Dr. Jairo H Garcia, a long-time John H. Martinson Honors Program faculty member, teaches students about the promises and pitfalls of clean energy technology in class EAS 3110: Energy, Environment, and Society. In this interdisciplinary seminar-style course, students are engaged in timely and practical discussions about the future of energy and climate solutions, participating in a semester-long project titled The Carbon Reduction Challenge – a high-impact team project where students design and implement practical strategies to reduce carbon footprints for an organization or institution of their choice.

EAS 3110 prepares students for situations and opportunities beyond a traditional classroom environment by emphasizing experiential, applied learning that mirrors real-world professional practice. Students are not only guided but encouraged to engage with stakeholders in the Greater Atlanta community to develop communication, negotiation, and systems-thinking skills that are essential in professional settings but are rarely fully developed through lecture-based instruction alone. They are encouraged to utilize their curiosity and creativity to create bold solutions that address challenges in clean energy. The course directly aligns with the John H. Martinson Honors Program’s pillars of curiosity, creativity, and connection to equip students with the skills to better navigate the challenges presented in careers across energy, sustainability, policy, and business.

Dr. Garcia is a full-time lecturer in the School of City & Regional Planning since his arrival at Georgia Tech in 2019. A holder of two Master of Science degrees in Computer Networks and in Sustainability and Climate Change, as well as a doctoral degree in Educational Technology, Dr. Garcia is passionate about the fields of transition to clean energy, climate change, and community engagement. A recipient of awards including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Individual Climate Leadership Award, Green Ring Award, and Excellence in Climate Leadership Award, Dr. Garcia is dedicated to utilizing his expertise in guiding the transition to clean energy to spark growing John H. Martinson Honors Program leaders’ passion in developing solutions that are not only environmentally effective but also technically feasible and economically viable.

Dr. Garcia’s teaching experience with the John H. Martinson Honors Program began in Spring 2023. Alongside this course, he teaches Sustainable Urban Development in the School of City and Regional Planning, Climate Policy in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, and Sustainable Systems in the Scheller College of Business. He also supports the Georgia Tech Office of Sustainability as a Resilience Expert and serves as a U.S. Subject Matter Expert for the IPCC pre-scoping Special Report on Cities and Climate Change.

Dr. Garcia excitedly reflects on his favorite part of John H. Martinson Honors Program students, saying:

“JMHP students bring intellectual curiosity, rigor, and willingness to engage with complex and interdisciplinary challenges, which greatly enrich the learning environment. It is a privilege to work with such motivated students, and I am deeply honored to contribute to their academic and professional development.”

As Dr. Garcia begins teaching EAS 3110 in Spring 2026, he is excited to welcome a new cohort of students to his course, looking forward to discussing the challenges of clean energy and sustainability and supporting their intellectual growth and professional development. The John H. Martinson Honors Program is excited to continue working with Dr. Garcia this spring as he cultivates the next generation of clean energy leaders!

If you are a Georgia Tech student interested in taking EAS 3110 in a future semester, consider contacting Dr. Garcia to learn more.