{"689714":{"#nid":"689714","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bringing the Classroom to the Coast","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile many students spent Spring Break chasing sun and surf, a group enrolled in the \u003Cem\u003EEAS 4755: Sea Level Rise and Global Geotechnics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ecourse, taught by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/robel-alexander\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jorge-macedo\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJorge Macedo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eheaded to the coast for a different reason \u2014 to learn how three coastal communities across the Southeast are responding to sea-level rise and flooding and how science, engineering, and community priorities intersect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis is the third time the class has been offered, but the first to include an extended community-based learning experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe students were able to see firsthand how concepts discussed in the classroom translated into real infrastructure decisions shaping vulnerable coastal communities,\u201d says Robel, an associate professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn previous years, the course relied on guest speakers, often remote, to provide real-world insights. Robel and Macedo, an associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, advocated for this year\u2019s field trip to give students direct exposure to how the concepts taught in class are used in coastal communities.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cPlaces like Savannah, Tybee Island, and Charleston aren\u2019t planning for a distant future; they\u2019re making real infrastructure decisions right now,\u201d explains Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoastal case studies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOn Tybee Island, city leaders and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff discussed with students how to balance tourism, environmental protection, and shoreline preservation. Site visits highlighted tide gates and living shorelines as flood mitigation strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen, in Savannah, students met with city staff to explore challenges facing historic, low-lying cities and visited the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chsgeorgia.org\/pin-point-heritage-museum\/?gad_source=1\u0026amp;gad_campaignid=22849387911\u0026amp;gbraid=0AAAABAqP5dcvz7sLdulhSOGywjIQeklj1\u0026amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw-dfOBhAjEiwAq0RwI59jWRaJPfy1zynMN4cT3osvJhOlKEqoDZFGnC_BVcL3GUjTwKwtmxoCHcwQAvD_BwE\u0022\u003EPin Point Heritage Museum\u003C\/a\u003E where Gullah-Geechee community leaders spoke about the cultural, environmental, and equity dimensions of flood planning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe trip concluded in Charleston with discussions led by the city\u2019s chief resilience officer and tours of the Low Battery Seawall and a neighborhood pump station, illustrating how flood infrastructure can serve both functional and public-facing roles. Students also visited\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jmt.com\/\u0022\u003EJMT\u003C\/a\u003E, the engineering firm behind several of the projects studied, where engineers discussed design trade-offs and career paths in coastal and municipal infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegional risks, real responses\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe regional context is especially important because Georgia Tech graduates are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, and many go on to careers designing, managing, or approving infrastructure projects in coastal communities,\u201d says Robel. \u201cWith a more concentrated vulnerability to sea-level rise in the Southeast than any other part of the United States, the most potential flooding is likely to occur here in the Atlantic Southeast and Gulf Coast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe adds that \u201cif we\u2019re educating the scientists, engineers, and decision-makers who will be working in these communities, they must understand the practicalities of flood resilience and how to make informed decisions based on the best current science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAlthough the idea for the field experience had been years in the making, it became feasible only recently with support from an internal grant on sustainability education and community-based learning administered by the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E. Robel also emphasized the importance of long-standing relationships with coastal communities and governments in making the trip a success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe reached a point where we had both the resources and the relationships to make the experience meaningful,\u201d he shares.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECareer context\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe students met professionals from a wide range of career paths, including federal and local government agencies, private engineering firms, and municipal stormwater departments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cA major goal of the trip was giving students the chance to see what career paths in coastal resilience really look like,\u201d says Robel. \u201cThose conversations helped students understand not just the technical work, but also the financing, politics, and community concerns that shape infrastructure decisions \u2014 parts of the job that are harder to capture in the classroom.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStudents enjoyed the opportunity to get real-world context:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis trip made me reconsider my post-graduation plans. I used to think the geology industry was just oil and gas, but this trip showed me different ways I can apply my skills to help the environment as well as local communities in their efforts to adapt to sea-level rise concerns,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMandala Pham\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Ph.D. student studying geophysics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe most valuable part of the experience was observing sea-level rise mitigation infrastructure in-person, and the trip was a great experience overall to make new friends and gain valuable experiences,\u201d adds\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Brison\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year environmental engineering major.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy grounding classroom concepts in real places and real decisions, the Spring Break field experience reinforced the course\u2019s goal: preparing students to engage thoughtfully with the challenges coastal communities are already facing.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents study sea-level rise and coastal resilience on spring break field experience.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students study sea-level rise and coastal resilience on spring break field experience."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 18:08:43","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 19:26:14","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679933":{"id":"679933","type":"image","title":"Class members spent the first day on the beach at Tybee Island learning how beach nourishment and dune restoration are helping preserve one of the most popular beaches in the southeast.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClass members spent the first day on the beach at Tybee Island learning how beach nourishment and dune restoration are helping preserve one of the most popular beaches in the southeast.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776104340","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 18:19:00","changed":"1776104340","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 18:19:00","alt":"A group of people standing on a beach.","file":{"fid":"264156","name":"Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":29262725,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Day1_TybeeIsland_Beach_GroupPhoto_01-copy-2.png?itok=u1Hmq958"}},"679934":{"id":"679934","type":"image","title":"Charleston city officials spoke with students about how multiple municipal departments work together on flood mitigation","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003ECharleston city officials spoke with students about how multiple municipal departments work together on flood mitigation\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1776105481","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 18:38:01","changed":"1776105481","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 18:38:01","alt":"A group sitting around a big table in a conference room.","file":{"fid":"264158","name":"bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":746185,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/bafkreiehbez7batf7ukyosqkx3rqbgauazshsglq6cfaazf5hvsovet4nu.jpg?itok=w6YrOj_G"}},"679935":{"id":"679935","type":"image","title":"A highlight of the trip included a visit to the Pin Point Heritage Museum to learn about one of the largest remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the Southeast and their historical relationship to the marsh, fisheries, and flooding.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA highlight of the trip included a visit to the Pin Point Heritage Museum to learn about one of the largest remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the Southeast and their historical relationship to the marsh, fisheries, and flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776105560","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 18:39:20","changed":"1776105560","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 18:39:20","alt":"A group of students standing by a wooden 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(EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"}],"core_research_areas":[{"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 Segraves Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}