{"690584":{"#nid":"690584","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Valerie Thomas Recognized with Industrial with Sustainable Development Teaching Award at IISE Annual Conference\u00a0 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Anderson-Interface Chair of Natural Systems and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022\u003EProfessor Valerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, was awarded the 2026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iise.org\/Details.aspx?id=35145\u0022\u003ESustainable Development Division Teaching Award\u003C\/a\u003E, at the Institute of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iise.org\/annual\/\u0022\u003EIndustrial and Systems Engineers\u2019 Annual Conference \u003C\/a\u003E\u0026amp; Expo in Arlington, Texas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe IISE Sustainable Development Teaching Award confirms sustainable development as a strength of industrial engineering,\u201d said Professor Thomas, who also has a joint appointment in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cReceiving this award brings ISyE\u2019s sustainable development offerings to the attention of the wider industrial engineering community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe award was developed by IISE\u2019s Sustainable Development Division to recognize the contribution of an individual advancing the knowledge and practice of sustainability in the field of industrial engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThomas has an extensive history of high-quality teaching and leadership in developing interdisciplinary, sustainability focused courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The quality and effectiveness of her sustainability-focused teaching efforts have consistently yielded high evaluations in student feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IISE award committee also highlighted Thomas\u2019 teaching impact beyond courses and classrooms, through global learning experiences in Rwanda focused on sustainable development, and her scholarly contributions in sustainability education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThomas has created three sustainability-focused courses at Georgia Tech, one at the undergraduate level and two at the graduate level, and a study abroad program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThomas\u2019 undergraduate course, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/courses\/isye4501_2.pdf\u0022\u003EEnergy, Efficiency and Sustainability (ISYE 4501)\u003C\/a\u003E, is offered annually. This course focuses on technology cost analysis and environmental modelling. Students learn how to assess efficiency and impacts of industrial systems such as power generation, transportation, manufacturing, and building operation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the graduate level, Thomas collaborated with Georgia Tech Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/marilyn-a-brown\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown\u003C\/a\u003E to develop an interdisciplinary course, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oscar.gatech.edu\/bprod\/bwckctlg.p_disp_course_detail?cat_term_in=202602\u0026amp;subj_code_in=PUBP\u0026amp;crse_numb_in=6701\u0022\u003EEnergy Technology and Policy (ISYE\/PUBP 6701)\u003C\/a\u003E, that draws graduate students from ISyE, Public Policy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and from throughout Georgia Tech, with both an in-person section and a distance-learning section. The distance-learning section draws students from online master\u2019s programs in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and more. To support this course, Brown and Thomas co-wrote a textbook, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.springerprofessional.de\/en\/energy-technology-and-policy-innovation\/52298318\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEnergy\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ETechnology and Policy Innovation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve had the privilege of teaching Energy Technology and Policy with Valerie once a year for 20 years. We used to do major marketing with flyers and videos, but soon the course caught on, moved to larger classrooms, and doubled in numbers with an on-line section. Our course focuses on core scientific principles and practical tools to support fact-based energy system decision-making. We never could find a textbook with all the material we wanted students to master. So we created a book from our lecture notes - all 610 pages and 44 chapters - that was just published by Springer-Nature,\u201d said Professor Brown, Regents\u0027 and Brook\u0026nbsp;Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems. \u201cTeaching beside Valerie for twenty years has been both a joy and an education in itself.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso at the graduate level, Thomas created a new course on life cycle assessment (LCA); this course draws graduate students from across Georgia Tech. Students gain hands-on experience with a comprehensive set of LCA methods and tools, including the life cycle process-based method, energy and greenhouse gas calculations, cost analysis, allocation and system expansion, economic input\u2013output LCA, hybrid LCA, the life cycle process matrix method, consequential LCA, and life cycle impact assessment. The course culminates in a substantial, project-based life cycle assessment, providing students with conceptual understanding and practical expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to academic courses, Professor Thomas has developed a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/rwanda-study-abroad\/\u0022\u003ERwanda Study Abroad\u003C\/a\u003E program that powerfully complements classroom learning. In this program, students work on sustainable development projects during the spring semester at Georgia Tech and then \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/news\/rwanda-study-abroad-program-empowers-georgia-tech-students-through-experiential \u0022\u003Etravel to Rwanda during spring break\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Valerie Thomas Recognized with Industrial with Sustainable Development Teaching Award at IISE Annual Conference\u00a0 "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Valerie Thomas, was awarded the 2026 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iise.org\/Details.aspx?id=35145\u0022\u003ESustainable Development Division Teaching Award\u003C\/a\u003E, at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers\u2019 Annual Conference \u0026amp; Expo in Arlington, Texas.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Valerie Thomas, was awarded the 2026 Sustainable Development Division Teaching Award, at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers\u2019 Annual Conference \u0026 Expo in Arlington, Texas."}],"uid":"36760","created_gmt":"2026-06-01 18:44:05","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 20:07:30","author":"jsmith830","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680393":{"id":"680393","type":"image","title":"Professor Valerie Thomas receiving the 2026 IISE Sustainable Development Division Teaching Award, from Jeremy Rickli, Assoc. Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Wayne State University and Past-President of the IISE Sustainable Development D","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Valerie Thomas receiving the 2026 IISE Sustainable Development Division Teaching Award, from Jeremy Rickli, Assoc. Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Wayne State University and Past-President of the IISE Sustainable Development Division, at the IISE meeting in Arlington, TX, May 18, 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780339480","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 18:44:40","changed":"1780340030","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 18:53:50","alt":"Professor Valerie Thomas receiving the 2026 IISE Sustainable Development Division Teaching Award, from Jeremy Rickli, Assoc. Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Wayne State University and Past-President of the IISE Sustainable Development Division, at the IISE meeting in Arlington, TX, May 18, 2026.","file":{"fid":"264649","name":"Valerie-Award.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/Valerie-Award.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/Valerie-Award.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1450982,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/Valerie-Award.jpg?itok=ivBqeqqz"}},"680395":{"id":"680395","type":"image","title":"Professor Valerie Thomas and Georgia Tech Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy Professor Marilyn Brown co-wrote the textbook, \u201cEnergy Technology and Policy Innovation,\u201d to support the interdisciplinary course, Energy Technology and Policy (IS","body":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Valerie Thomas and Georgia Tech Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/marilyn-a-brown\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown\u003C\/a\u003E co-wrote the textbook, \u201c\u003Cem\u003EEnergy\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ETechnology and Policy Innovation\u003C\/em\u003E,\u201d to support the interdisciplinary course, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oscar.gatech.edu\/bprod\/bwckctlg.p_disp_course_detail?cat_term_in=202602\u0026amp;subj_code_in=PUBP\u0026amp;crse_numb_in=6701\u0022\u003EEnergy Technology and Policy (ISYE\/PUBP 6701)\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780340067","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 18:54:27","changed":"1780340067","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 18:54:27","alt":"Professor Valerie Thomas and Georgia Tech Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy Professor Marilyn Brown co-wrote the textbook, \u201cEnergy Technology and Policy Innovation,\u201d to support the interdisciplinary course, Energy Technology and Policy (ISYE\/PUBP 6701)","file":{"fid":"264650","name":"Valerie-Marilyn-Book.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/Valerie-Marilyn-Book.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/Valerie-Marilyn-Book.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":43291,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/Valerie-Marilyn-Book.jpeg?itok=T3QyK-po"}},"680396":{"id":"680396","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech students participating in the Rwanda Study Abroad program","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students participating in the Rwanda Study Abroad program\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780341034","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 19:10:34","changed":"1780341034","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 19:10:34","alt":"Georgia Tech students participating in the Rwanda Study Abroad program","file":{"fid":"264652","name":"IMG_0276_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/IMG_0276_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/IMG_0276_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":150592,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/IMG_0276_2.jpg?itok=sG7u0dgD"}}},"media_ids":["680393","680395","680396"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.springerprofessional.de\/en\/energy-technology-and-policy-innovation\/52298318","title":"Energy Technology and Policy Innovation"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/news\/rwanda-study-abroad-program-empowers-georgia-tech-students-through-experiential","title":"Rwanda Study Abroad Program Empowers Georgia Tech Students Through Experiential, Interdisciplinary Learning"}],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"},{"id":"1243","name":"The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (SCL)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"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":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}