{"680647":{"#nid":"680647","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Will Ratcliff Named Sutherland Professor","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe College of Sciences is pleased to announce\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/will-ratcliff\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWill Ratcliff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E as the first recipient of the John C. and Leslie C. Sutherland Professorship. This endowed faculty position recognizes outstanding contributions in research and teaching, particularly those that advance the understanding of biological systems through quantitative applications of chemistry, mathematics and physics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERatcliff, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, was selected for his innovative research and dedication to education, which have made a significant impact on the scientific community and the Institute. His appointment is effective July 1, 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWill has established himself as a leading scientist studying the evolution of biological complexity, developing an innovative research program that demonstrates the tremendous power of integrating physics and biology to understand fundamental questions in life science,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/todd-streelman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETodd Streelman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and chair of the School of Biological Sciences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHis experimental vision, commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, and exceptional record mentoring the next generation of scientists embody the values this chair was established to promote,\u201d Streelman adds. \u201cWill is precisely the kind of transformative scientist who can carry forward the Sutherlands\u0027 legacy of bridging physics and biology to understand the fundamental principles governing life itself.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Sutherland Professorship comes with an award of $40,000 per year in research funds and is renewable every five years, providing valuable support for ongoing and future projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe faculty endowment is made possible through generous support from\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn C. and Leslie C. Sutherland\u003C\/strong\u003E. A triple Jacket, John C. Sutherland (B.S. PHYS 1962, M.S. PHYS 1964, Ph.D. PHYS 1967) serves as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Augusta University and is a member of the Georgia Tech College of Sciences External Advisory Board.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeet Will Ratcliff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWill Ratcliff is an evolutionary biologist who joined the School of Biological Sciences in 2014. He has served as director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E since 2021. After earning his B.S. in Plant Biology from the University of California, Davis and his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota, Ratcliff completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of Minnesota, where he developed the groundbreaking \u0027snowflake yeast\u0027 model system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERatcliff\u0027s research focuses on understanding one of biology\u0027s most fundamental questions: how complex multicellular life evolves from single-celled ancestors. His innovative approach combines experimental evolution with mathematical modeling, biophysics, and synthetic biology, overcoming a fundamental limitation in the field. Rather than attempting to infer evolutionary dynamics that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago, his work allows direct observation of this transition in real time. In 2018, he launched the Multicellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment (MuLTEE), which has since become one of the longest-running evolution experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe MuLTEE has revealed how physics serves as a crucial scaffold for the evolution of multicellular life, establishing the fundamental conditions that allow natural selection to act on groups of cells rather than individual cells alone. His team has shown how the physics of cellular packing naturally drives group reproduction, and how principles of maximum entropy underpin the origin of novel, heritable multicellular traits. As snowflake yeast in the MuLTEE continue to evolve to become more complex, they\u2019ve observed how these organisms solve key multicellular challenges, evolving mechanically robust bodies, solving diffusion limitation, and optimizing their life cycle through novel collective behaviors and cellular specialization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERatcliff\u0027s research extends beyond multicellularity to include diverse aspects of evolutionary biology, such as studying the dynamics of bacterial warfare and investigating Earth\u0027s largest and oldest organism, the approximately 80,000-year-old Quaking Aspen \u0027Pando\u0027. His work has garnered significant attention in major media outlets, including\u003Cem\u003E The New York Times\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003Cem\u003E The Atlantic\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003Cem\u003E NPR\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003Cem\u003E National Geographic\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003Cem\u003E Science\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003Cem\u003E Nature, Quanta\u003C\/em\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EThe Smithsonian\u003C\/em\u003E, and has been featured in books such as Pulitzer Prize winner Siddhartha Mukherjee\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ESong of the Cell\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe endowed faculty position mentioned above was made possible by contributions to \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u003Cem\u003EThanks to the support of alumni and friends, this comprehensive campaign is bringing unparalleled advancements to the Institute and building a foundation to support our students, advance our research and innovation, enhance our campus and our community, and expand our impact at home and around the world. To learn more and support the campaign, visit \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Etransformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWill Ratcliff, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences, was named the first recipient of the John C. and Leslie C. Sutherland Professorship. This endowed faculty position recognizes his innovative research and dedication to education, which have made a significant impact on the scientific community and the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Biological Sciences Professor Will Ratcliff was named the first recipient of the John C. and Leslie C. Sutherland Professorship, an endowed faculty position that recognizes outstanding contributions in research and teaching."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-02-21 14:04:53","changed_gmt":"2025-05-09 13:53:03","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676364":{"id":"676364","type":"image","title":"Will Ratcliff, professor in the School of Biological Sciences","body":null,"created":"1740153962","gmt_created":"2025-02-21 16:06:02","changed":"1740153962","gmt_changed":"2025-02-21 16:06:02","alt":"Headshot of Will Ratcliff, professor in the School of Biological Sciences","file":{"fid":"260138","name":"Will-Ratcliff_headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/Will-Ratcliff_headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/21\/Will-Ratcliff_headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":264397,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/21\/Will-Ratcliff_headshot.jpg?itok=lAPAPL2O"}}},"media_ids":["676364"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ratclifflab.biosci.gatech.edu","title":"Ratcliff Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/journey-origins-multicellular-life-long-term-experimental-evolution-lab","title":"A Journey to the Origins of Multicellular Life: Long-Term Experimental Evolution in the Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"193234","name":"Campaign Stories"},{"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":"76631","name":"endowed chairs and professorships"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston, Director of Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}