{"685781":{"#nid":"685781","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EAS Faculty Named to Endowed Positions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe College of Sciences has named four faculty members \u2014 Isaiah Bolden, Jennifer Glass, Alex Robel, and Yuanzhi Tang \u2014 from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E (EAS) to newly endowed positions. The awards recognize their leadership in climate, sustainability, and environmental sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThese endowments are allowing stellar early and mid-career faculty to amplify their educational and research activities,\u201d says EAS Chair\u003Cstrong\u003E Jean Lynch-Stieglitz.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cWe are grateful to reward their achievements and ensure they can continue to contribute at a high level to the ongoing growth of Georgia Tech\u2019s new Environmental Science B.S. program and the School\u2019s research profile in climate and sustainability.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Early Career Award: Isaiah Bolden\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEAS Assistant Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/bolden-isaiah\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EIsaiah Bolden\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s research focuses on\u0026nbsp;providing foundational data needed for climate and sustainability science in vulnerable coastal environments.\u0026nbsp;He and his team in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/co3gt\/\u0022\u003EChemical Oceanography \u2013 Observations and Outreach Lab\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;study chemical fingerprints preserved in coastal waters, corals, and shells to provide early warning indicators and mitigation strategies to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI am most excited by the award\u2019s ability to provide the flexible, sustained support necessary to bridge the gap between academic discovery and community impact,\u201d he says. \u201cWith this endowment, I can pursue high-risk, high-reward research questions and\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ededicate resources to long-term, community-based projects. It directly empowers my drive to put science to work as a tool for environmental policymaking and cultural preservation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBolden plans to direct the funds to support marine science curricula for coastal Georgia middle and high school students, paid undergraduate internships, specialized sample analyses, and travel logistics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew research:\u003C\/strong\u003E Bolden\u2019s\u0026nbsp;group is actively\u0026nbsp;pioneering the use of coastal Georgia oyster shells as\u0026nbsp;novel natural archives of environmental change.\u0026nbsp;Similar to tropical corals, the oyster shells provide high-resolution data on local water quality, pollution, and climate shifts. This work is intended to dovetail with Bolden\u2019s coastal community-based partnerships, including the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ELadies and Lads in Lab Coats\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;program, which provides students with STEM exposure and enables them to collect and analyze data that documents their region\u2019s environmental history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Professorship: Jennifer Glass\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEAS \u003C\/strong\u003EProfessor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-jennifer\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E drives new research at the intersection of environmental microbiology and climate science.\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.jenniferglass.com\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Glass Lab\u003C\/a\u003E investigates microorganisms that produce and consume greenhouse gases \u2014 focusing on the chemical-level mechanisms behind how these gases are created and destroyed \u2014 with the ultimate aim of harnessing biological processes to address some of the urgent environmental challenges facing humanity. One major focus of her research is the vast reserves of methane hydrate found beneath the continental margin seafloor, representing the largest natural gas resource on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m incredibly thankful to the donor and the Institute,\u201d says Glass, who is also the\u0026nbsp;EAS associate chair for Undergraduate Affairs.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThis support arrives at a critical time for environmental science and allows me to pursue new opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe\u0026nbsp;plans to use the funds to attend key conferences, build new collaborations, and support student engagement in upcoming initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew research\u003C\/strong\u003E: The Glass Lab is exploring environmentally friendly ways to extract and recycle rare earth elements \u2014 critical minerals used in batteries and electric vehicles. By studying marine microbes, which are less understood than their soil counterparts, the team aims to develop green biotechnology alternatives to current mining practices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Early Career Award: Alex Robel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEAS Associate Professor and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/rising-tide\u0022\u003ERising Tide\u003C\/a\u003E Director\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/robel-alexander\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;combines physics, applied mathematics, and ocean sciences to understand how climate changes are impacting Earth\u2019s largest ice sheets and glaciers. His research lab, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iceclimate.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGT Ice and Climate Group\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;focuses on developing computational models of ice sheet melt to\u0026nbsp;predict future sea level rise. In partnership with coastal communities, they leverage those predictions to help make city streets more resilient to flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis award helps me pursue more opportunities to engage closely with community partners, using climate information to make concrete improvements in their infrastructure,\u201d explains Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpecific plans for the funds include\u0026nbsp;enhancing pilot projects in coastal resilience, including the Community Hubs for Optimizing Resilience (CHORUS) initiative. Using building-scale flood models, CHORUS will help communities select potential infrastructure interventions to mitigate future flooding that threatens valued community assets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew research\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;Robel is launching a project to use machine learning methods to improve the representation of small-scale processes in ice sheet computational models. These methods will help his group blend an understanding of how ice flows and fractures, based on basic physical principles, with real-world measurements of crevasse formation on ice sheets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Power Professorship: Yuanzhi Tang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEAS Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/tang-yuanzhi\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is the founding director of the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/cems\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Center for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E and associate director, Strategic Partnerships and Engagement for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/sustainability\u0022\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems\u003C\/a\u003E. Her research integrates geochemistry, environmental engineering, and sustainability science to advance a circular economy for critical minerals, from resource discovery and recovery to recycling and reuse.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tang.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Tang Research Group\u003C\/a\u003E investigates the fundamental chemical, geological, and biological processes that control the transformation and mobility of critical elements across natural and engineered environments. Her work directly informs the development of low-impact extraction technologies and sustainable supply chains essential for clean energy transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Georgia Power Professorship provides support for building partnerships across academia and industry partners to accelerate innovation in critical minerals,\u201d says Tang. \u201cIt enables us to link fundamental geochemical and geological science with real-world applications that strengthen both energy security and environmental stewardship.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETang plans to use the funds to expand student participation and interdisciplinary collaborations with academic and industry partners \u2014 positioning Georgia and the broader Southeast as a leader in sustainable mineral innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew research:\u003C\/strong\u003E Tang\u2019s research team is developing sustainable methods for the extraction and separation of critical minerals from alternative and waste resources. By coupling molecular-scale characterization with rational engineering design, her team aims to transform waste byproducts into valuable sources of critical elements while minimizing environmental impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Purvis Endowment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Jean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Endowed Awards are supported by the generosity of the late J. Chris Purvis, M.D. (Applied Biology 1969), a psychiatrist and neurologist who specialized in juvenile and adolescent behavioral psychiatry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Power Professorship\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Georgia Power Professorship was established through the generosity of Georgia Power, which funds several endowed professorships at Georgia Tech to support faculty in fields like energy, science, sustainability, and engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECongratulations to Isaiah Bolden, Jennifer Glass, Alex Robel, and Yuanzhi Tang on their new endowed faculty professorships.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Congratulations to Isaiah Bolden, Jennifer Glass, Alex Robel, and Yuanzhi Tang on their new endowed faculty professorships."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2025-10-17 15:07:37","changed_gmt":"2025-10-20 14:49:37","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678380":{"id":"678380","type":"image","title":"Isaiah Bolden","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIsaiah Bolden\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760713677","gmt_created":"2025-10-17 15:07:57","changed":"1760713677","gmt_changed":"2025-10-17 15:07:57","alt":"Smiling man sitting 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Tech Oceanographer"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194607","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"}],"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\u003ELaura S. 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