{"690050":{"#nid":"690050","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Elliot Huang Selected as Georgia Tech\u2019s Representative for USG Academic Recognition Day","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Cstrong\u003EElliot Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, success has never been about choosing the most obvious or well-traveled path. Instead, his time at Georgia Tech has been defined by a drive to bring together seemingly disparate interests \u2014 psychology and computer science \u2014 in pursuit of a deeper understanding of the human mind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat interdisciplinary focus has earned Huang statewide recognition. He has been selected as Georgia Tech\u2019s 2026 representative for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/undergraduate.gatech.edu\/usg-academic-recognition-day\/\u0022\u003EUniversity System of Georgia\u2019s (USG) Academic Recognition Day\u003C\/a\u003E, an honor awarded annually to one undergraduate from each USG institution for outstanding scholastic achievement. Georgia Tech\u2019s representative is chosen by the academic associate deans from each of the Institute\u2019s six colleges, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis honor encourages Huang to keep pursuing the kind of research he believes can make a real difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a form of external validation that the work I\u2019m doing is meaningful, not just to me, but to others,\u201d he said. \u201cIt confirms that choosing a less conventional path, one guided by impact instead of convenience, is worthwhile.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuang has also received the 2026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/undergraduate.gatech.edu\/love-family-foundation-award\/provosts-academic-excellence-award\/\u0022\u003EProvost\u2019s Academic Excellence Award\u003C\/a\u003E. He will graduate in May with bachelor\u2019s degrees in computer science and psychology, along with minors in computation and cognition, health and medical sciences, and the science of mental health and well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe currently leads two projects investigating cognition in neural systems, supported by the President\u2019s Undergraduate Research Award and the Petit-Lanier Research Scholarship. One project uses tobacco hawkmoths as a reduced-complexity model system to identify fundamental principles of neural computation. The other examines human learning and decision-making using a custom sensorimotor paradigm and computational modeling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuang has presented his findings at venues such as the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting and the Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium, and he is preparing first-author manuscripts for submission later this spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESimon Sponberg\u003C\/strong\u003E, who has advised Huang in the Agile Systems Lab, it\u2019s Huang\u2019s approach to his work that sets him apart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cElliot\u2019s excellence goes beyond easily quantified metrics of academics,\u201d Sponberg said. \u201cHe is exceptionally self-motivated and is constantly in pursuit of his goals. Combined with his effectiveness, ambition, and demonstrated responsibility he has already realized outstanding success, and I\u2019m excited to see what he achieves next!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat same confidence in Huang\u2019s future is shared by Associate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ERobert Wilson\u003C\/strong\u003E, Huang\u2019s mentor and principle investigator in the Neuroscience of Reinforcement Learning and Decision-Making Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cElliot stands out as a truly brilliant scholar \u2014 a hard worker, deep thinker and all-around wonderful person to have in the lab,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cHis research asks deep questions about the role of physical movement in human cognition that has the potential to revolutionize how we think about human learning and psychiatric disorders.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuang traces his interest in psychology to deeply personal experiences that reshaped how he viewed the intersection of technology, medicine, and well-being. While he was initially drawn to Tech\u2019s computer science program, his academic focus evolved as he became more involved in mentorship and campus ministry, and as mental health challenges affected those close to him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose experiences ultimately solidified his goal of becoming a physician-scientist working at the intersection of computational modeling and psychiatry. Huang hopes to reframe psychiatric disorders not simply as collections of symptoms, but as variations in underlying cognitive processes. He hopes this approach will one day support more precise, mechanistic mental health care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHuang has also invested significant time in mentoring peers and building his campus community. He leads Bible studies through Navigators Campus Ministry, previously served as director of operations for the Georgia Tech Medical Robotics Club, and has performed with the Institute\u2019s Tenor Bass Choir.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduation, Huang plans to spend a year working as a full-time researcher while applying to MD\/Ph.D. programs. Wherever that next step takes him, Huang leaves Georgia Tech with a foundation built on academic rigor and a commitment to improving human well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElliot Huang will graduate in May with bachelor\u2019s degrees in psychology and computer science, along with minors in computation and cognition, health and medical sciences, and the science of mental health and well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Elliot Huang will graduate in May with bachelor\u2019s degrees in psychology and computer science, along with minors in computation and cognition, health and medical sciences, and the science of mental health and well-being."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 16:01:29","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 16:08:11","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680102":{"id":"680102","type":"image","title":"Elliot Huang will graduate in May with bachelor\u2019s degrees in psychology and computer science.","body":null,"created":"1777478689","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 16:04:49","changed":"1777478689","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 16:04:49","alt":"Elliot Huang is wearing a suit for this headshot","file":{"fid":"264341","name":"Huang-Elliot-2-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Huang-Elliot-2-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Huang-Elliot-2-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":173946,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/Huang-Elliot-2-1.jpg?itok=8lksV4dI"}}},"media_ids":["680102"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/sciences-students-land-institute-honors","title":"Sciences Students Land Institute Honors"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"167710","name":"School of Psychology"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlex Howard\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/undergraduate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Undergraduate Education \u0026amp; Student Success\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["choward85@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}