{"685561":{"#nid":"685561","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Initiative Lead Q\u0026A: Akanksha Menon on Designing the Future of Buildings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022\/\/\/people\/akanksha-menon\u0022\u003EAkanksha Menon\u003C\/a\u003E leads the \u201cMultifunctional materials for energy-efficient buildings: from homes to data centers\u201d research initiative for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. Her research in this role focuses on advancing the efficiency and sustainability of buildings\u0026nbsp;(from homes to data centers)\u0026nbsp;using a materials-to-systems approach. Menon is an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this brief Q\u0026amp;A, Menon discusses her research focus, how it relates to Matter and System\u2019s core research focuses, and the national impact of this initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your field of expertise and at what point in your life did you first become interested in this area?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy expertise is in energy systems and thermal science\/engineering, and I direct the Water-Energy Research Lab (WERL) at Georgia Tech. In high school I read \u201cStorms of my Grandchildren\u201d by climate scientist James Hansen and became aware of global warming and how we are contributing to climate change. That got me interested in the field of energy systems and sustainability \u2014 in undergrad I realized that thermodynamics forms the basis of how we use\/convert energy, and that heat is the most dominant end-use of energy. Since then, I have focused my research on waste heat recovery, energy storage, and advanced separations that leverage thermally responsive materials for clean energy and water.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat questions or challenges sparked your current research?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am passionate about developing technology solutions to global grand challenges, and I believe that clean energy and clean water are the two critical resources that can unlock everything else. The key challenge lies in making these technologies efficient and low-cost, and this is where functional materials and novel phase transitions can play an important role.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatter and systems refer to the transformational technological and societal systems that arise from the convergence of innovative materials, devices, and processes. Why is your initiative important to the development of the IMS research strategy?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy initiative focuses on the built environment, i.e., buildings ranging from homes to data centers, and this is one of the four IMS research areas. Buildings not only consume energy and water but also must maintain thermal comfort for humans and machines (servers). This requires an integrated approach of designing multifunctional materials and hybrid systems, as well as evaluating their performance in relevant operating environments. This understanding can transform buildings into dynamic systems with optimal energy-water use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are the broader global and social benefits of the research you and your team conduct?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research contributes directly to the sustainability, efficiency, and resiliency of buildings. This is especially timely given the boom of data centers all around us that will significantly impact our energy and water resources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your plans for engaging a wider Georgia Tech faculty pool with the Institute for Matter and Systems research?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research requires interdisciplinary expertise \u2013 from materials scientists and thermal engineers to architects and experts in manufacturing and life cycle\/technoeconomic analysis. To bring these different faculty together, I will organize a series of lunch-and-learn sessions and brainstorming meetings. Given the energy and sustainability themes, I also plan to engage with SEI and BBISS to potentially grow this initiative into a program or center in the future. The growth of data centers and energy manufacturing in Georgia, as well as our unique water resources in the Southeast make this the right time and place to pursue this initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMenon discusses her interdisciplinary approach to improving building sustainability and efficiency through advanced materials and systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Menon discusses her interdisciplinary approach to improving building sustainability and efficiency through advanced materials and systems."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2025-10-06 18:42:31","changed_gmt":"2025-10-24 14:26:28","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678283":{"id":"678283","type":"image","title":"Research-Lead-Faculty-Headshot-IMG_Menon.png","body":null,"created":"1759776169","gmt_created":"2025-10-06 18:42:49","changed":"1759776169","gmt_changed":"2025-10-06 18:42:49","alt":"Stylized headshot of Ankanksha Menon","file":{"fid":"262288","name":"Research-Lead-Faculty-Headshot-IMG_Menon.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Research-Lead-Faculty-Headshot-IMG_Menon.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Research-Lead-Faculty-Headshot-IMG_Menon.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3012559,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/06\/Research-Lead-Faculty-Headshot-IMG_Menon.png?itok=iC_TUj_y"}}},"media_ids":["678283"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"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:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}