{"684250":{"#nid":"684250","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Will be Prominent Partner With New Space Research Institute, Says Executive Director Jud Ready","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EW. Jud Ready, Ph.D., a longtime leader in space-related research at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) for more than two decades, has been appointed as the inaugural executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s newly established Space Research Institute (SRI). With his extensive background in engineered materials and proven track record in managing groundbreaking research projects, Georgia Tech\u2019s space innovation leadership is ready to \u201cblast off.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESRI\u0026nbsp;will become the center of all things space-related at the Institute. It will work in partnership with academics, business partners, philanthropists, students, and governments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady says the role of SRI is \u201cto amplify the space-based research environment that we have had for decades at Georgia Tech by providing dedicated facility, communications, collaboration, and financial resources, as well as assistance on large-scale proposals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe existence of SRI is directly tied to one of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u201cBig Bets,\u201d outlined in the Institute\u2019s current Strategic Plan: \u201c\u003Cstrong\u003EDouble the Scale and Amplify the Impact of Our Research Enterprise.\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGTRI to Play a Prominent Role With SRI\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGTRI has an unfair advantage in so many areas: we\u0027ve got great capabilities, great people, great equipment, great connections across the United States as well as the globe,\u201d said Ready. \u201cTo be able to take curiosity-driven fundamental research and turn it into a widget, whether that widget is a radar or a spacecraft or whatever it may be, GTRI is good at that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re not a commercial entity, so we\u0027re not trying to make thousands, hundreds, or even dozens of a device or a system. We\u0027re very good at one-off prototypes, and that\u0027s what space research is. We\u0027re not trying to build a constellation of 1,000s of \u2018Starlink\u2019 satellites. We are trying to create sensors, systems, spacecraft, constellations -- whatever it takes \u2013 to solve problems, whether they\u0027re national security problems, scientific problems, economic problems, communication problems -- there are many uses for spacecraft.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady\u2019s vision for SRI emphasizes leveraging and enhancing the robust infrastructure already in place at GT and GTRI, including C-SHAFT (Center for Space Hardware Assembly, Fabrication and Testing). As he articulated during his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mediaspace.gatech.edu\/media\/Jud+Ready%3A+Space+Research+Institute+Candidate+vision+talk\/1_t8w65gtf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Evision presentation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, before being named to the executive director role, he views GTRI facilities such as thermal vacuum chambers and ground station networks as strategic assets that provide Georgia Tech with a significant competitive edge in space research and exploration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady\u2019s leadership will emphasize bridging the robust academic and research elements within Georgia Tech to include all Colleges and GTRI. By strengthening the collaborative relationship among all arms of the Institute, Ready seeks to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s institutional capacity for securing competitive federal, industry and philanthropic funding. He plans to strategically use GTRI\u2019s contract vehicles, such as its University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) agreements, to streamline funding processes, thereby advancing GTRI\u2019s and Georgia Tech\u2019s collective research enterprise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder Ready\u2019s direction, educational and outreach initiatives will also expand significantly. Ready says he intends to draw on previous Georgia Tech successes, such as the Symposium on Space Innovations and championing \u201cK through gray\u201d educational programs. He intends to integrate educational activities that involve both academic and research personnel from across Georgia Tech and GTRI. These efforts aim to support the existing cadre of space engineering professionals, as well as cultivate a new generation of engineers and scientists equipped with the skills and experiences necessary for leadership in space technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EQ\u0026amp;A with Jud Ready, SRI Executive Director\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: What are your initial, big priorities for SRI?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E We\u0027re looking for partnerships internally at Georgia Tech, within GTRI, in Georgia, and externally. Whether governmental, philanthropic, or industrial sponsorships, that\u0027s what we\u0027re seeking. We want SRI to help faculty, students, small businesses, major corporations, and the USA in general succeed in space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: How soon and how aggressively will you pursue funding and sponsorships?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0022Immediately. We\u0027ve already got proposals pending. We\u0027ll continue pursuing federal funding, corporate funding, and philanthropic efforts. Space access has become much cheaper, opening new funding avenues.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: Will SRI take over existing projects such as Lunar Flashlight (a CubeSat integrated and tested by GTRI and operated by Georgia Tech) or MISSE (a NASA mission series in which GTRI is heavily involved)?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0022No, SRI won\u2019t take over someone\u0027s research projects. SRI will not be a principal investigator. It enables individual principal investigators, providing necessary resources, whether they\u0027re at GTRI, GT, or industry.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: Does SRI have a physical space, lab space, cleanrooms, etc.?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0022The administrative offices are in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coda.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoda building\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. But the resources we have at Georgia Tech and GTRI aren\u0027t moving. We have cleanrooms and testing facilities at Baker and Cobb County, antennas for communication, and eventually, we\u0027ll have a new building near Coca-Cola Tower.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: Given the long-term nature of space research, do you have a short-term plan for SRI?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0022I\u0027ve certainly got a 90-day plan. We\u0027ll have something going on every month this fall. We\u2019ll release an RFP for our CPI (centers, programs, initiatives) process around Labor Day. The LSIC fall meeting is at Georgia Tech on November 5-6. We\u0027re also organizing a networking event and a star-watching party for homecoming in October.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: Will you maintain your existing appointments at Georgia Tech and GTRI?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0022Yes, I\u0027m still 50\/50. Technically, 49% SRI and 51% GTRI, so I didn\u0027t have to reorganize my reporting chain. I\u2019ve dialed back my teaching a notch and only plan to teach my Material Science and Engineering of Sports class (MSE3300) next spring, but I will also be teaching my \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/coursesaz\/vip\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVertically Integrated Project (VIP\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) class in the fall. And, of course, advising several graduate students along the way.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EQ: Is there more to Jud Ready than just space research?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReady:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0022I haven\u2019t stopped thinking about space since Skylab. But yes, I like things more than space. I\u0027m also a scout leader. I enjoy camping, fishing, sailing, and sports, especially, even though, historically, I\u2019ve been exceptionally mediocre at them.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s 11 IRIs support collaboration between researchers and students across the Institute\u2019s seven colleges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), national laboratories, and corporate entities to tackle critical topics of strategic significance for the Institute as well as for local, state, national, and international communities.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EW. Jud Ready, Ph.D., a longtime leader in space-related research at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) for more than two decades, has been appointed as the inaugural executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s newly established Space Research Institute (SRI). With his extensive background in engineered materials and proven track record in managing groundbreaking research projects, Georgia Tech\u2019s space innovation leadership is ready to \u201cblast off.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"SRI will become the center of all things space-related at the Institute. It will work in partnership with academics, business partners, philanthropists, students, and governments."}],"uid":"35875","created_gmt":"2025-08-28 13:57:32","changed_gmt":"2025-08-28 14:01:26","author":"cweems8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677835":{"id":"677835","type":"image","title":"Ready--Jud_2022_v3_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EW. Jud Ready, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1756389480","gmt_created":"2025-08-28 13:58:00","changed":"1756389480","gmt_changed":"2025-08-28 13:58:00","alt":"W. Jud Ready, Ph.D.","file":{"fid":"261780","name":"Ready--Jud_2022_v3_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/28\/Ready--Jud_2022_v3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/28\/Ready--Jud_2022_v3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3029306,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/28\/Ready--Jud_2022_v3_0.jpg?itok=chDny9UC"}},"677836":{"id":"677836","type":"image","title":"jud-ready-solar-cells_0.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJud Ready holds a sample of a perovskite solar cell, along with other samples similar to those launched to the International Space Station.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752069551","gmt_created":"2025-07-09 13:59:11","changed":"1756389551","gmt_changed":"2025-08-28 13:59:11","alt":"Jud Ready holds a sample of a perovskite solar cell, along with other samples similar to those launched to the International Space Station.","file":{"fid":"261781","name":"jud-ready-solar-cells_0.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/28\/jud-ready-solar-cells_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/28\/jud-ready-solar-cells_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":35665,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/28\/jud-ready-solar-cells_0.jpeg?itok=Ug4ATUYO"}}},"media_ids":["677835","677836"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["christopher.weems@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}