathering; it was a launchpad for exciting new collaborative projects, dynamic student exchange programs, and bold, ambitious bets on the future of our field. A heartfelt thank you to IMS Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/wish\/members\/wish-administration\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJosh Lee\u003C\/a\u003E, the WISH Center program manager, and Karam Kim, research faculty extraordinaire \u2014 none of this would have been possible without their support.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA central goal of the workshop was to give students meaningful opportunities to present their research and engage with peers across disciplines. According to Tekes, who is the director of the MOVE Center, events like this play a critical role in shaping early career researchers.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think these events are very eye-opening,\u201d Tekes said. \u201cThey give students a real opportunity to\u202fshowcase\u202ftheir results, but also to collaborate and learn about research outside their own area. Seeing work across disciplines sparks new questions and helps them think differently.\u201d\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the day, students presented projects on wearable devices, mobility technologies, digital health tools, sustainable engineering approaches, and more. Tekes emphasized how valuable it is for students to practice communicating their work to a broad audience.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey are getting the practice to present their outputs \u2014 the key outcomes of their research \u2014 and explain the significance and importance,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re also learning to answer questions from different perspectives, because in this room you\u2019re seeing engineers, computer scientists, and clinicians.\u201d\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDue to the strong turnout and enthusiastic participation throughout the day, organizers are already planning another session next semester.\u202fBy\u202fbringing together diverse\u202fexpertise\u202ffrom\u202fboth schools, the event highlighted the shared commitment to developing medical technologies that improve mobility, health, and quality of life.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding sources: NSF NRT-FW-HTF: NSF Traineeship in the Sustainable Development of Smart Medical Devices (Award # 2345860) and WISH Center grant from the Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents, faculty, and researchers from\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fand\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kennesaw.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKennesaw State University\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fgathered on April 8 for\u202fa joint workshop between Georgia Tech\u0027s\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/nsf-susmed\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENSF Sustainable Development of Smart Medical Devices\u003C\/a\u003E\u202f(SUSMED) program and KSU\u0027s\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/campus.kennesaw.edu\/offices-services\/research\/centers-facilities\/move-center\/index.php\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMobility for Everyone (MOVE) Center\u003C\/a\u003E. The full-day\u202fevent explored\u202fhow sustainable design, mobility science, and health technologies are converging to shape the next generation of medical devices.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students, faculty, and researchers from\u202fGeorgia Tech\u202fand\u202fKennesaw State University\u202fgathered on April 8 for\u202fa joint workshop."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-23 12:03:37","changed_gmt":"2026-04-23 12:05:53","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680038":{"id":"680038","type":"image","title":"_0000_photo_NSF-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776945848","gmt_created":"2026-04-23 12:04:08","changed":"1776945848","gmt_changed":"2026-04-23 12:04:08","alt":"Six workshop organizers stand in front of a projected slide reading \u201cGT NSF SUSMED x KSU MOVE Center Joint Workshop,\u201d with Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University banners visible on both sides.","file":{"fid":"264272","name":"_0000_photo_NSF-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/23\/_0000_photo_NSF-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/23\/_0000_photo_NSF-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":141734,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/23\/_0000_photo_NSF-copy.jpg?itok=qQXapOTA"}}},"media_ids":["680038"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"11726","name":"Institute for People and Technology"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by Scarlett Smith\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689932":{"#nid":"689932","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vision AI Models Improve Decision Making in Manufacturing, Energy, and Finance","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGenerative artificial intelligence (AI) is best known for creating images and text. Now, it is helping industries make better planning decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have created a new AI model for decision-focused learning (DFL), called Diffusion-DFL. Recent tests showed it makes more accurate decisions than current approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with optimizing industrial output, Diffusion-DFL lowers costs and reduces risk. Experiments also showed it performs across different fields.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2510.11590\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffusion-DFL\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E doesn\u2019t just surpass current methods; it also predicts more accurately as problem sizes grow. The model requires less computing power despite these high-performance marks, making it more accessible to smaller enterprises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiffusion-DFL runs on diffusion models, the same technology that powers DALL-E and other AI image generators. It is the first DFL framework based on diffusion models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnyone who makes high-stakes decisions under uncertainty, including supply chain managers, energy operators, and financial planners, benefits from Diffusion-DFL,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.zihaozhao.site\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZihao Zhao\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student who led the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cInstead of optimizing around a single forecast, the model evaluates many possible scenarios, so decisions account for real-world risk and become more robust.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/research\/iclr-2026\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERelated: GT @ ICLR 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test Diffusion-DFL, the team ran experiments based on real-world settings, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFactory manufacturing to meet product demand\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPower grid scheduling to meet energy demand\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStock market portfolio optimization\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn each case, Diffusion-DFL made more accurate decisions than current methods. It also performed better as problems became larger and more complex. These results confirm the model\u2019s ability to make important decisions in real-world scenarios with noisy data and uncertainty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experiments also show that Diffusion-DFL is practical, not just accurate. Training diffusion models is expensive, so the team developed a way to reduce memory use. This cut training costs by more than 99.7%. As a result, Diffusion-DFL can reach more researchers and practitioners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur score-function estimator cuts GPU memory from over 60 gigabytes to 0.13 with almost no loss in decision quality, reducing the requirement for massive computing resources,\u201d Zhao said. \u201cI hope this expands Diffusion-DFL into other domains, like healthcare, where decisions must be made quickly under complex uncertainty.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond decision-making applications, Diffusion-DFL marks a shift in DFL techniques and in the broader use of generative AI models.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn supply chain management, planners estimate future demand before deciding how much product to stock. In this DFL problem, engineers align ML models with predetermined decision objectives, like minimizing risk or reducing costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne flaw of DFL methods is that they optimize around a single, deterministic prediction in an uncertain future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiffusion-DFL takes a different approach. Instead of making a single guess, it determines a range of possible outcomes. This leads to decisions based on many likely scenarios, rather than on a single assumed future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, the framework uses diffusion models. These generative AI models create high-quality data from images, text, and audio.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe forward diffusion process involves adding noise to data until it becomes pure noise. Models trained via forward diffusion can reverse diffusion. This means they can start with noisy data and then produce meaningful insights from training examples.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReal-world data is often noisy and uncertain. Traditional DFL methods struggle in these conditions, but diffusion models are designed to handle them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of this, Diffusion-DFL can explore many possible outcomes and choose better actions. Like image-generation AI, the model works well with complex data from different sources. This enables its use across different industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDiffusion models have achieved significant success in generative AI and image synthesis, but our work shows their potential extends far beyond that,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/guaguakai.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKai Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (CSE).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat makes Diffusion-DFL unique is that the specific downstream application guides how the model learns to handle uncertainty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhether we are scheduling energy for power grids, balancing risk in financial portfolios, or developing early warning systems in healthcare, we can explicitly train these highly expressive models to navigate the unique complexities of each domain.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhao and Wang collaborated with Caltech Ph.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chrisyeh96.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher Yeh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Harvard University postdoctoral fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/alumnus-uses-ai-counter-african-poaching-improve-maternal-healthcare-access\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELingkai Kong\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E on Diffusion-DFL. Kong earned his Ph.D. in CSE from Georgia Tech in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang will present Diffusion-DFL on behalf of the group at the upcoming International Conference on Learning Representations (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iclr.cc\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EICLR 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E). Occurring April 23-27 in Rio de Janeiro, ICLR is one of the world\u2019s most prestigious conferences dedicated to artificial intelligence research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cICLR is the perfect stage for Diffusion-DFL because it brings together the exact community that needs to see the bridge between generative modeling and high-stakes decision-making for real-world applications,\u201d Wang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPresenting Diffusion-DFL allows us to challenge the traditional training framework of diffusion models. It\u2019s about sparking a broader conversation on how we can align the training objectives of generative AI directly with actual, downstream decision-making needs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGenerative artificial intelligence (AI) is best known for creating images and text. Now, it is helping industries make better planning decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have created a new AI model for decision-focused learning (DFL), called Diffusion-DFL. Recent tests showed it makes more accurate decisions than current approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with optimizing industrial output, Diffusion-DFL lowers costs and reduces risk. Experiments also showed it performs across different fields.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2510.11590\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffusion-DFL\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E doesn\u2019t just surpass current methods; it also predicts more accurately as problem sizes grow. The model requires less computing power despite these high-performance marks, making it more accessible to smaller enterprises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiffusion-DFL runs on diffusion models, the same technology that powers DALL-E and other AI image generators. It is the first DFL framework based on diffusion models.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed Diffusion-DFL, the first decision-focused learning model built on diffusion AI technology. It uses the same engineering behind image generators to help industries make more accurate, lower-cost planning decisions."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-04-21 17:35:24","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 17:40:39","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680015":{"id":"680015","type":"image","title":"Diffusion-DFL-Head-Image.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776792936","gmt_created":"2026-04-21 17:35:36","changed":"1776792936","gmt_changed":"2026-04-21 17:35:36","alt":"ICLR 2026 Diffusion-DFL","file":{"fid":"264248","name":"Diffusion-DFL-Head-Image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/Diffusion-DFL-Head-Image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/Diffusion-DFL-Head-Image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":117435,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/21\/Diffusion-DFL-Head-Image.jpg?itok=2myOXxFR"}}},"media_ids":["680015"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/vision-ai-models-improve-decision-making-manufacturing-energy-and-finance","title":"Vision AI Models Improve Decision Making in Manufacturing, Energy, and Finance"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"181689","name":"Institute for Data Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"194384","name":"Tech AI"},{"id":"7850","name":"EVPR"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689913":{"#nid":"689913","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Paradox of Familiarity: Karthik Ramachandran Shows How Team Dynamics Shape Product Success","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPioneering development teams behind innovative products like the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer and SpaceX\u2019s reusable Falcon 9 rocket rely on complex interdisciplinary collaboration among engineers, designers, and project managers. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/ramachandran\/index.html?_gl=1*vdwq98*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQxMjI3NzYwOC4xNzc2Nzg3ODA5*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3NzY3ODc4MDgkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3ODc4MTkkajQ5JGwwJGgyODY5NjQ4NDM.\u0022\u003EKarthik Ramachandran\u003C\/a\u003E, Dunn Family Professor of Operations Management, knows that breakthrough products often don\u2019t emerge from the solitary efforts of a lone genius. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a new research article, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3000522\u0022\u003EHelp or Hindrance? The Role of Familiarity in Product Development Teams,\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d Ramachandran and his co-authors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sc.edu\/study\/colleges_schools\/moore\/directory\/tereyagoglu_necati.php\u0022\u003ENecati Tereyagoglu\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/muratunalphd\/\u0022\u003EMurat Unal\u003C\/a\u003E, show the crucial role familiarity plays in team dynamics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery creative organization deals with a fundamental tension,\u201d Ramachandran said. \u201cPeople love working with teammates they know well, but innovation often depends on fresh perspectives.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is a lot to be said about familiarity. Famously, it breeds contempt. Previous studies have shown that repeat collaboration helps teams execute smoothly. But smooth operations don\u2019t always translate to commercial success. Ramachandran\u2019s research shows that it can breed a different kind of trouble \u2014 an environment free from friction, debate, and novelty. Those conditions may be comfortable, but they don\u2019t help creativity thrive. Video game development, it turns out, provides the perfect setting for productive tension.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cVideo games require both bold creative ideas and flawless execution,\u201d Ramachandran shared. \u201cThey blend art, engineering, storytelling, and software into a single product. We were curious about how familiarity impacts team dynamics within this industry. When does it help and when does it quietly get in the way?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/when-familiarity-hurts-innovation-karthik-ramachandran.html?_gl=1*grzkgs*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQxMjI3NzYwOC4xNzc2Nzg3ODA5*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3NzY3ODc4MDgkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3ODc4MTMkajU1JGwwJGgyODY5NjQ4NDM.\u0022\u003ERead More\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKarthik Ramachandran, Dunn Family Professor of Operations Management, offers a smarter way to design product development teams, showing that familiarity can either fuel flawless execution or quietly stifle creativity.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Karthik Ramachandran, Dunn Family Professor of Operations Management, offers a smarter way to design product development teams"}],"uid":"36730","created_gmt":"2026-04-21 16:16:46","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 16:24:51","author":"klowe36","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680013":{"id":"680013","type":"image","title":"Karthik Ramachandran","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKarthik Ramachandran, Dunn Family Professor, Operations Management\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776787973","gmt_created":"2026-04-21 16:12:53","changed":"1776788107","gmt_changed":"2026-04-21 16:15:07","alt":"Karthik Ramachandran smiles in a navy suit coat","file":{"fid":"264246","name":"karthik-ramachandran.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/karthik-ramachandran.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/21\/karthik-ramachandran.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":313116,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/21\/karthik-ramachandran.jpg?itok=tjle4QaL"}}},"media_ids":["680013"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/when-familiarity-hurts-innovation-karthik-ramachandran.html?_gl=1*grzkgs*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQxMjI3NzYwOC4xNzc2Nzg3ODA5*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3NzY3ODc4MDgkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3ODc4MTMkajU1JGwwJGgyODY5NjQ4NDM.","title":"Read More"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176908","name":"Operations Managment"},{"id":"43101","name":"Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business"},{"id":"182247","name":"team dynamics"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kristin.lowe@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689835":{"#nid":"689835","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI is Reengineering Drug Discovery by Speeding Up Testing and Scanning Petabytes of Data for Connections Between\u00a0Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI\u2019s revolutionary role in drug discovery and development.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience and technology editor \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/eric-smalley-944964\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEric Smalley\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E interviewed \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/jeffrey-skolnick\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, eminent scholar in computational systems biology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medschool.vanderbilt.edu\/pharmacology\/person\/ben-brown\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBenjamin P. Brown\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESkolnick has developed AI-based approaches to predict protein structure and function that may help with drug discovery and finding off-label uses of existing drugs. Brown\u2019s lab works on creating new computer models that make drug discovery faster and more reliable. Below is a condensed and edited version of the interview.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELet\u2019s start with the big picture. How is AI changing biomedical research and drug discovery, and what is the potential we are talking about?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkolnick:\u003C\/strong\u003E The upside, potentially, is very large. One of the frustrating things about drug discovery is that, in spite of the fact that the people doing it are extraordinarily intelligent and have done an extraordinarily good job, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.apsb.2022.02.002\u0022\u003Ethe success rate is very low\u003C\/a\u003E. About \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.apsb.2022.02.002\u0022\u003E1 in 5\u003C\/a\u003E drugs will have negative health effects that outweigh its benefits. Of the ones that pass, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.apsb.2022.02.002\u0022\u003Eroughly half don\u2019t work\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn drug development, there are several key issues: Can you predict which target is driving a particular disease? Once this target is identified, how can you guarantee the drug is going to work and isn\u2019t simultaneously going to kill you?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are outstanding problems in drug discovery in which AI can play an important, though not 100% guaranteed, role. Unlike us, AI can look at basically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/nsr\/article\/12\/5\/nwaf050\/8029900\u0022\u003Eall available knowledge\u003C\/a\u003E. On a good day it makes strong and true connections called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/bs.adcom.2023.02.001\u0022\u003Einsights\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d and on a bad day it does what is called \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-are-ai-hallucinations-why-ais-sometimes-make-things-up-242896\u0022\u003Ehallucinating\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d and sees things that are weak and probably false.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\u0022440\u0022 height=\u0022260\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lHC_9x3IXZ0?wmode=transparent\u0026amp;start=0\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EEric Smalley interviews Jeffrey Skolnick and Benjamin P. Brown.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the day, many diseases do not have a cure. Most diseases are maintained, such as high cholesterol or autoimmune conditions. A treatment for cancer might buy you five years, and now you\u2019re in Stage 4 and you\u2019ve exhausted all the standard care drugs. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ph16060891\u0022\u003EAI can play a role\u003C\/a\u003E to suggest alternatives where there are none.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELet\u2019s give some basic definitions here. When we use the word drug, we\u2019re talking about a wide range of therapies. Can you explain the range \u2013 we\u2019ve got small molecule drugs, biologics, gene therapies, cell therapies.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown:\u003C\/strong\u003E We have fairly large molecules in our bodies called proteins. They are like machines that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26911\/\u0022\u003Ecarry out specific functions\u003C\/a\u003E and interact with one another. Oftentimes, when we\u2019re trying to treat disease, we\u2019re trying to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/mco2.261\u0022\u003Ealter functions of specific proteins\u003C\/a\u003E. Many drugs, like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0049-3848(03)00379-7\u0022\u003Easpirin\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/317517\u0022\u003ETylenol\u003C\/a\u003E, are small molecules that can fit into a protein and change its function. Fundamentally, drugs don\u2019t have to just interact with proteins, but this is a major way in which our current repertoire of medications work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are also proteins that act like drugs, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/imr.13387\u0022\u003Eantibodies\u003C\/a\u003E. When you receive a vaccine for a virus, your body is basically given \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/B978-0-12-802174-3.00002-3\u0022\u003Einstructions on how to develop antibodies\u003C\/a\u003E. These antibodies will target some part of that virus. Your body is creating these big molecules, much bigger than aspirin, to go and interact with foreign proteins in a different way. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1590\/S1679-45082017RB4024\u0022\u003EGene therapy\u003C\/a\u003E is a larger step beyond that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo these modalities \u2013 molecule, protein, antibody or gene \u2013 are very different types of molecules. They have different scales and rules, so the way you approach designing and discovering them various widely.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you briefly explain artificial neural networks, and what the \u201cdeep\u201d in deep learning means?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkolnick:\u003C\/strong\u003E AlphaFold, developed by DeepMind, involved understanding how neural networks worked. They built a network with a lot of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/diagnostics13152582\u0022\u003Einputs, which are stimuli, and outputs with different weights\u003C\/a\u003E, similar to how your brain actually works. These simple connections, or neurons, have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-reinforcement-learning-an-ai-researcher-explains-a-key-method-of-teaching-machines-and-how-it-relates-to-training-your-dog-251887\u0022\u003Ereinforcement learning\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also created sophisticated neural networks, such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2219150120\u0022\u003Etransformers, which do specific things\u003C\/a\u003E like a special-purpose tool that can learn, and they added a mechanism called \u201cattention,\u201d which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.inffus.2024.102417\u0022\u003Eamplifies critical details\u003C\/a\u003E. Super neural networks with transformers is what we call deep learning. These now have literally billions, if not trillions, of parameters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEssentially, these machines \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.52202\/079017-2495\u0022\u003Ecan learn higher order correlations between events\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning the patterns of conditional interactions that depend on the properties of multiple things simultaneously. In these higher order correlations, AI has the potential to see previously unknown things that are embedded in petabytes (a unit of data equivalent to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eecis.udel.edu\/%7Eamer\/Table-Kilo-Mega-Giga---YottaBytes.html\u0022\u003Ehalf of the contents of all U.S. academic research libraries\u003C\/a\u003E of biological data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlphaFold, which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/14789450.2025.2456046\u0022\u003Epredicts three-dimensional, bioactive forms of a protein\u003C\/a\u003E, has millions of sequences and a couple of hundred thousand structures. It can tell you, based on a particular pattern, what \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijms26146807\u0022\u003Esmall molecule to design\u003C\/a\u003E that sticks to a protein to induce some kind of structural shift.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow is this technology being used in biomedical research to understand molecular dynamics or, essentially, the biological processes involved in health and disease?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrown:\u003C\/strong\u003E In 2013, there was a Nobel Prize for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.str.2013.11.005\u0022\u003Emolecular dynamics simulations\u003C\/a\u003E, computational tools that help you understand the motions of molecules as they move according to physics. There\u2019s a huge body of scientific research built around those ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI and deep learning are large right now, but it\u2019s worth mentioning that for the last decade and a half, people have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nchembio.576\u0022\u003Eusing much smaller machine learning algorithms\u003C\/a\u003E to help design drugs. A lot of the ideas, such as [using machine learning for virtual screening], are not new and have been in practice for a while.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith AlphaFold\u2019s technologies to help people design proteins and predict their structure, we\u2019ve changed how we think about a lot of these problems. We have this \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.omtn.2024.102295\u0022\u003Enew repertoire of approaches\u003C\/a\u003E to build ideas around and to start thinking about drug discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom 20 years ago to now, what has today\u2019s AI technology done in terms of scale of change in this process?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESkolnick:\u003C\/strong\u003E A lot of diseases, like cancers, are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15430\/JCP.2018.23.4.153\u0022\u003Ecaused by a collection of malfunctioning proteins\u003C\/a\u003E. AI now allows us to start to think conceptually about how these diseases are organized and related to each other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiseases tend to co-occur. For example, if you have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fendo.2024.1354372\u0022\u003Ehyperthyroidism, you\u2019re very likely to develop Alzheimer\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E. Kind of weird, right? We can look at pieces, but AI can look at all the information, integrate the collective behavior and then identify common drivers. This allows you to construct disease interrelationships which offer the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adtp.202300332\u0022\u003Epossibility of broad spectrum treatments\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/nih-research-matters\/progress-toward-broad-spectrum-antiviral\u0022\u003Ecould treat whole collections of diseases\u003C\/a\u003E rather than narrow-spectrum treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERelatedly, AI also can help us \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/cpt.3153\u0022\u003Eunderstand disease trajectories\u003C\/a\u003E. Diseases that tend to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev-biodatasci-110123-041001\u0022\u003Eco-occur often present themselves consecutively\u003C\/a\u003E. You have disease 1, it gives you disease 2, then gives you disease 3. This suggests that if you go back to the root with disease 1, you may be able to stop a whole bunch of stuff. You can\u2019t analyze millions of trajectories and millions of data without a tool, so you couldn\u2019t do this before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis holds a lot of promise, but one also must be careful not to overpromise. It will help, it will accelerate, but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scienceopen.com\/hosted-document?doi=10.15212\/bioi-2025-0188\u0022\u003Eit is not a substitute yet for real experiments\u003C\/a\u003E, real clinical validation and trials.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/274693\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-is-reengineering-drug-discovery-by-speeding-up-testing-and-scanning-petabytes-of-data-for-connections-between-diseases-274693\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 15:55:09","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 00:35:09","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679992":{"id":"679992","type":"image","title":" AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery. gorodenkoff\/iStock via Getty Images ","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery. gorodenkoff\/iStock via Getty Images\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776442339","gmt_created":"2026-04-17 16:12:19","changed":"1776442339","gmt_changed":"2026-04-17 16:12:19","alt":" AI and machine learning provide new tools for scientists to think about drug discovery. gorodenkoff\/iStock via Getty Images ","file":{"fid":"264222","name":"file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2111750,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/17\/file-20260129-62-3xayw4-copy.jpg?itok=h8utD5AH"}}},"media_ids":["679992"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ai-is-reengineering-drug-discovery-by-speeding-up-testing-and-scanning-petabytes-of-data-for-connections-between-diseases-274693","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jeffrey-skolnick-2581183\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u0027 Professor; Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair, and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/benjamin-p-brown-2581181\u0022\u003EBenjamin P. Brown\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/vanderbilt-university-1293\u0022\u003EVanderbilt University\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689352":{"#nid":"689352","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Develop First Genetic Passcode Lock to Protect Valuable DNA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Homeland Security, and other authorities have flagged a record number of unauthorized shipments of biological materials. At the same time, global intelligence communities have identified numerous attempts to smuggle sensitive biological samples in efforts of industrial theft or espionage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA small vial of genetically engineered cells can contain multiple millions of dollars\u2019 worth of intellectual property and require several years of work to develop,\u201d said Corey Wilson, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EChBE\u003C\/a\u003E). \u201cAccordingly, the protection of high-value engineered cell lines has become critically important to the biotechnology industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wilson.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWilson\u003C\/a\u003E and his research team have published their findings in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E demonstrating the effectiveness of their new biological security technology, known as GeneLock\u2122, in protecting high-value engineered cell lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeneLock is a cybersecurity-inspired technology that protects valuable genetic material directly at the DNA level. To demonstrate its strength, Wilson\u2019s team conducted what they describe as a first-of-its-kind biohackathon, detailed in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeb8556\u0022\u003Enew paper\u003C\/a\u003E, to simulate unauthorized access.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeneLock greatly improves our ability to protect high-value engineered cell lines by expanding security from the lab environment to the genetic level,\u201d Wilson said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomic Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat are the stakes? Estimates place the global market for high-value genetic materials at more than $1.5 trillion, projected to reach $8 trillion by 2035. The use of these materials ranges from advanced medicines and proprietary research enzymes to specialty chemicals and sustainable materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, the protection of high-value cell lines depends on physical safeguards such as restricted lab access and secure facilities, Wilson explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe key weakness of physical security measures is once circumvented, there are typically no measures in place to protect valuable cells from theft, abuse, or unauthorized use,\u201d Wilson said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnce a sample leaves the building, the DNA it carries typically remains fully functional. This is like placing an unlocked cellphone in a desk drawer. Anyone who gains access to the drawer can view sensitive content on the phone\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u2014or in this case will have full access to the valuable cell line.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGenetic Passcode Protection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GeneLock biological security technology developed by Wilson and his team places a passcode on engineered cells, akin to those used on ATM machines and protected cellphones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of leaving a valuable gene in readable form, the team scrambles the DNA sequence of interest. The scrambled genetic asset remains in a nonfunctional state unless the living cell where it resides receives the correct sequence of chemical inputs. Those inputs act as a molecular passcode.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnly the right combination, delivered in the right order, rearranges the DNA into a working form,\u201d Wilson said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBiohackathon Security Test\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the technology, the researchers organized a blue team and a red team in what they describe as an ethical biohackathon. The blue team designed the encrypted DNA sequence, while the red team was challenged to discover the correct chemical passcode through experimentation in a gray box exercise, meaning the red team had partial knowledge of the system but did not have access to the internal designs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis approach for testing security strength is commonly used in cybersecurity,\u201d Wilson explained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe blue team engineered the system inside \u003Cem\u003EEscherichia coli\u003C\/em\u003E, or \u003Cem\u003EE. coli\u003C\/em\u003E, a bacterium widely used in biotechnology. The protected asset was a fluorescent protein gene selected as a measurable stand-in for commercially valuable targets. When the correct chemical sequence was applied, the fluorescence turned on. Without the correct passcode, the gene remained scrambled and the cells could not fluoresce green.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn practice, most DNA sequences produce valuable proteins or chemicals that are essentially invisible to the human eye, requiring specialized devices or experiments to observe,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIf the biohackathon were conducted with a standard commercially valuable target, the penetration testing would have taken more than 10 times longer to complete, years instead of months.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe biohackathon results showed a dramatic reduction in risk. GeneLock reduced the probability of unlocking the genetic asset by random search to about 1 in 85,000 (a 0.001% chance), assuming the unauthorized user had access to the required chemical inputs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithout access to those inputs, \u201cthe likelihood of success by chance becomes effectively negligible,\u201d said Dowan Kim (Georgia Tech PhD 2024), co-lead author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommercial Uses and What\u2019s Next\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the researchers used a non-commercial fluorescent protein as a test case, the implications extend much further. Many biotechnology companies rely on proprietary engineered strains. New England Biolabs, for example, produces more than 265 non-disclosed enzymes in E. coli, each representing a high-value cell line.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProtein-based drugs are also manufactured in living cells, and proprietary metabolic pathways are used to produce specialty chemicals, bioplastics, and high-value ingredients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn each case, the genetic blueprint inside the cell represents intellectual property that can be protected by our technology,\u201d said Ishita Kumar, a PhD candidate in ChBE and co-lead author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the team\u2019s current focus is on protecting intellectual property in the form of high-value cells, future iterations aim to strengthen biological security more broadly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are currently developing protection measures to mitigate unauthorized use or release of sensitive cell lines that can be potentially hazardous to human health or the environment,\u201d Wilson said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs it stands, GeneLock represents an important shift in biological security, enabling, for the first time, protection of valuable cells at the genetic level, even after physical security measures have been bypassed,\u201d he added.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work is already moving toward commercialization. The team filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in February 2026 and is forming a company to deploy the technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was funded by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award\/?AWD_ID=2319231\u0022\u003Egrant\u003C\/a\u003E from the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDowan Kim, Ishita Kumar, Mohamed Hassan, Luisa F. Barraza-Vergara, Christopher A. Voigt, and Corey J. Wilson, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeb8556\u0022\u003EProtecting cells at the genetic level and simulating unauthorized access via a biohackathon\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d Science Advances, 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New System Strengthens Security for the Biotech Industry"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeneLock is a cybersecurity-inspired technology that protects valuable genetic material directly at the DNA level. To demonstrate its strength, the rearches conducted what they describe as a first-of-its-kind biohackathon to simulate unauthorized access.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Research published in Science Advances demonstrated the effectiveness of this technology in protecting high-value engineered cell lines."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2026-04-01 17:57:53","changed_gmt":"2026-04-20 17:30:15","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679818":{"id":"679818","type":"image","title":"Wilsonresearchteam.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch team members Ishita Kumar,\u0026nbsp;Corey Wilson,\u0026nbsp;and Luisa F. Barraza-Vergara\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775066280","gmt_created":"2026-04-01 17:58:00","changed":"1775066280","gmt_changed":"2026-04-01 17:58:00","alt":"Research team members Ishita Kumar, Corey Wilson, and Luisa F. Barraza-Vergara","file":{"fid":"264022","name":"Wilsonresearchteam.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/Wilsonresearchteam.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/Wilsonresearchteam.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2729628,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/01\/Wilsonresearchteam.jpg?itok=uDoLEes8"}},"679819":{"id":"679819","type":"image","title":"biohackathon.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETo evaluate the GeneLock technology, the researchers organized a blue team and a red team into a biohackathon.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775066327","gmt_created":"2026-04-01 17:58:47","changed":"1775066327","gmt_changed":"2026-04-01 17:58:47","alt":"To evaluate the GeneLock technology, the researchers organized a blue team and a red team into a biohackathon.","file":{"fid":"264023","name":"biohackathon.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/biohackathon.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/biohackathon.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":91942,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/01\/biohackathon.jpg?itok=PdOgnWMg"}}},"media_ids":["679818","679819"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"175579","name":"biotech industry"},{"id":"3031","name":"genetic"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"175113","name":"biosecurity"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689586":{"#nid":"689586","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computing Associate Dean Cultivates Innovation With CREATE-X","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun joined Georgia Tech, his teaching followed a familiar cadence. His courses were highly structured and consistent. Lectures, exams, office hours, and semester breaks were always known months in advance. The goals were clear, the outcomes known, and the educational journey largely mapped. Then, he heard about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/createx.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Spark of Curiosity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017, faculty conversations began circulating about a new kind of capstone experience, one driven by student discovery and entrepreneurial thinking rather than predetermined client requirements. The idea intrigued Omojokun.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI remember thinking, this is really different from anything I\u2019ve ever taught,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his previous courses, Omojokun took pride in providing the structured, rigorous framework students needed to master complex concepts. While those interactions were dynamic, the curriculum required a specific, focused trajectory. CREATE-X offered a different kind of challenge: the \u0022X\u0022 of the program, representing undefined, endless potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCREATE-X is full of unknowns. You don\u2019t know what industry the students are diving into, what roadblocks they\u2019ll run into and navigate out of, or what small- to large-scale successes they\u2019ll achieve throughout the semester. It really had my blood pumping,\u201d he said. As someone who loves the challenge of academia, it was an invigorating way to help the next generation apply what they\u2019ve learned in a new context.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOmojokun co-taught the first CREATE-X Capstone section with College of Computing students in fall 2018 alongside Craig Forest, associate director of the Invention Studio. While the initial computer science cohort was small, the experience was immediately powerful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was humble beginnings but deeply eye-opening,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this new environment, students weren\u0027t just solving problems; they were seeking them and sometimes pivoting. Traditional client-driven capstones offer students invaluable experiences in delivering high-quality products, responding to clients\u2019 often evolving needs, and adhering to professional standards. CREATE-X added a layer of venture-validation, requiring students to identify a gap in the market and build something with commercial viability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the semesters continued, CREATE-X grew from a program with an interesting capstone course Omojokun enthusiastically co-taught to a professional inflection point for him. He found himself talking about it frequently, with colleagues, with students, even with prospective undergraduates who may not see a capstone for years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe began encouraging prospective and incoming students to take CREATE-X pathways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would tell students, down to first-year students, when you get that opportunity to engage with CREATE-X, take it. You don\u2019t even have to wait until capstone, as there are multiple pathways; in fact, Startup Lab has no prerequisites. Whatever path you take, you\u2019ll remember it for years to come. Whether you officially take a problem solution to market or not, the entrepreneurial confidence gained is priceless.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESpreading CREATE-X Into the College of Computing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy 2020, when the first Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship cohort opened, applying felt natural. He had already become an unofficial ambassador for CREATE-X, helping students navigate options, promoting programs in classes, and rallying colleagues to engage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was an opportunity to become more connected to this thing that I felt was changing the game on campus,\u201d he said. \u201cIt cemented my affiliation with CREATE-X.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fellowship gave name and weight to the work he was already doing, while also expanding what was possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship provides faculty with $15,000 in discretionary funding, which can support a one-semester break from teaching, along with structured training in evidence\u2011based entrepreneurship, dedicated mentorship, and the opportunity to work closely with students launching startups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fellowship also equips faculty to become entrepreneurial instructors and mentors through the CREATE\u2011X ecosystem, giving them tools to integrate entrepreneurship into their coursework and curricula. Each cohort of fellows is trained to embed entrepreneurial methods, develop new innovation\u2011focused assignments, and serve as advisors within programs like Startup Lab, Idea\u2011to\u2011Prototype, and Startup Launch.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor faculty across Georgia Tech, the fellowship offers something rare: institutional backing, resources, and formal recognition for bringing entrepreneurship into their teaching and shaping how students learn to become problem\u2011solvers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOmojokun said he sees CREATE-X as the apex of applying technical fundamentals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the fellowship, Omojokun brought the program\u2019s ethos into his courses, even a foundational course like CS 1331: Introduction to Object Oriented Programming, where he created a CREATE-X\u2013branded final project. Students built a \u201cproblem database\u201d application as their final homework assignment, cataloging real issues they encountered in daily life, assessing their skills to solve them, evaluating markets and metrics, and then deciding potential pathways forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s an innovation diary,\u201d he said. \u201cA tool that can get them closer to thinking like a founder.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe response from students, including many non-computing majors who take his section each semester, has been overwhelmingly positive. While the project is challenging, the open-ended nature and real-world relevance motivate deeper engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen students believe their work will solve a meaningful problem for a meaningful population, they bring passion to it,\u201d he said. \u201cThey start observing the world differently.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe more Omojokun saw, the deeper his enthusiasm grew.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EShaping the College of Computing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven as he stepped into the role of inaugural chair of the School of Computing Instruction in 2022, CREATE-X remained at the forefront of Omojokun\u2019s conversations. Interest in the program continued to grow significantly. Students stopped him in the hallways to talk about their ideas. Faculty reached out to ask about mentorship opportunities. And he continued championing the program in the many settings he entered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt turns out that the most engaged group of students in CREATE-X is computing undergraduates,\u201d Omojokun said. \u201cI wanted to make sure that high involvement continued, no matter what size we are,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver time, Omojokun strengthened the partnership between the College of Computing and CREATE-X, weaving entrepreneurship deeper into the College\u0027s curricular fabric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast January, Omojokun was appointed as the associate dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Computing. One of his priorities was highlighting CREATE-X\u2019s curricular impact. In coordination with key stakeholders \u2014 including Kelly Ann Fitzpatrick (computing), Craig Forest (mechanical engineering), and Raul Saxena (CREATE-X) \u2014 he nominated the program for the ABET Innovation Award. \u0026nbsp;The award honors programs that challenge the status quo in technical education and demonstrate a measurable impact on student learning in ABET-accredited disciplines, such as natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. CREATE-X won.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe CREATE-X Advantage With Faculty\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen faculty are considering something like the Jim Pope Fellowship, Omojokun said the biggest barrier he hears about from them is time. With courses that can enroll 300 students per section and extensive responsibilities beyond the classroom, time is a scarce resource.\u003Cbr\u003EHe could relate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are always lots of things on my physical and virtual desktop. I always warn people before they enter my office,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, Omojokun argued that participating in the fellowship program was time well spent because it helps them rediscover the most exciting parts of teaching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s worth the time. One of the goals of teaching is to see students passionate about what they\u2019re learning, and CREATE-X makes that happen consistently,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Future With Technology\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI reshapes industries, Omojokun believes that CREATE-X equips students to navigate the unknown and forge new paths as existing ones shift, providing a versatile skill set that transfers to employment, potentially self-employment, and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of uncertainty with AI in the workspace, but CREATE-X gives students the confidence and skills to succeed at whatever comes,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are putting students through this process of finding a problem that\u2019s meaningful and matters to the world; mastering that allows them to lead in any environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EApplications Now Open: Become a Jim Pope Faculty Fellow\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8cOnwIrm4eKEh9Q\u0022\u003E2026 Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E is now accepting applications. For faculty who want to explore integrating entrepreneurship into their teaching, mentoring student founders, and helping shape a culture of innovation across campus, this fellowship offers resources and a supported pathway to begin. Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8cOnwIrm4eKEh9Q\u0022\u003Eapply to the Jim Pope Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E. Priority deadline: July 1; final deadline: Aug. 11.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun first encountered CREATE\u2011X, it challenged the highly structured teaching model he was accustomed to by centering learning around uncertainty, discovery, and entrepreneurial problem\u2011finding. As a faculty member, Jim Pope Faculty Fellow, and now associate dean in the College of Computing, he has championed CREATE\u2011X as a powerful way to help students apply technical fundamentals in unpredictable, real\u2011world contexts. Through initiatives like CREATE\u2011X\u2013inspired course projects and cross\u2011college partnerships, Omojokun has helped embed entrepreneurship more deeply into computing education at Georgia Tech. He believes programs like CREATE\u2011X are essential in preparing students to adapt, lead, and innovate in a future increasingly shaped by emerging technologies such as AI.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun, Georgia Tech associate dean in the College of Computing, found new energy in teaching through CREATE\u2011X, where open\u2011ended entrepreneurship equips students to confidently navigate uncertainty and solve real\u2011world problems."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:46:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-17 16:21:57","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679902":{"id":"679902","type":"image","title":" Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun Associate Dean ","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EOlufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun, associate dean in Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1775741406","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 13:30:06","changed":"1775742590","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 13:49:50","alt":" Olufisayo \u201cFisayo\u201d Omojokun, associate dean in Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing","file":{"fid":"264123","name":"FisayoCloseUp-23-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/FisayoCloseUp-23-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/FisayoCloseUp-23-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":477042,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/FisayoCloseUp-23-.png?itok=3qsEriy1"}}},"media_ids":["679902"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_8cOnwIrm4eKEh9Q","title":"2026 Jim Pope Faculty Fellowship "}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:breanna.durham@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689825":{"#nid":"689825","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ISyE Student, Faculty Help Georgia Tech Take First at IEEE MagNet Challenge","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn interdisciplinary team that included graduate student \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/dongmin-li\u0022\u003EDongmin Li\u003C\/a\u003E from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) earned first place at the prestigious \u003Cstrong\u003EIEEE Power Electronics Society 2025 MagNet Challenge\u003C\/strong\u003E, outpacing 39 teams from around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELi worked alongside ISyE Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/xiaochen-xian\u0022\u003EXiaochen Xian\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Assistant Professor Baoyun Ge, ECE graduate students Piyush Chauhan and Yuanhao Mo, and Le Chang, an engineer from General Motors. The team was honored for its innovative approach to modeling magnetic systems, an area critical to the performance and efficiency of modern power electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MagNet Challenge tasks student teams with developing advanced software algorithms that learn from existing training data and accurately predict magnetic behavior in previously unseen materials and operating conditions. Competitors are evaluated on both modeling accuracy and robustness, with applications spanning electric vehicles, power converters, motors, and transformers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on engineering principles in modeling, optimization, and data-informed decision-making, the team developed a physics\u2011informed prediction model based on mechanical analogies for magnetic systems. The approach allowed the model to explicitly capture complex nonlinear effects, including saturation, hysteresis, eddy currents, and displacement currents, that have long challenged engineers and researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir model significantly reduced prediction errors across five different testing materials, operating over a wide range of switching frequencies (from 50 kHz to 800 kHz) and temperatures between 25\u00b0C and 70\u00b0C, outperforming all other competitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project spanned 10 months, beginning in March 2025, and reflects ISyE\u2019s growing role in tackling complex, interdisciplinary engineering challenges through advanced modeling and data-driven methods. The team has since submitted two provisional patents related to the technology developed during the competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe award was formally presented at the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference on March 24, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. Hosted by Princeton University and Dartmouth College, the MagNet Challenge was sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society along with industry leaders including Nvidia, Texas Instruments, W\u00fcrth Elektronik, ITG Electronics, and pSemi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor ISyE, the win highlights the impact of its students and faculty in shaping next-generation solutions at the intersection of systems engineering, computation, and emerging energy technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EAn interdisciplinary Georgia Tech team including an ISyE graduate student and faculty member earned first place at the IEEE Power Electronics Society 2025 MagNet Challenge, a global competition focused on advancing magnetic modeling.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An ISyE\u2011represented Georgia Tech team took first place at the IEEE Power Electronics Society 2025 MagNet Challenge for work addressing a major bottleneck in power electronics."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 14:29:23","changed_gmt":"2026-04-17 14:30:54","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679988":{"id":"679988","type":"image","title":"IEEE MagNet Challenge Winners","body":null,"created":"1776436172","gmt_created":"2026-04-17 14:29:32","changed":"1776436172","gmt_changed":"2026-04-17 14:29:32","alt":"IEEE MagNet Challenge Winners","file":{"fid":"264217","name":"magnet.jpg.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/magnet.jpg.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/17\/magnet.jpg.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8217713,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/17\/magnet.jpg.jpeg?itok=ICcRpO8R"}}},"media_ids":["679988"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689627":{"#nid":"689627","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engineering a Faster Path to Life-Saving Therapies ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Mason Chilmonczyk, M.S. ME 2017, Ph.D. ME 2020, arrived at Georgia Tech to pursue graduate degrees in mechanical engineering, his goal was to become a professor. Instead, an unexpected turn in his research led him to entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, he is the chief executive officer of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/andsonbiotech.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndson Biotech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a growing biotools startup he co-founded with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate chair for graduate studies and the Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The company is commercializing a breakthrough technology Chilmonczyk developed during his doctoral research that simplifies the development and production of cell and gene therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/engineering-faster-path-life-saving-therapies\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Mason Chilmonczyk, M.S. ME 2017, Ph.D. ME 2020, arrived at Georgia Tech to pursue graduate degrees in mechanical engineering, his goal was to become a professor. Instead, an unexpected turn in his research led him to entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, he is the chief executive officer of Andson Biotech, a growing biotools startup he co-founded with Andrei Fedorov, associate chair for graduate studies and the Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. The company is commercializing a breakthrough technology Chilmonczyk developed during his doctoral research that simplifies the development and production of cell and gene therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"When Mason Chilmonczyk, M.S. ME 2017, Ph.D. ME 2020, arrived at Georgia Tech to pursue graduate degrees in mechanical engineering, his goal was to become a professor. Instead, an unexpected turn in his research led him to entrepreneurship."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 17:59:06","changed_gmt":"2026-04-16 21:03:57","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679913":{"id":"679913","type":"image","title":"Andson_Lab-10.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775843960","gmt_created":"2026-04-10 17:59:20","changed":"1775843960","gmt_changed":"2026-04-10 17:59:20","alt":"Andson Lab","file":{"fid":"264134","name":"Andson_Lab-10.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/Andson_Lab-10.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/Andson_Lab-10.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":25805113,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/10\/Andson_Lab-10.jpg?itok=U1fdQpjq"}}},"media_ids":["679913"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"},{"id":"192930","name":"gt-commercializationnews"},{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689753":{"#nid":"689753","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Selected for Upcoming EcoCAR Challenge  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students will once again take part in a national competition that connects them directly with automotive industry leaders to develop the next generation of mobility innovations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the fourth consecutive cycle, Georgia Tech has been selected to participate in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition\u2019s EcoCAR Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, Stellantis, MathWorks, and other industry partners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is among 20 universities chosen for the four-year competition, which challenges students to apply emerging technologies \u2014 including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and exascale computing \u2014 to create intelligent mobility solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute is one of 10 schools competing on the General Motors track and has been provided a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer EV. During the cycle, the team will modify the vehicle\u2019s propulsion system to optimize efficiency and design connected and automated vehicle technologies without sacrificing safety or driving dynamics, closely mirroring industry goals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecruitment for the competition will begin this spring, following the conclusion of the current cycle, which culminates in final competition events in Detroit in late May.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMade up of more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students from six of Georgia Tech\u2019s Colleges, the team reflects what faculty advisor Antonia Antoniou believes is the essence of the competition. Antoniou is a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have students represented from all over campus, and they have risen to meet every challenge,\u201d she said. \u201cThey work together to optimize, design, and execute these tasks. Everything you can think of that we do at Georgia Tech happens while we\u0027re working on this car \u2014 from engineering and design of hardware and software to communications.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross six subteams, EcoCAR members have transformed a Cadillac LYRIQ EV to include new motors, a selectable drivetrain, and automated driving features. After testing the vehicle in environments ranging from Georgia Tech\u2019s Student Competition Center to the Arizona desert, the team has earned multiple second-place finishes at competitions and first-place awards for presentation skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntoniou, as well as David Taylor, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering who will enter his fifth cycle, will return for the latest challenge, and three new advisors will join the team, including Frank K. Webb Academic Professional Chair in Communication Skills in the Woodruff School Jill Fennell and associate professors Sam Coogan (ECE) and Shuman Xia (ME).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipation in the EcoCAR Challenge is paired with coursework through Georgia Tech\u2019s Vertically Integrated Projects program, allowing students to gain hands-on experience while earning academic credit. The technical training and real-world problem-solving skills developed through the program make the competition a valuable experience, said Mason Shackelford, subsystem design and integration lead. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of what you do on the job, you have to learn on the job, and that\u2019s what makes EcoCAR such a great opportunity,\u201d Shackelford said. \u201cYou learn something new every day; there is always a new challenge and the thrill of finding unique ways to solve them. You get to meet a lot of people, work on a great team, and apply what you learn in class.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEric Gustafson, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, has worked on the project for five years, beginning as an undergraduate at Georgia Tech. As he prepares to graduate and start his career at MathWorks, he said he cannot imagine his time at Tech without EcoCAR and encouraged more students to join the upcoming cycle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I look back in 15 years on what I did at Tech, all my memories will be of this competition,\u201d Gustafson said. \u201cTraveling to different testing sites \u2014 Austin, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Orlando \u2014 working with these amazing people, the 12-hour days. Those are going to be core memories forever.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor application information, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ecocar\/recruitment-info\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Evisit the EcoCAR VIP\u2019s website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The EcoCAR Challenge gives students hands-on experience developing real-world solutions for the automotive industry. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe EcoCAR Challenge gives students hands-on experience developing real-world solutions for the automotive industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The EcoCAR Challenge gives students hands-on experience developing real-world solutions for the automotive industry. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-14 19:06:46","changed_gmt":"2026-04-14 20:18:48","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679949":{"id":"679949","type":"image","title":"EcoCAR","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPhoto courtesy of EcoCAR Innovation Challenge\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776194341","gmt_created":"2026-04-14 19:19:01","changed":"1776194341","gmt_changed":"2026-04-14 19:19:01","alt":"EcoCAR","file":{"fid":"264174","name":"EcoCar-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/EcoCar-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/EcoCar-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11901428,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/14\/EcoCar-1.jpg?itok=oyxLcvMO"}}},"media_ids":["679949"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/strong-year-three-finish-sets-ecocar-team-final-push","title":"Strong Year Three Finish Sets Up EcoCAR Team for Final Push"},{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ecocar\/recruitment-info\/","title":"EcoCAR Team Website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2084","name":"EcoCAR"},{"id":"13885","name":"College of Engineering; ECE; ME; ChemE; EcoCAR challenge"},{"id":"8673","name":"General Motors"},{"id":"74791","name":"electric vehicle"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689734":{"#nid":"689734","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech, The Coca-Cola Company Finalizing Agreement on North Avenue Property","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology and The Coca-Cola Company are finalizing an agreement for the Institute to purchase property along North Avenue, strengthening Georgia Tech\u2019s capacity to educate students, advance research, and serve communities across Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoca-Cola, a neighbor to Georgia Tech since 1920, expects to sell a building and adjacent land in a transaction valued at $31.3 million. The company chose to work directly with Georgia Tech on the planned transaction, reflecting the long-standing relationship between the two organizations and a shared commitment to Atlanta\u2019s continued growth and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe expected sale includes a two-story brick building, part of Coca-Cola\u2019s holdings since 1988, and an adjoining two-acre park along North Avenue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis strategic addition to our core campus will support our growth in enrollment and research activity for years to come,\u201d said Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera. \u201cI appreciate our long relationship with The Coca-Cola Company that allowed us to pursue this opportunity as we continue to invest in our campus, our neighborhood, and Atlanta\u2019s innovation ecosystem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJames Quincey, Coca-Cola\u2019s executive chair and Georgia Tech\u2019s 2020 Commencement speaker, said the company wanted the property to continue contributing to Atlanta\u2019s innovation ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we decided this space was no longer needed for our corporate campus, our goal was to work with Georgia Tech, as this site offers a great opportunity for them to expand,\u201d Quincey said. \u201cCoca-Cola has a long legacy of involvement and partnership with Georgia Tech, and we are excited to see them redevelop this important area in Atlanta.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will evaluate how the property can best support academic, research, and student needs as part of its long-term campus planning efforts. The acquisition represents a strategic step in ensuring Georgia Tech has the space needed to educate future leaders and advance research that strengthens Georgia\u2019s economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute offers\u202fbusiness, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts,\u202fand 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout The Coca-Cola Company\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company\u2019s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference.\u0026nbsp;We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide.\u0026nbsp;Our portfolio\u0026nbsp;of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta.\u0026nbsp;Our water, sports, coffee, and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak, and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife, and Santa Clara. We\u2019re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people\u2019s lives, communities, and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices, and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.coca-colacompany.com\/\u0022\u003Ewww.coca-colacompany.com\u003C\/a\u003E and follow us on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thecocacolaco\/?hl=en\u0022\u003EInstagram\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheCocaColaCo\/\u0022\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-coca-cola-company\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology and The Coca\u2011Cola Company are finalizing an agreement for the Institute to purchase property along North Avenue, pending approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. The $31.3 million acquisition of the vacant Two Coca\u2011Cola Plaza building and adjacent park would expand Georgia Tech\u2019s campus footprint, strengthen connections to nearby Institute\u2011owned property, and support the Institute\u2019s long\u2011term capacity to educate students, advance research, and serve communities across Georgia.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The agreement expands capacity for education and research, building on a century-long relationship between two Atlanta mainstays."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-04-14 14:39:41","changed_gmt":"2026-04-14 19:37:00","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679941":{"id":"679941","type":"image","title":"ProjectMap_Final.png","body":null,"created":"1776177589","gmt_created":"2026-04-14 14:39:49","changed":"1776177589","gmt_changed":"2026-04-14 14:39:49","alt":"Map of the Coca cola property","file":{"fid":"264166","name":"ProjectMap_Final.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/ProjectMap_Final.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/ProjectMap_Final.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4017664,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/14\/ProjectMap_Final.png?itok=hEEWdvhT"}}},"media_ids":["679941"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"246","name":"Georgia Institute of Technology"},{"id":"195014","name":"The Coca\u2011Cola Company"},{"id":"2741","name":"coca-cola"},{"id":"195015","name":"North Avenue property"},{"id":"195016","name":"Atlanta campus expansion"},{"id":"195017","name":"property acquisition"},{"id":"195018","name":"real estate transaction"},{"id":"195019","name":"$31.3 million transaction"},{"id":"195020","name":"campus real estate deal"},{"id":"195021","name":"institutional land acquisition"},{"id":"489","name":"atlanta"},{"id":"166991","name":"midtown atlanta"},{"id":"12507","name":"North Avenue"},{"id":"342","name":"Georgia"},{"id":"195022","name":"core campus"},{"id":"195023","name":"two\u2011story brick building"},{"id":"195024","name":"two\u2011acre park"},{"id":"195025","name":"academic growth"},{"id":"195026","name":"research expansion"},{"id":"195027","name":"student needs"},{"id":"195028","name":"enrollment growth"},{"id":"195029","name":"long\u2011term campus planning"},{"id":"195030","name":"public research university"},{"id":"195031","name":"Atlanta innovation ecosystem"},{"id":"815","name":"economic development"},{"id":"195032","name":"university\u2011industry partnership"},{"id":"195033","name":"institutional investment"},{"id":"195034","name":"long\u2011standing partnership"},{"id":"195035","name":"corporate\u2013academic collaboration"},{"id":"189031","name":"Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera"},{"id":"195036","name":"Coca\u2011Cola Executive Chair James Quincey"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689748":{"#nid":"689748","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Research Shows East Coast Gateway Best Choice For Atlanta, Memphis And Nashville","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by researchers with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute\u003C\/a\u003E shows that the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gaports.com\/facilities\/port-of-savannah\/\u0022\u003EPort of Savannah\u003C\/a\u003E is the most cost-effective and reliable gateway for cargo destined for Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville. According to the research, shippers can save more than $1,000 per container by routing freight through Savannah instead of West Coast ports, when evaluating full end-to-end supply chain costs and transit reliability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study emphasizes that gateway decisions should not be based solely on ocean rates or sailing time. While trans-Pacific routes to the West Coast are shorter at sea, researchers found that congestion, cargo rehandling, and inland transportation complexity often introduce delays and variability. In contrast, Savannah\u0027s efficient port operations, on-terminal rail service, and direct interstate access help offset longer ocean voyages with faster inland movement and greater predictability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers analyzed vessel and inland transportation data from ten Asian ports to the three Southeastern markets. Their findings showed that Savannah\u0027s reliable port processing and inland logistics significantly reduce congestion exposure and transit variability, making it a more dependable gateway for shippers seeking consistent delivery performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was conducted by Georgia Tech faculty and PhD students at the Institute\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/picenter.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPhysical Internet Center\u003C\/a\u003E and reinforces previous Atlanta-focused research demonstrating similar benefits of East Coast routing. The findings support the growing role of the Port of Savannah as a strategic gateway for U.S. supply chains serving inland Southeast markets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERead the original press release from the Georgia Ports Authority here:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gaports.com\/press-releases\/georgia-tech-research-shows-east-coast-gateway-best-choice-for-atlanta-memphis-and-nashville\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech research shows East Coast gateway best choice for Atlanta, Memphis and Nashville\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have found that routing cargo through the Port of Savannah offers significant cost savings and more reliable transit for shipments bound for Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville, outperforming traditional West Coast gateways in total landed cost and consistency.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Independent study shows Savannah saves shippers $1,000 per container compared to West Coast ports."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-04-14 18:02:30","changed_gmt":"2026-04-14 18:11:05","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Savannah, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679945":{"id":"679945","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Research Shows East Coast Gateway Best Choice For Atlanta, Memphis And Nashville","body":null,"created":"1776188877","gmt_created":"2026-04-14 17:47:57","changed":"1776189100","gmt_changed":"2026-04-14 17:51:40","alt":"Railroad yard serving the Georgia Ports Authority with more than 6 railroad lanes with one engine towing a long line of intermodal containers.","file":{"fid":"264170","name":"260409-GPA-GA-Tech-Study-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/260409-GPA-GA-Tech-Study-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/260409-GPA-GA-Tech-Study-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":541590,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/14\/260409-GPA-GA-Tech-Study-.jpg?itok=RnLPxWpp"}}},"media_ids":["679945"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news\/scl-study-shows-savannah-beats-west-coast-cost-reliability-atlanta-cargo","title":"SCL Study Shows Savannah Beats West Coast on Cost, Reliability for Atlanta Cargo"}],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194848","name":"shipping costs"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003Einfo@scl.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689713":{"#nid":"689713","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Universities and U.K. Partners Strengthen Collaboration on Critical Minerals at GEMS\u20114 Symposium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn February, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;together with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiamining.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Mining Association\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/world\/organisations\/british-consulate-general-atlanta\u0022\u003EBritish Consulate\u2011General Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E, hosted the fourth Growing Partnerships for Essential Minerals (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGEMs\u20114\u003C\/a\u003E) workshop in Atlanta. The workshop built on a growing transatlantic partnership dedicated to advancing innovation across the critical minerals value chain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;two\u2011day event took place Feb. 4 \u2013 5, coinciding with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2026\/02\/2026-critical-minerals-ministerial\u0022\u003ECritical Minerals Ministerial\u003C\/a\u003E hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, which brought together more than 50 nations to strengthen and diversify global critical mineral supply chains. During this ministerial, U.K. Minister Seema Malhotra and U.S. Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg signed a Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding, strengthening bilateral cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom on critical mineral supply chains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese broad efforts are supported by White House Executive Order 14363, which defines the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/genesis.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E and aims to accelerate scientific discovery through AI. The order identifies critical minerals supply chain resilience as a national security imperative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Atlanta, these themes were brought to life in real time. The GEMs-4 workshop brought together researchers, policymakers, national labs, industry leaders, and workforce organizations from both the U.S. and the U.K. to address shared challenges in technology translation, permitting, investment, and talent development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe state of Georgia\u2019s integrated ecosystem, linking research universities, legacy industries, technical colleges, national labs, and public\u2011private partnerships, served as a case study. Presenters highlighted how existing industrial assets in the Southeast are being incorporated into emerging clean energy and critical minerals supply chains, offering a model for other regions seeking to build capabilities around extraction, processing, and manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA U.K. member of Parliament representing Cornwall, where the U.K. has lithium reserves and deep critical mineral expertise, joined the convening, as well as representatives from the U.K. Critical Mineral Association, Camborne School of Mines, and the University of Kent. Together, they explored opportunities and challenges, from a fundamental science to a commercialization perspective grounded in real-world experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe alignment between the ministerial in Washington and the expertise present in Atlanta demonstrated the value of state-level engagement and how national agreements translate into practical collaboration on the ground.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Southeast has the research depth, industrial footprint, and collaborative spirit needed to lead in critical minerals innovation,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute, and founding director of the Center for Critical Mineral Solutions at Georgia Tech. \u201cGEMs\u20114 showed what\u2019s possible when universities, industry, and government partners align around shared priorities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDay one featured strategic dialogue on critical mineral resources, innovation pathways, and partnership models. A recurring theme was the co-production of critical minerals alongside major mineral commodities. \u201cMany critical minerals are produced as byproducts of larger mining operations, making it essential to integrate recovery strategies into existing mineral industries rather than developing entirely new extraction systems,\u201d noted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cas.gsu.edu\/profile\/w-crawford-elliott\/\u0022\u003ECrawford Elliott\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of geosciences at Georgia State University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDay two transitioned to field\u2011based learning, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geology.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/paul-schroeder\u0022\u003EPaul Schroeder\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of geology at the University of Georgia. Participants visited active operations to better understand how regional industrial strengths can support national and international supply chain goals. Schroeder said, \u201cConnecting people to the long-standing mineral extraction economy at the mining and plant sites, where the work gets done with an amazingly skilled workforce, underscores the unique role of Georgia\u2019s place\u2011based capacity in advancing national and transatlantic supply\u0026nbsp;chain goals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizers emphasized that resilient supply chains rely on regional capabilities built over time through university collaboration, industry partnerships, and community engagement. With three years of inter\u2011university coordination now underpinning the GEMS platform, the 2026 workshop demonstrated how the Southeast is contributing actionable models for U.S.-U.K. cooperation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEcosystem-building at this scale requires participation from every part of the value chain, and we are encouraged by the model GEMs presents,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rachel-galloway-518014292\/\u0022\u003ERachel Galloway\u003C\/a\u003E, Consul General at British Consulate General Atlanta. \u201cThe collaboration across universities, industry, and government is exactly what enables long\u2011term impact on both sides of the Atlantic.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough focused dialogue and partnership-building, the symposium strengthened transatlantic collaboration, highlighted regional strengths, and accelerated innovation and translation across the critical minerals value chain, from resource characterization and processing to recycling, manufacturing, and deployment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the GEMS initiative, visit: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn February, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;together with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiamining.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Mining Association\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/world\/organisations\/british-consulate-general-atlanta\u0022\u003EBritish Consulate\u2011General Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E, hosted the fourth Growing Partnerships for Essential Minerals (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGEMs\u20114\u003C\/a\u003E) workshop in Atlanta. The workshop built on a growing transatlantic partnership dedicated to advancing innovation across the critical minerals value chain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In February, the Georgia Institute of Technology,  together with the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, the Georgia Mining Association, and the British Consulate\u2011General Atlanta, hosted the fourth GEMs workshop."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 17:45:13","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 18:25:18","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679927":{"id":"679927","type":"image","title":"20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup photo of the attendees of the GEMs-4 symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776102371","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:46:11","changed":"1776102371","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:46:11","alt":"Attendees of the GEMs-4 symposium","file":{"fid":"264149","name":"20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1521193,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/20260204_GEMs-IV-Group-Photo_LR.jpeg?itok=46uGjXAX"}},"679928":{"id":"679928","type":"image","title":"31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDay 2 of the symposium included a visit to a Georgia mining operation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776102491","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:48:11","changed":"1776102491","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:48:11","alt":"Day 2 of the symposium included a visit to a Georgia mining operation","file":{"fid":"264150","name":"31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2766293,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/31932AB2-B646-4E29-9BEF-3FD7C6054815.JPG.jpeg?itok=6UE7bW0o"}},"679929":{"id":"679929","type":"image","title":"P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAttendees at the GEMs-4 workshop\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776103013","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","changed":"1776103013","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","alt":"Attendees at the GEMs-4 workshop","file":{"fid":"264151","name":"P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":672603,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003694-Attendees-LR.jpeg?itok=WORRhc1_"}},"679930":{"id":"679930","type":"image","title":"P1003821-panel.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECritical Mineral Significance and Resources Panel at the GEMs-4 symposium\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776103013","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","changed":"1776103013","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","alt":"Panelists discussing at the GEMs-4 symposium","file":{"fid":"264152","name":"P1003821-panel.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003821-panel.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003821-panel.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":614552,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003821-panel.jpeg?itok=wPJagMbS"}},"679931":{"id":"679931","type":"image","title":"P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAttendee asking a question to the panel at the GEMS-4 Symposium\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776103013","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","changed":"1776103013","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:56:53","alt":"Attendee asking a question to the panel at the GEMS-4 Symposium","file":{"fid":"264153","name":"P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":646826,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/P1003941-AttendeeQuestions.jpeg?itok=tVXDFwY1"}}},"media_ids":["679927","679928","679929","679930","679931"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sydnie.hammond@fcdo.gov.uk\u0022\u003ESydnie Hammond\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBritish Consulate-Atlanta\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ahead13@gsu.edu\u0022\u003EAmanda Head\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Kay.Torrance@uga.edu\u0022\u003EKay Alison Torrance\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:leelemke@georgiamining.org\u0022\u003ELee Lemke\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Mining Association\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689639":{"#nid":"689639","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Welcomes a Neuroethics Pioneer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence has been touted as the most transformative technology of our time. With only a few years of mainstream use, it\u2019s changed how we work and communicate, generated billions of dollars in investments, and sparked global debate. But according to leading neuroethics expert \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/karen-rommelfanger-a-neuroscience-society-champion-of-ethics-and-inclusion\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKaren Rommelfanger\u003C\/a\u003E, the race isn\u2019t over yet.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCan you think of a more transformative technology than one that intervenes with the fundamental organ that drives your experience in the world?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat fundamental organ is the brain.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnologies interfacing directly with the brain have been reserved for treating severe injury or disease for decades. Now, neurotechnology is expanding into brain-responsive wearables meant to enhance, augment, and monitor everyday life. As these technologies accelerate and AI is incorporated, the question is no longer \u003Cem\u003Eif \u003C\/em\u003Eneurotechnology will transform society, but \u003Cem\u003Ehow \u003C\/em\u003E\u2014 and who will shape the boundaries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are some of the questions on which Karen Rommelfanger has built her career. Trained as a biomedical researcher and neuroscientist, Rommelfanger went on to found the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/instituteofneuroethics.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroethics\u003C\/a\u003E, the world\u2019s first think and do tank devoted entirely to neuroethics, public engagement, and policy implementation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe brain is special; it\u2019s central to who we are,\u201d says Rommelfanger, who was also an inaugural recipient of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/dana-foundation-recognizes-two-neuroscience-society-champions-with-inaugural-awards\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDana Foundation Neuroscience and Society Award\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cAnd that means when you intervene with the brain, there are unique responsibilities. The field of neuroethics addresses things like: How do you ensure mental privacy? How do you protect free will? How do you ensure that people have the power to be narrators of their own lives and their cognitive experience?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Rommelfanger is joining Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS) as a professor of the practice, where she will work to further embed neuroethics into Georgia Tech\u2019s research and technology development ecosystem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is producing the next generation of neurotechnologists, and Karen\u2019s expertise will help ensure we\u2019re preparing them to think about societal impact as deeply as they think about the technical and scientific aspects of their work,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/christopher-john-rozell\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristopher Rozell\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of INNS. \u201cHer leadership strengthens the Institute in exactly the way this moment in neurotechnology demands.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has many, many ways that it leads in the technology ecosystem. But one of the powerful, unique ways it can lead is through neurotechnology,\u201d says Rommelfanger. \u201cI hope that the INNS, given its unique mandate for neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society, can be a lighthouse for these types of conversations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeuroethics by Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom institutional review boards to mandatory responsible research conduct training, ethics are a foundational part of scientific research. But designing neurotechnologies raises ethical challenges beyond the scope of typical training. What happens when discoveries leave the lab and enter people\u2019s lives?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat question sits at the core of Rommelfanger\u2019s work. She argues it\u2019s a neurotechnologist\u2019s responsibility to recognize and proactively address the need for unique safeguards for privacy, autonomy, and long-term responsibility. Her solution is to move neuroethics upstream, embedding it directly into the research, design, and deployment of neurotechnology through an approach she calls \u201cneuroethics by design.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNeuroethics by design considers ethics as a core criterion where principles can drive innovation with more of a lens toward societal outcomes,\u201d she says \u2014 an approach informed by years of advising national-level brain research initiatives and her experience at the intersection of clinical practice and ethics scholarship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than treating ethics as a compliance checklist or a post hoc review, neuroethics by design integrates ethical thinking throughout the entire innovation lifecycle, from early ideation and research questions to product requirements, governance strategies, and long-term sustainability. She has used the approach for years as an embedded partner for neurotechnology startups in her neuroethics consultancy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ningenstrategy.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENingen Co-Lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter decades as a traditional academic professor and then years advising companies and policymakers with this philosophy, Rommelfanger says Georgia Tech is the right place to scale this work. With its strength in neurotechnology and INNS\u2019s rare focus on neuroscience\u003Cem\u003E and\u003C\/em\u003E society, \u201cI could not think of a better place to launch and pilot this neuroethics by design scaling effort.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe will work with INNS to help equip researchers, students, and industry partners with practical tools for ethical decision-making. Her vision is not to create neuroethicists as a standalone profession, but to cultivate ethically engaged neurotechnologists and engineers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECentral to her plans at INNS are hands-on training programs that bring ethics out of the abstract and into practice. \u201cI wanted to be a professor of the practice because, while the field does need more scholars, what it really needs most at this point are practitioners.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERommelfanger is exploring modular content that can be embedded into existing courses across disciplines, as well as immersive training \u2014 such as neuroethics boot camps and problem-solving hackathons \u2014 that bring together students, faculty, and professionals to tackle real-world challenges collaboratively.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo one discipline can solve all the ethical challenges ahead,\u201d says Rommelfanger. She is particularly interested in creating spaces where experts from across science and engineering, policy and law, design and the arts, and philosophy can work side by side with people with lived experience of neurological conditions. \u201cThe onus is not on scientists alone, but is a shared responsibility that benefits immensely from dialogue, accountability, and action across diverse communities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy situating neuroethics within Georgia Tech\u2019s broader research ecosystem, Rommelfanger hopes INNS can help shift how the field evolves globally.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s really difficult to get your arms around something once it\u0027s out of the gate,\u201d she says, citing the rapid adoption of AI without proper ethical or policy guidelines. \u201cWith neurotechnology, we still have a little bit of time, but not that much time. We are at that moment where we could change the course of global history.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs brain interfacing tools move out of the lab and into everyday life, Karen Rommelfanger is bringing her global neuroethics expertise to Georgia Tech to prepare the next generation of ethical innovators.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As brain interfacing tools move out of the lab and into everyday life, Karen Rommelfanger is bringing her global neuroethics expertise to Georgia Tech to prepare the next generation of ethical innovators."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 15:20:52","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 17:46:36","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679924":{"id":"679924","type":"image","title":"Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKaren Rommelfanger recently joined Georgia Tech as a professor of the practice, where she will work with the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society to embed neuroethics into Georgia Tech\u2019s research and technology development ecosystem. Photo via the Dana Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776101751","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:35:51","changed":"1776102415","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:46:55","alt":"Karen Rommelfanger smiling in a warmly lit room. A window and brick wall are visible behind her.","file":{"fid":"264146","name":"Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":101822,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg?itok=uivAseBV"}},"679926":{"id":"679926","type":"image","title":"BrainMind.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKaren Rommelfanger (left) is a leading voice in neuroethics, with years of experience bridging neuroscience, technology development, ethics, and public policy to address the societal impacts of emerging brain technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776101944","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:39:04","changed":"1776101944","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:39:04","alt":"Seated on the left, Karen Rommelfanger speaks on a panel at the 2026 Asilomar for the Brain and Mind conference. Panelists sit on stage in front of a large screen displaying the conference name, dates, and a brain-themed graphic, with an audience visible in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264148","name":"BrainMind.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/BrainMind.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/BrainMind.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":167461,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/BrainMind.JPG?itok=HALewFCU"}}},"media_ids":["679924","679926"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/lab-life-inside-institute-neuroscience-neurotechnology-and-society","title":"From Lab to Life: Inside the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)"},{"url":"https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/karen-rommelfanger-a-neuroscience-society-champion-of-ethics-and-inclusion\/","title":"Karen Rommelfanger: A Neuroscience \u0026 Society Champion of Ethics and Inclusion"},{"url":"https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/why-neuroethics-matters-in-the-age-of-brain-technology\/","title":"Why Neuroethics Matters in the Age of Brain Technology: A Conversation with Karen Rommelfanger"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689660":{"#nid":"689660","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Guide to Birdwatching at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 11 million people live in Georgia, but on April nights, the state\u2019s residents on the ground are outnumbered by tens of millions of small songbirds flying overhead.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESpring migration season typically runs from March through May, peaking in April, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/benjamin%20freeman\u0022\u003EBen Freeman\u003C\/a\u003E, an ecologist and assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. Georgia lies along the Atlantic Flyway, aiding migratory birds \u2014 such as warblers, sparrows, and flycatchers \u2014 with a path to the Appalachians, the Great Lakes, and their home territories, where they will breed in the spring.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAtlanta is often called a city in a forest, but the Tech campus offers additional green space, food, and shelter for many of the area\u2019s native species. From above, it attracts migrating birds in search of a rest stop along their route.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor birds native to the Atlanta metro area, like the Brown-headed Nuthatch and Northern Parula, Freeman says April is also the best time to see and hear them.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cApril is the prime bird month in Georgia,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s because, in addition to the migrating species passing through, our birds are breeding, they\u2019re out looking for food, and singing to defend their territory and impress a mate. This is also the time of year when they have their fanciest feathers, making it a beautiful time to observe them in nature.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/04\/guide-birdwatching-georgia-tech\u0022\u003ERead the full story\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/45127\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E. \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EApril is peak bird season in Georgia, so expect to see and hear plenty of species on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"April is peak bird season in Georgia, so expect to see and hear plenty of species on campus."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 16:13:16","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 17:21:12","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679923":{"id":"679923","type":"image","title":"American Robin","body":null,"created":"1776096880","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 16:14:40","changed":"1776096880","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 16:14:40","alt":"American Robin sitting on Georgia Tech sign ","file":{"fid":"264145","name":"Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2277086,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG?itok=zHoUjJMu"}}},"media_ids":["679923"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"4620","name":"bird"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689471":{"#nid":"689471","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Sciences Students Awarded Walk-on Stamps President\u2019s Scholarships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETwo\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E students,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAnnie Lin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMadeline Weller\u003C\/strong\u003E, were selected as walk-on recipients of the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/stampsps.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Stamps President\u2019s Scholars Program.\u003C\/a\u003E As Scholars, they will\u0026nbsp;be awarded a full-ride scholarship, special mentoring, and travel opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThough this scholarship is typically given to 50 exceptional incoming first-year students, a select few second- and third-year students are chosen to receive the honor for exemplifying the program\u2019s pillars of scholarship, leadership, progress, and service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAnnie and Madeline are exemplary campus leaders and will be able to build on their progress and service with the support of the Stamps Program. We are thrilled for the contributions they bring to the environmental science community,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELinda Green\u003C\/strong\u003E, principal academic professional and interim director of the Environmental Sciences (ENVS) program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Annie Lin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELin is a second-year ENVS major conducting undergraduate research on methane and natural gas in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-glass\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Glass Research Group.\u003C\/a\u003E Previous research highlights include quantifying microplastics in Georgia\u2019s coastal water and working with a student group to publish the first publicly available data on microplastics pollution in the Chattahoochee River.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI hope to build a career in environmental policy and justice \u2014 developing and implementing scientific, holistic, and equitable solutions to environmental issues and bridging the gaps between research, policy, and communities,\u201d says Lin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe is a student coordinator for Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education and the Georgia Tech student engagement and network coordinator for the United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise Greater Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy environmental science?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI was born and raised in Atlanta and grew up close to the Chattahoochee River,\u201d explains Lin. \u201cIn high school, I was very involved with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, including an 11-mile, eight-hour paddling cleanup; field\u0026nbsp;and lab work to track bacterial contamination caused by sewage spills; and speaking to state legislators about environmental bills.\u0026nbsp;These experiences taught me the importance of helping make the necessary systemic changes to address environmental issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Madeline Weller\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeller is a second-year ENVS major working in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tang.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Tang Research Group\u003C\/a\u003E, characterizing rare earth elements from Georgia kaolinite clay minerals for renewable energy applications. She also works on the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/teams\/entry\/1260\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech Methane Vertically Integrated Project\u003C\/a\u003E to pioneer local methane measurements and in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Office of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E to further sustainability efforts and outreach with Solar Stewards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThrough experiences with Solar Stewards, I saw firsthand how community and rooftop solar can impact people, reducing their energy burden\u2026,\u201d says Weller. \u0022Being at Georgia Tech has provided me with the resources and courage to act on my passion for achieving sustainability through energy equity, ensuring everybody has access to reliable and affordable electricity.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOutside of research, she is a member of Energy Club @ GT; Sigma Gamma Epsilon,\u0026nbsp;the national honor society for the Earth Sciences;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Association of Environmental Engineers and Scientists; Photography @ GT; and Runnin\u2019 Wreck.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy environmental science?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI chose environmental science because I was inspired to use my science skills to help find a solution to environmental issues, including climate change,\u201d she explains. \u201cImproving environmental conditions is not just important for biodiversity and ecosystems, but essential for human health and the longevity of future generations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECongratulations to environmental science majors Annie Lin\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Madeline Weller.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Congratulations to environmental science majors Annie Lin\u00a0and\u00a0Madeline Weller."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-04-06 13:26:11","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 16:00:13","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679865":{"id":"679865","type":"image","title":"Annie Lin","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnnie Lin\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775486964","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:49:24","changed":"1775486964","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:49:24","alt":"Headshot of smiling female student","file":{"fid":"264075","name":"Annie-Lin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/Annie-Lin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/Annie-Lin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":87234,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/Annie-Lin.jpg?itok=koo-CaN2"}},"679857":{"id":"679857","type":"image","title":"Madeline Weller","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMadeline Weller\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775483688","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 13:54:48","changed":"1775483688","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 13:54:48","alt":"Headshot of a young woman","file":{"fid":"264067","name":"Madeline-Weller-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/Madeline-Weller-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/Madeline-Weller-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":154843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/Madeline-Weller-.jpg?itok=0kb7-1kn"}}},"media_ids":["679865","679857"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/11\/19\/college-sciences-students-earn-walk-stamps-presidents-scholarships","title":"College of Sciences Students Earn Walk-on Stamps President\u2019s Scholarships"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"169715","name":"stamps scholars"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura. S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689636":{"#nid":"689636","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bad Vibes: AI-Generated Code is Vulnerable, Researchers Warn","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVibe coding programmers are releasing batches of vulnerable code, according to researchers at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) at Georgia Tech, who have scanned over 43,000 security advisories across the web.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe programming style relies on using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create software code using tools like Claude, Gemini, and GitHub Copilot. According to graduate research assistant \u003Cstrong\u003EHanqing Zhao\u003C\/strong\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gts3.org\/\u0022\u003ESystems Software \u0026amp; Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E (SSLab), no one had been tracking these common vulnerabilities and exposures before the launch of their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vibe-radar-ten.vercel.app\/\u0022\u003EVibe Security Radar\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe vulnerabilities we found lead to breaches,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone is using these tools now. We need a feedback loop to identify which tools, which patterns, and which workflows create the most risk.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe radar extensively scans public vulnerability databases, finds the error for each vulnerability, and then examines the code\u2019s history to find who introduced the bug. If they discover an AI tool\u0027s signature, the radar flags it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf the 74 confirmed cases uncovered so far by the tool, 14 are critical risks, and 25 are high. These vulnerabilities include command injection, authentication bypass, and server-side request forgery. Zhao explained that since AI models tend to repeat the same mistakes, an attacker would need to find these bugs just once.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMillions of developers using the same models means the same bugs showing up across different projects,\u201d he said. \u201cFind one pattern in one AI codebase, you can scan for it across thousands of repositories.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite its success, the team has only scratched the surface of the problem. The radar can trace metadata like co-author tags, bot emails, and other known tool signatures, but it can\u0027t identify an issue if these markers have been removed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next step is behavioral detection. AI-written code has patterns in how it names variables, structures functions, and handles errors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re building models that can identify AI code from the code itself, no metadata needed,\u201d said Zhao. \u201cThat opens up a lot of cases we currently can\u0027t touch.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is also improving its verification pipeline and expanding its sources to include more vulnerability databases. The goal is to get a more complete picture of AI-introduced vulnerabilities across open source, not just the ones that happen to leave signatures behind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs more programmers rely on vibe coding, Zhao warns that it still needs to be reviewed as thoroughly as any other project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe whole point of vibe coding is not reading it afterward, I know,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if you\u0027re shipping AI output to production, review it the way you\u0027d review a junior developer\u0027s pull request. Especially anything around input handling and authentication.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen prompting AI, SSLab also recommends providing more detailed instructions to get it closer to production-ready. There are also tools to check the code for vulnerabilities after \u0026nbsp;code it has been generated. Not double-checking could lead to a catastrophe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe attack surface keeps growing,\u201d said Zhao. \u201cMore people running AI agents locally means the attacker doesn\u0027t need to break into the company infrastructure. They just need one vulnerability in a model context protocol server that someone installed and never reviewed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne reason the attack surfaces are expanding rapidly is AI\u2019s evolution. In the second half of 2025, the Vibe Security Radar found about 18 cases across seven months. Then, in the first three months of 2026, it identified 56. March 2026 alone had 35, more than all of 2025 combined.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany tools, like Claude, are now more autonomous, allowing developers to write entire features, create files, and even make architecture decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen an agent builds something without authentication, that\u0027s not a typo,\u201d said Zhao. \u201cIt\u0027s a design flaw baked in from the start. Claude Code and Copilot together account for most of what we detect, but that\u0027s partly because they leave the clearest signatures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Tech School of Cybersecurity and Privacy are uncovering a growing risk in modern software development: vulnerabilities introduced by AI-generated code.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing the Vibe Security Radar, the team analyzed more than 43,000 security advisories and identified dozens of confirmed vulnerabilities tied to tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Gemini\u2014including critical flaws such as authentication bypass and command injection.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at the Georgia Tech School of Cybersecurity and Privacy are uncovering a growing risk in modern software development: vulnerabilities introduced by AI-generated code."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 14:32:02","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 14:44:00","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679920":{"id":"679920","type":"image","title":"Vibe-Coding.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776090752","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 14:32:32","changed":"1776090752","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 14:32:32","alt":"A man typing on a computer. There is a hovering screen hovering over his hands that says \u0022Vibe Coding\u0022","file":{"fid":"264142","name":"Vibe-Coding.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Vibe-Coding.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Vibe-Coding.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1783427,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Vibe-Coding.jpg?itok=jhk18PZE"}}},"media_ids":["679920"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186861","name":"go-cyber"},{"id":"194393","name":"AI and Cybersecurity"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689472":{"#nid":"689472","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space\u0022\u003EFrontiers in Science\u003C\/a\u003E conference. Held on April 2, the full-day event focused on space research guiding discovery and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs during previous editions, this year\u2019s conference featured more than two dozen scientists, engineers, policy experts, and thought leaders from Georgia Tech and beyond, illustrating how collaboration across fields \u2013 from science and engineering to public policy and international affairs \u2013 helps to advance strategic research priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFrontiers is about discovery and connections across disciplines and generations,\u201d says\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lozier.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cThis edition provided an inspiring glimpse into the future of space exploration and the many ways Georgia Tech is contributing to research and missions seeking answers to what lies beyond our planet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommitment to Space\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpace research is a key institutional priority at Georgia Tech, which is home to numerous academic and research programs in planetary sciences, robotics, mission design, space policy, and other areas.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe recently established\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI) serves as the central hub connecting the broad range of space-related research across campus. Led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2885\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who also serves as principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, SRI has expanded support for space research and commercialization through initiatives such as the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/26\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech\u0022\u003ECreationsVC Space Fellows Program\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/10\/georgia-techs-space-research-institute-announces-inaugural-seed-grant-awardees\u0022\u003ECenters, Programs, and Initiatives seed grant program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESRI\u2019s efforts are in line with Georgia Tech\u2019s long-standing contribution to space exploration. Hundreds of Yellow Jacket alumni work in the space sector, including several graduates who are playing key roles in the Artemis program. To date, more than a dozen Georgia Tech alumni have traveled to space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploring the Final Frontier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference featured a series of panels and discussions led by faculty and researchers from the Colleges of Sciences and Engineering as well as the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESessions explored how researchers are studying the processes and conditions that support planetary habitability, seeking to answer one of humanity\u2019s greatest questions: Does life exist beyond Earth? Speakers also examined how analog fieldwork in Earth\u2019s extreme environments can inform space exploration, and how space research, in turn, can deepen our understanding of our own world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditional conversations centered on building better space missions through improved understanding of team and individual resilience, data collection, navigation, and the development of advanced technologies like the robots developed through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/good-dog-lassie-spirit-learns-walk-moon\u0022\u003ENASA LASSIE Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrontiers also highlighted Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to preparing the next generation of space scientists, engineers, and leaders. Student training and engagement were recurring themes throughout the day, with speakers emphasizing opportunities for student-led and student-run missions and research. A panel of Georgia Tech alumni shared their own STEM career journeys, challenging the idea of \u201cone right path\u201d to success \u2014 and acknowledging the resources and opportunities available at the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA highlight of the conference was a fireside chat with Atlanta-native, retired U.S. Army Colonel and NASA Astronaut\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/kimbrough-rs.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ER. Shane Kimbrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. Operations Research 1998). Kimbrough, who spent a total of 388 days in space and performed nine spacewalks across three missions, reflected on his career and the evolution of spaceflight. He emphasized the expanding role of public-private and international partnerships in advancing ambitious goals, such as creating a permanent human outpost on the Moon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolicy and Public\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference also explored how policy influences space discovery and innovation, with discussions touching on such issues as space security, access, governance, sustainability \u2014\u0026nbsp;and the influence of technology and science fiction on public perception and policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPanelists described current policy frameworks governing outer space as struggling to keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies and expanding activities. According to these experts, increasing tensions among commercial, research, and recreational uses of space call for greater coordination among private and government entities to balance competing priorities while maximizing opportunities for innovation and exploration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference was punctuated by a networking lunch connecting attendees with Atlanta\u2019s public astronomy community \u2013 including partners at several universities and the Georgia Tech Astronomy Club, which set up telescopes for attendees to safely observe the sun. Later that evening, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astronomy.gatech.edu\/Observatory.php\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E hosted its Public Night, welcoming the broader Atlanta community to campus for telescope views of Jupiter, the Orion Nebula, and other celestial bodies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Observatory Night was a fitting conclusion to a full day focused on Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment and contributions to inspiring future generations of space explorers through research, education, and outreach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EExperience the Frontiers conference in pictures on the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gtsciences\/albums\/72177720332868366\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Sciences\u2019 Flickr account\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u0026nbsp;Frontiers in Science conference.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"One day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u00a0Frontiers in Science conference."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-06 14:05:00","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 21:23:26","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679862":{"id":"679862","type":"image","title":" Retired NASA astronaut R. Shane Kimbrough (M.S. Operations Research 1998) reflects on his career and the evolution of spaceflight.","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"R. Shane Kimbrough speaks in front of room of people during a fireside chat","file":{"fid":"264072","name":"55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2611719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg?itok=9k4zXi2s"}},"679861":{"id":"679861","type":"image","title":"Joyce Shi Sim, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Joyce Shi Sim holds a microphone and laser pointer while presenting to room of people","file":{"fid":"264071","name":"55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1858656,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg?itok=QKyejMSW"}},"679863":{"id":"679863","type":"image","title":"Professor James Wray, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences","body":null,"created":"1775485879","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:31:19","changed":"1775485923","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:32:03","alt":"Professor James Wray holds microphone and points to powerpoint slide during his presentation","file":{"fid":"264073","name":"55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2636888,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg?itok=saXBEEUR"}},"679860":{"id":"679860","type":"image","title":" [From left] Professor Glenn Lightsey, Professor Thom Orlando, Moderator Naia Butler-Craig  (M.S. AE 2023, Ph.D. AE 2026), Associate Professor Brian Gunter, and Research Engineer I Ava Thrasher ","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Group photo of five people, including Georgia Tech faculty","file":{"fid":"264070","name":"55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6182876,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg?itok=dcGAnsv4"}},"679858":{"id":"679858","type":"image","title":" The Georgia Tech Astronomy Club set up telescopes for attendees to safely observe the sun.","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Three people stand outdoors with one person looking at the sun through a telescope","file":{"fid":"264068","name":"55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2674661,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg?itok=cCQeyNP0"}},"679859":{"id":"679859","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Observatory\u2019s April 2, 2026 Public Night","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Adults and children observing the night sky through a computer that is connected to a telescope","file":{"fid":"264069","name":"55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4887238,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg?itok=NaAICFg3"}}},"media_ids":["679862","679861","679863","679860","679858","679859"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration - Program"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/38-billion-year-old-titanium-clue-sheds-new-light-moons-early-chemistry","title":"3.8\u2011Billion\u2011Year\u2011Old Titanium Clue Sheds New Light on the Moon\u2019s Early Chemistry"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-pioneers-first-space-sustainability-course-us","title":"Georgia Tech Pioneers First Space Sustainability Course in the U.S."},{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/welcome-future-artemis-ii-set-launch-moon","title":"\u2018Welcome to the Future!\u2019 Artemis II Set for Launch to the Moon"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/26\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech","title":"New Space Startups Take Off at Georgia Tech"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/10\/georgia-techs-space-research-institute-announces-inaugural-seed-grant-awardees","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute Announces Inaugural Seed Grant Awardees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"172511","name":"Frontiers Conference"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194975","name":"go-space"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689628":{"#nid":"689628","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-led Research Team to Develop SHIELD Against Deadly Biological Threats ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe United States continues to face deadly infectious disease outbreaks, from emerging viruses to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, underscoring the nation\u2019s need for rapid, effective response systems. These threats extend beyond public health, disrupting daily life, straining health care systems, and impacting military readiness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of researchers led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/singh\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the Carl Ring Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and professor in\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory\u0026nbsp;University, has been awarded up to $6 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) against deadly biological threats that endanger public health, national security, and warfighters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDTRA\u2019s mission is to provide solutions that enable the Department of Defense, the U.S. government, and international partners to deter strategic threats. A key priority is advancing new or improved MCMs that can be deployed before or after exposure to biological or chemical agents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh\u2019s multi-year project, Systematic Human Immune Engineering for Lethal Disease (SHIELD) Countermeasures, aims to create a threat-agnostic platform that transforms how respiratory pathogens and toxins are studied. The platform is designed to speed up the discovery, development, and production of immune-based countermeasures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-led-research-team-develop-shield-against-deadly-biological-threats\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe United States continues to face deadly infectious disease outbreaks, from emerging viruses to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, underscoring the nation\u2019s need for rapid, effective response systems. These threats extend beyond public health, disrupting daily life, straining health care systems, and impacting military readiness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of researchers led by Ankur Singh, the Carl Ring Family Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, has been awarded up to $6 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) against deadly biological threats that endanger public health, national security, and warfighters.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A team of researchers led by Ankur Singh has been awarded up to $6 million from DTRA of the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the development of MCMs against deadly biological threats that endanger public health, national security, and warfighters."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 18:23:18","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 18:44:23","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679914":{"id":"679914","type":"image","title":"DTRA-1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775845424","gmt_created":"2026-04-10 18:23:44","changed":"1775845424","gmt_changed":"2026-04-10 18:23:44","alt":"Ankur Singh, the Carl Ring Family Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, in his lab.","file":{"fid":"264135","name":"DTRA-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/DTRA-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/DTRA-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1085392,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/10\/DTRA-1.jpg?itok=vffgq6CB"}}},"media_ids":["679914"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689629":{"#nid":"689629","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Anna Erickson Wins 2026 Corones Award for Research and Societal Impact ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/erickson\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnna Erickson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Woodruff Professor of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nremp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Enuclear and radiological engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded the 2026 James Corones Award in Leadership, Community Building and Communication from the Krell Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.krellinst.org\/about-krell\/corones-award\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, named for the Iowa-based nonprofit\u2019s founder, recognizes midcareer scientists and engineers for research impact, mentoring, scientific-community activities, and commitment to communicating science and technology. It will be formally presented to Erickson in May on the Georgia Tech campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/anna-erickson-wins-2026-corones-award-research-and-societal-impact\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnna Erickson, Woodruff Professor of nuclear and radiological engineering in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded the 2026 James Corones Award in Leadership, Community Building and Communication from the Krell Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe award, named for the Iowa-based nonprofit\u2019s founder, recognizes midcareer scientists and engineers for research impact, mentoring, scientific-community activities, and commitment to communicating science and technology. It will be formally presented to Erickson in May on the Georgia Tech campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Anna Erickson, Woodruff Professor of nuclear and radiological engineering, has been awarded the 2026 James Corones Award in Leadership, Community Building and Communication from the Krell Institute."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 18:42:29","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 18:43:20","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679915":{"id":"679915","type":"image","title":"DSC_8473-Enhanced-NR--1-_0.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1775846559","gmt_created":"2026-04-10 18:42:39","changed":"1775846559","gmt_changed":"2026-04-10 18:42:39","alt":"Anna Erickson","file":{"fid":"264136","name":"DSC_8473-Enhanced-NR--1-_0.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/DSC_8473-Enhanced-NR--1-_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/DSC_8473-Enhanced-NR--1-_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":784715,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/10\/DSC_8473-Enhanced-NR--1-_0.jpeg?itok=6O02n0ai"}}},"media_ids":["679915"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689605":{"#nid":"689605","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Use Light to Make Their Microscopic \u2018Muscle\u2019 Contract on Command","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngineers interested in creating artificial cells to deliver drugs to unhealthy parts of the body face a key challenge: for a cell-like system to move, change shape, or divide, it needs a way to generate force on command.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiological cells rely on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to move muscles, transport substances across membranes, and perform other functions.\u0026nbsp;Many cellular machines couple ATP hydrolysis (a process where chemical energy stored in ATP is released) directly to motion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut some single-celled organisms called ciliates use a different strategy. A pulse of calcium triggers an ultrafast contraction, and ATP is used afterward to pump calcium back into storage and reset the system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69651-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E study\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E led by Georgia Tech, researchers learned how to use a similar mechanism to control the movements of artificial protein networks without relying on ATP-powered motor proteins. Instead, they used calcium as a trigger to make the networks contract or relax.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf engineers want synthetic cells that can do cell-like things, they need a way to generate force on command,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/saad-bhamla\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaad Bhamla\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a co-author and an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cCells have to move, change shape, and divide. We\u2019re trying to build a controllable engine from simple parts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the National Science Foundation-funded study, the team produced and purified \u003Cem\u003ETetrahymena thermophila\u003C\/em\u003E calcium-binding protein 2 (Tcb2), which is found in ciliates. The protein forms a fibrous network and contracts when exposed to calcium. The researchers reconstituted Tcb2 protein networks in the lab and then used a light-sensitive calcium chelator (a \u201ccage\u201d molecule that holds the calcium until illuminated) to control when and where calcium was released.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey projected light patterns of stars and circles to prompt the network to assemble and contract in matching shapes. Then, to continuously \u201crecharge\u201d the system, the multi-university team pulsed the light on the protein networks, repeatedly releasing calcium and driving cycles of assembly and contraction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/researchers-use-light-make-their-microscopic-muscle-contract-command?utm_source=twitter\u0026amp;utm_medium=social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=news\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69651-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E study\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E led by Georgia Tech, researchers learned how to use a similar mechanism to control the movements of artificial protein networks without relying on ATP-powered motor proteins. Instead, they used calcium as a trigger to make the networks contract or relax.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Engineers interested in creating artificial cells to deliver drugs to unhealthy parts of the body face a key challenge: for a cell-like system to move, change shape, or divide, it needs a way to generate force on command."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 12:47:50","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 12:49:38","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679909":{"id":"679909","type":"image","title":"artificial-cells.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775825279","gmt_created":"2026-04-10 12:47:59","changed":"1775825279","gmt_changed":"2026-04-10 12:47:59","alt":"A yellow star shape is shown next to a microscope image of an artificial cell colony that has been directed to form the shape of a star.","file":{"fid":"264130","name":"artificial-cells.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/artificial-cells.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/10\/artificial-cells.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":17653,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/10\/artificial-cells.jpg?itok=XEcClJeF"}}},"media_ids":["679909"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/researchers-use-light-make-their-microscopic-muscle-contract-command?utm_source=twitter\u0026utm_medium=social\u0026utm_campaign=news","title":"Full Story"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications | College of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689585":{"#nid":"689585","#data":{"type":"news","title":"CREATE-X Startup Brings Digital Access to the Unbanked","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Victor Espinosa was an undergraduate student in Bogot\u00e1, he kept running into the same problem every time he tried to order books or basic items online: He didn\u2019t have a credit card. Instead, he had to give cash to someone who had a credit card and ask them to purchase for him. This wasn\u2019t strange in Colombia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt was frustrating, but it showed me how many people were being left out of the digital world,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cIn Colombia, only about two out of 10 people have a credit card. Cash is the main form of payment, but everything online requires digital access.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThat gap sparked the idea that would evolve into Loto Punto, a fintech startup building self-service kiosks to bridge the physical and digital worlds for unbanked communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFrom a Single Problem to a Scalable Platform\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa began his startup as an online platform for buying lottery tickets. He saw that customers didn\u2019t trust the idea of a digital receipt because they were used to a printout, so he pivoted to a kiosk similar to the ones in U.S. grocery stores. Customers could walk up, insert cash, and print a lottery ticket instantly.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt worked, but it had a ceiling,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cIt only served people buying lottery tickets. We knew it wouldn\u2019t scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETo address this, he expanded the kiosks to handle mobile phone top-ups, bill payments, and basic banking services. Then, in 2024, the company incorporated advanced technologies such as biometric recognition and blockchain. Stellar Blockchain, first a partner, later became an investor of the startup, which helped Loto Punto to enable low-cost, real-time digital transactions and remittances.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENow, users can convert physical cash into digital value or withdraw cash from digital wallets through a single machine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA Global Solo Founder\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa is the sole founder of Loto Punto, supported now by a 10\u2011person team of highly specialized engineers, designers, and manufacturing experts. He is currently pursuing his master\u2019s degree in computer science at Georgia Tech while leading the company through its next chapter as part of the CREATE-X Startup Launch Spring 2026 cohort.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFinding CREATE-X and Finding a Community\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa learned about CREATE-X during his first semester at Georgia Tech. In 2024, CREATE-X widened its Startup Launch program to include a spring cohort to give founders, particularly graduating seniors, another chance to go all-in on developing their startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa admits he didn\u2019t expect much when he first learned about the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI didn\u2019t know universities had programs like this. In Colombia, we don\u2019t have accelerators embedded inside universities with venture support and dedicated staff,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, I assumed CREATE X would be small, maybe one office helping a few students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhat Espinosa found was different.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThey\u2019re leveraging every resource that Georgia Tech offers. They can help with any challenge by tapping the doors of the network they already have established,\u201c he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs a part of the Startup Launch program, CREATE-X brings in founders from its ecosystem to speak to participants and give them actionable insights \u2014 founders who have raised funds, been acquired, and have had other successes as entrepreneurs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s different,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cThey\u2019ve brought successful founders who have walked the talk. It\u2019s different to interact with somebody who was already successful in doing what you\u2019re doing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETesting, Measuring, and Learning Through Startup Launch\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEven as a remote participant, Espinosa has connected well with his mentor, who meets with him weekly, and his mini-batch. During the program, startup teams are grouped together. They share their strategies, successes, and struggles as they develop throughout the program. Teams have weekly sprints where they focus on one or two activities and then measure those activities, which Espinosa said is helpful for maintaining focus and actually executing on ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIf you, as an entrepreneur, start thinking of the whole world of activities that you must do to get somewhere with your startup, you won\u2019t start,\u201d he said. \u201cBy creating attainable goals, step by step, that\u2019s how it compounds to reach bigger goals. But, you have to begin with something.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003ETeams are also encouraged to take calculated risks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cCREATE-X gives us a safe environment to test ideas,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cAs an entrepreneur, it\u2019s a lonely road, but having someone who has been in your shoes before, it makes you brave to try things.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOne of the first major tests he shared with the cohort was an ad campaign timed around the Super Bowl. In Startup Launch, Espinosa learned how to structure the experiment: defining KPIs, iterating audiences, and evaluating performance compared to industry benchmarks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWe got around 45,000 views and above-average click-through rates,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the biggest lesson was that brand awareness alone can\u2019t be our only marketing strategy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa said his mentor helped open doors for him and kept him accountable, and the program itself kept him from being overwhelmed by all that a founder has to do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIn Startup Launch, you see how different approaches fit different phases,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re creating a path to grow and execute on your goals as a founder.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhy Now Is the Easiest Time to Build\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa also emphasized that the tools to build and test ideas have never been more accessible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWhen I started, we didn\u2019t have AI. You had to do everything by hand. It was harder, and it took more resources,\u201d he said. \u201cRight now, it\u2019s a matter of prompting. In one hour, you can file for a grant. Before, it took at least a week to get your documents together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHe said the ability to test quickly and learn has also become inexpensive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cYou don\u2019t need millions of dollars to do this,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cIt\u0027s very cheap to fail, right? If that doesn\u0027t work, you can just try again in the morning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAbove all, Espinosa encouraged budding founders to take advantage of the opportunities around them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cAs a founder, you must tap every door that you have available to you. You have to explore different paths,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of those are networking, some are physical space, some are interest. Get your hands on every single resource that comes your way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELooking Ahead: The Future of Payments\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs he thinks about where the finance world is going, Espinosa said the payments industry is rapidly converging toward blockchain, stablecoins, and faster, frictionless user experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of movement around stablecoins. We\u2019re seeing resource flow from one country to another. We believe things are converging to leverage blockchain and driving down the cost of moving money,\u201c he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how we see the future of our industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMeet Loto Punto and the Spring Cohort at Startup Launch Showcase\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEspinosa will travel to Atlanta for the first time in May to present Loto Punto at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article\u0022\u003ECREATE-X Spring Startup Launch Showcase\u003C\/a\u003E, where the public can meet founders and see their ventures firsthand. The event will be held in The Biltmore Ballrooms on Thursday, May 21, from 5 to 7 p.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe showcase will feature dozens of startups built by Georgia Tech students and alumni. Tickets are free but limited. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article\u0022\u003ERegister for the showcase\u003C\/a\u003E today to grab your spot.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter experiencing firsthand how limited access to credit cards excluded millions from the digital economy, Victor Espinosa set out to bridge that gap by founding Loto Punto. The fintech startup uses self\u2011service kiosks that allow users to convert physical cash into digital transactions, expanding access to essential services like bill payments, mobile top\u2011ups, and remittances. As a solo founder in the CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch Spring 2026 cohort, Espinosa refined his venture through structured experimentation, mentorship, and weekly execution sprints. He credits CREATE\u2011X with providing both the accountability and community needed to test ideas safely and scale solutions for real\u2011world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech master\u2019s student Victor Espinosa is building Loto Punto, a fintech startup using self\u2011service kiosks to help unbanked communities convert cash into digital financial access through the CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch program."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:26:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-09 13:29:19","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679901":{"id":"679901","type":"image","title":"Victor Espinosa Founder of Loto Punto","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVictor Espinosa, Founder of Loto Punto, stands in front of his product, pitching it on Columbia\u0027s Shark Tank\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775740749","gmt_created":"2026-04-09 13:19:09","changed":"1775740994","gmt_changed":"2026-04-09 13:23:14","alt":"Victor Espinosa, Founder of Loto Punto, stands in front of his product, pitching it on Columbia\u0027s Shark Tank","file":{"fid":"264122","name":"STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/09\/STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png","mime":"image\/png","size":899710,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/09\/STCOL_S5_EP16_12_TW.png?itok=TrsrUGf8"}}},"media_ids":["679901"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article","title":"Register for Spring 2026 Startup Launch Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689495":{"#nid":"689495","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ISyE Graduate Program Maintains Top Ranking for 36th Consecutive Year","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the 36th year in a row, Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) has earned the No. 1 spot in the 2026 Best Engineering Schools ranking released by \u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report.\u003C\/em\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis continued recognition reflects the exceptional work of our faculty and staff, students, and alumni, who are pushing the boundaries of industrial and systems engineering every day,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022\u003EP\u0131nar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E, H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Professor.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing ranked No. 1 for 36 consecutive years highlights the strength of our community and our commitment to innovation, impact, and leadership in the field.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s College of Engineering (COE) also maintained its strong national standing, placing fourth overall for the third consecutive year. In addition, all 11 of the Institute\u2019s graduate engineering programs have ranked within the top 9 in their respective disciplines for the 12th straight year in the 2026 \u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report \u003C\/em\u003Erankings.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExplore the full list of COE program rankings \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/engineering-grad-programs-remain-no-4-2026-rankings\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) continues to set the standard for excellence, with its graduate program earning the No. 1 ranking for the 36th consecutive year by \u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report. \u003C\/em\u003EThis sustained leadership reflects ISyE\u2019s unwavering commitment to innovation, rigorous academic training, and impactful research that addresses some of the world\u2019s most complex challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ISyE\u2019s graduate program continues to lead the nation, earning the No. 1 ranking for the 36th consecutive year and reinforcing its position at the forefront of industrial and systems engineering."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-04-07 16:37:01","changed_gmt":"2026-04-08 16:28:46","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679875":{"id":"679875","type":"image","title":"2026 USNWR.png","body":null,"created":"1775579829","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 16:37:09","changed":"1775579829","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 16:37:09","alt":"2026 USNWR","file":{"fid":"264095","name":"Rankings_2026--1080-x-1080-px---3-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Rankings_2026--1080-x-1080-px---3-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/Rankings_2026--1080-x-1080-px---3-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":160890,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/Rankings_2026--1080-x-1080-px---3-.png?itok=wMPXLVpf"}}},"media_ids":["679875"],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689562":{"#nid":"689562","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Suddath Symposium Showcases Biomedical Applications of Synthetic Biology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 34th\u0026nbsp;annual\u0026nbsp;Suddath Symposium, hosted by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IBB)\u0026nbsp;on March 18-19,\u0026nbsp;brought together researchers, trainees, and invited speakers from across disciplines to discuss\u0026nbsp;cutting-edge\u0026nbsp;efforts to translate synthetic biology advances into human health-relevant technologies, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and clinical tools\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe topic of the Suddath Symposium changes every year, which allows the Georgia Tech research community to annually learn about recent advances on a specific topic from across the immense fields of\u0026nbsp;bioengineering and\u0026nbsp;bioscience,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3718\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENicholas Hud\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Regents\u2019 Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Associate Director of IBB.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium also included presentation of the\u0026nbsp;2026 Suddath Award, which recognizes outstanding graduate research. This year\u2019s award was presented to\u0026nbsp;Myeongsoo\u0026nbsp;Kim, a Ph.D. candidate in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBioengineering Graduate Program\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;for his work at the intersection of cell engineering,\u0026nbsp;cancer treatment, and biomedical imaging.\u0026nbsp;The award is presented each year by members of the Suddath family, including Vincent Suddath,\u0026nbsp;grandson of Bud and\u0026nbsp;a current\u0026nbsp;freshman\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech majoring in mathematics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium and award\u0026nbsp;honor the legacy of\u0026nbsp;F. L. \u201cBud\u201d Suddath\u0026nbsp;and his lasting contributions to the Institute and the wider Georgia Tech research community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBud was influential in promoting the growth of bioscience research at Georgia Tech, efforts that helped establish\u0026nbsp;IBB\u0026nbsp;in the 1990s,\u201d Hud said. \u201cBud\u2019s\u0026nbsp;research interests were at the forefront of structural biology, a field that laid the foundation for much of what we know today about biology at the molecular level.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;fitting that we honor Bud\u2019s\u0026nbsp;contributions by annually providing the Georgia Tech community with the opportunity to learn about\u0026nbsp;research on a timely topic within the biological sciences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESymposium co-chairs\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/tara-l-deans\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETara Deans\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2915\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMark Styczynski\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;said that in addition to upholding the legacy of Bud Suddath, the event also\u0026nbsp;provides a unique setting and opportunity for both established researchers and trainees to interact over the course of the two day event.\u0026nbsp;The intimate format of the symposium, which is limited to approximately 100 attendees, and the annual selection of a different interdisciplinary topic\u0026nbsp;sets\u0026nbsp;it apart\u0026nbsp;from other\u0026nbsp;symposia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Suddath Symposium is an amazing opportunity to bring multiple world-class researchers right to our trainees\u2019 front door, to hear about their work and connect with them in a small setting that you can\u2019t really find at most conferences,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Styczynski,\u0026nbsp;who is a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe are really grateful to IBB and the Suddath family for supporting this unique event.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeans, who is an associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;highlighted how this year\u2019s theme reflects a broader shift in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year\u2019s focus on biomedical applications of synthetic biology highlights a major inflection point in the field: the transition from proof-of-concept systems to human health-relevant technologies,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe theme also reflects increasing convergence across disciplines; synthetic biology is no longer\u0026nbsp;operating\u0026nbsp;in isolation,\u0026nbsp;but it is deeply intertwined with immunology, machine learning, diagnostics, and clinical translation. Addressing real-world biomedical problems requires this kind of integration, and the symposium captured that shift very clearly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Suddath Symposium annually serves as a cornerstone event for Georgia Tech\u2019s bioengineering and bioscience community\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;connecting researchers, honoring scientific legacy, and spotlighting the next generation of scientific innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 34th annual Suddath Symposium brought together researchers, trainees, and invited speakers from across disciplines to discuss cutting-edge efforts to translate synthetic biology advances into human health-relevant technologies. In addition to upholding the legacy of Bud Suddath, the event also\u0026nbsp;provides a unique setting and opportunity for both established researchers and trainees to interact\u0026nbsp;in a closer setting.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 34th annual Suddath Symposium brought together researchers, trainees, and invited speakers from across disciplines to discuss cutting-edge efforts to translate synthetic biology advances into human health-relevant technologies."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-08 14:27:05","changed_gmt":"2026-04-08 14:30:37","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679893":{"id":"679893","type":"image","title":"2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775658434","gmt_created":"2026-04-08 14:27:14","changed":"1775658434","gmt_changed":"2026-04-08 14:27:14","alt":"A presenter stands at the front of a lecture room speaking to a seated audience while a projected slide titled \u201cSynthetic Biology: Engineered Gene Circuits\u201d illustrates the design\u2013build\u2013test cycle with diagrams and icons explaining gene circuit construction and testing.","file":{"fid":"264114","name":"2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/08\/2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1840500,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/08\/2026-Suddath-Symposium.jpg?itok=1yDWHq1D"}}},"media_ids":["679893"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689553":{"#nid":"689553","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u2018Dialogue Across Difference\u2019 Launches Georgia Tech Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn April 2, Georgia Tech launched its new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/civicleadership.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Technology and Civic Leadership\u003C\/a\u003E with a symposium built around a simple idea. Society benefits when people are willing to listen, especially to those who disagree with them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Institute will serve as a space to share ideas, learn from one another, and discover common ground,\u201d said Amanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is especially important in a moment when technology is rapidly altering how we encounter information, form beliefs, and relate to one another.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Institute creates opportunities for students to examine the civic and social implications of technological innovation,\u201d said Aaron Levine, associate dean for research and outreach in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and interim executive director of the Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt will support leaders who can approach difficult questions thoughtfully, drawing on evidence, expertise, and an understanding of diverse perspectives.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat focus was reflected in the symposium\u2019s keynote dialogue between Robert George and Cornel West, eminent scholars, longtime friends, and coauthors of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Truth-Matters-Dialogue-Fruitful-Disagreement\/dp\/B0DBR1PYWL\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETruth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe keynote conversation modeled the kind of thoughtful dialogue across deep differences that the new Institute aims to cultivate. George and West do not expect to change each other\u2019s minds.For them, persuasion isn\u2019t the point.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t often completely change each other\u2019s minds about things, but that\u2019s not the goal,\u201d said George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can have 100% agreement and be wrong. My goal isn\u2019t to persuade him, but to learn what I can from him.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EListening with care and humility to someone who is coming from a very different place, George added, can offer new ways of seeing an issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor West, that process begins with resisting easy labels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t look at the world through the lens of -isms,\u201d said West, who is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou try to listen to a particular argument, put forward by a specific person, and to stay in contact with their humanity. Embrace their humanity.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two-day event also included panel discussions featuring insights from peer institutions and breakout sessions inviting the campus community to contribute feedback and ideas about the new institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new Institute aims to give students the chance to explore a broad range of ideas about how innovation shapes communities, the economy, and public life. It aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another and find common ground \u2014 all anchored in open debate, scientific inquiry and evidence-based problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will also serve as a hub for bringing together leaders from government, industry, academia and other sectors to tackle pressing challenges and pursue science- and data-driven solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The new Institute aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another, and find common ground."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe new Institute aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another, and find common ground.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new Institute aims to be a place where people can exchange ideas freely, learn from one another, and find common ground."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-07 20:47:48","changed_gmt":"2026-04-07 21:05:13","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679887":{"id":"679887","type":"video","title":"Perspectives on Technology and Civic Leadership An Inaugural Symposium","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts Dean Amanda Murdie moderates a conversation with Robert George, director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, on the themes of their recent book \u0022Truth Matters: Fruitful Disagreement in an Era of Rapid Technological Change.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775594853","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 20:47:33","changed":"1775594853","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 20:47:33","video":{"youtube_id":"ygiaJAOmLjY","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ygiaJAOmLjY"}},"679888":{"id":"679888","type":"image","title":"\u2018Dialogue Across Difference\u2019 symposium","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAmanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech, moderates a discussion between Robert George and Cornel West, eminent scholars, longtime friends, and coauthors of Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division.\u0026nbsp;Photo by Joya Chapman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775595358","gmt_created":"2026-04-07 20:55:58","changed":"1775595358","gmt_changed":"2026-04-07 20:55:58","alt":"\u2018Dialogue Across Difference\u2019 symposium","file":{"fid":"264108","name":"DSC_1935.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC_1935.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC_1935.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8057052,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/07\/DSC_1935.jpeg?itok=MRO8xWvZ"}}},"media_ids":["679887","679888"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/civicleadership.gatech.edu","title":"Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"183059","name":"civic leadership"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:megan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McRainey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689484":{"#nid":"689484","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Incoming College of Sciences Faculty to Attend 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAfroditi Papadopoulou\u003C\/strong\u003E has been invited to attend the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lindau-nobel.org\/news-75-nobel-laureates-and-600-young-scientists-gather-in-lindau\/\u0022\u003E75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting\u003C\/a\u003E in Germany to debate the future of science. Papadopoulou is one of the 600 young scientists selected from around the world to engage directly with 75 Nobel Laureates during this prestigious forum for intergenerational and interdisciplinary scientific exchange. Discussions this year will focus on how science can help societies navigate an increasingly complex world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAttending the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting is both an honor and a responsibility: a chance to represent my academic community which focuses on the study of elusive particles called neutrinos while learning from those who have shaped the field,\u201d says Papadopoulou, who will join Georgia Tech as a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professor in August 2026. \u201cI hope to come away with a deeper understanding of how transformative ideas emerge and how to cultivate the kind of leadership and vision needed to guide future large-scale scientific efforts that will unravel some of the mysteries of the universe.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPapadopoulou obtained her Ph.D. in experimental physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As part of her research, she analyzed neutrino data collected by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/microboone.fnal.gov\/\u0022\u003EMicroBooNE detector\u003C\/a\u003E at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois and electron scattering data from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jlab.org\/\u0022\u003EJefferson Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in Virginia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn 2022, she joined Argonne National Laboratory as a Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellow, continuing her research as a member of the MicroBooNE,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sbn-nd.fnal.gov\/\u0022\u003EShort-Baseline Near Detector\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dunescience.org\/\u0022\u003EDeep Underground Neutrino Experiment\u003C\/a\u003E, and Jefferson Lab\u2019s Electrons-For-Neutrinos collaborations. Her work focuses on testing the performance of simulation predictions against existing and new neutrino and electron data sets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPapadopoulou currently serves as a J. Robert Oppenheimer Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she is working to better understand neutrino interactions.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Afroditi Papadopoulou meets with Nobel Laureates before joining the School of Physics this fall"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBefore joining the School of Physics as an assistant professor this fall, Afroditi Papadopoulou will engage with Nobel Laureates during a global forum focused on intergenerational and interdisciplinary scientific exchange.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Before joining the School of Physics as an assistant professor this fall, Afroditi Papadopoulou will engage with Nobel Laureates during a global forum focused on intergenerational and interdisciplinary scientific exchange."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-06 19:45:14","changed_gmt":"2026-04-07 13:41:24","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679868":{"id":"679868","type":"image","title":"Afroditi Papadopoulou","body":null,"created":"1775504931","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 19:48:51","changed":"1775504931","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 19:48:51","alt":"Headshot of Afroditi Papadopoulou wearing pink collared shirt and glasses","file":{"fid":"264079","name":"33933D34_PSE_PORTRAIT_Afroditi-Papadopoulou__web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/33933D34_PSE_PORTRAIT_Afroditi-Papadopoulou__web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/33933D34_PSE_PORTRAIT_Afroditi-Papadopoulou__web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2447456,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/33933D34_PSE_PORTRAIT_Afroditi-Papadopoulou__web.jpg?itok=ybag3L1d"}}},"media_ids":["679868"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"1646","name":"New Faculty"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687195":{"#nid":"687195","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Illness Is More Than Just Biological \u2013 Medical Sociology Shows How Social Factors Get Under the Skin and Cause\u00a0Disease","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHealth and medicine is more than just biological \u2013 societal forces can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090852\u0022\u003Eget under your skin and cause illness\u003C\/a\u003E. Medical sociologists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=HQtYrggAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Elike me study these forces\u003C\/a\u003E by treating society itself as our laboratory. Health and illness are our experiments in uncovering meaning, power and inequality, and how it affects all parts of a person\u2019s life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, why do low-income communities \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/read\/19015\u0022\u003Econtinue to have higher death rates\u003C\/a\u003E, despite improved social and environmental conditions across society? Foundational research in medical sociology reveals that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/2626958\u0022\u003Eaccess to resources\u003C\/a\u003E like money, knowledge, power and social networks strongly affects a person\u2019s health. Medical sociologists have shown that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383498\u0022\u003Esocial class is linked to numerous diseases and mortality\u003C\/a\u003E, including risk factors that influence health and longevity. These include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/secondhand-smoke-may-be-a-substantial-contributor-to-lead-levels-found-in-children-and-adolescents-new-study-finds-212256\u0022\u003Esmoking\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fixing-the-global-childhood-obesity-epidemic-begins-with-making-healthy-choices-the-easier-choices-and-that-requires-new-laws-and-policies-207975\u0022\u003Eoverweight\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hispanics-live-longer-than-most-americans-but-will-the-us-obesity-epidemic-change-things-146006\u0022\u003Eobesity\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/black-mothers-trapped-in-unsafe-neighborhoods-signal-the-stressful-health-toll-of-gun-violence-in-the-u-s-203307\u0022\u003Estress\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/loneliness-is-making-us-physically-sick-but-social-prescribing-can-treat-it-podcast-199939\u0022\u003Esocial isolation\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/health-insurance-premiums-rose-nearly-3x-the-rate-of-worker-earnings-over-the-past-25-years-271450\u0022\u003Eaccess to health care\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/kids-neighborhoods-can-affect-their-developing-brains-a-new-study-finds-184035\u0022\u003Eliving in disadvantaged neighborhoods\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, social class alone cannot explain such health inequalities. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/singh.hsoc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMy own research\u003C\/a\u003E examines how inequalities related to social class, race and gender affect \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ssmqr.2023.100234\u0022\u003Eaccess to autism services\u003C\/a\u003E, particularly among single Black mothers who rely on public insurance. This work helps explain \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.2019-3629\u0022\u003Edelays in autism diagnosis\u003C\/a\u003E among Black children, who often wait three years after initial parent concerns before they are formally diagnosed. White children with private insurance typically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18553\/jmcp.2023.29.4.378\u0022\u003Ewait from 9 to 22 months\u003C\/a\u003E depending on age of diagnosis. This is just one of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s40615-024-02280-x\u0022\u003Enumerous examples of inequalities\u003C\/a\u003E that are entrenched in and deepened by medical and educational systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedical sociologists like me investigate how all of these \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/WHO-IER-CSDH-08.1\u0022\u003Efactors interact to affect a person\u2019s health\u003C\/a\u003E. This \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781003569824\u0022\u003Esocial model of illness\u003C\/a\u003E sees sickness as shaped by social, cultural, political and economic factors. We examine both \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Eindividual experiences and societal influences\u003C\/a\u003E to help address the health issues affecting vulnerable populations through large-scale reforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the way \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Esocial forces shape health inequalities\u003C\/a\u003E, medical sociology helps address how health and illness extend beyond the body and into every aspect of people\u2019s lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Protesters standing in front of a federal building, holding signs in the shape of graves reading \u0026apos;16 MILLION LIVES\u0026apos; and \u0026apos;R.I.P. DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS,\u0026apos; wearing shirts that read \u0026apos;MEDICAID SAVES LIVES\u0026apos;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=400\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710832\/original\/file-20260105-62-evcc0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=503\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAccess to health insurance is a political issue that directly affects patients. Here, care workers gathered in June 2025 to protest Medicaid cuts.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/care-workers-with-the-service-employees-international-union-news-photo\/2221731651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003ETasos Katopodis\/Getty Images for SEIU\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOrigins of Medical Sociology in the US\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedical sociology \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/9781444314786.ch1\u0022\u003Eformally began in the U.S after World War II\u003C\/a\u003E, when the National Institutes of Health started investing in joint medical and sociological research projects. Hospitals began hiring sociologists to address questions like how to improve patient compliance, doctor-patient interactions and medical treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the focus of this early work was on issues specific to medicine, such as quality improvement or barriers to medication adherence. The goal was to study problems that could be directly applied in medical settings rather than challenging medical authority or existing inequalities. During that period, sociologists viewed illness mostly as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/socialsystem00pars\/page\/n3\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Edeviation from normal functioning\u003C\/a\u003E leading to impairments that require treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the concept of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/socialsystem00pars\/page\/n3\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Esick role\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 developed by medical sociologist Talcott Parsons in the 1950s \u2013 saw illness as a form of deviance from social roles and expectations. Under this idea, patients were solely responsible for seeking out medical care in order to return to normal functioning in society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the 1960s, sociologists began \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/stigmanotesonman0000goff\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Ecritiquing medical diagnoses and institutions\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers criticized the idea of the sick role because it assumed illnesses were temporary and did not account for chronic conditions or disability, which can last for long periods of time and do not necessarily allow people to deviate from their life obligations. The sick role assumed that all people have access to medical care, and it did not take into account how social characteristics like race, class, gender and age can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1467-9566.1991.tb00522.x\u0022\u003Einfluence a person\u2019s experience of illness\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Patient wearing surgical mask sitting in chair of exam room, talking to a doctor\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=338\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=338\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=338\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=424\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=424\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710831\/original\/file-20260105-62-pk5w60.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=424\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EEarly models of illness in medical sociology discounted the experience of the patient.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/man-talks-with-dr-stela-kostova-at-families-together-of-news-photo\/1470350026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EPaul Bersebach\/MediaNews Group\/Orange County Register via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParsons\u2019 sick role concept also emphasized the expertise of the physician rather than the patient\u2019s experience of illness. For example, sociologist Erving Goffman showed that the way \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781351327763\u0022\u003Ecare is structured in asylums shaped how patients are treated\u003C\/a\u003E. He also examined how the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/stigmanotesonman0000goff\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up\u0022\u003Eexperience of stigma\u003C\/a\u003E is an interactive process that develops in response to social norms. This work influenced how researchers understood chronic illness and disability and laid the groundwork for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1467-9566.2009.01161.x\u0022\u003Elater debates on what counts as pathological or normal\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the 1970s, some researchers began to question the model of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1467-954X.1972.tb00220.x\u0022\u003Emedicine as an institution of social control\u003C\/a\u003E. They critiqued how medicine\u2019s jurisdiction expanded over many societal problems \u2013 such as old age and death \u2013 which were defined and treated as medical problems. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev.so.18.080192.001233\u0022\u003EResearchers were critical of the tendency to medicalize\u003C\/a\u003E and apply labels like \u201chealthy\u201d and \u201cill\u201d to increasing parts of human existence. This shift emphasized how a medical diagnosis can carry political weight and how medical authority can affect social inclusion or exclusion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe critical perspective aligns with critiques from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/09687599.2013.818773\u0022\u003Edisability studies\u003C\/a\u003E. Unlike medical sociology, which emerged through the medical model of disease, disability studies emerged from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/us\/new-politics-of-disablement-9780333945674\/\u0022\u003Edisability rights activism and scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E. Rather than viewing disability as pathological, this field sees disability as a variation of the human condition rooted in social barriers and exclusionary environments. Instead of seeking cures, researchers focus on increasing accessibility, human rights and autonomy for disabled people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA contemporary figure in this field was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/about\/\u0022\u003EAlice Wong\u003C\/a\u003E, a disability rights activist and medical sociologist who \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/obituaries\/2025\/11\/15\/disability-activist-alice-wong\/\u0022\u003Edied in November 2025\u003C\/a\u003E. Her work amplified disabled voices and helped shaped how the public understood disability justice and access to technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStructural Forces Shape Health and Illness\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy focusing on social and structural influences on health, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Emedical sociology has contributed significantly\u003C\/a\u003E to programs addressing issues like segregation, discrimination, poverty, unemployment and underfunded schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, sociological research on racial health disparities invite \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383838\u0022\u003Eneighborhood interventions\u003C\/a\u003E that can help improve overall quality of life by increasing the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/free-school-meals-for-all-may-reduce-childhood-obesity-while-easing-financial-and-logistical-burdens-for-families-and-schools-223270\u0022\u003Eavailability of affordable nutritious foods\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-food-insecurity-152746\u0022\u003Ein underserved neighborhoods\u003C\/a\u003E or initiatives that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/socioeconomic-status-explains-most-of-the-racial-and-ethnic-achievement-gaps-in-elementary-school-237931\u0022\u003Eprioritize equal access to education\u003C\/a\u003E. At the societal level, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Elarge-scale social policies\u003C\/a\u003E such as guaranteed minimum incomes or universal health care can dramatically reduce health inequalities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022People carrying boxes of food under a tent\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=360\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=360\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=360\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=452\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=452\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/710822\/original\/file-20260105-70-3hpn4u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=452\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EAccess to nutritious food is critical to health.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/escondido-ca-juliana-ramos-of-interfaith-community-services-news-photo\/2243706444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EK.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedical sociology has also expanded the understanding of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383496\u0022\u003Ehow health care policies affect health\u003C\/a\u003E, helping ensure that policy changes take into account the broader social context. For example, a key area of medical sociological research is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0022146510383504\u0022\u003Erising cost of and limited access to health care\u003C\/a\u003E. This body of work focuses on the complex social and organizational factors of delivering health services. It highlights the need for more state and federal regulatory control as well as investment in groups and communities that need care the most.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern medical sociology ultimately considers all societal issues to be health issues. Improving people\u2019s health and well-being requires improving education, employment, housing, transportation and other social, economic and political policies.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/270258\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/illness-is-more-than-just-biological-medical-sociology-shows-how-social-factors-get-under-the-skin-and-cause-disease-270258\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the way social forces shape health inequalities, medical sociology helps address how health and illness extend beyond the body and into every aspect of people\u2019s lives.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By studying the way social forces shape health inequalities, medical sociology helps address how health and illness extend beyond the body and into every aspect of people\u2019s lives."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-01-08 15:37:58","changed_gmt":"2026-04-06 18:16:40","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678961":{"id":"678961","type":"image","title":"Lack of access to safe and affordable housing is harmful to health. Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELack of access to safe and affordable housing is harmful to health. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/los-angeles-ca-tuesday-may-31-2022-dana-vanderford-news-photo\/1242004141\u0022\u003ERobert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768232345","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 15:39:05","changed":"1768232345","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 15:39:05","alt":"Lack of access to safe and affordable housing is harmful to health. Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images","file":{"fid":"263064","name":"file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":239539,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/file-20260105-70-1qzwti.jpg?itok=J-V7i4lM"}}},"media_ids":["678961"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/illness-is-more-than-just-biological-medical-sociology-shows-how-social-factors-get-under-the-skin-and-cause-disease-270258","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jennifer-singh-2531279\u0022\u003EJennifer Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, Associate Professor of Sociology, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689444":{"#nid":"689444","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why the Strait of Hormuz Is More Than an Energy Crisis ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERising oil and gasoline prices have been the center of attention since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But that immediate effect tells only part of the story. Because oil and gas underpin production, transportation, and logistics, higher energy costs will gradually move through supply chains \u2014 meaning the most significant economic consequences may not appear for months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe effects move slowly and appear in places people do not connect to energy,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tibor-besedes\u0022\u003ETibor Besedes\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Economics. \u201cOil and natural gas are part of the cost structure for an enormous range of goods.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows through the waterway linking the Persian Gulf to world markets. When that flow is constrained, the impact ripples outward across industries most people never associate with an energy crisis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn complex supply chains, a disruption in one critical link, even if only briefly, can cascade through the system, well beyond the initial event,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022\u003EPinar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E, chair and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. \u201cAs delays persist and compound, interconnected systems often take a long time to recover, rebalance, and return to normal.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrice Pressures That Arrive Quietly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly effects are already visible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJet fuel availability is tightening, and diesel prices are rising across Asia. China has ordered refineries to stop exporting fuel, creating shortages that are increasing shipping costs for U.S. imports, from consumer electronics to pharmaceuticals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe strait is also a key corridor for naphtha, a feedstock used to produce plastics, packaging, solvents, textiles, and pharmaceutical components. Roughly 85% of Middle Eastern polyethylene exports move through the strait.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cConsumers won\u0027t see the effect of this quickly,\u201d Besedes says, \u201cbut the longer the strait is closed, the higher the cost will be of all of these products naphtha is used for.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAluminum is equally exposed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSmelters require sustained, low-cost energy,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/chris-gaffney\u0022\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor of the practice in the Stewart School. \u201cThe Middle East accounted for roughly 21% of U.S. unwrought aluminum imports in 2025. When energy prices spike or supply is constrained, capacity is reduced or shut down, and those decisions are difficult and slow to reverse.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFertilizer is one of the clearest examples of delayed inflation. Natural gas is essential for its production, and Persian Gulf states account for one-third of global urea exports and half of global sulfur exports. Urea prices at the New Orleans import hub have already climbed sharply.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe won\u0027t see the effects quickly, but rather in six to 12 months, depending on the crop and its cycle,\u201d Besedes says. \u201cWithout or with less fertilizer, crop yields will decrease, resulting in higher prices.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Hormuz Is Different From Other Chokepoints\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn top of all those factors, the strait closure presents a uniquely dangerous vulnerability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnlike a port strike or canal blockage, there is no meaningful way to reroute volume,\u201d says Gaffney. \u201cIf it is disrupted, flow is constrained rather than redirected.\u201d Pipeline alternatives replace only a fraction of the 20 million barrels per day that normally transit the strait.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChoke point vulnerability arises when a large portion of flow depends on a route that is hard to substitute,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/mathieu-dahan\u0022\u003EMathieu Dahan\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Stewart School. \u201cHormuz has no scalable alternatives with sufficient capacity.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/alan-erera\u0022\u003EAlan Erera\u003C\/a\u003E, senior associate chair in the Stewart School expanded on Dahan\u2019s point, noting that strait disruptions raise costs across manufacturing and distribution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cShips are rerouted onto longer paths, which drives up fuel and labor costs, ties up vessels and containers for longer periods, and ultimately raises inventory costs for shippers because capital is locked up while goods are still in transit,\u201d Erera said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen Geopolitics Meets Global Supply Chains\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the strait closure raises the risk of wartime miscalculation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen a disruption on this scale since the tanker wars of the late 1980s,\u201d said Larry Rubin, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Gulf states\u0027 dependence on the strait constrains both regional actors and U.S. strategy, raising risks around crisis decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERubin also points to a dimension most coverage has missed entirely. \u201cOne thing that has been overlooked by many commentators is the fact that the Iranian people have probably been hit the hardest economically,\u201d he says. \u201cThey were already in a challenging situation. The Iranian economy won\u0027t recover quickly after the war.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResilience Has a Short Memory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, for the United States, \u201cThe Strategic Petroleum Reserve provides a buffer, and domestic energy production has improved resilience,\u201d says Gaffney. \u201cBut the gap remains between enabling capacity and sustaining resilience. Policy can support infrastructure, but it cannot ensure private sector participants invest in resilience when cost pressures rise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor policymakers and industry leaders, the disruption reinforces a familiar pattern. \u0022The supply chain remains optimized for efficiency rather than resilience, in part due to the high investment costs required to build flexibility,\u0022 says Dahan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaffney added that resilience does improve after disruption, but that \u201cit erodes over time if not actively maintained.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven if the strait reopens, higher costs and slow restart timelines mean the system will not snap back. Experts suggest that when headlines have moved on from this disruption, it will still be shaping prices across the economy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe closure of the Strait of Hormuz is sending shockwaves far beyond rising gas prices, threatening to reshape global supply chains for months or even years to come. With roughly 20% of the world\u0027s oil and liquefied natural gas flowing through this critical chokepoint, disruptions are already rippling across industries from plastics and pharmaceuticals to aluminum, fertilizers, and consumer electronics. Unlike other trade disruptions, the strait offers no scalable rerouting alternatives, forcing longer shipping paths that drive up fuel, labor, and inventory costs worldwide. Experts warn that the most severe economic consequences \u2014 including higher food prices, reduced crop yields, and costlier manufactured goods \u2014 may not surface for six to twelve months, long after headlines have moved on. As global supply chains remain optimized for efficiency over resilience, the Hormuz crisis exposes just how vulnerable interconnected economies are to a single point of failure in international energy trade.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts warn that disruptions at the world\u0027s most critical energy choke point will ripple far beyond oil and gas prices. "}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-04-03 15:45:08","changed_gmt":"2026-04-03 17:36:56","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679846":{"id":"679846","type":"image","title":"Strait of Hormuz","body":null,"created":"1775237120","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 17:25:20","changed":"1775237252","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 17:27:32","alt":"Image of a map of Iran, with a magnifying glass over the Strait of Hormuz","file":{"fid":"264054","name":"Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":255785,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg?itok=98t95NPB"}}},"media_ids":["679846"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"194979","name":"strait of hormuz"},{"id":"8319","name":"iran"},{"id":"194980","name":"iran conflict"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689446":{"#nid":"689446","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Supports Initiative to Assess Quantum Computing Efforts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantum computers may one day enable revolutionary advances in fluid dynamics, drug discovery, development of better agricultural fertilizers, improved materials design and other technical areas that are beyond the capabilities of today\u2019s conventional computers. To reach those goals, companies from around the world are pursuing a variety of approaches aimed at developing large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approaches of over a dozen quantum computing companies are now being evaluated through the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), a project of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). According to the agency, QBI \u201caims to rigorously verify and validate whether any quantum computing approach can achieve utility-scale operation \u2013 meaning its computational value exceeds its cost \u2013 by the year 2033.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupporting the effort, a 40-person interdisciplinary research team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has joined the test and evaluation component of QBI, providing unbiased subject-matter experts to work with 13 other research organizations in evaluating the R\u0026amp;D plans of participating quantum computer companies. Through this collaboration, the GTRI team is working with more than 400 other third-party experts on the project.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/gtri-supports-initiative-assess-quantum-computing-efforts\u0022\u003ERead the complete article on the GTRI news site\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe approaches of over a dozen quantum computing companies are now being evaluated through the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), a project of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). GTRI researchers are supporting the initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are supporting a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiative to evaluate different approaches to quantum computing."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-04-03 17:29:16","changed_gmt":"2026-04-03 17:35:58","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679845":{"id":"679845","type":"image","title":"Quantum computing could enable revolutionary advances in numerous technology areas","body":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantum computers may one day enable revolutionary advances in fluid dynamics, drug discovery, development of better agricultural fertilizers, improved materials design and other technical areas. (Credit: Tim Hynes)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1775236418","gmt_created":"2026-04-03 17:13:38","changed":"1775236825","gmt_changed":"2026-04-03 17:20:25","alt":"Quantum research and potential benefits","file":{"fid":"264053","name":"Quantum_banner_03B_03-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Quantum_banner_03B_03-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Quantum_banner_03B_03-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":839777,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/03\/Quantum_banner_03B_03-web.jpg?itok=QRIkBs4z"}}},"media_ids":["679845"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["gtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689428":{"#nid":"689428","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Build AI Tutor Grounded in Course Materials","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs students increasingly turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to help with coursework, some worry that their learning could be compromised. Georgia Tech researchers are working to counter this potential decline with an AI tool they hope will promote learning rather than hinder it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETokenSmith is a citation-supported large language model (LLM) tutor that can be hosted locally on a user\u2019s personal computer. The tutor only provides answers based on course materials, such as the textbook or lecture slides.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~jarulraj\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoy Arulraj\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E began the project with support from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/c21u-announces-inaugural-bill-kent-ai-higher-education-fellows\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBill Kent Family Foundation AI in Higher Education Faculty Fellowship\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E last year. The fellowship, led by Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for 21st Century Universities, supports faculty projects exploring innovative and ethical uses of AI in teaching.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArulraj has enlisted assistant professors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kexinrong.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKexin Rong\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/steve.mussmann.us\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteve Mussmann\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to help build TokenSmith.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMussmann said TokenSmith is a synergistic blend of a database system and a machine learning system. The model stores textbooks, textbook annotations by course staff, common questions and answers, a learning state of the student, and student feedback in a structured database system. However, machine learning plays a key role in the answer generation as well as adapting the system to the student, course staff guidance, and user feedback.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022What excites me most is demonstrating how data-driven ML and principled database systems design can reinforce each other \u2014 one providing adaptability and flexibility, the other providing structure and traceability \u2014 in a way that benefits students,\u0022 Mussmann said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKeeping the model local has been an important focus of the project. The team wanted to create an AI tutor that helps students learn from their class resources rather than just giving answers. With each response, TokenSmith cites the origin of the answer in the provided documents.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne problem with LLMs is that they can hallucinate and provide wrong answers, but in this controlled environment, we can add these guardrails to make sure it\u2019s actually helpful in an educational setting,\u201d Rong said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERong said she feels that students often undervalue textbooks, and she hopes TokenSmith can motivate students to make better use of them.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTextbooks can sometimes be daunting, but maybe if we combine them with the model, students might be more willing to read a paragraph or page in the textbook, and that could help clarify something for them,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERunning the model locally is more cost-effective and helps preserve the user\u2019s privacy. But running the new tool locally comes with technical challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne challenge with creating the model is speed. Since it is a locally based model, TokenSmith depends solely on the user\u2019s computer memory. \u0026nbsp;Tests have also shown that the tutor currently struggles to answer more complex questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are interested in pushing the boundaries of these local models so that they give students good answers and also run fast enough to keep students engaged,\u201d Arulraj said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETokenSmith is a citation-supported large language model (LLM) tutor that can be hosted locally on a user\u2019s personal computer. The tutor only provides answers based on course materials, such as the textbook or lecture slides.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~jarulraj\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoy Arulraj\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E began the project with support from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/c21u-announces-inaugural-bill-kent-ai-higher-education-fellows\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBill Kent Family Foundation AI in Higher Education Faculty Fellowship\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E last year. The fellowship, led by Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for 21st Century Universities, supports faculty projects exploring innovative and ethical uses of AI in teaching.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"TokenSmith is a citation-supported large language model (LLM) tutor that can be hosted locally on a user\u2019s personal computer. The tutor only provides answers based on course materials, such as the textbook or lecture slides.  "}],"uid":"36532","created_gmt":"2026-04-02 20:25:02","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 20:30:36","author":"Morgan Usry","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679842":{"id":"679842","type":"image","title":"AI-Tutor-Image.jpg.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1775161510","gmt_created":"2026-04-02 20:25:10","changed":"1775161510","gmt_changed":"2026-04-02 20:25:10","alt":"Graphic showing the researchers in front of a computer screen","file":{"fid":"264048","name":"AI-Tutor-Image.jpg.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/AI-Tutor-Image.jpg.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/AI-Tutor-Image.jpg.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":321180,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/02\/AI-Tutor-Image.jpg.jpeg?itok=yDJdQ838"}}},"media_ids":["679842"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50875","name":"School of Computer Science"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"194394","name":"AI in Education"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMorgan Usry, Communications Officer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["morgan.usry@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689424":{"#nid":"689424","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-led Research Team to Develop SHIELD Against Deadly Biological Threats","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe United States continues to face deadly infectious disease outbreaks, from emerging viruses to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, underscoring the nation\u2019s need for rapid, effective response systems. These threats extend beyond public health, disrupting daily life, straining health care systems, and impacting military readiness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of researchers led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/singh\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the Carl Ring Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and professor in\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory\u0026nbsp;University, has been awarded up to $6 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) against deadly biological threats that endanger public health, national security, and warfighters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDTRA\u2019s mission is to provide solutions that enable the Department of Defense, the U.S. government, and international partners to deter strategic threats. A key priority is advancing new or improved MCMs that can be deployed before or after exposure to biological or chemical agents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh\u2019s multi-year project, Systematic Human Immune Engineering for Lethal Disease (SHIELD) Countermeasures, aims to create a threat-agnostic platform that transforms how respiratory pathogens and toxins are studied. The platform is designed to speed up the discovery, development, and production of immune-based countermeasures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh leads a collaborative team that includes Cornell University\u2019s Matthew DeLisa and Stanford University\u2019s Michael Jewett. Together, they will integrate immune-engineering technologies with advanced cell-free protein synthesis platforms to discover and manufacture protein-based MCMs. Cell-free protein synthesis is a laboratory technique that efficiently produces proteins without relying on living cells, which can be unpredictable and technically demanding when it comes to expressing complex or toxic proteins and scaling production quickly. The team expects the SHIELD Countermeasures platform to reduce the time and cost of MCM development by more than tenfold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe foundational science and cutting-edge tools we develop will ignite future discoveries, ensuring a robust pipeline of advanced protein-based MCMs for chemical and biological defense,\u201d said Singh, who also directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis will significantly enhance national security and equip our warfighters with next-generation biodefense capabilities.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional animal models often fail to accurately replicate human immune responses, and standard tissue cultures lack the complexity required to study how immune cells interact with pathogens. In contrast, human immune organoids and immune-competent devices \u2014 built from human cells \u2014 are emerging as groundbreaking research tools. These systems recreate key immune features, such as lymph nodes and mucosal environments, within three-dimensional or microengineered platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany organoid and engineering devices, often called organ-on-chip platforms, lack immune integration,\u201d Singh said. \u201cBecause immunity sits at the center of human health, these limitations have broad consequences. Immune-competent organ-on-chip platforms extend this concept by combining human cells with microfluidic engineering that simulates blood flow, tissue barriers, and chemical gradients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh has previously published studies on a synthetic \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41563-024-02037-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehuman immune chip\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41551-025-01491-9\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eimmunocompetent lung on a chip\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and has also teamed up with DeLisa previously to use synthetic immune organoids for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acscentsci.2c01473\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eimmuno-profiling antibacterial MCMs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s about being able to test far larger numbers of candidate protein-based MCMs in a single experiment\u2014and to do it much faster,\u201d DeLisa said. \u201cCell-free systems allow us to produce MCMs at unprecedented speed and scale, but traditional evaluation methods can\u2019t keep up with those numbers. By combining cell-free MCM production with immune organoid technology, we can assess the potency of dozens or even hundreds of candidates at a time and characterize the resulting immune responses within just a few days.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy integrating immune cells with tissues such as lung, gut, skin, or vascular systems, these devices allow scientists to observe immune responses in real time, including cell migration, inflammation, and interactions with pathogens or therapeutics. As biological threats evolve, the development and deployment of immune-competent platforms will be critical for rapid, effective countermeasures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDTRA\u2019s investment in Singh\u2019s work highlights the urgent national priority of strengthening U.S. biodefense capabilities. The SHIELD Countermeasures platform and its cutting-edge technologies promise to transform the nation\u2019s response to biological threats and help safeguard communities from biological and chemical attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ELed by Ankur Singh, the multi-institutional SHIELD (Systematic Human Immune Engineering for Lethal Disease) project aims to transform how scientists study and respond to dangerous respiratory pathogens and toxins. The effort brings together researchers from Georgia Tech, Cornell, and Stanford to enable faster and more cost-effective development of protein-based medical countermeasures. The team expects the platform to reduce the time and cost of developing these defenses by more than tenfold, strengthening the nation\u2019s preparedness against biological threats.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led research team has received up to $6 million to develop SHIELD, a new platform designed to rapidly create immune-based countermeasures against a wide range of deadly biological threats."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-02 19:06:48","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 19:17:40","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679841":{"id":"679841","type":"image","title":"DTRA-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775156814","gmt_created":"2026-04-02 19:06:54","changed":"1775156814","gmt_changed":"2026-04-02 19:06:54","alt":"Ankur Singh, a man in a gray suit jacket with a dark pink button-up shirt stands in front of a work bench in a lab.","file":{"fid":"264047","name":"DTRA-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/DTRA-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/DTRA-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1541575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/02\/DTRA-2.jpg?itok=UsJZzTJB"}}},"media_ids":["679841"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"190256","name":"G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETracie Troha | Communications Officer, Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689408":{"#nid":"689408","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Singh Family Gift Funds High-Risk Research at Center for Immunoengineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA philanthropic gift from the family of J.P. Singh is helping researchers at Georgia Tech push the boundaries of biomedical innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Singh Family Research Awards were established as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering\u003C\/a\u003E, creating a seed funding program supporting both faculty and students that is designed to accelerate early-stage ideas with the potential to transform medicine. The awards support interdisciplinary projects pursuing high-risk, high-reward research that could lead to new therapies for cancer, infectious diseases, and chronic illnesses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gift honors the legacy of J.P. Singh and reflects his family\u2019s commitment to advancing research that could lead to safer and more effective treatments for patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe gift is giving scientists the freedom to pursue bold ideas that might otherwise be too early or too unconventional for traditional funding,\u201d said Ankur Singh, Director of the Center for Immunoengineering and Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/schools\/biomedical-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory (BME). \u201cIt allows Georgia Tech scientists to explore new frontiers in immunoengineering, from cancer to autoimmunity, and to build the scientific foundations that could ultimately lead to the next generation of transformative therapies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe inaugural awards support four innovative projects that span multiple areas of biomedical research, including two Faculty Research Awards and two Student Fellowship Awards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing AI to Guide the Immune System\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne Singh Family Faculty Research Award, given to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/17370\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndrew McShan\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, will help develop AI\u2011guided tools to design synthetic immune\u2011like molecules that can detect lipids on cell surfaces. Most current immunotherapies are designed to recognize protein fragments presented on cells, leaving a largely untapped class of disease-associated targets \u2014 lipids \u2014 beyond the reach of modern immune engineering. By enabling programmable molecules that can detect lipids on cell surfaces, the work aims to expand immune targeting beyond traditional protein targets and open new diagnostic and treatment strategies for diseases such as leukemia, tuberculosis, and inflammatory skin disorders.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-guided design framework for lipid-sensing immune receptors would create an entirely new class of programmable immune molecules capable of identifying disease signals that were previously inaccessible. Such tools could enable earlier disease detection, new immune-based therapeutics, and a broader ability to engineer immune systems to recognize complex biological threats, fundamentally expanding the scope of targets addressable by modern immunotherapy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping the Next Generation of Cancer Treatments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second faculty award project, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3702\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Blazeck\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, focuses on engineering next-generation cancer immunotherapies using CAR-T cells, which are a patient\u2019s own immune cells that have been re\u2011engineered to recognize and attack specific cancer cells. The team is developing new receptors for CAR-T cells designed to improve safety while enabling immune cells to recognize multiple tumor targets simultaneously.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis approach addresses two major barriers that have limited the success of CAR-T therapies in solid tumors: the risk of attacking healthy tissues and the ability of tumors to evade treatment by changing or losing a single target antigen. If successful, the work could significantly expand the reach of CAR-T cell therapy, which has already transformed the treatment of certain blood cancers but has struggled to treat solid tumors such as breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy enabling immune cells to distinguish tumors more precisely and attack cancers that display multiple markers, the new receptor designs could make CAR-T therapies both safer and more effective. The technology could represent a major step toward translating cellular immunotherapies to the far larger population of patients with solid tumors, potentially opening the door to powerful new treatments for some of the most resistant cancers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImaging Heart Risk Early with Ultrasound\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gift also established two Singh Family Fellow Awards, supporting graduate students pursuing innovative research in immunoengineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne fellowship was awarded to Yann Ferry, a graduate student advised by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/arvanitis\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECostas Arvanitis\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ME) and BME. Ferry\u2019s project aims to advance ultrasound imaging technologies designed to visualize immune activity inside Atherosclerosis plaques, the fatty deposits that accumulate in arteries and can trigger heart attacks or strokes when they rupture.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking immune cells that drive plaque inflammation and instability (called macrophages), the team aims to develop a noninvasive imaging approach that can measure the immune state of plaques in real time. If successful, the technology could transform how cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and monitored.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, physicians can detect plaque buildup but cannot easily determine whether a plaque is actively inflamed and likely to rupture. Imaging immune activity could allow doctors to identify high-risk plaques earlier, monitor how patients respond to therapy, and intervene before a heart attack or stroke occurs. Given that cardiovascular disease remains the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/fastats\/leading-causes-of-death.htm\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eleading cause of death\u003C\/a\u003E in the United States, such a tool could significantly improve prevention and treatment strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorking Toward a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second fellowship supports Alexander Kedzierski, a Ph.D. student in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3691\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp; lab within ME. Kedzierski\u2019s research focuses on improving stem-cell-based treatments for Type 1 Diabetes. The project aims to design degradable biomaterials that present that help control the immune response, protecting transplanted insulin\u2011producing cells from being attacked by the body.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrent experimental therapies using insulin-producing cells that are derived from stem cells have shown promise but are limited by the need for lifelong medications that suppress the immune system to prevent rejection. By engineering biomaterials that locally regulate immune responses around transplanted cells, the researchers hope to enable long-term graft survival without suppressing the entire immune system.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf successful, the approach could bring regenerative therapies for Type 1 diabetes closer to a practical cure, allowing patients to restore natural insulin production while avoiding the risks associated with chronic immunosuppressive treatment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the projects illustrate the core mission of the Center for Immunoengineering and the Singh Family gift. By investing in bold, interdisciplinary research, the Singh family\u2019s gift is helping the Center for Immunoengineering accelerate innovations at the intersection of engineering, biology, and medicine.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the years ahead, the program is expected to expand a pipeline of high-impact research, from next-generation immunotherapies to immune-guided diagnostics and regenerative medicine. For the scientists involved, the goal is not only to advance discovery but to translate new insights about the immune system into real-world solutions for patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech has named the inaugural recipients of the Singh Family Research Awards, recognizing four interdisciplinary projects led by Andrew McShan, John Blazeck, Yann Ferry, and Alexander Kedzierski. Together, the awardees exemplify high\u2011risk, high\u2011reward research aimed at translating fundamental immune engineering advances into safer, more effective treatments for patients.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech has awarded the inaugural Singh Family Research Awards to two faculty members and two students advancing innovative immunoengineering projects."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-02 18:09:35","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 19:16:10","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679836":{"id":"679836","type":"image","title":"Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775153384","gmt_created":"2026-04-02 18:09:44","changed":"1775153384","gmt_changed":"2026-04-02 18:09:44","alt":"Four headshots of Singh Family Award winners: Andrew McShan, John Blazeck, Yann Ferry, and Alexander Kedzierski","file":{"fid":"264042","name":"Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/02\/Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":160700,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/02\/Singh-Award-Winners-2026.jpg?itok=6yTaA74y"}}},"media_ids":["679836"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"101691","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineerin"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"94321","name":"College of Engineering; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by: Ankur Singh, Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEdited by: Ashlie Bowman, Communications Manager, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689255":{"#nid":"689255","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u0027Welcome to the Future!\u0027 Artemis II Set for Launch to the Moon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf all goes according to plan, humans will head toward the moon this week for the first time since 1972. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENASA\u2019s Artemis II is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, April 1, at 6:24 p.m. Four astronauts will slingshot around the moon before landing in the Pacific Ocean after a 10-day mission.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe launch has captivated the Georgia Tech space community, both here on campus and within the alumni base. Several Georgia Tech graduates have key roles in the Artemis program.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOn the eve of this next chapter of lunar exploration, several current and former Yellow Jackets discuss why Artemis II matters, what excites them about the mission, and what happens next.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/welcome-future-artemis-ii-set-launch-moon\u0022\u003ERead the entire story on the College of Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech alumni, including some with NASA leadership roles in this week\u2019s launch, reflect on the first crewed launch to the moon in more than 50 years. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the eve of this next chapter of lunar exploration, several current and former Yellow Jackets discuss why Artemis II matters, what excites them about the mission, and what happens next.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"On the eve of this next chapter of lunar exploration, several current and former Yellow Jackets discuss why Artemis II matters, what excites them about the mission, and what happens next. "}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 13:55:24","changed_gmt":"2026-04-02 13:16:03","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679795":{"id":"679795","type":"image","title":"Artemis II on Launch Pad","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECredit: NASA\/John Kraus\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774965547","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 13:59:07","changed":"1774965547","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 13:59:07","alt":"rocket on the launch pad with full moon in background ","file":{"fid":"263998","name":"moon-and-pad-1--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/moon-and-pad-1--1-_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/moon-and-pad-1--1-_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":161880,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/moon-and-pad-1--1-_2.jpg?itok=sBE4OCro"}}},"media_ids":["679795"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689025":{"#nid":"689025","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Mosquitoes Swarm Your Head: They\u2019re Following Signals, Not Each Other","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter watching hundreds of mosquitoes buzzing around one of their colleagues and collecting 20 million data points, Georgia Tech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created a mathematical model that predicts how and where female mosquitoes will fly to feast on humans.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new study is the first to visualize mosquito flight patterns and provides hard data for improving capture and control strategies. In addition to being a nuisance, mosquitoes transmit diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and Zika, which cause more than 700,000 deaths every year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s like a crowded bar,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, with an adjunct appointment in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cCustomers aren\u2019t there because they followed each other into the bar. They\u2019re attracted by the same cues: drinks, music, and the atmosphere. The same is true of mosquitoes. Rather than following the leader, the insect follows the signals and happens to arrive at the same spot as the others. They\u2019re good copies of each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more and watch:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/why-mosquitoes-swarm-your-head-theyre-following-signals-not-each-other\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Engineering newsroom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E and \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/hundreds-of-hungry-mosquitoes-a-student-volunteer-and-a-mesh-suit-helped-us-figure-out-how-these-deadly-insects-reach-their-targets-278486\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers have visualized mosquito flight behavior for the first time \u2014\u00a0which could improve mosquito-control strategies. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have visualized mosquito flight behavior for the first time \u2014\u0026nbsp;which could improve mosquito-control strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have visualized mosquito flight behavior for the first time \u2014\u00a0which could improve mosquito-control strategies. "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 20:43:56","changed_gmt":"2026-04-01 19:58:53","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679682":{"id":"679682","type":"image","title":"A female mosquito lands on a human.","body":null,"created":"1773866953","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 20:49:13","changed":"1773866953","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 20:49:13","alt":"A female mosquito lands on a human.","file":{"fid":"263872","name":"mosquito2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/mosquito2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/mosquito2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1110207,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/mosquito2.jpg?itok=hj3xhNm7"}}},"media_ids":["679682"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer (maderer@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689321":{"#nid":"689321","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Future of AI\u2011Powered Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManufacturing is undergoing a significant transformation as artificial intelligence reshapes how industrial systems operate, adapt, and scale. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) has launched its \u003Cstrong\u003EManufacturing and AI Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E, which brings together faculty expertise in statistics, optimization, data science, and systems engineering to address emerging challenges and opportunities in modern manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EISyE researchers are applying AI to complex manufacturing environments, including multistage production systems, asset management, quality improvement, and human\u2011centered manufacturing. Faculty leaders emphasize the importance of contextualizing large volumes of manufacturing data so AI can support reliable decision\u2011making, efficient operations, and sustainable outcomes. At the same time, the initiative acknowledges challenges such as data integration, system complexity, and the need to balance automation with human involvement. Together, these efforts position ISyE at the forefront of shaping AI\u2011powered manufacturing systems that are innovative, resilient, and socially responsible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full article in \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/magazine\/2026\/spring\/future-ai-powered-manufacturing\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EISyE Magazine\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EISyE is launching its Manufacturing and AI Initiative to unite pioneering researchers with interdisciplinary partners in the development of research and education programs that address issues of industrial, societal, and global concern.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ISyE is advancing the next generation of manufacturing through AI\u2011driven research that integrates data analytics, optimization, and human\u2011centered systems to create smarter, more resilient industrial ecosystems. "}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-04-01 14:59:16","changed_gmt":"2026-04-01 15:10:11","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679812":{"id":"679812","type":"image","title":"The Future of AI-Powered Manufacturing.jpg","body":null,"created":"1775055564","gmt_created":"2026-04-01 14:59:24","changed":"1775055564","gmt_changed":"2026-04-01 14:59:24","alt":"The Future of AI-Powered Manufacturing","file":{"fid":"264016","name":"IMG_0592.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/IMG_0592.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/01\/IMG_0592.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2937547,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/01\/IMG_0592.jpg?itok=azK3lZM3"}}},"media_ids":["679812"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnnette Filliat, ISyE Communications Writer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689280":{"#nid":"689280","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Potential of Data Center Energy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent review by EPIcenter faculty affiliate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/constance-crozier\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstance Crozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/matthew-liska\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Liska\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology) explores the growing role of data centers in providing flexibility, the ability to shift or reduce electricity use in response to grid conditions, to the electric grid as renewable energy penetration and AI-driven computing demand surge. The authors highlight that data centers, particularly those supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads, are projected to consume nearly 10% of U.S. electricity by the end of the decade, presenting both challenges and opportunities for grid stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper examines various strategies for enhancing the flexibility of data center energy use. One approach is to use backup power systems, such as uninterruptible power supplies, to support the grid during emergencies. Another method involves rerouting computing jobs to different data centers in other locations to balance energy demand. The authors also discuss implementing smart scheduling techniques that shift workloads to off-peak hours, reducing strain on the grid. Additionally, they highlight adjusting processor speeds by lowering CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphics processing unit) clock rates to limit power consumption when needed. Finally, the paper suggests pre-cooling data center equipment to limit the energy required for cooling during peak demand periods. Notably, experimental evidence shows that underclocking GPUs can cut power consumption by 40% with only a 22% performance loss, suggesting technical feasibility for demand-response interventions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite these technical options, the authors find that real-world cost considerations and reliability concerns limit widespread adoption. Data center operators generally do not change their behavior in response to electricity prices, as job revenue far outweighs energy costs under normal conditions. For example, a GPU rented at $2 per hour consumes only $0.04 worth of electricity at average prices, making curtailment unattractive except during extreme price spikes. Surveys indicate that operators are reluctant to compromise reliability or deploy backup systems for ancillary services. Consequently, price-based incentives alone are unlikely to drive meaningful flexibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/24\/the-potential-of-data-center-energy\/\u0022\u003ERead more on the EPIcenter Webpage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/24\/the-potential-of-data-center-energy\/\u0022\u003EListen to a podcast on the research here\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent review by EPIcenter faculty affiliate \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/constance-crozier\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstance Crozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/matthew-liska\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Liska\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology) explores the growing role of data centers in providing flexibility, the ability to shift or reduce electricity use in response to grid conditions, to the electric grid as renewable energy penetration and AI-driven computing demand surge. The authors highlight that data centers, particularly those supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads, are projected to consume nearly 10% of U.S. electricity by the end of the decade, presenting both challenges and opportunities for grid stability.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A recent review by EPIcenter faculty affiliate highlights that data centers, particularly those supporting high-performance computing and AI workloads, are projected to consume nearly 10% of U.S. electricity by the end of the decade."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 19:00:21","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 19:08:59","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679804":{"id":"679804","type":"image","title":"PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774983673","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 19:01:13","changed":"1774983673","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 19:01:13","alt":"Adobe Stock image showing solar panels, wind mills and energy storage units in a desert-like landscape with the sun setting in the background","file":{"fid":"264008","name":"PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1531847,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/PotentialofDatacenterEnergy-AdobeStock_248626760.jpeg?itok=VE5-39Gn"}}},"media_ids":["679804"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/24\/the-potential-of-data-center-energy\/","title":"Full Story on the EPIcenter Webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ggonzalez68@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGilbert Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E, EPIcenter\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689229":{"#nid":"689229","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ISyE Student Awarded IBM Fellowship for Research Excellence","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/hoang-nguyen\u0022\u003EHoang Nguyen\u003C\/a\u003E, a graduate student in the Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization Ph.D. program at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, has been awarded an IBM fellowship in recognition of his research contributions and academic achievements. The IBM fellowship program is a prestigious, invitation-only award that identifies exceptional Ph.D. students conducting pioneering research in their disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENguyen began his academic journey as an undergraduate at Minerva University, where he studied in a different country nearly every semester. This experience abroad shaped his approach to problem-solving. After graduating, Nguyen remained passionate about mathematics but became interested in applying theory to real-world challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI still wanted to do math, but I wanted to apply my mathematical research to some tangible applications,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cI wanted to see the meaning behind my research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat desire, along with ISyE\u2019s long-standing top national ranking in industrial engineering, led Nguyen to pursue his doctoral studies at Georgia Tech. His primary research focuses on applied probability, with an emphasis on bridging theoretical models and practical systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENguyen received the IBM Fellowship in recognition of his ongoing research. One of his current research projects examines how far a process is from the steady state and seeks to better understand the finite-time behavior of the system and to make accurate real-time decisions. This work has meaningful applications in many real-world service systems models, such as the load balancing algorithms found in data centers and ride-hailing systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn additional his work in applied probability, Nguyen is exploring ways to improve artificial intelligence reasoning. His research investigates how large language models can verify their own outputs using mathematical heuristics and training data. By identifying and correcting discrepancies before displaying results to the user, the system could become more accurate and reliable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENguyen contributes much to the mentorship of his advisor, Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/siva-theja-maguluri\u0022\u003ESiva Theja Magulur\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would like to thank my advisor, Professor Siva Theja, for supporting me through this journey,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u0027s an extremely caring, insightful, and attentive professor. He\u0027s also very supportive of me pursuing the AI reasoning research at Google DeepMind, although this is not his main research. Over the years, I have learned a lot from him as his student.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IBM Fellowship is the latest in a series of achievements for Nguyen. In 2024 and 2025, respectively, he was part of a Google DeepMind team that earned silver and gold medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad. He also won second place at the ACM SIGMETRICS 2025 Student Research Contest for his work on the finite-time behavior of queuing systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs he continues his doctoral studies, Nguyen remains focused on advancing his research and contributing to both theoretical and applied fields.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENguyen\u0027s work focuses on understanding real-world system behavior, such as queuing and load balancing, while also advancing methods for improving AI reasoning, building more reliable and effective technologies with practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Hoang Nguyen, a Ph.D. student at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has earned an IBM Fellowship for his innovative research in applied probability and AI, advancing real-world systems and intelligent technologies."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-03-30 13:26:44","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 16:05:20","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679770":{"id":"679770","type":"image","title":"Hoang Nguyen.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774877220","gmt_created":"2026-03-30 13:27:00","changed":"1774877220","gmt_changed":"2026-03-30 13:27:00","alt":"Hoang Nguyen","file":{"fid":"263971","name":"Hoang-Nguyen.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Hoang-Nguyen.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Hoang-Nguyen.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45371,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/30\/Hoang-Nguyen.jpg?itok=jlrk7h12"}}},"media_ids":["679770"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker Avery, Student Writing Assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689249":{"#nid":"689249","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Launches Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/data-center\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Data Center Ordinance Hub\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs new data centers continue to be built and proposed in Georgia, counties and municipalities across the state are considering how to guide this growth. EPIcenter\u2019s data center dashboard provides policymakers, planners, researchers, and community stakeholders with a centralized resource to better understand how data center regulations are being developed and applied across Georgia and the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur Data Center Hub provides Georgia communities with a one-stop shop to understand how their neighbors are managing land-use regulations for data centers,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cIt brings together clear, accessible information to help jurisdictions\u0026nbsp;plan when data center growth occurs in their area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe dashboard is organized around five thematic areas commonly addressed in data center land-use regulations: \u003Cstrong\u003ESite Planning and Building Design, Infrastructure and Utilities, Environmental and Community Protections, Public Safety and Security, and Lifecycle Governance\u003C\/strong\u003E. Within each theme, users can explore specific regulatory topics and access the relevant ordinances enacted by Georgia communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo build the dashboard, EPIcenter researchers conducted a comprehensive review of municipal codes across the state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe reviewed municipal codes for about 180 cities and counties across Georgia and identified ordinances that specifically address data center development,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-yang-you\/\u0022\u003EYang You\u003C\/a\u003E, EPIcenter\u2019s research associate who developed the project. \u201cIn total, we found 19 data center-specific topics that ordinances tend to cover. We analyzed ordinances across jurisdictions and organized their ordinance provisions into topics such as building placement, setbacks, infrastructure, and environmental considerations to make it easier to compare how different jurisdictions regulate data centers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou added that the dashboard also incorporates examples from outside of Georgia. By gathering ordinances from other states and pairing them with Georgia-specific examples, EPIcenter aims to provide a clear framework to help communities efficiently address data center land-use regulation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub is available through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/initiatives-in-the-southeast\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/data-center\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Data Center Ordinance Hub\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs new data centers continue to be built and proposed in Georgia, counties and municipalities across the state are considering how to guide this growth. EPIcenter\u2019s data center dashboard provides policymakers, planners, researchers, and community stakeholders with a centralized resource to better understand how data center regulations are being developed and applied across Georgia and the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur Data Center Hub provides Georgia communities with a one-stop shop to understand how their neighbors are managing land-use regulations for data centers,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cIt brings together clear, accessible information to help jurisdictions\u0026nbsp;plan when data center growth occurs in their area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPIcenter) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 02:42:32","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 13:54:10","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679785":{"id":"679785","type":"image","title":"Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774924962","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 02:42:42","changed":"1774924962","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 02:42:42","alt":"Aerial view of a datacenter with air conditioner compressor fans on the roof of the building","file":{"fid":"263987","name":"Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/30\/Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":936768,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/30\/Datacenter-Cooling-TopView.jpeg?itok=xBJaUq7j"}},"679793":{"id":"679793","type":"image","title":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774965063","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","changed":"1774965063","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","alt":"US Map showing States Represented in the Ordinance Hub and State of Georgia with Data Centers and Local Ordinances highlighted","file":{"fid":"263995","name":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":400200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final.jpg?itok=q9cFpM_p"}},"679794":{"id":"679794","type":"image","title":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThematic Areas covered by EPIcenter\u0027s Datacenter Ordinance Hub\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774965063","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","changed":"1774965063","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 13:51:03","alt":"Thematic Areas covered by EPIcenter\u0027s Datacenter Ordinance Hub","file":{"fid":"263996","name":"DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":397163,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/DataCenterDashboard-HeaderImage-Final2.jpg?itok=iCDuFZ6-"}}},"media_ids":["679785","679793","679794"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/data-center\/","title":"EPIcenter Georgia Datacenter Ordinance Hub"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689250":{"#nid":"689250","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Look to Bolster Technology Support for Menopause","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWomen in need of supportive maternal and menstrual healthcare in patriarchal societies have increasingly found outlets for disclosure in online communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat support, however, begins to disappear in these restrictive cultures once women reach menopause, according to new research from Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENaveena Karusala, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, and master\u2019s student Umme Ammara are working toward improving existing technologies and designing new ones for a demographic they believe has been neglected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarusala and Ammara co-authored a paper based on a study they conducted with women in urban Pakistan experiencing menopause.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWomen\u2019s health is understudied in general, but menopause is more neglected than other women\u2019s health issues,\u201d Karusala said. \u201cOur choice to focus on menopause is motivated by expanding how we holistically think about women\u2019s well-being across their lifespan.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarusala and Ammara will present their paper in April at the 2026 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Barcelona.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMasking Symptoms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMenopause is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a period, vaginal bleeding, or spotting. The transition to menopause, called perimenopause, usually happens over two to eight years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHormone changes may cause symptoms such as irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and brain fog.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese symptoms can be debilitating in some cases and affect daily life. However, Ammara said women are pressured to remain silent, maintain appearances, and regulate their emotions to meet social expectations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding menopause is important because a woman would be experiencing all these symptoms, and people will not understand those as actual symptoms,\u201d Ammara said. \u201cThere\u2019s been resistance to the idea of the medicalization of menopause. People don\u2019t view it as an illness, but as a life transition and something that happens naturally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFeeling Isolated\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe women interviewed by Karusala and Ammara either stayed at home full-time or were part of the workforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers discovered that trusted family members might be the only sources women who stay at home and do not work turn to for disclosure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWomen at home have the flexibility to take breaks or work at their own pace, so a lot of their experience is shaped by the emotional barriers they face,\u201d Ammara said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat could come from their husbands and family members. Some are supportive and some are not. They might weaponize it and use that term against them, or they might dismiss what they\u2019re going through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmmara said it might be easier for women in the workforce to confide in their coworkers, but explaining to an employer that they need sick leave for menopause symptoms can be intimidating.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven in online communities that have enabled women to anonymously share their health experiences, menopause is seldom discussed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaising Awareness\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKarusala and Ammara argue in their paper that a public health approach could be the most effective way to spark conversation about menopause in a patriarchal culture in which technology use varies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey said the challenge in implementing technologies geared toward menopause support is that the condition isn\u2019t well understood in public. Improving maternal health, for example, is easier to promote within these societies because of the general understanding that motherhood is important.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere must be an existing infrastructure to build on,\u201d Karusala said. \u201cFor example, menstrual and maternal health are taught in schools and regularly discussed in primary care. Cultural and social meaning and importance are placed on motherhood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of that doesn\u2019t exist for menopause. Primary care doctors are unprepared to talk about menopause compared to other health issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesign Solutions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmmara said that the most effective way for technologies to make an impact on women going through menopause is to directly address systemic power structures around women\u2019s health within Pakistani culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt can start with the husbands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFraming the issue for husbands to understand menopause should be at the forefront of designing technology solutions,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn Islamic contexts, we suggest using faith-based framings. This has been proposed for maternal health in prior works that draw on Islamic principles to engage expectant fathers in providing care and support. Framing it around religious responsibility to involve men in the journey can also be done for menopause.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech assistant professor Naveena Karusala and master\u0027s student Umme Ammara are researching how to improve existing technologies and design new ones to better support women experiencing menopause. Their work is based on a study conducted with women in urban Pakistan, where patriarchal social norms pressure women to stay silent about menopause symptoms and limit their ability to seek support, even in online communities that have otherwise helped women discuss other health issues\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are looking at how technology can better support women experiencing menopause in urban Pakistan, where patriarchal norms leave them largely isolated and without resources for managing their symptoms."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 12:09:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 13:18:07","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679788":{"id":"679788","type":"image","title":"Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774958961","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 12:09:21","changed":"1774958961","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 12:09:21","alt":"Umme Ammar sits in a booth with laptop in front of her","file":{"fid":"263990","name":"Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":95810,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/Ammara-Umme_86A2210.jpg?itok=7jqYXbcn"}}},"media_ids":["679788"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8900","name":"women\u0027s history month"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"3543","name":"women\u0027s health"},{"id":"171911","name":"women of pakistan"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689213":{"#nid":"689213","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meghan Meredith Recognized with IISE Award for Maternal Health Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMeghan Meredith (IE Ph.D. 2025, Operations Research), has been named the\u0026nbsp;first-place winner of the Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award by the \u003Cstrong\u003EInstitute of Industrial and Systems Engineers \u003C\/strong\u003E(IISE)\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efor her dissertation,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u201cOperations Research for Improved and Equitable Maternal Health.\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E The recognition highlights the impact of her work in applying operations research to one of the most pressing healthcare challenges in the United States: poor maternal health outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dissertation focused on maternal health in the U.S., particularly in Georgia,\u201d Meredith said. \u201cWomen are experiencing maternal morbidity and mortality at much higher rates than in other high-income countries. There are also significant racial, ethnic, and rural-urban disparities. All of this points to systemic issues in how maternal healthcare is provided.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeredith\u2019s research combined data analysis, modeling, and policy-focused tools to understand and improve access to obstetric care. A major focus was how access is measured and how to use existing resources more effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne widely used metric, \u2018maternity care deserts,\u2019 looks at access by county,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut in Georgia, someone might be labeled as lacking care even if a hospital is just a mile across the county line. We realized that this metric was measuring the wrong thing in Georgia. Our work focuses on providing actionable insights to policymakers so they can ensure women have high-quality care nearby.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer research was motivated by the urgent need to address poor maternal outcomes in Georgia, which ranks among the worst states in the U.S. for both maternal mortality and racial disparities. \u201cWe see that half of women who die due to pregnancy-related causes die after delivery,\u201d Meredith said. \u201cPregnancy is a critical opportunity to engage women in their healthcare, and it\u2019s essential to focus on both maternal and fetal health.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeredith\u2019s contributions aim to bridge the gap between complex operations research models and real-world healthcare decision making. \u201cWe want to take the guesswork out of policy decisions,\u201d she said. \u201cIf a hospital closes or receives funding, our models can estimate the impact on care access and outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReceiving the IISE award underscores the impact of Meredith\u2019s research. \u201cWe were so focused on improving maternal health in Georgia,\u201d she said. \u201cThis recognition shows that meaningful healthcare research can also advance the field of operations research and industrial engineering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeredith credits much of her success to her advisor, Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/lauren-steimle\u0022\u003ELauren Steimle\u003C\/a\u003E, who nominated her for the award and provided guidance throughout her PhD program, which she began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cHer support was critical, especially during the first year and a half of online learning and isolation,\u201d Meredith said. She also highlighted the importance of her women-led team of collaborators, including physicians and epidemiologists, working on this women-centered research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently a postdoctoral researcher at NYU Langone Health, Meredith is applying her expertise to organ transplant policy, a field where operations research directly informs life-saving decisions. \u201cAccess, efficiency, and equity are still central themes,\u201d she said. \u201cThe goal is to use powerful tools to improve care outcomes wherever they\u2019re needed most.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeghan Meredith (IE Ph.D. 2025, Operations Research), winner of IISE\u2019s Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award, uses operations research to uncover maternal health disparities in Georgia and help policymakers improve access to care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Her award-winning research addresses maternal health disparities in Georgia, providing data-driven insights to improve access and outcomes for women."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-03-27 13:22:43","changed_gmt":"2026-03-27 19:50:41","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679753":{"id":"679753","type":"image","title":"Meghan Meredith","body":null,"created":"1774618423","gmt_created":"2026-03-27 13:33:43","changed":"1774618495","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 13:34:55","alt":"Meghan Meredith","file":{"fid":"263952","name":"Meghan-meredith.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/27\/Meghan-meredith.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/27\/Meghan-meredith.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76216,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/27\/Meghan-meredith.jpg?itok=XHJxJjGA"}}},"media_ids":["679753"],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EErin Whitlock Brown, Communications Manager II\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688902":{"#nid":"688902","#data":{"type":"news","title":"3.8\u2011Billion\u2011Year\u2011Old Titanium Clue Sheds New Light on the Moon\u2019s Early Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA chemical signature hidden in a 3.8\u2011billion\u2011year\u2011old lunar rock is offering new insights into the availability of oxygen within the young Moon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished today in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Communications,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe paper \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69770-w\u0022\u003ETrivalent Titanium in High-Titanium Lunar Ilmenite\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d confirms titanium in a reduced, trivalent state in a black, metal-rich lunar mineral called\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eilmenite\u003C\/em\u003E. It\u2019s a state only possible in low-oxygen environments, conditions researchers refer to as \u201creducing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cModels have suggested that these reducing conditions may have varied at different locations and times across the surface of the Moon,\u201d says lead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/advik-vira\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvik Vira\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a graduate student in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E who recently earned his doctoral degree. \u201cWe hope our microscopy technique can be a valuable step in mapping and understanding the Moon\u2019s 4.5-billion-year history.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team anticipates that their technique could be used on many of the lunar samples collected more than 50 years ago by the Apollo missions in addition to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/lunar-science\/programs\/angsa\/\u0022\u003EApollo Next Generation Samples\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 a group of lunar samples that have been stored under pristine conditions \u2014 and new samples from the planned\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/artemis-ii\/\u0022\u003EArtemis missions\u003C\/a\u003E, with Artemis II slated for launch this spring. The technique might also be applicable to samples collected from the far side of the Moon and returned in 2024 by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/space-missions\/change-6\u0022\u003EChang\u2019e-6 mission\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Moon holds clues not only to its own past, but also to the earliest eras of Earth\u2019s evolution \u2014 history that has long since been erased from our planet,\u201d Vira says. \u201cThis study is a step toward understanding the history of both and a reminder that there is still so much left to learn from the lunar rocks we\u2019ve brought back to Earth.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe School of Physics research team included corresponding authors Vira and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/phillip-first\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhillip First\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERoshan Trivedi\u003C\/strong\u003E; undergraduate students\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGabriella Dotson, Keyes Eames\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDean Kim,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E Emma Livernois\u003C\/strong\u003E; and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/zhigang-jiang\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZhigang Jiang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, along with Institute for Matter and Systems Materials Characterization Facility Senior Research Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.research.gatech.edu\/people\/mengkun-tian\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMengkun Tian\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Senior Research Scientist\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/brant-m-jones\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrant Jones\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/thomas-orlando\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThom Orlando\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ERegents\u0027 Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a joint appointment in the School of Physics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Georgia Tech team was joined by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/addisenergy.com\/\u0022\u003EAddis Energy\u003C\/a\u003E Senior Geochemist\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKatherine Burgess\u003C\/strong\u003E; Macalester College Assistant Professor of Geology\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geology\/facultystaff\/emily-first\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily First\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; along with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E Research Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energygeosciences.lbl.gov\/profile\/hlisabeth\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarrison Lisabeth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Senior Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/als.lbl.gov\/people\/nobumichi-tamura\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENobumichi Tamura\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPostdoctoral Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETyler Farr,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewho recently earned a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECLEVER research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe investigation began with a dark gray rock called a lunar basalt. Formed when ancient magma erupted on the Moon\u2019s surface, minerals crystallized as it cooled \u2014 preserving key information in their structures. Billions of years later, the rock was brought to Earth by the 1972 Apollo 17 mission, where a small piece is now stored at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/clever.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Lunar Environment and Volatile Exploration Research (CLEVER)\u003C\/a\u003E, a NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) center led by Orlando.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a NASA virtual institute, CLEVER supports researchers exploring lunar conditions and developing tools for the upcoming crewed Artemis missions, and provided the lunar samples for this research. The SSERVI also plays a critical role in training the next generation of planetary researchers: both Vira and Farr earned their Ph.D.s while on the CLEVER team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAt CLEVER, we are very interested in understanding the impacts of space weathering,\u201d Vira says. \u201cWe implemented modern\u0026nbsp;sample preparation and advanced microscopy techniques\u0026nbsp;to image samples at the atomic level, and were curious to apply it more broadly to the collection of Apollo rocks in the Orlando Lab. This sample caught our attention.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen we imaged an ilmenite crystal from the lunar basalt, what struck us first was how uniform and perfect the crystal structure was,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe found no defects from space weathering and instead saw an undamaged, pristine crystal \u2014 undisturbed for 3.8 billion years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo investigate further, the team analyzed small chips of the rock with Burgess,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ea member of the RISE2 SSERVI team and then a geologist at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nrl.navy.mil\/\u0022\u003EU.S. Naval Research Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. Using state-of-the-art electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, Vira determined the oxidation state of the elements in the ilmenite\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epresent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn spectroscopy measurements, each element leaves a distinct \u2018signature,\u2019 Vira explains. \u201cWhen we brought our results back to Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.research.gatech.edu\/mcf\/materials-characterization-facility\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility\u003C\/a\u003E, Mengkun (Tian) noticed something unusual: the signature showed titanium might be present in the trivalent state.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe presence of trivalent titanium had long been suspected in this lunar mineral. The team was intrigued.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new window into old rocks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWith funding from Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cstar.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Space Technology and Research (CSTAR)\u003C\/a\u003E, Vira returned to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to analyze additional samples. The results confirmed that more titanium was present than the mineral\u2019s formula (FeTiO\u2083) predicts \u2014 indicating a portion of the titanium present was trivalent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThat led me to place our measurements in terms of the broader geological context,\u201d Vira shares. Working with First, Vira explored how ilmenite with trivalent titanium could help reconstruct the nature of ancient magmas from the Moon, especially the chemical availability of oxygen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBecause its location on the Moon was noted during the Apollo mission, we know exactly where this rock is from, and we can determine how old the rock is,\u201d he explains. \u201cWhen coupled with our trivalent titanium measurements, we can use that information to estimate the reducing conditions for this specific region at the specific time our rock formed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf the upcoming Artemis missions return samples suitable for the team\u2019s technique, these rocks could provide a new window into ancient lunar geology. The research also highlights that many lunar samples already on Earth could be reexamined to look for trivalent titanium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is still so much to learn from the lunar samples we have already brought to Earth,\u201d Vira says. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to the long-term value of each sample return mission. As technology continues to advance, this type of work will continue to give us critical insights into our planet and our place in the universe for years to come.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69770-w\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E10.1038\/s41467-026-69770-w\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: This work was directly supported by the NASA SSERVI under CLEVER. Researchers were also supported by the NASA RISE2 SSERVI and the Heising-Simons Foundation. Funding for collaborations between the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Georgia Tech for the investigation of lunar minerals was provided by the Georgia Tech Center for Space Technology and Research. Sample preparation was performed at the Georgia Tech Institute for Matter and Systems, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. This work utilized the resources of the Advanced Light Source, a user facility supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and was supported in part by previous breakthroughs obtained through the Laboratory Direct.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe finding offers new clues about the oxygen conditions that shaped the Moon\u2019s early environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The finding offers new clues about the oxygen conditions that shaped the Moon\u2019s early environment."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 18:40:17","changed_gmt":"2026-03-27 14:09:07","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679604":{"id":"679604","type":"image","title":"Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. (Credit: NASA)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETaken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. (Credit: NASA)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340129","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:28:49","changed":"1774620147","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:02:27","alt":"Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface.","file":{"fid":"263785","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":884051,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png?itok=MbOCiQtk"}},"679608":{"id":"679608","type":"image","title":"Advik Vira","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAdvik Vira\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340703","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:38:23","changed":"1773340750","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 18:39:10","alt":"Advik Vira. He is wearing a colorful science-print button up.","file":{"fid":"263789","name":"Vira-Headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Vira-Headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Vira-Headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":341274,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Vira-Headshot.jpg?itok=ogP_wqEd"}},"679610":{"id":"679610","type":"image","title":"An illustration\u00a0of the Apollo rock 75035\u00a0on the Moon, an atomic image of the sample, and its spectral signature.\u00a0(Credit: August Davis)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration\u0026nbsp;of the Apollo rock 75035\u0026nbsp;on the Moon, an atomic image of the sample, and its spectral signature.\u0026nbsp;(Credit: August Davis)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773350645","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 21:24:05","changed":"1774620172","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:02:52","alt":"A figure showing moon rocks, a magnifying glass showing the internal structure, with a green wavy line emitting from the rock.","file":{"fid":"263792","name":"feature-image-suggestion--1-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/feature-image-suggestion--1-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/feature-image-suggestion--1-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":752836,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/feature-image-suggestion--1-.png?itok=wx3iLDkB"}},"679606":{"id":"679606","type":"image","title":"An optical image of the chip\u00a0from the lunar\u00a0rock\u00a0the team investigated.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn optical image of the chip\u0026nbsp;from the lunar\u0026nbsp;rock\u0026nbsp;the team investigated.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340509","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:35:09","changed":"1774620185","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:03:05","alt":"A chip of the lunar sample.","file":{"fid":"263787","name":"optical-image-75035.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/optical-image-75035.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/optical-image-75035.png","mime":"image\/png","size":284379,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/optical-image-75035.png?itok=7TX3fZrH"}},"679607":{"id":"679607","type":"image","title":"An image of the chip from the sample, imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Titanium is shown in light blue, and white boxes show areas where\u00a0samples\u00a0were\u00a0extracted\u00a0to analyze the\u00a0ilmenite\u00a0crystal.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn image of the chip from the sample, imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Titanium is shown in light blue, and white boxes show areas where\u0026nbsp;samples\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;extracted\u0026nbsp;to analyze the\u0026nbsp;ilmenite\u0026nbsp;crystal.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340593","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:36:33","changed":"1774620199","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:03:19","alt":"The chip, colored in large areas with purple, with blue ribbons of color. There are a total of five white rectangles on the blue areas.","file":{"fid":"263791","name":"SEM-image-75035.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/SEM-image-75035.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/SEM-image-75035.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5511950,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/SEM-image-75035.png?itok=aaHnKhSw"}}},"media_ids":["679604","679608","679610","679606","679607"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69770-w","title":"Trivalent titanium in high-titanium lunar ilmenite"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689175":{"#nid":"689175","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Swarms into Athens for Clean, Old-Fashioned Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe in-state rivalry between the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs usually heats up when Georgia Tech visits the University of Georgia. However, one Saturday last month, the focus shifted from competition to collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Scientific Computing Symposium (GSCS) held its annual meeting on February 21 in Athens. Since 2009, the event has hosted researchers from across the Peach State to showcase homegrown advances in scientific computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haoningwu.github.io\/GSCS2026.html\u0022\u003EThe symposium\u003C\/a\u003E highlighted Georgia\u2019s reputation as a computing innovation hub. People from around the world come to Georgia universities to lead computing research. By advancing science, engineering, medicine, and technology, their work improves communities at home and abroad.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty and students from Georgia Tech, UGA, Georgia State University, and Emory University presented at the symposium. Georgia Tech participants came from the colleges of Computing, Engineering, and Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s organizers agreed to meet in Atlanta for the 2027 symposium. Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)\u003C\/a\u003E will host the 19th GSCS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom healthcare to computer chip design, scientific computing underpins many of the technological advances we see in our lives,\u201d said Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~echow\/\u0022\u003EEdmond Chow\u003C\/a\u003E, associate chair of the School of CSE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cScientific computing provides the mathematical models, simulations, and data\u2011driven tools that make modern innovation possible. It allows people to analyze complex systems, test ideas virtually before building them, and make faster, more accurate decisions across nearly every sector of society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hmzhou.math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EHaomin Zhou\u003C\/a\u003E and Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/itshelenxu.github.io\/\u0022\u003EHelen Xu\u003C\/a\u003E delivered two of the symposium\u2019s five plenary talks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhou presented a new method for solving the Schr\u00f6dinger equation, a landmark equation in quantum mechanics. Drawing inspiration from the mathematics used in generative artificial intelligence models, his approach develops an algorithm that more effectively simulates waves, particle motion, and other physical systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXu focused on improving how computers move and organize data during complex calculations. Her work uses \u201ccache-friendly\u201d layouts that help computers access data more efficiently, boosting performance for scientific and engineering applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSpeaking at GSCS was a great opportunity,\u201d Xu said. \u201cThe symposium fostered connections within the scientific computing community and gave us a chance to share exciting research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium showcased student work through a poster blitz and a poster session. During the blitz, 36 students each had one minute to introduce their research to the full audience. They then shared more details about their research during the poster session.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe student projects showed the range of fields supported by scientific computing. The session also provided attendees with an opportunity to connect and expand their professional networks, helping grow the field\u2019s future impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs an aerospace engineer by training and aspiring computational scientist, GSCS gave me the platform to network with other researchers in the field while showcasing my own research,\u201d said M.S. student \u003Cstrong\u003EKashvi Mundra\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was able to connect with scientists across different disciplines whose work intersects with my own in unexpected ways. Those conversations pushed my thinking beyond my own lab\u0027s perspective, helping me see my work on physics-informed machine learning for inverse problems in a broader scientific computing context.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students who presented posters included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbir Haque\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EMassively Parallel Random Phase Approximation Correlation Energy via Lanczos Quadrature\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAntonio Varagnolo\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EPhysics-Enhanced Deep Surrogates for the Phonon Boltzmann Transport Equation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBen Burns\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EInfinite-Dimensional Stein Variational Inference with Derivative-Informed Neural Operators\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBen Wilfong\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EShocks without Shock Capturing; Compressible Flow at 1 quadrillion Degrees of Freedom without Loss of Accuracy\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaniel Vickers\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EHighly-Parallel Fluid-Solid Interactions for Compressible Flows\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEric Fowler\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EHigh-Performance Tensor Contractions in Computational Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHaoran Yan\u003C\/strong\u003E (Math), \u003Cem\u003EUnderstanding Denoising Autoencoders through the Manifold Hypothesis: A Geometric Perspective\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKashvi Mundra\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EAutoregressive Multifidelity Neural Surrogate Modeling under Scarce Data Regimes\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESebasti\u00e1n Guti\u00e9rrez Hern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/strong\u003E (Math\/CSE), \u003Cem\u003EPDPO: Parametric Density Path Optimization\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVivian Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E (AE), \u003Cem\u003EMultifidelity Operator Inference: Non-Intrusive Reduced Order Modeling from Scarce Data\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EXian Mae Hadia\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003EData Efficiency of Surrogate Models: Learning Physics Data from Full Field Data vs. Inductive Bias from Approximate PDE Solvers\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EXiangming Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E (CSE), \u003Cem\u003ENeural Operator Accelerated Evolutionary Strategies for PDE-Constraint Optimization\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZhaiming Shen\u003C\/strong\u003E (Math), \u003Cem\u003EUnderstanding In-Context Learning on Structured Manifolds: Bridging Attention to Kernel Methods\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZhongjie Shi\u003C\/strong\u003E (Math), \u003Cem\u003ETowards Understanding Generalization in DP-GD: A Case Study in Training Two-Layer CNNs\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe in-state rivalry between the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs usually heats up when Georgia Tech visits the University of Georgia. However, one Saturday last month, the focus shifted from competition to collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Scientific Computing Symposium (GSCS) held its annual meeting on February 21 in Athens. Since 2009, the event has hosted researchers from across the Peach State to showcase homegrown advances in scientific computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haoningwu.github.io\/GSCS2026.html\u0022\u003EThe symposium\u003C\/a\u003E highlighted Georgia\u2019s reputation as a computing innovation hub. People from around the world come to Georgia universities to lead computing research. By advancing science, engineering, medicine, and technology, their work improves communities at home and abroad.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers from universities across Georgia, including Georgia Tech, set aside rivalry to collaborate at the 2026 Georgia Scientific Computing Symposium, highlighting the state\u2019s growing role as a hub for innovation in scientific computing."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-03-25 13:04:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 19:41:06","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679732":{"id":"679732","type":"image","title":"GSCS-2026-Head-Image.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774443866","gmt_created":"2026-03-25 13:04:26","changed":"1774443866","gmt_changed":"2026-03-25 13:04:26","alt":"2026 Georgia Scientific Computing Symposium","file":{"fid":"263927","name":"GSCS-2026-Head-Image.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/GSCS-2026-Head-Image.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/GSCS-2026-Head-Image.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":217081,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/25\/GSCS-2026-Head-Image.jpeg?itok=2Vs3GesS"}},"679733":{"id":"679733","type":"image","title":"Kashvi-Mundra-Poster.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1774443901","gmt_created":"2026-03-25 13:05:01","changed":"1774443901","gmt_changed":"2026-03-25 13:05:01","alt":"2026 Georgia Scientific Computing Symposium","file":{"fid":"263928","name":"Kashvi-Mundra-Poster.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/Kashvi-Mundra-Poster.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/Kashvi-Mundra-Poster.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":84134,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/25\/Kashvi-Mundra-Poster.jpeg?itok=i7BjGyOA"}}},"media_ids":["679732","679733"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/tech-swarms-athens-clean-old-fashioned-computing","title":"Tech Swarms into Athens for Clean, Old-Fashioned Computing"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"168681","name":"scientific computing"},{"id":"194970","name":"2026 Georgia Scientific Computing Symposium"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689185":{"#nid":"689185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Find Training Gaps Impacting Maritime Cybersecurity Readiness","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether it\u2019s a fire or a flood, a ship\u2019s crew can only rely on itself and its training in emergencies at sea. The same is true for crews facing digital threats on oil tankers, cargo ships, and other commercial vessels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew cybersecurity research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, however, revealed that crews aboard commercial vessels were often not adequately prepared to manage cyberattacks effectively due to systemic training gaps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe findings are based on interviews conducted by researchers with more than 20 officer-level mariners to assess the maritime industry\u2019s readiness to handle cybersecurity attacks at sea.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Historically, cybersecurity research has focused heavily on cyber-physical systems like cars, factories, and industrial plants, but ships have largely been overlooked,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/annaraymaker.dad\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnna Raymaker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Ph.D. student and lead researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat gap is concerning when more than 90% of the world\u2019s goods travel by sea. Recent incidents, from GPS spoofing to ships linked to subsea cable disruptions, show that maritime systems are increasingly part of the global cyber threat landscape.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers proposed four practical strategies to strengthen maritime cyber defenses and close the training gaps. Their findings were presented recently at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sigsac.org\/ccs\/CCS2025\/call-for-papers\/\u0022\u003EACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS).\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E1. Make Cybersecurity Training Actually Maritime\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of those interviewed for the study described current cybersecurity training as \u201cboilerplate\u201d \u2014 generic modules that don\u2019t reflect real shipboard risks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers recommend:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERole-specific instruction: Navigation officers should learn to detect and identify GPS spoofing. Engineers should focus on vulnerabilities in remotely monitored systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBridging IT and Operational Technology: Crews need to understand how attacks on IT systems can trigger physical consequences in operational technology \u2014 including collisions, groundings, or explosions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHands-on delivery: Replace passive PowerPoints with drills and in-person exercises that build muscle memory.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAccessible standards: Training must account for the wide range of educational backgrounds across crews and be standardized across ranks.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E2. Move Beyond \u201cCall IT\u201d\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt sea, crews can\u2019t simply escalate a cyber incident to a shore-based IT department and wait. Operational resilience requires onboard readiness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers recommend:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVessel-specific response plans: Ships need clear, actionable protocols for threats such as AIS jamming or radar manipulation.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMilitary-style drills: Adopting MCON (Emission Control) exercises \u2014 used by the U.S. Military Sealift Command \u2014 can train crews to operate safely without electronic systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStronger connectivity controls: High-bandwidth satellite systems like Starlink introduce new risks. Clear policies and network segregation are essential to prevent new entry points for attackers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ch6\u003ERelated Article: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/when-gps-lies-at-sea-how-electronic-warfare-is-threatening-ships-and-their-crews-278181\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen GPS lies at sea: How electronic warfare is threatening ships and their\u0026nbsp;crews\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E by Anna Raymaker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E3. Create Unified, Ship-Specific Regulations\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaritime cybersecurity regulations are often reactive and fragmented. Researchers argue the industry needs a cohesive, domain-specific framework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKey recommendations include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA unified global model: Like the energy sector\u2019s NERC CIP standards, a maritime framework could mandate baseline controls such as encryption, network segmentation, and anonymous incident reporting.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERules built for real crews: Regulations designed for large naval operations don\u2019t translate well to smaller merchant or research vessels. Standards must reflect actual shipboard conditions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFuture-proofing requirements: Autonomous ships and remotely operated vessels expand the cyber-physical attack surface. Regulations must proactively address these emerging technologies.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E4. Invest in Maritime-Specific Cyber Research\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, the researchers stress that long-term resilience requires deeper technical research focused on maritime systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPriority areas include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReal-time intrusion detection systems tailored to shipboard protocols.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProactive security risk assessments of interconnected onboard systems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECyber-physical modeling to better understand cascading failures in complex maritime environments.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch6\u003EThe Bottom Line\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECyber threats at sea are no longer hypothetical. Mariners report real-world incidents ranging from GPS spoofing to ransomware that disrupts global trade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough our interviews with mariners, I saw firsthand how much dedication and pride they take in their work,\u201d said Raymaker. \u201cOur goal is for this research to serve as a call to action for researchers, policymakers, and industry to invest more attention in maritime cybersecurity and support the people who risk their lives every day to keep global trade, food, and energy moving.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/10.1145\/3719027.3744816\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA Sea of Cyber Threats: Maritime Cybersecurity from the Perspective of Mariners\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ewas presented at CCS 2025. It was written by Raymaker and her colleagues, Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EAkshaya Kumar\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMiuyin Yong Wong\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Pickren\u003C\/strong\u003E; Research Scientist \u003Cstrong\u003EAnimesh Chhotaray\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Li,\u003C\/strong\u003E Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Georgia Tech Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs \u003Cstrong\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch from the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that commercial ship crews are often unprepared for cyberattacks due to inadequate, generic training, despite rising threats like GPS spoofing and ransomware. Because ships must handle incidents independently at sea, researchers recommend more practical, maritime-specific training, stronger onboard response plans, unified global cybersecurity regulations, and increased investment in ship-focused cyber research. These steps are critical to protecting maritime operations, which carry over 90% of global trade.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that commercial ship crews are often unprepared for cyberattacks due to inadequate, generic training, despite rising threats like GPS spoofing and ransomware."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-03-25 16:47:20","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 18:01:30","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679738":{"id":"679738","type":"image","title":"Cyber Navy","body":null,"created":"1774461240","gmt_created":"2026-03-25 17:54:00","changed":"1774461240","gmt_changed":"2026-03-25 17:54:00","alt":"A graphic of a boat sailing across the globe with a cyber shield at its front. ","file":{"fid":"263933","name":"AdobeStock_1936842040.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/AdobeStock_1936842040.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/AdobeStock_1936842040.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":50518,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/25\/AdobeStock_1936842040.jpeg?itok=CQWC0YmI"}}},"media_ids":["679738"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689184":{"#nid":"689184","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cybersecurity and Privacy Faculty Earns Promotion and Tenure","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology recently announced that \u003Cstrong\u003EFrankLi\u003C\/strong\u003E has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and has been granted tenure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELi, an accomplished computer security and privacy researcher, joined Georgia Tech in 2020 as the Institute was launching the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP). He holds a joint appointment with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile tenure may be an individual\u0027s milestone, in reality, it reflects the help, support, and hard work of countless others,\u201d Li said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe credits his accomplishments to the ongoing mentorship and support he has received from faculty and staff at SCP, ECE, and Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m also extremely thankful to work with such amazing students at Georgia Tech, especially the Ph.D. students in my research lab, and the BS and MS students in my classes, who help our research efforts. Georgia Tech has been an amazing place to start my faculty career,\u201d said Li.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELi advises five Ph.D. students at his Better Empirically Established Security (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~frankli\/beeslab.html\u0022\u003EBEES\u003C\/a\u003E) lab in SCP. They take a data-driven approach to understanding how security and privacy concerns manifest in practice, and use the insights gained to drive improvements in real-world security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir research examines how users, security operators, and attackers behave in various security and privacy-sensitive situations, often using internet-wide measurements, network traffic analysis, user studies and experiments, and large-scale data mining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe tenure and promotion to associate professor rank is in recognition of the outstanding research program Frank has developed at SCP,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EMustaque\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EAhamad\u003C\/strong\u003E, interim chair and Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe is an award-winning educator. We look forward to his continued leadership in the important areas of usable security and network security in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELi was among nine College of Computing faculty members who received promotion and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/institute-announcement-recognizes-faculty-achievement-and-excellence\u0022\u003Etenure this year\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohn P. Imlay Jr. Dean of Computing \u003Cstrong\u003EVivek\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003ESarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E emailed the College community with the good news.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are truly thrilled to celebrate this moment with you, as we recognize your contributions to our students and to the advancement of our College and Institute in so many ways,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2025, Li received the prestigious \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-research-will-move-us-closer-passwordless-society\u0022\u003ECAREER Award\u003C\/a\u003E from the National Science Foundation (NSF). His CAREER project will investigate real-world uses of FIDO2\/passkeys and address security and usability issues that can arise. A goal of his research is to identify and resolve problems before they become widespread and more difficult to solve.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E promoted \u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Li\u003C\/strong\u003E to associate professor with tenure, recognizing his impactful research and teaching since joining in 2020 in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and ECE. Li leads the BEES Lab, where he and his students use data-driven methods to study real-world security and privacy challenges, including user behavior and network activity, to improve practical systems. Praised for his leadership in usable and network security, he was also among nine faculty honored this year and received a 2025 CAREER Award from the \u003Cstrong\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/strong\u003E to study FIDO2\/passkeys and address emerging security and usability issues.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Institute of Technology promoted Frank Li to associate professor with tenure, recognizing his impactful research and teaching since joining in 2020 in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and ECE. Li leads the BEES Lab, where he and his student"}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-03-25 16:41:30","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 16:42:42","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679737":{"id":"679737","type":"image","title":"Frank-Li-Story-Graphic-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774456919","gmt_created":"2026-03-25 16:41:59","changed":"1774456919","gmt_changed":"2026-03-25 16:41:59","alt":"A graphic showing Frank Li\u0027s promotion to associate professor. ","file":{"fid":"263932","name":"Frank-Li-Story-Graphic-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/Frank-Li-Story-Graphic-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/25\/Frank-Li-Story-Graphic-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1860330,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/25\/Frank-Li-Story-Graphic-web-copy.jpg?itok=6PznWAGU"}}},"media_ids":["679737"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688969":{"#nid":"688969","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Carbon Into Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential for all living things. Twenty different amino acids build the thousands of proteins that carry out biological tasks. While some are made naturally in our bodies, others are absorbed through the food we eat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmino acids also play a critical role commercially where they are manufactured and added to pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, animal feeds, and industrial chemicals \u2014 an energy-intensive process leading to greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA landmark new system developed at Georgia Tech could lead to an alternative: a commercially scalable, environmentally sustainable method for amino acid production that is carbon negative, using more carbon than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe breakthrough builds on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-carbon-negative-method-produce-essential-amino-acids\u0022\u003Ea method that the team pioneered\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024 and solves a key issue \u2013 increasing efficiency to an unprecedented 97% and reducing the bioprocess cost by over 40%.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;the highest reported conversion of CO2 equivalents into amino acids using any synthetic biology system to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Synthetic Biology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022\u003ECell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids From One-Carbon Feedstocks\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/bioengineering-phd\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERay Westenberg\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peralta-yahya.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Pamela Peralta-Yahya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The team also included\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShaafique Chowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. ChBE 25) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKimberly Wennerholm\u003C\/strong\u003E (ChBE 23)\u003Cstrong\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ealongside\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Washington\u003C\/a\u003E collaborators\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chainreaction.anl.gov\/ryan-cardiff\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Cardiff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, then a Ph.D. student and now a Chain Reaction Innovations Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, and Charles W. H. Matthaei Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cheme.washington.edu\/facultyfinder\/james-carothers\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames M. Carothers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to\u0026nbsp;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Synthetic Biology Team Leader\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/alex-beliaev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander S. Beliaev\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This work shifts the narrative from simply reducing carbon emissions to actually consuming them to create value,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;Peralta-Yahya.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are taking low-cost carbon sources and building essential ingredients in a truly carbon-negative process that is efficient, effective, and scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeat-Loving Organisms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe work builds on the cell-free technology the team used in their earlier study. \u201cPreviously, we discovered that a system that uses the machinery of cells, without using actual living cells, could be used to create amino acids from carbon dioxide,\u201d Peralta-Yahya explains. \u201cBut to create a commercially viable system, we needed to increase the system\u2019s efficiency and reduce the cost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team discovered that bits of leftover cells were consuming starting materials, and \u2014 like a machine with unnecessary gears or parts \u2014 this limited the system\u2019s efficiency. To optimize their \u201cmachine,\u201d the team would need to remove the extra background machinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Leftover cell parts were using key resources without helping produce the amino acids we were looking for,\u201d says Peralta-Yahya. \u201cWe knew that heating the system could be one way to purify it because heat can denature these components.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe challenge was in how to protect the essential system components from the high temperatures, she adds. \u201cWe wondered if introducing enzymes produced by a heat-loving bacterium,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMoorella thermoacetica,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Emight protect our system, while still allowing us to denature and remove that inefficient background machinery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe results were astounding: after introducing the enzymes, heating and \u201ccleaning\u201d the system, and letting it cool to room temperature, synthesis of the amino acids serine and glycine leaped to 97% yield \u2014 nearly three times that of the team\u2019s previous system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling for Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo make the system viable for large-scale use, the team also needed to reduce costs. \u201cOne of the most costly components in this system is the cofactor tetrahydrofolate (THF),\u201d Peralta-Yahya shares. \u201cReducing the amount of THF needed to start the process was one way to make the system more inexpensive and ultimately more commercially viable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy linking reaction steps so waste from one step fueled the next, the team devised a method to recycle THF within the system that reduces the amount of THF needed by five-fold \u2014 lowering bioprocessing costs by 42%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis decrease in cost and increase in yield is a critical step forward in creating a method with real potential for use in industry and manufacturing,\u201d Peralta-Yahya says. \u201cThis system could pave the way for moving this carbon-negative technology out of the lab and onto the continuous, industrial scale.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E); U.S. Department of Energy; and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022 title=\u0022DOI URL\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:04:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 14:16:42","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679657":{"id":"679657","type":"image","title":"Amino Acids","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of a chain of amino acids forming a protein (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773763467","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","changed":"1773763467","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","alt":"Blue and orange spirals against a light blue background.","file":{"fid":"263840","name":"AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":483310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg?itok=nVtDwueb"}}},"media_ids":["679657"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689150":{"#nid":"689150","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Future of Brand in an AI-Driven World: A Supply Chain Perspective","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBy Chris Gaffney, Managing Director of the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, Supply Chain Advisor, and former executive at Frito\u2011Lay, AJC International, and Coca\u2011Cola\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe recently wrapped our semi\u2011annual industry advisory board meeting, where a core element of the agenda is a set of \u0022hot topics\u0022 sourced in advance from our member companies, curated, and facilitated to reflect what is most top of mind in the field. This cycle, one of those topics focused on the impact of AI on supply chain technology investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a discussion on technology quickly surfaced a broader issue:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI is not just changing supply chains\u2014it is raising the standard for execution, and in doing so, redefining what it takes to sustain a brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhen Capability Becomes Cheap\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin that discussion, a simple example sparked debate. Most of us would trust a platform like DocuSign without hesitation. It has earned that trust through reliability, security, and consistent performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what if a new entrant\u2014call it \u201cFredSign\u201d\u2014offered similar functionality, powered by AI, at lower cost and with comparable features? Would you use it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe room split. Some argued that established brands are durable because of the trust they have built over time. Others pushed back, suggesting that AI\u2011enabled challengers could close that gap faster than expected, making brand less relevant.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discussion quickly moved beyond software to a broader question:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn a world where AI lowers the cost of building capability, does trust shift from brand to performance\u2014or does brand become even more important?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBrand as a Promise\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a supply chain perspective, this is no longer theoretical. It is already happening.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt its core, a brand is a promise. For product companies, that promise is built on quality, consistency, and the experience of using the product over time. For supply chain technology and service providers, it is grounded in reliability, security, and confidence in execution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHistorically, brand has been reinforced by performance\u2014but also protected by time, scale, and familiarity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI is changing that balance.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELower Barriers, Higher Expectations\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn one hand, AI lowers barriers to entry. New entrants can replicate functionality faster, improve user experiences, and target specific gaps in incumbent offerings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn supply chain technology, this is particularly relevant. Many organizations have made significant, long\u2011term investments in systems that have not always delivered as expected. That creates an opening for AI\u2011enabled providers to enter through narrow use cases, solve specific problems better, and establish a foothold. Over time, they build credibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut there is a second dimension that is more immediate\u2014and more consequential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAI Raises the Execution Standard\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne way to frame this is simple: data is a terrible thing to waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor years, supply chains have generated vast amounts of data across planning systems, transportation networks, warehouses, and customer interactions. Much of that data has been underutilized\u2014captured, stored, but not fully leveraged to anticipate risk or improve outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThat is changing.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe capability now exists\u2014and is rapidly maturing\u2014to sense, interpret, and act on that data in ways that were not previously practical. Risks can be identified earlier. Disruptions can be predicted. Corrective actions can be taken before the customer ever feels the impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFrom Disruption to Preventability\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past week, in the span of just six days and four unrelated conversations with members of my network, I heard a series of examples that all pointed to this shift.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA global food company managing risk tied to a critical supplier whose quality issues could impact multiple major brands\u2014raising the question of whether AI could have surfaced a near sole\u2011source dependency earlier.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAn e\u2011commerce retailer using machine learning to reduce theft and damage in its fulfillment network, improving the customer experience.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAn organization proactively shifting its fulfillment partner mix based on AI\u2011driven insights into which nodes can and cannot handle surge capacity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA high\u2011end clothing shipment arriving wet due to a fulfillment breakdown\u2014where the loss was not just the product, but a time\u2011sensitive moment that could not be recovered.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA consumer receiving an empty box after successfully purchasing a limited\u2011release product that could not be replaced.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are not isolated anecdotes. The common thread is not disruption\u2014it is preventability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI enables earlier detection of risk, better prediction of disruptions, and faster response to exceptions, the tolerance for failure is declining. Companies are no longer judged simply on whether something went wrong. They are judged on whether it should have been avoided.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBrand Is the Delivered Experience\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a brand perspective, that is a fundamental shift.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA product brand may invest heavily in innovation and customer engagement. But if the product arrives damaged, late, or not at all, the customer does not distinguish between the brand owner and the supply chain behind it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere is only one experience\u2014and therefore only one brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn an AI\u2011enabled supply chain, failure is no longer just a risk\u2014it is increasingly a choice.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Weakest Node Defines the Brand\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA brand is now only as strong as its weakest node.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat node may be a supplier, a logistics provider, a fulfillment partner, or a technology platform. Many sit outside the direct control of the brand owner, yet their performance is inseparable from the customer\u2019s perception of the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI makes it possible to identify and address these weak points\u2014but it also makes it more apparent when companies fail to do so.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EImplications for the Supply Chain Ecosystem\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis dynamic extends directly to platform and software providers. In an AI\u2011enabled environment, it is no longer sufficient for supply chain technology to be stable or functionally adequate. It must evolve\u2014continuously\u2014to sense risk earlier, enable better decisions, and improve execution outcomes. If it does not, its limitations will be exposed quickly, and alternatives will emerge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnology providers are not insulated by their brand; they are judged by the outcomes they enable. Their brand will strengthen if their platforms improve execution\u2014and erode if they do not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProduct companies must use AI to protect the customer experience end\u2011to\u2011end. Logistics providers must adopt AI to remain credible partners. Technology providers must evolve their platforms to meet a higher execution standard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf one part of the system advances while another does not, the gap will be visible\u2014and acted upon quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWinners and losers are being judged daily.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat This Means for Leaders\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENone of this suggests that brand is no longer important. In high\u2011trust, high\u2011risk environments\u2014contracts, financial transactions, healthcare, and other sensitive use cases\u2014brand remains critical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven in this environment, trust must be continuously reinforced through performance. Leaders must clearly understand what underpins their brand. Brand is not an asset to be protected; it is the result of consistently delivering on a promise. Any performance gaps must be addressed before others move in. AI\u2011enabled challengers will not challenge strengths\u2014they will target weaknesses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, leaders must elevate their ecosystem. Brand performance is now inseparable from partner performance. That requires greater visibility, tighter integration, and higher expectations\u2014not only internally, but across suppliers, logistics providers, and technology partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOne Question to Answer Now\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis execution dimension is only one part of how AI is reshaping brand\u2014but it is already decisive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA great product can still win. A strong brand can still endure. But in an AI\u2011driven world, where disruptions can be anticipated and failures mitigated, the margin for error is disappearing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd in many cases\u2014especially where the purchase is infrequent or the moment is critical\u2014you only get one shot. At the conclusion of our discussion, one participant framed it simply:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is our secret sauce\u2014and what are we doing to build on it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is the question every supply chain leader should be answering now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBecause in an AI\u2011enabled world, your brand will be defined by what your system consistently delivers.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAI is transforming supply chains by lowering the cost of building capability and raising execution standards, which forces brands to rely more on consistent performance rather than just historical trust. In this new landscape, a brand\u2019s promise is inseparable from its supply chain\u0027s reliability, as AI-driven data makes operational failures increasingly preventable and less tolerable for customers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Practical guidance to drive real progress in 2026."}],"uid":"27233","created_gmt":"2026-03-24 14:57:25","changed_gmt":"2026-03-24 19:00:46","author":"Andy Haleblian","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679724":{"id":"679724","type":"image","title":"The Future of Brand in an AI-Driven World: A Supply Chain Perspective","body":null,"created":"1774372889","gmt_created":"2026-03-24 17:21:29","changed":"1774372889","gmt_changed":"2026-03-24 17:21:29","alt":"A split-panel conceptual infographic asks a central question: \u0022IN A WORLD OF LOWERED CAPABILITY COSTS, WHERE DOES TRUST LIE: BRAND OR PERFORMANCE?\u0022 The left side, \u0022THE BRAND DIMENSION,\u0022 features a glowing shield on a pedestal with an \u0027X\u0027 logo and lists traits like \u0022TRUST\u0022 and \u0022HERITAGE.\u0022 The right side, \u0022THE PERFORMANCE DIMENSION,\u0022 displays a holographic data interface with metrics like \u0022EXECUTION,\u0022 \u0022RELIABILITY,\u0022 and \u0022PREDICTABILITY.","file":{"fid":"263916","name":"20260324_FutureOfBrandInAnAI-DrivenWorld.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/20260324_FutureOfBrandInAnAI-DrivenWorld.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/20260324_FutureOfBrandInAnAI-DrivenWorld.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":444486,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/24\/20260324_FutureOfBrandInAnAI-DrivenWorld.jpg?itok=DBEaOCed"}},"674087":{"id":"674087","type":"image","title":"Chris Gaffney","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Gaffney\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1717067903","gmt_created":"2024-05-30 11:18:23","changed":"1771883375","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 21:49:35","alt":"Chris Gaffney, Managing Director, Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute","file":{"fid":"257557","name":"chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":129544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/30\/chris-gaffney_scl.jpg?itok=_M0fOBTF"}}},"media_ids":["679724","674087"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/news-events\/newsletters","title":"View past SCL newsletters and join our mailing list"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"194489","name":"scl-spot"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["info@scl.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689157":{"#nid":"689157","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Explore New Remote Sensing Uses for Scheimpflug Principle","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn optical principle discovered more than a century ago may soon find new applications in such areas as monitoring atmospheric turbulence, tracking airborne objects, and mapping the environment, thanks to researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplying the Scheimpflug technique, the researchers are developing inexpensive rangefinder camera technology, advanced sensors and computational techniques to both complement and provide an alternative to established light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology in certain applications. The technique works best in short- and medium-distance metrology, and can be used passively or in collaboration with laser-based techniques.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Scheimpflug technique is a complete alternative to time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR, and we\u2019re looking for everything we can do with it,\u201d said Nathan Meraz, a GTRI senior research scientist who has been refining the new applications for several years. \u201cIt measures things differently, and since it\u2019s a camera sensor, there\u2019s a lot more information to process compared to a LiDAR signal. And there are also data fusion aspects.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA paper on the technique and its potential remote sensing applications was presented during 2025 at the SPIE Defense + Commercial Systems (DCS) Conference. The research was supported by GTRI\u2019s Independent Research and Development (IRAD) program and also has been advanced by teams of student researchers from the GTRI Research Internship Program (GRIP).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/researchers-explore-new-remote-sensing-uses-scheimpflug-principle\u0022\u003ESee the complete article on the GTRI news site\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn optical principle discovered more than a century ago may soon find new applications in such areas as monitoring atmospheric turbulence and mapping the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An optical principle discovered a century ago may soon find new applications in such areas as atmospheric monitoring and environmental mapping."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-03-24 17:49:38","changed_gmt":"2026-03-24 17:54:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679725":{"id":"679725","type":"image","title":"Dual laser prototype highlighting the low-cost Scheimpflug optical ranging technology","body":"\u003Cp\u003EExample of a functional dual-laser prototype using 3D printed materials and off-the-shelf components, highlighting the compact low-cost paradigm exhibited by the Scheimpflug optical ranging technology for wide-domain application. (Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774373652","gmt_created":"2026-03-24 17:34:12","changed":"1774374024","gmt_changed":"2026-03-24 17:40:24","alt":"Scheimpflug optical ranging technology","file":{"fid":"263917","name":"scheimpflug_24.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/scheimpflug_24.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/scheimpflug_24.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1933741,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/24\/scheimpflug_24.jpg?itok=pM6Vk3As"}}},"media_ids":["679725"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["gtri.media@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689114":{"#nid":"689114","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ATDC Startups Secure Rare  FDA \u2018Breakthrough Device\u2019 Status ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s\u0026nbsp;uncommon\u0026nbsp;for any startup to receive the Food and\u0026nbsp;Drug\u0026nbsp;Administration\u2019s\u202f(FDA) Breakthrough Devices\u202fdesignation.\u0026nbsp;For the\u0026nbsp;roughly 40%\u0026nbsp;of applicants who receive the designation, it\u0026nbsp;shows that\u0026nbsp;the technology has real potential to improve patient outcomes and should get priority attention from the agency.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(ATDC)\u0026nbsp;in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Commercialization\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eannounced two of its\u0026nbsp;health technology\u0026nbsp;(HealthTech) portfolio\u0026nbsp;companies,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nephrodite.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENephrodite\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.orthopreserve.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOrthoPreserve\u003C\/a\u003E, earned\u0026nbsp;the designation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAchieving this rare milestone\u0026nbsp;underscores\u0026nbsp;the caliber of founders, science, and support in ATDC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;30-company\u0026nbsp;HealthTech\u0026nbsp;portfolio, the incubator\u2019s largest focus\u0026nbsp;area.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;also a\u0026nbsp;win for\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u0026nbsp;because it\u0026nbsp;reflects\u0026nbsp;the strength of the state\u2019s\u0026nbsp;health\u0026nbsp;innovation\u0026nbsp;ecosystem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis designation is one of the strongest signals the FDA gives that\u0026nbsp;a technology\u0026nbsp;could change the\u0026nbsp;standard of care,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Greg Jungles, HealthTech catalyst at\u0026nbsp;ATDC.\u0026nbsp;\u201cFor ATDC to\u0026nbsp;have two in the same year is remarkable.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u202fBreakthrough Device\u202fProgram\u0026nbsp;doesn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;waive evidence requirements, but it\u202faccelerates learning\u202fwith the FDA, ATDC\u2019s Jungles said. \u201cThat means shorter response times,\u202fmore frequent meetings, and\u202fprioritized review. Teams avoid dead ends and align earlier on study designs and endpoints.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the founders\u0026nbsp;of both startups,\u0026nbsp;their technologies\u0026nbsp;come one step closer to moving their innovations to market.\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u2019s\u0026nbsp;technology\u0026nbsp;improves\u0026nbsp;the lives of dialysis\u0026nbsp;patients.\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;device addresses challenges faced by\u0026nbsp;those who suffer from chronic knee pain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENephrodite: Advancing Continuous Artificial Kidney Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Nikhil\u0026nbsp;Shah\u0026nbsp;and Dr. Hiep Nguyen,\u0026nbsp;cofounders\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite, aim\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;improve\u0026nbsp;care for dialysis patients\u0026nbsp;with end-stage kidney disease\u0026nbsp;who need transplants. These patients\u0026nbsp;often\u0026nbsp;spend\u0026nbsp;three to four hours in a\u0026nbsp;dialysis\u0026nbsp;clinic\u0026nbsp;up to\u0026nbsp;three times a week. Being\u0026nbsp;tethered to stationary machines\u0026nbsp;with needles\u0026nbsp;drawing blood via arm grafts\u0026nbsp;complicates\u0026nbsp;everyday\u0026nbsp;activities\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;from work\u0026nbsp;tasks\u0026nbsp;to the ability to travel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDialysis addresses chronic kidney disease, which means kidneys no longer work properly. The treatments filter out toxins,\u0026nbsp;waste, and other fluids in the blood. Kidney disease\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/kidney-disease\/ckd-facts\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecosts Medicare\u0026nbsp;$124.5 billion\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And those costs are expected to rise because of increasing rates of kidney failure and chronic kidney disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDialysis, while lifesaving\u0026nbsp;when it was pioneered\u0026nbsp;in 1952, is incredibly burdensome,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;Besides being\u0026nbsp;a long process\u0026nbsp;that keeps the patient in a fixed location,\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s\u0026nbsp;physically tiring.\u0026nbsp;\u201cTaking out your blood\u0026nbsp;continually\u0026nbsp;many, many times over, and over the course of four hours\u0026nbsp;is the equivalent of running\u0026nbsp;the Boston Marathon, hitting the finish line, and then someone saying, \u2018You\u0027re not done;\u0026nbsp;go do\u0026nbsp;it again,\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u201d\u0026nbsp;he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA surgeon by training,\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;expertise\u0026nbsp;in transplantation and oncology, Shah\u0026nbsp;is also an adjunct associate professor\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing. He\u0026nbsp;worked with\u0026nbsp;Nguyen\u0026nbsp;to develop a\u0026nbsp;continuously\u0026nbsp;functioning mechanical artificial kidney, leading to\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u2019s\u0026nbsp;formation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;FDA\u2019s\u0026nbsp;breakthrough designation\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;its\u0026nbsp;artificial kidney\u0026nbsp;allows the company\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;pursue approvals to\u0026nbsp;begin tests in\u0026nbsp;human trials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company traces its beginnings to a German aerospace facility outside Munich,\u0026nbsp;where\u0026nbsp;Nguyen and\u0026nbsp;Shah\u0026nbsp;watched engineers\u0026nbsp;demonstrate\u0026nbsp;a pediatric artificial heart\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.berlinheart.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBerlin Heart\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s\u0026nbsp;how we got started,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cSeeing\u0026nbsp;an artificial heart that led us to\u0026nbsp;think about doing this for kidneys\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;because the kidney space has been largely ignored for 70 years.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBacked by a German federal grant,\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u0026nbsp;grew, moving from Germany to Boston, Massachusetts, then\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;Austin, Texas, before calling Atlanta home.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;company joined\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;tapped\u0026nbsp;into other Georgia Tech programs.\u0026nbsp;This\u0026nbsp;included\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medtech.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for MedTech Excellence\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u0026nbsp;also\u0026nbsp;drew on\u0026nbsp;student talent as\u0026nbsp;the researchers\u0026nbsp;quietly\u0026nbsp;worked\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;continuous mechanical artificial kidney.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENephrodite\u0026nbsp;began\u0026nbsp;interviewing\u0026nbsp;patients\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;find out what they wanted\u0026nbsp;the artificial kidney needed to solve.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey learned patients\u0026nbsp;want\u0026nbsp;the ability to be mobile.\u0026nbsp;Patients also\u0026nbsp;desire\u0026nbsp;an alternative\u0026nbsp;therapy to large needles being inserted into arm grafts\u0026nbsp;because the injection sites are prone to\u0026nbsp;infection\u0026nbsp;and the grafts can fail. In addition, the process\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;painful and disfiguring. Finally,\u0026nbsp;patients want\u0026nbsp;a quality of life\u0026nbsp;independent of\u0026nbsp;machines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose\u0026nbsp;quality-of-life\u0026nbsp;needs, especially being free and mobile,\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;absolutely universal,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENephrodite\u0026nbsp;began developing the technology to\u0026nbsp;build\u0026nbsp;its device\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;a filter surgically implanted in the pelvis area.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe developed an implant designed to run\u0026nbsp;constantly, connected to larger blood vessels\u0026nbsp;in the pelvis\u0026nbsp;to\u202favoid arm graft failures, and paired with an external interface that lets patients sleep at night while the system removes toxins and excess fluid,\u201d Shah\u0026nbsp;explained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe device also has\u0026nbsp;built-in sensors, with\u0026nbsp;data uploaded to the cloud,\u0026nbsp;enabling\u0026nbsp;medical care teams\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;remotely\u0026nbsp;monitor\u0026nbsp;their patients\u0026nbsp;while freeing\u0026nbsp;patients from frequent\u0026nbsp;in-clinic\u0026nbsp;visits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShah said\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite\u2019s\u0026nbsp;device\u0026nbsp;could restore everyday\u202findependence,\u0026nbsp;while potentially\u202flowering infection risk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s like having an actual kidney, but\u0026nbsp;without\u0026nbsp;all the issues\u0026nbsp;of an unhealthy one,\u201d Shah said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOrthoPreserve: Innovating a Minimally Invasive Meniscus Implant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOrthoPreserve\u2019s technology aims\u0026nbsp;to address issues\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;people have with their meniscus,\u0026nbsp;the C\u2011shaped piece of cartilage in a knee joint that acts as a shock absorber between the thigh bone and shin bone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough\u0026nbsp;patients undergo a now-routine surgery to address it,\u0026nbsp;incomplete recoveries are\u0026nbsp;also\u0026nbsp;common.\u0026nbsp;An estimated\u0026nbsp;quarter\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;patients\u202flater experience\u0026nbsp;recurring knee pain.\u0026nbsp;No FDA-approved implant\u202fcurrently exists for this population.\u0026nbsp;Now,\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserveis developing a minimally invasive,\u202fartificial meniscus implant\u202fto\u202frestore cushioning,\u0026nbsp;relieve pain, and\u202fdelay\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;or even\u0026nbsp;prevent\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;knee replacement\u202ffor\u0026nbsp;some patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are a million meniscus\u0026nbsp;surgeries every year, and 25% of those patients still live with recurring pain,\u201d said Jonathan Schwartz,\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;founder and CEO.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPatients\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;face\u202fdaily pain\u202ffrom\u0026nbsp;ordinary activities, such as\u0026nbsp;prolonged\u0026nbsp;standing\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;walking\u0026nbsp;a dog. Other activities like\u0026nbsp;jogging and\u0026nbsp;recreational sports\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;trigger flares\u202fthat\u0026nbsp;can lead to\u0026nbsp;swelling and\u0026nbsp;prolonged\u0026nbsp;discomfort, Schwartz said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThose patients have\u202fno\u0026nbsp;reliable\u0026nbsp;options today,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re building a minimally invasive implant to\u202frestore cushioning\u202fand help people get back to the activities they love.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrhoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;durable implant\u0026nbsp;restores cushioning, and it\u0026nbsp;could help people\u202freturn to normal activities\u0026nbsp;and\u202fdelay invasive knee replacement. Along with this comes\u0026nbsp;potential cost and recovery benefits for the healthcare\u0026nbsp;system.\u202f \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchwartz\u202fcreated the implant as his\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/tech-alum-launches-meniscus-implant-startup\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech master\u2019s thesis\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fin the lab of\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ku\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fin\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;Lawrence P. Huang Endowed Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Regents\u0027 Professor\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. After industry experience,\u0026nbsp;Schwartz\u0026nbsp;returned to\u0026nbsp;further\u0026nbsp;develop\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;technology,\u0026nbsp;building on Georgia Tech\u2019s translational\u0026nbsp;expertise\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrthoPreserve\u0026nbsp;has completed\u202fmechanical testing and a successful\u202fstudy. The company\u0026nbsp;is raising a\u202f$2 million seed\u202fto complete validations and begin human trials, which Schwartz expects to start in\u0026nbsp;18 months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe\u0026nbsp;FDA\u0026nbsp;breakthrough designation validates that nothing like this\u0026nbsp;technology\u0026nbsp;exists,\u0026nbsp;and that it has the potential to disrupt the standard of care,\u201d Schwartz\u0026nbsp;said,\u0026nbsp;adding the\u0026nbsp;U.S.\u2019\u0026nbsp;market\u0026nbsp;opportunity\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;roughly\u0026nbsp;$1.5 billion. \u201cWe finally have a minimally invasive\u0026nbsp;option to bridge the gap between meniscus surgery and knee replacement.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat FDA Breakthrough Designation Means for\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;HealthTech Startups\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving a\u0026nbsp;faster\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;clearer path is a\u202fderisking milestone\u202ffor investors\u0026nbsp;who are\u0026nbsp;evaluating\u0026nbsp;capital intensive\u0026nbsp;medical\u0026nbsp;device\u0026nbsp;technologies,\u0026nbsp;Jungles\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis\u0026nbsp;breakthrough device designation is a really big deal for medical\u0026nbsp;device companies,\u201d Jungles said, adding\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;startups often fear navigating the FDA\u0026nbsp;approval\u0026nbsp;process.\u0026nbsp;\u201cBut this designation\u0026nbsp;adds to the legitimacy of their technologies\u0026nbsp;and the problemsthey are solving. The designation will help them get to market faster, assuming their data continues to meet expectations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EATDC launched its\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/industry\/healthtech\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHealthTech vertical\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2018,\u0026nbsp;which is\u0026nbsp;now\u0026nbsp;sponsored by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalyst.wellstar.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECatalyst by Wellstar\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s HealthTech\u0026nbsp;portfoilo\u0026nbsp;companies\u0026nbsp;include\u0026nbsp;medical devices, biotech, and digital health, among other segments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EATDC\u2019s Role in Accelerating HealthTech Innovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENephrodite\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;founders\u0026nbsp;noted\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s\u202fcoaching\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;programming\u0026nbsp;as critical in navigating fundraising and regulatory milestones.\u0026nbsp;Another\u0026nbsp;factor, they said,\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s\u0026nbsp;connection\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;labs and facilities\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;prototyping support and clinical advisors\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;across\u0026nbsp;metro\u0026nbsp;Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe meet with ATDC coaches every two to four weeks to troubleshoot and plan,\u201d Schwartz said. \u201cHaving that level of seasoned guidance, all\u0026nbsp;without consultant-level costs,\u0026nbsp;has been huge.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJungles added\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;two\u0026nbsp;Breakthrough device\u0026nbsp;designations in the same year\u0026nbsp;reflects\u0026nbsp;ATDC\u2019s selection rigor, noting\u0026nbsp;he\u2019s\u0026nbsp;evaluated hundreds of technologies since the HealthTech vertical launched.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt reflects the caliber\u0026nbsp;of the companies in\u0026nbsp;ATDC, specifically in the medical\u0026nbsp;device space,\u201d Jungles said. \u201cIt\u2019s the strength of their teams, the persistence of the founders, and the collaboration of the ecosystem in Georgia and Atlanta.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFDA Breakthrough Device designation is rare for health technology startups.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Milestone designation signals strong potential to reshape care for dialysis patients and those with chronic knee pain."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2026-03-20 21:15:57","changed_gmt":"2026-03-24 15:34:46","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679705":{"id":"679705","type":"image","title":"Shah and Nguyen headshots","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Nikhil\u0026nbsp;Shah\u0026nbsp;and Dr. Hiep Nguyen,\u0026nbsp;are cofounders\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Nephrodite, an ATDC startup.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774043491","gmt_created":"2026-03-20 21:51:31","changed":"1774043761","gmt_changed":"2026-03-20 21:56:01","alt":"Shah and Nguyen headshots","file":{"fid":"263896","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png","mime":"image\/png","size":289138,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/20\/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-17.49.33.png?itok=tG6Q9aU1"}},"679703":{"id":"679703","type":"image","title":"Jonathan Schwartz headshot","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJonathan Schwartz,\u0026nbsp;OrthoPreserve\u2019s\u0026nbsp;founder and CEO.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774042486","gmt_created":"2026-03-20 21:34:46","changed":"1774042827","gmt_changed":"2026-03-20 21:40:27","alt":"Headshot of Jonathan Schwartz.","file":{"fid":"263894","name":"J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/20\/J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":514027,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/20\/J-schwartz-headshot_W.jpg?itok=fyQrz_1r"}}},"media_ids":["679705","679703"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"194965","name":"Greg Jungles"},{"id":"194966","name":"Catalyst by Wellstar"},{"id":"14713","name":"FDA"},{"id":"189701","name":"breakthrough device designation"},{"id":"194967","name":"Nephrodite"},{"id":"194968","name":"OrthoPreserve"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EP\u00e9ralte C. Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peralte@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eperalte@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E404.316.1210\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689137":{"#nid":"689137","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Challenges to the U.S. Energy Transition","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEfficiently transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy means looking at so much more than just the technology we use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReliable energy is required to keep safe in cold winters and hot summers, making it a matter of national security. There are also vying economic policies to consider, political and financial incentives to navigate, and questions of social and economic inequality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts in Georgia Tech\u2019s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts examine \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/03\/us-energy-transition-challenges\u0022\u003Ethe challenges we face with the U.S. energy transition,\u003C\/a\u003E and work to help make it safe, fair, and effective for all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 1: Managing National Security \u2014 with Adam N. Stulberg, professor and chair of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 2: Confronting Inequality \u2014 with Bijesh Mishra, a postdoctoral scholar in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 3: Choosing the Right Economic Policies \u2014 with Bobby Harris, an assistant professor in the School of Economics.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge No. 4: Navigating Financial and Political Incentives \u2014 with Kate Pride Brown, a sociologist in the School of History and Sociology.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/03\/us-energy-transition-challenges\u0022\u003ERead the article on the Ivan Allen College website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EReliable energy is required to keep safe in cold winters and hot summers, making it a matter of national security. There are also vying economic policies to consider, political and financial incentives to navigate, and questions of social and economic inequality. Experts in Georgia Tech\u2019s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts examine the challenges we face with the U.S. energy transition, and work to help make it safe, fair, and effective for all.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Reliable energy is a matter of national security. There are also vying economic policies to consider, political and financial incentives to navigate, and questions of social and economic inequality to consider."}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2026-03-23 18:34:56","changed_gmt":"2026-03-23 20:13:07","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679717":{"id":"679717","type":"image","title":"MERCURY--1-.jpg","body":null,"created":"1774291064","gmt_created":"2026-03-23 18:37:44","changed":"1774291064","gmt_changed":"2026-03-23 18:37:44","alt":"Power lines running through open land.","file":{"fid":"263909","name":"MERCURY--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/23\/MERCURY--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/23\/MERCURY--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1363201,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/23\/MERCURY--1-.jpg?itok=3CSxj0Wp"}}},"media_ids":["679717"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1282","name":"School of Economics"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dminardi3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDi Minardi\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dminardi3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689007":{"#nid":"689007","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Mobile App Turns Phones into At-Home Fetal Heart Monitors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new mobile app will soon put the ability to monitor a baby\u2019s prenatal heartbeat in the hands of pregnant women who may worry about their baby\u2019s health in between doctor\u2019s visits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudies show that one in five pregnant women experiences \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/perinatal-anxiety-one-in-five-women-experience-it-but-many-still-suffer-alone-before-or-after-childbirth-133667\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eperinatal anxiety\u003C\/a\u003E, which is characterized by intense negative thoughts about their pregnancy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDopFone turns any smartphone speaker into a Doppler radar by emitting a low-pitched ultrasound and detecting reflected signals of abdominal surface vibrations caused by a fetal heartbeat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.alexandertadams.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Adams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, said he came up with the idea for DopFone as he and his wife, Elise, experienced two miscarriages. At the time, she couldn\u2019t reliably measure the fetal heart rate with a standard fetal Doppler monitor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose experiences exposed gaps in the maternal healthcare process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are a lot of great devices in hospitals and clinics, but there\u2019s not much outside of those venues, even for high-risk pregnancies,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThis is about filling the gaps between checkups.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.poojitagarg.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPoojita Garg\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E joined Adams to work on DopFone while completing her master\u2019s degree at Georgia Tech. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and is co-advised by Professor Swetak Patel, who earned his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2008.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg is working with the University of Washington School of Medicine to conduct DopFone\u2019s first clinical trials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg tested DopFone on 23 patients and achieved a plus-minus of 4.9 beats per minute, well within the clinical standard range of eight beats per minute for reliable fetal heart rate measurement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdams said it measured within two beats per minute in most cases, with an error rate of less than one percent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout one million pregnancies in the U.S. end in miscarriage, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medicine.yale.edu\/news-article\/dr-harvey-kliman-study-finds-the-placenta-holds-answers-to-many-unexplained-pregnancy-losses\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a study from the Yale School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E, and doctors know little about what causes them. Adams said that number is probably higher because many go unreported.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdams and Garg said it\u2019s unclear whether the innovation could reduce the number of miscarriages. However, consistent fetal heart rate data collection outside of the doctor\u2019s office could provide a better idea of what happens leading up to a miscarriage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom there, we can take preventative action,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIf nothing else, we can give a sense of comfort to those who may be worried.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile couples can purchase portable fetal heart rate monitors, Adams and Garg see DopFone as a low-cost alternative for those who live in areas with limited or inaccessible healthcare systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of potential for using it in what doctors like to call maternity deserts,\u201d Garg said. \u201cThese are areas where a pregnant person, at the time of delivery, would have to travel long distances to reach a hospital. This technology will be useful globally in underdeveloped areas of the world.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also mentioned that external add-ons and attachments aren\u2019t part of their design goals. They prefer to rely on the phone\u2019s built-in features to keep the technology accessible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real value is that 96% of America already has the technology in their pocket, along with 60% of the world\u2019s population,\u201d Adams said. \u201cHalf of the battle is having the right tools. The more we can get from what\u2019s already in the phone, the more we can guarantee people have access to it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENot a Substitute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome patients may feel a constant need to check their unborn child\u2019s heart rate, and Garg acknowledged that a tool like DopFone could increase that anxiety. She and Adams said a future version of the app will tell the parent if the heart rate is within a healthy range.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of tradeoffs between a tool that could provide reassurance or create anxiety,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want the use of this tool to be recommended by a doctor and for doctors and their care teams to be kept in the loop.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also said DopFone is not meant to replace anything that is done in a clinic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are devices that make the whole process possible at home, but this is something that should be done in a clinic, so that\u2019s the line we want to draw,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDopFone uses smartphone speakers to emit a low-pitched ultrasound that detects reflected signals of abdominal surface vibrations caused by fetal cardiac activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.alexandertadams.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Adams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, said he came up with the idea for DopFone as he and his wife, Elise, suffered through two miscarriages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.poojitagarg.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPoojita Garg\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E joined Adams to work on DopFone while completing her master\u2019s at Georgia Tech. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and is co-advised by Professor Swetak Patel, who earned his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2008.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg is working with the University of Washington School of Medicine to conduct DopFone\u2019s first clinical trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg tested DopFone on 23 patients and achieved a plus-minus of 4.9 beats per minute, well within the clinical standard for reliable fetal heart rate measurement of plus-minus 8 beats per minute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new app will allow pregnant women to conduct an ultrasound and receive an accurate fetal heart rate from their mobile phones."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 13:23:19","changed_gmt":"2026-03-23 13:16:06","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679666":{"id":"679666","type":"image","title":"DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773840209","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 13:23:29","changed":"1773840209","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 13:23:29","alt":"Woman holds mobile phone to the belly of a pregnant woman","file":{"fid":"263850","name":"DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":113510,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/DopFone-PR-Photo-with-blur.jpg?itok=A5qhfUr7"}}},"media_ids":["679666"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"181431","name":"maternal"},{"id":"7677","name":"ultrasound"},{"id":"34741","name":"mobile app"},{"id":"29561","name":"pregnancy"},{"id":"190383","name":"pregnant women"},{"id":"168908","name":"smartphone"},{"id":"188420","name":"babies"},{"id":"178046","name":"fetal monitoring"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688801":{"#nid":"688801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Energy Day: Meeting AI\u2019s Growing Energy Demands","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\u0022\u003EEnergy Day\u003C\/a\u003E returns this year on March 19 with an expanded focus and a new collaborative momentum. Cohosted by the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and\u0026nbsp;Systems\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IMS) and the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(SEI) \u003C\/strong\u003Ewith plenary session support from the\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Day 2026 convenes leaders from academia, industry, government, and students to address the challenges associated with meeting the rapidly growing electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESet in the heart of Tech Square on the Georgia Tech campus, this year\u2019s event explores how energy systems, materials, technologies, supply chains, and policy must evolve in response to AI\u2019s accelerating impact. As digital infrastructure expands and computation intensifies, the need for reliable, resilient, and sustainable power has never been more urgent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Day reflects Georgia Tech\u2019s strength in connecting world-class research in materials and components with the infrastructure and partnerships needed to translate discovery into scalable energy technologies that serve industry, society, and the future economy,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of the IMS and the Hightower Professor in Materials Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Day 2026 also marks an important milestone with the introduction of its first group of corporate sponsors:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gevernova.com\/\u0022\u003EGE Vernova\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southerncompany.com\/\u0022\u003ESouthern Company\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiapower.com\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Power\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/corporate.exxonmobil.com\/\u0022\u003EExxonMobil\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southwirespark.com\/\u0022\u003ESouthwire Spark\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/gems-setra\/\u0022\u003EGems Setra\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E, \u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tek.com\/en\u0022\u003ETektronix\u003C\/a\u003E. Their support reflects a shared commitment to advancing energy solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTektronix is excited to be part of Energy Day because advancing the future of energy starts with precise measurement and trusted insights,\u201d said Christopher Bohn, president of Tektronix. \u201cFrom power electronics and high voltage systems to grid scale renewables and AI driven control technologies, the breakthroughs discussed here directly align with the innovations we support through our products and solutions. Collaborating with Georgia Tech allows us to engage early with emerging research and the next generation of engineers\u2014critical collaborators in building a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient energy ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe keynote address will be delivered by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vanessazchan\/\u0022\u003EVanessa Z. Chan\u003C\/a\u003E, a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of\u0026nbsp;innovation, commercialization, and emerging technologies. Chan will provide insights on accelerating technological discovery, emphasizing how AI is transforming energy and materials design. She will discuss how commercialization strategies must rapidly evolve across multidisciplinary energy domains from grid modernization to advanced batteries and clean manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on the themes introduced in the keynote, the program transitions into a fireside chat with Georgia Tech EVPR\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E featuring\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kulkarniam\/\u0022\u003EAmit Kulkarni\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/james-jim-walsh\/\u0022\u003EJim Walsh\u003C\/a\u003E. Kulkarni is vice president of Product Management and Strategy for the Gas Power business within GE Vernova, where he oversees the world\u2019s largest portfolio of power generation equipment. Walsh, vice president of GE Vernova\u2019s Consulting Services, leads teams providing innovative solutions across the full spectrum of power generation, delivery, and utilization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext comes a policy-focused panel that will explore the surge in power demand driven by AI, how the United States is addressing today\u2019s most urgent energy challenges, and the long-term implications of today\u2019s decisions for a sustainable energy future. Bringing together leading voices in U.S. environmental and energy policy, the panel features\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/joseph-aldy-0794942\/\u0022\u003EJoe Aldy\u003C\/a\u003E of Harvard University and former special assistant to the president for Energy and Environment;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/al-mcgartland-161689a\/\u0022\u003EAl McGartland\u003C\/a\u003E of New York University\u2019s Institute for Policy Integrity and former Environmental Protection Agency lead economist and director of the National Center for Environmental Economics; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kevinrennert\/\u0022\u003EKevin Rennert\u003C\/a\u003E, fellow and director of the Comprehensive Climate Strategies Program at Resources for the Future and former staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second panel focuses on critical materials \u2014 the foundation of advanced energy systems and digital technologies. As AI, data centers, and advanced energy technologies drive demand for critical materials, securing them now requires integration and coordination across the entire value chain. Panelists include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/people\/rachel-galloway\u0022 id=\u0022menur1su2\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/people\/rachel-galloway\u0022\u003ERachel Galloway\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;British consul general in Atlanta;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vijaymurugesan\/\u0022\u003EVijay Murugesan\u003C\/a\u003E, head of Materials Intelligence and Digital Innovation at Amazon; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/colinspellmeyer\/?utm_source=share_via\u0026amp;utm_content=profile\u0026amp;utm_medium=member_ios\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/colinspellmeyer\/?utm_source=share_via\u0026amp;utm_content=profile\u0026amp;utm_medium=member_ios\u0022\u003EColin Spellmeyer\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;executive strategic sourcing leader at GE Vernova; \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/haslam.utk.edu\/people\/profile\/charles-sims\/\u0022\u003ECharles Sims\u003C\/a\u003E, Tennessee Valley Authority Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Tennessee; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nnnyeboah\/\u0022 id=\u0022menur1sua\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nnnyeboah\/\u0022\u003ENortey Yeboah\u003C\/a\u003E, principal engineer at Southern Company. Together, they will offer perspectives on the policy and economic frameworks shaping the energy supply chain, from developing raw resources to manufacturing the technologies essential to future energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the afternoon, participants can dive deeper into specialized topics through three focused technical tracks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\/track1_meet_demand_for_power\u0022\u003EMeeting the Demand for Power\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will examine how emerging technologies, advanced nuclear systems, and renewable integration can work together to deliver reliable, resilient electricity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\/track2-data-center-infrastructure-and-resources\u0022\u003EData Center Infrastructure and Resources\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will explore innovations in thermal management technologies, energy-efficient computing, and the broader resource impacts of expanding digital infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\/track3-grid-technologies-and-markets\u0022\u003EGrid Technologies and Markets\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will highlight strategies for strengthening grid capacity, incorporating demand-side management, and optimizing carbon performance as energy systems evolve.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMeeting the rapidly rising electricity demand driven by AI requires bold ideas, coordinated action, and research that moves at the speed of innovation,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of the SEI. \u201cEnergy Day 2026 brings together the people and expertise needed to shape resilient, sustainable energy systems for the future. At Georgia Tech, we see this event as a catalyst for new partnerships, new solutions, and a shared commitment to strengthening the nation\u2019s energy foundation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Day 2026 is designed for researchers advancing emerging energy technologies, policymakers navigating shifting regulatory and geopolitical landscapes, industry professionals seeking insight into emerging tools and supply chains, and students preparing to enter one of the most consequential sectors of the decade. It also welcomes anyone interested in AI, sustainability, electrification, and critical materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin us to explore the future of energy. To learn more and register, visit:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\u0022 target=\u0022_new\u0022\u003EEnergy Day 2026\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energyday\u0022\u003EEnergy Day\u003C\/a\u003E returns this year on March 19 with an expanded focus and a new collaborative momentum. Cohosted by the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and\u0026nbsp;Systems\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IMS) and the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(SEI) with plenary session support from the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Day 2026 convenes leaders from academia, industry, government, and students to address the challenges associated with meeting the rapidly growing electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Join us on March 19 as we explore one of the most urgent questions facing the nation: How do we power an AI\u2011driven future?"}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-03-06 20:46:52","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 16:57:12","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679541":{"id":"679541","type":"image","title":"EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772830025","gmt_created":"2026-03-06 20:47:05","changed":"1772830025","gmt_changed":"2026-03-06 20:47:05","alt":"Georgia Tech Energy Day 2026 Header Image with three boxes showing an image of a datacenter, an electric bulb with energy sources around it and a multi-colored critical mineral ","file":{"fid":"263714","name":"EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/06\/EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/06\/EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":147447,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/06\/EnergyDayEmailHeader.jpg?itok=i6baP0eA"}}},"media_ids":["679541"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"194607","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688556":{"#nid":"688556","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Space Startups Take Off at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s faculty startup engine\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/quadrant-i.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EQuadrant-i\u003C\/a\u003E, together with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI), launched the first cohort of the CreationsVC Space Fellows Program. Funded by space technology venture capital firm\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/creations.vc\/\u0022\u003ECreationsVC\u003C\/a\u003E, the program enables faculty to explore promising early-stage innovations and their potential for future commercial impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis first set of CreationsVC Fellows offers an exciting cross-section of innovative hardware and software technologies built on Georgia Tech\u2019s legacy of space exploration, hardware development, and product commercialization,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/w-jud-ready\u0022\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/a\u003E, SRI executive director.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the first year of the three-year program, CreationsVC provides $125,000 to promote and accelerate innovations that have both space and terrestrial applications. The series offers participants training focused on customer discovery, engaging and compelling storytelling, value proposition design and quantification, and lean\/agile project\/product management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCreationsVC is centered on a deep appreciation for innovation and big thinking,\u201d said Steve Braverman, co-founder and managing partner of CreationsVC. \u201cWe felt this was the right time to align our efforts in sourcing and supporting dual-value technologies that will have an impact on both Earth and space.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe six startups tackle real-world space research problems like supply chain management, how artificial intelligence works in space, and navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are excited CreationsVC is providing us with an opportunity to try new approaches to accelerate deep tech development,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jonathan-goldman\u0022\u003EJonathan Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, Quadrant-i\u2019s director.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThese are the toughest kinds of startups to build, and we look forward to the learning we will gain from forcing our innovators out of their comfort zones to embrace some new and valuable skills.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMeet the cohort:\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cimtech.ai\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECIMTech.ai\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/shimeng-yu\u0022\u003EShimeng Yu\u003C\/a\u003E, James Read\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective: \u003C\/strong\u003ETo develop energy-efficient, radiation-tolerant artificial intelligence processors using a persistent type of ferroelectric memory. The startup aims to improve applications requiring high power efficiency, such as battery-powered devices and space-based systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EThe advantage of Q-i is in helping technical founders turn their research into products that solve customers\u2019 problems,\u201d noted James Read. \u201cFor us, that means talking with potential customers and hearing their pain points directly from the source. Now we\u2019re use that information to build a convincing narrative around our startup\u2019s value for stakeholders and investors.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: SkyCT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/morris-b-cohen\u0022\u003EMorris Cohen,\u003C\/a\u003E Matthew Strong\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E ECE\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E To provide\u0026nbsp;up-to-date mapping of the electrical properties of the upper atmosphere, with applications to GPS-free navigation, long-range communication, and satellite and launch vehicle viability.\u0026nbsp;The startup uses the radio energy released by lightning strikes to create this map.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cThis weird region about 50 miles up from Earth\u2019s surface is both really hard to track and measure, and also impacts a surprising array of applications,\u201d said Cohen. \u201cIt\u2019s sometimes called the `ignorosphere\u2019 because of how difficult it is to measure, and it\u2019s time we change that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: Penumbra Autonomy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/panagiotis-tsiotras\u0022\u003EPanagiotis Tsiotras,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jdflorez\/\u0022\u003EJuan Diego Florez-Castillo\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/iasonvelentzas\/\u0022\u003EIason Velentzas\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (AE)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETo commercialize algorithms that help spacecraft maneuver when they have limited information on their environment. The algorithms use state-of-the-art computer vision and localization techniques. This could benefit manufacturing, assembly, and refueling in orbit, as well as enable monitoring, situational awareness, and debris removal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cThe program offers a conduit to entrepreneurship opportunities and spinoff companies in the space domain by providing guidance and commercialization \u2018know-how,\u2019\u201d said Panagiotis\u0026nbsp;Tsiotras.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: TerraMorph\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/yashwanth-kumar-nakka\u0022\u003EYashwanth Kumar Nakka\u003C\/a\u003E, Sadhana Kumar, Vincent Griffo, Sachin Kelkar\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u003C\/strong\u003E AE\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;To create an autonomous rover platform with adaptive, reconfigurable mobility. The rover will implement software and sensing algorithms to automatically detect terrain type and improve traction and energy usage. This could be used on the moon or Mars, or even terrestrial search and rescue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cTerraMorph\u0026nbsp;was developed to address fundamental challenges in mobility and autonomy across uncertain\u0026nbsp;terrain, \u0026nbsp;but\u0026nbsp;successfully translating that work into impact requires creative guidance, critical feedback, and experienced perspectives beyond the lab,\u201d said Yashwanth Kumar Nakka. \u201cQ-i\u2019s culture of leading by example and fostering strong, ethical teams aligns closely with how we want to build\u0026nbsp;TerraMorph: iteratively, thoughtfully, and with a focus on real-world deployment.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openwerks.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOpenWerks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/shreyes-melkote\u0022\u003EShreyes Melkote\u003C\/a\u003E, Mike Yan\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;To deliver real-time manufacturing supply chain visibility for the space and national security industries. OpenWerks technology aims to dramatically reduce current sourcing cycles from eight months down to weeks by connecting corporate buyers directly with verified supplier manufacturing capability and capacity data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cFrom the very beginning, principals at VentureLab and\u0026nbsp; Q-i offered a clear pathway to translate academic research into a viable business,\u201d said Mike Yan. \u201cTheir reputation for guiding Georgia Tech startups through both business and technology derisking, combined with their comprehensive ecosystem of programs and coaches, made them the natural partner for our entrepreneurial journey.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.8seven8.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8Seven8\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounders:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/chandra-raman\u0022\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EObjective:\u003C\/strong\u003E To manufacture quantum hardware in Georgia. 8Seven8 aims to put high-precision atomic clocks and gyroscopes on a chip for applications ranging from aircraft navigation to industrial automation. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Q-i:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cThey have mentored me and my students through the commercialization process, providing opportunities such as the Space Fellows Cohort,\u201d Chandra Raman said. \u201cOne of my former students, Alexandra Crawford, gained valuable business experience through a Q-i entrepreneur\u2019s assistantship, and is now working at 8Seven8 full-time. They have also guided me through the process of obtaining funding through the Georgia Research Alliance for our commercialization effort.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThese six faculty- and student-led startups will tackle space innovations with terrestrial applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"These six faculty- and student-led startups will tackle space innovations with terrestrial applications. "}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 20:51:28","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 13:01:10","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679462":{"id":"679462","type":"image","title":"Nasa.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto courtesy of NASA\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772139109","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 20:51:49","changed":"1772139109","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 20:51:49","alt":"Northrop Grumman\u0027s Cygnus XL cargo craft approaches the International Space Station","file":{"fid":"263626","name":"Nasa.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Nasa.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Nasa.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":315029,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/Nasa.jpg?itok=Nz3pjuAT"}}},"media_ids":["679462"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETess Malone\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Research Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687586":{"#nid":"687586","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Tool Turns Disaster Zones Into Living Classrooms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlas.gatech.edu\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular\u0026amp;id=10139\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Disaster Reconnaissance (IDR) course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, students now use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.filio.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform built by School of Computing Instruction Senior Lecturer \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E, to capture immersive 360\u00b0 media, photos, and video that transform real disaster sites in India and Nepal into living digital classrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffered by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and taught by IDR director and Regents\u2019 Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Frost\u003C\/strong\u003E, the course pairs traditional fieldwork with Roozbahani\u2019s expertise in immersive technology and data-driven learning, transforming on-the-ground observations into reusable, interactive educational resources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Computing Can Capture Data\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDisasters are not only physical events; they are also information events, Roozbahani says. Effective response and long-term resilience depend on the ability to observe, record, and communicate critical data under pressure. Georgia Tech\u2019s IDR course pairs structured on-campus preparation with international field experiences, enabling students to study the cascading effects of major disasters, including how local building practices, governance, and culture shape damage and recovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen students step into a disaster zone, they learn quickly that resilience is a systems problem: physical, social, and informational. Our job in computing is to help them capture and reason about that system responsibly,\u201d Roozbahani said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearning from the 2025 Himalayas Expedition\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring spring break last year, the cohort traveled along the Teesta River corridor in Sikkim, India. The region is shaped by steep terrain, fast-moving water, and critical infrastructure in narrow valleys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe visit followed the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood from South Lhonak Lake, which destroyed the Teesta III hydropower dam and impacted downstream towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo. Field stops across India included Lachung, Chungthang, Dikchu, Rangpo, Gangtok, and New Delhi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents explored both upstream and downstream consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUpstream, the team examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces, creating cascading risks for infrastructure. Using Filio\u2019s interactive 360\u00b0 media, students captured conditions in Lachung and Chungthang, allowing viewers to explore the landscape through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/photo-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cabeb82b05102bf91a4c\/_d6LpRAkr0ymi1OqCtGeAYrXo8xBGTJmACPN0SGXP50QlCE8FLR-f-67da18bc11c485642674bf73_=s0-photo-r0\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 photo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/video-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cabeb82b05102bf91a4c\/_IX5yWxXjRjtueg1qeGFhV62K8GDhLlarQ6uFC9g4zkjIl7rCM3-f-67dcd50f11c485642674d269_=s0-video\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that reveal how topography and river dynamics intensify disaster impacts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey studied community-scale effects downstream, including damaged buildings, disrupted access, and prolonged recovery timelines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERangpo offered a glimpse of recovery in motion, with materials staged for rebuilding bridges and roads essential to commerce and emergency response.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing Immersive Media as a Learning Tool\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents documented their field experience using \u003Cem\u003EFilio\u003C\/em\u003E, an AI-powered visual reporting platform developed by Roozbahani through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E ecosystem. Filio captures high-resolution photos, video, and 360\u00b0 immersive media, preserving both the facts and the context of disaster sites; what the site felt like, what was lost, and what communities prioritized in recovery.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA 360\u00b0 capture lets students return months later and ask better questions. That second look is where learning accelerates,\u201d Roozbahani said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by alumni and faculty mentors, including Tech alumnus \u003Cstrong\u003EChris Klaus\u003C\/strong\u003E and Georgia Tech mentor \u003Cstrong\u003EBill Higginbotham\u003C\/strong\u003E, the platform is evolving into a reusable educational library for future courses on immersive technology, responsible AI, and global resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKathmandu: The Context of Culture\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal, where students examined how heritage, governance, and the everyday use of public space shape resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough Filio\u2019s immersive documentation \u2014 including a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/photo-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cafeb82b05102bf91a4d\/_n2OFrWLzHNcdTkMl6uD9j0tSrOPybGLZccsNcarj8vwZaZIbuu-f-67dedf3f11c485642674d820_=s0-photo-r0\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 photo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/app.filio.io\/video-viewer?src=https:\/\/visual.filio.io\/f-67d1cafeb82b05102bf91a4d\/_CD25dUToZ6BgfmfrayfHHtsThQGJIQWu82xqmzSy884UXHnbEB-f-67dd5a9b11c485642674d302_=s0-video\u0026amp;rotation=0\u0026amp;type=360\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E360\u00b0 video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E from Kathmandu \u2014 the focus broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, highlighting how recovery is not only about rebuilding structures, but also about preserving identity, memory, and community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead: A Growing Resource for All Students\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrost and Roozbahani envision the IDR immersive media library as a reusable resource for students even when they cannot travel, supporting future courses on immersive technology, responsible AI, and global resilience. Spring 2026 cohorts will continue to build on this foundation by documenting, analyzing, and sharing insights that can improve education and real-world disaster response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlas.gatech.edu\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular\u0026amp;id=10139\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Disaster Reconnaissance (IDR) course\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, students now use \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.filio.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFilio\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform built by School of Computing Instruction Senior Lecturer \u003Cstrong\u003EMax Mahdi Roozbahani\u003C\/strong\u003E, to capture immersive 360\u00b0 media, photos, and video that transform real disaster sites in India and Nepal into living digital classrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An AI-powered tool is changing how researchers study disasters and how students learn from them. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-01-22 15:11:14","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:54:39","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679052":{"id":"679052","type":"image","title":"1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudents visited Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim, India. Upstream in the Teesta Valley, students examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces and how failures can cascade across an entire corridor of infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Students visited Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim, India. Upstream in the Teesta Valley, students examined how steep terrain and river confinement amplify flood forces and how failures can cascade across an entire corridor of infrastructure. ","file":{"fid":"263164","name":"1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1897568,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/1-IDR-Spring-2025---Lachung---Chungthang03182025.jpg?itok=zDRmcY2d"}},"679053":{"id":"679053","type":"image","title":"2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDownstream in the town Dikchu in Sikkim, India, the class focused on community-scale consequences: damaged buildings, disrupted access, and long recovery timelines.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Downstream in the town Dikchu in Sikkim, India, the class focused on community-scale consequences: damaged buildings, disrupted access, and long recovery timelines.","file":{"fid":"263165","name":"2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":543269,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/2-IDR-Spring-2025---Dikchu03172025.jpg?itok=vdI7egUR"}},"679054":{"id":"679054","type":"image","title":"3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERangpo in Sikkim, India offered a view of recovery in motion such as materials staged for rebuilding near bridges and roads that keep commerce and emergency response moving.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"Rangpo in Sikkim, India offered a view of recovery in motion such as materials staged for rebuilding near bridges and roads that keep commerce and emergency response moving.","file":{"fid":"263166","name":"3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1479166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/3-IDR-Spring-2025---Rangpo03162025.jpg?itok=MuIfiKjX"}},"679055":{"id":"679055","type":"image","title":"4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, the course broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, exploring how heritage, governance, and everyday use of public space shape resilience.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"In Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, the course broadened from hazard impacts to cultural context, exploring how heritage, governance, and everyday use of public space shape resilience.","file":{"fid":"263167","name":"4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2316531,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/4-IDR-Spring-2025---Kathmandu--Nepal03212025.jpg?itok=KBCQfvza"}},"679056":{"id":"679056","type":"image","title":"cover-photo.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering students captured 360 media, using Filio, to study disaster sites in India and Nepal. Photos provided by Roozbahani.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769095217","gmt_created":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","changed":"1769095217","gmt_changed":"2026-01-22 15:20:17","alt":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering students captured 360 media, using Filio, to study disaster sites in India and Nepal. Photos provided by Roozbahani. ","file":{"fid":"263168","name":"cover-photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/22\/cover-photo.jpg?itok=jiNPLFL8"}}},"media_ids":["679052","679053","679054","679055","679056"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"172752","name":"Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEmily Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688391":{"#nid":"688391","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Robot Pollinator Could Produce More, Better Crops for Indoor Farms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new robot could solve one of the biggest challenges facing indoor farmers: manual pollination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndoor farms, also known as vertical farms, are popular among agricultural researchers and are expanding across the agricultural industry. Some benefits they have over outdoor farms include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYear-round production of food crops\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELess water and land requirements\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENot needing pesticides\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReducing carbon emissions from shipping\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReducing food waste\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agritecture.com\/blog\/2021\/7\/20\/5-ways-vertical-farming-is-improving-nutrition\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Esome studies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E indicate that indoor farms produce more nutritious food for urban communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, these farms are often inaccessible to birds, bees, and other natural pollinators, leaving the pollination process to humans. The tedious process must be completed by hand for each flower to ensure the indoor crop flourishes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/ai-ping-hu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAi-Ping Hu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has spent years exploring methods to efficiently pollinate flowering plants and food crops in indoor farms to find a way to efficiently pollinate flower plants and food crops in indoor farms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHu,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/shreyas-kousik\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Professor Shreyas Kousik of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and a rotating group of student interns have developed a robot prototype that may be up to the task.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe robot can efficiently pollinate plants that have both male and female reproductive parts. These plants only require pollen to be transferred from one part to the other rather than externally from another flower.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural pollinators perform this task outdoors, but Hu said indoor farmers often use a paintbrush or electric tootbrush to ensure these flowers are pollinated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKnowing the Pose\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn early challenge the research team addressed was teaching the robot to identify the \u201cpose\u201d of each flower. Pose refers to a flower\u2019s orientation, shape, and symmetry. Knowing these details ensures precise delivery of the pollen to maximize reproductive success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s crucial to know exactly which way the flowers are facing,\u201d Hu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou want to approach the flower from the front because that\u2019s where all the biological structures are. Knowing the pose tells you where the stem is. Our device grasps the stem and shakes it to dislodge the pollen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery flower is going to have its own pose, and you need to know what that is within at least 10 degrees.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComputer Vision Breakthrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarsh Muriki\u003C\/strong\u003E is a robotics master\u2019s student at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, who used computer vision to solve the pose problem while interning for Hu and GTRI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuriki attached a camera to a FarmBot to capture images of strawberry plants from dozens of angles in a small garden in front of Georgia Tech\u2019s Food Processing Technology Building. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/farm.bot\/?srsltid=AfmBOoqh1Z8vSs3WflZisgw5DsOUSo8shD4VtY0Y8_VmVpVyt0Iwalxo\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFarmBot\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is an XYZ-axis robot that waters and sprays pesticides on outdoor gardens, though it is not capable of pollination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe reconstruct the images of the flower into a 3D model and use a technique that converts the 3D model into multiple 2D images with depth information,\u201d Muriki said. \u201cThis enables us to send them to object detectors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuriki said he used a real-time object detection system called YOLO (You Only Look Once) to classify objects. YOLO is known for identifying and classifying objects in a single pass.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVed Sengupta\u003C\/strong\u003E, a computer engineering major who interned with Muriki, fine-tuned the algorithms that converted 3D images into 2D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis was a crucial part of making robot pollination possible,\u201d Sengupta said. \u201cThere is a big gap between 3D and 2D image processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of data on the internet for 3D object detection, but there\u2019s a ton for 2D. We were able to get great results from the converted images, and I think any sector of technology can take advantage of that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESengupta, Muriki, and Hu co-authored a paper about their work that was accepted to the 2025 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeasuring Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pollination robot, built in Kousik\u2019s Safe Robotics Lab, is now in the prototype phase.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHu said the robot can do more than pollinate. It can also analyze each flower to determine how well it was pollinated and whether the chances for reproduction are high.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt has an additional capability of microscopic inspection,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt\u2019s the first device we know of that provides visual feedback on how well a flower was pollinated.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the robot, visit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/saferoboticslab.me.gatech.edu\/research\/towards-robotic-pollination\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESafe Robotics Lab project page\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManual pollination is one of the biggest challenges for indoor farmers. These farms are often inaccessible to birds, bees, and other natural pollinators, leaving the pollination process to humans. The tedious process must be completed by hand for each flower to ensure the indoor crop flourishes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech research led by Ai-Ping Hu and Shreyas Kousik team is working to solve that. A robot they\u0027ve developed can efficiently pollinate plants that have both male and female reproductive parts. These plants only require pollen to be transferred from one part to the other rather than externally from another flower.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A research team that expands GTRI, the College of Engineering, and the College of Computing have developed a robot capable of pollinating flowers in indoor farms."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-02-19 18:58:12","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:54:01","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679370":{"id":"679370","type":"image","title":"Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771527500","gmt_created":"2026-02-19 18:58:20","changed":"1771527500","gmt_changed":"2026-02-19 18:58:20","alt":"Harsh Muriki","file":{"fid":"263520","name":"Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/19\/Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":140654,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/19\/Harsh-Muriki_86A0006.jpg?itok=rd0rv1Yt"}}},"media_ids":["679370"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187991","name":"go-robotics"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"11506","name":"computer vision"},{"id":"180840","name":"computer vision systems"},{"id":"669","name":"agriculture"},{"id":"194392","name":"AI in Agriculture"},{"id":"170254","name":"urban gardening"},{"id":"94111","name":"farming"},{"id":"14913","name":"urban farming"},{"id":"23911","name":"bees"},{"id":"6660","name":"flowers"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688478":{"#nid":"688478","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student Getting Research Boost Through Google Ph.D. Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech Ph.D. candidate is getting a boost to his research into developing more efficient multi-tasking artificial intelligence (AI) models without fine-tuning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Stoica is one of 38 Ph.D. students worldwide researching machine learning who were named a\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.google\/programs-and-events\/phd-fellowship\/recipients\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica is designing AI training methods that bypass fine-tuning, which is the process of adapting a large pre-trained model to perform new tasks. Fine-tuning is one of the most common ways engineers update large-language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to add new capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf an AI company wants to give a model a new capability, it could create a new model from scratch for that specific purpose. However, if the model already has relevant training and knowledge of the new task, fine-tuning is cheaper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica argues that fine-tuning still uses large amounts of data, and that other methods can help models learn more effectively and efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFull fine-tuning yields strong performance, but it can be costly, and it risks catastrophic forgetting,\u201d Stoica said. \u201cMy research asks if we can extend a model\u2019s capabilities by imbuing it with the expertise of others, without fine-tuning?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cReducing cost and improving efficiency is more important than ever. We have so many publicly available models that have been trained to solve a variety of tasks. It\u2019s redundant to train a new model from scratch. It\u2019s much more efficient to leverage the information that already exists to get a model up to speed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica said the solution is a cost-effective method called model merging. This method combines two or more AI models into a single model, improving performance without fine-tuning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a basic level, Stoica said an example would be combining a model that is efficient at classifying cats with one that works well at dogs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMerging is cheap because you just take the parameters, the weights of your existing models, and combine them,\u201d he said. \u201cYou could take the average of the weights to create a new model, but that sometimes doesn\u2019t work. My work has aimed to rearrange the weights so they can communicate easily with each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough his Google fellowship, Stoica seeks to apply model merging to create a cutting-edge vision encoder. A vision encoder converts image or video data into numerical representations that computers can understand. This enables tasks such as image or facial recognition and generative image captioning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to be at the frontier of the field, and Google is clearly part of that,\u201d Stoica said. \u201cThe vision encoder is very large-scale, and Google has the infrastructure to accommodate it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Stoica is one of 38 Ph.D. students worldwide researching machine learning who were named a\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.google\/programs-and-events\/phd-fellowship\/recipients\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStoica is designing AI training methods that bypass fine-tuning, which is the process of adapting a large pre-trained model to perform new tasks. Fine-tuning is one of the most common ways engineers update large-language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to add new capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Stoica is one of 38 Ph.D. students worldwide researching machine learning who were named a 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellow."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-02-23 17:43:54","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:53:05","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679394":{"id":"679394","type":"image","title":"IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771868657","gmt_created":"2026-02-23 17:44:17","changed":"1771868657","gmt_changed":"2026-02-23 17:44:17","alt":"George Stoica","file":{"fid":"263553","name":"IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/23\/IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/23\/IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/23\/IMG_2942-copy-2.jpg?itok=KCVheh-u"}}},"media_ids":["679394"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3165","name":"google"},{"id":"9143","name":"Graduate Research Fellowship"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688487":{"#nid":"688487","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Could Show How TikTok\u2019s Algorithm Affects Youth Mental Health","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-02-18\/mark-zuckerberg-tesimony-la-social-media-trial?utm_source=chatgpt.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etook the witness stand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court to defend his company from accusations that social media harms children.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old plaintiff alleges Instagram and other social media apps are designed to make young users addicted to their platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, social media experts believe the algorithms that drive content on these platforms play a role in hooking users and keeping them scrolling for extensive periods of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study led by Georgia Tech might confirm this suspicion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing recently acquired data from more than 10,000 adolescent users,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.munmund.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will audit TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm and study its impact on young people\u2019s behavior and mental health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury is leading a multi-institutional research team on a four-year, $1.7 million grant from the Huo Family Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe hope to learn the different types of negative exposures that young people experience when using TikTok,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cThis can help us characterize what they\u2019re watching and build computational methods to understand the consumption behaviors of these participants and how they\u2019re affected by the algorithm.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is collaborating with Amy Orben, a professor at the University of Cambridge, and Homa Hosseinmardi, an assistant professor at UCLA, on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESocial media platforms have become increasingly reluctant to share their data in recent years, posing a challenge for researchers like De Choudhury.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can\u2019t do the type of studies we did 10 years ago with X (formerly Twitter) because the API is much more restrictive,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are limited ways to programmatically access people\u2019s data now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe must go through a tedious, manual process to get around declining access to social media data. This data-gathering process is essential given the sensitive nature of mental health research. You want data that is shared with consent.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrben collected TikTok data from more than 10,000 young people in the UK who consented to provide their personal data archives in accordance with the European Union\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collected data includes watch histories, which De Choudhury said distinguishes this research from other social media studies that focus on what users post.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t understand passive social media consumption very well, so we hope to close that gap and learn what that looks like,\u201d she said. \u201cThat could complement or contrast what we know about people\u2019s active engagement on these platforms. Is what they\u2019re consuming directly related to what they\u2019re posting? How does passive consumption affect young people\u2019s mental health?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA clearer picture of how algorithm-based content affects young people could result in design interventions to minimize negative effects. De Choudhury said studying data from young people is critical because it\u2019s not too late to steer them away from unhealthy behavioral patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome of the earliest signs or symptoms of mental health conditions appear in adolescence,\u201d she said. \u201cIf appropriate care and support are provided, maybe it\u2019s possible to prevent these symptoms from becoming full-blown in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond TikTok\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat the research team learns about TikTok could also provide broader insight into other social media platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETikTok has been influential in how social media platforms display video content. Competitors like Instagram and X modeled their video presentation after TikTok\u2019s, which can easily lead to doomscrolling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur hope is that our findings can be generalized, with the caveat the data we have is exclusively from TikTok,\u201d De Choudhury said. \u201cOther platforms have similar video-sharing and consumption features where the video automatically plays from one to the next. We hope what we learn from TikTok will be applicable to people\u2019s activities elsewhere, though it will require future work beyond this project to draw concrete conclusions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimulating Feeds with AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury said an additional part of the study will be using artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate video feeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Hosseinmardi led a study at the University of Pennsylvania on YouTube\u2019s recommendation algorithm and used bots that either followed or ignored the recommendations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Choudhury said they will use a similar method for TikTok.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe feeds will be realistic but generated by AI to see the potential pathways to consumption rabbit holes,\u201d she said. \u201cThis should give us some insight into how algorithms influence the negative and positive exposures people might be having on TikTok.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFoundation Expands Reach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased in the UK and established in 2009, the Huo Family Foundation supports community education initiatives in the UK, the U.S., and China.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe organization announced in January its launch of the Huo Family Foundation Science Programme.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/huofamilyfoundation.org\/news\/updates\/huo-family-foundation-awards-17-6m-for-groundbreaking-research\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe new program is committing $17.6 million to fund 20 new multi-year research grants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that explore the impact of digital technology on the brain development, social behavior, and mental health of young people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDigital technology is profoundly shaping childhood and young adulthood, yet there is limited causal evidence of its effects,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Yan Huo, founder of the Huo Family Foundation, in a press release.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are proud to support exceptional researchers advancing vital scientific understanding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Georgia Tech professor Munmun De Choudhury, a multi-institutional research team is launching a $1.7 million study to examine how TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm influences the mental health of adolescent users. The project focuses on passive consumption by analyzing the watch histories of over 10,000 young participants and using AI to simulate content \u0022rabbit holes.\u0022 By identifying patterns of negative exposure, the researchers aim to develop design interventions that can steer teenagers away from unhealthy behavioral patterns and support early mental health care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech-led research team is conducting a multi-year study using data from more than 10,000 adolescents to investigate how TikTok\u2019s recommendation algorithm and passive content consumption impact youth mental health."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 14:29:28","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:52","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679406":{"id":"679406","type":"image","title":"208A9267-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1771943377","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 14:29:37","changed":"1771943377","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 14:29:37","alt":"Munmun De Choudhury","file":{"fid":"263567","name":"208A9267-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104533,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/208A9267-2.jpg?itok=3fEZjVVt"}}},"media_ids":["679406"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"167543","name":"social media"},{"id":"190947","name":"tiktok"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"10824","name":"Children And Adolescents"},{"id":"5660","name":"algorithms"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688516":{"#nid":"688516","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Is This Your AI? Researchers Crack AI Blackbox","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) systems power everything from chatbots to security cameras, yet many of the most advanced models operate as \u201cblack boxes.\u201d Companies can use them, but outsiders can\u2019t see how they were built, where they came from, or whether they contain hidden flaws.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis lack of transparency creates real risks. A model could contain security vulnerabilities or hidden backdoors. It could also be a lightly modified version of an open-source system \u2014 repackaged in violation of its license \u2014 with no easy way to prove it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new framework, ZEN, to help solve this problem. The tool can recover a model\u2019s unique \u201cfingerprint\u201d directly from its memory, allowing experts to trace its origins and reconstruct how it was assembled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnalyzing a proprietary AI model without identifying where it came from and how it is constructed is like trying to fix a car engine with the hood welded shut,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/davidoygenblik.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Oygenblik\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech and the study\u2019s lead author.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cZEN not only X-rays the engine but also provides the complete wiring diagram.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZEN works by taking a snapshot of a running AI system and extracting information about both its mathematical structure and the code that defines it. It compares that fingerprint against a database of known open-source models to determine the system\u2019s origin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf it finds a match, ZEN identifies the exact changes and generates software patches that allow investigators to recreate a working replica of the proprietary model for testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat capability has major implications for both security and intellectual property protection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith ZEN, a security analyst can finally test a black-box model for hidden backdoors, and a company can gather concrete evidence to prove its software license was infringed,\u201d Oygenblik said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the system, the research team tested ZEN on 21 state-of-the-art AI models, including Llama 3, YOLOv10, and other well-known systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZEN correctly traced every customized model back to its original open-source foundation \u2014 achieving 100% attribution accuracy. Even when models had been heavily modified \u2014 differing by more than 83% from their original versions \u2014 ZEN successfully identified the changes and enabled full reconstruction for security testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers will present their findings at the 2026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ndss-symposium.org\/\u0022\u003ENetwork and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E. The paper, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ndss-symposium.org\/ndss-paper\/achieving-zen-combining-mathematical-and-programmatic-deep-learning-model-representations-for-attribution-and-reuse\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAchieving Zen: Combining Mathematical and Programmatic Deep Learning Model Representations for Attribution and Reuse\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was authored by Oygenblik, master\u2019s student \u003Cstrong\u003EDinko Dermendzhiev\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EFilippos Sofias\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMingxuan Yao\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EHaichuan Xu\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ERunze Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E, post-doctorate scholars \u003Cstrong\u003EJeman Park\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EAmit Kumar Sikder\u003C\/strong\u003E, as well as Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a technique to identify the origins of proprietary \u201cblack-box\u201d AI models, even when their internal structure and training data are hidden. Because many commercial AI systems cannot be externally inspected, it is difficult to detect security vulnerabilities, intellectual property theft, licensing violations, or trace a model\u2019s lineage. The new approach enables researchers to attribute models, determine whether one was derived from another, and identify potential misuse of protected data. By improving transparency and enabling verification of model provenance, the work strengthens accountability and trust in AI systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a technique to identify the origins of proprietary \u201cblack-box\u201d AI models, even when their internal structure and training data are hidden."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 17:33:20","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:42","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679429":{"id":"679429","type":"image","title":"Is-this-your-AI.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772040810","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 17:33:30","changed":"1772040810","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 17:33:30","alt":"A graphic showing an AI model in an outstretched hand. ","file":{"fid":"263592","name":"Is-this-your-AI.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Is-this-your-AI.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Is-this-your-AI.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1346270,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Is-this-your-AI.jpg?itok=ehbGALRW"}}},"media_ids":["679429"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ndss-symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026-s1628-paper.pdf","title":"Read the Paper"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u0026nbsp;School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688223":{"#nid":"688223","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Department of Energy Award to Power Nuclear Research With Machine Learning","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe future of clean energy depends on algorithms as much as it does atoms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/people\/qi-tang\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQi Tang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is building machine learning (ML) models to accelerate nuclear fusion research, making it more affordable and more accurate. Backed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Tang\u2019s work brings clean, sustainable energy closer to reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang has received an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/early-career\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarly Career Research Program (ECRP) award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E from the DOE Office of Science. The grant supports Tang with $875,000 disbursed over five years to craft ML and data processing tools that help scientists analyze massive datasets from nuclear experiments and simulations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is the first faculty member from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing and School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) to receive the ECRP. He is the seventh Georgia Tech researcher to earn the award and the only GT awardee among this year\u2019s 99 recipients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than a milestone, the award reflects a shift in how nuclear research is done. Today, progress depends on computing and data science as much as on physics and engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am honored and excited to receive the ECRP award through DOE\u2019s Advanced Scientific Computing Research program, an organization I care about deeply,\u201d said Tang, an assistant professor in the School of CSE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am grateful to my former colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory and collaborators at other national laboratories, including Lawrence Livermore, Sandia, and Argonne. I am also thankful for my Ph.D. students at Georgia Tech, whose dedication and creativity make this award possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-faculty-applies-high-performance-computing-scientific-machine-learning-interests-studies\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew Faculty Applies High-Performance Computing, Scientific Machine Learning Interests to Studies in Plasma Physics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA problem in nuclear research is that fusion simulations are challenging to understand and use. These simulations generate enormous datasets that are too large to store, move, and analyze efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pamspublic.science.energy.gov\/WebPAMSExternal\/Interface\/Common\/ViewPublicAbstract.aspx?rv=a756f612-3409-44b8-89ea-7421bf0840e5\u0026amp;rtc=24\u0026amp;PRoleId=10\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn his ECRP proposal to DOE\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Tang introduced new ML methods to improve the analysis and storage of particle data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang\u2019s approach balances shrinking data so it is easier to store and transfer while preserving the most important scientific features. His multiscale ML models are informed by physics, so the reduced data still reflects how fusion systems really behave.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Tang\u2019s research, scientists can run larger, more realistic fusion models and analyze results more quickly. This accelerates progress toward practical fusion energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn contrast to generic black-box-type compression tools, we aim at preserving the intrinsic structures of the particle dataset during the data reduction processes,\u201d Tang said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTaking this approach, we can meet our goal of achieving high-fidelity preservation of critical physics with minimum loss of information.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputing is essential in modern research because of the amount of data produced and captured from experiments and simulations. In the era of exascale supercomputers, data movement is a greater bottleneck than actual computation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOE operates three of the world\u2019s four exascale supercomputers. These machines can calculate one quintillion (a billion billion) operations per second.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe exascale era began in 2022 with the launch of Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Aurora followed in 2023 at Argonne National Laboratory. El Capitan arrived in 2024 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Tang\u2019s data reduction approaches, all of DOE\u2019s supercomputers spend more time on science and less time waiting for data transfers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cQi\u2019s work in computational plasma physics and nuclear fusion modeling has been groundbreaking,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EHaesun Park\u003C\/strong\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and Chair of the School of CSE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are proud of Qi and what this award means for him, Georgia Tech, and the Department of Energy toward leveraging computation to solve challenges in science and engineering, such as sustainable energy.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrevious Georgia Tech recipients of DOE Early Career Research Program awards include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/26\/doe-recognizes-georgia-tech-researchers-prestigious-early-career-awards\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EItamar Kimchi\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor, School of Physics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/26\/doe-recognizes-georgia-tech-researchers-prestigious-early-career-awards\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/wenjing-liao-awarded-doe-early-career-award-model-simplification-deep-learning\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWenjing Lao\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, School of Mathematics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2018\/06\/professor-lively-receives-does-early-career-award\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Lively\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Thomas C. DeLoach Professor, School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/josh-kacher\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJosh Kacher\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/khabar.com\/community-newsmakers\/devesh-ranjan-receives-early-career-award-from-u-s-department-of-energy\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevesh Ranjan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair and professor, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/people\/qi-tang\u0022\u003EQi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E is building machine learning (ML) models to accelerate nuclear fusion research, making it more affordable and more accurate. Backed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Tang\u2019s work brings clean, sustainable energy closer to reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang has received an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/early-career\u0022\u003EEarly Career Research Program (ECRP) award\u003C\/a\u003E from the DOE Office of Science. The grant supports Tang with $875,000 disbursed over five years to craft ML and data processing tools that help scientists analyze massive datasets from nuclear experiments and simulations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is the first faculty member from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing and School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) to receive the ECRP. He is the seventh Georgia Tech researcher to earn the award and the only GT awardee among this year\u2019s 99 recipients.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Qi Tang has received an Early Career Research Program award from the Department of Energy\u0027s Office of Science. The $875,000 grant supports Tang for five years to craft ML tools that analyze data from nuclear experiments and simulations. "}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-02-12 15:11:55","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:31","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679267":{"id":"679267","type":"image","title":"Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","body":null,"created":"1770909124","gmt_created":"2026-02-12 15:12:04","changed":"1770909124","gmt_changed":"2026-02-12 15:12:04","alt":"DOE ECRP Qi Tang","file":{"fid":"263400","name":"Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/12\/Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125283,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/12\/Qi-TangStory-Cover.jpg?itok=mPLUykJZ"}}},"media_ids":["679267"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/department-energy-award-power-nuclear-research-machine-learning","title":"Department of Energy Award to Power Nuclear Research with Machine Learning"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688648":{"#nid":"688648","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New \u2018Touchable Sound\u2019 Museum Display Makes Data More Accessible","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBlind and low vision (BLV) people may soon have access to and more easily understand scientific data in museum exhibits through new \u201ctouchable sound\u201d displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Jessica Roberts and Ph.D. student Emily Amspoker of Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing are working with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUniversity of Georgia\u2019s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in Savannah\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Together, they\u2019ve developed a prototype display that uses sonification and texture to convey sea floor habitat information from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/graysreef.noaa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGray\u2019s Reef National Marine Sanctuary\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E off the coast of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESonification is the process of translating data points into sound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe display functions as a map that BLV users can follow to learn about each habitat. It is made from a wooden board with laser-cut patterns engraved into the surface. Each pattern represents information about the four types of habitats found in Gray\u2019s Reef. Each pattern has a distinct sound that corresponds to a legend on the board, which provides an audio description of each habitat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe four habitats are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFlat sand \u2014 smooth sandy seafloor with little topographic variation that provides habitat for burrowing organisms such as worms, clams, and sand dollars.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERippled sand \u2014 sandy bottom shaped into small wave-like ridges by currents and wave action; supports microhabitats of small invertebrates and attracts fish feeding on buried prey.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESparse live bottom \u2014 areas of exposed hard surfaces with scattered attached organisms like sponges, corals, and algae, offering structure and shelter for reef-associated fish and invertebrates.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDense live bottom \u2014 hard-bottom reef areas with abundant attached marine life, providing high biodiversity and offering food, and breeding sites for numerous species.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy allowing learners to explore these habitats, the team hopes to emphasize the importance of protecting diverse ocean habitats.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur job was to figure out how we can use sounds and touch to represent each of the four habitat types so our visitors can explore the ocean without being able to see it,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoberts said the project is critical to advance understanding of how science and informal learning can be more inclusive to those who have difficulty processing visual data displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis was particularly exciting to figure out how we could broaden accessibility to data sets because just like so much other scientific data, it\u2019s out there and available, but when it\u2019s presented to the public, it\u2019s usually in visual form,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are many open questions about how to do this well within a museum with complex scientific data. We\u2019re moving the needle on that, but there\u2019s a long way to go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERight Combination\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmspoker and Roberts created three different versions of the prototype. One was sound-only, one was texture-only, and the other was a combination of sound and texture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe expected the multimodal version would work best,\u201d Amspoker said. \u201cWe found people used sound and texture in different ways when interacting with it. In cases where people relied on texture, it was still difficult to tell when they crossed the barrier from one texture to another. Sound was very useful in that case.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmspoker said computer vision and an app she designed allow the technology to be deployed on any surface, whether a mobile device, a wooden board, or even a classroom floor. A camera set up above the display tracks the user\u2019s hand movements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt figures out where you are on the board, and then our code uses the location of your finger to decide what sound should play from the computer,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat\u2019s nice about our system is it only needs a computer and a webcam, and you can use whatever materials you have on hand for the map.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on a Legacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoberts said she is building on the work of a previous NSF-funded collaboration with Dr. Amy Bower, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts who is blind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBower lost her vision in graduate school, but because of her lifelong interest in oceanography, she set out to create ways to learn about ocean data through sound.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2021, she launched the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/accessibleoceans.whoi.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAccessible Oceans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E project through the National Science Foundation\u2019s Advancing Informal STEM Learning program. The interdisciplinary team, including Roberts and collaborators Leslie Smith of Your Ocean Consulting and Jon Bellona of the University of Oregon, created auditory displays of sonified data for museums.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2023, the team published \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tos.org\/oceanography\/article\/expanding-access-to-ocean-science-through-inclusively-designed-data-sonifications\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ean article in \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOceanography,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E the official magazine of the Oeanography Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cInformal learning environments are increasingly recognizing the importance of employing multiple modalities to engage all learners and are leveraging sound to enhance visitor experience,\u201d the authors wrote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile sonic additions of music, soundscapes, and field recordings add qualitative value, there is a need to explore the potential of sound to facilitate engagement with quantitative information. Data sonification is a promising avenue for increasing accessibility to data within the museum context.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have created a prototype \u201ctouchable sound\u201d museum exhibit that helps blind and low-vision visitors explore scientific data by combining tactile maps with sonification of seafloor habitats. The display translates information about different ocean environments into distinctive textures and sounds so users can follow a physical map of Gray\u2019s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and hear data-driven audio cues. The team hopes this multimodal approach will make complex visual data more inclusive and broaden access to informal science learning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a prototype \u201ctouchable sound\u201d museum display that uses sonification and tactile maps to make complex scientific data about ocean habitats more accessible to blind and low-vision visitors."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-03 15:13:03","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:09","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679503":{"id":"679503","type":"image","title":"2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772550793","gmt_created":"2026-03-03 15:13:13","changed":"1772550793","gmt_changed":"2026-03-03 15:13:13","alt":"Jessica Roberts","file":{"fid":"263675","name":"2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":118705,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/03\/2026-Jessica-Roberts-Reef-Data-Sonification-2.jpg?itok=UaqIj7yh"}}},"media_ids":["679503"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"360","name":"accessibility"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"9092","name":"museums"},{"id":"181370","name":"oceanography"},{"id":"176552","name":"data sonification"},{"id":"1102","name":"blind"},{"id":"2751","name":"visually impaired"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688916":{"#nid":"688916","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Undergrads Earn National Recognition for Computing Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo Georgia Tech undergraduates are being recognized for their contributions to computing research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan\u0026nbsp;Punamiya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CS 2025)\u0026nbsp;and \u003Cstrong\u003ESummer Abramson\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year\u0026nbsp;computational\u0026nbsp;media student, have been honored by the Computing Research Association (CRA) through its 2025\u20132026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (URA) program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;was named a runner-up for the prestigious award, while Abramson received an honorable mention among hundreds of applicants from universities across North America.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award program\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;recognized eight awardees in 2026, along with eight runners-up, nine finalists, and over 200 honorable mentions from thousands of applications.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing\u0026nbsp;Robotics Research\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;knew early on that he\u0026nbsp;didn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;want to wait until starting his Ph.D. to do meaningful and impactful robotics research.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;joined the Robot Learning and Reasoning Lab (RL2) directed by Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;Danfei\u0026nbsp;Xu. While there, he contributed to the lab\u2019s Meta-sponsored\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-algorithm-teaches-robots-through-human-perspective\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEgoMimic\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;project, which trains robots to perform human tasks using recordings captured by Meta\u2019s Project Aria research glasses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;also the first author of a paper accepted to the 2025 Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS),\u0026nbsp;one of the world\u2019s most prestigious artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning conferences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRyan is the strongest undergraduate I\u0027ve worked with,\u201d Xu said, \u201cincluding students who went on to Stanford, Berkeley, and leadership roles in major tech companies.\u0026nbsp;He\u2019s\u0026nbsp;already\u0026nbsp;operating\u0026nbsp;at the level of a strong\u0026nbsp;third-year Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;student.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;said it was a challenge to balance his undergraduate coursework with his research in Xu\u2019s lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou get out how much you put in,\u201d\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cI built my class schedule to give myself as much time to do research as possible. It also boils down to having the right research mentors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c(Xu) never saw me as an\u0026nbsp;undergrad\u0026nbsp;who\u2019s\u0026nbsp;just there to do grunt work. I was\u0026nbsp;fortunate\u0026nbsp;he saw my curiosity and cultivated me as a researcher.\u0026nbsp;That\u2019s\u0026nbsp;really how\u0026nbsp;you get more\u0026nbsp;undergrads\u0026nbsp;motivated to research \u2014 giving them the chance to be independent and explore ideas of their own.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;said his work in Xu\u2019s lab has already helped him identify the research areas he wants to focus on as he considers his next steps. He will continue developing generalized training models for robots using human data so they can perform tasks instantly upon deployment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The amount of data needed to train a robot is difficult to obtain even for top industry companies,\u0022 he said. \u0022We have embodied robot data available in billions of humans. With the advent of extended reality devices, we can get a scalable source of diverse interactions within environments.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;graduated in December and recently started an internship at Nvidia. He mentioned he has been accepted into several Ph.D. programs, including Georgia Tech, and he is choosing where to continue his research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s the first time my research has been\u0026nbsp;acknowledged\u0026nbsp;externally by the robotics community,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s\u0026nbsp;good to\u0026nbsp;know\u0026nbsp;the problem\u0026nbsp;I\u2019m\u0026nbsp;working on is important, and that motivates me. Robotics is an exciting field. We are doing things now that two years ago were difficult to do.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearching Inclusion in Computing Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbramson conducts research in the People-Agents Research for Computing Education (PARCE) Laboratory under the mentorship of\u0026nbsp;Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda, a faculty member\u0026nbsp;in the School of Computing Instruction. He and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Olufisayo Omojokun, nominated her for the award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer work focuses on the intersection of computing education and human-AI interaction, where she\u2019s been exploring ways to create more equitable technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is such a huge milestone, and I couldn\u0027t be prouder of Summer,\u201d Feij\u00f3o-Garc\u00eda said. \u201cMentoring her for almost two years has been an amazing experience.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbramson has received the Georgia Tech President\u2019s Undergraduate Research Award (PURA) twice, which supports her research exploring how user-centered design curricula can help address attrition among women in computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve had the amazing opportunity to pursue research at the intersection of student identity, community belonging, and how we can build tools that support our diverse student population,\u201d Abramson said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDr. Pedro and I have a goal to build community through a human-first approach, and I could not be more grateful for his support and guidance in my own journey. The CRA highlights the best of what the computing discipline has to offer, and I am incredibly honored for our work to be recognized.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbramson will spend the summer researching how user-centered design curricula can help promote confidence, belonging, and retention for women in computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENominees for the PURA program were recognized for contributing to multiple research projects, authoring or coauthoring papers, presenting at conferences, developing widely used software artifacts, and supporting their communities as teaching assistants, tutors, and mentors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Computing Instruction Communications Officer Emily Smith contributed to this story.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMain Photo: Ryan Punamiya works with a robot during the 2025 International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Atlanta. Photo by Terence Rushin\/College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan\u0026nbsp;Punamiya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CS 2025)\u0026nbsp;and \u003Cstrong\u003ESummer Abramson\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year\u0026nbsp;computational\u0026nbsp;media student, have been honored by the Computing Research Association (CRA) through its 2025\u20132026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (URA) program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPunamiya\u0026nbsp;was named a runner-up for the prestigious award, while Abramson received an honorable mention among hundreds of applicants from universities across North America.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/about\/awards\/outstanding-undergraduate-researcher-award\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award program\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;recognized eight awardees in 2026, along with eight runners-up, nine finalists, and over 200 honorable mentions from thousands of applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ryan Punamiya (CS 2025) and Summer Abramson, a third-year computational media student, have been honored by the Computing Research Association (CRA) through its 2025\u20132026 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (URA) program. "}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-03-13 14:57:26","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:51:21","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679613":{"id":"679613","type":"image","title":"ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773413856","gmt_created":"2026-03-13 14:57:36","changed":"1773413856","gmt_changed":"2026-03-13 14:57:36","alt":"Ryan Punamiya","file":{"fid":"263795","name":"ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/13\/ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/13\/ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":133995,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/13\/ICRA-2025_P9A0421-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=r8p0C5IW"}}},"media_ids":["679613"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"101271","name":"Computing Research Association"},{"id":"22861","name":"undergraduate research awards"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688745":{"#nid":"688745","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mentor Spotlight: Alison Sizer \u2014 From Apple and Nike to Supporting Founders ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlison Sizer started as someone who loved innovation and problem-solving. For 14 years, she worked at Apple and Nike, where she learned how to blend innovation with customer insight: how to spot patterns, translate problems into opportunities, and turn ideas into strategies for growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplying what she\u2019d learned along the way, Sizer started Growth Impact to support startups and stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem. As a part of her business, she created partnerships and networks between the U.S. and South Africa, bridging the gap between startups and corporations to encourage co-creation and pilot projects. During this time, she saw how much early\u2011stage founders needed clear frameworks, honest guidance, and hands\u2011on support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI started Growth Impact to support startups and stakeholders such as venture studios, investors, and accelerators. I support early-stage startups in finding product-market fit, customer understanding, go-to-market strategy, and business model development,\u201d she said. \u201cI also help startups with fundraising readiness and enterprise readiness. I support stakeholders by helping to assess viability, and de-risk new ventures, as well as connecting startups to enterprises.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEventually, her work brought her in contact with Georgia Tech. She was working with a South African innovation lab to enable pilot projects between startups and enterprises with the goal of facilitating the co-creation of digital solutions, which led her to Rahul Saxena, director of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESizer said she reached out to see if any potential CREATE-X startups or enterprises would want to connect to the companies she was working with in South Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the last few years, there\u0027s been quite a lot of interest in Georgia Tech and Atlanta in terms of a tech and innovation hub in the U.S., and there\u0027s a lot of investment happening too, in both the city of Atlanta and in Georgia Tech, in entrepreneurship and innovation and technology,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u0027s an interesting market.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce connected, she kept meeting Georgia Tech founders, many from CREATE\u2011X.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuietly, she began helping where she could, making introductions for CREATE-X founders outside of Atlanta. For Augment Health, she made investor and potential partner introductions. For the founder of Strapt, she made introductions to investors, shared market insight, and highlighted the company in her own newsletter, which has an audience of innovation ecosystem stakeholders, including more investors. And for ZenVR, she made a connection to WeFunder for funding, which resulted in $250,000 raised. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollaborating with CREATE-X on a webinar, Sizer also taught \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003EStartup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E alumni about customer understanding and segmentation, value proposition, and other topics for health and wellness founders. Beyond connecting, Sizer shaped mindsets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn her business, one founder she worked with was building non\u2011toxic performance apparel for women \u2014 a product selling through Amazon, REI, and even the U.S. military. The founder had ambition but struggled to balance DTC (direct to consumer) sales, retail, and B2B opportunities. Sizer helped her analyze her data, identify her real early adopters, and rebuild her value proposition and messaging. With a clearer customer understanding and stronger brand direction, the founder revamped her website and refined her pitch.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI love that thrill of them being excited about implementing some of the ideas and things we talk about, seeing the growth in their business, and the positive change in their business. That really excites me,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is an enterprise-heavy city with Fortune 500 companies, SaaS (Software as a Service) companies, and a growing biotech sector. The startup ecosystem is growing in Atlanta, and with that comes advantages.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have noticed that there\u0027s a lot of strong support for Atlanta and Georgia entrepreneurs from other Atlanta and Georgia entrepreneurs,\u201d she said. \u201cThey all support each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the years, Sizer has advised or mentored over 100 startups and built investor connections. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy business is Growth Impact, because growth and impact are part of my core values. I\u0027m glad to give back and support early entrepreneurs, sharing knowledge, tools, and resources,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a founder, Sizer went through her own learning curve. When she first launched her company, she assumed her target customers would be venture capital firms and spent months talking to pre\u2011seed and seed investors, only to discover that VCs either didn\u2019t fund the kind of operational support she offered or they expected founders to pay for it themselves. Meanwhile, the founders she spoke with said they needed her help but didn\u2019t have the budget. She said it was a classic chicken\u2011and\u2011egg problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI said, OK, this is not my target customer. The target customer is the startup,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u0027s where the pivot point was for me.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003EThat shift reshaped her entire business and reinforced the same advice she now gives students: Talk to customers, listen deeply, and don\u2019t be afraid to adjust when the data points you in a new direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe officially joined the CREATE\u2011X mentor community last year to help more founders, guiding them in finding product-market fit, and understanding who needs this solution and why.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne thing Sizer emphasized, however, is the need for founders to continue to take initiative and be resilient in the face of challenges.\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cA mentor can guide you or ask the right questions, but the founder has to find the path,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReady to build something real?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeet mentors like Alison Sizer in Startup Launch, where you can develop a startup to solve real-world problems and build entrepreneurial skills. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022\u003EApply to Startup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E today; applications close Tuesday, March 17.\u003Cbr\u003EInterested in mentoring?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWant to mentor and support the next generation of Georgia Tech founders?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFill out our \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/app1gcnb0ECVgdEF4\/pag4g0e8mxV9qWn8k\/form\u0022\u003Eengagement form\u003C\/a\u003E to join CREATE\u2011X\u2019s mentor network.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EAlison Sizer brings more than a decade of innovation experience from Apple and Nike to her work supporting early\u2011stage founders through her company, Growth Impact. After building cross\u2011continental partnerships between the U.S. and South Africa, she connected with CREATE-X and began advising founders on customer insight, product\u2011market fit, and go\u2011to\u2011market strategy. She has since made high\u2011impact investor and partner introductions, taught customer discovery frameworks, and helped entrepreneurs rethink their value propositions through data\u2011driven guidance. Now an official CREATE\u2011X mentor, Sizer continues to champion founders by sharing tools, networks, and honest insight to help them build resilient, customer\u2011focused ventures.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alison Sizer, a former Apple and Nike strategist turned founder of Growth Impact, now mentors CREATE\u2011X startups by helping them deepen customer understanding, refine value propositions, and build pathways to growth through her global innovation network."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-03-05 15:20:30","changed_gmt":"2026-03-19 19:25:50","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679530":{"id":"679530","type":"image","title":"Alison Sizer ","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe image shows Alison Sizer \u0026nbsp;standing in a modern, well\u2011lit workspace with open shelving, plants, and a large \u201cLet\u2019s...\u201d wall sign visible in the background. She\u0027s wearing a light gray blazer over a teal top and is posed with one arm resting on a wooden table. The setting includes contemporary furniture, natural light from large windows, and a neutral, inviting color palette that conveys a professional yet relaxed environment.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1772722040","gmt_created":"2026-03-05 14:47:20","changed":"1772723141","gmt_changed":"2026-03-05 15:05:41","alt":"Alison Sizer in a blazer standing in a modern workspace with wooden tables, open shelving, and natural light.","file":{"fid":"263703","name":"Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/05\/Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103307,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/05\/Alison-TRT_3162.jpeg?itok=lco1cU-e"}}},"media_ids":["679530"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form","title":"Apply to Startup Launch"},{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/app1gcnb0ECVgdEF4\/pag4g0e8mxV9qWn8k\/form","title":"Mentor with CREATE-X"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:breanna.durham@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688718":{"#nid":"688718","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Receives Up to $21.8M Award in \u2018Unprecedented\u2019 Push to Treat Lymphatic Disease","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded up to $21.8 million from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arpa-h.gov\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)\u003C\/a\u003E to deliver a first-of-its-kind therapy to patients with lymphatic disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELead researcher\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/thomas\u0022\u003ESusan Napier Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, Woodruff Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB), has collaborated with her colleague\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/dixon\u0022\u003EJ. Brandon Dixon\u003C\/a\u003E, 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFunding support at this level is unprecedented,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIt finally gives us a chance to move beyond symptom management and toward real treatment. We\u2019re addressing an underserved population with a huge unmet need.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Gap in Care\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are excited about this groundbreaking project in lymphatic engineering,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garcia\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda,\u003C\/a\u003E IBB executive director. \u201cBy uniting interdisciplinary expertise, this work addresses long-standing challenges in lymphatic disease and moves meaningful solutions closer to the patients who need them most.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Comes Next\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis award reflects Georgia Tech\u2019s growing leadership in using engineering to solve some of healthcare\u2019s biggest challenges,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1078\u0022\u003ECarolyn Seepersad\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair and professor in the Woodruff School. \u201cIt reinforces the Institute\u2019s role in advancing innovations that improve patient care and strengthen Georgia\u2019s position as a hub for health technology and biomedical innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe award was made through ARPA-H\u2019s Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arpa-h.gov\/explore-funding\/programs\/glide\u0022\u003EGLIDE\u003C\/a\u003E) program led by Dr. Kimberley Steele.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis 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.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has been awarded up to $21.8 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a first-of-its-kind therapy for lymphatic disease, a condition that has long lacked effective treatment options. Led by Woodruff Professors Susan Napier Thomas and J. Brandon Dixon, the project aims to move beyond symptom management and address the disease itself, offering hope to patients who often experience chronic pain and disfigurement. Funded through ARPA-H\u2019s GLIDE program, the initiative will focus on advancing the therapy toward initial human trials, including for rare pediatric conditions. The award highlights Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in engineering-driven healthcare innovation and its commitment to improving care for underserved patient populations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The project aims to move lymphatic disease out of the medical margins and toward patients who have had few meaningful treatment options."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-03-04 14:45:56","changed_gmt":"2026-03-13 21:29:44","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679638":{"id":"679638","type":"image","title":"Thomas\/Dixon REVISED headshots","body":null,"created":"1773436990","gmt_created":"2026-03-13 21:23:10","changed":"1773437095","gmt_changed":"2026-03-13 21:24:55","alt":"Headshots of Susan Thomas and J. Brandon DIxon","file":{"fid":"263821","name":"biggiesmalls.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/13\/biggiesmalls.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/13\/biggiesmalls.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6814046,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/13\/biggiesmalls.png?itok=ujVE7fCX"}}},"media_ids":["679638"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Writer, Editor Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mazriel3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688905":{"#nid":"688905","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Three Sisters on the Same Engineering Path","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Shelley, Allison, and Isabella Larson, industrial engineering isn\u2019t just a field of study; it\u2019s a family calling. The three sisters all pursued the discipline at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, following the career path their mother blazed before them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sisters shared that their love of math and science started at a young age, naturally excelling in both subjects throughout middle and high school. That passion was further nurtured at home, where their parents, Maria and Troy Larson, played a central role. After school, they would turn to their mother for help with math homework, a routine that became a foundation for their academic confidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur mom pushed us, and I think that we\u2019re the better for it. She always pushed us to excel. It was a matter of making sure that we got As. Bs weren\u0027t really quite acceptable,\u201d Shelley explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile math and science were always part of their foundation, the field is vast, with countless specializations and career paths that branch off in different directions. Yet all three sisters ended up choosing the same major at the same school. For Allison, the middle sister, the path was partly paved by watching her older sister go first.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSeeing that Shelley kind of made a path, and I knew that it was one that I could take and I could follow, made it very easy. I\u2019m also good at things that she\u0027s good at. Might as well just kind of do what she\u0027s doing. And I think industrial engineering itself. From everything we knew and learned about it, it offered a lot of different opportunities,\u201d Allison said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIsabella echoed those sentiments, adding that having a sibling go through the program first made the experience far less daunting. Many of the unknowns had already been navigated, and once all three were at Tech together, they became an informal support system for one another, helping with coursework, class selections, and the everyday grind of an intense program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf I was really struggling with the concept in the particular class, I would always call Allison to help me with my computer science homework, because I just wasn\u2019t able to understand the concept. So it was almost [like] having additional teachers and resources that we could always lean on. Also, just to talk through challenges that we were facing and have an extra support system in that way because they\u0027ve gone through it a couple of years prior,\u201d Isabella explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Larsons also found time to build a rich campus life. All three pledged Alpha Delta Pi sorority, finding a close-knit community outside of the classroom. They also each served as resident assistants, an experience they valued for the opportunity to connect with students from all different backgrounds. Allison and Isabella added club tennis to the mix, rounding out lives that were full both academically and socially.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating, the sisters remained in the industrial engineering field but carved out distinct paths. Shelley moved into customer success, Allison into product management, and Isabella into consulting. The drive to keep growing didn\u0027t stop at graduation, either. Shelley later returned to Georgia Tech for her MBA, and Allison came back for a Master of Science in Analytics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat ambition didn\u0027t emerge in a vacuum. The role models in their lives, chief among them their mother, shaped the women they became. She didn\u0027t simply set high standards for her daughters, she lived them. They grew up knowing her story: how she left Peru at 20 and moved to Michigan without speaking a word of English, building a life through sheer determination. As young girls, the sisters remember watching her rise early every morning to get to work and provide for the family.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSeeing hard work firsthand, the early mornings and the hard days, she always made it work. And of course, she always prioritized us, but it was just always at the forefront that you have a really hardworking mother,\u201d Isabella said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir mother\u0027s example also carried a deeper message, one about what women are capable of. In a field where female role models have historically been few and far between, the sisters never saw those limitations as barriers. That confidence, in large part, was something their mother imparted in them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy mom\u0027s a woman in work, a woman in STEM. She\u0027s always instilled in us that you always work: that it\u0027s your independence,\u201d Shelley said.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree sisters, all Georgia Tech ISyE alumnae, reflect on how their shared academic journey, tight-knit bond, and the example set by their hardworking mother shaped their careers and their drive to excel.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Three Georgia Tech siblings share how family, engineering, and a mother who didn\u0027t accept anything less than their best shaped who they are today."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 19:31:47","changed_gmt":"2026-03-13 14:08:29","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679609":{"id":"679609","type":"image","title":"Shelley, Allison and Isabella Larson","body":null,"created":"1773343914","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 19:31:54","changed":"1773343914","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 19:31:54","alt":"Shelley, Allison and Isabella Larson","file":{"fid":"263790","name":"Unknown-10.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Unknown-10.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Unknown-10.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":157433,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Unknown-10.jpeg?itok=xTIjMeAF"}}},"media_ids":["679609"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker Avery, Student Writing Assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688893":{"#nid":"688893","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sheepdogs Reveal a Better Way to Guide Robot Swarms","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESheepdogs, bred to control large groups of sheep in open fields, have demonstrated their skills in competitions dating back to the 1870s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn these contests, a handler directs a trained dog with whistle signals to guide a small group of sheep across a field and sometimes split the flock cleanly into two groups. But sheep do not always cooperate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology studied how handler\u2013dog teams manage these unpredictable flocks in sheepdog trials and found principles that extend beyond livestock herding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adx6791\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Estudy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E published in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eas the cover feature, the researchers applied those insights to computer simulations showing how similar strategies could improve the control of robot swarms, autonomous vehicles, AI agents, and other networked systems where many machines must coordinate their actions despite uncertain conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGroup Movement Dynamics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBirds, bugs, fish, sheep, and many other organisms move in groups because it benefits individuals, including protection from predators,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bhamla.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaad Bhamla\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cThe puzzle is that the \u2018group\u2019 is not a single organism. It is built from many individuals, each making local, imperfect decisions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a predator threatens a herd of sheep, individuals near the edge often move toward the center to reduce their own risk, Bhamla explained. \u201cThis is \u2018selfish herd\u2019 behavior,\u201d he said. \u201cShepherds exploit that instinct using trained dogs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom examining hours of contest footage, the researchers found that controlling small groups of sheep can be harder than managing large ones. A larger group, with more sheep protected in the center, may behave more coherently than a small group as the animals constantly shift between two instincts: \u201cfollow the group\u201d and \u201cflee the dog.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat switching behavior makes the group unpredictable,\u201d said Tuhin Chakrabortty, a former postdoctoral researcher in the Bhamla Lab who co-led the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking closely at how dogs and their handlers guide small groups, the researchers found that unpredictability in the flock\u2019s behavior does not always make control harder. \u201cUnder the right conditions, that \u2018noisy\u2019 behavior might actually be a benefit,\u201d Bhamla said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuccessful Sheep Herding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESheepdog handlers categorize sheep by how strongly they respond to a dog\u2019s threatening pressure. Some very responsive sheep might panic under too much pressure, while others might ignore mild pressure and require stronger positioning by the dog.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers observed that successful control often followed a two-step pattern. First, the dog subtly influenced the sheep\u2019s orientation while the animals were mostly standing still. Once the flock was aligned in the desired direction, the dog increased pressure to trigger movement. The timing of those actions was critical, because alignment within a small group could disappear quickly as individuals switched between instincts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn our simulations, increasing pressure makes the flock reach the desired orientation faster, but how long the flock stays aligned is set mainly by noise,\u201d Chakrabortty said. \u201cIn essence, dogs can steer the direction, but they can\u2019t hold that decision indefinitely, so timing matters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeveloping Computer Models\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand the broader implications of that behavior, the team developed computer models that captured how sheep respond both to the dog and to one another. The models allowed the researchers to test different strategies for guiding groups whose members make independent decisions under uncertainty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey then applied those ideas to simulations of robotic swarms. Engineers often design such systems so that each robot blends signals from all nearby robots before deciding how to move. While that approach works well when signals are clear, it can break down when information is noisy or conflicting, Bhamla explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo explain why that switching strategy can work under noisy conditions, the researchers used an analogy of a smoke-filled room where only one person can see the exit, and no one knows who that person is. If everyone polls everyone else and averages the guesses, the one correct signal can get diluted by many noisy ones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s the counterintuitive part. When only one person has the right information, averaging can wash out the signal. But if you follow one person at a time, and keep switching who that is, the right information can spread through the crowd,\u201d Bhamla said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on that idea, the researchers tested a strategy inspired by the switching behavior they observed in sheep. In the simulations, each robot paid attention to just one source at a time (either a guiding signal or a neighboring robot) and switched that source from one step to the next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder noisy conditions, this switching strategy required less effort to keep the group moving along a desired path than either averaging-based strategies or fixed leader-follower strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers call their approach the Indecisive Swarm Algorithm. The name reflects a counterintuitive insight: allowing influence to shift among individuals over time can make groups easier to guide when conditions are uncertain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings suggest that the same dynamics that make small animal groups unpredictable may also offer new ways to control complex engineered systems,\u201d Bhamla said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Tuhin Chakrabortty and Saad Bhamla, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adx6791\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EControlling noisy herds: Temporal network restructuring improves control of indecisive collectives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was funded in part by Schmidt Sciences as part of a \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/16\/saad-bhamla-named-2025-schmidt-polymath\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchmidt Polymath\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E grant to Saad Bhamla.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers studying sheepdog trials found new principles for guiding unpredictable groups and used them to develop computer models that could improve coordination in robot swarms, autonomous vehicles, and other networked systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers studying sheepdog trials found new principles for guiding unpredictable groups and used them to develop computer models that could improve coordination in robot swarms, autonomous vehicles, and other networked systems."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2026-03-11 19:59:46","changed_gmt":"2026-03-12 15:53:25","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679589":{"id":"679589","type":"video","title":"SMART Dogs herding sheep on a farm, looks like flock of bird pattern","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESMART Dogs herding sheep on a farm, looks like flock of bird pattern\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773260200","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 20:16:40","changed":"1773260200","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 20:16:40","video":{"youtube_id":"_CjwqIX6C2I","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_CjwqIX6C2I?si=bfsxIT77-iAJCm-2"}},"679590":{"id":"679590","type":"video","title":"A dog herding sheep in a sheepdog trial","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA dog herding sheep in a sheepdog trial\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773260676","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 20:24:36","changed":"1773260676","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 20:24:36","video":{"youtube_id":"cnPOXfUC8rc","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cnPOXfUC8rc?si=41jH8u3UQ_qjgqWn"}},"679591":{"id":"679591","type":"video","title":" Controlling \u0027Noisy\u0027 Sheep Herds","body":"\u003Cp\u003EControlling \u0027noisy\u0027 sheep herds\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773260974","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 20:29:34","changed":"1773260974","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 20:29:34","video":{"youtube_id":"EMHmDPpe8HE","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/EMHmDPpe8HE?si=_5DFsk_BafsIK78R"}},"679584":{"id":"679584","type":"image","title":"Sheepdog herding sheep","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESheepdog herding in a sheepdog trial competition\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773259589","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 20:06:29","changed":"1773261394","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 20:36:34","alt":"Sheepdog herding sheep","file":{"fid":"263762","name":"sheepdog1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/sheepdog1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/sheepdog1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":226432,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/11\/sheepdog1.jpg?itok=sbHIPJIH"}},"679588":{"id":"679588","type":"image","title":"Sheeping herding resistant sheep","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESheepdogs first align the flock\u2019s direction, then apply pressure to trigger movement before the sheep lose alignment.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773259967","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 20:12:47","changed":"1773261607","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 20:40:07","alt":"Sheepdog herding seep","file":{"fid":"263766","name":"sheepdog2-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/sheepdog2-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/sheepdog2-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":196318,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/11\/sheepdog2-copy.jpg?itok=F3wbneis"}}},"media_ids":["679589","679590","679591","679584","679588"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"667","name":"robotics"},{"id":"194958","name":"Sheepdogs"},{"id":"194959","name":"Herding"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688837":{"#nid":"688837","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Recognized as a Leader in Sustainable Transportation  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is consistently ranked among the top cities for congestion, but new projects and a commitment to improving transportation on campus and in the city have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Cycle Track \u2013 Best New Bike Lanes of 2025\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince the celebratory opening ride, led by Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera, in August 2025, the campus cycle track has signaled a new phase of transportation at Tech. Linking the Campus Recreation Center and Tech Parkway along Ferst Drive to Tech Square, the track was named among the Best New U.S. Bike Lanes of 2025 by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.peopleforbikes.org\/news\/best-new-bike-lanes-2025\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPeopleForBikes\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe concept for the track, which promotes eco-friendly commuting options such as bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, and skateboards, and offers a dedicated, bidirectional path separated from vehicular traffic, was developed in a 2019 award-winning senior capstone project by a group of civil engineering students.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Institutional Leadership in Mobility Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecognizing the Institute\u0027s\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eleadership in creating infrastructure and public spaces that support safe, sustainable, and accessible transportation options, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.letspropelatl.org\/2025_blinkie_awards_meet_the_winners\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPropel ATL\u003C\/a\u003E awarded Tech a 2025 Institutional Leadership in Mobility Award.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParking and Transportation Services (PTS), together with\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EPlanning, Design, and Construction, partners with Propel ATL to conduct \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.letspropelatl.org\/city_cycling\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emonthly group rides and bike safety classes\u003C\/a\u003E, and offers an online bike and scooter \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/commute\/commute-options\/bicycling-pmds\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esafety course\u003C\/a\u003E, in which students receive a free helmet upon completion. To date, PTS has given hundreds of free helmets to students, and the next class will take place on Wednesday, March 18. These courses, along with the Georgia Tech Police Department\u2019s efforts to educate the campus community on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/05\/how-safely-use-micromobility-campus\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esafe use of micromobility\u003C\/a\u003E, have helped Tech create a model for the city in micromobility safety and access.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest Workplace for Commuters\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute has also been recognized by Georgia Commute Options as one of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacommuteoptions.com\/flexwork\/redefining-the-commute-5-metro-atlanta-organizations-win-2026-best-workplaces-for-commuters\/?utm_source=Businesses\u0026amp;utm_campaign=ffc386b1b3-B2B+Newsletter%2C+June+2022_COPY_01\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_term=0_78c87c69f5-ffc386b1b3-434952870\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMetro Atlanta\u2019s top 5 best workplaces for commuters\u003C\/a\u003E. The group highlights Tech\u2019s partnership with the Midtown Alliance as an example of how the Institute \u201cplays a critical role in advancing sustainable commuting both on campus and across Midtown Atlanta\u201d through subsidized transit passes, extensive bike infrastructure, on-site showers and changing areas for cyclists, a robust campus shuttle network, carpool and electric vehicle parking, and dedicated transportation staff who provide personalized commute support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPTS is continually working to promote sustainable travel to and from campus, seeking input from the community through its annual Campus Commute Survey. The survey has become increasingly revealing as campus infrastructure changes, leading to the creation of new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/2025\/10\/30\/new-bike-room-in-w02-student-center-parking-deck\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebike storage facilities\u003C\/a\u003E, and the results will be used in the planning phase of future projects.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOngoing Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Tech retained its status as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/2024-10\/georgia-tech-named-gold-bicycle-friendly-university-league-american-bicyclists\u0022\u003EGold-level Bicycle Friendly University\u003C\/a\u003E, as issued by the League of American Bicyclists. The prestigious distinction, which Tech has held since 2016, is awarded to institutions that successfully promote and establish safe and accessible campus bicycling programs and amenities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor five consecutive years, Georgia Tech has won Love to Ride\u2019s Atlanta Bicycle \u201cBiketober\u201d Challenge, with employees cycling 22,132 miles in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/04\/georgia-tech-places-first-in-atlanta-bicycle-challenge\/\u0022\u003EOctober 2025\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach of these honors and awards tells us that we are moving in the right direction and are doing our part to make it easier and safer to get to our campus and move throughout it,\u201d said Lisa Safstrom, PTS transportation program specialist. \u201cWe know we are able to take on these projects and continue to step up our efforts, and that\u2019s because of the expertise that exists on our campus and the input we receive from the community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The campus cycle track and other projects have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe campus cycle track and other projects have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The campus cycle track and other projects have earned Georgia Tech several honors and a reputation as a transportation infrastructure leader. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-10 18:29:35","changed_gmt":"2026-03-11 02:06:40","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679573":{"id":"679573","type":"image","title":"Cycle Track","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA cyclist riding on the cycle track on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773194182","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 01:56:22","changed":"1773194388","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 01:59:48","alt":"Cyclist on cycle track","file":{"fid":"263749","name":"26-R10410-P52-004.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/26-R10410-P52-004.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/26-R10410-P52-004.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2449902,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/10\/26-R10410-P52-004.JPG?itok=lC0ZKe1Z"}}},"media_ids":["679573"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.pts.gatech.edu","title":"Parking and Transportation Services "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192185","name":"Ferst Drive Realignment and Cycle Track"},{"id":"8106","name":"Georgia Tech Parking and Transportation"},{"id":"71811","name":"Office of Parking and Transportation Services"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano \u003C\/a\u003E\u2013 Institute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688719":{"#nid":"688719","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Registration Open for Speaker Series That Spotlights Creativity in Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe chief arts and music officer for The Ludacris Foundation will share his experience and expertise in digital audio tools, immersive media, and creative expression with the Georgia Tech community this spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/geraldkeys\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGerald Keys\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;chief of production for\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChris \u0022Ludacris\u0022 Bridges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019 media company, Karma\u0027s World LLC, will be on campus April 14 as part of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ECTRL+CM Speaker Series.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event is one of three in the series scheduled this spring. The series will bring together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals from Georgia Tech and the Atlanta region to explore the evolving creative technology landscape. Events are scheduled for March 11, March 31, and April 14.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CTRL + CM Speaker Series, developed by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/constellations.gatech.edu\/cict-collective-impact-creative-technology-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Collective Impact of Creative Technology (CICT)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is open to all. The events are free, but registration is required. Registration links for each event are included below.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe series was created with students in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/bachelor-science-computational-media\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ecomputational media\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dm.lmc.gatech.edu\/program\/ms-program\/?doing_wp_cron=1772555490.2302570343017578125000\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Edigital media\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/degree-programs\/master-science-human-computer-interaction\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehuman-computer interaction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;programs in mind,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAneesah\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAllen\u003C\/strong\u003E, an education outreach manager with the College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHowever, due to its popularity and success, we have expanded the audience for the speaker series to include the broader Georgia Tech community, students from other Atlanta-area colleges, and anyone interested in creative technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesigned to help students take greater control of their academic and professional paths, the CTRL+CM Speaker Series exposes attendees to career fields on the creative side of technology. Each event will feature a moderated panel discussion with industry leaders, alumni, and faculty, followed by networking opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETopics will span emerging tools and workflows, creative practice, professional development, and ethical considerations surrounding AI, generative media, and other emerging technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe spring CTRL + CM Speaker Series lineup includes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECode That Creates: AI, Generative Media, and the Future of Creative Practice\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;will take place on March 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Coda at Tech Square, 9th Floor Atrium. The discussion will explore how creative coding and generative systems are reshaping artistic practice and the ethical responsibilities of AI-driven creative work.\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeatured panelists include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eilab.gatech.edu\/mark-riedl.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMark Riedl\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cas.gsu.edu\/profile\/elizabeth-strickler\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth Strickler\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jelaniliddell\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJelani Liddell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/judithu.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJudith Uchidiuno\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Moderated by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bryan-cox-432bb84\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBryan Cox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERSVP link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/zGMYdqUemZ\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/zGMYdqUemZ\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWorlds in Motion: Exploring Interactive Media and Emerging Technologies\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;is scheduled for March 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Price Gilbert Library\u2019s Scholars Event Theater. Panelists will examine developments in augmented, virtual, and extended reality technologies, immersive storytelling, and interactive systems, and how these developments are impacting design and research.\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeatured panelists:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/library.gatech.edu\/alison-valk\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlison Valk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.communicationcenter.gatech.edu\/williams\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKelly Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/c21u.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/meryem-yilmaz-soylu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeryem Yilmaz Soylu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERSVP link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/Cdp0vxG22u\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/Cdp0vxG22u\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EComposing with Technology: Digital Tools, Interactive Sound, and Creative Expression\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;will be held on April 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at the Price Gilbert Library. The session will focus on digital audio tools, interactive sound, and innovative approaches to composition and storytelling across games, film, and immersive media.\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeatured panelist: Gerald Keys, chief of production for Chris \u0022Ludacris\u0022 Bridges media company, Karma\u0027s World LLC\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERSVP link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/exLGwYMTgF\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/forms.office.com\/r\/exLGwYMTgF\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECICT draws on expertise from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The collective is housed in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/constellations.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConstellations Center for Education in Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, which has worked since 2017 to expand access to computing education through research, advocacy, and community building.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe CTRL + CM Speaker Series is designed to help students take greater control of their academic and professional paths. Each event will feature a moderated panel discussion with industry leaders, alumni, and faculty, followed by networking opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u0027CTRL + CM\u0027 Speaker Series will bring together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals to explore the evolving creative technology landscape."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2026-03-04 14:56:50","changed_gmt":"2026-03-11 01:20:10","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679523":{"id":"679523","type":"image","title":"CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn Adobe Stock graphic illustrating the creative side of computing as colorful geometric streams of thought flow from a young woman\u0027s mind.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772644910","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 17:21:50","changed":"1772644910","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 17:21:50","alt":"Creativity and Computing connect at GT\u0027s CTRL + CM Speaker Series","file":{"fid":"263696","name":"CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":113108,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/CTRL-CM-series-stock-graphic-main-image.jpeg?itok=YvdzjJLq"}}},"media_ids":["679523"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"606703","name":"Constellations Center"}],"categories":[{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"175066","name":"constellations"},{"id":"168831","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"174523","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"124","name":"Digital Media"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker, Sr. Communications Mgr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688551":{"#nid":"688551","#data":{"type":"news","title":"David Sherrill Named Executive Director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has appointed David Sherrill as executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), effective March 1. Sherrill is a Regents\u0027 Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a joint appointment in the School of Computational Science \u0026amp; Engineering. Sherrill has served as associate director for IDEaS since its founding in 2016 and as interim director since January 1, 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to see Professor Sherrill tackle this role for the coming 5 years. He understands the rapidly evolving opportunities to apply AI and data science approaches to the diversity of research conducted by Georgia Tech faculty and students, and has a strong agenda to help our researchers make the most of this explosive change in the research landscape.\u201d Said V.P. of Interdisciplinary Research, Julia Kubanek. \u201cHe also has deep experience with team building and management which will position IDEaS favorably.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs executive director, Sherrill will guide IDEaS\u2019 current initiatives, which include the Microsoft CloudHub program that supports innovative applications in Generative Artificial Intelligence, and provide oversight and support for the joint College of Computing \/ IDEaS Center for Artificial Intelligence in Science and Engineering (ARTISAN), which provides\u0026nbsp; Georgia Tech faculty and research engineers expert support staff, needed cyberinfrastructure, software resources, and advice to assist faculty with projects using large data sets or using AI and machine learning to drive discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill will also the lead the launch of a new strategic vision, emphasizing the Georgia Tech research community\u2019s expertise in the development of AI and ML techniques and their application to problems in science and engineering, high performance computing, and academic software. Sherrill will focus on internal and external partnerships at IDEaS, creating new collaborative efforts in areas such as economics, policy, and the arts and humanities. He will also work to strengthen current connections across Georgia Tech\u2019s Colleges, Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs), and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a great honor to be named the next executive director of IDEaS,\u201d said Sherrill.\u0026nbsp; \u201cGeorgia Tech has world-class faculty and students, and an unparalleled spirit of collaboration.\u0026nbsp; By bringing together faculty from across campus and working together with some of the amazing student groups, we can leverage the power of AI to accelerate our research and maximize our impact.\u0026nbsp; IDEaS will continue to run upskilling workshops to help our campus keep pace with the rapid changes in AI.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill is an active promoter of education in computational quantum chemistry, as well as a strong voice for the benefits of open-source software for research acceleration. He was named Outreach Volunteer of the Year by the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society in 2017, and he is the lead principal investigator of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PSI_(computational_chemistry)\u0022\u003EPsi\u003C\/a\u003E open-source quantum chemistry program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill earned a B.S. in chemistry from MIT in 1992 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Georgia in 1996. From 1996-1999 Sherril was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill is Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Chemical Society, and the American Physical Society, and he has been Associate Editor of the Journal of Chemical Physics since 2009.\u0026nbsp;Sherrill has received a Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award, the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry Young Investigator Award, an NSF CAREER Award, and Georgia Tech\u0027s W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award. In 2023, he received the Herty Medal from the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society, and in 2024, he was elected to the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Christa M. Ernst\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has appointed David Sherrill as executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), effective March 1. Sherrill is a Regents\u0027 Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a joint appointment in the School of Computational Science \u0026amp; Engineering. Sherrill has served as associate director for IDEaS since its founding in 2016 and as interim director since January 1, 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has appointed David Sherrill as executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), effective March 1. "}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 17:22:25","changed_gmt":"2026-03-10 20:55:44","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679455":{"id":"679455","type":"image","title":"David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772126566","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 17:22:46","changed":"1772126566","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 17:22:46","alt":"Picture of David Sherrill who has been Named Executive Director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science","file":{"fid":"263619","name":"David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":55311,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg?itok=9oMmhNCm"}}},"media_ids":["679455"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187582","name":"go-ibb"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChrista M. Ernst - \u003C\/strong\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["christa.ernst@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688513":{"#nid":"688513","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Proving the Hypothesis: Kendreze Holland Becomes First Project ENGAGES Scholar to Earn Doctorate ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was a hypothesis. I was the experiment, and the hypothesis was proven true.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECan an\u0026nbsp;inner-city student who grew up below the poverty line\u0026nbsp;earn a Ph.D. and make a career in research?\u0026nbsp;In theory, yes.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe barriers are many.\u0026nbsp;But\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2451929424001888\u0022\u003Eliterature\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;suggests that early exposure to\u0026nbsp;STEM and research opportunities\u0026nbsp;can increase the odds\u0026nbsp;for students in need.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor\u0026nbsp;Kendreze\u0026nbsp;Holland,\u0026nbsp;the idea of\u0026nbsp;making it to college\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;earning an advanced degree\u0026nbsp;was a hypothesis.\u0026nbsp;Sure, theoretically\u0026nbsp;it could be done\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;but\u0026nbsp;in his\u0026nbsp;own home, not\u0026nbsp;everyone\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;even\u0026nbsp;made it past high school.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOften,\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;question\u0026nbsp;on the way to\u0026nbsp;scientific discovery\u0026nbsp;is:\u0026nbsp;What if? What if a student like Holland received the right help at the right time?\u0026nbsp;What if he\u0026nbsp;was guided\u0026nbsp;along the way by\u0026nbsp;mentors\u0026nbsp;who were leaders in their fields? What if\u0026nbsp;he was given the opportunity to develop professional skills\u0026nbsp;and make valuable connections?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland asked himself: What if he could be the one to\u0026nbsp;prove the hypothesis true?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroduction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland grew up\u0026nbsp;in northwest\u0026nbsp;Atlanta,\u0026nbsp;one of seven children\u0026nbsp;raised by a single mother.\u0026nbsp;Being\u0026nbsp;one of so many children, most would struggle to stand out. But Holland always\u0026nbsp;sought\u0026nbsp;to be different.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy perpetual intention was to be less of a burden to my mother,\u201d he said. \u201cSince my mother\u2019s education limited her abilities to help with my schoolwork, I went above the call of duty to stand out in academics.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis mother\u2019s education was cut short in ninth grade so she could raise her first child,\u0026nbsp;Holland\u2019s older sister,\u0026nbsp;and no one in his family had gone to college.\u0026nbsp;In his mind, he had\u0026nbsp;three career paths\u0026nbsp;to choose from: football, hip hop, or retail.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStanding at a solid 5 foot 8,\u0026nbsp;the first\u0026nbsp;would have been difficult,\u201d he joked. \u201cAnd the latter two were not my calling.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust like his mother, the course of his life changed in his ninth-grade year. For\u0026nbsp;Holland,\u0026nbsp;it began an academic journey\u0026nbsp;he never expected.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2012, he was attending\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/best.atlantapublicschools.us\/\u0022\u003EB.E.S.T.\u0026nbsp;Academy\u003C\/a\u003E, an all-boys\u0026nbsp;public\u0026nbsp;school for grades six through\u0026nbsp;12\u0026nbsp;focused on\u0026nbsp;business and STEM.\u0026nbsp;Biology\u0026nbsp;class\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;just another hour\u0026nbsp;waiting to pass\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;15-year-old\u0026nbsp;Holland,\u0026nbsp;until the day\u0026nbsp;two guest speakers from\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;walked into the room with \u201csome weird\u0026nbsp;apparatuses and mechanical chopsticks.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two guests\u0026nbsp;used the equipment\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;gel electrophoresis systems and pipettes\u0026nbsp;\u2014 to show the boys\u0026nbsp;what research can look like in real life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis experience sparked within me a drive for science, and it was the first time I realized that I wanted to, and could,\u0026nbsp;attain\u0026nbsp;an advanced scientific degree,\u201d Holland said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two speakers were\u0026nbsp;Manu Platt, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/schools\/biomedical-engineering\u0022\u003EWallace H.\u0026nbsp;Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech and Emory University, and Jerald Dumas, a postdoctoral researcher.\u0026nbsp;Platt and Dumas\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;there\u0026nbsp;to recruit students for a new program\u0026nbsp;called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projectengages.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EProject ENGAGES\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;within the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IBB).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program was co-founded by Platt and the late Robert M. Nerem, IBB\u2019s founding executive director, to give\u0026nbsp;students\u0026nbsp;like Holland an opportunity\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;participate\u0026nbsp;in real research projects\u0026nbsp;that would hopefully\u0026nbsp;plant a seed\u0026nbsp;in the next generation of scientists.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents\u0026nbsp;come from\u0026nbsp;one of eight partner schools in Atlanta. Once\u0026nbsp;accepted, they\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;connected\u0026nbsp;to a Georgia Tech graduate\u0026nbsp;student who\u0026nbsp;mentors them and\u0026nbsp;supervises their work, and\u0026nbsp;they\u0026nbsp;get paid to\u0026nbsp;work in\u0026nbsp;their assigned\u0026nbsp;lab\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;one year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProject ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;does more than\u0026nbsp;expose students to STEM concepts and ideas. It\u0026nbsp;equips them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their own independent research projects.\u0026nbsp;They also\u0026nbsp;have\u0026nbsp;opportunities to\u0026nbsp;establish\u0026nbsp;connections with university faculty and industry representatives who can provide career guidance and support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMethods\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough Holland\u0026nbsp;didn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;meet the program\u2019s age requirement\u0026nbsp;in 2012, he applied again\u0026nbsp;the next year and\u0026nbsp;was accepted.\u0026nbsp;During his junior and senior years of high\u0026nbsp;school,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;worked\u0026nbsp;in Platt\u2019s lab, where he aided with\u0026nbsp;projects\u0026nbsp;involving proteins, cell cultures, and\u0026nbsp;antibodies.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the course of those two years, the growth I saw scientifically, professionally, and in maturity, all corroborated my belief that\u0026nbsp;Kendreze\u0026nbsp;was going far, and able to push past whatever goals and obstacles he comes up against,\u201d\u0026nbsp;said Platt,\u0026nbsp;now the\u0026nbsp;director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nibib.nih.gov\/labs-at-nibib\/center-for-biomedical-engineering-technology-acceleration-beta\u0022\u003ECenter for Biomedical Engineering Technology Acceleration\u003C\/a\u003E housed within the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nibib.nih.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Institute of\u0026nbsp;Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland\u0027s experience sparked\u0026nbsp;a love for science\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;a career-long connection with Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;After high school, he\u0026nbsp;graduated summa cum laude\u0026nbsp;with a degree in chemistry\u0026nbsp;from Georgia State University.\u0026nbsp;As an undergraduate, he stayed connected with Tech and with IBB as a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\/petit-undergraduate-research-scholars-program\u0022\u003EPetit Scholar\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;a yearlong mentorship program and research experience for top students around Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI really wanted to stay close to home, and I felt like everything was in my backyard,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are many people who come\u0026nbsp;here\u0026nbsp;from other places\u0026nbsp;to Tech because of the great\u0026nbsp;science that is going on.\u0026nbsp;There\u2019s\u0026nbsp;something special about Atlanta, and\u0026nbsp;I\u2019m\u0026nbsp;just getting the best of what I can from it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe credits his\u0026nbsp;time\u0026nbsp;in Project ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;giving him the confidence and resilience\u0026nbsp;to continue toward his goals.\u0026nbsp;Like many others in the program, he was a first-generation college student\u0026nbsp;with little to no\u0026nbsp;guidance\u0026nbsp;for his academic career.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;holistic approach\u0026nbsp;of Project ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;provided\u0026nbsp;professional development opportunities and standardized test preparation\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;ready\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;for life in college and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI knew I\u0026nbsp;wanted to go to grad school, but I didn\u2019t know I was going to do all these things,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cHaving that one goal sprouted a lot of side quests that just grew into something bigger.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating from\u0026nbsp;Georgia State\u0026nbsp;in 2020, Holland was accepted into Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering Graduate Program\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;as a doctoral student.\u0026nbsp;In December\u0026nbsp;2025, he became the first Project ENGAGES\u0026nbsp;alumnus\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;successfully defend his dissertation,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;is expected to graduate\u0026nbsp;this spring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/lakeita-servance\u0022\u003ELakeita\u0026nbsp;Servance\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;assistant\u0026nbsp;director of Outreach Initiatives at IBB, was\u0026nbsp;the program manager for Project ENGAGES when Holland was accepted\u0026nbsp;and cheered him on\u0026nbsp;more than 10 years later as he\u0026nbsp;presented his\u0026nbsp;doctoral\u0026nbsp;research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs I sat in that room while he was defending his dissertation and\u0026nbsp;sharing his research with all of us, I still reflected on that boy\u0026nbsp;I saw at 16 years old,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was\u0026nbsp;this full circle moment to see him make it all the way back here.\u0026nbsp;The investment\u0026nbsp;we made over a decade ago has paid off in such a large way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResults\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to being the first in his family to go to college and earn an advanced degree, Holland\u0026nbsp;received financial support from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Graduate Research Fellowship Program;\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;awarded\u0026nbsp;multiple\u0026nbsp;prestigious\u0026nbsp;fellowships, including FORD,\u0026nbsp;GEM, and Herbert P. Haley;\u0026nbsp;landed an internship\u0026nbsp;with 3M Corporate Research Materials Laboratory;\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;served as a\u0026nbsp;mentor\u0026nbsp;in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/nakatani-ries\/\u0022\u003ENakatani Research and International Experience for Students\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;He has\u0026nbsp;published papers, led panel discussions,\u0026nbsp;applied\u0026nbsp;for patents, and\u0026nbsp;presented his research at national conferences.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll that stemmed from Project ENGAGES,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd more importantly, I applied\u0026nbsp;to be a mentor for the ENGAGES program.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland said some of\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;most\u0026nbsp;meaningful experiences have come from\u0026nbsp;being able to give back.\u0026nbsp;He has served as a mentor, both formally and informally,\u0026nbsp;to more than half a dozen students,\u0026nbsp;some\u0026nbsp;who\u0026nbsp;come\u0026nbsp;from backgrounds\u0026nbsp;much like his own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0026nbsp;wanted to\u0026nbsp;give\u0026nbsp;back to the program because it poured so much into me. They were able to get me all the way to the Ph.D. level, so I knew that I could use my grind to help other students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConclusion\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving proved the hypothesis true, Holland is turning his focus to the future, considering his options in academia and corporate research while he continues to work as a postdoc at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research in John\u0026nbsp;Blazeck\u2019s\u0026nbsp;lab\u0026nbsp;focuses on cellular engineering using CRISPR gene editing technology\u0026nbsp;to regulate gene profiles, meaning he and other researchers can turn certain genes up and others down to affect\u0026nbsp;the way cells respond.\u0026nbsp;Though he is currently working with yeast cells, he hopes that his research will translate into mammalian cells that could have more clinical applications.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn terms of diseases and disorders, you can use it to tune genes to help someone experiencing cancer\u0026nbsp;by helping immune cells or stopping cancer cells from dividing rapidly,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can also help other cells to survive longer, and longer cell viability means potentially a patient can survive longer.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a presentation in\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;high school science class has led Holland\u0026nbsp;to a future he never expected.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2815\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W.\u0026nbsp;Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;co-director of Project ENGAGES, said\u0026nbsp;his story shows others that they can do the same.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI believe his achievements will inspire and motivate generations of students to pursue dreams that they may not have known they had.\u0026nbsp;Kendreze\u0026nbsp;Holland has fundamentally shown others that there are multiple pathways to engage in STEM and that opportunities and access to advanced degrees can\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;attained\u0026nbsp;by those willing to do the work.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHolland\u0027s story is symbolic of the ultimate goal for Project ENGAGES:\u0026nbsp;to change the lives of talented young people who may never have had the opportunity to succeed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s why I was so adamant about getting my Ph.D.,\u201d he said,\u0026nbsp;\u201cto show\u0026nbsp;that one could potentially overcome what they were going through to do something extraordinary.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProject ENGAGES is possible thanks to philanthropic support from our generous community: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/60129\/donations\/new?designation_id=55a493\u0026amp;\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDonate here\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Kendreze Holland, the idea of making it to college and earning an advanced degree was a hypothesis. Holland asked himself: What if he could be the one to prove the hypothesis true?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a presentation in a high school science class has led Holland to a future he never expected \u2013 planning to graduate from Georgia Tech with a Ph.D. in bioengineering this spring. His story is symbolic of the ultimate goal for the Project ENGAGES program: to change the lives of talented young people who may never have had the opportunity to succeed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In December 2025, he became the first Project ENGAGES alumnus to successfully defend his dissertation, and he is expected to graduate this spring. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 13:55:09","changed_gmt":"2026-03-09 17:59:22","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679431":{"id":"679431","type":"image","title":"Holland-Lab.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772045667","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 18:54:27","changed":"1772045667","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 18:54:27","alt":"A man in a lab coat wearing safety goggles and gloves puts samples into a machine in a scientific lab","file":{"fid":"263594","name":"Holland-Lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Holland-Lab.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Holland-Lab.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1197473,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Holland-Lab.jpg?itok=3WyFADtX"}}},"media_ids":["679431"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"172056","name":"go-BioE"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ashlie.bowman@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688812":{"#nid":"688812","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Physics Professor Elected to American Physical Society Board","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/laura-cadonati\u0022\u003ELaura Cadonati\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E and associate dean for Research in the College of Sciences, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aps.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Physical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (APS). In this role, she will support the scientific society\u2019s mission of advancing physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSince I was a student, APS has been my professional home\u0026nbsp; \u2014 hosting my first conference talk and networking opportunity, publishing my first paper, and offering me mentoring over the years,\u201d says Cadonati, who is a member of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Relativistic Astrophysics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cServing on the APS Board of Directors now is a privilege and an opportunity to amplify the voices of physicists at every career stage.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECadonati\u2019s primary research interests include gravitational wave and particle astrophysics. Since 2002, she has been a member of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ligo.org\/\u0022\u003ELaser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E. Cadonati has held several leadership roles with LIGO, including heading its data analysis and astrophysics division during the discovery of gravitational waves \u2014 a breakthrough which led to the project\u0027s founders receiving the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2017\/10\/03\/gravitational-wave-confirmations-earn-2017-nobel-prize-physics-0\u0022\u003E2017 Nobel Prize in Physics\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, she was a member of the Borexino Collaboration, focused on solar neutrino detection, and the DarkSide Collaboration, centered on the direct detection of dark matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECadonati earned her Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University and completed postdoctoral research at Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before joining Georgia Tech in 2015, she was an associate professor of physics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her honors include an APS Fellowship, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Consortium Distinguished Lecturer Award, Georgia Tech\u2019s Outstanding Faculty Research Author Award, and the\u0026nbsp;Technische Universit\u00e4t M\u00fcnchen\u0026nbsp;Institute for Advanced Study\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ias.tum.de\/ias\/cadonati-laura\/\u0022\u003EHans Fischer Senior Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E, which was awarded in 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Cadonati, professor in the\u0026nbsp;School of Physics and associate dean for Research in the College of Sciences, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the\u0026nbsp;American Physical Society.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Laura Cadonati, professor in the\u00a0School of Physics and associate dean for Research in the College of Sciences, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the\u00a0American Physical Society."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-03-09 14:47:00","changed_gmt":"2026-03-09 14:51:38","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"665207":{"id":"665207","type":"image","title":"Laura Cadonati","body":null,"created":"1674845900","gmt_created":"2023-01-27 18:58:20","changed":"1674845900","gmt_changed":"2023-01-27 18:58:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251593","name":"laura_cadonati.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/laura_cadonati.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/laura_cadonati.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":776434,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/laura_cadonati.jpg?itok=x261aW85"}}},"media_ids":["665207"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cra.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for Relativistic Astrophysics"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"53281","name":"American Physical Society"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688716":{"#nid":"688716","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Research Priorities Chart Course Toward Impactful, Energy-Efficient Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers applied their expertise to a national research program that will shape the future of computing. Their work may yield more energy-efficient computers and better predictions for environmental challenges like carbon storage, tsunamis, wildfires, and sustainable energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Energy Office of Science recently released two reports through its Advanced Scientific Computing Research (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\/ascr\/advanced-scientific-computing-research\u0022\u003EASCR\u003C\/a\u003E) program. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/ascr\/Community-Resources\/Program-Documents\u0022\u003Ereports\u003C\/a\u003E were produced by workshops that brought together researchers from universities, national labs, government, and industry to set priorities for scientific computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/slim.gatech.edu\/people\/felix-j-herrmann\u0022\u003EFelix Herrmann\u003C\/a\u003E served on the organizing committee for the Workshop on Inverse Methods for Complex Systems under Uncertainty. Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~pchen402\/group.html\u0022\u003EPeng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E joined Herrmann as a workshop participant, contributing expertise in data science and machine learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInverse methods work backward from outcomes to find their causes. Scientists use these tools to study complex systems, like designing new materials with targeted properties and using past wildfires to map vulnerable areas and behavior of future fires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osti.gov\/biblio\/2583339\u0022\u003EASCR report\u003C\/a\u003E highlighted Herrmann\u2019s work on seismic exploration and monitoring through digital twins. Founded on inverse methods, digital twins upgrade from static models to virtual systems that accurately mirror their physical counterparts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDigital twins integrate real-time data sources, including fluid flows, monitoring and control systems, risk assessments, and human decisions. These models also account for uncertainty and address data gaps or limitations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe DOE organized the workshop to support the growing role of inverse modeling. The group identified four priority research directions (PRDs) to guide future work. The PRDs are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 1: Discovering, exploiting, and preserving structure\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 2: Identifying and overcoming model limitations\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 3: Integrating disparate multimodal and\/or dynamic data\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 4: Solving goal-oriented inverse problems for downstream tasks\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA digital twin is a system you can control, like to optimize operations or to minimize risk,\u201d said Herrmann, who holds joint appointments in the Schools of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computational Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDigital twins give you a principled way to consider uncertainties, which there are a lot in subsurface monitoring. If you inject carbon dioxide too fast, you will will increase the pressure and may fracture the rock. If you inject too slow, then the process may become too costly. Digital twins help us make balanced decisions under uncertainty.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupercomputers, algorithms, and artificial intelligence now power modern science. However, these tools consume enormous amounts of energy. This raises concerns about how to sustain computing and scientific research as we know them in the decades ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessors\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vuduc.org\/v2\/\u0022\u003ERich Vuduc\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hyesoon.github.io\/\u0022\u003EHyesoon Kim\u003C\/a\u003E co-authored\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osti.gov\/biblio\/2476961\u0022\u003Ethe report\u003C\/a\u003E from the Workshop on Energy-Efficient Computing for Science. At the three-day ASCR workshop, participants identified five key research directions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 1: Co-design energy-efficient hardware devices and architectures for important workloads\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 2: Define the algorithmic foundations of energy-efficient scientific computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 3: Reconceptualize software ecosystems for energy efficiency\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 4: Enable energy-efficient data management for data centers, instruments, and users\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPRD 5: Develop integrated, scalable energy measurement and modeling capabilities for next-generation computing systems\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m cautiously optimistic about the future of energy-efficient computing. The ASCR report says, from a technological point of view, there are things we can do,\u201d said Vuduc.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe report lays out paths for how we might design better apps, hardware systems, and algorithms that will use less energy. This is recognition that we should think about how architectures and software work together to drive down energy usage for systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers applied their expertise to a national research program that will shape the future of computing. Their work may yield more energy-efficient computers and better predictions for environmental challenges like carbon storage, tsunamis, wildfires, and sustainable energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Energy Office of Science recently released two reports through its Advanced Scientific Computing Research (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\/ascr\/advanced-scientific-computing-research\u0022\u003EASCR\u003C\/a\u003E) program. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/ascr\/Community-Resources\/Program-Documents\u0022\u003Ereports\u003C\/a\u003E were produced by workshops that brought together researchers from universities, national labs, government, and industry to set priorities for scientific computing.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech faculty members contributed to two DOE Advanced Scientific Computing Research program workshops. Recently published reports of their work may yield more energy-efficient computers and better predictions for environmental challenges."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-03-04 13:29:44","changed_gmt":"2026-03-04 21:01:18","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679513":{"id":"679513","type":"image","title":"ASCR-Report-Authors.png","body":null,"created":"1772630996","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 13:29:56","changed":"1772630996","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 13:29:56","alt":"DOE Office of Science ASCR Reports","file":{"fid":"263685","name":"ASCR-Report-Authors.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Authors.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Authors.png","mime":"image\/png","size":578789,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Authors.png?itok=dQ53-joi"}},"679514":{"id":"679514","type":"image","title":"ASCR-Report-Inverse-methods.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772631052","gmt_created":"2026-03-04 13:30:52","changed":"1772631052","gmt_changed":"2026-03-04 13:30:52","alt":"ASCR Workshop on Inverse Methods for Complex Systems under 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Science","file":{"fid":"263687","name":"ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":58857,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/04\/ASCR-Report-Energy-Efficient-Computing.jpg?itok=-0arX_Rb"}}},"media_ids":["679513","679514","679515"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-research-priorities-chart-course-toward-impactful-energy-efficient-computing","title":"New Research Priorities Chart Course Toward Impactful, Energy-Efficient Computing"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"},{"id":"179230","name":"digital twin"},{"id":"15030","name":"high-performance computing"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687898":{"#nid":"687898","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yuanzhi Tang Named Executive Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has appointed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E as executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), effective Feb. 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang will lead the strategic vision, interdisciplinary research efforts, and internal and external partnerships at SEI, strengthening connections across Georgia Tech\u2019s Colleges, Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRI), the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and external partners to advance energy-related initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 2004, SEI is one of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/interdisciplinary-research-institutes\u0022\u003EIRIs\u003C\/a\u003E and serves as a campuswide hub for energy research, education, and engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is the Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. Her research and leadership focus on advancing secure, circular, and sustainable energy systems by integrating Earth, environmental, biological, materials, and sustainability sciences and innovations. She previously served as an initiative lead on critical minerals and sustainable resources at SEI as well as the associate director for interdisciplinary research at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cProfessor Tang brings a strong record of research impact, leadership of complex initiatives, and a collaborative approach that will help elevate Georgia Tech\u2019s energy research enterprise,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/julia-kubanek-0\u0022\u003EJulia Kubanek\u003C\/a\u003E, vice president for Interdisciplinary Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cShe brings deep expertise in fundamental Earth and environmental science, including water, soil, and energy research, while also leading state and regional partnerships in emerging, applied areas such as critical minerals. Most importantly, she is community-minded with excellent listening and consensus-building skills.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs executive director, Tang will develop and communicate a unifying vision to advance interdisciplinary energy research and strategic thought leadership at Georgia Tech, integrating expertise across engineering, sciences, computing, business, design, economics, policy, and the humanities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is also the founding director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E and leads a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Emultidisciplinary coalition\u003C\/a\u003E spanning three University System of Georgia institutions. The coalition connects research, industry, and policy to build Georgia\u2019s critical minerals innovation ecosystem, while driving resource advancement, workforce development, and economic impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m honored to serve as the executive director of SEI. Georgia Tech\u2019s energy research and the people behind it have always inspired me. I\u2019m eager to listen, learn, and work alongside our community,\u201d said Tang. \u201cSEI connects research excellence with real-world impact, and I look forward to partnering across campus, industry, government, and communities to translate breakthrough ideas into solutions that strengthen energy security, reliability, and affordability.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Strategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) serves as a system integrator for more than 1,000 Georgia Tech researchers working across the entire energy value chain. SEI brings together expertise to address complex energy challenges, from commercializing scalable technologies to informing long-term energy strategy and policy. Through research, education, community building, resource development, and thought leadership, SEI mobilizes Georgia Tech\u2019s collective strengths to advance reliable, affordable, and lower-carbon energy solutions for a growing global demand.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has appointed Yuanzhi Tang as executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), effective Feb. 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang will lead the strategic vision, interdisciplinary research efforts, and internal and external partnerships at SEI, strengthening connections across Georgia Tech\u2019s Colleges, Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRI), the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and external partners to advance energy-related initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has appointed Yuanzhi Tang as executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), effective Feb. 1."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-02 16:53:07","changed_gmt":"2026-03-04 00:13:05","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679151":{"id":"679151","type":"image","title":"Yuanzhi Tang","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770048693","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 16:11:33","changed":"1770048784","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 16:13:04","alt":"Yuanzhi Tang","file":{"fid":"263274","name":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1451744,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic2.jpg?itok=r5N6d_LB"}}},"media_ids":["679151"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688653":{"#nid":"688653","#data":{"type":"news","title":"XR Seminar Series Spotlights Student Research and Innovation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/xr.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EADC XR Makerspace\u003C\/a\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E is launching a new weekly seminar series, \u003Cstrong\u003EXR Bytes\u003C\/strong\u003E, that will spotlight graduate research in extended reality (XR) and bring together scholars from across the Institute to explore immersive technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeginning March 6, the series will take place Fridays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. inside the Makerspace at ISyE Main (115). Georgia Tech graduate students whose research focuses in XR will lead each session, sharing their research and demonstrating how immersive tools are being applied across disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Makerspace, which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/news\/new-adc-xr-makerspace-opens-doors-extended-reality\u0022\u003Eopened earlier this year\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;was created to provide students and faculty with access to XR technologies that support research, experimentation, and collaboration. The space is designed not only to advance technical development, but also to help researchers think critically about how immersive tools can visualize information and enhance real-world applications. Makerspace Captain Steven Yoo, shares that the series aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration while showcasing how XR technologies are being applied to real-world research challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe seminar speakers represent a range of schools across the Institute, including computer science, psychology, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering. The series schedule and topics include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarch 6:\u003C\/strong\u003E Srikanth Tindivanam Varadharajan (Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering) \u003Cem\u003EXR for the Sky: Enhancing UAV and UAM Operations\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarch 13:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jorge Garcia (ISyE) \u2014 \u003Cem\u003EHuman-in-the-Loop and XR for Context-Rich Industrial Decision-Making\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarch 20:\u003C\/strong\u003E Hanna Neroj \u0026nbsp;(School of Psychology) \u2014 \u003Cem\u003ESimulating the Future: Experience Prototyping for Emerging Technologies via Multimodal XR\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 3:\u003C\/strong\u003E Prithiv Premkumar (School of Computer Science) \u2014 \u003Cem\u003EMotion, Heart Rate, and Haptics: Using XR Devices for Human Monitoring and Regulation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 10:\u003C\/strong\u003E Seok Joon Kim (George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering) \u2014 \u003Cem\u003EAHEAD of Time: Toward Robots That Behave Like Human Companions\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 17:\u003C\/strong\u003E Alex Yang (School of Computer Science) \u2014 \u003Cem\u003ELitForager: Exploring Multimodal Literature Foraging Strategies in Immersive Sensemaking\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApril 24:\u003C\/strong\u003E Austin Graves (George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering) \u2014 \u003Cem\u003ERobot-Independent Visual-Tactile XR Teleoperation for Multi-Humanoid Cooperation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll members of the Institute community are invited to attend the weekly seminars. Those interested in staying informed about future programming can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eforms.isye.gatech.edu\/form\/xr-rsvp\u0022\u003ERSVP \u003C\/a\u003Eto join the ADC XR Makerspace mailing list.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe ADC XR Makerspace is launching a weekly, graduate-student-led seminar series highlighting cutting-edge research in extended reality (XR) across the Institute. Held Fridays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., the series features speakers from disciplines including aerospace engineering, computer science, psychology, and mechanical engineering, with topics ranging from UAV and UAM operations to human monitoring and immersive sensemaking.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The ADC XR Makerspace is launching a weekly, graduate-student-led seminar series held Fridays from 12:30\u20131:30 p.m. to showcase interdisciplinary extended reality research across the Institute."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-03-03 15:57:34","changed_gmt":"2026-03-03 16:52:32","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679504":{"id":"679504","type":"image","title":"XR Bytes","body":"\u003Cp\u003Espeakers for XR Bytes seminar Series\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772555793","gmt_created":"2026-03-03 16:36:33","changed":"1772556088","gmt_changed":"2026-03-03 16:41:28","alt":"speakers for XR Bytes seminar Series","file":{"fid":"263676","name":"XR-Bytes---Monitor.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/XR-Bytes---Monitor.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/03\/XR-Bytes---Monitor.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":37301,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/03\/XR-Bytes---Monitor.jpg?itok=TtaSiseU"}}},"media_ids":["679504"],"groups":[{"id":"660404","name":"ISyE Extended Reality Makerspace (ISYE XR)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker Avery, Student Writing Assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688519":{"#nid":"688519","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Healthcare AI Takes Center Stage at BERD Research Forum","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELeaders in medical research and artificial intelligence gathered at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) for the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, \u0026amp; Research Design (BERD) Research Forum. Part of the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (CTSA), BERD provides comprehensive biostatistical and epidemiological support, including study design, data collection and management, and the development and application of statistical methodologies. This year\u2019s forum brought together faculty and students from the University of North Carolina, Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech to examine how emerging technologies are enhancing clinical processes and improving patient outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/xiaoming-huo\u0022\u003EXiaoming Huo\u003C\/a\u003E, A. Russell Chandler III Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Associate Director for Research in the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), served on the event\u2019s organizing committee. He underscored the importance of collaboration in advancing responsible and effective AI tools for medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe forum provides an opportunity for collaboration and team forming. This is critical in developing AI tools for medical and health care research,\u201d Huo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe keynote address was delivered by Hongtu Zhu of UNC, who presented his work on Causal Generalist Medical AI (GMAI). The model integrates multiple data sources to recommend treatments to physicians and incorporates causal reasoning to strengthen reliability. Zhu demonstrated that embedding causal elements into medical AI systems can improve generalizability by supporting evidence-based decision-making rather than relying solely on predictive outputs. He also outlined both growth opportunities and ongoing challenges that must be addressed before GMAI can serve as a robust clinical decision-support tool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional presentations highlighted the range of AI applications in health care. Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/omer-t-inan\u0022\u003EOmer Inan\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering \u003C\/a\u003E(ECE) shared research from his lab on AI-enabled wearable technology designed to detect heart conditions. The device he demonstrated uses a vibrometer to measure heart timing and subtle vibrations. AI algorithms then filter the signal to identify abnormalities that may indicate deeper cardiovascular concerns, signals that might otherwise go unnoticed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents also played a central role in the forum, presenting their research in a poster competition. One project detailed the development of a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) model designed to answer questions about drug interactions and flag potential side effects when incompatible medications are combined. Researchers found that incorporating a RAG framework can reduce AI hallucinations, an especially critical concern in medical contexts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother student team explored how AI can identify candidate proteins that may aid in treating blood cancers. Using data from the Worldwide Protein Data Bank, the researchers trained AI models to predict which proteins could disrupt processes that limit the immune system\u2019s ability to target cancer cells. Given the complexity of protein interactions, AI offers a powerful tool for identifying promising therapeutic pathways that would be difficult to isolate manually.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross keynote talks and student presentations, BERD illustrated both the breadth and precision of AI applications in medicine. From at-home wearable diagnostics to advanced computational modeling for cancer research, presenters emphasized that AI is already delivering tangible value. At the same time, speakers noted that the field remains in its early stages, with continued collaboration and innovation essential to improving care delivery and advancing healthier outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELeaders in medical research and artificial intelligence gathered at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) for the annual Biostatistics, Epidemiology, \u0026amp; Research Design (BERD) Research Forum.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The forum highlighted how cross-institutional collaboration is advancing the responsible development and application of artificial intelligence to improve healthcare research, clinical decision-making, and patient outcomes."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2026-02-25 18:02:18","changed_gmt":"2026-03-02 12:53:18","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679430":{"id":"679430","type":"image","title":"BERD Forum - Artificial Intelligence in Medical and Healthcare Systems.png","body":null,"created":"1772044595","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 18:36:35","changed":"1772044595","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 18:36:35","alt":"BERD Forum - Artificial Intelligence in Medical and Healthcare Systems","file":{"fid":"263593","name":"Untitled-design--13-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Untitled-design--13-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Untitled-design--13-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3080668,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Untitled-design--13-.png?itok=zfD9LDoo"}}},"media_ids":["679430"],"groups":[{"id":"1250","name":"Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS)"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker Avery, Student Writing Assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688580":{"#nid":"688580","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two College of Sciences Faculty Named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/chandra-raman\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Chandra S. Raman\u003C\/a\u003E and\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Associate Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/jason-azoulay\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Jason Azoulay\u003C\/a\u003E have been recognized as senior members of the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;National Academy of Inventors\u003C\/a\u003E (NAI) Class of 2026. Launched in 2018, the program recognizes faculty, scientists, and administrators at NAI Member Institutions who have successfully produced, patented, and commercialized technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society and economic progress.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis year\u2019s class is a truly impressive cohort,\u201d said Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, president of NAI. \u201cI commend them on their incredible pursuits, and I\u2019m honored to welcome them to the Academy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecognizing NAI Senior Member Chandra S. Raman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERaman is a physicist, inventor, and technology entrepreneur whose work is helping shape the future of quantum sensing. As the Dunn Family Professor of Physics, he studies how atoms behave at extremely low temperatures and uses that knowledge to build new kinds of ultra-precise measurement devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBest known for the co-invention of chip\u2011scale atomic beam technology \u2014\u0026nbsp;a breakthrough that makes it possible to build tiny quantum sensors for navigation and timing \u2014 Raman and his team\u2019s patented\u0026nbsp;devices can operate where GPS fails. These inventions form the foundation for a new generation of manufactured quantum hardware, offering new capabilities for autonomous vehicles, aerospace systems, and national security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo bring these technologies from the lab to real-world use, he founded 8Seven8, Inc.:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBy launching 8Seven8 as the first quantum hardware company in Georgia, we are creating high-tech jobs, building a skilled workforce pipeline, and seeding a quantum ecosystem in the Southeast that will see lasting economic benefits,\u201d explains Raman. \u201cWe seek to establish the region as a player in the rapidly expanding quantum technology economy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe is the principal investigator for the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramanlab.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Raman Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a frequent invited speaker at international conferences, and an advisor to national and space-based quantum initiatives. Raman holds six patents, including three issued U.S. patents and two licensed patents. Through his research, mentorship, and entrepreneurial leadership, he is working to advance scientific discovery and the development of practical technologies with lasting impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis award is the culmination of years of effort in developing innovative approaches to bringing quantum sensing out of the lab,\u201d says Raman. \u201cThe NAI is chock-full of wonderful inventors, and I am privileged to be among them. Through this award, I hope to bring useful inventions out of the lab and promote Georgia as a great place to be an entrepreneur.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecognizing NAI Senior Member Jason Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAzoulay is the Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Distinguished Investigator in Optoelectronics and the principal investigator for the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/azoulaygroup.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Azoulay Group\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;His research has pioneered the development of new classes of functional materials and made field-leading advancements in core areas spanning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Homogeneous catalysis applied to polymer synthesis\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Electronic, photonic, spin, magnetic, and quantum materials\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Device fabrication and engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Chemical sensing for environmental monitoring\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Synthesis, application, and engineering of high-performance polymers across multiple technology platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAzoulay has demonstrated new classes of organic semiconductors with infrared functionality by exploiting new light-matter interactions, analyzing emergent transport phenomena, and understanding device physics, functionality, and engineering considerations. His work has resulted in nine issued patents and many additional applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditionally, he is the principal investigator for two multi-million-dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. The first grant harnesses an underused part of the electromagnetic spectrum for energy sensing, manufacturing, and more. His team creates organic polymers that can efficiently convert infrared radiation into electrical signals and develop the materials into functional devices. The initiative is the NSF\u2019s principal vehicle to continue the momentum of the decade-long Materials Genome Initiative and takes advantage of the power of machine learning and chemical synthesis to develop new functional materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe second NSF-funded program develops CP-based optical and electrical sensing platforms that operate in complex aqueous environments and enable the detection and discrimination of challenging analytes known to negatively impact human, biota, and ecosystem health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAzoulay holds a joint appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and leads Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE). COPE-affiliated faculty create flexible organic photonic and electronic materials and devices that serve the information technology, telecommunications, energy, and defense sectors.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERaman is being honored for advancing chip\u2011scale quantum sensing technologies, while Azoulay is recognized for pioneering functional materials that enable new capabilities across science and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Raman is being honored for advancing chip\u2011scale quantum sensing technologies, while Azoulay is recognized for pioneering functional materials that enable new capabilities across science and technology."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-02-27 15:08:22","changed_gmt":"2026-02-27 18:38:45","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679470":{"id":"679470","type":"image","title":"Chandra Raman","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772204931","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 15:08:51","changed":"1772204931","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 15:08:51","alt":"Headshot of a man","file":{"fid":"263637","name":"Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3692630,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg?itok=xdMKZTWF"}},"679471":{"id":"679471","type":"image","title":"Jason Azoulay","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Azoulay\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772205492","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 15:18:12","changed":"1772205492","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 15:18:12","alt":"Professional headshot of a man","file":{"fid":"263638","name":"azoulay.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/azoulay.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/azoulay.png","mime":"image\/png","size":102970,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/azoulay.png?itok=xvt3dwh9"}}},"media_ids":["679470","679471"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/26\/five-georgia-tech-faculty-named-nai-senior-members-class-2026?utm_source=newsletter\u0026utm_medium=email\u0026utm_content=5%20Georgia%20Tech%20Professors%20Named%20NAI%20Senior%20Members\u0026utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20Feb.%2026%2C%202026%20","title":"Five Georgia Tech Faculty Named to NAI Senior Members Class of 2026"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192251","name":"cos-quantum"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688282":{"#nid":"688282","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches Pilot Program to Support Rural Arts Organizations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeginning this March in Perry, Georgia, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/gain\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Arts Innovation Network (GAIN)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;will support arts\u2011related nonprofits and small businesses in\u0026nbsp;Perry, Houston County, and surrounding counties in Middle Georgia. The six\u2011month pilot is funded by a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.arts.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENational Endowment for the Arts (NEA)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Our Town\u0026nbsp;grant and is the first EI\u00b2 program dedicated specifically to the arts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArts organizations contribute so much to the vibrancy of a community,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Caley Landau, program manager for GAIN and marketing strategist at EI\u00b2. \u201cThey help create a sense of place and provide the \u2018something to do\u2019 that small cities and towns want to offer residents, new workers, and prospective businesses. Our hope is to enhance the arts and cultural ecosystem in Middle Georgia by providing training and technical assistance to the organizations that produce art in the region.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Rural Community Already Investing in Placemaking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry was selected as the pilot location in part for its active downtown revitalization work and commitment to placemaking. Through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.georgiacitiesfoundation.org\/placemaking\u0022\u003EGeorgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative\u003C\/a\u003E, Perry city staff partnered with EI\u00b2\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cedr.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Economic Development Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to develop strategies for arts\u2011based community development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWorking alongside the Georgia Tech team has been a wonderful experience,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Alicia Hartley, downtown manager for the City of Perry. \u201cWe hope that participants walk away from the cohort inspired and empowered to activate their organizations in creative and meaningful ways.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EListening First, Then Providing Targeted Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program will begin with a listening session to understand participating organizations\u2019 needs. EI\u00b2 will then design tailored workshops drawing from experts at Georgia Tech and beyond. Every other month, cohort members will meet for sessions on business practices, digital tools, operational efficiency, marketing, placemaking partnerships, and other areas that support long\u2011term sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey sound like great ideas \u2014 murals, pop\u2011up exhibits, outdoor performances \u2014 but how do you really get down to the nuts and bolts of making them happen?\u201d Landau said. \u201cAnd how do you bring the right partners to the table? That\u2019s what we\u2019ll explore together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Statewide Mission, Strengthened Through the Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia Tech\u2019s economic development arm, EI\u00b2 administers programs that support entrepreneurs, manufacturers, communities, and municipalities across the state and around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGAIN represents an important part of EI\u00b2\u2019s comprehensive approach to economic development,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;David Bridges, vice president of EI\u00b2. \u201cIt gives us another way to create impact in Georgia by applying our expertise to serve arts organizations that are vital to Georgia communities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJason Freeman, associate vice provost for Georgia Tech Arts, noted that the pilot aligns with the Institute\u2019s broader commitment to supporting arts, culture, and creativity statewide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough GAIN, I\u2019m excited to learn more about the arts ecosystem in Middle Georgia,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cThe lessons we learn will inform both statewide collaborations and new initiatives emerging through our\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arts.gatech.edu\/creative-quarter\u0022\u003ECreative Quarter\u003C\/a\u003E innovation district on campus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProgram Funding and Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pilot is funded through the NEA\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Our Town\u0026nbsp;program, which supports projects integrating arts, culture, and design into community development. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gaarts.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Council for the Arts\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is partnering with EI\u00b2 on cohort recruitment, curriculum development, and arts\u2011based placemaking strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecruitment has begun.\u0026nbsp;Arts nonprofits and arts\u2011based businesses in Middle Georgia may apply at\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/gain\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Einnovate.gatech.edu\/gain\/\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"NEA Our Town grant supports Middle Georgia initiative"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (EI\u00b2) is launching a new pilot program to help rural arts organizations strengthen operations, adopt new technologies, and deepen their role in local community and economic development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NEA \u201cOur Town\u201d grant supports Middle Georgia initiative"}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2026-02-16 19:23:27","changed_gmt":"2026-02-27 14:01:22","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"PERRY, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679410":{"id":"679410","type":"image","title":"Perry Players","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA production of the Perry Players, in Perry, Ga.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771954765","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 17:39:25","changed":"1771956406","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 18:06:46","alt":"Theater group on stage.","file":{"fid":"263572","name":"600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":714495,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/600279566_1401542021982073_3327861092957966357_n.jpg?itok=GY5ckgdk"}}},"media_ids":["679410"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"194568","name":"Arts and Performance"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194917","name":"Georgia Arts Innovation Network"},{"id":"194918","name":"Caley Landau"},{"id":"3671","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"194919","name":"Middle Georgia"},{"id":"184294","name":"Center for Economic Development Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMEDIA CONTACT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EP\u00e9ralte Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peralte@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eperalte@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAIN PROGRAM CONTACT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECaley Landau\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:caley.landau@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ecaley.landau@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688552":{"#nid":"688552","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Generating Buzz: A Protein-Packed Industry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EIf you\u2019ve walked the aisles of a grocery store, scrolled through social media, watched television, or\u0026nbsp;set\u0026nbsp;foot in a fast-casual restaurant chain in recent months, you know that protein is having its moment.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ESo, why are brands pushing protein?\u0026nbsp;An \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ific.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IFIC-Spotlight-Survey-Protein-Perceptions.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Food Information Council study\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;found that 70% of adults are looking to increase their protein\u0026nbsp;intake. But as it makes\u0026nbsp;its way into more products than ever before,\u0026nbsp;is it\u0026nbsp;too much of a good thing?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/lesley-baradel\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELesley Baradel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a\u0026nbsp;registered dietitian,\u0026nbsp;nutritionist,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;lecturer\u0026nbsp;in the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech. She joined\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Generating Buzz\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eto\u0026nbsp;discuss\u0026nbsp;the protein-packed trend, with implications ranging from health and wellness to marketing and how the rise of GLP-1s factors into the increased focus on the macronutrient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/02\/generating-buzz-protein-packed-industry\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EListen to the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGenerating Buzz \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epodcast episode.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the latest episode of \u003Cem\u003EGenerating Buzz\u003C\/em\u003E, Lesley Baradel explores\u0026nbsp;the high-protein food craze and explains how the rise of GLP-1s factors into the increased focus on this essential macronutrient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In the latest episode of Generating Buzz, Lesley Baradel explores\u00a0the high-protein food craze and explains how the rise of GLP-1s factors into the increased focus on this essential macronutrient. "}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 17:55:16","changed_gmt":"2026-02-26 21:11:20","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679457":{"id":"679457","type":"image","title":"Generating Buzz: A Protein-Packed Industry","body":null,"created":"1772128534","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 17:55:34","changed":"1772128534","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 17:55:34","alt":"Colorful containers of \u0022high protein\u0022 ice cream","file":{"fid":"263621","name":"Protein-Header-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Protein-Header-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Protein-Header-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1360642,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/Protein-Header-2.jpg?itok=5K6rmlcI"}}},"media_ids":["679457"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"88601","name":"podcast"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688502":{"#nid":"688502","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Understanding the Data Center Building Boom ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) drives explosive growth in data centers, communities across the U.S. are facing rising electricity costs, new industrial development, and mounting strain on an aging power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, several faculty members are approaching these sustainability challenges from different but complementary angles: examining how data center policy affects local communities, modeling how AI-driven demand reshapes regional energy systems, and building tools that help the public understand the tradeoffs embedded in grid planning. Together, their work highlights how better data, thoughtful policy, and public engagement can guide more resilient and equitable decisions in an AI-powered future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI\u2019s Hidden Footprint: How Data Centers Reshape Communities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAhmed Saeed studies the infrastructure most people never see. An assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow, Saeed focuses on how data centers \u2014 the backbone of modern AI \u2014 are built, operated, and regulated, and what their growth means for host communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cData centers are the infrastructure for our digital life, so more of them are necessary to keep doing what we\u2019re doing,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData center energy consumption could double or triple by 2028, accounting for up to 12% of U.S. electricity use, according to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/escholarship.org\/uc\/item\/32d6m0d1\u0022\u003Ereport by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. U.S. spending on data center construction jumped nearly 70% between May 2023 and May 2024, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/americanedgeproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Americas-AI-Surge-Powering-Growth-in-Every-State.pdf\u0022\u003EAmerican Edge Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is an AI data center hub, ranked fourth globally, with $4.6 billion in AI-related venture capital invested across 368 deals, the American Edge Project reported. At a recent \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/sustainability-fellowship-supports-professors-data-center-research\u0022\u003Etown hall in DeKalb County, Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E, Saeed helped residents connect AI\u2019s promise to its local consequences. Training large AI models can require tens of thousands of graphics processing units (GPUs) running for days or weeks, driving an unprecedented wave of data center construction. AI-focused chips, he noted, can consume 10 to 14 times more power than traditional processors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat demand often shows up as pressure on local infrastructure. Communities are increasingly concerned about electricity and water use, grid upgrades, and who ultimately pays. In Virginia, Saeed pointed to a legal dispute in which consumer advocates warned that data centers could raise electricity bills by 5% in the short term and up to 50% over time, while utilities argued those investments were inevitable and could benefit customers in the long run.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental concerns add another layer. Saeed cited controversies over water use and backup diesel generators in states, including Georgia and Tennessee, alongside a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling that tightened generator regulations. While diesel generators are clearly harmful, he cautioned that long-term, rigorous evidence linking data centers to regional health impacts remains limited.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESaeed\u2019s research aims to reduce those impacts directly. By optimizing how workloads are scheduled across large server fleets, his team has demonstrated power savings of 4 \u2013 12%, a meaningful gain if U.S. data centers approach projected levels of up to 12% of national electricity use by 2028.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Saeed, data centers are akin to highways: essential to modern life, disruptive to nearby communities, and shaped by policy choices. The question, he argues, is not whether AI infrastructure should exist, but how transparently and fairly it is built.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomist Probes the Energy Costs of the AI Boom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile headlines often frame AI as an energy crisis, Georgia Tech environmental and energy economist and BBISS Faculty Fellow Tony Harding is focused on measuring its real \u2014 and uneven \u2014 impacts. Harding, an assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, uses economic modeling to examine how AI adoption affects energy use, emissions, and local communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/ae0e3b\u0022\u003Erecent work\u003C\/a\u003E published in \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, Harding and his co-author analyzed how productivity gains from AI could influence national energy demand. Their findings suggest that, at a macro level, AI-related activity may increase annual U.S. energy use by about 0.03% and CO\u2082 emissions by roughly 0.02%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose numbers are small in the context of the overall economy,\u201d Harding said. \u201cBut the impacts are highly uneven.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat unevenness is evident in where data centers are built. While Northern Virginia remains the country\u2019s top data center hub, with 343 operational data centers, states like Georgia, which currently has 94 operational data centers, are rapidly attracting facilities due to reliable power and favorable tax policies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarding\u2019s latest research focuses on local effects, asking why data centers cluster in urban areas, how they influence housing markets, what happens to electricity prices, and whether they exacerbate water stress. Early evidence suggests large facilities can increase local electricity rates, contributing to public backlash and regulatory response. In Georgia, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psc.ga.gov\/site\/assets\/files\/8617\/media_advisory_data_centers_rule_1-23-2025.pdf\u0022\u003EPublic Service Commission\u003C\/a\u003E has begun requiring new, high power draw customers (like data centers) to cover more of the costs associated with grid expansion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarding\u2019s goal is to give policymakers better evidence to design incentives and guardrails. \u201cTo manage these technologies responsibly,\u201d he said, \u201cwe need a clear picture of their intended and unintended consequences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGamifying a Strained and Aging Power Grid\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDaniel Molzahn is tackling another side of the problem: how to modernize an aging power grid under growing demand. Electricity demand is expected to rise about 25% by 2030, driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and broadscale electrification. At the same time, much of the U.S. electricity grid is nearing the end of its lifespan, with many transformers being decades old.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make these challenges tangible, Molzahn, an associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, developed a browser-based game with a group of students through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/frm_display\/team-listings\/entry\/1303\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects\u003C\/a\u003E program called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/currentcrisis.itch.io\/current-crisis\u0022\u003ECurrent Crisis\u003C\/a\u003E. Players take on the role of a utility decision-maker, balancing reliability, wildfire risk, renewable integration, and affordability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe game grew out of Molzahn\u2019s National Science Foundation CAREER award and reflects his belief that complex systems are best understood experientially. Its initial focus is wildfire resilience, modeling how grid infrastructure can both spark and suffer damage from fires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut resilience comes at a cost. Burying power lines, for example, reduces wildfire risk but dramatically increases expenses. Players must confront the same tradeoffs utilities face: improve reliability or keep rates low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMolzahn hopes the game will help students and the public grapple with the realities of planning future power systems. \u201cThese choices aren\u2019t abstract,\u201d he said. \u201cThey shape affordability, resilience, and our path toward a cleaner grid.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project now involves nearly 40 students from across campus, supported by Sustainability NEXT funding and a collaboration with Jessica Roberts, former BBISS Faculty Fellow and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tiles.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ETechnology-Integrated Learning Environments (TILES) Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in the School of Interactive Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a learning scientist, I look at how to engage people with science and scientific data and get people having conversations they might not otherwise have,\u201d says Roberts, who hopes the seed grant helps the team determine first that they are going in the right direction and, second, how to broaden the impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne student, Stella Quinto Lima, a graduate research assistant in Human-Centered Computing, has made the game the focus of her doctoral thesis. Through the game, she wants players to notice their misconceptions about the power grid, energy use, and AI, and to use critical thinking to identify, question, and possibly undo those misconceptions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cI hope that we can really engage adults and help them see it\u2019s not black and white. The game is not only about power grids, but how AI affects the grid, how it affects our lives, and how it will impact our future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team plans to expand the game\u2019s features, use it in outreach programs, and analyze player decisions as a source of data to study energy-system decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to change the conversation about power and power grid stability, reliability, and sustainability, Roberts said, \u201cand find a way to get this message to a larger public.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) drives explosive growth in data centers, communities across the U.S. are facing rising electricity costs, new industrial development, and mounting strain on an aging power grid.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Explosive data center growth requires research to inform policies which manage the building of this critical infrastructure."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 20:29:10","changed_gmt":"2026-02-25 16:43:42","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679428":{"id":"679428","type":"image","title":"Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized","body":null,"created":"1772037433","gmt_created":"2026-02-25 16:37:13","changed":"1772037615","gmt_changed":"2026-02-25 16:40:15","alt":"Three men\u0027s individual portrait-style photos are arranged side by side, each showing a person from the shoulders up. The individuals wear collared shirts and appear in different lighting settings, including a dark background, a neutral studio backdrop, and a bright white background.","file":{"fid":"263591","name":"Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":872348,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/25\/Giarusso_Saeed_Molzhan_Headshots_Collage_Sized.jpg?itok=TPizgOZr"}}},"media_ids":["679428"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688493":{"#nid":"688493","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Augusta Positioned to Become a Leader in Medical Device Entrepreneurship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Augusta University have launched a collaborative effort to boost the city\u2019s medical device innovation ecosystem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Augusta region is already a major hub for health and life sciences, boasting five hospitals and the Medical College of Georgia, the nation\u2019s 13th oldest medical school and one of its largest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the advocacy nonprofit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.galifesciences.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Life Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E designated the region a BioReady Gold community. This ratings system recognizes its existing bioscience assets and its commitment to expanding infrastructure and commercialization, marking Augusta as a desired choice for biotech companies looking for suitable sites to expand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeading the work at Georgia Tech are the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E (GaMEP) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E (ATDC).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaMEP is a program of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, Tech\u2019s chief economic development arm. It brings a\u0026nbsp;dedicated team with the unique skills required to help innovators clearly understand the requirements needed to bring medical devices to market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen entrepreneurs gain insight into the regulatory and quality requirements early in development, they can make informed, strategic decisions that can significantly reduce both time and cost,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Sarah Jo Tucker, industry manager for GaMEP\u2019s medical device group. \u201cWe partner closely with innovators throughout the process and bring deep expertise in the regulatory requirements while they bring expertise in their technology. Together, we can move products efficiently and confidently from concept to commercialization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EADTC, part of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commercialization.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Commercialization\u003C\/a\u003E, is the state\u2019s premier technology incubator and the oldest university-based incubator in the country. ATDC provides guidance and resources for entrepreneurs and founders to successfully launch and scale their technology companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its founding in 1980, ATDC\u2019s startup graduates have attracted more than $6.2 billion in investment and generated over $14 billion in revenue in Georgia. Through the partnership with Augusta University, ATDC uses its expertise to serve\u0026nbsp;entrepreneurs in the medical device field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Medical innovation across the state of Georgia is critical for our health tech industries to thrive,\u201d said Chris Dickson, ATDC\u2019s startup catalyst in the Augusta region. \u201cWe identify investment-ready medical technology startups and provide the support needed while they are scaling their businesses.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA major hub for the life sciences, Augusta University is home to a wealth of researchers in the biomedical and related fields. This makes the institution ideally situated to help facilitate medical device commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGuido Verbeck understands this dynamic firsthand. A\u0026nbsp;professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Augusta University, he is also an entrepreneur and medical device innovator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAcademia is a fantastic platform for launching ideas, but there must be an understanding of how to bring a device to market,\u201d said Verbeck. \u201cPhysicians and practitioners who are also academics are solving problems in real time, but they often lack the resources and support to get their ideas to production and commercialization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELynsey\u0026nbsp;Steinberg, director of innovation for Augusta University\u2019s strategic partnerships and economic development team, summed up collaboration\u2019s goal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we tap our depth of talent, innovation, and community collaboration, this region has what it takes to become a launchpad for medical device startups \u2014 a place where bold ideas find the purpose they need to succeed to solve real-world problems,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s GaMEP medical device commercialization team\u0026nbsp;and the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC)\u0026nbsp;are now working directly with Augusta researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to help move medical device ideas from concept to commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A partnership between Georgia Tech and Augusta University supports the effort ."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2026-02-24 17:16:53","changed_gmt":"2026-02-24 17:25:03","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Augusta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679409":{"id":"679409","type":"image","title":"Downtown Augusta ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe city of Augusta is a major hub for health and life sciences, boasting five hospitals and the Medical College of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1771953448","gmt_created":"2026-02-24 17:17:28","changed":"1771953675","gmt_changed":"2026-02-24 17:21:15","alt":"Aerial view of downtown Augusta","file":{"fid":"263570","name":"AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/24\/AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10707782,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/24\/AdobeStock_466386413.jpeg?itok=SgNSyEj_"}}},"media_ids":["679409"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"16331","name":"GaMEP"},{"id":"3671","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"2579","name":"commercialization"},{"id":"9535","name":"medical device"},{"id":"172575","name":"Augusta University"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEve Tolpa\u003Cbr\u003Eeve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}