{"691631":{"#nid":"691631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Does Wildfire Smoke Affect the Economy?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires in the United States are getting bigger and the season is getting longer, fueled by hotter and drier weather from climate change. Even when fires are hundreds of miles away, the wildfire smoke can still harm people\u0027s health and create economic costs through air pollution, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caseyjwichman.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A healthy AQI is between zero and 50, but when wildfire smoke blows in and settles over cities, the AQI can reach levels of 500 or more. Poor air quality changes where and how people spend their time and money, reduces productivity (even for those working indoors), and increases healthcare costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnvironmental regulations like the Clean Air Act dramatically improved our air quality over the past 40 years, but as wildfire season becomes the new normal, wildfire smoke is eroding those gains,\u201d Wichman said. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06522-6\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research,\u003C\/a\u003E wildfire smoke has erased about a quarter of the progress made over previous decades, and more than half in many western states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/08\/wildfire-smoke-affect-economy\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the IAC News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires in the United States are getting bigger and the season is getting longer, fueled by hotter and drier weather from climate change. Even when fires are hundreds of miles away, the wildfire smoke can still harm people\u0027s health and create economic costs through air pollution, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.caseyjwichman.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003ECasey Wichman,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A healthy AQI is between zero and 50, but when wildfire smoke blows in and settles over cities, the AQI can reach levels of 500 or more. Poor air quality changes where and how people spend their time and money, reduces productivity (even for those working indoors), and increases healthcare costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnvironmental regulations like the Clean Air Act dramatically improved our air quality over the past 40 years, but as wildfire season becomes the new normal, wildfire smoke is eroding those gains,\u201d Wichman said. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06522-6\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Erecent research,\u003C\/a\u003E wildfire smoke has erased about a quarter of the progress made over previous decades, and more than half in many western states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech economist Casey Wichman explains how increased wildfire smoke from climate change affects spending, productivity, and healthcare costs."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-08-12 19:02:31","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 19:06:07","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680847":{"id":"680847","type":"image","title":"CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECasey Wichman, Associate Professor, Georgia Tech School of Economics.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786561359","gmt_created":"2026-08-12 19:02:39","changed":"1786561359","gmt_changed":"2026-08-12 19:02:39","alt":"Casey Wichman, Associate Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Economics.","file":{"fid":"265174","name":"CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":448644,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/CaseyWichmanSQUARE--40-.png?itok=GxjiNJf0"}}},"media_ids":["680847"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/featured-news\/2026\/08\/wildfire-smoke-affect-economy","title":"Read Full Story on IAC News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691226":{"#nid":"691226","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Helps Advance Genesis Mission, a National Effort to Transform Scientific Discovery Through AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech will play a key role in the newly announced \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/undersecretaryforscience\/genesis-mission\/genesis-mission\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E, a national initiative harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to propel scientific discovery and address challenges in health, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and national security. The White House announced the first Genesis Mission projects on July 22 as part of a more than $5 billion investment in AI-enabled science and technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech was chosen for multiple Genesis Mission awards. Faculty will lead two projects and collaborate on others with research partners across the country.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArtificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we conduct research and drive discovery,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for Research. \u201cThese awards recognize Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in AI, advanced computing, engineering, and the sciences. By bringing together expertise from across our colleges and research units, we can help accelerate breakthroughs in areas that are crucial to the nation\u2019s future \u2014 from energy and manufacturing to health and critical infrastructure.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef48fed33303f787f2d03a09ca3172ed\u0022\u003EAmeet Pinto, associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and faculty director for interdisciplinary research and collaboration for the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, will lead \u201cAI-Enabled Single Cell Phenotyping to Advance Biomanufacturing.\u201d The project aims to advance AI-enabled approaches for understanding biological systems and strengthening next-generation biomanufacturing capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e394fd872589e430e8a7f12ca5d6a40d2\u0022\u003EFan Zhang, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will lead the project, \u201cAI Driven Workflow with Cyber Assured Digital Twin for Autonomous Operations in SMRs and Microreactors.\u201d Her team will focus on developing AI-enabled digital twin technologies to support the safe, autonomous operation of advanced nuclear energy systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe additional Georgia Tech-supported awards span multiple disciplines and involve researchers from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences; the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems; the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines; the Institute for Data Engineering and Science; and the Strategic Energy Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e7a92afba6dacd2d56dd5615804d907cf\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown (Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will build AI foundation models that predict and test water-for-energy conditions in the Tennessee Valley Authority region.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5ee3d514f06472b2bd8eed39853bf64e\u0022\u003EPeng Chen (School of Computational Science and Engineering) will collaborate on two projects designed to improve predictions of both water availability and flood risks. He will partner with ORNL and the Argonne National Laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1bb31f256d17759aa5ead75ec2e02245\u0022\u003EAsif Khan (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to accelerate the discovery of new materials for a type of computer memory called Electro-Chemical RAM (ECRAM) to help create more energy-efficient AI systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e2732e959fa01c6df4ef27eaccb18fd78\u0022\u003EFan Zhang\u2019s second Genesis Mission project is a collaboration with ORNL to develop AI tools for the lifecycle of fusion plants, including robotics and maintenance.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e940b6bc9dff007fbe6f6c84bebf1d591\u0022\u003ESamer Naif (School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences) will collaborate with the University of Southern California on the project \u0022AI-enabled Geobiological Critical Minerals Characterization and Recovery in Geothermal Systems.\u0022\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eba933b0a9119da9f1ce9b17ace8d422d\u0022\u003EShimeng Yu (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with Duke University on the project, \u0022Neuromorphic Circuit Primitives for Robotic Embodied Physical AI.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s role in the Genesis Mission highlights the Institute\u2019s strong interdisciplinary research approach, which brings together experts across many fields to solve complex problems and rapidly advance innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENote: Selection for award negotiations does not constitute a final funding award. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, awards remain subject to successful negotiations and the availability of funding.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 13:57:45","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 12:24:53","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680665":{"id":"680665","type":"image","title":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech graduate student examines a hollow fiber membrane, used for low-energy chemical separation. New DOE Genesis Mission awards have bolstered innovative interdisciplinary work across the Institute, with Georgia Tech leading two projects and contributing to five more. (Photo: Rob Felt)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784901576","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 13:59:36","changed":"1784903464","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 14:31:04","alt":"Georgia Tech grad student holding a hollow fiber membrane that can be used for low-energy chemical separation.","file":{"fid":"264956","name":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":241001,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg?itok=Dxo9rLze"}}},"media_ids":["680665"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"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\u003EAngela Ayers\u003Cbr\u003EAVP of Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691627":{"#nid":"691627","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Model Teaches Workplace AI to Read More Like Humans","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EModern artificial intelligence (AI) platforms can summarize reports, analyze documents, and answer questions in seconds. But when information is spread across dozens of slides, charts, and tables, even advanced models can miss important details.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs many organizations and businesses are turning to AI to improve workplace efficiency, risk remains high. Between overlooked footnotes and misread graphics, small mistakes can have expensive consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address this challenge, researchers from Georgia Tech and J.P. Morgan developed SlideAgent. The new framework helps large language models (LLMs) better understand complex visual documents like presentation slide decks, brochures, and reports.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2510.26615\u0022\u003ESlideAgent\u003C\/a\u003E works by breaking documents into multiple levels, allowing the model to analyze both the big picture and the fine details. This human-inspired approach leads to more accurate and reliable interpretation than existing systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond improving workplace tools, SlideAgent also points to a broader shift in AI. Instead of building only larger and more powerful models, the work shows how smarter design and more efficient reasoning can improve performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMultimodal LLMs such as GPT, Gemini, and Claude, can save people time and reduce the mental effort required to understand these documents, but they remain imperfect,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ahren09.github.io\/\u0022\u003EYiqiao (Ahren) Jin\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. candidate in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (CSE).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn high-stakes fields such as finance, for example, misreading a number, overlooking a footnote, or making an incorrect comparison across pages could affect reporting, risk assessment, or strategic decisions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested SlideAgent on a wide range of real-world documents, including financial presentations, technical slides, and visual question-answering datasets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system consistently outperformed leading commercial models and open-source tools throughout the evaluation. In some cases, it improved accuracy by up to 10%. The gains were especially strong on more complex tasks, such as comparing information across slides or understanding how visuals relate to each other on a page.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found the results very encouraging. SlideAgent reaches an improvement of 7.9% over its proprietary base model and 9.8% over the evaluated open-source base models,\u201d said Jin, the project\u2019s lead researcher.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese are meaningful gains given the strength of the underlying multimodal models and the difficulty of the tasks.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrent multimodal AI systems often process entire pages at once. This approach can lead to mistakes, such as miscounting items in a chart or overlooking important details in dense visuals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESlideAgent addresses this by mimicking how people read documents. Instead of treating each page as a single unit, the system looks at information at three levels: the full document, individual pages, and specific elements like charts, tables, and text blocks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA network of agents, each specialized for a specific level, divides and coordinates analysis. Then, SlideAgent combines outputs to build a structured understanding of the overall document. This allows it to answer questions more accurately and reason across multiple pages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe central inspiration was how people naturally read a long presentation,\u201d Jin said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe first develop an understanding of the overall narrative, then identify the relevant pages or sections, and finally zoom in on individual charts, tables, or text blocks when precise evidence is needed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work highlights a growing challenge with AI. As systems become more popular and more powerful, users increasingly discover the technology\u2019s limitations. This is especially true for real-world tasks that require structured reasoning and contextual understanding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESlideAgent shows that better performance does not always come from building bigger models. Instead, it points to smarter ways of organizing how AI processes information that can lead to improvement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) accepted SlideAgent for presentation at its annual meeting. The 64th \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2026.aclweb.org\/\u0022\u003EACL 2026 meeting\u003C\/a\u003E took place July 2-7 in San Diego.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EACL is a scientific and professional organization for researchers in natural language processing (NLP). Its namesake conference is one of the world\u2019s leading venues for presenting NLP research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EACL 2026 followed a year after Jin completed an internship at J.P. Morgan AI Research, where he worked on SlideAgent. He interned under \u003Cstrong\u003ERachneet Kaur\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EZhen Zeng\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ESumitra Ganesh\u003C\/strong\u003E, all co-authors of the paper. School of CSE Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~srijan\/\u0022\u003ESrijan Kumar\u003C\/a\u003E advises Jin at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with SlideAgent, Jin authored two other papers accepted at ACL 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cConferences such as ACL are valuable not only for sharing results, but also for refining future project ideas with the broader community. Discussions across institutions and research areas can reveal limitations, suggest new evaluations, and spark collaborations that are difficult to develop in isolation,\u201d Jin said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor SlideAgent, I was particularly interested in feedback on how we can make the framework more computationally efficient without sacrificing accuracy or interpretability.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EModern artificial intelligence (AI) platforms can summarize reports, analyze documents, and answer questions in seconds. But when information is spread across dozens of slides, charts, and tables, even advanced models can miss important details.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs many organizations and businesses are turning to AI to improve workplace efficiency, risk remains high. Between overlooked footnotes and misread graphics, small mistakes can have expensive consequences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address this challenge, researchers from Georgia Tech and J.P. Morgan developed SlideAgent. The new framework helps large language models (LLMs) better understand complex visual documents like presentation slide decks, brochures, and reports.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESlideAgent works by breaking documents into multiple levels, allowing the model to analyze both the big picture and the fine details. This human-inspired approach leads to more accurate and reliable interpretation than existing systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond improving workplace tools, SlideAgent also points to a broader shift in AI. Instead of building only larger and more powerful models, the work shows how smarter design and more efficient reasoning can improve performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new AI framework called SlideAgent helps large language models (LLMs) better understand complex visual documents used in the workplace like presentation slide decks, brochures, and reports. "}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2026-08-12 12:01:25","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 12:09:10","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680843":{"id":"680843","type":"image","title":"SlideAgent-Head-Image.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786536102","gmt_created":"2026-08-12 12:01:42","changed":"1786536102","gmt_changed":"2026-08-12 12:01:42","alt":"Yiqiao (Ahren) Jin ACL 2026","file":{"fid":"265169","name":"SlideAgent-Head-Image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/SlideAgent-Head-Image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/SlideAgent-Head-Image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":96345,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/SlideAgent-Head-Image.jpg?itok=MXXpRJcQ"}},"680844":{"id":"680844","type":"image","title":"YJ_ACL2026.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786536492","gmt_created":"2026-08-12 12:08:12","changed":"1786536492","gmt_changed":"2026-08-12 12:08:12","alt":"Yiqiao (Ahren) Jin ACL 2026","file":{"fid":"265170","name":"YJ_ACL2026.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/YJ_ACL2026.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/YJ_ACL2026.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":48282,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/YJ_ACL2026.jpg?itok=Vns4uEGI"}},"680845":{"id":"680845","type":"image","title":"YJ_ACL2026.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1786536520","gmt_created":"2026-08-12 12:08:40","changed":"1786536520","gmt_changed":"2026-08-12 12:08:40","alt":"Yiqiao (Ahren) Jin ACL 2026","file":{"fid":"265171","name":"YJ_ACL2026.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/YJ_ACL2026.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/YJ_ACL2026.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":219002,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/YJ_ACL2026.jpeg?itok=inGoNwsP"}}},"media_ids":["680843","680844","680845"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"170447","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"176858","name":"machine learning center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"14646","name":"human-computer interaction"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"194384","name":"Tech AI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691593":{"#nid":"691593","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Engineer Rethinks Supply Chains for Community Resilience ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E--Written by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a single Atlanta church to a growing network across the Southeast, Georgia Tech engineer Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n is connecting communities and researchers to support resilience in extreme weather events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a West Atlanta church received donated solar panels and battery storage to operate as a community resilience hub, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n led an academic-practitioner team that helped the congregation turn that hardware into an operational playbook. She is now using the same model to build a regional network that links community leaders and researchers on resilience, food access, and disaster response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EP\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a faculty fellow at the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), focuses on addressing problems within the supply chain and transportation domains. \u201cThese challenges often encompass disruptions, human behavior, multiple stakeholders, and sustainability objectives,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining Georgia Tech in 2023, she was a postdoctoral research associate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute\u2019s Center for Infrastructure, Transportation, and the Environment. She also holds a courtesy appointment in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of the research that I do always starts with a problem that has some sort of important social impact,\u201d she said, \u201cand then I try to draw from my expertise in different fields to help solve that problem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Network, One Pilot at a Time\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough BBISS and its Sustainability Next grant program, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina, with plans to expand across the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNeither researchers nor practitioners alone can advance community resilience as they could if they work together,\u201d she said. \u201cThe purpose of the network is to facilitate and leverage partnerships.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunity Church Atlanta is one of the first pilots. The church\u2019s resilience hub, established in 2023, offers weekly support services and on-site solar and battery storage to keep power flowing during outages caused by storms, heat waves, or other disruptions. It is also the launching point for the Westside Resilience Corridor, a partnership of four churches along Cascade Road working to become resilience hubs for their neighborhoods.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with church leaders, emergency managers, and community representatives, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n and partners held a two-day workshop to map likely hazards, define critical services, and draft activation procedures. Among those partners was Beth Remmes, coastal outreach and climate resiliency coordinator for Georgia Interfaith Power \u0026amp; Light (GIPL), who helped design and facilitate the process. \u201cThe whole idea behind resilience hubs is creating social cohesion,\u201d Remmes said. \u201cSocial connectivity and relationships in the community are one of the biggest determinants of our ability not only to bounce back, but hopefully to bounce forward in a stronger way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe noted that churches like Community Church Atlanta already serve as informal first responders. The resilience hub work makes that role more intentional by focusing on preparedness, programming, and connection well before an emergency. Just as important, in her view, was Tech\u2019s ability to see how lessons from Community Church Atlanta could inform future resilience hubs across the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErica Holloman-Hill, founder and chief envisioning officer of Ayika Solutions Inc. and a member of Community Church Atlanta, sees that impact from inside the congregation. In the resilience hub effort, she provides technical guidance on the solar and battery system, helps shape programming such as workforce development, and helped bring partners like Groundswell and Georgia Tech to the table.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech uniquely brings the science and academia,\u201d Holloman-Hill said. \u201cBeing able to leverage an institution like Georgia Tech gives weight to some of the work that we\u2019re doing, while leaning on the technical expertise of professors like Sof\u00eda and partnering with organizations like GIPL to create models and support.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, Holloman-Hill said Community Church Atlanta is focused on refining how the hub operates and sharing lessons learned with other churches in the Westside Resilience Corridor. That means clarifying how the church will run the hub during emergencies, which partners need to be at the table, and how a third-party technical advisor can help keep the system performing as designed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n, those kinds of relationships are the real outcome. \u201cThe relationship, the trust, the partnership \u2014 it\u2019s probably the most important outcome we\u2019ve seen,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Hirsch, senior director of BBISS\u2019s Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) and the network co-lead, sees the same value at an institutional scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUniversities are important members of their communities and can be key partners in sustainability and resilience efforts when they mobilize their research capabilities, students, and other resources to partner with and support local leadership and innovations,\u201d Hirsch said. \u201cNetworks of universities and communities can serve as multipliers of innovative approaches. With the resilience hubs network, we are excited to incubate new ideas that are community-centric and evidence-based and tailored to the Southeast communities that our partners know best.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere Resilience Meets Food Access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis partnership model also shapes what P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n calls her most immediately actionable project: a decision-support tool connecting local food producers, distributors, and access points in Atlanta. Her team has gathered survey and experimental data from residents in West End and citywide, testing how distance, travel time, price, and a store\u2019s ties to the community shape where people choose to shop. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to design tools for logistics and food distribution decisions that bring food closer to people,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA parallel thread runs through her disaster response work, where she studies how people choose among points of distribution for emergency relief. Proximity matters, she\u2019s found, but it isn\u2019t everything. Many people will travel farther if they believe they\u2019re more likely to receive supplies, or if it lets them move closer to family. In urban freight, she has applied the same lens to city logistics, studying behavior around emerging technologies such as sidewalk delivery robots and autonomous trucks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta\u2019s mix of freight infrastructure, food access challenges, and weather vulnerability makes it fertile ground for that range of work,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAcross every project, the constant is not only patience but also resilience. Along the way, we realize that the original research idea may no longer make sense, or that different approaches are required. The process is very nonlinear and requires revision, reassessment, and a lot of pivoting,\u201d she said. \u201cIt basically requires tons of resilience!\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough BBISS, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through BBISS, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2026-08-10 17:09:38","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 11:23:32","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680827":{"id":"680827","type":"image","title":"Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n","body":null,"created":"1786381614","gmt_created":"2026-08-10 17:06:54","changed":"1786381738","gmt_changed":"2026-08-10 17:08:58","alt":"Headshot of Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n","file":{"fid":"265150","name":"SPG2024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1710516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg?itok=DoLrUXFb"}}},"media_ids":["680827"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691623":{"#nid":"691623","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Discover New Mechanism Behind Soft-Material Adhesion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAnyone who has peeled off a bandage knows that speed matters. Conventional wisdom, and decades of adhesion research, suggest that pulling faster makes adhesive forces stronger. But researchers at Georgia Tech have discovered that soft materials can behave in a far more surprising way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of becoming steadily stickier as they are pulled apart, soft hydrogels first become less adhesive and then more adhesive as the pulling speed increases, revealing a previously unknown \u0022sweet spot\u0022 where detachment is easier. The discovery challenges a long-held assumption in adhesion mechanics and reveals a new physical mechanism that governs how soft materials attach and detach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We expected the adhesion to increase continuously with pulling speed, as predicted by classical theories,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYuhang Hu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0022Instead, we found the exact opposite over a broad range of speeds. That told us there had to be a completely different physical process at work.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-researchers-discover-new-mechanism-behind-soft-material-adhesion\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnyone who has peeled off a bandage knows that speed matters. Conventional wisdom, and decades of adhesion research, suggest that pulling faster makes adhesive forces stronger. But researchers at Georgia Tech have discovered that soft materials can behave in a far more surprising way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of becoming steadily stickier as they are pulled apart, soft hydrogels first become less adhesive and then more adhesive as the pulling speed increases, revealing a previously unknown \u0022sweet spot\u0022 where detachment is easier. The discovery challenges a long-held assumption in adhesion mechanics and reveals a new physical mechanism that governs how soft materials attach and detach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We expected the adhesion to increase continuously with pulling speed, as predicted by classical theories,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hu-2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYuhang Hu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0022Instead, we found the exact opposite over a broad range of speeds. That told us there had to be a completely different physical process at work.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have uncovered a new mechanism governing how soft materials adhere, revealing that adhesion can weaken and then strengthen as pulling speed increases \u2014 a finding that could enable new approaches to biomedical devices, soft robotic"}],"uid":"36881","created_gmt":"2026-08-11 21:11:11","changed_gmt":"2026-08-11 21:28:30","author":"ttroha3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680841":{"id":"680841","type":"image","title":"Yuhang-Hu_Article_Picture1.png","body":null,"created":"1786482709","gmt_created":"2026-08-11 21:11:49","changed":"1786482709","gmt_changed":"2026-08-11 21:11:49","alt":"Three-panel figure showing soft-material adhesion experiments: a microscope image of a probe contacting a surface, fluorescence images of the contact area, and a graph showing pull-off force versus retraction speed, with stress relaxation and dynamic bond effects labeled.","file":{"fid":"265167","name":"Yuhang-Hu_Article_Picture1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/11\/Yuhang-Hu_Article_Picture1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/11\/Yuhang-Hu_Article_Picture1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":118400,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/11\/Yuhang-Hu_Article_Picture1.png?itok=2T-fAHFm"}}},"media_ids":["680841"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETracie Troha\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691522":{"#nid":"691522","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Water Systems Face Cyberattacks, Georgia Tech Research Points to Solutions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsbtv.com\/news\/local\/water-supply-under-attack-by-cybercriminals-metro-atlanta-system-may-have-been-targeted\/XA46MWYNZRAZ5EYUN3RSJZG5SM\/\u0022\u003ERecent\u003C\/a\u003E cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the United States have renewed concerns about the cybersecurity of the operational technology that supports critical infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor researchers in Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Security\u003C\/a\u003E (CPSec) Lab, however, the vulnerabilities behind many of these incidents are far from new.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E leads the CPSec Lab and has studied programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for years. These devices automate critical infrastructure, including water treatment facilities, power grids, manufacturing plants, and transportation systems. The lab\u2019s work has revealed widespread internet exposure and software vulnerabilities that leave many industrial control systems vulnerable to cyberattacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Out of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors defined by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/topics\/critical-infrastructure-security-and-resilience\/critical-infrastructure-sectors\u0022\u003ECybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency\u003C\/a\u003E, four are considered lifelines,\u0022 Zonouz said. \u0022Of those four, communications, energy, transportation, and water, the water sector is the most vulnerable, which is why it is so often targeted.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPLCs serve as the brains of industrial operations, monitoring sensors and controlling equipment that keep essential services operational.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Imagine you have a thermostat that controls the temperature of your house. That is a type of controller,\u0022 Zonouz explained. \u0022The professional version does the same thing in industry.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen these controllers are directly accessible from the internet, attackers can exploit them to disrupt operations, manipulate industrial processes, or interfere with the systems that deliver essential services. Controllers may be intentionally exposed to allow operators to monitor equipment remotely. They can also be unintentionally accessible online because of configuration errors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, internet exposure is only part of the problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CPSec Lab maintains a collection of PLCs that researchers reverse engineer to better understand their firmware, communication protocols, and security weaknesses. Their research has found that many controllers contain vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit once they gain access.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Not only can the attackers see the house they want to rob, but the doors are also left unlocked,\u0022 Zonouz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, Zonouz and his collaborators presented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1145\/3658644.3690195\u0022\u003EPLCHound\u003C\/a\u003E at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS), introducing an automated system that identifies internet-connected PLCs hidden within massive internet-scale datasets collected by services such as Shodan and Censys. The work was led by Ph.D. student \u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Pickren\u003C\/strong\u003E. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs \u003Cstrong\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/strong\u003E, Assistant Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Li\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Research Scientist \u003Cstrong\u003EAnimesh Chhotaray\u003C\/strong\u003E are co-authors of the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than relying on traditional scanning techniques, PLCHound identifies subtle network signatures that reveal industrial devices that prior methods often missed. Using the system, the researchers conducted one of the largest studies of publicly reachable PLCs from major manufacturers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir findings showed that previous estimates undercounted the number of internet-accessible industrial controllers by as much as 37 times. Even more concerning, nearly 96% of the identified devices exposed protocols linked to recently disclosed critical vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers did more than document the problem. After identifying exposed devices, the team launched a large-scale notification campaign, contacting more than 7,000 industrial operators to alert them that their systems appeared vulnerable. The effort enabled many organizations to investigate and address security issues before they could be exploited.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe recent attacks on municipal water systems reinforce concerns researchers have raised for years: many critical infrastructure operators continue to rely on operational technology designed primarily for reliability and performance rather than for cybersecurity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImproving those defenses, Zonouz said, will require more than simply patching individual vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers cite the energy sector as a model. Compared with other critical infrastructure sectors, electric utilities generally operate under more mature cybersecurity requirements and undergo routine compliance audits, providing organizations with greater visibility into the devices connected to their networks and the risks they pose.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImplementing those improvements will not be easy. Many municipal water utilities operate with limited budgets and aging infrastructure, leaving little funding available for cybersecurity investments. As attacks on critical infrastructure become more frequent, the researchers argue that gaining visibility into operational technology assets and strengthening oversight are essential first steps to protect the systems communities rely on every day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CPSec Lab is a collaborative laboratory within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E as well as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERecent cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the United States have renewed concerns about the cybersecurity of the operational technology that supports critical infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor researchers in Georgia Tech\u0027s Cyber-Physical Security (CPSec) Lab, however, the vulnerabilities behind many of these incidents are far from new.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Recent cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the United States have renewed concerns about the cybersecurity of the operational technology that supports critical infrastructure. "}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-08-06 16:59:42","changed_gmt":"2026-08-11 16:28:52","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673306":{"id":"673306","type":"image","title":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","body":null,"created":"1709660104","gmt_created":"2024-03-05 17:35:04","changed":"1709660054","gmt_changed":"2024-03-05 17:34:14","alt":"Saman Zonouz is a Georgia Tech associate professor and lead researcher for the DerGuard project. ","file":{"fid":"256679","name":"Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56998,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/05\/Saman-Zonouz.jpg?itok=qOSZDIrt"}}},"media_ids":["673306"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691608":{"#nid":"691608","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Can Help Make Complex IPO Filings Easier to Analyze","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor investors trying to make sense of a company going public, one of the most important documents is often the most difficult to understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInitial public offering (IPO) filings are dense disclosures submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. They can stretch hundreds of pages and combine legal language, financial data, and visuals like charts and infographics. Even experienced analysts struggle to read them end to end, leaving many everyday investors relying on headlines or summaries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew research from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fintech.gatech.edu\/#\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Financial Services Innovation Lab\u003C\/a\u003E reveals how artificial intelligence can make these critical documents more accessible and reveals where AI still has room for improvement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIPO-Mine: A Toolkit and Dataset for Section-Structured Analysis of Long, Multimodal IPO Documents\u201d authors include Michael Galarnyk, Siddharth Lohani, Vidhyakshaya Kannan, Sagnik Nandi, Aman Patel, Liqin Ye, Arnav Hiray, Rutwik Routu, Prasun Banerjee, Siddhartha Somani, and Sudheer Chava.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking the Complex Understandable\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe authors developed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2605.28714\u0022\u003EIPO-Mine\u003C\/a\u003E, an open-source toolkit and dataset designed to break IPO filings into manageable pieces. Instead of treating filings as a single document, IPO-Mine separates them into structured sections and extracts visuals like charts for analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIPO filings are important public documents, but they are very difficult to work with at scale,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/siddharthlohani\/\u0022\u003ESiddharth Lohani\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech computer science major \u201926, software engineer at Bloomberg, and co-first author of the study. \u201cWe wanted to make these filings easier to analyze systematically.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy IPO Filings Matter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIPO filings offer investors a detailed look at how a company operates before it goes public.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIPO filings give investors a clearer look at how a company makes money, what risks it faces, and how it positions itself before entering the public market,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/arnav-hiray\/\u0022\u003EArnav Hiray\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech machine learning doctoral student in the Financial Services Innovation Lab, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/teams\/entry\/1279\/\u0022\u003EAI for Financial Markets VIP instructor\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;and co-author. \u201cEven if everyday investors don\u2019t read the full filing, these documents can help them better understand a company\u2019s prospects.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor retail investors, that insight can help cut through marketing hype and offer a clearer sense of a company\u2019s underlying strengths and risks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI\u2019s Strengths\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch shows that large language models and multimodal AI models can use their speed, scale, and pattern-recognition capabilities to offer significant advantages when analyzing IPO filings, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e80105b07d5b0d11faf071ba4a653dbdf\u0022\u003EProcessing massive documents: IPO filings can exceed hundreds of thousands of words, making manual review difficult. IPO-Mine structures the filings into sections and extracts visuals for analysis.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea54b334a7c419b3f02b3b99341559ff8\u0022\u003EStructuring unorganized data: IPO-Mine standardizes inconsistent sections across filings, making comparisons easier across companies and industries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e081b77f8c34f03026ea81d13df00e0de\u0022\u003EAnalyzing text and visuals together: By extracting charts and images, AI can evaluate not just what companies say, but how they present information visually.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eee168697d8050bf1cac161d049fa1ff2\u0022\u003EIdentifying trends at scale: Researchers can analyze patterns in disclosure practices across decades, industries, and thousands of companies.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these capabilities could help democratize financial analysis, giving more investors access to insights that were once limited to professionals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Key Finding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the study\u2019s most striking findings is that IPO filings are evolving in two different directions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat stood out was that the text and visuals appear to be moving in different directions,\u201d Lohani said. \u201cInvestors and researchers need to pay attention to both.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research shows that written sections are becoming more standardized, while visual elements such as charts and infographics are becoming more complex and varied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs text becomes more standardized, more of a company\u2019s distinctive story shifts into its visuals,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vidhyakshayakannan\/\u0022\u003EVidhyakshaya Kannan\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech Financial Services Innovation Lab intern and co-author. \u201cBecause boilerplate language often looks the same across filings, charts and infographics are increasingly where companies differentiate themselves and make their case to investors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor investors, that means understanding a company requires studying the visuals as carefully as the text; figures can\u2019t simply be skimmed or skipped over.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere AI Struggles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite its promise, AI is not yet a perfect solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e16599de6b5ed90a37957219cfb129f7a\u0022\u003EIPO filings are long: longer documents can reduce model performance, making it difficult for AI to maintain accuracy across an entire filing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eafdf1a735bfeac1eef2b40a946cd2d14\u0022\u003EIPO filings are visual: AI tools struggle to interpret visual data correctly.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e939c27f235f13b396533231783d65cd6\u0022\u003EIPO filings are multimodal: filings combine text, tables, and visuals in inconsistent formats. This makes them difficult for AI models to process reliably.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur results show that even strong multimodal models can disagree with expert human judgments on financial charts, especially when they are misleading,\u201d Kannan said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Future of Financial Transparency\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI can accelerate analysis and uncover patterns, but human judgment remains essential for interpreting the visuals companies increasingly use to tell their story. Even with these limitations, researchers believe tools like IPO-Mine could play an important role in shaping the future of financial transparency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIPO-Mine can help researchers, regulators, and investors analyze IPO disclosures more systematically, revealing patterns in how companies communicate risk, performance, and strategy before entering public markets,\u201d said Hiray.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy making complex financial disclosures more accessible and actionable, AI-powered tools have the potential to broaden access to critical market information and support more informed investment decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Qs17Ta40JEY\u0022\u003EWatch the researchers explain IPO-Mine and its impact\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2605.28714\u0022\u003ERead More: IPO-Mine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/center-for-finance-and-technology\/about.html\u0022\u003ELearn More: Center for Finance and Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers developed IPO-Mine, an AI-powered toolkit that helps investors, researchers, and regulators analyze complex IPO filings more efficiently while highlighting the continued importance of human judgment when interpreting the visuals companies use to tell their story.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed IPO-Mine, an AI-powered toolkit that helps investors, researchers, and regulators analyze complex IPO filings more efficiently."}],"uid":"36730","created_gmt":"2026-08-11 15:55:12","changed_gmt":"2026-08-11 16:07:06","author":"klowe36","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680836":{"id":"680836","type":"image","title":"IPO-Mine Researchers","body":"\u003Cp\u003EArnav Hiray, machine learning doctoral student; Vidhyakshaya Kannan, a Georgia Tech Financial Services intern; and Siddharth Lohani, a computer science major \u201926 and software engineer at Bloomberg.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786463495","gmt_created":"2026-08-11 15:51:35","changed":"1786463629","gmt_changed":"2026-08-11 15:53:49","alt":"Three photos of Georgia Tech researchers Arnav Hiray, machine learning doctoral student; Vidhyakshaya Kannan, a Georgia Tech Financial Services intern; and Siddharth Lohani, a computer science major \u201926 and software engineer at Bloomberg.","file":{"fid":"265160","name":"ipo-mine.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/11\/ipo-mine.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/11\/ipo-mine.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":210135,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/11\/ipo-mine.jpg?itok=Vx2WY_Je"}}},"media_ids":["680836"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/ai-can-help-investors-decode-ipo-filings.html","title":"Read More"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"4175","name":"finance"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kristin.lowe@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691432":{"#nid":"691432","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IMS Selects Seven Interdisciplinary Projects for 2026 Funding","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E (IMS) has selected seven interdisciplinary research projects for funding, including one new research initiative, one new program, and one new center. IMS will also provide renewed funding to three research initiatives and one program to support their continued growth and impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIMS focuses on transformational technologies and societal systems that arise where innovative materials, devices, and processes meet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTransformative interdisciplinary research takes time to develop, and a second year of funding gives these teams the opportunity to build on early successes, expand collaborations, and demonstrate the impact of their work,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of IMS. \u201cThis continued investment helps researchers establish a strong foundation, achieve key milestones, and position promising initiatives to grow into larger, sustainable research programs capable of attracting significant external support.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe funded projects come from four colleges and eight schools across Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). IMS selected these projects based on their innovative approaches, potential impact, and alignment with the IMS mission to push the boundaries of science and technology. They will receive funding, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and other support from the institute to bring their research to life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIMS supports interdisciplinary research both in nationally recognized areas of need and those just emerging. It scaffolds research from the ground up, from seed funding for new initiatives to infrastructure support for research programs and embedded support for research centers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 research initiatives and programs include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EResearch Initiatives:\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExtreme-Environment Microelectronics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E| Nima Ghalichechian, John Cressler, Farrokh Ayazi, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMultifunctional Materials for Efficient Buildings\u003C\/strong\u003E | Akanksha Menon, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrecision Agriculture in Controlled Environments\u003C\/strong\u003E | Antonio Facchetti, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Yongsheng Cheng, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Anju Toor, School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable Thermoregulation Strategies for Climate Change Resilience\u003C\/strong\u003E | Matthew Flavin, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Joe Bozeman, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Noura Howell, School of Literature, Media and Communication\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Programs:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAutonomous Research for Materials\u003C\/strong\u003E | Mark Losego, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Shreyas Kousik, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; Animesh Garg, School of Interactive Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Center for Semiconductor and Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E | Asif Khan, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; Divya Mahajan, School of Computer Science and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Center:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQuantum Applications Research Center\u003C\/strong\u003E | Martin Mourigal, School of Physics; Robert Wylie, Georgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/research-overview\u0022\u003ELearn more about IMS\u2019s research focuses and see a full list of its centers, programs, and initiatives.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems will provide support for three new and four renewed research projects to advance materials, devices, and processes.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Institute for Matter and Systems will provide support for three new and four renewed research projects to advance materials, devices, and processes."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-08-04 17:19:05","changed_gmt":"2026-08-07 13:01:04","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670830":{"id":"670830","type":"image","title":"Marcus Nanotechnology Building","body":null,"created":"1684353022","gmt_created":"2023-05-17 19:50:22","changed":"1684353077","gmt_changed":"2023-05-17 19:51:17","alt":"Marcus Nanotechnology Building","file":{"fid":"253766","name":"14C10042-P1-117.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/17\/14C10042-P1-117.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/17\/14C10042-P1-117.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2902337,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/17\/14C10042-P1-117.jpg?itok=Albu8ej-"}}},"media_ids":["670830"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"660410","name":"Quantum"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691494":{"#nid":"691494","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Where Breakthrough Meets Business: Georgia Tech Grad Makes Impact Through Research, Entrepreneurship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and as a former trainee in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB), it\u2019s no surprise that Georgia Tech alumnus and serial entrepreneur Chris Lee loves numbers. One in four. Eighty percent. Five times.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut for him, these numbers are more than just data \u2014 they\u2019re people. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOne in four\u003C\/a\u003E adults have sleep apnea. Up to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eeighty percent\u003C\/a\u003E go undiagnosed. And those who are untreated are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2542952\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efive times\u003C\/a\u003E more likely to die of heart disease. Lee\u2019s latest company, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.huxleymed.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHuxley Medical\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to change those numbers with one simple patch.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you look at sleep apnea, it\u0027s probably the highest diagnostic opportunity there is in healthcare that can lead to the most impactful outcome in terms of reducing heart disease,\u201d Lee said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s point-of-care device, called SANSA, measures nine physiological channels, enabling it to help doctors diagnose sleep apnea and related cardiovascular disease simultaneously. The device can be shipped directly to the patient\u2019s home, adheres to the chest like a Band-aid, and uploads data to a cloud-based system automatically.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re able to detect diseases faster in a very consumer-friendly manner,\u201d Lee said. \u201cMore or less, you just wear it and you\u2019re done.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESANSA has already been tested by more than 30,000 patients, with plans to expand exponentially by the end of the year. For Lee, that growing number is the most important of all.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI can\u2019t think of a higher calling than coming up with innovations that can improve the health or extend the life of people around the world,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u0027s why it\u0027s important to understand how to bring what you\u0027re working on in the lab to the masses because, at least for me personally, there\u0027s no higher calling in life than to be able to do that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ETurning Ideas into Innovation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaking his research to market was always the goal for Lee, and something he learned how to do through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/tiger\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETI:GER program\u003C\/a\u003E during his time at Georgia Tech. TI:GER, which stands for Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results, is housed in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E. It connects Ph.D. students from the colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences with MBA students to form teams that turn entrepreneurial ideas into technological innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELee, who joined the program in 2010 while still a trainee in IBB, was drawn to TI:GER because of the safe space it provided to develop his skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI would say TI:GER was a big part of why I chose this career path. I really enjoyed research, but the aspect I always liked was the potential for translation of that research,\u201d Lee said. \u201cTI:GER gives you direct insight, resources, mentorship, and a network to be able to do that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe network that Lee developed through the program has been a constant throughout his career. After earning his Ph.D., he joined his program mentor, Kurt Jacobus, working at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/enovis.com\/medshape\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMedshape\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup that Jacobus founded. After that company was acquired, the two co-founded another medtech business together, Vertera, which was also later \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.globusmedical.com\/healthcare-professionals\/advanced-materials-science\/cohere\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eacquired\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Jacobus sits on the board of Huxley Medical, and the connections don\u2019t stop there. The company\u2019s two co-founders \u2014 Brett Klosterhoff, Chief Business Officer; and Brennan Torstrick, Chief Scientific Officer \u2014 are also alumni of the TI:GER program and worked as trainees at IBB. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think it\u0027s the network that\u0027s probably the most surprising,\u201d Lee said. \u201cSomeone that I met at TI:GER when I completed that program 16 years ago, he\u0027s still someone that I work with on a regular basis and he\u0027s still an advisor as we continue to scale our businesses together. I would say that is probably the most valuable thing for me about the program.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the business-minded researcher, all the data, numbers, and statistics boil down to the human connection. More important than technology and innovation are the problems that they solve for patients, and Lee encourages young researchers to meet those problems with creativity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u0027s never one set path to figuring out how to translate research or starting a business or making an impact toward healthcare,\u201d he said. \u201cBut Georgia Tech can give you the tools that you can use to build your own path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Chris Lee, numbers are more than just data \u2014 they\u2019re people. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOne in four\u003C\/a\u003E adults have sleep apnea. Up to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31300334\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eeighty percent\u003C\/a\u003E go undiagnosed. And those who are untreated are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2542952\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efive times\u003C\/a\u003E more likely to die of heart disease. Lee\u2019s latest company, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.huxleymed.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHuxley Medical\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to change those numbers with one simple patch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alumnus and serial entrepreneur Chris Lee is using research from his latest company, Huxley Medical, to improve the diagnosis of sleep apnea and related cardiovascular disease with a simple wearable device."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-08-05 19:08:38","changed_gmt":"2026-08-06 17:15:14","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680798":{"id":"680798","type":"image","title":"_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left, Brett Klosterhoff (cofounder and chief business officer), Brennan Torstrick (cofounder and chief scientific officer), and Chris Lee (cofounder and CEO) of Huxley Medical. All three men are graduates of Georgia Tech and worked as trainees in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785956927","gmt_created":"2026-08-05 19:08:47","changed":"1785956927","gmt_changed":"2026-08-05 19:08:47","alt":"Three men who co-founded and lead Huxley Medical stand together on the field of a baseball stadium, smiling at the camera. They are wearing SANSA-branded hats, with a large video board behind them displaying the SANSA logo and the stadium seating in the background.","file":{"fid":"265118","name":"_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":179568,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/05\/_0000_SANSA-2111.jpg?itok=AybbTMkD"}}},"media_ids":["680798"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691121":{"#nid":"691121","#data":{"type":"news","title":"She Lost Her Mother. She Found Her Purpose.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMeghna Iyer came to Georgia Tech determined to understand the disease that was slowly taking her mother\u0027s life. Working with researchers in the Georgia Tech Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, she helped use AI to analyze 36 million biomedical research papers, uncovering biological connections among ALS, Alzheimer\u0027s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. After losing her mother, Meghna returned to the lab with an even stronger resolve to continue the work, earning first-author publication on the study and helping create a tool that could accelerate future research for families facing these devastating diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neurodegenerative-diseases\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Meghna Iyer came to Georgia Tech trying to understand her mother\u2019s illness. What she discovered is changing how scientists connect three neurodegenerative diseases."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMeghna Iyer came to Georgia Tech determined to understand the disease that was slowly taking her mother\u0027s life. Working with researchers in the Georgia Tech Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, she helped use AI to analyze 36 million biomedical research papers, uncovering biological connections among ALS, Alzheimer\u0027s disease, and frontotemporal dementia. After losing her mother, Meghna returned to the lab with an even stronger resolve to continue the work, earning first-author publication on the study and helping create a tool that could accelerate future research for families facing these devastating diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech student transformed her search to understand her mother\u0027s ALS into AI-driven research that could reshape how scientists study neurodegenerative diseases. "}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-07-14 16:53:19","changed_gmt":"2026-08-06 14:39:21","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680604":{"id":"680604","type":"image","title":"als-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech student, Meghna Iyer, transformed her search to understand her mother\u0027s ALS into AI-driven research that could reshape how scientists study neurodegenerative diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784048017","gmt_created":"2026-07-14 16:53:37","changed":"1784048017","gmt_changed":"2026-07-14 16:53:37","alt":"Two smiling researchers wearing jackets sit on rocks at a sunny beach with shoreline homes and the ocean in the background.","file":{"fid":"264887","name":"als-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2526212,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/14\/als-thumb.jpg?itok=glNqw-cB"}}},"media_ids":["680604"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neurodegenerative-diseases","title":"Read the Full Feature"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691436":{"#nid":"691436","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Your Immune Cells Are Tired. Georgia Tech Researchers Found a Way to Wake Them Up.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe immune system naturally weakens with age, leaving older adults more vulnerable to infections, cancer, and poor vaccine responses. Georgia Tech biomedical engineer Ankur Singh and his team have developed a technique that restores aging immune cells by delivering new genetic instructions directly into exhausted T cells using microscopic silicon nanowires. The treatment rejuvenated immune cells from healthy older adults, cancer survivors, and patients with cancer, helping them behave more like younger cells without damaging them. Although the research is still in its early stages, it opens the door to therapies that could strengthen aging immune systems and improve the body\u0027s ability to fight disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/immune-aging\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"It\u2019s like a shot of espresso for \u201cexhausted\u201d immune systems \u2014 a discovery that could restore the body\u2019s defenses against cancer and infection."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe immune system naturally weakens with age, leaving older adults more vulnerable to infections, cancer, and poor vaccine responses. Georgia Tech biomedical engineer Ankur Singh and his team have developed a technique that restores aging immune cells by delivering new genetic instructions directly into exhausted T cells using microscopic silicon nanowires. The treatment rejuvenated immune cells from healthy older adults, cancer survivors, and patients with cancer, helping them behave more like younger cells without damaging them. Although the research is still in its early stages, it opens the door to therapies that could strengthen aging immune systems and improve the body\u0027s ability to fight disease.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed a way to rejuvenate aging immune cells, potentially restoring the body\u2019s ability to better fight cancer, infection, and other diseases. "}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-08-04 18:19:51","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 18:04:27","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680796":{"id":"680796","type":"image","title":"ankur-thumb-image.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers developed a way to rejuvenate aging immune cells, potentially restoring the body\u0027s ability to better fight cancer, infection, and other diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785941556","gmt_created":"2026-08-05 14:52:36","changed":"1785941556","gmt_changed":"2026-08-05 14:52:36","alt":"Two researchers in a laboratory examine a blue-green silicon wafer. One, wearing a lab coat, safety goggles, and a blue glove, holds the wafer up for inspection while the other stands beside them. Laboratory equipment is visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"265116","name":"ankur-thumb-image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/ankur-thumb-image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/ankur-thumb-image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1446982,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/05\/ankur-thumb-image.jpg?itok=6Cg-eg8h"}}},"media_ids":["680796"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691214":{"#nid":"691214","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rapid Testing Offers Path to More Sustainable Material Choices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E-Written by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled materials promise a cleaner future, but recycled content alone does not necessarily make a product sustainable. At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, assistant professor, National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient, and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Faculty Fellow Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. Their article in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E details a new testing protocol that reduces cost, increases speed, and simulates real-world conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials shape nearly every part of modern life, from packaging and consumer products to bridges and medical devices. Choosing the right material involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne way that materials frequently fail is by cracking. A small crack can begin almost invisibly. Over time, it can spread from regular wear and tear and exposure to common environmental factors like moisture, temperature fluctuations, or even dirt. Eventually, the crack expands, and the part fails. Engineers have studied fracture for more than a century, but connecting the science of cracking to practical decisions about sustainability remains a major challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe characteristics of recycled plastics often vary from those of the same material in unrecycled, or virgin, form. Products made from recycled plastics may be sold with sustainability claims under the assumption that they will perform as if they were made with virgin material. However, premature failure requiring repair or replacement can quickly change the sustainability equation as well as the acceptance of recycled materials by manufacturers and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond Conventional Fracture Testing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials rarely fail due to a single factor. They may be exposed to several factors simultaneously, such as mechanical loading, chemical environments, temperature changes, moisture, and time. Traditional fracture protocols test one specimen at a time under carefully controlled laboratory conditions, which bear little resemblance to the real world. To move beyond this limitation, Sun developed an in-situ, high-throughput platform capable of studying how materials degrade and fail under more realistic conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform changes conventional fracture testing in three important ways. First, it can test multiple specimens simultaneously rather than one at a time. By monitoring samples in parallel, testing time can be reduced by more than 60%. Second, it allows materials to be tested in realistic environments. In this study, researchers examined virgin and recycled plastics in alkaline environments that resemble conditions encountered in applications like landfill liner membranes and geotextiles. Third, the platform incorporates an imaging technique known as photoelasticity, which reveals the formation of stress fields that form around the origin of a newly developing crack. This allows researchers to see cracks develop earlier than before, giving them a clearer picture of the forces that drive crack growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have made the technology available for licensing through Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing. \u201cOur goal was to make fracture testing not only faster but also more informative,\u201d Sun said. \u201cBy combining high-throughput testing, realistic environments, and full-field stress imaging, we can better understand how materials fail under conditions closer to real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Honest View of Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastics are often viewed as a greener choice. But according to the study, it\u2019s not always so straightforward. If a recycled product fails prematurely and needs to be replaced frequently, its environmental and economic costs can increase despite its recycled content. As Athanasiou puts it, \u201cFailing materials don\u2019t just break products. They can break sustainability promises.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, comparing virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with recycled PET (rPET) in applications such as landfill geotextiles, the researchers discovered that rPET showed lower resistance to environmental stressors, particularly in alkaline conditions over a pH of 9. In this application, specifying rPET over virgin PET would likely eliminate all of the presumed economic and environmental advantages of using a recycled material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecycling is essential, but recycled content alone does not tell the full story. If a material fails too soon, the environmental benefits can disappear,\u201d Athanasiou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Cracks to Circularity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the researchers, the significance of the work extends beyond recycled plastics. The broader goal is to provide a fast, affordable, and realistic platform for evaluating the sustainability of any material choice. Because current testing protocols are costly, not widely available, and limited in the information they yield, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers often have little choice but to continue to specify non-recycled materials because they will perform as expected. Having cheap and accurate data on recycled materials will help to accelerate their adoption because matching the engineering properties of recycled materials to their most appropriate applications will become more obvious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to expand the platform to simulate even more complex environments and apply it to a wider range of materials. Because the system generates large amounts of detailed data, it may enable opportunities to use computational modeling or artificial intelligence to digitally simulate mechanical testing, driving down costs and expanding availability even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe larger vision is a future in which sustainability is judged not by labels or assumptions, but by evidence for how a material performs, how long it lasts, how it fails, and what it costs society and the environment over its full lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease visit the Daedalus Lab YouTube channel to see an explainer video about this new testing protocol: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the paper here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award No. 2338508.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChoosing the right materials for manufacturing products involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. "}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 20:31:53","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 18:02:44","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680664":{"id":"680664","type":"image","title":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784836559","gmt_created":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","changed":"1784836559","gmt_changed":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","alt":"Side-by-side scientific visualization comparing in-situ photoelasticity and modeled stress field evolution during fracture testing of a transparent material. The left panel shows a rectangular specimen with rainbow-colored stress patterns radiating from a crack tip near the center-right edge, while the right panel shows a corresponding color-coded stress map with blue, green, yellow, and red regions indicating increasing stress concentration around the crack tip. Labels at the top identify the two methods.","file":{"fid":"264955","name":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg?itok=35tzJwYR"}}},"media_ids":["680664"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192170","name":"Christos Athanasiou"},{"id":"178818","name":"circular economy"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communication Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691401":{"#nid":"691401","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech to Lead National Cloud Laboratory for Advanced Manufacturing and Materials","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdvancements in technology are key to a nation\u2019s ability to innovate and compete. Next-generation infrastructure, manufacturing, energy systems, electronics, and even medicine require new materials with capabilities that existing materials can\u2019t provide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut discovering and vetting those materials can be slow, expensive, and hands-on, requiring researchers to prepare samples, run experiments on specialized equipment, and repeat the cycle through trial and error.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Georgia Tech aims to deliver a paradigm shift in materials and manufacturing research with a new Programmable Cloud Laboratory that will leverage artificial intelligence (AI), simulation, and autonomous experimentation to accelerate that process dramatically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilt upon Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E (AMPF), a core facility of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI), the cloud lab will allow researchers across the country to direct work remotely, refine experiments based on results and AI recommendations, and tap into advanced manufacturing capabilities without spending weeks on-site. In effect, the cloud lab will bring the facility to the researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy making advanced manufacturing and AI-driven experimentation accessible from anywhere, we are accelerating the discovery of critical new materials and shaping the future of U.S. innovation,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research. \u201cGeorgia Tech is proud to provide the world-class infrastructure to help meet this national need and strengthen our research partnerships.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cloud lab is supported by $18.1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is part of a broader effort to build \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/tip\/updates\/nsf-announces-400m-investment-new-national-network-ai\u0022\u003Ea national network of 20 AI-enabled cloud laboratories\u003C\/a\u003E. The labs are designed to work together, eventually allowing researchers to combine capabilities and workflows across the network. The new research ecosystem will connect advanced scientific infrastructure with expertise across the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cResearchers can ask a question, have work recommended by AI agents, have experiments carried out at the facility using robotics, and get the results back,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/stebner\u0022\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/a\u003E, GTMI associate director, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair, James R. and Sarah R. Borders Faculty Fellow, and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ME). \u201cThey can use AMPF resources to advance their own research without having to be experts in each piece of equipment or send students to AMPF for weeks at a time.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy lowering costs and barriers to conducting that research, Stebner said, the cloud lab will dramatically expand who can take advantage of AMPF\u2019s capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Self-Driving Research Lab\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAMPF is a mixed-use facility where both industry and academic partners can discover new materials and do manufacturing research. Today, the facility is approaching autonomous workflow capabilities across about 38 pieces of equipment. Through the cloud lab, the team aims to expand automated and autonomous workflows to more than 100 of AMPF\u2019s 160 pieces of equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cloud lab will also bring together stages of materials development that have traditionally happened separately, allowing researchers to explore materials discovery, manufacturing, testing, and scale-up within the same research environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pascal-van-hentenryck\u0022\u003EPascal Van Hentenryck\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ai4opt.org\/\u0022\u003ENSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization\u003C\/a\u003E and A. Russell Chandler III Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, said the automation extends beyond individual pieces of equipment. Robots can operate machines and move materials from one station to another, physically carrying out workflows requested by researchers from afar. AI will help determine which machines and robots are needed for each task and manage their movements across the facility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVan Hentenryck compared the process to following a recipe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you cook, you have a recipe, and the recipe tells you what you have to do,\u201d Van Hentenryck said. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to understand exactly how the stove is working. You just need to know what you need to accomplish with it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI agents will take those high-level \u201crecipes\u201d from researchers, translate them into detailed workflows, and coordinate experiments, simulations, and data flows across the facility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system will rely in part on digital twins \u2014 virtual models of the facility that can help plan, monitor, and improve experiments before and during execution. Van Hentenryck said the system is also designed to learn from each run, improving how machines are tuned and how future workflows are scheduled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project will integrate Duke University\u2019s Automatic FLOW for Materials Discovery software platform, led by professor Stefano Curtarolo, to connect computational discovery with physical experimentation and help researchers more rapidly identify and evaluate promising new materials. Contextualize, led by founder and CEO Branden Kappes, will provide the data platform that seamlessly connects researchers, instruments, data, and IT systems across the distributed network. Tech AI will also contribute to the project as part of the broader research team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cloud lab will help bridge a longstanding gap between research and industrial adoption. Companies can be reluctant to interrupt working production lines to test unproven technologies, while startups and academic researchers often lack access to industrial-scale facilities where they can demonstrate that their ideas work. AMPF provides an environment where emerging technologies can be tested and de-risked without disrupting commercial production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe cloud lab will give industry partners and manufacturers the ability to evaluate new ideas before they commit to large-scale deployment,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/kurfess\u0022\u003ETom Kurfess\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of GTMI and Agustin A. Ramirez\/HUSCO International Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power Systems in ME. \u201cThis initiative will shorten development cycles and make it easier to bring promising technologies into production, enabling our partners and us to innovate at the speed of thought.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Access to Advanced Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project aims to serve more than 400 users from 150 academic, industry, and government institutions, with more than half participating remotely.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMaking these autonomous labs available to a very wide community is key to innovation,\u201d Van Hentenryck said. \u201cYou just give a lot of people the opportunity to try things out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cloud lab builds on a larger effort Georgia Tech has pursued through AMPF for years: integrating AI, automation, and advanced manufacturing to create a flexible research environment that can evolve with technology, expand access, and strengthen U.S. leadership in materials and manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Stebner, the cloud lab represents a critical next step in bringing that vision to life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are six years into this effort, and we\u2019re already at a place I thought would take us 20 years to reach,\u201d Stebner said. \u201cThis cloud lab is going to take us to a level of technology, research, leadership, and access that I didn\u2019t know if we would reach by the end of my career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe cloud lab will give researchers nationwide remote access to Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, pairing AI with autonomous experimentation to accelerate new materials discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The cloud lab will give researchers nationwide remote access to Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, pairing AI with autonomous experimentation to accelerate new materials discovery."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2026-08-03 15:34:30","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 15:18:28","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680754":{"id":"680754","type":"image","title":"AMPF-opening-2-2048x1144--1-.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe cloud laboratory will enable researchers nationwide to conduct AI-driven experiments using the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u0027s materials and manufacturing equipment. (Credit: Georgia AIM)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785771652","gmt_created":"2026-08-03 15:40:52","changed":"1785771652","gmt_changed":"2026-08-03 15:40:52","alt":" A robotic arm moves amongst AMPF facilities","file":{"fid":"265065","name":"AMPF-opening-2-2048x1144--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/03\/AMPF-opening-2-2048x1144--1-_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/03\/AMPF-opening-2-2048x1144--1-_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":419033,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/03\/AMPF-opening-2-2048x1144--1-_0.jpg?itok=4K6mOaSp"}}},"media_ids":["680754"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/07\/24\/georgia-tech-helps-advance-genesis-mission-national-effort-transform-scientific","title":"Georgia Tech Helps Advance Genesis Mission, a National Effort to Transform Scientific Discovery Through AI"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"81901","name":"GTMI"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691463":{"#nid":"691463","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ChatBot is Good News for People with Not-So-Green Thumbs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStarting and maintaining a new garden can be daunting. But a new multi-agent conversational system developed at Georgia Tech is taking much of the guesswork out of gardening for beginners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECultivAgents is a three-agent system that fields gardening questions and creates tailored plans based on a user\u2019s gardening skill level, climate and environment, and cultural background.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experience agent, environmental agent, and ethnobotanical agent inform one another and work together to guide users through the gardening process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMulti-agent systems provide multi-faceted support,\u201d said Diana Wang, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing who created CultivAgents. \u201cMy interest was in how we could provide more personalized and aligned support to individuals trying to grow food themselves while facing unique environmental or cultural factors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGardening is a hobby that many people start but give up because of the time and effort it requires to be successful. Ryan Pemberton, a horticulturist at Georgia Tech\u2019s community garden, said the two biggest mistakes he sees novice gardeners make are starting too big and overwatering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you\u2019ve never gardened before, trying to manage a large plot could be overwhelming,\u201d Pemberton said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can start small. You don\u2019t have to have a big garden right away. You can start with one tomato plant and grow from there. See how well you can keep that one plant alive and then expand as you feel comfortable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from the built-in health benefits of growing fresh food and working outdoors, Pemberton said gardening can lower your grocery bill and reduce carbon emissions by minimizing food transportation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt can also be a great way for international students at Tech to grow foods native to their homelands. He said a tool like CultivAgents could be useful for determining whether Atlanta\u2019s climate is suitable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople might want to grow a lot of different vegetables in their garden, but if you go too far south of here, it gets a little too hot to grow things like broccoli and strawberries,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA little north of here, it gets a little too cold to grow some species of peppers. Having something tell you what grows well in your region means you\u2019re not having to pick and choose or guess.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s one of the reasons Wang designed CultivAgents to feature multiple agents that consider unique environmental and cultural contexts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMultiple agents help distribute specific types of support as opposed to the generic support you often get from a single chatbot,\u201d Wang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnother advantage is that they tend to build on each other. The environmental agent builds on the experience agent\u2019s detailed steps. This allows the system to tell you how to grow bush beans, for example, within a specific local community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang said she surveyed and interviewed new and experienced gardeners who use Tech\u2019s community garden to learn what they would want from a conversational agent. She found that many wanted step-by-step instructions and guidance on what to plant, how to plant it, and a schedule for upkeep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of our users told us they view gardening as something that\u2019s long term, so they wanted this platform to be able to facilitate that kind of relationship,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe community garden is a shared space with nine garden beds. Pemberton said it\u2019s a great place for new gardeners to learn to grow food before starting their own gardens. Much of the food grown there is donated to Klemis Kitchen, Georgia Tech\u2019s on-campus food bank.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the community garden and how to get involved, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainability.campusservices.gatech.edu\/community-garden\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/sustainability.campusservices.gatech.edu\/community-garden\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo see a live demo of CultivAgents, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cultivagents.onrender.com\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/cultivagents.onrender.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECultivAgents is a three-agent system that fields gardening questions and creates tailored plans based on a user\u2019s gardening skill level, climate and environment, and cultural background.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new multi-agent conversational system is helping people start and maintain gardens."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-08-05 14:45:34","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 15:15:00","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680797":{"id":"680797","type":"image","title":"26-R10410-P12-001-copy.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1785942231","gmt_created":"2026-08-05 15:03:51","changed":"1785942231","gmt_changed":"2026-08-05 15:03:51","alt":"Community Garden","file":{"fid":"265117","name":"26-R10410-P12-001-copy.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/26-R10410-P12-001-copy.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/05\/26-R10410-P12-001-copy.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":194413,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/05\/26-R10410-P12-001-copy.jpeg?itok=O9WBm4sw"}}},"media_ids":["680797"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"48501","name":"gardening"},{"id":"47791","name":"community garden"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690949":{"#nid":"690949","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Spring 2026 Institute for Matter and Systems Facility Seed Grant Awards Announced","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems (IMS) at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E has announced the Spring 2026 Core Facility Seed Grant recipients. The primary purpose of this program is to give graduate students in diverse disciplines working on original and unfunded research in micro- and nanoscale science and engineering the opportunity to access the most advanced academic cleanroom space in the Southeast. In addition to using the labs\u0027 state-of-the-art fabrication, lithography, and characterization tools, the awardees will have the opportunity to gain proficiency in cleanroom and tool methodology and access the consultation services provided by research staff members in IMS. Seed Grant awardees are also provided travel support to present their research at a scientific conference.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to student research skill development, this biannual grant program gives faculty with novel research topics the ability to develop preliminary data to pursue follow-up funding sources. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/core-facilities-seed-grant-program\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECore Facility Seed Grant program\u003C\/a\u003E is supported in part by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/senic.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESoutheastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC),\u003C\/a\u003E a member of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nnci.net\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u2019s National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe five winning projects were awarded IMS cleanroom and lab access time to be used over the next year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Spring 2026 IMS Core Facility Seed Grant recipients are:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMineralogical and Microtextural Signatures of Lava-Water Interactions in a Paleo Lava Delta at Lake Tahoe: Implications for Volcanic-Hydrologic Processes on Mars\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EPI: Frances Rivera-Hernandez\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EStudent: Tuhi Saumya\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHolistically Designing Robust 3D Mesoscale Networks of Organic Mixed Electronic and Ionic Conductors\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EPI: Erin Ratcliff\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EStudent: Corey Roberts\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMoisture-Based Energy Harvesting for Ingestible Electrical Stimulation Therapy\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EPI: Alex Abramson\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EStudent: Julia Ding\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Processing of Agro-waste and its Application in Building Construction\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EPIs: Kimberly Kurtis (CEE), Ebenezer Fanijo (BC), and Valerie Thomas (ISyE)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EStudent: Catelyn Chamblee\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EField-induced Second-order Nonlinearity in Silicon for Electro-optic Modulation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPI: Wenshan Cai\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EStudent: Zeyu Pan\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive interdisciplinary projects to receive IMS technical support and facility access\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Five interdisciplinary projects to receive IMS technical support and facility access"}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-06-26 17:47:56","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 15:11:29","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670830":{"id":"670830","type":"image","title":"Marcus Nanotechnology Building","body":null,"created":"1684353022","gmt_created":"2023-05-17 19:50:22","changed":"1684353077","gmt_changed":"2023-05-17 19:51:17","alt":"Marcus Nanotechnology Building","file":{"fid":"253766","name":"14C10042-P1-117.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/17\/14C10042-P1-117.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/17\/14C10042-P1-117.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2902337,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/17\/14C10042-P1-117.jpg?itok=Albu8ej-"}}},"media_ids":["670830"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691421":{"#nid":"691421","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SRNL, Georgia Tech Announce Facundo M. Fern\u00e1ndez\u0027s Joint Faculty Appointment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis press release is \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.srnl.gov\/news-releases\/srnl-georgia-tech-announce-joint-appointment\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eshared jointly\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E with the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) newsroom. Georgia Tech faculty \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/martha-grover\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMartha Grover\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/margaret-e-kosal\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMaggie Kosal\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E also serve as SRNL Joint Appointees.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.srnl.gov\u0022\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E announced the joint appointment of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/facundo-m-fernandez\u0022\u003EFacundo M. Fern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/a\u003E to collaborate in research around mass spectrometry, an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions for research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur partnership with Facundo will deepen SRNL\u2019s innovative research in mass spectrometry and its groundbreaking applications,\u201d said Tammy Taylor, SRNL\u2019s deputy director of Science and Technology. \u201cHis expertise and collaboration will undoubtedly accelerate our lab\u2019s drive for scientific excellence and impactful discoveries.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFern\u00e1ndez is renowned internationally for his work in bioanalytical chemistry. His research focuses on developing tools to analyze small-volume samples, tissues and single cells, with applications in understanding diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease. He has published 234 peer-reviewed papers, given over 230 invited lectures, and supervised 35 doctoral and master\u2019s degree students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also directs the Systems Mass Spectrometry Core (SyMS-C) at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, managing more than 15 mass spectrometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing appointed as a joint faculty member with SRNL opens many new opportunities for collaborative research at the intersection of biology, chemistry and engineering,\u201d said Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cThis type of collaborative research is what Georgia Tech is renowned for. We aim to address societal questions with global impact. I have been incredibly impressed with the quality of science at SRNL, and I look forward to many joint discoveries in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFern\u00e1ndez is a Regents\u2019 Professor and the Vasser-Woolley Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. He earned his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees (Licenciatura) in chemistry from the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, in 1995, and his doctorate in analytical chemistry from the same university in 1999. From 2000 to 2001, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University\u2019s Department of Chemistry. He served as a senior postdoctoral researcher and later as a research scientist between 2002 and 2003 with a research group at the University of Arizona.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cProfessor Fern\u00e1ndez is a renowned expert in the field of mass spectrometry, and it has been a privilege to already have him as a collaborator involved in our Laboratory Directed Research and Development program,\u201d said SRNL\u2019s Christopher Orton, division director for Nuclear Nonproliferation. \u201cThis joint appointment will strengthen the relationship between SRNL and Georgia Tech as we continue to work together to improve our understanding of the environmental fate of chemical contaminants in complex matrices.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESRNL\u2019s Joint Appointment Program provides university faculty opportunities to engage in research and development addressing the nation\u2019s energy related challenges.\u0026nbsp;SRNL staff and joint appointees help ensure America\u2019s security and prosperity through transformative science and technology solutions, and joint appointees serve as a bridge between their university and SRNL researchers to deliver the future workforce for the Department of Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory is a multi-program federally funded research and development center managed and\u202foperated\u202fby Battelle Savannah River Alliance for the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Environmental Management.\u0026nbsp;EM transforms the nation\u2019s environmental liabilities into opportunities for innovation, job creation, and economic growth, while ensuring safe,\u0026nbsp;secure\u0026nbsp;and prosperous communities across America. For more information, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/em\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eenergy.gov\/em\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERegents\u0027 Professor Facundo M. Fern\u00e1ndez will collaborate on research in mass spectrometry, an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions for research.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Regents\u0027 Professor Facundo M. Fern\u00e1ndez will collaborate on research in mass spectrometry, an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions for research."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-08-03 19:30:39","changed_gmt":"2026-08-05 15:05:11","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680767":{"id":"680767","type":"image","title":"Facundo M. Fern\u00e1ndez","body":null,"created":"1785785680","gmt_created":"2026-08-03 19:34:40","changed":"1785785680","gmt_changed":"2026-08-03 19:34:40","alt":"Headshot of Facundo M. Fern\u00e1ndez","file":{"fid":"265079","name":"Facundo-M.-Fernandez.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/03\/Facundo-M.-Fernandez.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/03\/Facundo-M.-Fernandez.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3793710,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/03\/Facundo-M.-Fernandez.jpeg?itok=RytQSfyY"}}},"media_ids":["680767"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/fernandezmslab.com","title":"The Fern\u00e1ndez Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"186513","name":"SRNL"},{"id":"186512","name":"Savannah River National Laboratory"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690717":{"#nid":"690717","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Scientists Create Moon Rock in the Lab","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe moon may look unchanged from afar, but its surface is constantly reshaped by microscopic impacts and a steady stream of particles from the sun, a process known as space weathering. Now, Georgia Tech researchers have recreated one of those weathering sources, solar wind, in the lab \u2014 offering new insight into how the lunar surface evolves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDust-sized meteoroids and solar wind gradually alter lunar soil, producing tiny metallic particles known as nanophase iron. For years, scientists have used sensing data influenced by those particles to estimate the weathering age of the moon\u2019s surface, but they weren\u2019t sure which weather source primarily drives these changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo investigate, physics Ph.D. candidate Roshan Trivedi and Advik Vira, a recent Ph.D. graduate, exposed ilmenite, a common mineral on both the Earth and moon, to a synthetic version of solar wind. The experiment produced nanophase iron under controlled conditions, suggesting that solar wind plays a major role in shaping the lunar surface observed today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team presented its findings in \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/PSJ\/ae6074\u0022\u003ECreation of Lunar-Like Rims in Ilmenite Using Synthetic Solar Wind\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d published in \u003Cem\u003EThe Planetary Science Journal\u003C\/em\u003E in June.\u0026nbsp;Their work was conducted through the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/clever.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Lunar Environment and Volatile Exploration Research (CLEVER)\u003C\/a\u003E, a NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) led by Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/thomas-orlando\u0022\u003EThom Orlando\u003C\/a\u003E, a co-author of the study. A central aim of CLEVER is to understand the science and effects of space weathering as they pertain to the goals of NASA\u2019s Artemis missions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy understanding how the moon\u2019s surface morphs on a microscopic level, scientists will be able to better interpret remote sensing data. Soon, we won\u2019t have to rely just on\u0026nbsp;moon missions to learn\u0026nbsp;detailed characteristics of\u0026nbsp;the lunar surface.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work could also shed light on another longstanding question: how water forms on the moon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWater would be a fantastic resource for humans operating on the moon, but scientifically, we are driven simply by the question of how water gets there in the first place,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/phillip-first\u0022\u003EPhillip First\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cSolar wind is potentially one way, because protons in solar wind provide the hydrogen of H2O molecules\u0026nbsp;while oxygen is present in lunar minerals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a vacuum chamber in Orlando\u2019s lab to simulate solar wind and high-resolution electron microscopy to analyze the samples, the researchers recreated the effects of thousands of years of solar wind exposure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cScientists have been doing laboratory radiation experiments for years, but they haven\u0027t been able to characterize the results at this level of detail,\u201d said lead author Trivedi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team can now simulate a wide range of exposure ages, which may help explain how water forms. In addition to forming nanophase iron, the experiments created tiny voids within the mineral \u2014 potential sites where hydrogen from solar wind could bond with oxygen to form water.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHaving the ability to recreate the solar wind\u0026nbsp;and having results look so similar to actual lunar samples is excellent,\u201d said co-lead author Vira.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/PSJ\/ae6074\u0022\u003E10.3847\/PSJ\/ae6074\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThis work was directly supported by the NASA SSERVI under CLEVER. Sample preparation was performed at the Georgia Tech Institute for Matter and Systems, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. Collaborations between the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Georgia Tech for advanced electron microscopy were supported by the Georgia Tech Center for Space Technology and Research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis moon rock could help scientists interpret lunar data and explore how water may form on the moon.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This moon rock could help scientists interpret lunar data and explore how water may form on the moon."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-06-10 14:49:58","changed_gmt":"2026-08-04 16:21:07","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680443":{"id":"680443","type":"image","title":"moon.jpg","body":null,"created":"1781103109","gmt_created":"2026-06-10 14:51:49","changed":"1781103119","gmt_changed":"2026-06-10 14:51:59","alt":"Moon","file":{"fid":"264702","name":"moon.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/10\/moon.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/10\/moon.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":64398,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/10\/moon.jpg?itok=3pXbjGri"}}},"media_ids":["680443"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research\/Writer Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690903":{"#nid":"690903","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mining New Possibilities for Critical Minerals: Mapping a Stronger U.S. Supply Chain","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECritical minerals power the technologies that define modern life, from batteries and semiconductors to advanced manufacturing systems and defense applications. They are also essential to the nation\u2019s energy future, manufacturing competitiveness, and national security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/cmei\/articles\/does-office-critical-minerals-and-energy-innovation-launches-regional-consortia\u0022\u003Emajor investment\u003C\/a\u003E from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Georgia Tech is helping accelerate the development of domestic critical minerals from unconventional and secondary resources. The $7.5 million award positions the Institute to advance supply chain solutions that span resource discovery, processing, recycling, and circular materials management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESelected by DOE\u2019s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Georgia Tech will lead the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. The regional effort builds on DOE\u2019s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) initiative and will examine potential resources across the Atlantic coastal plain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CM-MAP project will focus on sedimentary deposits, including kaolin, bauxite, heavy mineral sands, and phosphates, as well as legacy mining residues, coal combustion byproducts, and other unconventional and secondary resources that could support future recycling and circular economy opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on existing infrastructure, regional assets, industry bases, and scientific expertise, CM-MAP will establish a regional innovation ecosystem that supports domestic critical mineral production, recycling, and advanced manufacturing, while fostering new economic opportunities throughout the Southeast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a powerful example of how Georgia Tech brings together leading research capabilities and partnerships from industry, government, nonprofits, and national labs to address complex national challenges,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president for Research. \u201cBy identifying and domestically sourcing critical minerals, we are helping secure essential supply chains, while enabling the next generation of energy and materials technologies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe DOE award builds on a growing network of research, industry, regional, and international partnerships led by Georgia Tech to translate scientific discovery into real-world supply chain solutions, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea149f3a1369a08e50ecd550f254e4fc6\u0022\u003EResearch leadership \u2014 Founded in 2024, Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research and technology development across the Institute.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3525757baf2e98febb34b5a40cf084bc\u0022\u003ERegional partnerships \u2014Through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gems.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Partnership for Essential Materials\u003C\/a\u003E, a flagship regional collaboration platform, Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and the Georgia Mining Association convene stakeholders from across the critical minerals sector. The partnership brings together industry, nonprofit organizations, regional economic development agencies, national labs, universities, and technical colleges to connect, collaborate, and stay engaged in the latest developments.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebccf1688cc8ca7d30f05f3e54fb5b005\u0022\u003EInternational engagement \u2014 A\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/04\/13\/georgia-universities-and-uk-partners-strengthen-collaboration-critical-minerals-gems-4\u0022\u003EU.K.-U.S. working group\u003C\/a\u003E extends partnerships across the Southeastern United States and Southwest United Kingdom, connecting researchers, industry leaders, and government agencies working to strengthen global supply chains.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1647f02ab83f892d6c95813afcbe8a2e\u0022\u003EGeorgia Critical Mineral Supply Chain Manufacturing Demonstration Center \u2014 Supported through\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/buddycarter.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=16085\u0022\u003Econgressional funding\u003C\/a\u003E, the center is developing capabilities and regional supply chain demonstrations that connect resource development, materials processing, recycling, and advanced manufacturing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of CM-MAP, researchers will analyze materials collected from natural deposits and industrial sites throughout the Southeast to identify their critical mineral content. The resulting large datasets will be combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to better understand and predict where resources exist, optimize extraction pathways, and inform future recovery and recycling strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project brings together a highly collaborative team from Georgia Tech, national labs, industry partners, and research institutions across the region,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, the principal investigator and Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang is also the founding director of the Center for Critical Mineral Solutions and executive director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough this award, we are working to build secure and resilient critical materials supply chains, from resource discovery and characterization to processing, recovery, recycling, and advanced manufacturing, while also developing the skilled workforce needed to support these emerging industries,\u201d Tang said. \u201cOur vision is to create a regional innovation ecosystem that embraces both unconventional resources and circular economy approaches to maximize the value of materials already in use.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about critical materials research and workforce development efforts at Georgia Tech by visiting the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/minerals.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Critical Mineral Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E webpage.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESelected by DOE\u2019s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Georgia Tech will lead the Critical Minerals in the Atlantic Seaboard Plain (CM-MAP) project. The regional effort builds on DOE\u2019s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) initiative and will examine potential resources across the Atlantic coastal plain.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:37:05","changed_gmt":"2026-08-04 16:17:04","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680536":{"id":"680536","type":"image","title":"Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EUnited States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/netl-exchange.energy.gov\/FileContent.aspx?FileID=fe48ff94-6a59-4df7-b490-54b66c8a22ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDepartment of Energy Core-CM Initiative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782837023","gmt_created":"2026-06-30 16:30:23","changed":"1782837023","gmt_changed":"2026-06-30 16:30:23","alt":"United States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: Department of Energy Core-CM Initiative","file":{"fid":"264810","name":"Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png","mime":"image\/png","size":709702,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/30\/Picture-for-announcement-Final.png?itok=7Qcc14JW"}}},"media_ids":["680536"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690988":{"#nid":"690988","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How AI-Powered Flood Forecasts Could Transform Hurricane Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen most people think of hurricanes, they picture howling winds tearing off roofs and snapping trees. But for Ali Sarhadi, a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sarhadi.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EClimate Risk and Extreme Dynamics Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, the real killer is often less visible. \u201cPeople think that hurricanes are about wind, but sometimes that\u2019s not the whole story,\u201d he said. \u201cThe majority of fatalities are coming from the water, not the wind.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by two Sustainability Next Seed Grants, Sarhadi\u2019s work draws on climate science, fluid physics, engineering, and artificial intelligence. He\u2019s using AI-powered, physics-informed models to better anticipate water hazards that can cripple cities and power grids in both coastal and inland communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERethinking Hurricane Risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarhadi focuses on compound flooding, the dangerous interaction between storm surge, torrential rainfall, and river flooding that increasingly defines hurricanes. He points to Hurricane Mitch, which hit Central America in 1998, as a stark example, noting that more than 12,000 people died, \u201call from freshwater flooding \u2014 none from wind,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis work has shown how climate change and sea-level rise are reshaping flood risk from storms like Hurricane Sandy, which devastated New York and New Jersey in October 2012. In the current climate, a Sandy-level natural disaster has a recurrence period of roughly once every 150 years. But that is changing fast. \u201cBecause of climate change and sea-level rise, by the middle of this century, the same level of flooding is likely to occur once every 60 years. By the end of the century, that goes up to once every 30 years,\u201d he says. \u201cHurricane Sandy caused about $70 billion in damage. Imagine experiencing that kind of destruction every 30 years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1970, Sarhadi notes, damage from tropical cyclones has increased by about 380% globally, a trend driven by the combined effect of stronger storms and more people and infrastructure being located in harm\u2019s way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhysics-Informed AI: Street-Level Flood Warnings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile storm forecasting has improved dramatically in recent decades, Sarhadi argues, \u201cWe\u2019re in good shape in terms of track forecasting, and we\u2019re getting better at rapid intensification forecasting. But what is missing is the hazard part, and specifically the water part. That\u2019s the number one killer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis lab is developing AI models tightly coupled with physics-based simulations to forecast hurricane-induced flooding at unprecedented resolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing Hurricane Sandy as a test case, his team showed that by integrating physics-based surge and rainfall models with generative AI, they could forecast building-level flood depths three to five days before landfall. \u201cWe could predict that a storm was surge-dominant and estimate how much flooding could happen at the level of each building with an accuracy beyond 90%,\u201d he says. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose extra days, and that level of granularity, could give emergency managers and local leaders the information they need to order earlier evacuations, pre-stage resources, and protect critical infrastructure. \u201cWe hope by combining AI and physics-based models we can come up with faster, more accurate modeling, first, to save lives, and then to minimize the economic damage,\u201d Sarhadi says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETargeting Georgia\u2019s Coastline\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough much of the public\u2019s attention focuses on the Gulf Coast and megacities on the Eastern Seaboard, Georgia\u2019s coastline is also highly vulnerable to surge and compound flooding. Sarhadi is collaborating with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E to model risk in places like Savannah and the surrounding coastal region. \u201cWe\u2019re working to come up with good long-term solutions for protecting coastal communities and infrastructure,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvents like Hurricane Helene in 2024, which triggered extended blackouts in Georgia and lethal flooding in western North Carolina, underscore how far inland these risks can reach. \u201cPeople think hurricanes are just a problem for coastal areas,\u201d Sarhadi says. \u201cBut even if you are far from a coastline, you can be at risk when saturated soils, torrential rain, and river flooding combine.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Climate-Resilient Power Grids and Cities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarhadi\u2019s work doesn\u2019t stop at forecasting. A central focus of his research is climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly the power grid. His team is exploring digital twin modeling \u2014 virtual replicas of energy and infrastructure systems. \u201cWhen you have a digital twin of your grid, you can run that hurricane through it and identify which substations or power lines are more vulnerable,\u201d he says, explaining that this knowledge could trigger utility crews to fix or reinforce power lines ahead of storms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking decades ahead, these tools could help utilities and planners prioritize where to upgrade aging infrastructure as hurricanes intensify and water levels rise. \u201cWe know hurricanes are getting more intense, and our infrastructure is aging,\u201d Sarhadi said. \u201cBy combining engineering, climate science, and AI, we\u2019re trying to design better adaptation plans so our communities and power systems are more resilient in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy combining physics-based AI with climate and engineering insights, Ali Sarhadi is redefining how we predict compound flooding, safeguard power grids, and build hurricane-resilient infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Professor Ali Sarhadi is using AI and digital twins to predict how and where major storms will cause the most damage."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-06-30 19:48:34","changed_gmt":"2026-08-04 16:16:35","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680539":{"id":"680539","type":"image","title":"Ali Sarhadi Portrait","body":null,"created":"1782848936","gmt_created":"2026-06-30 19:48:56","changed":"1782849065","gmt_changed":"2026-06-30 19:51:05","alt":"Portrait of an individual standing on a paved campus walkway, wearing a light-colored button-down shirt. Trees, landscaped green spaces, and campus buildings appear in the softly blurred background, with daylight illuminating the outdoor scene. The image is framed from the waist up, with the individual centered in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264813","name":"Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150773,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/30\/Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg?itok=InSZB5Ps"}}},"media_ids":["680539"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"195184","name":"Ali Sarhadi"},{"id":"179230","name":"digital twin"},{"id":"194819","name":"hurricane forecasting"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691265":{"#nid":"691265","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yuanzhi Tang Named Fellow of the American Chemical Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (ACS) Fellow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ACS is one of the world\u2019s largest scientific societies, and its Fellows Program recognizes outstanding achievements in scientific research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical profession and honors a select group of members each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Election as an ACS Fellow is a significant honor that recognizes not only scientific excellence but also leadership and service to the profession,\u0022 said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech\u0027s vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0022Yuanzhi\u0027s pioneering research, her leadership within ACS and the Strategic Energy Institute, and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration have strengthened Georgia Tech\u0027s impact in chemistry, energy, and environmental research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang was recognized for her contributions to environmental chemistry, biogeochemistry, and energy-related research, as well as for her leadership and service to the chemical sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Given her exceptionally energetic research program, which spans topics ranging from the basic understanding of chemical cycling on Earth to creative solutions to recover rare elements from wastes, this honor is richly deserved and completely unsurprising,\u0022 said Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0022We are lucky to have Yuanzhi as part of EAS.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs SEI executive director, Tang leads Institute-wide efforts to strengthen Georgia Tech\u0027s energy research enterprise by connecting expertise across disciplines and fostering partnerships with industry, government, and national laboratories. She also maintains an internationally recognized research program focused on understanding the chemical and biological processes that shape natural and engineered environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished in 2008, the ACS Fellows Program honors a distinguished group of scientists who have made exceptional contributions to chemistry and related fields while also demonstrating dedicated service to the society. With this election, Tang joins 17 Georgia Tech ACS Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u2019m deeply honored,\u0022 Tang said. \u0022This recognition reflects the contributions of many outstanding students, postdoctoral researchers, colleagues, collaborators, and mentors throughout my career. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such talented people to advance scientific discovery and build interdisciplinary partnerships that address critical energy and environmental challenges.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1876, the American Chemical Society represents more than 170,000 members worldwide and is a leading source of scientific information through its journals, conferences, and educational programs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (ACS) Fellow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ACS is one of the world\u2019s largest scientific societies, and its Fellows Program recognizes outstanding achievements in scientific research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical profession and honors a select group of members each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Election as an ACS Fellow is a significant honor that recognizes not only scientific excellence but also leadership and service to the profession,\u0022 said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech\u0027s vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0022Yuanzhi\u0027s pioneering research, her leadership within ACS and the Strategic Energy Institute, and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration have strengthened Georgia Tech\u0027s impact in chemistry, energy, and environmental research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Yuanzhi Tang, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has been named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 18:57:07","changed_gmt":"2026-08-04 15:53:09","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680685":{"id":"680685","type":"image","title":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785178716","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 18:58:36","changed":"1785178716","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 18:58:36","alt":"Yuanzhi Tang","file":{"fid":"264986","name":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":933435,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg?itok=--SwhGU3"}}},"media_ids":["680685"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691396":{"#nid":"691396","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Why Better\u2011Off Cities and Towns See More Benefits From Data Centers Than Rural\u00a0Regions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fierce backlash against data centers shows no sign of easing up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince early 2024, more than 1,200 public actions \u2013 including zoning fights, public campaigns and temporary moratoriums \u2013 have been logged by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/datacentertracker.org\/\u0022\u003EData Center Tracker\u003C\/a\u003E, a public U.S. database of community responses to data center site selection. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/26\/business\/economy\/ai-data-centers-construction-local-opposition.html\u0022\u003EAmong the concerns\u003C\/a\u003E, grid capacity, water use and transparency around siting appear most often.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis momentum is leading to political action. In Maine, lawmakers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/maine-data-center-ban-e768fb18\u0022\u003Epassed a contested bill in spring 2026\u003C\/a\u003E that would have imposed the nation\u2019s first statewide moratorium on new data centers. Gov. Janet Mills \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/governor\/mills\/news\/governor-mills-announces-decision-ld-307-2026-04-24\u0022\u003Eultimately vetoed the measure\u003C\/a\u003E on grounds that it would scuttle a US$550 million conversion of the closed Androscoggin Mill in the town of Jay into a data center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut in a nod to the political climate, Mills said she supported in principle a pause in development and signed separate legislation barring state tax incentives going to data centers. She also pledged to create a council to study the industry statewide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaine\u2019s dispute shows how statewide decisions on whether to promote or curb data centers can come down to one local case. It was no isolated example: Up to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/maine-data-center-ban-e768fb18\u0022\u003E10 other states are considering\u003C\/a\u003E similar measures to contain their expansion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut lawmakers across the country still lack clear evidence on whether new data centers can boost the economies of the communities hosting them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs scholars of how \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=n1mL35QAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Etechnological change and innovation\u003C\/a\u003E shape \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/zeng\/index.html\u0022\u003Ebusiness strategy\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/data-centers-are-booming-who-benefits.html\u0022\u003Ewe set out\u003C\/a\u003E to produce rigorous research so that policymakers can make better decisions for their communities despite the emotions on both sides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.6497238\u0022\u003EWhat we found\u003C\/a\u003E was that data center development can boost growth and jobs \u2013 but these benefits are most pronounced when the local economy is more urban and developed. In fact, it turns out that the local economy around a data center matters more than the facility itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETesting the Data Center Promise\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor years, state and local governments \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/fiscal\/subsidizing-servers-how-states-are-competing-to-attract-data-centers\u0022\u003Ehave courted data center projects\u003C\/a\u003E with property tax abatements, sales tax exemptions and other incentives. Some jurisdictions still compete aggressively, but more and more are turning the other way, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodjobsfirst.org\/data-center-moratorium-bills-are-spreading-in-2026\/\u0022\u003Eblocking tens of billions of dollars\u003C\/a\u003E in proposed investments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.6497238\u0022\u003ETo understand the full economic impact\u003C\/a\u003E, we combined records of when the centers began operating with data on local economic activity. We then compared how those economic outcomes changed before and after a county\u2019s first data center opened relative to similar counties without data centers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOverall, we found that data centers do boost growth. In the first three years after one opened, local employment rose on average by about 0.9%, wages by 1.1%, and the number of business establishments by 1%. Longer term, those effects grew to roughly 3.5%, 5% and 4.7%, respectively. Household income and building permits, meanwhile, increased by 1.9% and 16.1%, respectively. All of these gains accumulate gradually, rather than at once.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the average effects mask an important pattern. Data centers are more likely to juice the economy when there\u2019s a cluster of labor and capital already nearby, such as construction contractors, equipment suppliers, professional services and a skilled workforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn metropolitan counties, where that cluster of labor and capital is thicker, employment jumped by about 4.1%, while wages increased by 5.5%. In less populous counties, by contrast, job and wage spillovers were negligible. This suggests that the host community\u2019s level of economic development matters more than the size of the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat said, other factors also affected local economic effects from one area to the next. Facilities operated by major tech companies, for example, raised local wages more than smaller companies. In addition, counties that attracted multiple data centers within five years of the first showed larger cumulative gains than counties with a single, isolated facility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Anti-data center protestors, holding signs, are escorted out of a Georgia Public Service Commission meeting in Atlanta.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=450\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/747019\/original\/file-20260709-71-o4kknq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=566\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EData center critics point to soaring utility bills as one of the chief negative effects, given the centers\u2019 huge appetite for power.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/home\/search?query=data%20center%20protestors\u0026amp;mediaType=photo\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Jeff Amy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat About Electric Bills?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectricity in the United States is delivered through complex regional grids and regulated utilities. In turn, retail prices depend on state and local rules and how costs are allocated among households, businesses and large industrial users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis complicated patchwork goes to the heart of one of the biggest criticisms of data centers: Because they\u2019re extraordinarily power-intensive, opponents say, they \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/energy-oil\/ai-data-center-power-costs-bbfcd862\u0022\u003Ehike electric bills\u003C\/a\u003E for consumers. So we looked at counties where a utility\u2019s service area was localized enough to isolate the effects. We found that retail electricity prices rose by about 5% after a data center becomes operational.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur estimate of 5% is not universal, however. Utility territories most often span multiple counties, while rate-setting rules differ by state and utility. And prices are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/electricity\/prices-and-factors-affecting-prices.php\u0022\u003Eaffected by other factors\u003C\/a\u003E, such as weather, transmission systems and regulations. That made the electricity effect harder for us to pin down than the other economic outcomes we studied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut if our estimates stand, our figure is substantially lower than \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.njpp.org\/media\/press-release\/ai-data-centers-drive-20-electric-bill-spike-cost-new-jersey-families-billions\/\u0022\u003Esome more sensational reports\u003C\/a\u003E, which may not be correct in attributing bigger hikes in electric bills to data centers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Tensions are Running High\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPushback against data centers has picked up since 2024, as proposed projects have grown larger and more visible. Communities often make decisions amid uncertainty, with little local evidence to draw on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur findings help clarify part of that uncertainty: Economic spillovers are strong in metropolitan counties, while many rural counties see minimal gains in job growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also find that opposition to data centers is more common where data centers already operate. That pattern suggests local experience may matter, although it doesn\u2019t explain how much opposition reflects direct local experience versus \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/709772\/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx\u0022\u003Ebroader anxiety\u003C\/a\u003E about the impact of artificial intelligence more generally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBeyond the Construction Incentives\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs more data center siting decisions come up, lawmakers will need to judge whether a county\u2019s economy will benefit and whether the project\u2019s terms will help all residents even when they don\u2019t share those gains. This means that the details of local subsidy design matter, including tax incentives, electricity tariff arrangements, grid and water upgrades, and whether \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/education\/the-teachers-getting-50-000-bonuses-thanks-to-a-massive-meta-data-center-b4631d05\u0022\u003Eany new resulting tax revenue will boost public services\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, those factors can matter more than the headline investment figure touted in a company press release. While our findings are a starting point to help navigate this emotional debate, more work is needed on how these other decisions shape community outcomes.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/286750\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-better-off-cities-and-towns-see-more-benefits-from-data-centers-than-rural-regions-286750\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EData center development can boost growth and jobs \u2013 but these benefits are most pronounced when the local economy is more urban and developed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Data center development can boost growth and jobs \u2013 but these benefits are most pronounced when the local economy is more urban and developed."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-08-03 13:42:23","changed_gmt":"2026-08-03 13:50:42","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680751":{"id":"680751","type":"image","title":"file-20260709-57-1gq2i8.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter a rush to attract data centers with incentives, more communities are pushing back against their development. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.ap.org\/home\/search?query=data%20center%20construction\u0026amp;mediaType=photo\u0022\u003EAP Photo\/Ted Shaffrey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785764604","gmt_created":"2026-08-03 13:43:24","changed":"1785764604","gmt_changed":"2026-08-03 13:43:24","alt":"After a rush to attract data centers with incentives, more communities are pushing back against their development. AP Photo\/Ted Shaffrey","file":{"fid":"265061","name":"file-20260709-57-1gq2i8.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/03\/file-20260709-57-1gq2i8.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/03\/file-20260709-57-1gq2i8.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":390013,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/03\/file-20260709-57-1gq2i8.jpg?itok=2XEWrALn"}}},"media_ids":["680751"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-better-off-cities-and-towns-see-more-benefits-from-data-centers-than-rural-regions-286750","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1274","name":"Scheller College of Business"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthors:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/daniel-yue-2723889\u0022\u003EDaniel Yue\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of business, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/yiyang-zeng-2723891\u0022\u003EYiyang Zeng\u003C\/a\u003E, postdoctoral fellow of business, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691342":{"#nid":"691342","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A New Era of Black Hole Detection","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe LIGO\u2013Virgo\u2013KAGRA (LVK) detector network comprises three centers across the globe. The United States hosts twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, one located at Hanford Observatory in Washington State and a second at Livingston Observatory in Louisiana. The Virgo detector is hosted by the European Gravitational Observatory in Italy, and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave (KAGRA) detector is hosted in Japan by the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) of the University of Tokyo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech play a key role in the international collaboration. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ligo\/people\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech-LIGO research group\u003C\/a\u003E includes\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/laura-cadonati\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELaura Cadonati\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Assistant Professor\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/surabhi-sachdev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESurabhi Sachdev\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/margaret-millhouse\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMargaret Millhouse\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Scholar\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPrathamesh Joshi\u003C\/strong\u003E, eight graduate students, and multiple undergraduates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe LVK network detects gravitational waves when a massive cosmic event \u2014 like the collision of two black holes \u2014 creates invisible ripples in the fabric of space-time. Waves ripple out at the speed of light, and millions of years after the events that first created them, they reach the LVK detectors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBut detecting gravitational waves does not simply mean capturing a signal \u2014 clues first need to be untangled from background noise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIdentifying gravitational-wave signals requires carefully separating real astrophysical events from random fluctuations in the data,\u201d says School of Physics graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/urja-shah\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUrja Shah\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, whose work to quickly identify phenomena supports rapid follow-up by the broader astronomical community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo support the identification of phenomena, School of Physics graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/megan-arogeti\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMegan Arogeti\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E conducts consistency tests between waveforms, checking results to find unexpected or unusual features. \u201cTests like this give us confidence in our models as we continue to observe gravitational waves with increasing sensitivity,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey support new observations and help identify exciting new physics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThese efforts help ensure that gravitational-wave signals are robustly identified and accurately characterized, turning each detection into a precise measurement,\u201d adds Shah. \u201cIn turn, these measurements deepen our understanding of some of the most massive and dense objects in the universe and the fundamental laws governing the cosmos.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAstrocalibration Autotune\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhen a sensor detects a gravitational wave, it produces a distinctive response, says School of Physics graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/shobhit-ranjan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShobhit Ranjan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThose signals encode a wealth of information we can analyze to learn about their sources \u2014 their masses, spins, distance, and location.\u201d But in order to detect these chirps, the detectors must be carefully calibrated, and if calibration is not optimal, the signals can be compromised.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENow,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ligo.org\/gravitational-wave-detectors-can-now-autotune-their-signals\/\u0022\u003Ea new tool\u003C\/a\u003E is helping the LVK collaboration recalibrate less optimal signals.\u0026nbsp;The technique is already showing promise: In\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.aps.org\/prl\/accepted\/10.1103\/gzrj-mwv3\u0022\u003Ean article recently accepted in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, LVK researchers successfully applied it to two interesting signals. The first signal served as a testing opportunity for the method. The team used astrocalibration to recover the data and check it against secondary independent calibration data that was available. They then put the technique to use, recovering information from a second event where no secondary calibration data were available.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cLike autotune in the music industry, the new research shows that theoretical models can be used as guides, similar to how sheet music can help a studio shift off-key music to its correct tone,\u201d Ranjan explains. \u201cThese theoretical models suggest the shape of the signal, and together with data from other detectors, we can adjust the data and read it correctly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe fact that these detectors can now not only sense cosmic events, but leverage them to improve the data being collected marks a new era in gravitational wave science,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA Record-Setting Dataset\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe LVK Collaboration also\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ligo.caltech.edu\/news\/ligo20260526\u0022\u003Epublished their fifth catalog of gravitational wave events\u003C\/a\u003E this spring. The findings include an updated estimate of how fast the universe is expanding, evidence for the existence of second-generation black holes, the most precise sky localization ever achieved for a gravitational wave source, and the first measurement of three vibrational modes of a black hole.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur group helped enable 140 detections out of the 161 reported in this catalog,\u201d says Joshi, who contributed to one of the flagship searches and designed a specialized search focused on detecting especially heavy black hole mergers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJoshi also worked on determining precise locations of where the gravitational waves originated from in the universe \u2014 research that he says will allow astronomers around the world to perform long-term follow-up observations of interesting events.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne record-setting detection showed two black holes that had violently collided more than 3 billion light-years from Earth. Researchers were able to pinpoint its location in the sky more precisely than any other gravitational wave event observed before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EImprovements in the LVK network\u2019s ability to localize events along with the large number of detections allowed for a better estimate of the Hubble constant, which measures the rate at which the universe is expanding. The new measurement is over 25% more precise than previous estimates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new catalog also includes the \u201cclearest\u201d gravitational wave signal ever detected. The clarity of the signal led to the most accurate test of general relativity ever performed and confirmation of Stephen Hawking\u2019s black hole area theorem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis catalog provides not just the largest number of black hole detections, it marks a new era of rapid progress,\u201d Sachdev says. \u201cThis is just the beginning of what these observations will allow us to uncover.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFrom new calibration tools to a record-breaking catalog of detections, the LIGO\u2013Virgo\u2013KAGRA (LVK) detector network is leading the way in gravitational wave science.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From new calibration tools to a record-breaking catalog of detections, the LIGO\u2013Virgo\u2013KAGRA (LVK) detector network is leading the way in gravitational wave science."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-07-29 18:01:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-31 14:45:16","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680716":{"id":"680716","type":"image","title":"An artist\u0027s concept showing a black hole. (Credit: NASA\/JPL)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn artist\u0027s concept showing a black hole. (Credit: NASA\/JPL)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785348119","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 18:01:59","changed":"1785348119","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 18:01:59","alt":"An artist\u0027s concept showing a black hole. (Credit: NASA\/JPL)","file":{"fid":"265021","name":"black-hole.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/29\/black-hole.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/29\/black-hole.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":222604,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/29\/black-hole.jpg?itok=kXTyscxE"}}},"media_ids":["680716"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ligo.org\/science-summaries\/gw240925-gw250207-astro-calibration\/","title":"Tuning our detectors using cosmic collisions"},{"url":"https:\/\/ligo.org\/gwtc-5-0-updated-ligo-virgo-kagra-catalog-sets-new-records-in-precision-gravitational-wave-astronomy\/","title":"GWTC-5.0: Updated LIGO\u2013Virgo\u2013KAGRA Catalog sets new records in precision gravitational wave astronomy"},{"url":"https:\/\/ligo.org\/gravitational-wave-detectors-can-now-autotune-their-signals\/","title":"Gravitational wave detectors can now \u2018autotune\u2019 their signals"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETechnical Research Writer \/ Editor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691341":{"#nid":"691341","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Diagnosis to Wellness, AI\u0027s Healthcare Revolution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence (AI) is changing far more than hospital paperwork. Researchers say it\u0027s beginning to help doctors make clinical decisions, identify mental health risks earlier, expand care through smartphones and wearable devices, and extend healthcare to people who might otherwise go without it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile adoption varies across healthcare systems, Georgia Tech researchers say AI is becoming increasingly integrated into medicine. At the same time, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9789240037403\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Equestions about privacy, trust, equity, and human oversight\u003C\/a\u003E remain central to how the technology will be used in the years ahead.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedicine has clearly embraced the human-AI fusion approach,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jon-duke\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJon Duke\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/about\/research-facilities\/center-health-analytics-informatics-chai\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Health Analytics \u0026amp; Informatics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. \u201cThe use of AI is encouraged, but reliance on AI is not.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Clinical Workflows to Decision Support\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of healthcare\u0027s earliest AI applications focused on reducing administrative burdens. Today, researchers say the technology is increasingly helping clinicians access and interpret information.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuke points to the growing use of clinical AI tools such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.openevidence.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOpenEvidence,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ewhich provide healthcare professionals with AI-generated, source-backed answers to medical questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is moving beyond administrative tasks and beginning to play a meaningful role in clinical decision support,\u201d Duke said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin electronic health records, AI is being used to generate clinical notes from patient-provider conversations and summarize complex patient charts. While healthcare systems have moved most quickly on efficiency-focused applications, Duke said AI is steadily becoming part of everyday clinical practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, he believes human oversight will remain essential.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the biggest long-term questions is whether physicians trained alongside AI will develop the same level of independent clinical judgment as previous generations,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Access Beyond the Doctor\u0027s Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers also see AI creating new opportunities outside hospitals and clinics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/munmun-de-choudhury\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Interactive Computin\u003C\/a\u003Eg, said AI is helping public health systems \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/pcd\/issues\/2024\/24_0245.htm\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eidentify emerging mental health concerns\u003C\/a\u003E by analyzing digital and clinical data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is enabling public health systems to move from reactive to more proactive approaches by identifying emerging mental health concerns from diverse digital and clinical data sources,\u201d De Choudhury said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose insights may create opportunities for earlier intervention.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI has the potential to identify subtle behavioral changes that precede worsening mental health, creating opportunities for earlier support before someone reaches a crisis,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/alexander-t-adams\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlexander Adams\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Interactive Computing, studies wearable sensing systems, remote patient monitoring technologies, and point-of-care health tools. He said advances in AI are accelerating innovation in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical imaging, simulation, and biomarker discovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe biggest changes I am seeing are the increased productivity in pharmaceuticals, medical imaging, simulation, and biomarker discovery,\u201d Adams said. \u201cThat has a downstream impact on what we can measure at the point of care.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Adams, smartphones and wearable devices have become increasingly important healthcare tools because of the amount of data they collect.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo stand-alone medical devices generate nearly as much data as smartphones and smartwatches, making them a natural place for modern AI,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also sees significant potential for AI-enabled technologies to improve access in rural and underserved communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese technologies are especially important for underserved and rural populations that often have less access to care and face higher risks of complications,\u201d Adams said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBalancing Innovation and Human Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite growing interest in AI, researchers caution that adoption is not without challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real opportunity lies not in building more autonomous AI, but in designing systems that strengthen human judgment, clinical expertise, and community care,\u201d De Choudhury said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough AI has advanced rapidly, its impact on chronic disease management has remained limited, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/rosa-arriaga\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERosa Arriaga\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Interactive Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI holds a lot of promise but hasn\u0027t delivered much in the way of real-world applications,\u201d Arriaga said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also raised concerns about how increased reliance on data-driven tools could affect interactions between clinicians and patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fear is that clinicians become \u2018data checkers\u2019 and have even less interaction with patients,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, Arriaga said AI is having its greatest impact in the mental wellness space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are now randomized controlled trials showing that some people are willing to receive \u2018therapy\u2019 from an AI agent and that this intervention is beneficial,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, she cautioned that those developments should be considered alongside potential risks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGreater interactions with AI may lead to greater isolation, and parasocial relationships with AI may erode the social fabric,\u201d Arriaga said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShaping the Next Era of Healthcare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite differing views on the opportunities and challenges, the researchers see AI becoming a lasting part of healthcare.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is accelerating everything,\u201d Adams said. \u201cEven through rapid iteration and simulation alone, it will accelerate medical devices and point-of-care technologies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs healthcare organizations continue to explore where AI can improve care, researchers say the future of medicine will depend not only on technological advances but also on how effectively those tools support the people who deliver and receive care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EFrom AI-powered clinical support tools and digital mental health applications to wearable devices and remote monitoring, artificial intelligence is influencing how healthcare is delivered. Researchers say the technology offers significant opportunities to improve care and access while raising important questions about human judgment, patient relationships, privacy, and equity.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into healthcare, researchers are exploring its potential to support clinical decision-making, improve mental health interventions, expand access to care, and accelerate medical innovation."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2026-07-29 17:13:59","changed_gmt":"2026-07-30 23:07:13","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680734":{"id":"680734","type":"image","title":"From Diagnosis to Wellness, AI\u0027s Healthcare Revolution","body":null,"created":"1785452734","gmt_created":"2026-07-30 23:05:34","changed":"1785452800","gmt_changed":"2026-07-30 23:06:40","alt":"Image of watch vitals and machine vitals ","file":{"fid":"265041","name":"AdobeStock_894983554.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/30\/AdobeStock_894983554.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/30\/AdobeStock_894983554.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1424541,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/30\/AdobeStock_894983554.jpeg?itok=jRTD2kHz"}}},"media_ids":["680734"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/new-mobile-app-turns-phones-home-fetal-heart-monitors","title":"New Mobile App Turns Phones into At-Home Fetal Heart Monitors"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195214","name":"Copilot said: AI in healthcare"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"187570","name":"healthcare innovation"},{"id":"110201","name":"electronic health records"},{"id":"195216","name":"AI ethics"},{"id":"195217","name":"human oversight"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"195218","name":"mental health interventions"},{"id":"755","name":"public health"},{"id":"77691","name":"wearable technology"},{"id":"172067","name":"wearable devices"},{"id":"195219","name":"remote patient monitoring"},{"id":"168927","name":"smartphones"},{"id":"195220","name":"healthcare access"},{"id":"195221","name":"rural healthcare"},{"id":"188889","name":"underserved communities"},{"id":"195222","name":"patient care"},{"id":"195223","name":"clinical workflows"},{"id":"29071","name":"medical innovation"},{"id":"2776","name":"medical imaging"},{"id":"170604","name":"Health Analytics"},{"id":"10679","name":"personalized medicine"},{"id":"195226","name":"preventive care"},{"id":"14788","name":"healthcare technology"},{"id":"108111","name":"health equity"},{"id":"114791","name":"Data Privacy"},{"id":"88161","name":"Healthcare transformation"},{"id":"184464","name":"medical research"},{"id":"195233","name":"AI in medicine"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"43321","name":"Georgia Institue of Technology"},{"id":"195234","name":"prenatal health"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESiobhan Rodriguez\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sar30@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691311":{"#nid":"691311","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hope Among the Pines: A Field Tour in Southeast Georgia Presents Carbon Exchange as Solution","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we take care of our forests, our forests will take care of us,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/dr-yanshu-li\u0022\u003EYanshu Li,\u003C\/a\u003E associate professor of forest economics at the University of Georgia (UGA). This message was a main takeaway from a field tour held January 29-30, 2026, across working forests in Southeast Georgia. Organized by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gffgrow.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(GFF) in partnership with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022\u003ERay\u0026nbsp;C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Scheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/\u0022\u003EClemson University\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EUGA\u0026nbsp;Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources\u003C\/a\u003E, the trip brought together university researchers, foresters, potential carbon credit buyers, and family landowners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is the number one forestry state in the country, with more than 22\u0026nbsp;million\u0026nbsp;of its\u0026nbsp;roughly 24\u0026nbsp;million forested acres held in private hands. According to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/southernforests.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/SGSF_Fact-Sheet-1.pdf\u0022\u003ESouthern Group of State Foresters\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;forests and the forest products industry in the Southern U.S. provide for more than 18% of the world\u2019s pulpwood for paper and paper-related products and 7% of the world\u2019s industrial roundwood.\u0026nbsp;The timber industry also supports thousands of rural livelihoods and\u0026nbsp;sequesters\u0026nbsp;enormous amounts of carbon. Yet today, Georgia forests are under pressure due to natural disasters and market changes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe field tour promoted a Georgia-specific carbon exchange that has the potential to save forests, help companies\u0026nbsp;purchase\u0026nbsp;high quality\u0026nbsp;carbon credits, and provide co-benefits for the entire state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPressure Points: Helene\u2019s Wake and Market Headwinds\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross pine-forested Southeast Georgia, the devastation left by Hurricane Helene\u0026nbsp;remains\u0026nbsp;impossible to miss. A year and a half later, the cleanup \u2013 which is slow, expensive, and disheartening \u2013 is still ongoing across thousands of acres. Downed timber, too old to be sold for profit, lies in heaps. Throughout the field tour, landowners and foresters shared personal narratives that made it easy to feel the weight of what has been lost.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHelene only worsened troubles that were already underway. The markets for timber and pulpwood have been weakening. Demand for paper products has fallen sharply, taking pulpwood prices with it. In the last year alone, three mills have closed in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDo I bother to replant?\u0026nbsp;If I plant, will someone actually buy my timber in 20 years?\u0026nbsp;These are the questions landowners across Georgia are wrestling with. Landowners\u2019 decisions today can lead to a future with fewer forested acres, less healthy forests, and forests converted to development \u2013 a loss that is permanent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pressing question throughout the field tour was:\u0026nbsp;What happens next?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EStorytelling Matters: The Power of the Personal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the benefits of a field tour is the chance to hear\u0026nbsp;firsthand,\u0026nbsp;personal accounts from the people whose livelihoods depend on forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tour began in Emanuel County at the Willie Hodges Family Farm Estate. Herbert Hodges welcomed the group to the 600-acre property his family has stewarded for four generations. Hodges shows his respect for the land through thoughtful stewardship \u2013 for which he was honored when he was named\u0026nbsp;2025 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.nwf.org\/2025\/09\/celebrating-landowner-mentor-herbert-hodges-2025-conservationist-of-the-year\/\u0022\u003EConservationist of the Year\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts. However, Hodges worries whether the fifth generation will keep the land, and he wants to\u0026nbsp;demonstrate\u0026nbsp;to his heirs that the land is worth holding onto. He remembers his father telling him, \u201cNever get rid of the land.\u0026nbsp;As long as\u0026nbsp;you keep it, you have somewhere to live, somewhere to go.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jmhestad\/\u0022\u003EMatt Hestad\u003C\/a\u003E, senior vice president of GFF, said, \u201cMr. Hodges has to identify new opportunities for his property not only to keep his family engaged but also to prove the land is economically valuable, both today and into the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon exchange, if built well, could be exactly that kind of new opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding a Georgia Carbon Exchange\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative to develop a Georgia Carbon Exchange,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/georgia-tech-and-partners-to-establish-state-specific-forest-carbon-exchange.html\u0022\u003Elaunched in 2025\u003C\/a\u003E, is being led collaboratively by the organizers of the field tour.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;designed to create a voluntary carbon credit marketplace specifically tailored to Georgia\u2019s forest landscape, Georgia\u2019s landowners, and companies that are interested in\u0026nbsp;purchasing\u0026nbsp;high quality\u0026nbsp;carbon credits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/eady\/index.html\u0022\u003EDavid Eady\u003C\/a\u003E, director of industry engagement at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, described the vision: \u201cWe\u0027re looking at creating a marketplace for companies doing business in Georgia or headquartered in Georgia, so they can\u0026nbsp;acquire\u0026nbsp;credits that specifically\u0026nbsp;benefit\u0026nbsp;local communities and ecosystems. We want to make sure that we can continue to manage our valuable forest resources that make up well over half of the land in Georgia.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCompanies are concerned about sustainability because their customers are \u2013 and one of the things that that\u0027s manifested is a market for carbon credits,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/leslie-boby\u0022\u003ELeslie Boby\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the UGA Southern Regional Extension Forestry. \u201cBeing in forestry, we have the original carbon sequestration system: trees. And we have a lot of trees in Georgia.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe foundation for the Georgia Carbon Exchange already exists, waiting to be built on.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAll the Players at the Table\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe January tour was a pilot that can be replicated for other groups of potential carbon buyers, policymakers, and stakeholders who need to understand what is at stake in Georgia\u2019s forests before they can meaningfully invest in their future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHestad described what made this first tour valuable: \u201cWe need all the players at the table: academics, buyers, and landowners. I feel like\u0026nbsp;we\u2019ve\u0026nbsp;learned from a variety of people about forest management \u2013 from a private family landowner about intergenerational challenges, from a recreation-focused landowner about wildlife management, and from landowners who have been\u0026nbsp;impacted\u0026nbsp;by Hurricane Helene.\u0026nbsp;We\u2019ve\u0026nbsp;been provided with context for how a carbon exchange could serve those different sectors of landowners.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor industry representatives on the tour, the experience was eye-opening. They joined the tour to learn more about recovery efforts, community support, and the mechanics of a carbon exchange. At the end of the tour, they said they had a clearer sense of both\u0026nbsp;the urgency\u0026nbsp;and the opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lucasclay\/\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, extension professional at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, said, \u201cLandowners are focused on the economics of forestry, and buyers are looking for quality credits. I think\u0026nbsp;there\u0027s\u0026nbsp;a lot of opportunity for\u0026nbsp;both of these\u0026nbsp;things to happen.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA successful carbon exchange requires trust, understanding, and shared\u0026nbsp;purpose\u0026nbsp;to be cultivated deliberately. Tours like this one are part of that cultivation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EA Common Goal in Focus\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has everything it needs to make a carbon exchange work: the forests, the science, the institutions, and the will. What it needs now is exactly what the field tour was designed to build: awareness, connection, and shared commitment among the people and organizations whose decisions will shape the future of the state\u2019s forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/zach-johnson-19096918\/\u0022\u003EZach Johnson\u003C\/a\u003E, procurement\u0026nbsp;manager\u0026nbsp;at Beasley Timber Management, LLC, told the group: \u201cWith every one green ton of tree growth, you sequester approximately one metric ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.\u0026nbsp;Let\u2019s\u0026nbsp;find a way to certify this wonderful resource we have and prop up these jobs in Georgia \u2013 before\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s\u0026nbsp;too late.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaintaining\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s forests is not only about carbon. Well-managed forests filter water, support native wildlife, improve air quality, protect public health, and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. These are co-benefits that a carbon credit does not fully capture but that are very much part of the value proposition for\u0026nbsp;maintaining\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s private forests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the pines of Southeast Georgia, a common goal came into focus. The forests are worth saving. And the right people are coming together with the right plan to make it happen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBusiness and forestry experts from Georgia Tech, Clemson University, University of Georgia, and the Georgia Forestry Foundation led a field tour in Southeast Georgia that illuminated current challenges facing landowners and the forestry industry. Organizers shared how a Georgia Carbon Exchange can provide economic incentives to help landowners keep and manage their forests for carbon sequestration, with benefits to impact the entire state.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Carbon Exchange can provide economic incentives to help landowners keep and manage their forests for carbon sequestration, with benefits to impact the entire state."}],"uid":"36808","created_gmt":"2026-07-28 15:41:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-30 15:42:53","author":"bmcdonald64","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680696":{"id":"680696","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EField tour attendees in Soperton, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Field tour attendees in Soperton, Georgia. ","file":{"fid":"264998","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2323053,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-1.jpg?itok=TTP9Db5g"}},"680697":{"id":"680697","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EForest in Soperton, Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Forest in Soperton, Georgia","file":{"fid":"264999","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2639195,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-5.jpg?itok=aGzumHGQ"}},"680698":{"id":"680698","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETouring a recreational working forest in Metter, Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Touring a recreational working forest in Metter, Georgia. ","file":{"fid":"265000","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2048200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-4.jpg?itok=Lk2rGbaN"}},"680699":{"id":"680699","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHerbert Hodges displays photos: one of his father, Willie Hodges, and the other of his father, brother, and mother (photo credit: Sandra S. Hodges). Hodges leads a tour of the Willie Hodges Family Farm Estate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Collaboration image of Herbert Hodges showing his farm estate. ","file":{"fid":"265001","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2472549,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-3.jpg?itok=-vSvhoGE"}},"680700":{"id":"680700","type":"image","title":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClockwise from top left: Viewing habitat for gopher turtles. Hurricane Helene damage in Soperton, Georgia, on land owned by Gillis Ag and Timber. Attendees learn about the Georgia Carbon Exchange. Foresters share how Hurricane Helene and market changes have impacted their industry and community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785255206","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","changed":"1785255206","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 16:13:26","alt":"Collaboration image of the field tour in south Georgia","file":{"fid":"265002","name":"Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2521516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Hope-Among-the-Pines-2.jpg?itok=zkyZRVxD"}}},"media_ids":["680696","680697","680698","680699","680700"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"84331","name":"and sustainability"}],"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\u003ETo learn more about the Georgia Carbon Exchange and upcoming field tours, contact\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/clay\/index.html\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWritten by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/lux\/index.html\u0022\u003EJennifer Holley Lux\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhotography (unless otherwise noted) by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mike-gregory-22629a200\/\u0022\u003EMike Gregory\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Georgia Forestry Association \u0026amp; Foundation)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lucas.clay@gatech.edu","jennifer.lux@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691259":{"#nid":"691259","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Predatory Bacteria Help Protect Endangered Caribbean Corals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA microscopic predator may offer a new way to protect some of the Caribbean\u2019s most endangered corals. Georgia Tech researchers found that tiny predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECaused by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EVibrio coralliilyticus\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epathogen, the infection is one of the most notorious causes of tissue loss and death in stony corals. In the study, all untreated corals bleached within 48 hours. But corals exposed to the predatory bacteria fared much better: more than half showed no signs of bleaching beyond the infection site \u2014 and disease progression was effectively halted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDisease is a major driver of death for these corals, and with sea surface temperatures continuing to rise globally, we anticipate that rates of disease will only increase. It\u2019s part of a deadly synergy profoundly threatening Caribbean coral reefs,\u201d says lead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/lauren%20speare\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELauren Speare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cPredatory bacteria function like a living probiotic, fighting coral disease without harsh side effects. This could be a targeted way to protect and treat our most vulnerable coral reefs.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ismej\/article\/19\/1\/wraf270\/8376498\u0022\u003EHalobacteriovorax Halts Disease Progression in Endangered Caribbean Corals\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published in The\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EISME Journal\u003C\/em\u003E. In addition to Speare, the research team included Georgia Tech master\u0027s student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChloe Manley\u003C\/strong\u003E and postdoctoral scholar\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMacey Coppinger\u003C\/strong\u003E; University of California, Santa Barbara graduate students\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESunni Patton\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EEddie Fuques\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eemb.ucsb.edu\/people\/faculty\/vega-thurber\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERebecca Vega Thurber\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the UCSB Marine Science Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatural Defenders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpeare became interested in the research while completing her postdoctoral training with Thurber. \u201cDr. Thurber discovered that predatory bacteria are present in many coral microbiomes,\u201d Speare recalls. \u201cWe theorized that they might be contributing to what keeps the ecosystem healthy, balancing it through predation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt the time, the theory was hard to test. Marine predatory bacteria are difficult to preserve long-term, making experiments challenging. The bacteria are also extremely scarce, with populations increasing during a coral infection and rapidly declining after. Catching them while their populations are high is a matter of timing, Speare says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022It\u0027s a bit like trying to catch a mountain lion in the act of hunting a deer. If we aren\u2019t looking at the right time, we might miss it entirely,\u201d Speare says. \u201cI knew that if I wanted to study these bacteria in more detail, I would need to carefully design my experiments and timing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETesting the Treatment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo test their theory, the team spent six weeks conducting experiments at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mote.org\/location\/summerland-key-lab\/\u0022\u003EMote\u2019s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration (IC2R3)\u003C\/a\u003E in Summerland Key, Florida, a facility that maintains lab-grown living corals in seawater aquariums.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFirst, we had to make our corals sick,\u201d Speare says. \u201cBut there wasn\u2019t an established way to reliably create these infections in this species in a laboratory setting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter weeks of experimenting, Speare developed a \u201cpathogen-sticker,\u201d a small agar patch containing the disease-causing pathogens. When placed at the coral\u2019s base, it mimics how infections spread in the wild.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen,\u0026nbsp;at the first sign of infection, the team treated the coral with the \u003Cem\u003EHalobacteriovorax \u003C\/em\u003Epredatory bacteria\u003Cem\u003E. \u003C\/em\u003E\u201cSurprisingly, the most effective method was to pour the bacteria directly into the sick coral\u2019s tank,\u201d Speare says. \u201cThe bacteria are tiny, so we were able to create a concentrated liquid of them by using a filter small enough that only they can pass through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHalobacteriovorax\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eare among the fastest-known predatory bacteria, and quickly navigate to their food source \u2013 presumably the pathogen causing the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Aquariums to Oceans\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBecause of the straightforward delivery method, Speare believes the team\u2019s methods could be readily adapted for coral restoration efforts, offering a simple way to deliver treatment on natural reefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere are several approaches to treating corals and mitigating stress, but these techniques don\u2019t work for all situations and all species,\u201d she explains. \u201cCorals are complex, and there is no single cure-all, so we need as many tools as possible to help corals survive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor Speare, the next step will be to move from lab-based work to reef environments.\u0026nbsp; She\u2019s particularly curious as to why the predatory bacteria aren\u2019t already moderating illness on natural reefs. \u201cIf this is such an effective way to control pathogens, why isn\u2019t this system preventing disease outbreaks on reefs already?\u0022 she says. \u0022We need to understand what\u0027s limiting this natural defense system \u2013 and that\u2019s what we\u2019re digging into next.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;Lauren Speare was supported as a Simons Foundation Awardee of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. The Vega Thurber Lab was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf270\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ismejo\/wraf270\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers found that predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers found that predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting and consuming pathogens responsible for the infection."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 16:39:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-29 01:42:03","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680709":{"id":"680709","type":"image","title":"Staghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EStaghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1785289113","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","changed":"1785289113","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","alt":"Staghorn coral samples used in Lauren Speare\u0027s research.","file":{"fid":"265012","name":"coral-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3474517,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/coral-3.jpg?itok=YDfZY4SX"}},"680710":{"id":"680710","type":"image","title":"Lauren Speare sampling corals in the lab. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELauren Speare sampling corals in the lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785289113","gmt_created":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","changed":"1785289113","gmt_changed":"2026-07-29 01:38:33","alt":"Lauren Speare sampling corals in the lab. ","file":{"fid":"265013","name":"sampling-1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2816600,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/sampling-1.png?itok=7gsS4R-m"}}},"media_ids":["680709","680710"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETechnical Research Writer \/ Editor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691307":{"#nid":"691307","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Research Challenges Assumptions About Online Education Success","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdmissions applications, discussion posts, grades, and activity logs are among the most common signals educators use to gauge whether students will thrive in an online program. But two new Georgia Tech studies suggest those measures tell only part of the story.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/epdf\/10.1145\/3774398.3811595\u0022\u003Estudy\u003C\/a\u003E found that admissions data offers limited insight into long-term academic success. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/epdf\/10.1145\/3774398.3811599\u0022\u003Eother\u003C\/a\u003E challenges assumptions about so-called \u0022lurkers,\u0022 students who rarely post in online discussions but may still be deeply engaged in their courses. Together, the studies suggest that what matters most for student success may not be the easiest thing to measure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresented at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/learningatscale.hosting.acm.org\/las2026\/\u0022\u003ELearning@Scale\u003C\/a\u003E conference in Seoul, South Korea, the research draws on data from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/omscs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS)\u003C\/a\u003E program, one of the world\u0027s largest online degree programs. The program\u0027s scale gives researchers access to data from thousands of learners and allows them to identify patterns that would be difficult to detect in smaller educational settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPredicting Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe long-term success study analyzed years of admissions and student performance data to examine whether application materials can predict what happens after a student applies. The research focused on three practical issues that can influence student success: who gets admitted, whether the admitted students matriculate, and who ultimately completes the program. OMSCS has always had a unique admissions model that focuses more on holistically evaluating a student\u2019s background rather than GPAs or GRE scores and does not require applicants to have a strong computer science background or undergraduate education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022OMSCS has always followed a different admissions model from basically everyone else in higher education, so we can\u0027t draw from prevailing wisdom about what students to admit,\u0022 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/david-joyner\u0022\u003EDavid Joyner\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/01\/joyner-appointed-interim-vice-provost-ai-education\u0022\u003Einterim vice provost for AI in Education\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of online education and OMSCS. \u0022Enough time has passed since we moved to a new admissions system that we finally could step back and look at what factors predicted success.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that application materials could reasonably predict admissions and matriculation decisions. But when it came to forecasting retention and long-term success, early-course performance \u2014 not application information \u2014 played an outsized role in predicting whether students would remain in the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u0027ve always thought that success is most predicted by invisible factors like intended time commitment and external incentive to success,\u0022 Joyner said. \u0022But I thought there would be some signal in the application data. It\u0027s encouraging that there\u0027s not.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearning About Lurking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother indicator of student success is participation. It\u0027s often assumed that students who primarily read discussion forums rather than actively posting in them \u2014 sometimes called \u0022lurkers\u0022 \u2014 are less engaged in their courses. Marjorie Ivy, lead author of the second study on lurkers and a 2025 OMSCS graduate, became interested in the topic through her own online learning experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u0027ve been that student in an online course who reads every discussion thread, thinks deeply about the material, feels genuinely connected to what\u0027s happening in the class \u2014 and never posts,\u0022 Ivy said. \u0022That mismatch between what activity logs say about a student and what the student is actually experiencing is what drew me to this topic. I wanted to see if we could give data and language to the quieter forms of engagement that often go unnoticed.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo better understand those students, the researchers looked beyond behavioral data and examined how learners perceived their social experiences in a course. Students completed surveys about belonging, peer interaction, and whether they felt their contributions were acknowledged. Using similarity algorithms and network analysis that examines relationships between different people, the researchers grouped students into clusters of learners who shared similar attitudes about their course experiences. The results revealed that some students who rarely posted still reported feeling connected to their classmates and learning community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Beyond the Numbers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the studies examine different stages of the student journey, they arrive at a similar conclusion: Visible metrics often miss important parts of the learning experience. Understanding student success may require looking beyond what is easiest to count.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My biggest hope is this program will signal to other universities how broken our traditional admissions model is,\u0022 Joyner said. \u0022We should be giving more students the chance to succeed, because higher education is not currently accommodating plenty who can succeed.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETwo new papers show that metrics aren\u2019t the only way to evaluate online student performance.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Two new papers show that metrics aren\u2019t the only way to evaluate online student performance."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 20:40:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 20:43:22","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680690":{"id":"680690","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_1555413892.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAdobe Stock\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785184950","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 20:42:30","changed":"1785184950","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 20:42:30","alt":"woman taking notes during class ","file":{"fid":"264992","name":"AdobeStock_1555413892.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/AdobeStock_1555413892.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/AdobeStock_1555413892.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8377234,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/AdobeStock_1555413892.jpeg?itok=z9K968vh"}}},"media_ids":["680690"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691245":{"#nid":"691245","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Incoming SCP Faculty Member Selected for CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into everyday life, researchers are working to better understand and reduce the new digital safety risks it creates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVeronica Rivera\u003C\/strong\u003E, an incoming assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E (SCP), studies human-computer interaction, security, and privacy to create safer digital experiences. Her research earned her selection to the second cohort of the Computing Research Association (CRA) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cra.org\/cra-trustworthy-ai-research-fellowship\/#2026-2027-fellows\u0022\u003ETrustworthy AI Research Fellowship for Early Career Scholars\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am excited and honored to be part of this year\u0027s CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship cohort,\u0022 said Rivera.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This program reflects the importance of cross-disciplinary research and collaboration in building AI systems that benefit and support society. I look forward to spending the next year building collaborations that support me and my students\u0027 research into protecting the digital safety of the diverse communities who use AI tools.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERivera\u0027s research examines how technology shapes interpersonal relationships. Using empirical and design-based methods, she partners with communities affected by technology-facilitated abuse to understand digital safety risks and develop technologies that better protect users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the fellowship, Rivera will study how AI is reshaping technology-facilitated abuse and develop data collection methods that enable researchers to assess these evolving risks over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Trustworthy AI is a key research area in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the College of Computing,\u0022 said SCP Interim Chair \u003Cstrong\u003EMustaque Ahamad\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u0022The CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship recognizes Veronica\u0027s innovative research and will help her build a research program that advances an area of strategic importance to our school and the broader AI community.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by Microsoft, the CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship recognizes early-career computing researchers who combine technical expertise with interdisciplinary approaches to address the ethical, societal, and human-centered challenges of artificial intelligence. The fellowship provides interdisciplinary training, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities that help researchers integrate ethical, societal, and human-centered perspectives into AI research and development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next year, Rivera and the other fellows will participate in a series of professional development activities, including a four-day Field School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The program also includes quarterly virtual meetings, mentoring opportunities, and collaboration with scholars participating in related AI and data ethics programs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVeronica Rivera, an incoming assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), studies human-computer interaction, security, and privacy to create safer digital experiences. Her research earned her selection to the second cohort of the Computing Research Association (CRA) Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship for Early Career Scholars.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Veronica Rivera, an incoming assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) has been selected for the second cohort of the Computing Research Association (CRA) Trustworthy AI Research Fellowship for Early Career Scholars."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 13:30:51","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 13:49:21","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680674":{"id":"680674","type":"image","title":"464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","body":null,"created":"1785159063","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 13:31:03","changed":"1785159063","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 13:31:03","alt":"A graphic for Vernoica Rivera, CRA Trusterworthy AI Research Fellowship","file":{"fid":"264965","name":"464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1958097,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/464379_CRA-Fellowship_Victoria-Rivera_Graphic.jpg?itok=L9W5Yq44"}}},"media_ids":["680674"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"194393","name":"AI and Cybersecurity"},{"id":"181818","name":"cybersceurity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690909":{"#nid":"690909","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Agentic AI is Rethinking the Origins of Life on Earth","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs strange as it sounds, the key to understanding life\u2019s origins might lie in artificial intelligence. At least, according to a new approached being pursued by researchers at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE) Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/amirali-aghazadeh-mohandesi\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmirali Aghazadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Ph.D. student Daniel Saeedi have developed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astroagents.github.io\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAstroAgents\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an AI system that analyzes mass spectrometry data \u2014 detailed chemical compositions from meteorites and Earth soil samples \u2014 to generate novel hypotheses about the origins of life on the planet.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat sets AstroAgents apart is its use of agentic AI. Unlike traditional AI systems that perform fixed tasks, this agentic system is designed to pursue a scientific goal. It draws from astrobiology literature, interprets complex data, and proposes original ideas that researchers can investigate further.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2503.23170\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epaper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, recently featured in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-025-01364-w#:~:text=AstroAgents%20comprises%20eight%20\u0026amp;apos;AI%20agents,\u0026amp;apos;%20%E2%80%94%20what%20can%20it%20do%3F\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is opening new possibilities for how scientists explore questions that have remained unanswered for decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a special Q\u0026amp;A, Aghazadeh and Saeedi explain how AstroAgents analyzes space chemistry, what it\u2019s revealing about the possible origins of life on Earth, and what they hope to explore next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/how-agentic-ai-rethinking-origins-life-earth\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EREAD THE Q\u0026amp;A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers Amirali Aghazadeh and Daniel Saeedi discuss AstroAgents, an agentic AI system that analyzes space chemistry to generate new ideas for life\u2019s beginnings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers Amirali Aghazadeh and Daniel Saeedi discuss AstroAgents, an agentic AI system that analyzes space chemistry to generate new ideas for life\u2019s beginnings. "}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 20:18:05","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 20:21:39","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680511":{"id":"680511","type":"image","title":"agentic-ai.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1782332295","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 20:18:15","changed":"1782332553","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 20:22:33","alt":"Person working on a laptop with a digital visualization of an AI system, code, and automated workflows.","file":{"fid":"264784","name":"agentic-ai.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/agentic-ai.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/agentic-ai.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5343243,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/agentic-ai.jpeg?itok=gEreWYzD"}}},"media_ids":["680511"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003Cbr\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691122":{"#nid":"691122","#data":{"type":"news","title":"DeMillo Recognized for Lasting Contributions to Software Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERichard DeMillo, professor, founding chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), and Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing, has been named to the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeMillo was among 80 computer scientists worldwide selected for the Academy\u0027s founding class and was the only Georgia Tech faculty member recognized.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am honored to be included in the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy,\u0022 said DeMillo. \u0022This recognition reflects the work of outstanding students, collaborators, and colleagues over many years. Software engineering research has transformed the way society builds and depends upon software, and I hope our community will continue to advance the scientific foundations needed to make software more reliable, secure, and worthy of the trust people place in it.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished by ACM SIGSOFT, the Software Engineering Academy is a standing body of honor that recognizes members of the software engineering community whose lasting technical contributions, leadership, and service have shaped the field. The Academy celebrates researchers whose cumulative work and influence have advanced software engineering as both a scientific discipline and professional practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Rich\u0027s research in software testing is recognized among the most influential contributions to the field of software engineering,\u0022 said SCP Interim Chair Mustaque Ahamad. \u0022His inclusion in the inaugural ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy demonstrates the lasting impact of his research on building more reliable software systems.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe inaugural class was selected from leaders whose contributions have already been widely recognized across the software engineering community, including ACM Fellows and recipients of ACM SIGSOFT\u0027s Outstanding Research Award. Beginning next year, new Academy members will be elected annually through a community nomination process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeMillo served as the founding chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, the first school of its kind at a top research university. He previously served as the John P. Imlay Dean of the College of Computing and directed the Georgia Tech Information Security Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout his career, DeMillo has held leadership positions across academia, industry, and government. He served as Hewlett-Packard\u0027s first chief technology officer, led computing research at Bell Communications Research, directed the Computer Research Division at the National Science Foundation, and led the Software Test and Evaluation Project in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research spans software engineering, cybersecurity, election security, and the societal impacts of digital technology. His 1979 paper, Social Processes and Proofs of Theorems and Programs, is widely regarded as a foundational work in software engineering and has been recognized as one of the 50 most influential papers in computer science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his research, DeMillo has helped shape higher education through the creation of Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for 21st Century Universities. He is a fellow of both the Association for Computing Machinery and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERichard DeMillo, professor, founding chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), and Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing, has been named to the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeMillo was among 80 computer scientists worldwide selected for the Academy\u0027s founding class and was the only Georgia Tech faculty member recognized.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Richard DeMillo has been named to the inaugural class of the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-07-14 19:00:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:28:31","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673662":{"id":"673662","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Cybersecurity and Privacy Professor Rich DeMillo","body":null,"created":"1712679629","gmt_created":"2024-04-09 16:20:29","changed":"1712679629","gmt_changed":"2024-04-09 16:20:29","alt":"Georgia Tech Cybersecurity and Privacy Professor Rich DeMillo","file":{"fid":"257084","name":"Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/09\/Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/09\/Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":50395,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/09\/Rich_DeMillo_08.jpg?itok=qBhdaP00"}}},"media_ids":["673662"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690440":{"#nid":"690440","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scaling Innovation: Georgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium Builds for the Future ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMoving a new idea from a research lab to production remains one of industry\u2019s toughest challenges. But at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI), which leads the nation in translating research into technologies that shape the future of U.S. manufacturing, that gap is being closed by design. This effort was on full display during AMPF Week, a two-day celebration marking the official opening of the newly renovated Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/ampf-week\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E (AMPF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/45675\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium is bridging the gap between research and real-world production by using AI, automation, and industry partnerships to accelerate advanced manufacturing. Showcased during AMPF Week, the newly upgraded facility highlights intelligent, connected systems and a \u201cself-driving\u201d lab that enables real-time testing, innovation, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium uses AI and industry partnerships to turn research into real-world manufacturing."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-05-22 13:37:39","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:17:46","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680332":{"id":"680332","type":"image","title":"ampf-week-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA student demonstrates human-robot interaction using virtual reality controls and collaborative robotics technology at the AMPF.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779457183","gmt_created":"2026-05-22 13:39:43","changed":"1779457183","gmt_changed":"2026-05-22 13:39:43","alt":"Person wearing a virtual reality headset controlling a humanoid robot equipped with tools in a laboratory setting.","file":{"fid":"264580","name":"ampf-week-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/ampf-week-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/ampf-week-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":160283,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/22\/ampf-week-thumb.jpg?itok=aFnZ_JD1"}}},"media_ids":["680332"],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690606":{"#nid":"690606","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Helping Patients See Again: How One Doctor Uses Georgia Tech Research to Treat Eye Disease With Precision","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/garetina.com\/retina-specialist\/david-s-chin-yee-m-d\/\u0022\u003EDavid Chin Yee\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech microneedle is opening new possibilities for treating debilitating eye disease. Developed over two decades, it delivers medication precisely where it\u2019s needed, helping to preserve vision, ease pain, and prolong relief. For patients, that can mean fewer treatments \u2014 and more time for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/real-life\/microneedle\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The tiniest breakthrough can make the biggest difference."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr. David Chin Yee, a Georgia Tech microneedle is opening new possibilities for treating debilitating eye disease. Developed over two decades, it delivers medication precisely where it\u2019s needed, helping to preserve vision, ease pain, and prolong relief. For patients, that can mean fewer treatments \u2014 and more time for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A doctor uses a tiny microneedle developed at Georgia Tech to preserve patients\u2019 vision, reduce their pain, and give them more time for daily life."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 17:56:24","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:16:58","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680406":{"id":"680406","type":"image","title":"Dr. David Chin Yee","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. David Chin Yee is an Atlanta-based retina specialist who collaborates with Georgia Tech researchers on advancing microneedle technology for targeted drug delivery in eye care.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780423298","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 18:01:38","changed":"1780423602","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 18:06:42","alt":"Person in blue medical scrubs demonstrates a small device to a seated patient in a clinical exam room with medical equipment visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"264662","name":"microneedle-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":158236,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg?itok=-Um6cUcC"}}},"media_ids":["680406"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690607":{"#nid":"690607","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Taking a Cue From Horror Movies: When Music Tells You What\u2019s Coming","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses spatialized music instead of alarms to help people anticipate movement around them \u2014 such as approaching robots \u2014 by conveying direction, distance, and timing through sound. Created in the Robotic Musicianship Lab, the technology aims to improve safety and awareness in human-robot environments while also showing promise for applications in virtual reality, gaming, and assistive navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/spherephones\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are arranging music to help you see what\u2019s behind you."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses spatialized music instead of alarms to help people anticipate movement around them \u2014 such as approaching robots \u2014 by conveying direction, distance, and timing through sound. Created in the Robotic Musicianship Lab, the technology aims to improve safety and awareness in human-robot environments while also showing promise for applications in virtual reality, gaming, and assistive navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/spherephones\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses directional music to help people anticipate movement and improve safety and awareness."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 18:10:50","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:41:11","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680407":{"id":"680407","type":"image","title":"Spherephones headset with a robotic arm","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERobotic arm holds a prototype Spherephones headset, a Georgia Tech\u2013developed wearable that uses spatialized sound to help users anticipate movement around them.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780423885","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 18:11:25","changed":"1780424174","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 18:16:14","alt":"Robotic arm holding circular sensor devices with exposed wiring in a lab setting with a blurred brick wall background.","file":{"fid":"264663","name":"music-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114192,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg?itok=-SuGi3DO"}}},"media_ids":["680407"],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691207":{"#nid":"691207","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Neuro Revolution Is Dawning. Are We Ready?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, possibilities once confined to science fiction are moving closer to reality. Georgia Tech researchers are examining what these advances mean for autonomy, privacy, ethics, health, creativity, and human flourishing in a neuro-connected future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neuro-society\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"As neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are grappling with how a neuro-connected future could reshape society \u2014 and humanity itself."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, possibilities once confined to science fiction are moving closer to reality. Georgia Tech researchers are examining what these advances mean for autonomy, privacy, ethics, health, creativity, and human flourishing in a neuro-connected future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are examining what a neuro-connected future could mean for society and for humanity itself."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 13:24:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:23:13","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680643":{"id":"680643","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are examining what a neuro-connected future could mean for society and for humanity itself.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784726698","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:24:58","changed":"1784726698","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:24:58","alt":"Researcher fits and adjusts an EEG brain-monitoring cap with electrode leads on a seated participant in a neuroscience laboratory while holding a tablet.","file":{"fid":"264933","name":"AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3664833,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg?itok=liuinGwY"}}},"media_ids":["680643"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691241":{"#nid":"691241","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Advance Nanoscale 3D Printing With Faster, Higher Fidelity Method ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology\u0027s broader use in manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir work, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/saha\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, and Harnjoo Kim, who conducted the research during his doctoral studies and later as a postdoctoral fellow in Saha\u0027s lab, was recently published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-73782-x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoscale 3D printing allows researchers to create structures thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. These structures have potential applications in fields ranging from advanced computing and optics to biomedical devices and clean energy technologies. However, increasing printing speed often comes at the expense of quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/researchers-advance-nanoscale-3d-printing-faster-higher-fidelity-method\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology\u0027s broader use in manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir work, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/saha\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, and Harnjoo Kim, who conducted the research during his doctoral studies and later as a postdoctoral fellow in Saha\u0027s lab, was recently published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-73782-x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoscale 3D printing allows researchers to create structures thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. These structures have potential applications in fields ranging from advanced computing and optics to biomedical devices and clean energy technologies. However, increasing printing speed often comes at the expense of quality.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech research team has developed a nanoscale 3D printing technique that overcomes the traditional tradeoff between speed and accuracy, enabling faster fabrication with higher fidelity."}],"uid":"36881","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:46:32","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:56:59","author":"ttroha3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680671":{"id":"680671","type":"image","title":"fig1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784915737","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 17:55:37","changed":"1784915737","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 17:55:37","alt":"Diagram illustrating a nanoscale 3D printing process using a femtosecond near-infrared laser, mirrors, lenses, and a digital micromirror device to project patterned light into a photoresist on a glass slide.","file":{"fid":"264962","name":"fig1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":326251,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/fig1.jpg?itok=K0nzR-sv"}},"680670":{"id":"680670","type":"image","title":"fig5_no_letters.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EComparison of nanoscale 3D-printed structures produced without grayscale patterning (top row) and with grayscale projection two-photon lithography (GP-TPL) (bottom row). The top row shows scanning electron microscope images with defects such as bulging struts, uneven surfaces, collapsed internal features, and distorted curved structures, highlighted by red arrows. The bottom row shows the same structures fabricated with GP-TPL, exhibiting smoother surfaces, more uniform lattice geometry, well-defined curved features, and significantly thinner, higher-fidelity bridges as narrow as 53 nanometers. Insets provide magnified views of the improved lattice quality. Scale bars range from 50 micrometers to 53 nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784915214","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 17:46:54","changed":"1784915214","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 17:46:54","alt":"Diagram illustrating a nanoscale 3D printing process using a femtosecond near-infrared laser, mirrors, lenses, and a digital micromirror device (DMD) to project patterned light into a photoresist on a glass slide.","file":{"fid":"264961","name":"fig5_no_letters.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig5_no_letters.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/fig5_no_letters.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":455545,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/fig5_no_letters.jpg?itok=Q7k0R419"}}},"media_ids":["680671","680670"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETracie Troha\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ttroha3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691203":{"#nid":"691203","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI Is Rewriting Cybersecurity\u0027s Rules","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETop 3 Takeaways\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022eeb89add9349ec415091fe31ebaa1343a\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI is accelerating cyberattacks.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022edd916d25ee1c6dac5bbbe6ebba43c535\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe same technology can strengthen defenses.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022ec76b0f5b2756d385f2e78000e51dc367\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe biggest risk is falling behind.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity on both sides of the battlefield. The technology helping organizations improve efficiency also enables cybercriminals to identify vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and launch attacks at unprecedented speed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) say the greatest concern is not that AI is creating entirely new forms of cyberattacks. Instead, it is accelerating activities that attackers already perform, making existing threats quicker, cheaper, and harder to stop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI is dramatically speeding up cyberattacks,\u0022 said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/saltaformaggio.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the SCP and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). \u0022AI can identify vulnerabilities far faster than humans and often in places humans wouldn\u0027t think to look.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHackers Are Moving Faster\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost cyberattacks include several stages: finding vulnerabilities, developing ways to exploit them, gaining access to systems, and pursuing a goal such as stealing information or disrupting operations. According to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/frank-li\u0022\u003EFrank Li\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the SCP and ECE, AI is having its biggest impact on the early phases of that process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI can help attackers explore potential decisions and implement attacks faster than in the past, whether it\u0027s identifying software bugs or constructing social engineering hooks,\u0022 Li said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pace of attacks has already changed dramatically.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/swire\/index.html\u0022\u003EPeter Swire\u003C\/a\u003E, J.Z. Liang Chair in the SCP and professor of law and ethics in the Scheller College of Business, says attackers are moving from vulnerability discovery to exploitation much faster than in the past.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The average time until an exploit is detected even a couple of years ago was measured in months,\u0022 Swire said. \u0022Now it is measured in hours.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat compressed timeline is forcing organizations to rethink how quickly they identify, prioritize, and patch vulnerabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Risk Reaches Everyone\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHealthcare systems, critical infrastructure providers, government agencies, and small businesses remain attractive targets because they often manage sensitive information or essential services while relying on legacy technology. But experts emphasize that no organization is immune.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Unfortunately, everyone is at risk,\u0022 Saltaformaggio said. \u0022AI is not creating new victims; AI is making attackers faster and more effective at targeting the same organizations they have always pursued.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations with outdated systems or limited cybersecurity resources face particular challenges because AI allows attackers to identify weaknesses in less time and at lower cost than ever before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFighting AI With AI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECybersecurity defenders also have access to the same technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts say AI can strengthen defenses before, during, and after a cyberattack. Defenders can use AI to identify and patch vulnerabilities more quickly, reducing opportunities for attackers to gain access. AI can also detect subtle signs of intrusion by correlating activity across networks and recognizing patterns that would be difficult for humans to spot in real time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce an attack occurs, AI can support rapid investigation and response by analyzing how the compromise happened, identifying root causes, and helping deploy targeted protections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI can help defenders in every step of stopping a cyberattack,\u0022 Saltaformaggio said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech are already demonstrating AI\u0027s defensive potential. Saltaformaggio pointed to Georgia Tech\u0027s recent success in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency\u2019s (DARPA)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/11\/georgia-tech-makes-history-wins-darpa-challenge\u0022\u003EArtificial Intelligence Cyber Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E, which highlighted how AI systems can autonomously discover and reason about software vulnerabilities at large scale. Swire also noted that a Georgia Tech team led by Professor Taesoo Kim won a $4 million DARPA prize for developing advanced AI-based cybersecurity defenses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpeed Is the New Defense\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the promise of AI-powered security, significant challenges remain. Security teams need AI tools they can trust, ones that explain how they reached conclusions and provide evidence that analysts can verify. Attackers may also attempt to manipulate AI systems, creating new risks for organizations that rely heavily on automated tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELi says organizations cannot rely on traditional, human-paced security processes to keep up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022AI\u0027s primary impact on cyberattacks is enhancing speed and scale,\u0022 Li said. \u0022Organizations need to adapt to more agile defenses and processes that account for this, in many cases relying on AI as well to help speed up defensive actions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations also need to rethink how they respond to vulnerabilities. Swire argues that traditional patch management is no longer fast enough in a world where exploits can emerge within hours.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The entire process for patching systems will have to be re-engineered,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cybersecurity landscape has always been an arms race between attackers and defenders. AI hasn\u0027t changed that reality. It has simply accelerated it. The organizations that will be best positioned are those that adopt AI as quickly as the adversaries they are trying to stop.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is reshaping cybersecurity by accelerating how quickly cybercriminals can identify vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and launch attacks. Georgia Tech cybersecurity experts warn that AI is not creating entirely new threats but making existing cyberattacks faster, cheaper, and more difficult to stop. At the same time, AI-powered cybersecurity tools can help organizations detect vulnerabilities, strengthen defenses, and respond to incidents in real time. As AI-driven cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations that adopt AI-based security strategies will be better positioned to protect critical systems, data, and infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"AI is giving cybercriminals new speed and scale, but researchers say the technology could also become one of cybersecurity\u2019s strongest defenses."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 18:44:13","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 19:04:11","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680638":{"id":"680638","type":"image","title":"Cybersecurity and AI","body":null,"created":"1784659059","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 18:37:39","changed":"1784659173","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 18:39:33","alt":"man sitting at computer doing programming. ","file":{"fid":"264927","name":"AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":925220,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/AdobeStock_480884598.jpeg?itok=U06hGV0R"}}},"media_ids":["680638"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"9641","name":"Cyber Threats"},{"id":"194393","name":"AI and Cybersecurity"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691185":{"#nid":"691185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Richard Simmons Named Interim Director of Student Competition Center ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRichard brings a unique combination of industry experience, research leadership, and deep commitment to student success,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1078\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarolyn Seepersad\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair. \u201cAs an accomplished engineer and a Georgia Tech alumnus, he understands the value of experiential learning and is well-positioned to lead the Student Competition Center.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimmons, ME 1993, joined Georgia Tech in 2016 after spending the first 20 years of his career leading research, technology, and business development initiatives in the automotive industry, energy sector, and federal government. After graduating from Tech, he earned his master\u2019s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University and later became a licensed professional engineer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past decade, Simmons has held several leadership and research positions within Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, including founding director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and, most recently, director of Research and Studies. He has also taught a variety of courses at the Woodruff School, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2110.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EME 2110\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/capstone-design\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECapstone Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Systems, and Renewable Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ME News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Richard Simmons, principal research engineer in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been named interim director of the Student Competition Center (SCC)."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:23:10","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:28:44","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680632":{"id":"680632","type":"image","title":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons on a F1-style race car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784597001","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","changed":"1784597001","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","alt":"Rich Simmons on a car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway","file":{"fid":"264921","name":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1156844,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg?itok=yGJWQXKq"}}},"media_ids":["680632"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center","title":"Read Full Story on ME News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETraci Troha,\u003C\/a\u003E ME Communications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691168":{"#nid":"691168","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Building the Energy Workforce of Tomorrow Through Energy Unplugged at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlending engineering challenges, field experiences, and team-based design projects, the weeklong program in June gave students a dynamic introduction to energy, sustainability, and engineering innovation and a rare opportunity to engage directly with the technologies, infrastructure, people, and ideas that help power the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to get outside of the classroom, have fun, and demonstrate how a STEM education can literally help turn on lightbulbs,\u201d said SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, who also directs Energy Unplugged. \u201cThrough hands-on learning, field trips, and real-world experiences, these creative students are learning that everyone can play a role in our energy future. Along the way, they are gaining a deeper understanding of the tradeoffs and challenges engineers face and learning from experts about pathways to an energy career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMousetrap-Powered Cars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPutting those ideas into practice from day one,\u0026nbsp;the camp began with an engineering challenge in which students designed and constructed mousetrap-powered cars. Using the stored potential energy of a mousetrap spring to propel their vehicles, participants explored how energy is converted from one form to another and identified sources of friction and inefficiency that affect the distance traveled. The activity encouraged students to think like engineers, iteratively testing and refining their designs to improve results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering Optimization and Tradeoffs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESimilar problem-solving skills were put to the test during an RC car optimization challenge. Equipped with a battery-powered vehicle and energy-monitoring systems, students were tasked with completing a driving course while maximizing their score by balancing speed, energy consumption, safety, and cargo capacity. Participants had the option to add weights and tennis balls to increase potential points, but doing so increased the risk of penalties from dropped cargo, missed obstacles, or vehicle rollovers. The exercise highlighted the tradeoffs engineers routinely face when optimizing systems under competing constraints.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overall interest in green energy among youth is increasing, so having demonstrations and experiments as well as some high-level lectures on the actual science was a great way to engage the students,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003EWilliam Nudd\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior in mechanical engineering who assisted with the camp. \u201cWhen I was in their shoes, I had never attended a physics class, so the camp was definitely getting them a step ahead and did a great job introducing and showcasing key concepts related to energy: How does my home get electricity? Where does energy come from? How do power plants operate?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrivia, Demos, and Scavenger Hunts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdditional activities throughout the week included energy-themed trivia competitions, a steam engine demonstration, a solar microgrid exercise, and a campus scavenger hunt. Together, they reinforced classroom concepts through interactive learning and encouraged students to connect technical principles with practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EField Trips to Power Plants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile these activities taught foundational concepts,\u0026nbsp;a highlight of the camp was a series of field trips that allowed students to observe large-scale energy infrastructure in operation. Participants toured the Georgia Power McDonough-Atkinson Plant, where they learned how combined-cycle power plants generate electricity using both gas and steam turbines to improve efficiency. Students also visited the Morgan Falls hydroelectric facility, getting an up-close view of the massive generators and equipment used to convert the energy of flowing water into electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Tours\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn addition to exploring regional energy infrastructure, students were introduced to Georgia Tech\u2019s innovation ecosystem through visits to campus makerspaces and research facilities, including the Flowers Invention Studio and The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Students explored one of the nation\u2019s most advanced examples of sustainable building design during a guided tour of The Kendeda Building, which generates 200% of the energy it consumes. Here they learned how energy efficiency, renewable generation, and resource conservation can be integrated into the built environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinal Projects\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETo bring together the concepts explored throughout the week, students worked in teams on a final design challenge centered around a solar-powered disaster relief trailer on loan from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.footprintproject.org\/\u0022\u003EFootprint Project\u003C\/a\u003E. Equipped with photovoltaic panels and battery storage, the trailer was originally designed to provide off-grid power during emergencies. Students were challenged to identify additional uses for the system during periods when disaster response was not required. Many teams proposed sustainable food truck businesses powered by the trailer\u2019s solar energy system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeams also evaluated cooking technologies such as pressure cookers and slow cookers, comparing energy consumption, power requirements, efficiency, and operating costs. Students examined how energy demand aligned with available solar generation and battery storage while conducting economic analyses to determine business viability and profitability. The project integrated engineering, economics, and sustainability principles while encouraging creative thinking and collaborative problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Unplugged is an inspiring demonstration of how hands-on engineering experiences can spark curiosity and passion in the next generation of STEM leaders,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior mechanical engineering student. \u201cWorking with this group and seeing the fun they were having brought back fond memories of my own childhood. It was an amazing experience.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: Alvaro Hucker, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and William Nudd, Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u00a0Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the\u00a0Energy Policy and Innovation Center, and\u00a0CEISMC, attracted students from across the country for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-20 15:50:28","changed_gmt":"2026-07-20 17:06:11","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680626":{"id":"680626","type":"image","title":"IMG_1862.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies, teaches at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562762","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:52:42","changed":"1784597458","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:30:58","alt":"SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies Rich Simmons teaching at the Energy Unplugged Camp","file":{"fid":"264914","name":"IMG_1862.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3624927,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1862.jpg?itok=-7R0Exb2"}},"680627":{"id":"680627","type":"image","title":"IMG_1906.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, teaches energy production and consumption with The Footprint Project\u0027s solar trailor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562893","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:54:53","changed":"1784597502","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:31:42","alt":"Rich Simmons, teaches energy production and consumption using Footprint Project\u0027s Solar Trailor ","file":{"fid":"264915","name":"IMG_1906.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3510767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg?itok=GamNCFu_"}},"680628":{"id":"680628","type":"image","title":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged camp participants with Rich Simmons, camp director and student assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566485","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:54:45","changed":"1784597592","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:12","alt":"Group Picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged Camp Participants along with Rich Simmons, and Student Assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker","file":{"fid":"264916","name":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2602791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1918-copy.jpg?itok=_A0EJ3y9"}},"680629":{"id":"680629","type":"image","title":"IMG_1978.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Unplugged camp participants presenting their group project\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566760","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:59:20","changed":"1784597618","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:38","alt":"Energy Unplugged camp participants presenting their group project","file":{"fid":"264918","name":"IMG_1978.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3017113,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1978.jpg?itok=EKTNvzdb"}},"680630":{"id":"680630","type":"image","title":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group project presented at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566885","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 17:01:25","changed":"1784597533","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:32:13","alt":"A group project from the Energy Unplugged Camp","file":{"fid":"264919","name":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1176069,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg?itok=g9_3G5_I"}}},"media_ids":["680626","680627","680628","680629","680630"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communicatios Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWilliam Nudd,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690901":{"#nid":"690901","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Pulp Mills Into Next-Generation Biorefineries ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u2019s $41 billion forest products industry needs a transformation, and a Georgia Tech research team is reimagining how pulp mills use energy and what they can make from their byproduct streams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor nearly a decade, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sankar-nair\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESankar Nair\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a longtime researcher with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (RBI), has led a collaborative effort to develop technologies that can radically improve the efficiency and profitability of kraft pulp mills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat began as a project to save energy in pulp production has grown into a much broader vision,\u201d Nair explains. \u201cWe\u2019re not just trying to make mills more efficient. We\u2019re working to turn the kraft pulp mill into a kraft-based biorefinery that produces multiple higher-value products.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Energy Savings to High-Value Products\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENair explains that traditional kraft mills use a highly energy-intensive \u201cchemical recovery loop\u201d to handle black liquor \u2014 the dark, viscous byproduct left after pulp is separated from wood chips. That loop relies on multistage evaporators and massive recovery boilers to remove water, burn the remaining organics for steam and electricity, and recycle inorganic chemicals back into the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe original desire from our industry partners was to save energy,\u201d Nair says. \u201cInstead of evaporating the water in black liquor, we asked whether membranes could take on most of the dewatering and potentially cut that energy use in half.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver time, the team realized the opportunity went well beyond efficiency. \u201cWe use these membranes in such a way that they actually fractionate the black liquor, not just dewater it,\u201d Nair says. \u201cOne stream is rich in lignin; another is rich in organic acids. From those, we can recover and purify components and turn them into entirely new products.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELignin is a complex organic polymer and one of the most abundant biological materials on Earth. It acts as nature\u2019s \u201cglue,\u201d providing plants with structural rigidity and resistance to decay.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom lignin-rich fractions, the team has already demonstrated carbon materials that can be tailored for battery anodes and porous adsorbents used in environmental remediation and separations \u2014 today mostly made from fossil-based carbons. These lignin-derived carbons are of particular interest as a domestic alternative to graphite, a critical battery material that is currently dominated by overseas production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the organic acid side, Nair and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christopher-jones\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristopher Jones\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech\u202fcatalysis and reaction engineering expert, have gone a step further, converting those acids into mixtures of much heavier molecules that could become high-performance industrial lubricants and additives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to do a new cascade of reactions to make products that we haven\u2019t really made before,\u201d says Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair and professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJones explains that green lubricants derived from non-fossil sources have \u201cboth high demand and high value.\u201d Georgia Tech has not yet compared the performance of these products to conventional lubricants, but the platform is in place to do so in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe products we are pursuing from lignin and organic acids have bulk demand and also can command significantly higher prices than traditional pulp-based outputs,\u201d Nair notes. \u201cThat\u2019s essential if the forest products industry is going to be profitable and competitive over the long term.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two researchers have collaborated on three papers, with two already published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acssuschemeng.4c00212\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EACS Sustainable Chemistry \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (June 2024) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acscatal.5c04841\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EACS Catalysis\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (February 2026).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling Up: Continuous Manufacturing and Field Trials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key hurdle in moving from lab concept to mill reality is scalable manufacturing of the membranes themselves. That\u2019s where collaboration with Georgia Tech\u2019s advanced manufacturing community comes in.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn recent years, we\u2019ve really focused on how we can manufacture these membranes at low cost and in a continuous, scalable way,\u201d Nair says. \u201cThat\u2019s involved close collaboration with colleagues in materials science, mechanical engineering, and Georgia Tech\u2019s manufacturing institutes.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother Georgia Tech collaborator, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/harris\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, is leading the effort to move the current small-scale batch process into a continuous, industry-ready, roll-to-roll system that can produce long sheets of reduced graphene oxide membranes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key enabling step to shift from batch-mode production, says Harris, was integrating vacuum pressure into the manufacturing system to support high-throughput continuous production without the use of any volatile organic solvents that are commonly used in membrane production. Harris envisions \u201chigh-quality output at production speeds above 60 meters per minute,\u201d which will \u201cdramatically increase production volume while reducing solvent usage and waste, such as water,\u201d says Harris.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology is now mature enough for field testing. The team is preparing to deploy membrane modules at a major pulp and paper mill near Savannah operated by Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re assembling full membrane modules and installing them in a test skid that will run on real kraft black liquor from the mill,\u201d Nair says. \u201cWe\u2019ll collect long-term performance and reliability data that feeds into detailed models of how best to deploy these membranes in a working kraft mill.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERYAM leaders, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/larissafenn\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELarissa Fenn\u003C\/a\u003E, Director of New Products and Chair of the External Advisory Board for Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/research\/center-for-renewables-based-economy-from-wood\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for a Renewables-Based Economy From Wood\u003C\/a\u003E (ReWOOD), help ensure that cutting-edge research remains connected to real-world industry challenges and opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMuch of our internal research is focused on supporting current operations, customers, and product lines,\u201d Fenn says. \u201cPartnerships with universities allow us to look five to ten years ahead and engage in transformational research that can create entirely new opportunities for our business and the broader forest products industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe transition to more sustainable materials, chemicals, and fuels represents one of the greatest opportunities our industry has seen in decades,\u201d she adds. \u201cContinued innovation is essential not only for maintaining competitiveness, but also for creating new markets for renewable, wood-based resources and strengthening the long-term sustainability of the forestry sector.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFenn emphasized that the impact extends well beyond individual companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe forestry economy is the backbone of many rural communities across Georgia and throughout the Southeast,\u201d she says. \u201cAdvancing technologies that create new value from renewable resources helps support landowners, manufacturers, and the communities that depend on this industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFenn works at RYAM\u2019s Jesup, Georgia facility, which employs more than 800 people and is the largest employer in the local community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFacilities like ours are deeply connected to the communities we serve,\u201d Fenn says. \u201cWhen we invest in innovation, we are investing in the future of manufacturing, forestry, and economic opportunity in rural America.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModular Pathways to a Bio-Based Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETransforming an operating mill into a full biorefinery isn\u2019t something that happens overnight, and Nair\u2019s group is designing with that reality in mind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of these technologies are modular and designed to be fully integrated with the kraft process,\u201d he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to spend billions of dollars up front to build an entirely new plant. You can gradually integrate membrane-based fractionation and stream upgrading technologies for new product streams into the existing kraft process, and each mill can follow its own transition path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat modular design also provides flexibility in how mills manage energy. Diverting black liquor into higher-value products means less organic material available as fuel for the recovery boiler. Still, the energy-efficiency gains from membrane dewatering reduce overall consumption, and mills can draw on grid electricity to make up the difference.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal is not to save energy for its own sake,\u201d Nair emphasizes. \u201cIt\u2019s to use that energy more productively to create value-added outputs that support jobs, rural communities, and a more innovative and resilient bio-based economy in Georgia.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe urgency of this work is underscored by the pressures facing the industry: Georgia\u2019s forestry sector has seen paper mill closures since the 1990s, due to digitization and shifts in demand, with three major mill closures in 2025. The Georgia Forestry Commission estimates that mill closures erased the market for 8.3 million tons of timber, and reduced lumber usage, import tariffs, and labor shortages compounded the crisis, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fieldreport.caes.uga.edu\/publications\/AP130-4-13\/2026-timber-forecast\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2026 Georgia AG Forecast\u003C\/a\u003E. New revenue streams and efficiency gains may be essential for mills\u2019 survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond kraft mills, Georgia Tech researchers are already extending the membrane platform to agricultural biomass and municipal waste streams in collaboration with partners like the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Texas Tech University. They are also tapping into national initiatives, including the NSF \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.casfer.us\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER)\u003C\/a\u003Eand the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bridgesengine.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiobased Rural Innovation for Domestic Growth and Economic Security (BRIDGES)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELignin-Derived Materials for the Battery Supply Chain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-mcdowell\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMatthew McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, co-director of the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center, sees many cross-sector applications for lignin-derived carbon materials, including batteries, which are increasingly foundational to strategic sectors such as mobility, the power grid, and defense.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELignin-derived carbons can serve as a domestic replacement for graphite in lithium-ion batteries \u2014 a critical material not widely produced in the U.S.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cConventional synthetic graphite is derived from crude oil and requires very high temperatures, making it energy-intensive and polluting,\u201d McDowell said, noting that their goal is to convert lignin and cellulose \u201cto high-value battery materials that could enable the growth of a new battery supply chain here in the United States.\u201d He envisions the work one day transitioning to the Advanced Battery Center, which is planning a new facility scheduled to open at the end of 2027 that will enable companies and academic researchers to \u201cbuild and test full-scale battery cells for translational R\u0026amp;D.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife-cycle analysis carried out by the team has shown benefits in both lower costs and more efficient energy use when making these carbons from biomass sources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday,\u202fChina leads the world in battery production, with\u202fKorea and Japan\u202falso long-established leaders. The U.S. is building more domestic capability for national security and economic reasons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech on the front lines of this work also include Jones, who also collaborated on the lubricants research; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, Anderson Interface Chair of Natural Systems and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meisha-shofner\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMeisha Shofner\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThomas is leading research on life-cycle and economic analyses of converting lignin to produce \u201ccarbonized lignin\u201d anodes that can replace petroleum\u2011based synthetic graphite in batteries. She says that lignin\u2011based graphite can displace petroleum\u2011derived synthetic graphite, delivering 84% lower energy use, 92% lower greenhouse gas emissions, and lower emissions of other pollutants.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis work establishes a supply chain for making batteries, which has really broader impacts throughout Georgia,\u201d says Thomas, who believes lignin-based battery materials will lead to a stronger forest products economy and a more resilient battery supply chain in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDowell agrees. \u201cMarrying the forest products industry and the battery industry makes a lot of sense for Georgia, because both of those industries are really big,\u201d he says, and both are \u201ckey employers in the state.\u201d In his view, innovations could benefit both simultaneously.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-sinquefield\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScott Sinquefield\u003C\/a\u003E, senior research engineer in RBI, sees the graphene-oxide membrane work as squarely within its charge to modernize the forest products sector that anchors Georgia\u2019s rural economy.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPart of our mission is to support this industry and advance it. This falls right under our umbrella,\u201d he said, noting that RBI has been providing scientific support to mills for nearly a century, dating back to its origins as the Institute of Paper Chemistry in 1929.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team\u2019s vision is clear, as Nair explains: \u201cIf we can do this right, kraft mills don\u2019t just survive. They become hubs of advanced biomanufacturing that anchor a more resilient and sustainable forest-based economy for the state.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech infuses innovation into the forest products industry, converting waste streams into high-value products, from high-performance automotive lubricants to batteries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech infuses innovation into the forest products industry, converting waste streams into high-value products, from high-performance automotive lubricants to batteries. "}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:10:56","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:36:13","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680506":{"id":"680506","type":"image","title":"sankar--1-.JPG","body":null,"created":"1782321076","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 17:11:16","changed":"1782321076","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 17:11:16","alt":"Headshot of Sankar Nair ","file":{"fid":"264779","name":"sankar--1-.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/sankar--1-.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/sankar--1-.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":20230,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/sankar--1-.JPG?itok=8DC9uqPB"}}},"media_ids":["680506"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ENews Contact\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jennifer Martin | \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ejennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690376":{"#nid":"690376","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Online Age Checks Create a Pointless Privacy Risk","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a bartender checks an ID, they quickly verify a customer\u2019s date of birth and identity before serving them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies that employ online age verification claim their products function the same way on the web. That bartender analogy has, in part, justified laws passed in twenty-five US states \u2014 comprising more than 40% of Americans \u2014 mandating the use of digital age verification to gate access across social media and adult content online. Further regulation, targeting social media sites, is currently in process in a number of states.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mikespecter.com\/assets\/pdf\/AgeVerification.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew research\u003C\/a\u003E from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) reveals that the reality of online age verification is far from ideal.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that the vast majority of sites covered by these laws do not appear to enforce age verification at all. When sites \u003Cem\u003Edo \u003C\/em\u003Ecomply, they often route users through third party age verification services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that one such third party, Yoti, a London-based company used by Meta, OnlyFans, Sony PlayStation, and TikTok, provides services for an estimated 60% of websites deploying age verification services.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepending on the verification method, a verification attempt via Yoti may transmit a user\u2019s IP address and\/or OS and browser metadata sufficient to uniquely identify and track devices. Some of the IP, OS, and browser metadata may be sent to credit card companies and IP geolocation services, while ID information may be sent to a known \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/data-broker\/registration\/186885\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edata broker\u003C\/a\u003E, or another verification service.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere have been laws passed and court cases settled on the promise that these companies are incentivized to keep users\u2019 data private,\u201d said Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mikespecter.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael A. Specter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. \u201cWe found that reality is starkly different.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from privacy concerns, researchers note that differing state policies could lead to what they call the \u201cBalkanization of the U.S. web.\u201d In other words, users may have access to different parts of the internet depending on the state they are in\u2014potentially limiting the free exchange of ideas and information.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/hoppenheimer\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarry Oppenheimer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, users are already accustomed to experiencing the internet differently across countries. However, this may signal the beginning of similar fragmentation within the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are going to start seeing comparable differences between U.S. states,\u201d said Oppenheimer. \u201cUsers in some states will now have to go through additional steps to access information. Close your laptop in New York before a flight to Dallas and try to load the same web page\u2014now you see two different results.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe also observed age verification deployed on websites accessed from New York, which has no law requiring verification,\u201d said Associate Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pearce.prof\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Pearce\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eof UC Irvine\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cs.ics.uci.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDepartment of Computer Science\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe don\u2019t know why these sites are deploying such verification\u2014it could be a move to limit liability or simplify operations. Regardless, it points to an emerging threat for the open Internet where restrictive laws from some states could impact the entire country and beyond.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study, \u003Cem\u003EPapers Please: A First Look at Age Verification on the Web,\u003C\/em\u003E was led by Georgia Tech Ph.D. student Shreyas Minocha, undergraduate Isaac Sheridan, and professors Oppenheimer, Pearce, and Specter. It is part of the proceedings of the 47th \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sp2026.ieee-security.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and was presented in San Francisco on May 20th, and featured in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Ftech-policy%2F2026%2F03%2Fafter-discord-fiasco-age-check-tech-promises-privacy-by-running-locally-does-it-work%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cjohn.popham%40cc.gatech.edu%7C9618dbf4c61140338f5508deb7673edd%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639149851249813372%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=WDS9aMmP8UCwjQdFIuZh73PMNG%2Be4Ks949IjaeUZv%2FI%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EArs Technica\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECORRECTION: A previous version of this article, posted in error, included statements that were not part of the researchers\u2019 findings or intent. This version has been updated for clarity, and to reflect the research as published in IEEE S\u0026amp;P.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew cybersecurity research indicates that one of the world\u2019s leading age verification providers collects and shares highly sensitive personal data with third parties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research also reveals that most websites that require age verification don\u2019t enforce the policy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New cybersecurity research indicates that one of the world\u2019s leading age verification providers collects and shares highly sensitive personal data with third parties and in some cases don\u0027t even enforce the policy.."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-05-19 15:01:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:35:39","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680309":{"id":"680309","type":"image","title":"Digital-ID.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779203176","gmt_created":"2026-05-19 15:06:16","changed":"1779203176","gmt_changed":"2026-05-19 15:06:16","alt":"A hand holds up a digital identification card. The card has the silhouette of a man wearing a suit and tie. ","file":{"fid":"264556","name":"Digital-ID.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/Digital-ID.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/Digital-ID.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1508599,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/19\/Digital-ID.jpg?itok=M-WXTSUO"}}},"media_ids":["680309"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"182941","name":"cc-research; ic-cybersecurity; ic-hcc"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690809":{"#nid":"690809","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Gets to the Core of AI Drone Crashes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown as FIRA, the tool analyzes drone crashes to determine whether they were caused by tampered machine-learning (ML) models. The team will present its findings at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\u0022\u003E35th USENIX Security Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E in August.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research addresses a growing safety challenge as drones are increasingly used for deliveries, infrastructure inspections, and agriculture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs drones rely more on machine learning to navigate and make decisions, they also become vulnerable to model poisoning attacks. In these attacks, adversaries manipulate an AI system during its learning phase, embedding hidden triggers that can cause failures under specific conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMachine learning drones are making more decisions in flight, which makes ML a safety-critical component of these systems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYizhi Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. student and lead researcher on the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen something goes wrong, investigators need a way to ask whether the model was responsible, but the model is the part of the system that no one can examine after a crash.\u0026nbsp;FIRA\u0026nbsp;gives investigators a way to investigate these cases by reconstructing what the model was doing during the crash. As more drones run with ML, this kind of forensic capability can help drones be used more effectively and safely.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a drone crashes, investigators must determine whether the cause was malicious interference, weather, or mechanical failure. Without reliable forensic tools, accountability is difficult to establish, and safety standards are harder to enforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIRA identifies how drone components interact with machine learning models and monitors those interactions in real time, even with limited bandwidth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system functions like a flight recorder, capturing key system activity and reconstructing a timeline after a crash. It then analyzes the model\u2019s behavior to determine whether a malicious trigger was introduced via poisoned ML training data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn tests across multiple drone platforms and crash scenarios, FIRA identified failure causes and distinguished cyberattacks from environmental or mechanical issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system does not require access to a drone\u2019s source code, making it practical for real-world investigations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs commercial drone use expands, tools like FIRA could help improve accountability and trust in AI-powered systems operating in public airspace,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Huang.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/system\/files\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\/sec26_prepub_huang-yizhi.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFIRA: Enabling Automatic Forensic Investigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was led by Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyber Forensics Innovation Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in cooperation with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. These labs reside in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computing Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to determine whether a cyberattack caused drone crashes."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-06-18 17:56:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:35:19","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660599":{"id":"660599","type":"image","title":"CyFI Lab Sign","body":null,"created":"1661532564","gmt_created":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","changed":"1661532564","gmt_changed":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","alt":"Sign reading Cyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory The CyFI Lab","file":{"fid":"250302","name":"SCP August 2022-66.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9087261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png?itok=7KS9Gbz_"}}},"media_ids":["660599"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpopham3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003Cbr\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691044":{"#nid":"691044","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Use GeoGuessr Champion to Test Geolocation Accuracy in VLMs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe house in the distance, with a red, hip-shaped roof and white walls, tells Radu Casapu that this place is probably somewhere in Spain or Portugal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe surrounding trees resemble those of a eucalyptus forest, which could indicate northern Portugal or the Spanish region of Galicia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s the signposts on the road that give it away. They are flat and wide, which is common in Spain but not in Portugal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECasapu, a master\u2019s student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of City and Regional Planning, correctly reasons that the picture of a road he\u2019s looking at is in Galicia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGive Casapu a photo, and he will likely be able to tell you where it was taken.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI start with infrastructure clues that are specific to a country, region, state or province,\u201d Casapu said. \u201cThey include roads or electricity poles, which often remain consistent throughout a country. Once you narrow down the country, you can use more specific factors like vegetation, specific landscapes, or architecture, because these are very nuanced. It\u2019s a top-down approach.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is why Casapu is the reigning\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/23\/georgia-tech-graduate-student-wins-geoguessr-world-championship\u0022\u003EGeoGussr World Champion\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 and the ideal expert to test vision-language models (VLMs) on how good they are at geolocation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeoGuessr is a geography browser game launched in 2013 that invites players to guess the location of random Google Street View images. Casapu was already known as one of the top players in the world before he won the third annual GeoGussr World Championship in September.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the beginning of the spring 2025 semester, School of Interactive Computing professor James Hays reached out to Casapu and invited him to collaborate on a new project. Hays was looking to create a dataset to evaluate VLMs\u0027 geolocation ability and reasoning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cVLMs are surprisingly good at geolocation right out of the box, even when they\u2019re not trained to be good at it,\u201d Hays said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays and his colleagues, associate professors Alan Ritter and Wei Xu, took issue with many AI companies claiming that the VLMs they were releasing were not good at geolocation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen Open AI released GPT 4 Vision, there were privacy concerns about the model\u2019s ability to geolocate someone based on photos they\u2019ve shared on the internet,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cOpen AI said this wasn\u2019t a concern and claimed the model wasn\u2019t good at geolocation beyond being able to recognize a city or famous monument. We found that wasn\u2019t the case. These VLMs are state-of-the-art at image geolocation tasks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShow Your Work\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays and Ritter enlisted a team of some of the world\u2019s top geolocators. It consisted of Casapu, Joshua Diao, a master\u2019s student in computer science, and Tejas Santanam, a Ph.D. student in industrial engineering. They each received 500 images to geolocate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeam members recorded their reasons for each of their answers. The result was GeoRC, the first benchmark for VLM geolocation performance, consisting of 800 \u201cground truth\u201d reasoning chains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays and Ritter gave the same images to GPT 5, Gemini, Llama, and Qwen. The highest-performing model geolocated with 90% accuracy \u2014 not far off from the team\u2019s 96% score.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, a major distinction showed up in the reasoning chains. While Casapu and Diao provided clear explanations for how they deduce each location, the VLMs either couldn\u2019t provide reasoning for their guesses or were vague in their answers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe research community has been demanding explanations from these models,\u201d Hays said. \u201cFor example, how do they know the location is in Italy?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays has been researching this subject for almost 20 years. As a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, he was the first researcher to take a machine learning approach to geolocation. He introduced a new algorithm that could estimate a geographic location from a single image.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen experts have audited these reasoning chains, we\u2019ve noted many suspicious or hallucinated attributes,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen they hallucinate a geographic property, why is it so often consistent with the correct guess?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI believe they\u2019re not revealing the true reasoning pathway that they used to determine the image was Italy. They\u2019re just implicitly recognizing that it was Italy for many reasons, then hunting for evidence to support that. Some of the things they say are true and supported by the image, and some are fabrications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractice Partner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECasapu said there may be only a handful of GeoGuessr players who can currently outperform some top-tier VLMs in geolocation, and it may not be long before no one can.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think it could be more difficult playing against these models than playing against another human because a human has the possibility of making mistakes at the top level,\u201d Casapu said. \u201cIf a well-trained model has that level of consistency, that is far beyond a normal person, and it would be much more difficult to beat.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added that working with Hays and competing against a machine improved his skill level and provided valuable practice ahead of the world championship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt helps to take a step back and see why you\u2019re making the guesses that you are,\u201d he said. \u201cSince then, I\u2019ve taken a more methodical approach to how I practice. Writing these things down is a great way to see what you know and see why you make the guesses that you do. It\u2019s been a great training tool.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECasapu will defend his title at the 2026 GeoGussr World Championship in September.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHays, Ritter, Xu, Casapu, Diao, and Santanm are all co-authors of a paper on GeoRC along with lead author Mohit Talrej and Ph.D. students Ethan Mendes and Jim Thannikary. The paper will be presented next week at the 64th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) in San Diego.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers James Hays, Alan Ritter, and Wei Xu partnered with reigning GeoGuessr World Champion Radu Casapu and other top players to build GeoRC, the first benchmark evaluating how well vision-language models (VLMs) can geolocate images. They found LLMS are almost as good at geolocation as the world\u0027s best players, but they struggle to explain their reasoning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed what they believe is the strongest benchmark dataset on measuring the geolocation accuracy of LLMs."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 17:43:39","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:30:54","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680557":{"id":"680557","type":"image","title":"_DSC7175.JPG","body":null,"created":"1783359838","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 17:43:58","changed":"1783359838","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 17:43:58","alt":"Radu Casapu","file":{"fid":"264834","name":"_DSC7175.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/_DSC7175.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/_DSC7175.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":122620,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/_DSC7175.JPG?itok=vNYr-PmK"}}},"media_ids":["680557"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"193556","name":"large language models"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ndeen6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691128":{"#nid":"691128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Receives Commitment to Launch New AI-Driven Health Innovation Center\u00a0 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology today announced the creation of the Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation, a new research center that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict, treat, and prevent disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Petit Center is made possible by a transformational commitment from technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Georgia Tech alumnus Parker H. \u0022Pete\u0022 Petit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1980, Petit has provided significant philanthropic support across campus, including the naming of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)\u003C\/a\u003E, one of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11 Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IBB is an interdisciplinary hub for transforming biological discovery into real-world health impact, bringing together engineers, scientists, and clinicians to accelerate innovations in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and biomanufacturing. With more than 300 interdisciplinary faculty researchers, 13 research centers, and 1,300 trainees making unprecedented discoveries and generating innovative technologies, IBB is a catalyst for innovative bioengineering and bioscience research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe success of IBB led Petit to make his latest investment, which will build on Georgia Tech\u2019s broader commitment to medical innovation: applying engineering, computing, AI, biosciences, and systems thinking to health challenges that require more than any one field can solve. The Petit Center\u2019s work will strengthen the tools, partnerships, and research pathways needed to help more discoveries move from the lab toward real-world patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key goal of the Petit Center will be to use AI to build more precise models of how disease works in the body. Its first research initiative will focus on creating virtual models of human cells. Led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/jeff-skolnick\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and Mary and\u0026nbsp;Maisie Gibson Chair\u0026nbsp;and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology\u0026nbsp;in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers will use those models to study how diseases progress and to identify treatments that may work best for individual patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy modeling disease at the cellular level, researchers can test ideas faster, uncover links among different diseases, and focus on therapies most likely to help patients based on their unique biology. The work could expedite the discovery of new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat diseases, including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedical innovation is one of the fastest-growing areas in Georgia Tech\u2019s research, and Pete Petit\u2019s commitment will help us further shape the future of medicine,\u0022 said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cThis new research center will find new ways to harness the power of AI to accelerate critical medical discoveries and move them into clinical settings so patients can get the care they need. We\u2019re deeply grateful for Pete\u0027s support, and we\u2019re excited to get started.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation will operate under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E (IDEaS) and bring together researchers from across Georgia Tech to advance AI-driven approaches to human health. Researchers affiliated with the Petit Center will work across fields and with clinical and healthcare organizations to help close the gap between discovery and practical use. Over time and with additional investments, the Petit Center\u2019s work will expand into areas such as cancer biomarker discovery, healthy aging, advanced cellular therapies, and AI-supported healthcare systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech has the expertise to redefine what is possible in healthcare through AI,\u0022 said Skolnick. \u0022By combining advanced computational methods with biological and medical insights, we can create powerful new approaches to predicting disease, identifying treatments, and improving patient outcomes.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit\u2019s commitment will support advanced computing infrastructure, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, seed research grants, and annual programs that will bring together leading researchers from around the world working at the intersection of AI and health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit hopes this investment will inspire others to support interdisciplinary research at the Institute. \u0022Georgia Tech has long demonstrated its ability to solve complex challenges,\u0022 said Petit. \u0022I believe artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape healthcare, and I am excited to support a center that can help accelerate discoveries to improve and save lives.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis transformative commitment is included in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and is propelling the comprehensive campaign\u2019s success.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u2019s leading public research universities, developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Through education, research, and innovation, Georgia Tech creates solutions that improve lives and drive economic opportunity in Georgia and around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Parker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-07-16 16:52:47","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 17:19:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680618":{"id":"680618","type":"image","title":"Jeffrey Skolnick","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJeffrey Skolnick will lead the first research initiative in the new Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784163552","gmt_created":"2026-07-16 00:59:12","changed":"1784163635","gmt_changed":"2026-07-16 01:00:35","alt":"Jeffrey Skolnick","file":{"fid":"264904","name":"skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":386791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg?itok=AL8IuxCW"}}},"media_ids":["680618"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"351","name":"development"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"},{"id":"172458","name":"biological sciences"},{"id":"4449","name":"ideas"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anne.stanford@dev.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Stanford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Development\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691125":{"#nid":"691125","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Graduate Apprentices Are Shaping Research While Building Their Future ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the second floor of the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, Calib Lanier operates a rotary-bed reactor unlike any other at Georgia Tech. As the system begins its specialized operations, the doctoral student in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E watches closely, monitoring temperatures, pressure, and other critical metrics that could define the tool\u2019s success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELanier isn\u2019t just using the equipment; he\u2019s helping bring it to life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last year, he has worked with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems (IMS)\u003C\/a\u003E staff as part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/graduate-apprenticeship\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIMS Graduate Apprenticeship Program\u003C\/a\u003E to install a newly designed powder-processing, rotary-bed system. While traditional coating tools are designed to deposit ultra-thin films onto flat surfaces (like silicon computer chips or glass), this tool continuously tumbles a bed of fine powder to ensure a uniform coating of 3D objects with microscopic grains of powder at an atomic scale\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work has involved more than just running experiments. Lanier has developed operating procedures, established safety protocols, solved technical challenges, and documented processes that future tool users will rely on long after he graduates.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to leave something behind for IMS,\u201d Lanier said. \u201cOnce I\u2019m gone, the documentation for this tool will still be there. It\u2019s giving IMS information that will be useful for following students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis experience reflects the mission of the apprenticeship program. Launched to provide graduate students with hands-on experience in IMS\u2019s research facilities, the program places graduate students in core facilities with experts. This gives them opportunities to develop technical expertise, support facility operations, and gain professional skills that extend beyond the classroom.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe wanted to create an experience where everyone benefits,\u201d said Anna \u00d6sterholm, principal research scientist and IMS Graduate Apprenticeship Program coordinator. \u201cStudents gain technical training and professional experience while IMS gains talented and motivated contributors who help develop new capabilities, train users, and improve facility operations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELanier was one of nine students in the inaugural cohort, which represented a wide range of disciplines and research experience. Matthew Kim, another member of the cohort and a master\u2019s student in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, came to the program with a mechanical background and a desire to gain hands-on semiconductor experience.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore the program, much of Kim\u2019s previous exposure to semiconductors and chip packaging came from videos and lectures. Through the apprenticeship, he gained practical experience in the cleanroom, where he taught lab sections for undergraduate integrated circuit fabrication classes. In that role, Kim guided students through the process of creating semiconductors \u2014 starting with a blank silicon wafer and ending with a finished product \u2014 featuring various designs and structures.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was a new experience for me because I was teaching students while learning the material myself,\u201d Kim said. \u201cIt really pushed me to learn everything quickly, and I think that benefited me.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the program, Kim both taught and participated in some of the semiconductor fabrication short courses offered by IMS throughout the year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of what we learn in class is theory-based,\u201d Kim said. \u201cIf you want hands-on experience and want to see semiconductor fabrication with your own eyes, this program is a great way to learn.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBesides semiconductor design and creation, additional focus areas for the program include materials characterization operations. Kayla Chuong, a doctoral student in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, took her existing experience with materials characterization techniques and expanded it. \u0026nbsp;She entered the program as a user of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mcf.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility (MCF)\u003C\/a\u003E, having previously conducted research using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tools.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the program, Chuong now trains campus and industry users on tools throughout the MCF. She conducts check-offs on training sessions and authorizes researchers to use instruments. She may spend an entire day conducting back-to-back instrument training, helping everyone from undergraduate researchers to industry professionals gain access to advanced microscopy tools.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s really cool that external users from industry come in and get trained, and I get to meet people from different backgrounds,\u0022 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the program provides students with access to advanced research tools and facilities, participants said some of the most valuable lessons happened outside of the lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim found teaching an unexpected source of growth. As he guided students through cleanroom processes and semiconductor fabrication techniques, he found himself developing confidence as a researcher and as an instructor.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Chuong, the program expanded her professional network and her base knowledge of SEM beyond what she thought was possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELanier gained a different perspective through regular interactions with IMS staff. By participating in facility staff meetings and working closely with mentors, he was exposed to the challenges of managing complex research infrastructure and learned how experienced scientists approach troubleshooting and process optimization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Being able to see how other people look at going about research and what they do to work through troubleshooting and optimization,\u0022 Lanier said, \u0022it\u0027s a really good learning experience for myself as well.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these experiences highlight one of the program\u0027s greatest strengths: its ability to immerse students in the broader research ecosystem. Beyond learning how to operate world-class instruments, apprentices gain experience communicating across disciplines, mentoring other researchers, solving complex technical challenges, and contributing to the shared resources that support research across Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Chuong, Kim, and Lanier, the apprenticeship provided more than just access to equipment. It offered a chance to become contributors to Georgia Tech\u0027s research ecosystem \u2014 whether by teaching new users, supporting education, or helping bring new capabilities online. As the program prepares for future cohorts, their experiences illustrate how immersive, hands-on training can accelerate both research and professional growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGraduate apprentices gain experience with advanced instrumentation, mentoring, and facility operations while supporting the research ecosystem that serves Georgia Tech and its partners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Graduate apprentices gain experience with advanced instrumentation, mentoring, and facility operations while supporting the research ecosystem that serves Georgia Tech and its partners. "}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-07-15 15:52:48","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 16:20:46","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680611":{"id":"680611","type":"image","title":"graduate_apprentice_kickoff.JPG","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the first IMS Graduate Apprentice cohort gather for a group photo at the program kickoff, including Matthew Kim (back row, second from left), Kayla Chuong (front row, third from left), and Calib Lanier (second row, fourth from right).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1784131585","gmt_created":"2026-07-15 16:06:25","changed":"1784131585","gmt_changed":"2026-07-15 16:06:25","alt":"A group of students, researchers, and staff stand together for a group photo outside a brick building beneath a covered 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Advances.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1784131585","gmt_created":"2026-07-15 16:06:25","changed":"1784131585","gmt_changed":"2026-07-15 16:06:25","alt":"color microscopic image showing a highly porous material with interconnected openings and a textured blue-to-purple surface.","file":{"fid":"264896","name":"Materials-Advances-Journal-Cover_Blue.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/Materials-Advances-Journal-Cover_Blue.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/Materials-Advances-Journal-Cover_Blue.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":220171,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/15\/Materials-Advances-Journal-Cover_Blue.jpg?itok=830M0oTq"}}},"media_ids":["680611","680610","680612"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691056":{"#nid":"691056","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Startup Develops Defense Technology to Counter Emerging Drone Threats ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Robbie van Zyl first started working with drones, it was not for defense. It started with curiosity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a high school student, van Zyl spent summers in a Georgia Tech aerospace lab, where he was introduced to rotorcraft and autonomous systems. By the time he enrolled at Georgia Tech, that early exposure had grown into a deeper interest. He became a competitive drone racer, gaining hands-on experience with the technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut even then, he recognized a growing risk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was using this technology to have fun,\u201d said van Zyl, founder and CEO of Askari. \u201cBut I also recognized it could equally be used to do very malicious things.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat realization became the foundation for Askari, a counter-drone defense company developing systems designed to detect, track, and stop hostile drones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Real-World Problem Comes Into Focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVan Zyl first pitched the idea for Askari as a first-year student through Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch, an accelerator that empowers students to launch successful startups. \u0026nbsp;At the time, the concept of counter-drone defense was not widely seen as urgent. However, that perspective shifted as global conflicts began to demonstrate the impact of low-cost, unmanned systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe widespread use of drones in Ukraine revealed how inexpensive and accessible technologies could reshape modern warfare. Unmanned systems now account for a significant share of battlefield activity, exposing new vulnerabilities across defense and infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat was the first moment I could point to and say this is real,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cThis is not theoretical anymore.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Student Idea to Scalable Solution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAskari is building autonomous systems that can identify and neutralize drone threats in real time. The company\u2019s technology is designed to distinguish among objects such as drones, people, and the surrounding environment, allowing it to respond with precision.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are building systems that can understand what they are looking at,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cThey can tell the difference between a drone, a person, or a tree, and act accordingly.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike traditional defense systems that rely on expensive infrastructure, Askari is focused on developing solutions that are scalable and accessible to a wider range of users, including frontline operators and security teams. The goal is to provide a faster, more adaptable approach to this challenge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company has raised approximately $1.7 million in early funding and is already working with U.S. Department of Defense customers, with growing demand for counter-drone solutions. The team has expanded to 10 people and is scaling to meet that demand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Role of CREATE-X and Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem played a critical role in Askari\u2019s development.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough CREATE-X, van Zyl was able to test and refine his idea while gaining exposure to the fundamentals of building a company. He also gained access to a community of founders, mentors, defense leaders, and builders who helped him navigate early-stage challenges. The experience provided an environment to pressure-test the concept and receive feedback, helping him better understand how it could function in real-world scenarios. At the time, the idea was still taking shape, but it helped clarify how it could evolve into a viable solution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter gaining experience in the robotics and defense sectors, van Zyl reengaged with Georgia Tech, where the Institute\u2019s network of mentors, resources, and programs helped accelerate the company\u2019s growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has been instrumental,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cWe would not be where we are today without it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, Askari operates out of The Biltmore, home to CREATE-X and part of Georgia Tech\u2019s innovation ecosystem in Tech Square, placing the company back within the same environment where the idea first began.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAskari is a strong example of what we aim to do,\u201d said Rahul Saxena, CREATE-X director. \u201cStudents building companies that address real, emerging challenges. It reflects the kind of thinking we want to encourage early on, paired with the ability to continue developing an idea as the need becomes clearer. That progression is a critical part of how students move from concept to company.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReturning to Atlanta to Build\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating, van Zyl gained experience working in robotics and autonomous systems, including in Silicon Valley. He also spent time building the company outside of Atlanta before ultimately returning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe decision to come back was both strategic and mission-driven.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of Askari\u2019s customers, including Department of Defense organizations, are based in the Southeast. Being in Atlanta allows the company to remain close to those partners while continuing to build within Georgia Tech\u2019s ecosystem. The company\u2019s return also reflects its deep ties to Georgia Tech\u2019s talent pipeline. van Zyl\u2019s co-founders include his younger brother, Marc van Zyl, a Georgia Tech computer science student, and Benjamin Airdo, a close friend and mechanical engineering graduate. Eight of the company\u2019s 10 team members are connected to the Institute as current students, graduates, or researchers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Broader Vision for Security\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Askari\u2019s current focus is counter-drone technology, van Zyl sees the startup\u2019s mission as part of a larger shift in how modern warfare is evolving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the first time, autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence are moving beyond the digital world into physical environments. That transition introduces new risks that extend beyond traditional defense scenarios.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is not just a drone problem,\u201d van Zyl said. \u201cIt is the broader proliferation of robotics in real-world environments.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Campus to Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAskari\u2019s trajectory reflects how Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem supports founders as they move from early ideas to companies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom its start in CREATE-X to its return to The Biltmore, the company remains closely tied to the Institute while building technology focused on real-world deployment and impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to build systems that help protect people,\u201d van Zyl said.\u0026nbsp; As Askari continues to grow, that focus remains central to its mission.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAskari\u0027s journey from a first-year student idea to a growing defense technology company demonstrates how Georgia Tech\u0027s commercialization ecosystem helps founders transform emerging technologies into real-world solutions. Supported by CREATE-X and the Institute\u0027s innovation ecosystem, the company is developing autonomous counter-drone systems to address one of today\u0027s fastest-growing national security challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From a student startup idea to a growing defense technology company, Askari demonstrates how Georgia Tech\u0027s commercialization ecosystem helps founders transform emerging technologies into solutions addressing real-world challenges."}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 20:31:08","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 20:54:56","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680562":{"id":"680562","type":"image","title":"Askari-056.JPG","body":null,"created":"1783369879","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 20:31:19","changed":"1783369879","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 20:31:19","alt":"Askari Team","file":{"fid":"264840","name":"Askari-056.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-056.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-056.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2747369,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-056.JPG?itok=jcTZ7qHA"}},"680563":{"id":"680563","type":"image","title":"Askari-030.JPG","body":null,"created":"1783369913","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 20:31:53","changed":"1783369913","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 20:31:53","alt":"Askari  Founders","file":{"fid":"264841","name":"Askari-030.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-030.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-030.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2447871,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/Askari-030.JPG?itok=EALr52LH"}}},"media_ids":["680562","680563"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELacey Cameron Lcameron30@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691039":{"#nid":"691039","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Soft Wearable Device Could Support At-Home Sleep Monitoring","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGood sleep is essential for brain health. During sleep and rest, the glymphatic system, the brain\u2019s waste clearing process, helps remove metabolic waste that accumulates during awake hours. This activity is linked to memory processing, cognitive function, and neural recovery. When sleep quality is poor, metabolic waste may accumulate, potentially disrupting cognitive function and memory formation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional approaches to brain monitoring are often invasive, costly, and limited to clinical settings. New research from Georgia Tech points to a more accessible approach. A recent study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aed2056\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E shows that a soft, wireless wearable device could help enable home-based monitoring of physiological changes associated with sleep and brain health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yeo\u0022\u003EW. Hong Yeo, Peterson Endowed Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/wish\u0022\u003EWearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare Center\u003C\/a\u003E and the Korea KIAT-Georgia Tech Semiconductor Electronics Center, developed a wearable device that uses light-based sensing and wireless communication to support natural sleep monitoring at home. The device is designed to collect data outside of a clinical environment, allowing researchers to study sleep in a more comfortable and realistic setting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis paper introduces the first soft, wireless, and non-invasive wearable near-infrared spectroscopy system capable of continuously monitoring brain water and glymphatic clearance dynamics in a natural home sleep environment, overcoming the restrictive, costly, and invasive limitations of traditional methods like MRI and polysomnography,\u201d Yeo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe device works by emitting LED light at specific wavelengths. That light interacts with tissue and fluid near the brain, and reflected signals are detected by a photodetector placed on the skin. The collected data is then transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a nearby device for analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers note that the optical measurements can be influenced by factors beyond brain-related fluid changes. Breathing depth, slight shifts in forehead pressure, body position, motion, and temperature drift can all affect the signal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor that reason, the team focused on changes and trends over time rather than claiming precise measurements of brain water content. They also emphasize that some of the measured signal may reflect effects from the skin, scalp, device pressure, or movement, in addition to changes associated with the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy making sleep monitoring more comfortable and accessible, this soft wearable technology could help advance future studies of sleep, glymphatic activity, and brain health in real-world settings. The Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare Center is supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aed2056\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.aed2056\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new Georgia Tech study shows a wireless wearable device could enable home-based monitoring of physiological changes associated with sleep and brain health.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new Georgia Tech study shows a wireless wearable device could enable home-based monitoring of physiological changes associated with sleep and brain health."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 14:49:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 13:38:19","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680551":{"id":"680551","type":"image","title":"Soft-NIRS-device_georgia-tech_web.png","body":null,"created":"1783349483","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 14:51:23","changed":"1783349483","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 14:51:23","alt":"Close-up of a flexible white wearable sensor device held between two fingers, showing its curved shape against a plain light-gray background.","file":{"fid":"264827","name":"Soft-NIRS-device_georgia-tech_web.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Soft-NIRS-device_georgia-tech_web.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/Soft-NIRS-device_georgia-tech_web.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2276274,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/Soft-NIRS-device_georgia-tech_web.png?itok=trXe_Eus"}}},"media_ids":["680551"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691073":{"#nid":"691073","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Data Centers Are Booming. Who Benefits?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate and driving a historic surge in data center construction across the United States. These sprawling facilities, sometimes spanning more than 1,000 acres, represent one of the largest waves of capital investment in American history.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor communities across the country, this growth hits close to home, and not without controversy. What do data centers actually deliver for the local economies that host them?\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6497238\u0022\u003ENew research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/yue\/index.html?_gl=1*22ff1a*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjU1MDU4NDM5LjE3ODM2MTc4Nzg.*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODM2MTc4NzckbzEkZzEkdDE3ODM2MTc4ODEkajU2JGwwJGgxNzkwMjU1NjAy\u0022\u003EDaniel Yue\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of Information Technology Management at Georgia Tech\u2019s Scheller College of Business, and his co-author,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/zeng\/index.html?_gl=1*1771i5w*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTM1MDIxNjE3NC4xNzgzNjE4MTk5*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODM2MTgxOTkkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODM2MTgxOTkkajYwJGwwJGgxMTY0MTA2MjA4\u0022\u003EYiyang Zeng\u003C\/a\u003E, examines how data center openings affect local jobs, wages, business activity, and electricity prices. Their findings suggest that geography plays a decisive role in whether communities see meaningful economic gains.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnormous amounts of capital are flowing into specific communities, much of it tied to new construction, while rigorous evidence on the local benefits of these facilities has been thin,\u201d said Yue. \u201cCommunity pushback has organized rapidly across the country. Our paper begins to fill that gap by providing new evidence using detailed, facility-level data paired with county-level economic indicators.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Historic Investment Wave\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are more than 2,500 data centers, either active or under construction, across the United States. Individual hyperscale facilities often cost more than $1 billion to construct and can consume as much electricity as a small city. Is it all worth it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn average, Yue and Zeng found that when a data center opens, the host county sees a measurable lift: Employment rises by about 3.5%, wages by 5%, business establishments by nearly 5%, and household income by about 2%. Building permits also increase sharply, reflecting construction activity tied to new facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are real, economically meaningful gains. But Yue and Zeng discovered that these gains are much smaller than what might be expected from a large investment. And they\u2019re not evenly distributed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Metro Areas Benefit More\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u2019 clearest finding is that metropolitan areas capture most of the economic benefits from data centers, while rural areas see far fewer spillover effects. While metro counties saw increases in employment and new business growth, non-metro counties saw no measurable gains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reason comes down to what economists call \u201cagglomeration,\u201d or economic density.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData centers don\u2019t operate in isolation. They rely on construction contractors, engineers, equipment suppliers, professional services, and a skilled workforce. Those connections are far easier to build in places that already have deep labor markets and established business networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMetropolitan areas are well-positioned to absorb the indirect spending that data centers generate. High-wage technical employees support restaurants, retail, and local services. Suppliers and contractors can scale up quickly. These spillover effects amplify the impact of the initial investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn rural areas, that amplification is much harder to achieve. Facilities tend to employ relatively few permanent workers \u2014 often fewer than 100 \u2014 and many specialized services are imported from outside the county. As a result, the broader economic ripple never materializes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat doesn\u2019t mean rural communities see no benefit at all. The research finds a small but real drop in unemployment rates in non-metro counties, and local governments may still gain tax revenue or infrastructure investments. But the sweeping job and wage growth often promised during local recruitment efforts will not likely arrive on its own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLocation, not facility size, determines whether the local benefits show up,\u201d Yue said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Hidden Cost: Electricity Prices\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYue and Zeng\u2019s research also uncovers an important trade-off. Data centers use a lot of electricity. A single large facility can use as much power as roughly 80,000 homes. In areas where the researchers can cleanly measure price effects, electricity prices rise by about 5% after a data center enters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen the benefits to communities are small, even downsides like higher electricity prices that strain infrastructure will be felt by locals,\u201d Yue shared.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWho pays for the increased cost of electricity isn\u2019t straightforward. Yue and Zeng\u2019s research suggests communities should ask specific questions about who pays for new infrastructure and how those costs will be distributed. Local utility companies divide costs differently among homeowners, businesses, and large industrial users, including data centers. Because cost-sharing systems vary by state, each data center development is unique.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Communities Should Consider\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs states and cities work to attract or push back against data center construction, Yue and Zeng hope their research will encourage more evidence-based decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor metro areas with strong labor markets and dense business ecosystems, data centers can deliver meaningful, though not transformative, economic gains. For rural communities, the positive impact is more complicated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn 10 years, communities will likely wish they had pressed harder on the quality of the decision itself, including whether the debate was evidence-based, whether their local economy was equipped to capture the gains, and whether the fine print aligned with residents\u0027 long-term interests,\u201d Yue said. \u201cIt\u2019s vital that communities look past flashy, headline incentive packages and focus on the details: tax abatement structures, electricity tariff arrangements, and who ultimately pays for infrastructure upgrades.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs data centers continue to dot the American landscape, understanding where they create shared value \u2014 and where they don\u2019t \u2014 will be critical for community leaders and policymakers alike.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6497238\u0022\u003ERead More: The Local Economic Effects of Data Center Entry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs data centers expand across the U.S., new research by Daniel Yue, assistant professor of IT management, and his co-author, Yiyang Zeng, reveals that their economic benefits are real but uneven, shaped largely by local economic conditions and geography.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Data centers continue to expand across the U.S. Do the communities nearby really benefit?"}],"uid":"36730","created_gmt":"2026-07-09 17:25:59","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 13:27:47","author":"klowe36","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680584":{"id":"680584","type":"image","title":"The economic impact of data centers","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELead story image for Scheller News story \u0022Data Centers Are Booming. Who Benefits?\u0022 A hazy photo of an electronic board, possibly an internal image of a data center.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783617674","gmt_created":"2026-07-09 17:21:14","changed":"1783617834","gmt_changed":"2026-07-09 17:23:54","alt":"A hazy photo of an electronic board, possibly an internal image of a data center.","file":{"fid":"264862","name":"data-center.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/data-center.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/data-center.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":117567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/09\/data-center.jpg?itok=hj8qj4-z"}}},"media_ids":["680584"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/data-centers-are-booming-who-benefits.html?_gl=1*3nsm4t*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjU1MDU4NDM5LjE3ODM2MTc4Nzg.*_ga_8XJDVR2ZKP*czE3ODM2MTc4NzckbzEkZzEkdDE3ODM2MTc4ODAkajU3JGwwJGgxNzkwMjU1NjAy","title":"Read More"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168537","name":"Data Center"},{"id":"110561","name":"data centers"},{"id":"336","name":"information technology"},{"id":"602","name":"economics"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kristin.lowe@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691105":{"#nid":"691105","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Lightning Mapping Array Helps Protect World Cup Visitors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soccer enthusiasts from around the globe made their way to World Cup matches and visited outdoor FIFA Fan Festival events in Atlanta, a lightning tracking system operated by the Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was providing weather forecasters information that could help protect the fans.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array (NGLMA) uses specialized detection equipment to generate detailed maps of the lightning that occurs in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Through a collaboration between GTRI and the National Weather Service (NWS), the array provided continuous lightning information to agencies responsible for visitor safety.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe North Georgia Lightning Mapping Array is providing decision-support information to agencies responsible for protecting events in Atlanta related to the World Cup,\u201d said Michael Peterson, director of the GTRI Severe Storms Research Center (SSRC). \u201cThe system has been up and running and gave us excellent measurements of the thunderstorms that occurred in mid-June. It complements the other sources of weather information that the agencies have available.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/georgia-tech-lightning-mapping-array-helps-protect-world-cup-visitors\u0022\u003ERead the full article\u003C\/a\u003E on the Georgia Tech Research Institute news page\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Severe Storms Research Center provides early warning of approaching storms"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soccer enthusiasts from around the globe made their way to World Cup matches and events in Atlanta, a lightning tracking system operated by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) was providing weather forecasters information that could help protect the fans.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech lightning mapping array is helping authorities protect World Cup visitors from severe weather."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-07-13 18:31:56","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 18:35:10","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680601":{"id":"680601","type":"image","title":"Setting up a lightning mapping array unit near Atlanta","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI researchers set up a lightning mapping array unit at a location near Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783966872","gmt_created":"2026-07-13 18:21:12","changed":"1783967144","gmt_changed":"2026-07-13 18:25:44","alt":"Researchers set up a lightning mapping array unit at a location near Atlanta","file":{"fid":"264884","name":"weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5455243,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/13\/weather-monitoring-lg.jpg?itok=kZf_h_cy"}}},"media_ids":["680601"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691102":{"#nid":"691102","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Hone AI Method to Track \u201cSmart\u201d Vapes with Digital Screens","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EE-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid that typically contains nicotine, an addictive substance. These devices are continually changing, with new flavors, novel device designs, and digital screens. Some of these e-cigarettes \u2014 sometimes called \u201csmart vapes\u201d\u2014 include built-in games and Bluetooth connectivity that have the potential to gamify the use of nicotine. Many of these devices are marketed online but cannot be easily monitored with existing data sources and methods. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study published July 9 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENicotine and Tobacco Research\u003C\/em\u003E demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automatically detect and classify new e-cigarette devices with screens. The study, led by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) scientists, in collaboration with the CDC Foundation, analyzed publicly available product images from online tobacco retailers.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMonitoring online e-cigarette marketing is like a game of Whack-A-Mole, with so many new products and features popping up,\u201d said Kristy Marynak, PhD, Senior Director for Tobacco Control Initiatives at the CDC Foundation and a study author. \u201cThis study shows how machine learning techniques can shed light on the online e-cigarette marketplace and the vast quantities and types of e-cigarette products available.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/researchers-hone-new-ai-method-track-smart-vapes-digital-screens\u0022\u003ERead the full article\u003C\/a\u003E on the Georgia Tech Research Institute news page\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New approach helps researchers track emerging e-cigarette products "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study published July 9 in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automatically detect and classify new e-cigarette devices with screens. The study, led by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) scientists, in collaboration with the CDC Foundation, analyzed publicly available product images from online tobacco retailers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automatically detect and classify new e-cigarette devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:43:05","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:49:28","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680599":{"id":"680599","type":"image","title":"Example of an e-cigarette device that includes screens","body":"\u003Cp\u003EImage shows an example of an e-cigarette device containing screens. (Credit: CDC Foundation)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783960355","gmt_created":"2026-07-13 16:32:35","changed":"1783960642","gmt_changed":"2026-07-13 16:37:22","alt":"Sample e-cigarette device with a screen","file":{"fid":"264882","name":"a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":798726,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/13\/a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg?itok=fxwp5uQa"}}},"media_ids":["680599"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691066":{"#nid":"691066","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Creating Synthetic Life in a Lab? SpudCell Falls Short of the Goal, But Raises Even More Useful Questions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENature is beautiful, powerful and essential. But nature is not always gentle. The same biological world that gives rise to forests, coral reefs and human life also produces infections, cancer, genetic disease, crop blights and toxins. Natural processes can heal, sustain and inspire, but they can also destroy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat dichotomy is part of what drives the field of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/synthetic-biology-promised-to-rewrite-life-with-the-death-of-its-pioneer-j-craig-venter-how-close-are-scientists-281963\u0022\u003Esynthetic biology\u003C\/a\u003E: where scientists apply engineering principles to learn from and carefully adapt nature\u2019s biological systems to address human problems. By understanding biological systems, scientists can carefully redirect them when natural processes cause harm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis principle has shaped my work \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Xe78w-wAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eas a biomedical engineer\u003C\/a\u003E for over two decades. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/deanslab\/\u0022\u003EMy lab\u003C\/a\u003E studies how to program cells in order to better understand their behavior and ultimately use them as medicine. The goal is not to discard or replace nature, but to learn from biological principles and use that knowledge to responsibly help society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to Create Cells From Scratch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural cells are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cells-have-more-mini-organs-than-researchers-thought-unbound-by-membranes-these-rogue-organelles-challenge-biologys-fundamentals-239558\u0022\u003Eastonishingly complicated\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers want to use synthetic cells to learn more about how life works, and they are doing this by rebuilding some of life\u2019s basic features in a simpler, more understandable form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier designs of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-023-06288-x\u0022\u003Eminimal cells\u003C\/a\u003E, used to test which components are necessary for lifelike behavior, began with existing living cells and reduced the size of their genomes. A minimal cell is useful because it is simple, but that simplicity comes at a cost. It may reveal which parts are needed for lifelike behavior, but it usually lacks the autonomy, resilience, metabolism and evolutionary capacity of natural cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, synthetic cells are built through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1211701\u0022\u003Ebottom-up engineering\u003C\/a\u003E approach. Scientists start with a simplified compartment \u2013 a kind of biological \u201cbox\u201d \u2013 and ask what must be added for it to behave more like a living cell. A membrane separates the inside from the outside. Genetic material stores instructions. Molecular machinery reads those instructions to make molecules. Energy sources power reactions. Other components can allow growth, division and adaptation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Diagram showing a few membrane-bound components of an animal cell and a eurakyotic cell\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA useful way to think about synthetic cells is to compare them with technologies society already depends on. The radio wasn\u2019t invented all at once. Engineers learned how to combine an antenna, tuner, amplifier, power source and speaker to convert invisible electromagnetic waves into sound. A car is not just a metal shell; it becomes transportation only when a frame is connected to wheels, brakes, steering, an engine, and transmission and control systems. A computer began with switches and strings of ones and zeros that could be assembled into circuits capable of storing and processing information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003ESpudCell was assembled\u003C\/a\u003E from the bottom up with purified, nonliving parts. Researchers used lipid molecules to create a cell-like membrane, DNA molecules to store genetic instructions, purified enzymes to copy and read those instructions, and other molecular machinery to help build proteins and other molecules from small chemical building blocks, such as amino acids and nucleotides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell is exciting scientists because it appears to bring several features of life together in one system. The researchers describe it as capable of feeding, growth, genome replication, genetically encoded division and something close to evolution. These features resemble a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26869\/\u0022\u003Ebiological cell cycle\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClose to Life, But Not Quite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Estops short\u003C\/a\u003E of being a fully synthetic living cell. A membrane-bound compartment containing DNA is not automatically a living cell, just as a pile of car parts is not a car.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell can carry out several life-like processes, but it is not independent. It still relies on carefully controlled laboratory conditions and on researchers to supply its molecular machinery. It doesn\u2019t reliably pass on its genetic material or spontaneously evolve the way natural cells do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo approach life, a synthetic cell must coordinate many processes at once. NASA describes life as a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.nasa.gov\/research\/life-detection\/about\/\u0022\u003Eself-sustaining chemical system\u003C\/a\u003E capable of Darwinian evolution,\u201d meaning it must independently use energy, copy information, grow, divide, respond to its surroundings and persist over time. Natural cells do this with extraordinary reliability because they are the products of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/rain-may-have-helped-form-the-first-cells-kick-starting-life-as-we-know-it-238291\u0022\u003Ebillions of years of evolution\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Microscopy image of a green sphere dividing into two\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell still \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Efalls short of that standard\u003C\/a\u003E. It depends on researchers to continuously supply it with the molecular machinery to function and to physically help it divide. It also cannot reproduce indefinitely outside a carefully controlled laboratory environment. In other words, SpudCell may have been built rather than born, but it is not yet autonomous life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat limitation does not make the achievement unimportant. In fact, it is scientifically valuable precisely because it exposes what is still missing to create life. Which parts are essential? Which processes must be coordinated? How much complexity is necessary before chemistry begins to look like biology?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Create Synthetic Cells?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose questions have practical importance. Answering them can help scientists and engineers design safer biological systems for a wide range of industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESynthetic cells allow scientists to more cleanly test how the surrounding membrane separates the inside of a cell from its environment, how genetic instructions are read, how energy is used, and how growth and division are coordinated. These cell-like systems could eventually become \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nist.gov\/blogs\/taking-measure\/promise-synthetic-cells-revolutionary-new-drugs-outer-space-explorers-and\u0022\u003Esimplified test beds\u003C\/a\u003E for studying biological circuits, disease mechanisms and the origins of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey could also help scientists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/projects\/DELS-BLS-22-12\u0022\u003Ebuild safer systems\u003C\/a\u003E for making medicines, fuels or materials, detecting environmental toxins, or delivering therapies without relying on fully living organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, synthetic biology connects medicine and biotechnology: Viruses can be redesigned \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-puzzle-of-viral-vector-vaccines-was-solved-leading-to-todays-covid-19-shots-167341\u0022\u003Einto vaccines\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gene-therapy-restores-hearing-in-toddlers-and-teenagers-born-with-congenital-deafness-new-research-258112\u0022\u003Egene therapy\u003C\/a\u003E, immune cells can be reprogrammed to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/anti-cancer-car-t-therapy-reengineers-t-cells-to-kill-tumors-and-researchers-are-expanding-the-limited-types-of-cancer-it-can-target-196471\u0022\u003Erecognize cancer\u003C\/a\u003E, and microbes can be engineered to make useful molecules, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/insulin-injections-could-one-day-be-replaced-with-rock-music-new-research-in-mice-216787\u0022\u003Esuch as insulin\u003C\/a\u003E, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/genetically-engineered-bacteria-make-living-materials-for-self-repairing-walls-and-cleaning-up-pollution-191411\u0022\u003Edetect pollutants\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, researchers could use synthetic cells to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Edeliver a drug\u003C\/a\u003E only to diseased tissue, or create microbial systems that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13036-023-00379-z\u0022\u003Edetect toxins or pathogens\u003C\/a\u003E in water. They can also act as simplified biological factories that can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/helping-cells-become-better-protein-factories-could-improve-gene-therapies-and-other-treatments-a-new-technique-shows-how-187515\u0022\u003Emake medicines\u003C\/a\u003E without requiring a fully living organism, or as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0016292\u0022\u003Ebiosensors providing early warning\u003C\/a\u003E of dangerous threats, such as bioweapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating Life Responsibly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe philosophical question \u201cIs SpudCell alive?\u201d may not have a simple yes or no answer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepending on whether your definition of life emphasizes metabolism, reproduction, evolution, autonomy or cellular organization, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Eboundary between living and nonliving\u003C\/a\u003E can look very different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife is not defined by one property alone. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-viruses-blur-the-boundaries-of-life-230802\u0022\u003EViruses\u003C\/a\u003E contain genetic information but depend on host cells to reproduce. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/mitochondria-can-sense-bacteria-and-trigger-your-immune-system-to-trap-them-revealing-new-ways-to-treat-infections-and-autoimmunity-255939\u0022\u003EMitochondria\u003C\/a\u003E perform essential metabolism but cannot live independently outside of cells. A \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/svalbard-global-seed-vault-evokes-epic-imagery-and-controversy-because-of-the-symbolic-value-of-seeds-240086\u0022\u003Eseed can remain dormant\u003C\/a\u003E for years before resuming growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen synthetic biology is guided by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.1c00129\u0022\u003Estrong sense of responsibility\u003C\/a\u003E, scientists can learn how to redirect harmful processes, build safer tools and help society. This requires not only asking whether biological systems can be built, but also whether their creation should be controlled, where they should function and what safeguards are needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past two decades, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nchembio.1979\u0022\u003Escientists have built\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cell.2007.05.045\u0022\u003Emany kinds of\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41564-024-01913-5\u0022\u003Ebiological kill switches\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 that is, genetic circuits that can shut down engineered cells under specific conditions. Some researchers have made cells dependent on a specific nutrient. Others have created cells that can survive only in a particular environment or activate self-destructive pathways when conditions change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKill switches are not magic off buttons and do not replace careful regulation, physical containment or public oversight. But they are an important example of synthetic biology\u2019s moral compass: to not only build useful biological tools, but to build them with safety, accountability and humility in mind.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/286762\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components. The lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it stops short of being a fully synthetic living cell."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-08 19:42:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:12:48","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680580":{"id":"680580","type":"image","title":"spudcell.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783539781","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","changed":"1783539781","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","alt":"A rendering of transparent cells on a blue background","file":{"fid":"264858","name":"spudcell.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4473489,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg?itok=ybyDU2tc"}}},"media_ids":["680580"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETara Deans, associate professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691081":{"#nid":"691081","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Collaborates With Japanese Space Agency on Asteroid Flyby","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOn\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jaxa.jp\/press\/2026\/07\/20260706-3_j.html\u0022\u003EJuly 5\u003C\/a\u003E, a Japanese spacecraft soared past an asteroid containing some of the oldest known materials in the solar system. A Georgia Tech researcher helped guide the mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency\u2019s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 Extended Mission conducted a flyby of the asteroid Torifune.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/masatoshi-toshi-hirabayashi\u0022\u003EToshi Hirabayashi\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and a member of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, helped select the target asteroid and developed the spacecraft\u2019s final orientation and trajectory for the encounter. The mission marked the world\u2019s first successful use of a laser altimeter during a high-speed flyby of a small celestial body. Hirabayashi was in Japan for the operation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraveling at nearly 5 kilometers per second, the spacecraft captured visible and infrared images of Torifune, documenting its unique shape and surface and revealing evidence of geological diversity. The asteroid resembles a dumbbell, with two chunks connected by a neck obscured in shadow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe spacecraft also detected data signals from the laser altimeter and the near-infrared spectrometer. The laser altimeter received two data points, and the near-infrared spectrometer detected multiple points during a narrow observation window. Researchers hope the observations will help them better determine the flyby conditions at high accuracy and understand how asteroids evolve and what they can reveal about the earliest days of the solar system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHirabayashi previously contributed to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ares.jsc.nasa.gov\/missions\/hayabusa2\/\u0022\u003EJAXA\u2019s landmark mission that returned asteroid samples to Earth\u003C\/a\u003E. But the Torifune flyby presented a different set of challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe spacecraft was not designed for flyby operations, so there are many constraints,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was necessary to develop a new strategy to maximize science data acquisition.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe knowledge gained from the mission could strengthen international planetary defense efforts. The data will help scientists better understand how asteroids move through space and how to observe them effectively. The researchers hope Torifune will offer insights not only into the origins of planets but also into how humanity can better prepare for future asteroid threats.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Planetary defense is a critical aspect for the public,\u0022 Hirabayashi said. \u0022Georgia experienced an airburst [when a meteoroid bursts mid-air] event in 2025. While the event was small, a larger event may get people hurt. Hayabusa2\u0027s flyby experience will be critical for acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to better observe such a potential threat.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is funded by the Space Research Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EData from the mission could reveal how planets formed and help scientists identify future asteroid threats.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Data from the mission could reveal how planets formed and help scientists identify future asteroid threats."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-07-10 15:25:55","changed_gmt":"2026-07-10 15:28:36","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680588":{"id":"680588","type":"image","title":"20260706-3-01.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u00a9JAXA, The University of Tokyo, Chiba Institute of Technology, Institute of Science Tokyo, AIST, Paris Observatory, IAC. ONC-T image details: Capture date \u0026amp; time: 2026\/07\/05 at 18:29:59 JST (preliminary estimate).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783697219","gmt_created":"2026-07-10 15:26:59","changed":"1783697219","gmt_changed":"2026-07-10 15:26:59","alt":"the meteroid","file":{"fid":"264867","name":"20260706-3-01.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/10\/20260706-3-01.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/10\/20260706-3-01.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1594575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/10\/20260706-3-01.png?itok=27DR5KUM"}},"680589":{"id":"680589","type":"image","title":"20260706-3-02.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u00a9JAXA, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Chiba Institute of Technology, The University of Aizu, Hokkaido University of Education, AIST TIR image details: Capture date \u0026amp; time: 2026\/07\/05 at 18:29:58 JST (preliminary estimate), Distance to Torifune: approximately 10 km.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783697286","gmt_created":"2026-07-10 15:28:06","changed":"1783697286","gmt_changed":"2026-07-10 15:28:06","alt":"asteroid","file":{"fid":"264868","name":"20260706-3-02.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/10\/20260706-3-02.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/10\/20260706-3-02.png","mime":"image\/png","size":21749,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/10\/20260706-3-02.png?itok=nsCqqX5z"}}},"media_ids":["680588","680589"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691040":{"#nid":"691040","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Develop a Safer, More Reliable Material for Growing Small-Scale Models of the Human Gut ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor years, scientists studying the human gut have relied on a material that most people would never expect: a jelly made from mouse tumors. Called Matrigel, it is used to grow tiny, patient\u2011derived versions of the intestine that help researchers understand disease, test new drugs, and explore future therapies. However, since this material comes from animal tissue, it\u2019s unpredictable, difficult to control, and limits medical applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.edu\/node\/1\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E researchers and partners from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.upenn.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003C\/a\u003E offers a promising alternative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work includes contributions from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/andres-j-garcia\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and Executive Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, whose research focuses on how engineered materials can guide cell behavior. Instead of relying on a biological mixture with hundreds of variable components, the team created a fully synthetic gel designed to give intestinal stem cells exactly what they need to grow and organize into healthy tissue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo build it, the researchers analyzed the genetic signals of human intestinal cells to understand what kind of environment they naturally prefer. They found that these cells latch onto collagen\u2011like structures and reshape their surroundings as they expand. Using that information, the team engineered a customizable gel that mimics those cues, without using any animal\u2011derived ingredients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results were striking. Human intestinal cells grown in the synthetic gel formed realistic, well\u2011organized small-scale digestive tract models that closely match those grown in the traditional animal\u2011derived material. They maintained the same cell types, developed the same structures, and preserved patient\u2011specific features.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications reach far beyond the lab bench.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA fully synthetic, precisely defined gel means researchers can grow small-scale organs more consistently and ethically, reducing reliance on animal tissue and improving reproducibility. It also opens the door to future medical applications, from personalized drug testing to regenerative therapies, where animal\u2011based materials simply can\u2019t be used.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u0022Reproducible, well-defined culture conditions are essential to generating reliable data from patient-derived organoids in human disease research, and we were glad to contribute to work that brings the field a real synthetic alternative to Matrigel,\u201d said Kathryn Hamilton, a co-author of the study. Hamilton is an associate professor at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.upenn.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003C\/a\u003E and a primary investigator at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy replacing one of the biggest barriers in organoid science, this work moves the field closer to a future where patient\u2011specific tissues can be grown safely, reliably, and at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are excited about engineering this synthetic matrix as an alternative to natural materials and expect that it will accelerate human organoid research and clinical applications,\u201d Garc\u00eda said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by Georgia Tech researchers and partners offers a promising alternative to gel derived from animal tissue that is currently used to grow organ models. A fully synthetic, precisely defined gel means researchers can grow small-scale organs more consistently and ethically, reducing reliance on animal tissue and improving reproducibility.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a synthetic gel that could open new possibilities for drug testing and disease treatment."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 14:57:35","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 12:52:44","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680577":{"id":"680577","type":"image","title":"_0000_organoids.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists are able to use patient-derived tissue samples to grow miniature versions of human organs, allowing them to test new medications and disease treatments for personalized care.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783515079","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 12:51:19","changed":"1783515079","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 12:51:19","alt":"Microscopic image of pink tissue cells","file":{"fid":"264855","name":"_0000_organoids.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":355456,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg?itok=b2NxWXSv"}}},"media_ids":["680577"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691061":{"#nid":"691061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Memoriam: Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA nationally recognized leader in energy systems, Shelton founded SEI as an interdisciplinary organization that brought together engineers, researchers, policy experts, and industry leaders to advance high-impact energy solutions. That vision remains central to SEI\u2019s mission and continues to guide its work today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam was the quintessential engineer and innovator, whose vision was always accompanied by the development and demonstration of actual products instead of leaving them as promising concepts,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garimella\u0022\u003ESrinivas Garimella\u003C\/a\u003E, Hightower Chair in the College of Engineering and professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u201cHe had the rare ability to see through nebulous ideas and claims and get to the fundamental engineering truths. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to seek his advice, which he freely gave. I will miss his friendship and counsel very much.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a career of more than 35 years, Shelton made lasting contributions to sustainable energy and engineering innovation. His work spanned combustion research, solar energy technologies, and offshore wind systems. He secured more than $30 million in research funding, held eight patents, founded two energy-focused companies, and helped translate research into real-world energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his research, Shelton was deeply committed to education. During his academic career, he developed undergraduate and graduate courses in energy technology, teaching both in person and online. His\u0026nbsp;Energy 101 course reached tens of thousands of learners through a massive open online course platform, covering topics such as energy supply, independence, economics, and society\u2019s energy demands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first started at SEI in 2016, Sam and I would meet for lunch to discuss the latest research, consider how far we\u0027ve come since the Carter administration, and grapple over the world\u2019s energy problems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies.\u0026nbsp;\u201cSam was genuine and objective, not working backward from a preconceived notion, but working forward with an open mind to understand, appreciate, and apply the first and second law. He was also colorful and witty! We are all privileged to pay these lessons forward to future energy students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond academia, Shelton\u2019s engineering expertise reached a global stage as the designer of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2016\/07\/20th-anniversary-atlanta-games\u0022\u003EOlympic torch for the 1996 Atlanta Games\u003C\/a\u003E, an enduring symbol of innovation recognized worldwide. \u201cThe Olympics represented world peace, mankind coming together, and overcoming adversity. It was an amazing event to think about, to witness, to live through, and be a part of helping to create it,\u201d Shelton said in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WyuWSPeGTXk\u0022\u003E2016 interview\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelton is survived by his\u0026nbsp;daughters, Suzie and Stacy, three granddaughters,\u0026nbsp;and a wide network of students, colleagues, and collaborators. His legacy continues through the programs he built, partnerships he fostered, and the people he helped.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/atlanta\/name\/samuel-shelton-obituary?id=61831858\u0022\u003Ememorial service\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E celebrating Shelton\u2019s life will be held Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. at The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant in Atlanta. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be directed to Roll Call, Georgia Tech\u2019s Fund for Excellence.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Donations may be made at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/63028\/donations\/new?\u0026amp;utm_source=ALMR26Q40NY1BU02KUD\u0022\u003Egtalumni.org\/SamShelton\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sam Shelton, founding director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), longtime professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 21:11:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 02:35:40","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680575":{"id":"680575","type":"image","title":"SamShelton.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783458862","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","changed":"1783458862","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute (Photo Credit: Georgia Tech Institute Communications)","file":{"fid":"264853","name":"SamShelton.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":485843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg?itok=LXffzX8m"}},"680574":{"id":"680574","type":"image","title":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783458708","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","changed":"1783458708","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","file":{"fid":"264852","name":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":33796,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg?itok=LUMuoM7e"}}},"media_ids":["680575","680574"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691059":{"#nid":"691059","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Expert: Brian An","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy resilience broadens the scope of urban policy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHousing and transportation are top priorities for many city mayors, policymakers and public policy researchers\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian An\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. But in February 2021, soon after Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc in Texas, an eight-hour power outage at his Atlanta home became an epiphany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile housing stability had long been on my mind, losing power drove home the importance of another piece of urban infrastructure: reliable access to electricity,\u201d says An, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter faculty affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urbanresearch.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt sparked my interest in studying the intersection of energy and urban policy to help make cities and communities not only socially equitable but also resilient to extreme weather.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/06\/30\/meet-the-expert-brian-an\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy resilience broadens the scope of urban policy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHousing and transportation are top priorities for many city mayors, policymakers and public policy researchers\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian An\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. But in February 2021, soon after Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc in Texas, an eight-hour power outage at his Atlanta home became an epiphany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile housing stability had long been on my mind, losing power drove home the importance of another piece of urban infrastructure: reliable access to electricity,\u201d says An, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter faculty affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urbanresearch.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt sparked my interest in studying the intersection of energy and urban policy to help make cities and communities not only socially equitable but also resilient to extreme weather.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In this EPIcenter Expert series, meet Brian An, EPIcenter Affiliate, studying the intersection of energy resilience and urban policy to improve grid equity during extreme weather."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:26:49","changed_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:31:03","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680569":{"id":"680569","type":"image","title":"Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBrian An, EPIcenter Faculty Affiliate and Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783441679","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 16:27:59","changed":"1783441679","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 16:27:59","alt":"Brian An, EPIcenter Faculty Affiliate and Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy ","file":{"fid":"264847","name":"Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":69638,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg?itok=wcUA_U3y"}}},"media_ids":["680569"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"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\u003EStory Written by: Silke Schmidt\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENews Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690894":{"#nid":"690894","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Discover Membrane-Based Approach to More Sustainable Oil Refining","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERefining crude oil into gasoline, jet fuel, and other everyday products requires enormous amounts of energy. The atmospheric and vacuum distillation processes used in refineries worldwide consume more than 1,100 terawatt-hours of energy annually \u2014 roughly enough to power 100 million U.S. homes for a year \u2014 while generating millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESix years after demonstrating that membranes could separate crude oil at the molecular level, Georgia Tech researcher Ryan Lively is part of an international team that has taken the concept a significant step further.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team, including investigators at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), discovered that a membrane material widely believed to be non-selective for molecules as small as those found in crude can in fact selectively separate crude oil into lighter and heavier fractions in a way researchers did not expect.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPublished in \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-026-10677-3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Etheir findings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E suggest that using membranes to separate crude oil before distillation could significantly reduce the energy, water, and carbon footprint of petroleum refining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lively.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELively\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the Thomas C. DeLoach Jr. Endowed Professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, served as an advisor and corresponding author on the study. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pure.kaist.ac.kr\/en\/persons\/dong-yeun-koh\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDong-Yeun Koh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor at KAIST and a former postdoc in the Lively Lab at Georgia Tech, led the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on Earlier Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the 2020 \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E paper, Lively and collaborators demonstrated that specially designed membranes could separate crude oil into valuable fractions without relying solely on traditional heat-driven distillation. The work helped establish membrane-based crude oil fractionation as a promising alternative for reducing energy use in refining.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This work grew directly out of the challenges we identified in our original findings in the 2020 article,\u0022 Lively said. \u0022One of the key challenges that the KAIST team set out to tackle was the very low oil productivities of the membrane units, which has limited the ability of this concept to leave the lab. Along the way, we not only increased the productivities, but we also uncovered a surprising new mechanism that could make membrane-based crude oil separations even more practical.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new study built on that foundation. The researchers investigated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes, a material commonly used as a non-selective support layer in filtration systems. Because the material is porous, the team generally did not expect it to perform precise molecular separations on its own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what they found surprised them, Lively said. As crude oil flowed through the membrane, heavier hydrocarbon molecules accumulated within the membrane\u0027s pores. Instead of clogging the membrane, the buildup created a stable internal layer that gradually narrowed the pathways through which molecules could travel. Surprisingly, the molecules that caused the buildup in the first place were eventually excluded from entering the membrane, resulting in a steady production of higher quality oil through the narrow pathways that remained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn effect, the membrane created its own molecular-scale filter. The result was a process that allowed lighter hydrocarbons to pass through while holding back heavier components.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe membrane enriched lighter fractions such as naphtha and kerosene while achieving crude oil flow rates more than 23 times higher those reported in the 2020 paper for whole crude oils\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen Buildup Becomes an Asset\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn most filtration systems, buildup inside a membrane (or fouling) is considered a problem because it reduces performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut according to the researchers, this study demonstrates that something different can happen under the right conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a range of analytical techniques, the researchers found that long-chain hydrocarbon molecules accumulated inside the membrane and became an essential part of the separation process. The deposits effectively transformed larger pores into stable transport pathways measuring less than two nanometers across, they deduced based on available experimental evidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe membrane maintained consistent separation performance during four weeks of continuous operation, suggesting the filtration pathways remained stable over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe findings challenge traditional assumptions about membrane fouling and may offer new opportunities for designing industrial separation systems that take advantage of similar behavior,\u201d Lively said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPotential Impact on Refining\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday\u0027s refineries heat entire streams of crude oil to separate them into useful products. By using membranes to remove a substantial portion of the lighter hydrocarbons before distillation, refineries could reduce the amount of material that must undergo energy-intensive heating. Alternatively, the refinery can use the membranes to incrementally increase refinery capacity, which is currently not possible using large-scale distillation equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the potential impacts of the membrane system, the researchers modeled a refinery process that incorporated a membrane separation step before conventional distillation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis study reveals a new scientific principle in which a membrane interacts with a complex mixture and spontaneously forms its own separation channels,\u0022 Koh said. \u0022Working with real crude oil supplied by HD Hyundai Oilbank allowed us to validate the technology under conditions relevant to industrial operation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u0027s technoeconomic analysis showed that incorporating the membrane process could reduce distillation energy use by 30%, carbon dioxide emissions by 35%, and water consumption by 20%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplied across U.S. atmospheric crude distillation capacity \u2014 about 18 million barrels per day \u2014 those savings would be equivalent to powering roughly 2.2 million homes, removing about 3 million passenger vehicles from the road, and supplying enough water for approximately 660,000 people each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Turning crude oil into useful products has relied on essentially the same basic approach for more than a century,\u0022 Lively said. \u0022Membranes offer a path toward achieving those separations with dramatically lower energy requirements and emissions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0027s findings also suggest that the phenomenon may not be limited to a single membrane chemistry. Researchers observed similar behavior in a second membrane material, raising the possibility that the approach could be extended to other membrane systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a terrific piece of research that rewards curiosity,\u0022 said Andrew LIvington, vice president of research and innovation and professor at Queen Mary University of London, who was not involved with the study. \u0022This work adds significantly to the field of membrane separations of crude oil streams as it tackles the first, hard to achieve separation of heavy hydrocarbons \u2013 most work to date has focused on lighter oils\u0026nbsp;\u2013 and it uses a simple and readily available membrane.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJihoon Choi, Hyeokjun Seo, Minyong Lee, Woong-Chul Shin, Jaemin Choi, Keonwoo Choi, Min-Jun Jang, Sung Gap Im, Jae W. Lee, Ryan P. Lively, and Dong-Yeun Koh, \u0022\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-026-10677-3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECrude oil fractionation by means of mesoporous polyacrylonitrile membranes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0022 \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPublished in \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers\u0027 findings suggest that using membranes to separate crude oil before distillation could significantly reduce the energy, water, and carbon footprint of petroleum refining.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Published in Nature, the researchers\u0027 findings suggest that using membranes to separate crude oil before distillation could significantly reduce the energy, water, and carbon footprint of petroleum refining."}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 15:45:46","changed_gmt":"2026-07-06 17:19:42","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680502":{"id":"680502","type":"image","title":"RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProfessors Ryan Lively (Georgia Tech) and Dong-Yeun Koh (KAIST). Koh used to be postdoctoral researcher in the Lively Lab.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782316293","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:51:33","changed":"1782316293","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:51:33","alt":"Professors Ryan Lively (Georgia Tech) and Dong-Yeun Koh (KAIST). Koh used to be postdoctoral researcher in the Lively Lab.","file":{"fid":"264775","name":"RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/RyanDong-Yeun.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":190547,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/RyanDong-Yeun.jpg?itok=-eLTFUXj"}},"680503":{"id":"680503","type":"image","title":"PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchematic illustration of the membrane-based pre-fractionation process, showing the selective separation of light hydrocarbon fractions from crude oil feedstock to reduce energy requirements for subsequent atmospheric distillation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782316323","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:52:03","changed":"1782316323","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:52:03","alt":"Schematic illustration of the membrane-based pre-fractionation process, showing the selective separation of light hydrocarbon fractions from crude oil feedstock to reduce energy requirements for subsequent atmospheric distillation.","file":{"fid":"264776","name":"PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":84713,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude---Manuscript---R1---V6.jpg?itok=6Y4qawLU"}},"680504":{"id":"680504","type":"image","title":"PAN-Crude.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPhotographs illustrating the distinct color change upon fractionation of crude oils via PAN membrane.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782316357","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:52:37","changed":"1782316357","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:52:37","alt":"Photographs illustrating the distinct color change upon fractionation of crude oils via PAN membrane.","file":{"fid":"264777","name":"PAN-Crude.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":141397,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/PAN-Crude.jpg?itok=9_uTRAtb"}}},"media_ids":["680502","680503","680504"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11764","name":"filtration"},{"id":"2177","name":"membranes"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691032":{"#nid":"691032","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Experts in the News: AI, Prices, and the War","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, ongoing geopolitical tensions are driving fluctuations in global oil markets and fuel prices. The expansion of AI data centers is also increasing demand for land, power, and water resources. And conflicts involving energy infrastructure in parts of the Middle East and Europe have affected supply stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResponding to these challenges requires careful analysis of emerging trends, supported by strong research in policy and economics. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E study these complex, interconnected issues affecting energy systems, costs, and access. They analyze emerging trends, evaluate policy options, and identify practical pathways forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/07\/01\/epicenter-affiliated-experts-inform-public-understanding-of-energy-systems-and-their-economic-impacts\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"EPIcenter Faculty Affiliates have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:40:46","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680549":{"id":"680549","type":"image","title":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","body":null,"created":"1783021099","gmt_created":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","changed":"1783021099","gmt_changed":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","alt":"4 panel image: clockwise from upper left - solar panels in field, data center and cooling complex, Hormuz Island, gas pump in a car\u0027s fuel port","file":{"fid":"264825","name":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","mime":"image\/png","size":103965,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png?itok=GVkV7SSC"}}},"media_ids":["680549"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690967":{"#nid":"690967","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Myth of the \u2018Lizard Brain\u2019 and the Real Trade-Off Inside Your Mind","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESo many of life\u2019s most pivotal decisions come down to one question: Should you listen to your logic or your emotions? Popular culture often frames this tension as a struggle between two minds \u2014 a \u201cmore evolved\u201d rational layer built atop an ancient \u201clizard brain\u201d driven by primal instincts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis battle of the brains has also been playing out over the course of evolution, but not as a simple clash between old and new.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere was a theory proposed in the \u201850s that the brain evolved in layers starting with basic bodily functions, to emotions in the reptilian brain, leading up to sophisticated reasoning in humans,\u201d explains \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/nabil-imam\u0022\u003ENabil Imam\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and a faculty member with Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS). \u201cThis is not how an evolutionary biologist would think about the problem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of a \u201cnew\u201d brain layered over an \u201cancient\u201d one \u2014 or even a logical brain versus an emotional one \u2014 research published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/full\/10.1126\/sciadv.aec6112\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E reveals that brain evolution may come down to wiring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy studying the architecture of both biological and artificial brains, Imam\u2019s team found that brain evolution is a strategic allocation of limited real estate. They propose a computational tug-of-war between two fundamentally different types of internal wiring \u2014 ones established even before birth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis new understanding not only helps resolve a longstanding mystery in brain evolution but could also help us design more efficient AI systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Problem With the \u201cLizard Brain\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we refer to our \u201clogical\u201d or \u201clizard\u201d brains, we\u2019re really talking about different groups of brain regions. The logical brain is known as the neocortex, the brain\u2019s outer layer responsible for vision, perception, reasoning, and other higher-level functions. For the lizard brain, the story gets a bit complicated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe limbic system, sometimes called the \u2018reptilian brain,\u2019 controls emotion broadly speaking \u2014 but it also has other components with distinct functions,\u201d explains Imam. The system has separate regions for memory, smell, and navigation in addition to emotional regulation. \u201cWhy do people group all these different regions into one big system? There hasn\u2019t been a good theory for what is common between these different circuits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo investigate, Imam\u2019s team looked beyond individual regions to examine how these systems scale across species. Instead of comparing single areas based on function, the team analyzed how the limbic system and the neocortex change together across evolutionary history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result was remarkably consistent. When one component of the limbic system was larger, the others were also larger, while the neocortex was consistently smaller. These regions don\u2019t vary independently. \u201cRather,\u201d says Imam, \u201cit\u2019s a coordinated expansion of these regions across species.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis reveals something new: The limbic system behaves not as a loose collection of functions, but as a unified network that expands and contracts as a group across evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what is driving this coordinated push and pull?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaps Versus Barcodes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImam argues that it comes down to how these different parts of the brain are wired before birth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the neocortex, neural circuits are organized as spatial maps. Areas that process touch in nearby parts of your body, like your index finger and thumb, are physically close to each other in the brain. The same is true for sight and sound.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWires in the limbic system, however, are not spatially organized. They function more like a bar code, firing in unique, distributed patterns to represent specific scents or complex memories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test whether this was an innate trait or acquired through experience, the team developed AI models for different senses. They found that when they pre-wired an AI with localized, spatial connectivity, the network was naturally very good at processing vision, sound, and touch information. Conversely, distributed, \u201cbarcode-style\u201d networks were essential for the AI to excel at scent recognition and memory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Evolutionary Tug-of-War\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe final piece of the puzzle explains how the size of brain components changes predictably across species. Because resources like space and energy are limited, natural selection chooses which system to prioritize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team simulated evolution by creating a multimodal network where the spatial and distributed domains competed for \u201creal estate.\u201d When the environment rewarded smell, all areas of the distributed system expanded and the neocortex shrank. When vision was rewarded, the opposite occurred.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis explains why the nine-banded armadillo, which relies on scent, has a massive limbic system, while the highly visual squirrel monkey is dominated by its neocortex. Across the 182 species studied, the research shows that brain evolution is not about adding new layers of \u0022logic,\u0022 but about strategically reallocating space between different wiring systems to support survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy translating this biological architecture to AI systems, engineers could create machines that learn as efficiently as the human brain, requiring far less data and energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cToday\u0027s artificial neural networks are trained by vast amounts data \u2014 it\u2019s about nurture,\u201d says Imam. \u201cBut the brain is not a blank slate that gets trained by experience. It is a mix of nature and nurture, and the nature is that pre-wired architecture.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe could translate that architecture to AI systems to make it more brain-like, or make it learn or function as efficiently as the brain.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was a collaboration with Cornell University and was supported by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aec6112\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Edoi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aec6112\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study from Georgia Tech examines how different brain systems scale together across species, offering a new perspective on brain organization \u2014 and its potential applications in artificial intelligence.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study from Georgia Tech examines how different brain systems scale together across species, offering a new perspective on brain organization \u2014 and its potential applications in artificial intelligence."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-06-29 18:27:57","changed_gmt":"2026-07-02 14:56:41","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680528":{"id":"680528","type":"image","title":"brain-halves.jpeg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EResearchers found that coordinated changes across brain systems may be explained by two distinct wiring strategies \u2014 spatially organized circuits and distributed networks \u2014 that expand and contract together over evolution.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1782757701","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:28:21","changed":"1782757701","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 18:28:21","alt":"Digital illustration of a brain surrounded by two distinct visual patterns. One side is composed of structured blue connections resembling an organized network map, while the other features colorful, dispersed light patterns, representing distributed neural activity. The image symbolizes competing brain architectures explored in the study.","file":{"fid":"264802","name":"brain-halves.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/brain-halves.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/brain-halves.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5350147,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/brain-halves.jpeg?itok=7doQLT23"}},"680530":{"id":"680530","type":"image","title":"Fig2.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EA conceptual illustration of the two wiring strategies identified in the study. Spatially organized circuits in the neocortex (left) preserve map-like relationships, while distributed networks in the limbic system (right) connect information across locations, creating a tradeoff that may shape brain evolution.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1782758455","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:40:55","changed":"1782758455","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 18:40:55","alt":"A balance scale holds two diagrams representing different brain wiring strategies. The left side shows an ordered rainbow-colored map labeled \u0022Neocortex,\u0022 illustrating localized connections that preserve spatial organization. The right side shows a web of interconnected colored nodes labeled \u0022Limbic System,\u0022 representing distributed connections that integrate information across space. The image symbolizes the tradeoff between these competing neural architectures proposed by the study.","file":{"fid":"264804","name":"Fig2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":866124,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig2.png?itok=7rXvH4XZ"}},"680531":{"id":"680531","type":"image","title":"Fig1-Imam.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECross-sections of a squirrel monkey brain (left) and a nine-banded armadillo brain (right) illustrate how different neural systems expand or shrink together across species. The highly visual squirrel monkey has a larger neocortex (blue), while the scent-reliant armadillo has a larger olfactory complex (purple) and memory center (green).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782758808","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 18:46:48","changed":"1782758808","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 18:46:48","alt":"Comparative brain images showing a squirrel monkey on the left and a nine-banded armadillo on the right. Colored overlays highlight major brain systems: extensive blue neocortical regions in the monkey and enlarged purple olfactory regions in the armadillo, illustrating how different species allocate brain space according to their sensory needs.","file":{"fid":"264805","name":"Fig1-Imam.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig1-Imam.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig1-Imam.png","mime":"image\/png","size":158938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/Fig1-Imam.png?itok=dbPFTe7d"}}},"media_ids":["680528","680530","680531"],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAudra Davidson\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bwine3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBryant Wine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bwine3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690920":{"#nid":"690920","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Earns Top-10 Rankings in Innovation Commercialization","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech continues to strengthen its position as one of the nation\u2019s leaders in research commercialization, earning top-10 rankings among U.S. higher education institutions in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/autm.net\/surveys-and-tools\/surveys\/licensing-survey\/2025-licensing-survey\u0022\u003E2025 AUTM Licensing Activity Survey.\u003C\/a\u003E In two key measures of innovation performance, Georgia Tech came in at No. six for invention disclosures with 454 total disclosures, as well as No. 8 in new patent applications with 230 filings. Additionally, Georgia Tech came in No. 12 in the number of issued U.S. patents with 124 granted. The annual AUTM survey is widely regarded as the leading benchmark for academic technology transfer and commercialization activity in the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe latest rankings build on a record year for Georgia Tech commercialization. In 2025, the Institute \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-advances-500-technologies-toward-market-real-world-impact\u0022\u003Ereported\u003C\/a\u003E advancing hundreds of technologies toward the marketplace, while achieving record levels of invention disclosures, issued patents, and licensed technologies. Those milestones underscore Georgia Tech\u2019s expanding role in transforming research discoveries into products, companies, and partnerships that create economic and societal value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe strong performance reflects a commercialization strategy focused not only on protecting IP, but also on helping researchers translate discoveries into practical applications,\u201d said Raghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar, chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech. \u201cWhether through licensing technologies, launching startups, or partnering with industry, we are building pathways that help researchers transform discoveries into real-world solutions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom advanced health technologies to environmental monitoring tools and next-generation aerospace ventures, Georgia Tech innovations are reaching users and markets in increasingly diverse ways. One example is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/05\/11\/kinemo-turning-small-movements-new-possibilities\u0022\u003EKinemo\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup developed through Georgia Tech research that is helping people with limited mobility regain independence through wearable assistive technology. Founded by researchers from the College of Engineering, Kinemo uses physiological sensing and small intentional movements to enable users to control digital devices. The company works closely with clinicians and patients at Shepherd Center to refine the technology and expand accessibility for individuals living with spinal cord injuries and mobility limitations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother example is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/02\/georgia-tech-researchers-commercialize-new-technology-faster-water-and-environmental\u0022\u003ESkopii\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup launched from research in the lab of environmental engineering professor Ameet Pinto. The company is commercializing portable imaging and artificial intelligence technology that enables users to rapidly analyze microorganisms in water and environmental systems, eliminating the need for lengthy laboratory testing. The technology has the potential to improve decision-making for water utilities, food production systems, and environmental monitoring efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs research institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate impact beyond publications and laboratory discoveries, Georgia Tech continues to show how world-class research can translate into technologies, startups, jobs, and solutions that improve lives. The latest AUTM rankings provide another measure of that success, highlighting an innovation ecosystem that consistently moves ideas from the lab to the marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartups such as Kinemo and Skopii illustrate the broader commercialization approach reflected in Georgia Tech\u0027s AUTM rankings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech earns top-10 rankings among U.S. higher education institutions in two key measures of innovation performance in the 2025 AUTM Licensing Activity Survey.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech continues to strengthen its position as one of the nation\u2019s leaders in research commercialization"}],"uid":"34602","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:24:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 19:44:19","author":"Georgia Parmelee","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680518":{"id":"680518","type":"image","title":"Kinemo co-founders Nordine Sebkhi and Arpan Bhavsar work with Wendell Odom during an assistive technology session using the Kinemo device to support independent computer and device control.","body":null,"created":"1782417464","gmt_created":"2026-06-25 19:57:44","changed":"1782417464","gmt_changed":"2026-06-25 19:57:44","alt":"Two researchers and a patient using the Kinemo technology. ","file":{"fid":"264791","name":"Kinemo-020.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/Kinemo-020.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/25\/Kinemo-020.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2571708,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/25\/Kinemo-020.JPG?itok=oJVLRVqN"}}},"media_ids":["680518"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"},{"id":"192930","name":"gt-commercializationnews"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Parmelee\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["georgia.parmelee@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691019":{"#nid":"691019","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlanta Tech Community Invited to Help Shape the Future of AI at Upcoming Summit","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo A.M. Turing Award Laureates are among global computing experts traveling to Atlanta this summer for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aisummit26.acm.org\/\u0022\u003Einaugural ACM AI Leadership Summit\u003C\/a\u003E. The summit is the first event of its kind organized by ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aisummit26.acm.org\/attendees\/registration\/\u0022\u003ERegistration is open\u003C\/a\u003E for the inaugural ACM AI Leadership Summit, taking place Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Atlanta-area college students, faculty, and others from the tech community interested in AI are invited to attend the summit to explore:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef605e6b61bbbfd8ac7dece14f6ca0661\u0022\u003EEmerging AI technologies and agentic systems\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ee1e0bcdcf360ec28c7e48d2937e3c6d2\u0022\u003EGovernance and ethics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e6fe4c233e207d76caae9ed8ed3cc6ce0\u0022\u003EWorkforce transformation\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e88dff9178ee15483fd8ce9cbac09e7ba\u0022\u003ECreative collaboration\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to welcoming a wide range of perspectives on AI and society, the summit will serve as a venue for knowledge exchange, cross-sector dialogue, and community building among academia, industry, government, and other AI stakeholders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArtificial intelligence is transforming every dimension of human knowledge, creativity, and collaboration,\u201d said ACM President-Elect\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elisa-bertino-180905\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElisa Bertino\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, co-chair of the summit\u2019s organizing committee.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe ACM AI Leadership Summit will be a milestone event where the global computing community taps into the excitement of the moment while exploring the AI era from a whole range of perspectives.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGT Computing Helps Lead the Effort\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s College of Computing plays a key role in the summit. Several faculty members serve on the organizing committee.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGT Computing faculty organizers include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/neha-kumar-4533161\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeha Kumar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, general organizing co-chair;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/markriedl\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMark Riedl\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, program co-chair; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/naveenakarusala\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENaveena Karusala\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, communications co-chair. Dean of Computing\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vsarkar\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVivek Sarkar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E serves as the event\u2019s sponsorship chair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll are ACM members. Kumar, Riedl, and Karusala are faculty members in the School of Interactive Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta is home to one of the nation\u0027s most dynamic technology communities, making this summit an unprecedented opportunity for our students, researchers, academics, and technology leaders to help shape the future of AI,\u201d said Kumar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy bringing together experts from academic, industry, and governance backgrounds, we\u0027re creating a space for exchanging ideas, forming partnerships, and engaging the next generation of AI leaders with the challenges and opportunities that will define the field for years to come.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to helping organize the summit, the College is hosting a reception on Aug. 30, following a daylong doctoral consortium titled \u003Cem\u003ENurturing Future AI Leaders\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe summit reflects the growing need for cross-sector collaboration as AI technologies become increasingly influential across every aspect of society,\u201d said Sarkar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is designed to foster dialogue, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical action that advances AI for the public good.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETuring Award Laureates and AI Visionaries Take the Stage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EACM A.M. Turing Award Laureates\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/amturing.acm.org\/award_winners\/barto_9471663.cfm\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew Barto\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/amturing.acm.org\/award_winners\/lecun_6017366.cfm\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYann LeCun\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E are scheduled to participate in the summit. They\u2019re joined by Regents\u2019 Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ellen-zegura-1752914\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEllen Zegura\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and several other distinguished speakers on the summit\u2019s three-day main program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aisummit26.acm.org\/program\/\u0022\u003Eprogram\u003C\/a\u003E also includes keynotes, panels, and interactive sessions examining frontier AI technologies, governance and ethics, and workforce transformation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScheduled sessions include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e85fe8fbfa5e8b3e8b729bace8d8c7151\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERethinking the Future: Frontier Models and Technologies for a New Era of AI\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e27d4f0be2137656b9ba36985aa5a393a\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAI and Scientific Discovery\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e5a9e5bb519d075a36aae5ccbe54ddb27\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResponsible and Ethical AI: Governance, Policy, Accountability, and Trust\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e293d121fce91eb7037c50bff16298808\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAI and the Creative Arts: Human\u2013AI Co-Creation and Cultural Transformation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e9a6a4940a3b59aeccf801fbb28b5eae7\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAI and the Workforce: Augmentation, Reskilling, and the Future of Work\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e7845a7480f5429138a28e2b0b5a9e9e8\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAI in the Real World\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-italic\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e12a8cbe6f23385e87b6b7c5836eaf6f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAgentic AI: Autonomous Systems that Plan, Reason, and Act\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional programming will feature special-interest-group (SIG) tracks focusing on AI for infrastructure and systems, software development, societal impact, and education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShowcasing Georgia Tech\u2019s Expanding AI Leadership\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event coincides with the rapid expansion of AI research at Georgia Tech. College of Computing faculty and students are advancing work in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-tool-teaches-responsible-ai-practices-when-using-large-language-models\u0022\u003Etrustworthy and responsible AI\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/robot-pollinator-could-produce-more-better-crops-indoor-farms\u0022\u003Erobotics\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/zoo-atlanta-elephants-embrace-new-gt-designed-interactive-enrichment-wall\u0022\u003Ecomputer vision\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/researchers-reach-new-ai-benchmark-computer-graphics\u0022\u003Enatural language processing\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/hospital-cyber-threats\u0022\u003Ecybersecurity\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/heart-doctors-describe-new-collaborative-planning-tool-extremely-beneficial\u0022\u003Ehealthcare applications\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/nsf-grant-funds-protein-research-drug-discovery-and-personalized-medicine\u0022\u003Escientific discovery\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/experts-say-life-long-learning-must-keep-pace-generative-ai\u0022\u003EAI-driven education\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are also helping shape conversations about the societal implications of AI, including governance, ethics, transparency, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat breadth of expertise aligns with the summit\u2019s mission to connect a spectrum of perspectives on the opportunities and challenges posed by AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy convening experts from multiple disciplines and sectors, the summit aims to build a shared understanding of how AI can be developed and deployed responsibly while expanding human capability and strengthening society,\u201d said Kumar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aisummit26.acm.org\/attendees\/registration\/\u0022\u003ERegistration for the ACM AI Leadership Summit is open\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Computing is playing a key organizational role in the upcoming inaugural ACM AI Leadership Summit.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Computing is playing a key organizational role in the upcoming inaugural ACM AI Leadership Summit"}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2026-07-01 18:03:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 18:04:16","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676094":{"id":"676094","type":"image","title":"Klaus Advanded Computing Building_MG_9440 (2).jpg","body":null,"created":"1737582132","gmt_created":"2025-01-22 21:42:12","changed":"1737582132","gmt_changed":"2025-01-22 21:42:12","alt":"Klaus Advanded Computing Building","file":{"fid":"259812","name":"Klaus Advanded Computing Building_MG_9440 (2).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/22\/Klaus%20Advanded%20Computing%20Building_MG_9440%20%282%29_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/22\/Klaus%20Advanded%20Computing%20Building_MG_9440%20%282%29_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":321166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/22\/Klaus%20Advanded%20Computing%20Building_MG_9440%20%282%29_1.jpg?itok=ucr203Xd"}}},"media_ids":["676094"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"3047","name":"ACM"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker, Sr. Communications Mgr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691018":{"#nid":"691018","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Research Seeks to Help Transplanted Cells Thrive in Type 1 Diabetes Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/alexander-e-vlahos\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Vlahos\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been awarded a five-year, research grant from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.breakthrought1d.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener nofollow noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreakthrough T1D\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, to support pioneering work aimed at improving therapies for T1D. The award will support Vlahos\u2019 project, \u003Cem\u003E\u201cRewiring Cellular Microenvironments with Synthetic Circuits for Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E through the Georgia Tech Research Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ET1D is caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, requiring individuals to manage their blood glucose levels through lifelong insulin therapy. Transplanting pancreatic islets has long been investigated as a potential curative treatment, but long-lasting success in extrahepatic sites has been limited\u2014particularly when islets are transplanted beneath the skin\u2014due to poor blood vessel formation, immune rejection, and cellular stress following transplantation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVlahos\u2019 research addresses these limitations by combining synthetic biology\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eand tissue engineering\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ein a new way: engineering cells to actively reshape their local environment after transplantation to make it more hospitable for the graft. Rather than relying solely on biomaterials or porous structures to support transplanted cells, the project focuses on programming the cells themselves to sense stress and respond dynamically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/news\/new-research-seeks-help-transplanted-cells-thrive-type-1-diabetes-treatment\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support Vlahos\u2019 project, \u003Cem\u003E\u201cRewiring Cellular Microenvironments with Synthetic Circuits for Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E through the Georgia Tech Research Corporation. Transplanting pancreatic islets has long been investigated as a potential curative treatment, but long-lasting success in extrahepatic sites has been limited. Vlahos\u2019 research addresses existing limitations by combining synthetic biology\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eand tissue engineering\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ein a new way: engineering cells to actively reshape their local environment after transplantation to make it more hospitable for the graft.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alexander Vlahos has been awarded a five-year, research grant to support pioneering work aimed at improving therapies for T1D."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-01 17:34:15","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 17:39:38","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680543":{"id":"680543","type":"image","title":"_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","body":null,"created":"1782927261","gmt_created":"2026-07-01 17:34:21","changed":"1782927261","gmt_changed":"2026-07-01 17:34:21","alt":"A medical worker wearing latex gloves uses a device to test a patient\u0027s blood sugar.","file":{"fid":"264817","name":"_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76893,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg?itok=MSzUqn6I"}}},"media_ids":["680543"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"171033","name":"Synthetic Biology"},{"id":"178211","name":"islet"},{"id":"49591","name":"Diabetes"},{"id":"195186","name":"cell engineering"},{"id":"1039","name":"pancreas"},{"id":"3344","name":"insulin"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly Petty | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690970":{"#nid":"690970","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bridging the Gap Between Technical Research and Marketable Solutions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/chandra-raman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/a\u003E is a physicist \u2014 and an avid beach volleyball player. In 25 years as a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, his sport never came up in the classroom. That changed when he joined\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/quadrant-i.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EQuadrant-i\u003C\/a\u003E, a faculty startup engine, and realized volleyball could help him pitch his startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaman\u2019s company,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.8seven8.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E8Seven8\u003C\/a\u003E, produces quantum chips for aircraft navigation and industrial automation. To explain it to investors, he drew on the sport he knows best. \u201cThe technology I\u0027m working on needs precision, timing, and teamwork, so I compared that to volleyball,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need precision to place the ball, timing to block, and teammates who support you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe metaphor helped investors grasp his company\u2019s value, a skill Raman developed in Q-i\u2019s first\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Espace-themed cohort\u003C\/a\u003E, run with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. The six faculty and student teams learned how to launch startups, from customer discovery to storytelling \u2014 soft skills essential to bringing research to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBuilding a successful startup means recruiting a team, winning customers, and convincing investors, all\u0026nbsp;of which require\u0026nbsp;the ability to rally\u0026nbsp;people behind a world-changing vision,\u201d said Theo Williams III, general partner at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/creations.vc\/\u0022\u003ECreations VC\u003C\/a\u003E, a space venture capital firm that funded the cohort. \u201cSoft skills\u0026nbsp;turn brilliant researchers into the kind of leaders people want to follow.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESharing the Art of Storytelling\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help faculty connect with investors, Q-i brought in storytelling coaches from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/creativereframe.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECreative Re\/Frame\u003C\/a\u003E, a Boston-based consultancy founded by academics Jen Guillemin and Wendy Swart Grossman. They led a workshop to refine pitches, then worked one-on-one with teams on everything from narrative to presentation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe biggest hurdle: translating complex research for audiences who aren\u2019t scientists. \u201cWe help faculty innovators translate deep knowledge and expertise into relatable human stories that solve real-world problems and create change,\u201d they said.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty quickly saw the payoff.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGiving customers or investors the story behind a startup shows how invested you are in its success,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/panagiotis-tsiotras\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPanagiotis Tsiotras\u003C\/a\u003E, who leads Penumbra Autonomy, a spacecraft maneuvering startup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop also reshaped how some participants framed their work. James Read, founder of ferroelectric memory startup\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cimtech.ai\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECIMTech.ai\u003C\/a\u003E, said it shifted his focus beyond novelty. \u201cAs researchers, you focus on novelty, but you have to ground it in something anyone can understand,\u201d he said. \u201cQuadrant-i pushes you to focus on customer value, not just what\u2019s publishable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiscovering the Customer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat focus starts with customer discovery: listening, asking questions, and validating problems before building solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn research and development, there is a natural tendency to lead with the solution: build something sophisticated and then look for a market that needs it. But customer discovery flips that instinct on its head,\u201d said Mike Yan, whose startup\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/openwerks.org\/\u0022\u003EOpenWerks\u003C\/a\u003E streamlines supply chain management for space industries. \u201cIf you haven\u0027t validated that a problem is real, urgent, and worth solving from the customer\u0027s perspective, you risk building something technically impressive that no one actually needs. The soft skills of listening, empathy, and intellectual humility are what make genuine customer discovery possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Q-i director\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jonathan-goldman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJonathan Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, that mindset shift is the point.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFaculty are best positioned to drive real-world impact by partnering with experienced entrepreneurs,\u201d he said. \u201cThey also have to be the first salesperson before hiring one.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approach is already paying off. OpenWerks has secured funding from the Georgia Research Alliance and the Defense Logistics Agency and is prototyping with aerospace and defense manufacturers, validating both its technology and its market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrograms like Q-i show that research doesn\u2019t have to be paradigm-shifting to matter. Sometimes, the key to impact is simple: meeting people where they are with a story they understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;From storytelling to customer discovery, Quadrant-i teaches faculty soft skills to commercialize their work.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" From storytelling to customer discovery, Quadrant-i teaches faculty soft skills to commercialize their work."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-06-29 19:42:54","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 15:51:22","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680534":{"id":"680534","type":"image","title":"KYEmZ59Q.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStorytelling is a vital soft skill for pitching investors. Students pitched at Quadrant-i \u0026amp; Creations VC Space Fellows Pitch Event this spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782762577","gmt_created":"2026-06-29 19:49:37","changed":"1782762577","gmt_changed":"2026-06-29 19:49:37","alt":"Man pitches to group at table","file":{"fid":"264808","name":"KYEmZ59Q.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/KYEmZ59Q.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/29\/KYEmZ59Q.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":185088,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/29\/KYEmZ59Q.jpeg?itok=hUvUzsQS"}}},"media_ids":["680534"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"195134","name":"go-quadranti"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690955":{"#nid":"690955","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bacteria Can Learn and Form Memories Without a Brain","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EScientists have shown that bacteria can learn from past experiences, store memories across generations and adapt their behavior to changing environments all without a brain or nervous system. The work could shape how scientists think about bacterial infections and antibiotic treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.aps.org\/prxlife\/abstract\/10.1103\/5zbg-8vll\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy published in PRX Life\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers tracked individual \u003Cem\u003EE. coli\u003C\/em\u003E cells as nutrient conditions shifted between rich and poor environments. Instead of responding the same way every time, the bacteria adjusted their growth based on patterns they had experienced before. Cells exposed to rapidly changing conditions were able to adapt better than cells raised in more stable environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe findings suggest bacteria do more than just react to their surroundings. They appear to encode memories of past environments and use those memories to guide future behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFor a long time, people assumed bacterial growth was determined only by the environment the cell is currently experiencing,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EJosiah Kratz\u003C\/strong\u003E, first author on the paper and a postdoctoral fellow in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWhat we showed is that the history of past environments matters. The cells remember those experiences, and that memory changes how they behave.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKratz works in the lab of \u003Cstrong\u003EShiladitya Banerjee\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech and a co-author on the paper. Kratz completed most of the work as a Ph.D. student in the joint \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/compbio\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EComputational Biology training program\u003C\/a\u003E between Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/news\/stories\/archives\/2026\/june\/bacteria-can-learn-and-form-memories-without-a-brain\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERead the full story in the Carnegie Mellon newsroom.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists have shown that bacteria can learn from past experiences, store memories across generations and adapt their behavior to changing environments all without a brain or nervous system. The work could shape how scientists think about bacterial infections and antibiotic treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New research could shape how scientists think about bacterial infections and antibiotic treatment."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-06-26 19:45:45","changed_gmt":"2026-06-26 19:50:30","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680522":{"id":"680522","type":"image","title":"Josiah Kratz works at the intersection of physics and AI\/ML.","body":null,"created":"1782503208","gmt_created":"2026-06-26 19:46:48","changed":"1782503208","gmt_changed":"2026-06-26 19:46:48","alt":"Josiah Kratz works at the intersection of physics and AI\/ML.","file":{"fid":"264795","name":"josiah_kratz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/26\/josiah_kratz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/26\/josiah_kratz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3839044,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/26\/josiah_kratz.jpg?itok=mZaKgVjb"}}},"media_ids":["680522"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.zmescience.com\/science\/biology\/e-coli-remembers-stress\/","title":"Scientists Found That Bacteria Can Remember Stress Even Though They Have No Brains"},{"url":"https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/news\/physics-brain-development-how-cells-pull-together-form-neural-tube","title":" The Physics of Brain Development: How Cells Pull Together to Form the Neural Tube"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy: Caroline Sheedy, Carnegie Mellon University\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690736":{"#nid":"690736","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Professor, Student Lead Pioneering Research in Women\u2019s Health ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt affects up to one-third of the human population and can create symptoms severe enough to lead to hospitalization, yet much about what causes it remains a mystery. It\u2019s rarely discussed in public, often goes undiagnosed, and remains a consistently \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/immersive\/d41586-023-01475-2\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eunderfunded\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aamc.org\/news\/why-we-know-so-little-about-women-s-health\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eunderstudied\u003C\/a\u003E area of science.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is this mystery condition? Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), which can cause severe pain, anemia, fatigue, and may even require some women to get blood transfusions.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScience has historically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/time.com\/7171341\/gender-gap-medical-research\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoverlooked\u003C\/a\u003E diseases and conditions such as HMB that predominantly affect women, but one Georgia Tech researcher and his doctoral student are working to change that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAbout 30 percent of women have heavy menstrual, and that can cause them to become anemic,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/david-ku\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThere are a lot of lost days where there\u0027s fatigue and embarrassment from bleeding too much, and the causes of that bleeding are poorly understood.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKu, a faculty member in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, has received initial funding from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wellcomeleap.org\/the-missed-vital-sign\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWellcome Leap\u003C\/a\u003E to study whether clotting disorders contribute to HMB. The condition is most often attributed to hormone imbalances, leading many patients to receive treatments such as hormonal therapies that help manage symptoms. But in some cases, these treatments may treat symptoms while leaving an underlying bleeding disorder undiagnosed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf a woman goes on the pill, it supposedly regulates the hormones and masks if there\u0027s a blood clotting problem,\u201d Ku said. \u201cIf she has a clotting problem and doesn\u2019t know it, she could run into other clotting problems if she has an injury or some type of trauma in the future. By diagnosing it properly, we can fix it properly.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the study, Ku and his team of Chris Bresette, Minki Kang, and Raphaelle Dodart, are using a microfluidic blood-clotting test developed in the Ku laboratory to investigate whether clotting dysfunction contributes to heavy menstrual bleeding. This handheld instrument \u2014 which runs blood through a microfluidic tube about the width of a human hair \u2014 measures the speed of blood clotting and may open up possibilities for more personalized patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to develop a point of care device that could allow gynecologists to diagnose the problem while the patient is visiting, as opposed to sending the blood off to the lab,\u201d Ku said. \u201cCurrently, there is no good test for that. We\u2019ve simplified the microscope system so that you can directly see whether the blood is clotting by going through that small tube.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDodart, who was studying the mechanics of clotting and hypothesized the prevalence in HMB, is recruiting volunteers for the study. She is currently working with women who exhibit symptoms of HMB and are willing to give a small amount of blood to be tested through the diagnostic device. If her hypothesis around blood clotting is proven true, the study can expand further into the realm of treatment options.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe main goal now is that we identify a cause,\u201d Dodart said. \u201cIn the future, hopefully we can focus on finding some solutions, some non-hormonal treatments, because we are looking for a treatable dysfunction.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough women\u2019s health remains a largely underfunded area of science, the landscape is beginning to shift thanks to researchers like Ku and Dodart.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a widespread problem that not too many people have studied,\u201d Ku said. \u201cWhat we are studying is one of the treatable causes for heavy menstrual bleeding that we could actually change the outcome of right now.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Study Could Eventually Result in Improved Diagnostic Tool and Treatments for Common Disorder "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHeavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) affects up to one-third of the human population and can create symptoms severe enough to lead to hospitalization, yet much about what causes it remains a mystery. David Ku, a faculty member in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, has received initial funding from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wellcomeleap.org\/the-missed-vital-sign\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWellcome Leap\u003C\/a\u003E to study whether clotting disorders contribute to HMB.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Science has historically overlooked diseases and conditions that predominantly affect women, but one Georgia Tech researcher and his doctoral student are working to change that. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-06-12 13:12:55","changed_gmt":"2026-06-25 15:52:30","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680456":{"id":"680456","type":"image","title":"HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDoctoral student Raphaelle Dodart looks through a microscope at a small sample of clotted blood contained in a microfluidic chip.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1781269982","gmt_created":"2026-06-12 13:13:02","changed":"1781269982","gmt_changed":"2026-06-12 13:13:02","alt":"A woman in a laboratory wearing a white lab coat looks through a microscope on a benchtop. Petri dishes and a digital scale sit nearby, with lab supplies and equipment arranged on shelves and counters. A window in the background shows greenery outside, and cables connect the microscope to nearby devices.","file":{"fid":"264718","name":"HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/12\/HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/12\/HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":116366,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/12\/HMB---Raphaelle-1.jpg?itok=05VYGJ1j"}}},"media_ids":["680456"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690746":{"#nid":"690746","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GIGABYTE Grant Supports Robotics and AI Ecosystem at Tech ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lab-idar.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELaboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots (LIDAR)\u003C\/a\u003E was awarded a $1 million, three-year industrial grant from GIGABYTE to advance robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) research, with a focus on helping robots better interact with the real world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grant will support building a robotics and AI ecosystem for dexterous and mobile manipulation, enabling robots to move through environments, interact with objects, and adapt to changing conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/zhao\u0022\u003EYe Zhao\u003C\/a\u003E, LIDAR director and associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, leads the project, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/anqi-wu\u0022\u003EAnqi Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, serving as co-principal investigator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/gigabyte-grant-supports-robotics-and-ai-ecosystem-tech\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Laboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots (LIDAR) was awarded a $1 million, three-year industrial grant from GIGABYTE to advance robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) research, with a focus on helping robots better interact with the real world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grant will support building a robotics and AI ecosystem for dexterous and mobile manipulation, enabling robots to move through environments, interact with objects, and adapt to changing conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYe Zhao, LIDAR director and associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, leads the project, with Anqi Wu, assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering, serving as co-principal investigator.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Laboratory for Intelligent Decision and Autonomous Robots (LIDAR) was awarded a $1 million, three-year industrial grant from GIGABYTE to advance robotics and AI research, with a focus on helping robots better interact with the real world. "}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-06-12 19:28:34","changed_gmt":"2026-06-25 14:20:07","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690910":{"#nid":"690910","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What It Takes to Deliver a Tech\u2011Heavy World Cup","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith an estimated 500,000 visitors coming to the eight games in Atlanta over the next two months, the 2026 World Cup will be one of the biggest sporting events to come to the city since the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIFA President Gianni Infantino likened the scale of each game to that of a Super Bowl. The success of a tournament that large will rely heavily on technology, affecting everything from the players on the pitch, all the way to viewers at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn top of the state-of-the-art technology used at many large events, this World Cup will also see the debut of new technology. At the center of much of it will be electrical and computer engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperts from the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) weigh in on how the field is enabling the technology behind the world\u2019s largest sporting event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/what-it-takes-deliver-tech-heavy-world-cup\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ECE News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWith hundreds of thousands of people attending the 104 World Cup games over the next 39 days and billions more watching at home, an immense amount of technology will be needed to ensure a seamless, safe, and enjoyable experience. Experts from ECE explain how electrical and computer engineering are facilitating some of the tournament\u0027s newest and most crucial technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With hundreds of thousands of people attending the 104 World Cup games, Georgia Tech experts explain  how electrical and computer engineering are facilitating some of the tournament\u0027s newest and most crucial technology."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 21:24:12","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 21:28:36","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680512":{"id":"680512","type":"image","title":"What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1782336352","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 21:25:52","changed":"1782336420","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 21:27:00","alt":"Stock image that shows a soccer stadium as the center of an AI chip design","file":{"fid":"264785","name":"What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":272785,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/What-It-Takes-to-Deliver-a-Tech-Heavy-World-Cup.jpeg?itok=EGonBxq9"}}},"media_ids":["680512"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/what-it-takes-deliver-tech-heavy-world-cup","title":"Read Full Story on ECE News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EZachary Winiecki\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDan Watson, Georgia Tech ECE\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690808":{"#nid":"690808","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research Gets to the Core of AI Drone Crashes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown as FIRA, the tool analyzes drone crashes to determine whether they were caused by poisoned machine-learning (ML) models. The team will present its findings at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\u0022\u003E35th USENIX Security Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E in August.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research addresses a growing safety challenge as drones are increasingly used for deliveries, infrastructure inspections, and agriculture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs drones rely more on machine learning to navigate and make decisions, they also become vulnerable to model poisoning attacks. In these attacks, adversaries manipulate an AI system during its learning phase, embedding hidden triggers that can cause failures under specific conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMachine learning drones are making more decisions in flight, which makes ML a safety-critical component of these systems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYizhi Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ph.D. student and lead researcher on the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen something goes wrong, investigators need a way to ask whether the model was responsible, but the model is the part of the system that no one can examine after a crash.\u0026nbsp;FIRA\u0026nbsp;gives investigators a way to investigate these cases by reconstructing what the model was doing during the crash. As more drones run with ML, this kind of forensic capability can help drones be used more effectively and safely.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a drone crashes, investigators must determine whether the cause was malicious interference, weather, or mechanical failure. Without reliable forensic tools, accountability is difficult to establish, and safety standards are harder to enforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIRA identifies how drone components interact with machine learning models and monitors those interactions in real time, even with limited bandwidth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system functions like a flight recorder, capturing key system activity and reconstructing a timeline after a crash. It then analyzes the model\u2019s behavior to determine whether a malicious trigger was introduced via poisoned ML training data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn tests across multiple drone platforms and crash scenarios, FIRA identified failure causes and distinguished cyberattacks from environmental or mechanical issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system does not require access to a drone\u2019s source code, making it practical for real-world investigations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs commercial drone use expands, tools like FIRA could help improve accountability and trust in AI-powered systems operating in public airspace,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Huang.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/system\/files\/conference\/usenixsecurity26\/sec26_prepub_huang-yizhi.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFIRA: Enabling Automatic Forensic Investigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was led by Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyber Forensics Innovation Lab\u003C\/a\u003E in cooperation with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. These labs reside in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computing Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA drone powered by artificial intelligence crashes in a remote field, destroying its onboard computer and leaving investigators without the data needed to determine whether a cyberattack caused the failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to help answer that question.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech say they have developed a system to determine whether a cyberattack caused drone crashes."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-06-18 17:32:32","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 20:39:30","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660599":{"id":"660599","type":"image","title":"CyFI Lab Sign","body":null,"created":"1661532564","gmt_created":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","changed":"1661532564","gmt_changed":"2022-08-26 16:49:24","alt":"Sign reading Cyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory The CyFI Lab","file":{"fid":"250302","name":"SCP August 2022-66.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9087261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SCP%20August%202022-66.png?itok=7KS9Gbz_"}}},"media_ids":["660599"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690861":{"#nid":"690861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Suhas Jain Receives NSF CAREER Award for Research on Complex Fluid Flows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1086\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuhas Jain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E with a courtesy appointment in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation\u0027s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER Award, one of the foundation\u0027s most prestigious honors for early-career faculty, provides $548,708 over five years to support Jain\u0027s project to advance the understanding and prediction of gas-liquid flows, the complex interactions between liquids and gases that influence natural phenomena and critical engineering systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe award also supports summer research experiences for high school students, interdisciplinary research opportunities for undergraduates through Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/teams\/entry\/1344\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVertically Integrated Projects\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E program, and advanced training for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/news\/suhas-jain-receives-nsf-career-award-research-complex-fluid-flows\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1086\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuhas Jain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E with a courtesy appointment in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation\u0027s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER Award, one of the foundation\u0027s most prestigious honors for early-career faculty, provides $548,708 over five years to support Jain\u0027s project to advance the understanding and prediction of gas-liquid flows, the complex interactions between liquids and gases that influence natural phenomena and critical engineering systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe NSF CAREER Award is especially meaningful to me because it provides an opportunity to pursue a long-term research vision aimed at fundamentally advancing our understanding of complex multiphase flows,\u201d Jain said. \u201cGetting the award in my first attempt is a validation of the importance of the scientific questions we are pursuing and the potential impact of the work. It also reflects the support of my students, collaborators, mentors, and colleagues at Georgia Tech, who helped create an environment where interdisciplinary ideas can thrive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Suhas Jain, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has received an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award"}],"uid":"36881","created_gmt":"2026-06-22 15:55:22","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 19:45:37","author":"ttroha3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETracie Troha\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ttroha3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690884":{"#nid":"690884","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ICSFlux: Using Physics to Uncover Cyberthreats ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe factories, water utilities, and power systems that keep daily life running rest on the assumption that as long as no one breaks into the computers that run the equipment, the equipment stays safe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELogically this makes sense and has been backed up by past security research. However, researchers at Georgia Tech have found hidden paths in cyber-physical systems that attackers can use to disrupt or even destroy them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find these hidden paths before an attacker does, the researchers built a testing tool called ICSFlux. This new tool leans on the physics used by the industrial process and maps out the system to find new threats that were once thought impossible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EICSFlux was deployed across 11 different programmable logic controllers in six industrial sectors, including chemical manufacturing, water treatment, power grids, aircraft, desalination, and waste processing. The process uncovered twenty genuine safety violations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one case drawn from a chemical-plant simulation, an attack path uncovered by the tool drove a reactor past its safe pressure limit and into a simulated explosion. By using nothing but valid operator commands, the team took the reactor from a completely normal and stable state to critical territory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the method relies only on the physics of a process and not on the details of any one controller, the same tool worked across all six sectors without being rebuilt, and it reduced the search space by roughly 50%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sahinburak.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBurak Sahin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech and the study\u0027s lead author, found that by sending a series of perfectly normal, fully authorized commands, intruders can slowly nudge a physical process toward a dangerous state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese systems are usually judged safe as long as nobody hacks into them,\u0027\u0027 Sahin said. \u201cWhat we found is that an attacker who can send everyday commands, the same ones a normal operator sends, can patiently steer the process toward a failure. No single command looks wrong, which is exactly why the usual defenses miss it.\u0027\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost existing tools assume an attacker can rewire the controller or change the software inside it. In the real world, those controllers are locked down and cannot be touched. ICSFlux takes the opposite and more realistic view. It treats the controller as a sealed box that cannot be opened and works only with the commands an operator is normally allowed to send.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than measuring how much of a controller\u0027s software it has exercised, the usual yardstick for this kind of testing, ICSFlux measures how close the physical system is getting to an unsafe limit and steers its testing in that direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTwo different sensor readings can run through the exact same code and still send a reactor in completely different directions,\u0027\u0027 Sahin said. \u201cLooking only at the software tells you nothing about whether the physical system is safe. We had to follow the physics, not the code.\u0027\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the study\u0027s most important takeaways emerged when the researchers tightened the safety margins to see whether caution alone would help. Even when every command stayed within approved limits, the way the controller reacted to a steady stream of small adjustments could still cause pressure to overshoot and the reactor to fail. In other words, staying inside the rules was not always enough.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of the team\u0027s experiments were carried out on secured, controlled test beds. The work was conducted with Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECyber-Physical Systems Security Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, whose research spans the security of cyber-physical systems from industrial programmable logic controllers to marine, automotive, and drone platforms. Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, a team of researchers who work together to further the investigation of advanced cyber crimes and the analysis and prevention of next-generation malware attacks, also contributed to the paper.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe labs are a collaboration between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuzzing the Physical Space: Physics-Aware Testing of Black-Box Industrial Control Systems\u003C\/em\u003E\u0027 was accepted to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sp2026.ieee-security.org\/\u0022\u003E2026 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E. In addition to Sahin, the team includes Ph.D. students \u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Oygenblik\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMingxuan Yao\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003EYizhi Huang \u003C\/strong\u003Eas well as Associate Professors \u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe factories, water utilities, and power systems that keep daily life running rest on the assumption that as long as no one breaks into the computers that run the equipment, the equipment stays safe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELogically this makes sense and has been backed up by past security research. However, researchers at Georgia Tech have found hidden paths in cyber-physical systems that attackers can use to disrupt or even destroy them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find these hidden paths before an attacker does, the researchers built a testing tool called ICSFlux. This new tool leans on the physics used by the industrial process and maps out the system to find new threats that were once thought impossible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"To find hidden vulnerabilites before an attacker does, researchers built a testing tool called ICSFlux that leans on the physics used by the industrial process and maps out the system to find new threats once thought impossible. "}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 14:57:00","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 15:10:58","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680500":{"id":"680500","type":"image","title":"utilities.jpg","body":null,"created":"1782313123","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 14:58:43","changed":"1782313123","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 14:58:43","alt":"A collection of utilities like power plants, geothermal stations, solar farms, etc.","file":{"fid":"264773","name":"utilities.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/utilities.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/utilities.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3540206,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/utilities.jpg?itok=RC1Hy0vy"}},"680501":{"id":"680501","type":"image","title":"Burak-Sahin.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBurak Sahin\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E, advised by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/samanzonouz4n6\/saman-zonouz\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/capcpsec\/\u0022\u003ECPSec Lab\u003C\/a\u003E) and co-advised by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/saltaformaggio.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBrendan Saltaformaggio\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cyfi.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECyFI Lab\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782313398","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 15:03:18","changed":"1782313398","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 15:03:18","alt":"A side profile of a man\u0027s face. He has long hair and a beard","file":{"fid":"264774","name":"Burak-Sahin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Burak-Sahin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/Burak-Sahin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75559,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/Burak-Sahin.jpg?itok=3mVGJ9eI"}}},"media_ids":["680500","680501"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690865":{"#nid":"690865","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Next-Generation Pesticide Disrupts Bumblebee Reproduction","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBumblebees are only an inch long, but they help power the global\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs\/peoples-garden\/importance-pollinators\u0022\u003Efood system\u003C\/a\u003E. Roughly one-third of the food we grow depends on pollinators like bees \u2014 and those bees are regularly\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.centerforfoodsafety.org\/issues\/304\/pollinator-protection\/bee-decline-and-pesticide-use-248\u0022\u003Edecimated\u003C\/a\u003E by pesticides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern pesticides have helped boost crop yields, but they can also harm the insects that make those yields possible. Sulfoxaflor, a next-generation pesticide introduced in 2013, kills sap-feeding pests like aphids in crops, including soybeans and corn. Sulfoxaflor is also known to be toxic to bees. Scientists are still working to understand how low-dose exposure affects bee reproduction at the molecular level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech have found that sulfoxaflor disrupts reproduction and gene expression. In a study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the team exposed groups of worker bumblebees to low doses of the pesticide and analyzed changes in gene activity. They found that ovarian tissues showed the most significant shifts in gene expression. These changes could contribute to reduced reproductive output and, over time, affect bee populations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, the researchers flash-froze bee tissues and analyzed RNA to track how gene activity shifted after pesticide exposure. The Georgia Tech team used computational models to pinpoint which biological systems were most affected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat makes this study exciting is that it connects molecular changes in gene expression to real-world consequences for individual bees and their colonies,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/michael-goodisman\u0022\u003EMichael Goodisman\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThat type of connection is rare and gives us a much clearer picture of how pesticides affect bees.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications of the study highlight a pressing challenge in agriculture.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need pesticides to control crop pests, but they can also harm essential non-target insects like bumblebees,\u201d said Sarah Orr, who led the research as a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech and now works as an assistant professor at the University of Tampa. \u201cAs a scientist, my goal is to identify practical solutions that support pest management while also protecting beneficial insects and the food systems that depend on them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat balance between pest control and pollinator protection is critical. \u201cWe need many bees for successful pollination,\u201d Orr said. \u201cIf they\u2019re not producing enough offspring, pollination will decline.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPesticides are only one of several threats facing bumblebees. Stressors like heatwaves also play a growing role. By better understanding how chemicals like sulfoxaflor affect bee biology, researchers hope to help farmers protect both their crops and the pollinators that sustain them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMichael A. Catto, Jixiang Xu, Kayla A. Murray, Emma Leigh M. Bossard, Michael A.D. Goodisman, Sarah E. Orr,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0147651326004306\u0022\u003EIntegrative assessment of sulfoxaflor effects on gene expression, reproduction, and behavior in the bumblebee \u003Cem\u003EBombus impatiens\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety\u003C\/em\u003E, Volume 315, 15 April 2026, 120101, ISSN 0147-6513.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2026.120101\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers found that a widely used agricultural pesticide alters bumblebee gene expression, diminishing their ability to reproduce.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers found that a widely used agricultural pesticide alters bumblebee gene expression, diminishing their ability to reproduce."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-06-22 20:20:00","changed_gmt":"2026-06-24 13:31:29","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680490":{"id":"680490","type":"image","title":"Bee.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto by Sarah Orr\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782159635","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 20:20:35","changed":"1782159635","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 20:20:35","alt":"Bee on flower","file":{"fid":"264760","name":"Bee.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/Bee.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/Bee.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":246903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/Bee.jpeg?itok=eXPYWkMh"}}},"media_ids":["680490"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690843":{"#nid":"690843","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Classroom to Manufacturing Floor: Teachers Build Real-World Manufacturing Skills at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor three days in June, a dozen middle and high school teachers from rural Georgia traded their classrooms for Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/montgomery-machining-mall\u0022\u003EMontgomery Machining Mall\u003C\/a\u003E, a machine shop where students and researchers design and build custom parts. Instead of grading papers, they cut metal on bandsaws, lathes, and milling machines while learning skills they\u2019ll take back to their students this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop is part of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/advanced-manufacturing-program\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pathways (AMP) program\u003C\/a\u003E, a collaboration between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtmi.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI), which connects rural educators with hands-on manufacturing training. This particular training was delivered through a partnership between GTMI, STEM@GTRI \u2014 GTRI\u2019s K-12 outreach program \u2014 and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, leveraging the facilities and expertise of the Montgomery Machining Mall to provide teachers with direct experience in modern manufacturing. Building on GTRI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/rural-cs-initiative\u0022\u003ERural Computer Science Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, the program expands access to high-skill, high-wage career pathways across rural communities. The initiative is supported through state funding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop comes at a time when demand for skilled manufacturing workers continues to grow nationwide, particularly in roles requiring precision, technical expertise, and problem-solving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EInside the Machine Shop\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe training took place June 3 \u2013 5 in the Montgomery Machining Mall, where staff provided access to facilities, equipment, and technical expertise that made the immersive learning experience possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeachers designed and manufactured a metal meat tenderizer and a metal coaster etched with both the Georgia Tech logo and their name. For many, this was their first exposure to advanced manufacturing tools and processes, and a glimpse into high-skill, high-wage careers within reach for their students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany of these teachers have never been exposed to any advanced manufacturing,\u201d said Sean Mulvanity, a program manager for STEM@GTRI and project lead for this workshop. \u201cBy the time they walk out of here, they\u2019ve actually created and manufactured physical items they can take back to their students.\u201d Unlike traditional professional development, the workshop places teachers directly in the machine shop, working on heavy equipment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor AMP program leaders, this pilot was a way to build momentum for school districts that may add advanced manufacturing courses and to make the machine shop feel less intimidating in the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the biggest misconceptions about modern manufacturing is that it is inaccessible or limited to specialized factory environments,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtmi.gatech.edu\/people\/steven-ferguson\u0022\u003EGTMI Deputy Director Steven Ferguson\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cToday\u2019s manufacturing combines hands-on skills, digital technologies, AI, and problem-solving in ways that are relevant to students across many career pathways. By giving teachers direct experience in the machine shop, we help them bring that excitement back to their classrooms and show students that they can design, build, and innovate in their own communities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFrom the Shop Floor to the Classroom\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the workshop participants is James Beveridge, who teaches computer science for grades 6-12 in the Chattahoochee County School District, a small, rural district south of Columbus. He has participated in multiple Georgia Tech-led training programs, and he runs a full computer science pathway for 450 middle and high school students. This fall will mark his third year in the Rural Computer Science Initiative and teaching computer science after two decades in industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeveridge had some informal experience with tools growing up \u2014 his father taught him basic carpentry and welding \u2014 but he had never done formal machining work before the AMP workshop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWorking with metal is different than working with wood, obviously, but it\u2019s been really interesting to see the precision involved,\u201d he said. \u201cWith wood, you can be off by a sixteenth of an inch, and nobody cares. When you\u2019re machining metal parts, it has to be very, very precise. Learning to use the precision measuring tools has been eye-opening.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Beveridge, one of the biggest benefits of his ongoing work with Georgia Tech through the Rural Computer Science Initiative and related programs is that he never leaves empty-handed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery time I come up here to learn something new, they send me home with the equipment to teach it with,\u201d he said. \u201cThe first time, I left with a classroom set of robots so my students could learn to program. Another time, it was a more advanced humanoid robot with artificial intelligence. Now, I\u2019m going back with new skills in machining and a physical project I can show my students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother participant, Juone Brown, teaches high school computer science and AI to students at Dooly County High School in Vienna, Georgia. This is her second year in the rural computer science partnership and her fourth year teaching at Dooly. Previously, Brown was a professor for 25 years at Fort Valley State University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Beveridge, Brown has no formal machining background but said the way workshop instructors broke down each step \u2014 especially the math behind the cuts \u2014 made the work feel approachable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt has been fantastic and really well-paced,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all come from different backgrounds, but the way they present the information makes it click. We know the math, but when you\u2019re on the machine, and they show you easier ways to get the cut you need, it\u2019s very encouraging.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe\u2019s already thinking about how to translate that feeling for her students, many of whom prefer building things to writing code. \u201cI\u2019m always telling them that skills pay the bills,\u201d Brown said. \u201cA lot of my students are hands-on. Now I can connect what we\u2019re doing in class to real parts and jobs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBringing Advanced Manufacturing to More Georgia Classrooms\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the workshop, teachers are expected to integrate machining concepts into existing courses or help build new manufacturing pathways at their schools. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAMP program leaders intentionally kept this pilot cohort small. The team plans to repeat the workshop several times over the coming year, expanding to more schools and districts across Georgia, building local champions who can help launch advanced manufacturing programs in their communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) convenes industry leaders, government partners, and top researchers to collaborate on the grand challenges facing manufacturing today: accelerating technology development and deployment; creating, maintaining, and filling quality jobs; ensuring global competitiveness; and advancing economic and environmental stability.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOur vision is to ensure rapid innovation that secures U.S. dominance in advanced manufacturing. Through the design and development of artificial intelligence systems, secure digital manufacturing, additive and subtractive processes, and large-scale production enterprises, GTMI stands at the forefront of manufacturing innovation \u2014 leveraging state-of-the-art facilities, including the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, to turn research breakthroughs into market-ready solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 3,000 employees, supporting eight laboratories across more than 20 locations nationwide and performing more than $919 million in problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERural Georgia teachers gain practical machine shop training at Georgia Tech, bringing advanced manufacturing skills back to their classrooms.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rural Georgia teachers gain practical machine shop training at Georgia Tech, bringing advanced manufacturing skills back to their classrooms."}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2026-06-22 13:56:29","changed_gmt":"2026-06-22 14:28:20","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680485":{"id":"680485","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJuone Brown (left), a teacher at Dooly County High School in Vienna, Georgia, called the bootcamp well-paced and plans to bring what she learned back to her students this fall, many of whom prefer hands-on learning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"A participant at a Georgia Tech manufacturing workshop cuts metal on industrial equipment. ","file":{"fid":"264755","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":15053651,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_07.JPG?itok=DogDs26z"}},"680488":{"id":"680488","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERural Georgia teachers pose with the metal meat tenderizers they made during a machining workshop hosted by the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) at the Montgomery Machining Mall.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"Participants in a Georgia Tech machining workshop pose for a group photo. ","file":{"fid":"264758","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":19978833,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_28.JPG?itok=6CoXkoFp"}},"680487":{"id":"680487","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJames Beveridge, a computer science teacher in the Chattahoochee County School District, said he is excited to take back new machining skills and physical items back to share with his students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"A participant at a Georgia Tech manufacturing workshop cuts metal on industrial equipment. ","file":{"fid":"264757","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":17227017,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_23.JPG?itok=G0dCSa97"}},"680486":{"id":"680486","type":"image","title":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA metal meat tenderizer created by participants during the workshop.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1782132769","gmt_created":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","changed":"1782132769","gmt_changed":"2026-06-22 12:52:49","alt":"A metal meat tenderizer with a textured striking surface created by participants at a Georgia Tech workshop. ","file":{"fid":"264756","name":"2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":20854471,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/22\/2026_0603_image_STEM-GTRI_machine-bootcamp_16.JPG?itok=hDoa2ebX"}}},"media_ids":["680485","680488","680487","680486"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"94431","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"415","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"170709","name":"STEM@GTRI"},{"id":"185675","name":"Montgomery Machining Mall"},{"id":"1690","name":"rural economic development"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Anna Akins\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jennifer Martin | jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotos: \u003C\/strong\u003ESean McNeil\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECopyediting:\u003C\/strong\u003E Stacy Braukman\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690646":{"#nid":"690646","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Uncovers New Insights Into Nanoparticle Motion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vidajamali.github.io\/\u0022\u003EJamali Lab\u003C\/a\u003E have published a new study that sheds light on how nanoparticles move across liquid-solid interfaces, a discovery that could improve scientists\u2019 ability to study materials and processes at the nanoscale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/toc\/ancac3\/20\/21\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESolution-Tunable Interfacial Interaction Landscape Governs Anomalous Nanoparticle Diffusion in Liquid-Phase Electron Microscopy\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u003C\/em\u003E was featured on the cover for the June issue of \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano\u003C\/em\u003E. Lead author Isabel Panicker, doctoral student in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, created the cover artwork and highlights the complex interactions that influence nanoparticle motion at liquid-solid interfaces .\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team used liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM) to observe nanoparticles moving across a liquid-solid interface in real time. Their research shows that changing the ionic composition of the liquid alters the forces acting between nanoparticles and their surroundings. These modifications influence how the particles move, sometimes causing behavior that differs from the random motion typically expected in liquids.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy uncovering how the liquid environment shapes nanoparticle movement, the researchers gained new insight into the fundamental processes that govern movement at the nanoscale. Understanding these processes is important for applications ranging from advanced materials and energy technologies to biological systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team also developed a new framework that uses nanoparticle motion to measure the mechanical properties of the liquid-solid interface. Rather than treating LPTEM solely as an imaging technique, the approach allows researchers to extract quantitative information about a material\u0027s behavior directly from the paths of particles observed under the microscope.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was co-authored by Zain Shabeeb and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/vida-jamali\u0022\u003EVida Jamali\u003C\/a\u003E. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E supported the research through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/research-programs\u0022\u003Eresearch program\u003C\/a\u003E Compressed Super-Resolution TEM Using Nanoelectronic Coded Aperture Device, led by Jamali.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe findings expand the capabilities of liquid-phase electron microscopy and open new opportunities for studying complex materials and dynamic processes at the nanoscale.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsnano.6c04149\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttp:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsnano.6c04149\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers developed a framework that uses nanoparticle movement to measure the mechanical properties of liquid-solid interfaces .\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers developed a framework that uses nanoparticle movement to measure the mechanical properties of liquid-solid interfaces ."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-06-05 17:57:26","changed_gmt":"2026-06-18 14:19:37","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680422":{"id":"680422","type":"image","title":"Nanoparticles illustration","body":null,"created":"1780682155","gmt_created":"2026-06-05 17:55:55","changed":"1780682202","gmt_changed":"2026-06-05 17:56:42","alt":"Abstract illustration of gold-colored nanoparticles moving through a soft, undulating pink-and-white landscape, with glowing trails representing anomalous diffusion and interfacial interactions. ACS 150 and \u201cCelebrating 20 Years\u201d logos appear in the lower right corner.","file":{"fid":"264679","name":"nano-particle-news-crop.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/nano-particle-news-crop.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/nano-particle-news-crop.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2017957,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/05\/nano-particle-news-crop.png?itok=KFNuBWar"}}},"media_ids":["680422"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690623":{"#nid":"690623","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rising From the Ashes: A Hidden Supply of Critical Elements","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/anujatripathi\/\u0022\u003EAnuja Tripathi\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Egrew up in Kanpur, India, where coal fly ash from a nearby power plant coated rooftops, windowsills, and laundry hung outside to dry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI used to see ash settling on our terrace from time to time and thought it was just waste,\u201d Tripathi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYears later, at Georgia Tech, Tripathi started looking at that ash differently. What once appeared to be ordinary industrial waste became the focal point for her work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a postdoctoral researcher in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ethe School of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, Tripathi, along with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chuang.ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChing-Hua Huang, Turnipseed Family Chair and Professor\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/xing-xie\u0022\u003EXing Xie, Carlton S. Wilder Assistant Professor\u003C\/a\u003E, both in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, developed a method to recover rare earth elements from coal fly ash.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERare earth elements (REEs) help power electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, MRI machines, smartphones, and defense systems because of their unusually strong magnetic and electrical properties. Despite the name, most REEs are not actually rare in quantity. They\u2019re rare in concentration. REEs are scattered through the Earth\u2019s crust in amounts too small to mine easily, and much of their global supply chain remains concentrated outside of the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat imbalance has turned REEs into both an economic and national security concern. Countries are competing for the materials sustaining advanced manufacturing, energy systems, and military technologies, increasing pressure to find domestic sources. That urgency has pushed researchers like Tripathi, Huang, and Xie to look at coal fly ash differently: not just as industrial waste but as a potential source of materials that modern technology depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoal naturally contains trace amounts of rare earth elements. Burning the coal concentrates those elements in the ash left behind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETripathi developed a method for extracting rare earth elements that avoids the corrosive chemicals used in conventional extraction. The same ash that once coated her rooftop could now become a secondary domestic source of critical materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMining What Was Left Behind\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoal fly ash already exists in enormous quantities across the United States. About 2 billion tons are stored in impoundments, such as storage ponds and landfills, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-04\/Coal%20Factsheet_4.18.24.pdf\u0022\u003EDepartment of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose sites require long-term monitoring because coal fly ash can release contaminants into soil and groundwater. Major storms can also damage storage sites and spread the material into surrounding communities and waterways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInside that ash, REEs are dispersed in tiny concentrations. Recovering them is a challenge; recovering them cleanly is an even greater one. Many existing recovery methods rely on concentrated acids, large amounts of water, or extreme heat during extraction. Some techniques require temperatures high enough to rival industrial furnaces. Others create additional waste streams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETripathi and her team wanted a different approach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey built the system around a recyclable ionic liquid, a salt-based substance stable enough to operate under conditions that would break down water-based systems. The liquid pulls rare earth elements away from the ash. An applied electrical current then causes the recovered elements to collect onto a surface where they can be removed. Afterward, the liquid can be cleaned and reused.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe beauty of this system is that it works beyond the limits of water,\u201d Tripathi said.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe ionic liquid allows us to recover rare earth elements under conditions that water-based systems just can\u2019t handle.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe process also changes depending on the voltage applied. At lower voltages, the system selectively recovers neodymium, an REE used in high-strength permanent magnets found in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense systems. At higher voltages, it recovers a broader mixture. The system recovered nearly half of the available neodymium during testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBeyond Coal Ash\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETripathi has shown that the chemistry works in small batches. The next challenge is scale: whether the system can recover enough rare earth elements efficiently enough to make the process commercially practical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same approach could extend beyond coal fly ash. Batteries, discarded electronics, and medical waste all contain valuable metals that often end up buried in landfills or destroyed during disposal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Tripathi, the idea began at home, where fly ash would settle on her terrace. What once seemed like an ordinary nuisance could help reshape how critical materials are recovered from waste.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETripathi\u2019s research is published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.est.5c16688\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science and Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIt was supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EU.S. Department of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers turn a widespread waste product into materials that power modern technology."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Anuja Tripathi developed a method to recover rare earth elements from coal ash using a recyclable ionic liquid and electricity. The process could turn a major waste product into a domestic source of critical materials used in technologies ranging from electric vehicles to MRI machines.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers turn a widespread waste product into materials that power modern technology."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-06-03 18:15:40","changed_gmt":"2026-06-16 13:27:30","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680412":{"id":"680412","type":"image","title":"Anuja Tripathi","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnuja Tripathi works in a lab developing an energy and environmentally friendly method for extracting rare earth elements from coal fly ash.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780509434","gmt_created":"2026-06-03 17:57:14","changed":"1780510271","gmt_changed":"2026-06-03 18:11:11","alt":"Anuja Tripathi works in the lab","file":{"fid":"264669","name":"Anuja_lab.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/Anuja_lab.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/Anuja_lab.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":227470,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/03\/Anuja_lab.jpeg?itok=tBlE3N82"}}},"media_ids":["680412"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10960","name":"chemical engieering"},{"id":"4776","name":"civil and environmental engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Research Writer \u2013 Editor\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003Emazriel3@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mazriel3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690754":{"#nid":"690754","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Wearable Reroutes Lost Sensation, Restores Stability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMisjudge a curb or miss a step on the stairs, and there is a split second of panic as your foot doesn\u2019t land when you expect it to. That brief loss of pressure can be enough to throw off your balance entirely.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor most, that heart-pounding uncertainty ends the moment the foot finds solid ground. But for many individuals living with conditions like stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI), that sense of disconnect is a permanent reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese conditions of course have a huge effect on our ability to move around and be independent \u2014 but the other side of it is the sensory feedback that we lose,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/matthew-t-flavin\u0022\u003EMatthew Flavin\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. Most rehabilitation treatments primarily focus on restoring movement, but \u201ceven if you have motor control, if you can\u2019t feel when your foot\u0027s touching the ground it can be really hard for you to move around safely.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a new study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2536577123\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Flavin and an interdisciplinary team of researchers introduce a way to bridge this gap: a wearable \u201csensory substitution\u201d system that translates foot pressure into high-tech patterns of heat and vibration they can feel elsewhere.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system uses high-resolution pressure-sensing insoles designed by the team, which are placed inside a user\u0027s shoes to record how their weight shifts in real-time. This data is streamed via Bluetooth to a flexible, skin-conformable array of haptic receivers worn on the forearms, a part of the body that often retains sensation in SCI. The receivers give quick pressure feedback through vibration, while also alerting the user to longer-term pressure \u201chotspots\u201d through heat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the limitations of a lot of approaches in haptics is that you\u0027re having to map a missing sense onto a completely different sense,\u201d says Flavin. \u201cWe\u2019re keeping the type of information that we\u0027re missing, which is the distribution of pressure, and we\u0027re just basically putting it on a different part of their body.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERerouting the lost sensation was key to making the device intuitive to learn. Participants were able to correctly identify the \u201cfeel\u201d of the ground through their arms with high accuracy within a mere two-hour session. When tested with a small group of participants with stroke or SCI, the wearable significantly improved standing balance and led to steadier walking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s encouraging about these early results is that participants appeared to use the feedback in ways that supported balance and walking,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mccormick.northwestern.edu\/research-faculty\/directory\/profiles\/rogers-john.html\u0022\u003EJohn Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E, a materials science and engineering professor at Northwestern University who collaborated on this study. \u201cOur study suggests that providing pressure information through another part of the body could be a practical path for helping people compensate for lost sensation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile vibration provides immediate feedback for walking and balance, the team views the thermal feedback as a tool for long-term health. Heat is a slower, low-frequency signal that could alert patients to pressure hotspots, potentially preventing diabetic foot ulcers or pressure injuries for those who are bedridden or use wheelchairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe small, lightweight system is completely untethered, making it suitable for use during daily activities in and outside the clinic. It\u2019s also highly adaptable to different injury types, which is ideal for conditions as variable as stroke, SCI, and diabetic neuropathy. Placement of the haptic receivers can be adjusted based on where a patient has the most sensation, and the sensitivity of the insoles can be tailored to each patient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a member of several of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/interdisciplinary-research-institutes\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Research Institutes\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/robotics\u0022\u003EInstitute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 Flavin credits the project\u2019s success to an interdisciplinary effort and deep engagement with clinicians and patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis reinforces the importance of really engaging with your stakeholders very early on,\u201d says Flavin. \u201cIf you\u0027re not continually refining that concept with those stakeholders, you quickly find that they might be looking for something that your device isn\u0027t delivering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith new funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the team is now working to make the technology even smaller and more reconfigurable, moving closer to a standard wearable for daily clinical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2536577123\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2536577123\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a wireless wearable that translates foot pressure into heat and vibration, helping individuals with sensory impairments regain balance and mobility.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a wireless wearable that translates foot pressure into heat and vibration, helping individuals with sensory impairments regain balance and mobility."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-06-15 20:56:13","changed_gmt":"2026-06-16 12:16:33","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680466":{"id":"680466","type":"image","title":"Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe system converts pressure underfoot into vibration and heat felt elsewhere on the body, helping people with sensory loss regain awareness of their footing and improve balance.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781557523","gmt_created":"2026-06-15 21:05:23","changed":"1781557523","gmt_changed":"2026-06-15 21:05:23","alt":"Close-up of hands positioning a flexible haptic device with embedded electronics under a microscope, highlighting the small components and patterned array used to deliver sensory feedback.","file":{"fid":"264732","name":"Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png","mime":"image\/png","size":10816942,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Under-Microscope.png?itok=7OCs2RGM"}},"680467":{"id":"680467","type":"image","title":"Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EMatthew Flavin, assistant professor in electrical engineering and lead author of the study, holds the flexible haptic device.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781557731","gmt_created":"2026-06-15 21:08:51","changed":"1781557731","gmt_changed":"2026-06-15 21:08:51","alt":"A researcher stands in a laboratory holding a flexible, transparent wearable device embedded with small electronic nodes, with microscopes and lab equipment visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"264733","name":"Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Portrait.png","mime":"image\/png","size":12093054,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Portrait.png?itok=7qCineau"}},"680468":{"id":"680468","type":"image","title":"Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EPressure-sensing insoles in the shoes transmit real-time data to flexible haptic arrays worn on the forearms, where patterns of vibration and heat recreate a sense of foot-ground contact through sensory substitution.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1781571167","gmt_created":"2026-06-16 00:52:47","changed":"1781571167","gmt_changed":"2026-06-16 00:52:47","alt":"Schematic diagram of a wearable sensory substitution system showing pressure-sensing insoles placed inside shoes, flexible haptic arrays worn on both forearms, and a smartphone interface. Close-up views highlight the insole sensor layout and a dense grid of small actuators on the forearm device that deliver vibration and heat.","file":{"fid":"264734","name":"Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Schematic.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2450907,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/15\/Flavin-Device-Schematic.png?itok=U8hkGUYv"}}},"media_ids":["680466","680467","680468"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/new-wearable-device-monitors-skin-health-real-time","title":"New Wearable Device Monitors Skin Health in Real Time"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/confronting-roadblocks-medical-technology-innovation","title":"Confronting the Roadblocks in Medical Technology Innovation"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/head-toe-georgia-tech-researchers-treat-entire-human-body-through-neuroscience-research","title":"Head to Toe: Georgia Tech Researchers Treat the Entire Human Body Through Neuroscience Research"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotos:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMaxwell Guberman\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690735":{"#nid":"690735","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlanta\u2019s World Cup Beyond the Hype","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe four things to know:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e92b51cd2ec612499b756351e5480bb27\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s not about exposure anymore.\u003C\/strong\u003E Atlanta is already a global city, so the focus is on whether the World Cup delivers lasting value for residents.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e95a356753ccab3041b43cd0aee75e0c5\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomic impact is uneven.\u003C\/strong\u003E Big headline numbers do not show who actually benefits, and much of the spending may not reach local communities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e192ee39142326916d971c3083b6337b3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInfrastructure will be tested.\u003C\/strong\u003E Transportation and downtown systems will face heavy strain, raising concerns about what improvements last beyond the event.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec674ae8213efc1dbf5cad605f912e402\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe hidden story is food and logistics.\u003C\/strong\u003E Behind the scenes, Georgia Tech researchers are working to reduce food waste and strengthen systems that could outlast the tournament.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee a curated list of Georgia Tech experts available to comment on the World Cup \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/world-cup-experts\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Global Stage and Familiar Promises\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Atlanta welcomes the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the promises are familiar: millions of visitors, global attention, economic growth, and a chance to showcase the city on one of the biggest stages in sports.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut Georgia Tech experts say the real question is not whether the tournament will generate activity \u2014 it is who benefits from it and what remains after the final match is played.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Visibility to Value\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMega-events have long been sold as catalysts for transformation. The 1996 Olympics reshaped Atlanta\u2019s physical landscape and helped position the city as a global destination. Thirty years later, the World Cup arrives at a very different moment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are similarities,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/emily-barrett\u0022\u003EEmily Barrett\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of City and Regional Planning. \u201cLike the Olympics, the World Cup is an accelerator for infrastructure upgrades and public and private investment alike.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta is seeing significant public investment in transportation improvements and billions of dollars in private development downtown. But today\u2019s Atlanta is very different from Atlanta in the 1990s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta is no longer a city seeking recognition on the world stage,\u201d Barrett said. \u201cWe are a thriving and growing city.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat shifts the conversation from visibility to value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe open question is whether hosting mega-events makes the city work better for the people who live here,\u201d Barrett added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Economics Behind the Headlines\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssessing that value becomes more complicated when economic forecasts enter the conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELarge projections often dominate headlines, but\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/8e6ac738-7497-5f94-ab1a-0c3fd32d15a7\u0022\u003EDeclan Abernethy\u003C\/a\u003E, lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, cautions that economic impact estimates rarely tell the whole story.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is far easier to put out an economic impact projection compared to the difficulty of measuring impact,\u201d Abernethy said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile visitors will spend money on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment, he notes that much of that spending may not reach the community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we look closely at that spending, we can see that much of the profit will be taken in by large corporations or FIFA in the immediate vicinity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and not as much by Atlanta residents or small businesses,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Barrett, economic studies often overlook a critical question: What could alternative investments have accomplished?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEconomic studies rarely account for displacement costs, or whether the same public dollars could have generated similar or better outcomes if invested elsewhere,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPressure Points Across the City\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe World Cup\u2019s impact extends beyond economics; it will also test Atlanta\u2019s infrastructure at a scale few events can match.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/michael-p-hunter\u0022\u003EMichael Hunter\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, says the biggest challenge may be the volume of people moving through the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere will be a number of pressure points. However, one of the most significant will be just the number of people,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cThis event will attract significant crowds.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta\u2019s transportation agencies have spent years preparing, drawing on lessons learned from events including the Super Bowl, World Series, and major concerts. Still, capacity limits are unavoidable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is only so much traffic that MARTA or any transit agency can handle,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cPeople need to understand that there will be congestion and longer wait times. The key is to be patient.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe concern is whether those investments result in lasting improvements or merely support a few weeks of activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbernethy argues that the World Cup should be viewed as part of a broader vision for Atlanta rather than a standalone catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are seeing the World Cup as a part of a longer-running and more cohesive vision for sport and economic development downtown,\u201d he said. \u201cAtlanta may not be repeating the same cycle nor cracking downtown\u2019s development problem with the World Cup itself.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBehind the Scenes: Food and Logistics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure challenges extend beyond transportation. Feeding hundreds of thousands of visitors while minimizing waste requires its own network of logistics, coordination, and planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, a research scientist at Georgia Tech\u2019s Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, views the tournament as an opportunity to strengthen how food moves throughout the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese large events are a really big opportunity for us to coordinate and test our infrastructure,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cWe have to think critically about how to improve the infrastructure and ensure its resilience and efficiency.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with organizations such as Second Helpings Atlanta,\u0026nbsp;the official food rescue partner for the World Cup, Georgia Tech researchers\u0026nbsp;are building technologies and tools to improve coordination among food rescue groups.\u0026nbsp;The effort aims to\u0026nbsp;keep surplus food out of landfills by quickly moving it from stadiums and vendors to local food organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s really a logistics problem, a data problem, and a coordination problem,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cThe faster you can move food from the point of surplus directly to a pantry, the more likely it is to reach people who need it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Legacy Looks Like\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Atlanta\u2019s World Cup legacy may not be measured by attendance figures or visitor spending alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHow we evaluate success depends on what we choose to measure, and too often we focus on headline numbers instead of who actually benefits,\u201d said Abernethy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKennard sees the tournament as a chance to build systems that outlast the event itself. \u201cWhat we build for the World Cup could become critical infrastructure for future emergencies and disasters,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta already knows how to host a global event. Whether the investments, partnerships, and infrastructure created for the World Cup leave the city stronger after the crowds leave remains to be seen.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta already has global credibility, so the real question surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup is not exposure but lasting impact. Georgia Tech experts warn that big economic projections often obscure who actually benefits, with much of the revenue likely flowing to large corporations and FIFA rather than local businesses and residents. Transportation infrastructure will face significant strain, and whether World Cup investments produce permanent improvements or simply support a few weeks of activity remains uncertain. One bright spot is a Georgia Tech partnership with Second Helpings Atlanta to build food rescue systems that could outlast the tournament and serve the city for years to come.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts say the 2026 World Cup will bring global attention and economic activity, but the real measure of success is who benefits and what lasting impact the tournament leaves behind."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-06-12 00:15:09","changed_gmt":"2026-06-15 19:24:31","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680455":{"id":"680455","type":"image","title":"World Cup in Atlanta","body":null,"created":"1781232926","gmt_created":"2026-06-12 02:55:26","changed":"1781233217","gmt_changed":"2026-06-12 03:00:17","alt":"Drone photo of FIFA decorated Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia","file":{"fid":"264717","name":"AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/11\/AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/11\/AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png","mime":"image\/png","size":29696386,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/11\/AdobeStock_2038968132_Editorial_Use_Only.png?itok=PGdi97nU"}}},"media_ids":["680455"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/world-cup-experts","title":"World Cup Experts"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/06\/how-world-cup-reshaping-downtown-atlanta","title":"Generating Buzz: How the World Cup Is Reshaping Downtown Atlanta"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/05\/world-cup-puts-atlanta-back-global-spotlight","title":"Generating Buzz: World Cup Puts Atlanta Back in Global Spotlight"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195176","name":"World Cup economic impact"},{"id":"195177","name":"World Cup Atlanta"},{"id":"174223","name":"food waste"},{"id":"172","name":"infrastructure"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aisles3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690711":{"#nid":"690711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Maintains No. 1 Ranking in Energy and Fuels for Third Consecutive Year","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/education\/best-global-universities\/united-states\/energy-fuels\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has named\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech the top-ranked public university in energy and fuels research (No. 3 nationally). The Institute has maintained this ranking every year since the category was first introduced in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-named-top-ranked-public-university-energy\u0022\u003Econtinued recognition\u003C\/a\u003E highlights Georgia Tech\u2019s research leadership in advancing energy solutions across technology, science, policy, and economics and in delivering technically advanced solutions that is scalable, secure, and sustainable for the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe scale and integration of our energy ecosystem is among Georgia Tech\u2019s great strengths,\u201d said Executive Vice President for Research\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cA defining part of that ecosystem is the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), our interdisciplinary research institute that brings together the talents of researchers from across disciplines to accelerate energy innovation and deliver real-world solutions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESEI integrates energy activities at Georgia Tech by connecting more than 1,000 researchers across the entire energy value chain and enabling collaboration with industry, government, communities, and nonprofits.\u0026nbsp;SEI is deeply engaged in building community, developing resources, promoting thought leadership, and marshaling the full resources of Georgia Tech around tackling the tough energy and environmental problems and opportunities society faces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s energy leadership is built on the depth of our research and the breadth of our collaborations,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI\u2019s executive director. \u201cBy connecting expertise across the full energy value chain, we are advancing solutions that enhance affordability, reliability, security, and sustainability.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E evaluates the academic research performance of universities in 51 subject areas using indicators such as publications, citations, and global and regional research reputation. Georgia Tech was assessed among 292 institutions in the U.S. and\u0026nbsp;continues its strong\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-colleges\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1569\/overall-rankings\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Estanding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the rankings, claiming the No. 32 spot overall in the nation and No. 9 among public universities.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/education\/best-global-universities\/united-states\/energy-fuels\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has named\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech the top-ranked public university in energy and fuels research (No. 3 nationally). The Institute has maintained this ranking every year since the category was first introduced in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-named-top-ranked-public-university-energy\u0022\u003Econtinued recognition\u003C\/a\u003E highlights Georgia Tech\u2019s research leadership in advancing energy solutions across technology, science, policy, and economics and in delivering technically advanced solutions that is scalable, secure, and sustainable for the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. News \u0026 World Report has named Georgia Tech the top-ranked public university in energy and fuels research (No. 3 nationally). The Institute has maintained this ranking every year since the category was first introduced in 2024."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-09 17:01:43","changed_gmt":"2026-06-15 13:28:52","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680441":{"id":"680441","type":"image","title":"EnergyGraphic.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1781024511","gmt_created":"2026-06-09 17:01:51","changed":"1781024511","gmt_changed":"2026-06-09 17:01:51","alt":"Graphic showing #1 public university in energy in Georgia Tech colors","file":{"fid":"264700","name":"EnergyGraphic.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/09\/EnergyGraphic.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/09\/EnergyGraphic.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":134834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/09\/EnergyGraphic.jpeg?itok=3L5Z9pvJ"}}},"media_ids":["680441"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPriya Devarajan | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690320":{"#nid":"690320","#data":{"type":"news","title":" How the Global Energy Crisis Is Affecting Americans","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEscalating Middle East tensions are rattling global oil markets, and the effects are already showing up in American wallets, affecting everything from travel to food prices. Georgia Tech economists and public policy experts break down what Americans need to know right now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. You\u2019re paying more at the pump, and it\u2019s not going away anytime soon.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGas prices are the most visible sign of the crisis, and the increases are already significant. National average retail gasoline prices are more than $1.20 higher than they were in February, before the conflict escalated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven though U.S. petroleum production often exceeds our consumption, we are not insulated from disruptions in global oil supply because oil is a globally traded commodity,\u201d says director of the Energy Policy and Innovation Center,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIf supply is restricted anywhere in the world, prices will rise everywhere, including in the U.S.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarkets expect some relief by fall, with future prices pointing lower than today\u2019s levels. But\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tony-harding\u0022\u003ETony Harding\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, cautions, \u201cPrices are likely to remain above pre-conflict levels for the foreseeable future, and temporary relief measures, such as Georgia\u2019s motor fuel tax suspension, will not last forever.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaylor puts it plainly: \u201cWages are not rising faster than prices, so people are feeling the pinch and will continue to do so.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u003Cstrong\u003EYour summer plans just got more expensive.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impact does not stop at the gas station. For Americans planning summer travel, the timing of this conflict could not be worse.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/matthew-oliver\u0022\u003EMatthew Oliver\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the School of Economics, points to commercial air travel as one of the most exposed sectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cJet fuel prices have roughly doubled in the wake of the current oil price spike, putting immediate upward pressure on airfares,\u201d says Oliver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ripple effects extend far beyond travel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOil is an input into the supply chain of nearly every good at some point,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/889222ee-d2fd-599b-9140-79d7dc30afeb\u0022\u003EBobby Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Economics. \u201cWhen input costs go up, prices go up.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Expect to pay more at the grocery store.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe connection between Middle East tensions and the American dinner table is more direct than many realize, because petrochemicals are a key feedstock for fertilizer production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHigher oil prices lead to higher fertilizer prices, which lead to higher food prices,\u201d says Oliver.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECombined with existing tariff pressures and tight supply chains, the strain on household budgets is coming from multiple directions at once.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf the crisis persists, there will be upward pressure on the prices of nearly every physical good,\u201d Oliver adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. The government\u2019s options are limited, and the clock is ticking.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWashington has tools to respond, but none are silver bullets. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently holds around 400 million barrels and can release about 4 million barrels per day, roughly 20% of U.S. daily demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI see the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a tool to buy time during a crisis,\u201d says public policy professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/daniel-matisoff\u0022\u003EDan Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBut if the conflict drags on, we will ultimately be in a more vulnerable position.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuick fixes like price caps or demand subsidies carry trade-offs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSubsidies can mitigate the impact of price shocks, but they can also mask important market signals that help balance supply and demand,\u201d says Harding, using Europe\u2019s 2022 energy crisis as a cautionary example.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. The smartest thing Americans can do right now is think about efficiency.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople in general tend to undervalue energy efficiency,\u201d says Matisoff. \u201cThink of energy efficiency investments as a sort of hedge or insurance against volatile energy prices.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat means considering fuel efficiency when buying a car, and looking at heat pumps, electric vehicles, and home energy upgrades when the time is right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHigher energy prices increase the value of investing in energy efficiency upgrades to your home and adopting technologies that are less dependent on fossil fuels,\u201d says Harding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor families navigating uncertainty, both economists and policy experts point to the same practical advice: Reduce your exposure to fossil fuel price swings before the next crisis hits.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EEscalating tensions in the Middle East are fueling global oil price volatility and driving up costs for U.S. consumers, from gas and airfare to groceries. Georgia Tech experts explain that because oil is traded globally, supply disruptions anywhere raise prices everywhere, keeping fuel costs elevated above pre-conflict levels. Higher oil prices are also increasing transportation and supply chain expenses, while rising fertilizer costs are pushing food prices higher. Although the federal government can deploy short-term measures such as tapping reserves, experts note these solutions are limited and temporary. As uncertainty continues in energy markets, households are encouraged to reduce long-term costs by improving energy efficiency and lowering reliance on fossil fuels.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Experts break down five things to know about how global oil disruptions are already hitting American households."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2026-05-18 15:28:36","changed_gmt":"2026-06-11 00:01:34","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680298":{"id":"680298","type":"image","title":"How the Global Energy Crisis Is Affecting Americans","body":null,"created":"1779115821","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 14:50:21","changed":"1779115944","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 14:52:24","alt":"Hand of the man putting money into the opening gas tank of his car. Refueling car with gasoline at gas stations. ","file":{"fid":"264545","name":"AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4443863,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/AdobeStock_519017170.jpeg?itok=a__vbUHh"}}},"media_ids":["680298"],"related_files":{"264054":{"fid":null,"name":"Strait of Hormuz","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/03\/Strait-Of-Hormuz.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":255785,"description":null}},"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"195138","name":"global oil disruptions"},{"id":"194980","name":"iran conflict"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aisles3@gatech.edu \u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAyana Isles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690716":{"#nid":"690716","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tim Lieuwen Donates ASME Gold Medal to the Woodruff School","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alumnus and faculty member \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, M.S. ME 1997, Ph.D. ME 1999, has donated his American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Medal \u2014 the society\u2019s highest honor \u2014 to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The $14,000 gold medal is displayed in the School Chair\u2019s suite, where it serves as a symbol of excellence and achievement for students, faculty, and visitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003Eexecutive vice president for Research\u003C\/a\u003E and Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/tim-lieuwen-receives-asme-medal-societys-highest-honor\u0022\u003Ereceived the ASME medal in 2025\u003C\/a\u003E in recognition of his pioneering contributions to combustion, clean energy, and the science of resilient energy systems. It is the first ASME Medal ever awarded to a Georgia Tech faculty member or graduate, marking a milestone both for Lieuwen and the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/tim-lieuwen-donates-asme-gold-medal-woodruff-school\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alumnus and faculty member Tim Lieuwen, M.S. ME 1997, Ph.D. ME 1999, has donated his American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Medal \u2014 the society\u2019s highest honor \u2014 to the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. The $14,000 gold medal is displayed in the School Chair\u2019s suite, where it serves as a symbol of excellence and achievement for students, faculty, and visitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELieuwen, the executive vice president for Research and Regents\u2019 Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, received the ASME medal in 2025 in recognition of his pioneering contributions to combustion, clean energy, and the science of resilient energy systems. It is the first ASME Medal ever awarded to a Georgia Tech faculty member or graduate, marking a milestone both for Lieuwen and the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The $14,000 gold medal is displayed in the School Chair\u2019s suite, where it serves as a symbol of excellence and achievement for students, faculty, and visitors."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-06-10 14:39:55","changed_gmt":"2026-06-10 14:51:29","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690506":{"#nid":"690506","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Breakthrough Study Sheds Light on How BRCA\u2011Related Cancers Repair Broken DNA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is shared jointly with the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.osu.edu\/best-snapshots-yet-of-dna-repair-protein-relevant-to-brca-mutations\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOhio State University\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E newsroom.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EScientists have captured the most detailed structural images to date of a specific type of protein\u2019s DNA repair process. The research could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations that heighten the risk for breast, ovarian, and other cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis work lets us see, step by step, one mechanism by which cancer cells could manage to repair their DNA when BRCA genes mutate and fail,\u201d says study co-author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/vicki-wysocki\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVicki Wysocki\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewho is chair of the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBy capturing this process in detail, this study opens the door to understanding how those cancerous cells survive and how treatments might disrupt that mechanism.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDesignated as a Breakthrough Article, the study\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/nar\/article\/54\/8\/gkag320\/8661651?login=false\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMechanism of single-strand annealing from native mass spectrometry and cryo-EM structures of RAD52 homolog Mgm101\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E was recently published in \u003Cem\u003ENucleic Acids Research.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to Wysocki, who is a professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and a professor emerita at Ohio State University, the Georgia Tech research team included co-first author\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EZihao Qi,\u003C\/strong\u003E a Ph.D. candidate in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/wysocki-group\/\u0022\u003EWysocki Lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThey were joined by Ohio State researchers co-first author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/osbp.osu.edu\/people\/wheat.35\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarter Wheat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and senior author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medicine.osu.edu\/find-a-researcher\/charles-bell-100003449\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECharles Bell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who is a professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medicine.osu.edu\/news#\/search\/brac\u0022\u003ECollege of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E. Additional authors include Metro High School student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMiqdad Hussain\u003C\/strong\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cas.org\/\u0022\u003ECAS\u003C\/a\u003E researcher \u003Cstrong\u003EKaterina Zakharova\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen BRCA Fails\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENormally, BRCA genes help prevent cancer by acting as tumor suppressors \u2014 producing proteins that help repair broken DNA. When cancer cells lack the tumor-suppression function of normal BRCA genes, research has shown that a protein called RAD52 performs DNA repair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESince RAD52 allows cancer cells to survive and replicate without tumor suppression, researchers have wondered if blocking it would kill the cancerous cells. Blocking RAD52, however, requires fully understanding its repair activities, which have been difficult to capture with even the most sophisticated techniques.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDNA strands break every day in cells, which is why proteins exist to fix the breaks and keep cellular processes running smoothly, the team says. But because repairs must happen quickly and human proteins are often more complex than their ancestral counterparts, even the most advanced imaging equipment can\u2019t capture every step in the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn order to understand RAD52 better, the research team turned to its ancestral protein, Mgm101, to observe several key steps in its DNA repair process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Clearer Image\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team decided to leverage multiple types of imaging. Wysocki\u2019s lab at Georgia Tech conducted native mass spectrometry and mass photometry, using light to measure masses of protein-DNA complexes. The results showed that the ancestral protein Mgm101 assembled from a single copy of itself into a large multi-unit ring composed of 19 copies of the protein.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis ring is essentially a template,\u201d Wysocki explains. \u201cThe first strand of DNA can come down, and then the second strand comes on and starts being annealed to the first strand.\u201d Annealing occurs when two single strands of DNA come together to form the characteristic double helix structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe findings were supported by what Bell\u2019s lab determined using cryogenic electron microscopy, observing structures floating in solution and frozen in a thin layer of ice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cRAD52 high-resolution structures have been determined with single-stranded DNA, but not with the two DNAs that it\u2019s trying to anneal,\u201d Bell says. \u201cIts job is to bind single-stranded DNA and anneal it to its complement sequence. It\u2019s been captured structurally, but only in a few states relevant to the reaction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHere, we have more of the states along the full pathway from substrate, to intermediate and product. And the duplex intermediate is a conformation that\u2019s never been seen before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, researchers were unsure if this DNA repair process used one protein ring or two rings working together, the team says. Their findings show that just one ring is used\u0026nbsp;\u2014 and that\u0026nbsp;this is likely consistent across different species.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaths to Treatment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENext, the team plans to try capturing the same phases of the DNA repair process with RAD52 from humans. A clearer understanding of how this family of proteins binds to DNA strands and coaxes them back together after a break provides insights for drug targets that could halt the process in cancer cells empowered by mutated BRCA genes, they say.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s still a proposed mechanism: Just because we see these snapshots of the process doesn\u2019t mean we know all the details, but we do have the best snapshots for any protein that does this single-strand annealing,\u201d says Bell. \u201cThis focuses our strategies for drug development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/nar\/gkag320\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/nar\/gkag320\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The cryo-EM data were collected at Ohio State\u2019s Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis and processed using the Ohio Supercomputer Center.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research captures detailed snapshots of a process that helps cancer cells survive \u2014 and may point to new treatments.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The research captures detailed snapshots of a process that helps cancer cells survive \u2014 and may point to new treatments."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 13:56:51","changed_gmt":"2026-06-05 16:50:08","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680421":{"id":"680421","type":"image","title":"Vicki Wysocki","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVicki Wysocki\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780677825","gmt_created":"2026-06-05 16:43:45","changed":"1780677825","gmt_changed":"2026-06-05 16:43:45","alt":"Vicki Wysocki","file":{"fid":"264678","name":"Vicki-Wysocki.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/Vicki-Wysocki.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/Vicki-Wysocki.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":299719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/05\/Vicki-Wysocki.jpg?itok=coGCKGlG"}}},"media_ids":["680421"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.osu.edu\/best-snapshots-yet-of-dna-repair-protein-relevant-to-brca-mutations\/","title":"Best snapshots yet of DNA repair protein relevant to BRCA mutations"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch Writer \/ Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690639":{"#nid":"690639","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Steven Ferguson Builds Better On-Ramps to Georgia Manufacturing, Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Steven Ferguson, deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E, advancing Georgia\u2019s manufacturing industry and its workforce is personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was Ferguson\u2019s own first manufacturing industry job at Glidden Paint in high school that tipped a row of dominoes, clearing his way out of poverty. Following next in the Hall County native\u2019s\u0026nbsp;favor was his receiving the Pell Grant and HOPE Grant, which led to his associate\u2019s degree and first job in education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince then, Ferguson has spent the better part of three decades advancing workforce preparation and education access in Georgia, first as chief information officer for the Technical College System of Georgia, and now through his current roles at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAccess to higher education changed the trajectory of my life. The question now is how we build systems that create those same opportunities for others \u2014 whether someone starts their career right out of high school, earns credentials while working, or returns later to pursue advanced technical education or engineering. We need to create flexible pathways that develop talent at every stage of life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForged in Manufacturing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFerguson was born into a family of \u201cmakers,\u201d who got by on odd jobs and money from their small bait and tackle shop on Lake Lanier and later peddling a variety of goods. At a young age, Ferguson learned salesmanship and picked up the tinkering spirit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dad was always entrepreneurial, and I think you might even consider us manufacturers, always making fishing equipment or other things,\u201d said Ferguson. \u201cFrom a very young age, I was out making jig heads, tying flies, and bagging hooks or sinkers. It was definitely in my blood.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen he was in 10th grade, a teacher nominated Ferguson for a new youth apprenticeship program. That opportunity ultimately led to his role as an information technology apprentice at Glidden Paint, which became Ferguson\u2019s first job in the manufacturing industry. The job was a perfect fit for Ferguson, who enjoyed learning more about the manufacturing process and the practical outlet for his computing knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe continued working there until he began studying computer science at North Georgia College and State University. Later, he transferred to Gainesville College (GC) to participate in a joint enrollment program designed to lead to eventual enrollment for a bachelor\u2019s degree at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, before Ferguson completed his time at GC, he had an \u003Ca\u003Eassociate\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E degree and, more importantly, a job offer. GC wanted him to train others for careers in information technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2026\/05\/27\/access-steven-ferguson-manufacturing-education\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the Enrollment Management News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Steven Ferguson, deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E, advancing Georgia\u2019s manufacturing industry and its workforce is personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was Ferguson\u2019s own first manufacturing industry job at Glidden Paint in high school that tipped a row of dominoes, clearing his way out of poverty. Following next in the Hall County native\u2019s\u0026nbsp;favor was his receiving the Pell Grant and HOPE Grant, which led to his associate\u2019s degree and first job in education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince then, Ferguson has spent the better part of three decades advancing workforce preparation and education access in Georgia, first as chief information officer for the Technical College System of Georgia, and now through his current roles at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For Steven Ferguson, deputy director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute and executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium, advancing Georgia\u2019s manufacturing industry and its workforce is personal."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-06-04 14:17:03","changed_gmt":"2026-06-04 14:21:17","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680416":{"id":"680416","type":"image","title":"StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Ferguson, deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E and executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/engage\/manufacturing-40-consortium\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780582672","gmt_created":"2026-06-04 14:17:52","changed":"1780582713","gmt_changed":"2026-06-04 14:18:33","alt":"Steven Ferguson","file":{"fid":"264673","name":"StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":176331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/04\/StevenFerguson-IMG_5862.jpg?itok=xDe8xlwi"}}},"media_ids":["680416"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2026\/05\/27\/access-steven-ferguson-manufacturing-education\/","title":"Full Story on the Enrollment Management News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amanda.budd@ssc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmanda Budd\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amanda.budd@ssc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690366":{"#nid":"690366","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Georgia Tech Researchers Discover New Form of NAND Flash Data Storage for Deep Space Missions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs space missions travel farther from Earth, spacecraft must increasingly be able to process and store their own data. Soon, artificial intelligence (AI) could be the primary tool for handling this growing volume of information. NAND flash memory is the current state-of-the-art technology used to store these massive amounts of data, offering storage capacities in the terabit range. It\u2019s the same technology used in laptops, smartphones, and data centers. Ensuring NAND\u2019s reliability in space is critical as these systems increasingly rely on high-density, low-power storage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the radiation in harsh space environments can significantly degrade data stored in NAND flash memory. To counteract this,\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech researchers have developed a new form of NAND flash memory that can both handle AI and withstand extreme radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis technology uses\u0026nbsp;ferroelectricity, which is when\u0026nbsp;certain materials can hold a\u0026nbsp;permanent, spontaneous electric charge, called polarization. In a recent \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.nanolett.5c05947\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E, the researchers show that NAND flash memory made with ferroelectric materials can withstand radiation levels up to 30 times higher than more conventional NAND flash memory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you send traditional flash memory to space, the radiation interacting with flash memory\u2019s trapped electric charge can easily corrupt the data,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/asif-khan\u0022\u003EAsif Khan\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE). \u201cIn contrast, ferroelectric NAND flash storage does not store data as trapped electrical charge, but rather stores it as polarization in the material. And polarization is very resilient to radiation effects.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERadiation Revelation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe insight that NAND flash-compatible ferroelectric memory could withstand high amounts of radiation surprised the researchers. Ferroelectricity in hafnium oxide \u2014 the silicon-compatible material that makes this memory possible \u2014 was discovered just 15 years ago, and Khan\u2019s lab has been determining its capabilities for the past decade. The team knew ferroelectricity was radiation-tolerant, but not exactly how tolerant when implemented in NAND flash architectures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELance Fernandes, an ECE Ph.D. student and the paper\u2019s first author, built the ferroelectric NAND memory chips in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/cleanroom\/micronano-fabrication-facility\u0022\u003Ecleanroom\u003C\/a\u003E, then sent the chips for radiation testing to collaborators at Pennsylvania State University.\u0026nbsp;Those tests revealed just how extreme the technology\u2019s tolerance could be.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Penn State researchers\u2019 testing showed that ferroelectric flash technology can sustain radiation as high as 1 million rads (radiation absorbed doses) \u2014 the equivalent of 100 million X-rays \u2014 making it 30 times more durable than traditional memory. This is well within the radiation-tolerance threshold for most spacecraft: Low-Earth orbit satellites require a tolerance of 5 \u2013 30 kilorads, geostationary orbits need 100 \u2013 300 kilorads, and deep space missions top out at 1 million rads.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor data storage in space, it\u2019s not enough for memory to work. It has to remain reliable under extreme radiation,\u201d said Fernandes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd what makes our storage especially exciting,\u0022 added Khan, \u201cis that ferroelectric NAND flash isn\u0027t just radiation-tolerant; it also stays reliable even in extremely harsh radiation environments. That\u0027s exactly what we need for space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom orbiting satellites to future missions surveying Jupiter\u2019s moons, successful space exploration requires electronics that can process abundant AI data and will not fail when communication is delayed. Ferroelectric memory offers a way to keep critical data intact, no matter how harsh the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work was supported in part by SUPREME, one of seven centers in JUMP 2.0, a Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) program sponsored by DARPA. The work was performed as part of the Interaction of Ionizing Radiation With Matter University Research Alliance, sponsored by the Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, under grant HDTRA1-20-2-0002.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnabling Radiation Hardness in Solid-State NAND Storage Utilizing a Laminated Ferroelectric Stack Lance Fernandes, Stuart Wodzro, Prasanna Venkatesan, Priyankka Ravikumar, Ming-Yen Lee, Minji Shon, Dyutimoy Chakraborty, Taeyoung Song, Sanghyun Kang, Salma Soliman, Mengkun Tian, Jason Yeager, Jackson Adler, Jiayi Chen, Zekai Wang, Douglas Wolfe, Shimeng Yu, Andrea Padovani, Suman Datta, Biswajit Ray, and Asif Khan. \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E26\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;(10), 3390-3397\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOI: 10.1021\/acs.nanolett.5c05947\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe new data storage technology is up to 30 times more radiation-resilient than current data storage.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The new data storage technology is up to 30 times more radiation-resilient than current data storage."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-05-18 19:07:14","changed_gmt":"2026-06-03 15:42:02","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680307":{"id":"680307","type":"image","title":"Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building02.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELance Fernandes and Asif Khan in the cleanroom.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779131518","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 19:11:58","changed":"1779131518","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 19:11:58","alt":"Researchers in clean room","file":{"fid":"264554","name":"Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building02.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building02.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building02.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3265861,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building02.jpg?itok=MFsI_ugM"}},"680306":{"id":"680306","type":"image","title":"Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building06.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAsif Khan and Lance Fernandes built the ferroelectric NAND memory chips in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/cleanroom\/micronano-fabrication-facility\u0022\u003Ecleanroom\u003C\/a\u003E, then sent the chips for radiation testing to collaborators at Pennsylvania State University.\u0026nbsp;Those tests revealed just how extreme the technology\u2019s tolerance could be.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779131432","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 19:10:32","changed":"1779131432","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 19:10:32","alt":"Researchers holding chip","file":{"fid":"264553","name":"Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building06.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building06.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building06.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1960658,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/Research-photos-in-Nanotech-Building06.jpg?itok=hxg_SBcP"}}},"media_ids":["680307","680306"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690611":{"#nid":"690611","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Common Language to Understand AI Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a simple idea that shows up in just about every engineering discipline: you can\u2019t improve what you can\u2019t measure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat principle is especially relevant today across the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. As systems scale, they increasingly become harder to measure, compare, and fix, particularly within proprietary environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team led by Georgia Tech, working with collaborators across industry, has developed a new approached called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlcommons.org\/working-groups\/research\/chakra\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChakra\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to bring greater clarity to complex AI systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImagine a room where everyone is trying to collaborate, but each person speaks a different language,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/tushar-krishna\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETushar Krishna\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who is leading the effort. \u201cThat\u2019s a bit like today\u2019s AI ecosystem. The internet worked because it was built on shared practices and protocols. In AI, we\u2019re still building that kind of common foundation.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work, which Krishna leads through the nonprofit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlcommons.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMLCommons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, was released \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2605.11333\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ealongside a paper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mlsys.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Conference on Machine Learning and Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E(MLSys) in Bellevue, Wash.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Systems Without Exposing Them\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECloud companies, chip designers, software developers, and infrastructure providers all describe their systems differently, relying largely on internal, proprietary approaches that are not publicly shared.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis slows innovation, reduces efficiency, and increases the cost of running AI at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChakra, named after the Sanskrit word for \u201cwheel\u201d to reflect a continuous cycle of improvement, is designed around that reality. Its release is not a single finished system, but a set of shared tools and building blocks.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are making available a standardized format for representing AI workloads, along with tools for collecting and analyzing data from what\u2019s known as an execution trace.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAn execution trace is essentially a recording of how an AI system behaves,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cRather than focusing only on outcomes like speed or accuracy, it captures what computations happened, when machines needed to communicate, and where delays or bottlenecks occurred.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose traces don\u2019t expose the underlying code or data. Instead, they reflect patterns of behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose traces don\u2019t expose the underlying code or data. Instead, they reflect patterns of behavior.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like sharing a map of traffic patterns in a city, instead of handing over the blueprints for every building,\u201d Krishna said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approach can also be used to explore how future systems might behave, giving researchers a way to test ideas and identify potential bottlenecks before those systems are built.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of this dramatically lowers the barrier to participating in AI systems innovation,\u201d Krishna said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Shared Standard\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Chakra project began in 2023 as a collaboration between Georgia Tech and Meta, building on parallel efforts to better understand how AI workloads behave across production systems and simulation environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of that work built on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astra-sim.github.io\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EASTRA-sim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an open-source distributed AI system simulator developed and maintained by Krishna\u2019s group, which models how large-scale AI systems perform across hardware and software.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe knew that for AI to scale responsibly, we needed better ways to understand what\u2019s happening under the hood,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cCompanies struggle to compare systems fairly or reproduce why something worked well\u2014or failed\u2014because everyone uses different tools and proprietary setups.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe early collaboration expanded into a broader effort called the Chakra Working Group (CWG) within MLCommons, a consortium that brings together companies and researchers to develop shared benchmarks and standards for AI systems, including widely used efforts like MLPerf.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDavid Kanter, co-founder of MLCommons and head of MLPerf, has praised the group for \u201cdefining an industry roadmap for AI workload tracing support and benchmarking.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, CWG includes industry partners such as NVIDIA, AMD, Meta, HPE, and Keysight, along with contributions from multiple Georgia Tech faculty, students, and alumni (seven of whom are now working across partner organizations).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChakra is a fantastic showcase of the role ECE and Georgia Tech play in connecting academic research with real-world systems,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of ECE. \u201cWe can bring together expertise spanning the full AI stack in really the only way that makes complex work like this possible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat level of collaboration is essential to developing something that can be used across the broader AI ecosystem, according to Winston Liu, a chief architect at Keysight Technologies and a member of CWG.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat the Chakra community has built is meaningful, but the collaboration model that produced it is worth recognizing just as much,\u201d he said. \u201cThat combination\u2014early enough to shape the spec together and open enough that the output belongs to everyone\u2014is genuinely rare.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Real-world Testbed at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the team\u2019s work has depended on access to infrastructure capable of running AI systems at a realistic scale. Georgia Tech has built that capability through its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/academics\/ai-for-engineering\/ai-makerspace\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI Makerspace\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, one of the largest computing clusters in the world dedicated to supporting student-driven AI workloads while also serving as a real-world testbed for large-scale systems research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pace.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPartnership for an Advanced Computing Environment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (PACE), CWG researchers utilized the AI Makerspace to run workloads across 128 advanced GPUs and collect execution traces from systems operating under real conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe AI Makerspace was built on a simple belief: AI should be accessible to as many as possible,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/matthieu-bloch-phd\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthieu Bloch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, associate dean in the College of Engineering. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see our colleagues using it to amplify impact and give back to the broader community.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat level of access allowed the work behind Chakra to move beyond theory and into environments where performance challenges actually emerge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one case study, Chakra helped identify a hidden communication bottleneck that only appeared under realistic conditions when different types of workloads were running at the same time. More simplified tests failed to surface the issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Comes Next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the Chakra tools and standards are released, the focus now turns to how they will be adopted and extended.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKrishna sees the current moment less as a finish line and more as a starting point for broader participation across the field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFive years from now, Chakra will help make AI systems development dramatically more reproducible and accessible,\u201d he said. \u201cResearchers could test ideas against realistic workloads without needing access to massive datacenters, and companies could identify problems much earlier in the design process.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI infrastructure grows more costly, the ability to model new system designs allows researchers and companies to make informed decisions before committing to large-scale investments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLonger term, it could move us toward a \u2018digital twin\u2019 of AI infrastructure,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cA way to model and optimize systems before they\u2019re ever built.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELike the internet before it, AI systems need shared standards to work together. Tushar Krishna and industry collaborators have released Chakra, a new set of tools designed to help make that possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Like the internet before it, AI systems need shared standards to work together. Tushar Krishna and industry collaborators have released Chakra, a new set of tools designed to help make that possible. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2026-06-03 14:33:16","changed_gmt":"2026-06-03 14:37:18","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680409":{"id":"680409","type":"image","title":"DSC05583.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Tushar Krishna (center) and members of his research team \u2014 William Won (recently graduated, now at AMD), Changhai Man, Hanjiang Wu, and Jinsun Yoo \u2014 have announced Chakra, a new shared platform for understanding and improving complex AI systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780497224","gmt_created":"2026-06-03 14:33:44","changed":"1780497224","gmt_changed":"2026-06-03 14:33:44","alt":"Associate Professor Tushar Krishna (center) and members of his research team \u2014 William Won (recently graduated, now at AMD), Changhai Man, Hanjiang Wu, and Jinsun Yoo \u2014 have announced Chakra, a new shared platform for understanding and improving complex AI systems.","file":{"fid":"264665","name":"DSC05583.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/DSC05583.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/03\/DSC05583.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1141078,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/03\/DSC05583.jpg?itok=Y0JL6Acd"}}},"media_ids":["680409"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"195159","name":"Chakra"},{"id":"173453","name":"Tushar Krishna"},{"id":"193101","name":"MLCommons"},{"id":"195160","name":"AI systems"},{"id":"11444","name":"benchmarking"},{"id":"195161","name":"execution trace"},{"id":"170894","name":"standards"},{"id":"185447","name":"ASTRA-sim"},{"id":"195162","name":"AI Makerspace"},{"id":"139771","name":"Arijit Raychowdhury"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson71@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690604":{"#nid":"690604","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Create Chemical Safety Model for Everyday Exposures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn just one course, Georgia Tech student Diya Godavarti helped develop a tool that could improve workers\u0027 responses to chemical spills or open containers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGodavarti, then a second-year chemical and biomolecular engineering (ChBE) student, joined a course on chemical equity focused on reducing chemical exposure in vulnerable communities. The class, part of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects\u003C\/a\u003E (VIP) program, embeds students in long-term research teams that span disciplines and semesters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe and her classmates developed a computational model that estimates how dangerous chemical vapors build up in enclosed spaces, such as tanker trucks. Their work culminated in a paper, \u003Cem\u003E\u201c\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.chas.6c00021\u0022\u003EModeling Time-Dependent Chemical Concentrations in Confined Spaces for General Safety Applications\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E published recently in \u003Cem\u003EACS Chemical Health \u0026amp; Safety.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Godavarti, the experience helped clarify her future career endeavors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was always motivated to keep going on this project because chemical equity is something I genuinely care about,\u201d she said. \u201cI realized I really enjoyed working on open-ended projects after this class, and this confirmed my desire to pursue a Ph.D.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe will begin her ChBE doctoral studies at Northwestern University this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBridging Disciplines\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe VIP class grew out of a gap between research labs and reality.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/pamela-pollet\u0022\u003EPamela Pollet\u003C\/a\u003E, a faculty member in Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;is used to working in controlled lab settings with safety measures like vent hoods. But after she consulted on a project where commercial workers were accidentally exposed to harmful chemicals, she started to think about safety differently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere was a disconnect between what we do with chemicals in our controlled environments, which we understand very well, and how people interact with chemicals every day,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo bridge that gap, Pollet partnered with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/staff\/jenny-houlroyd-cih-mpsh\/\u0022\u003EJenny Houlroyd\u003C\/a\u003E, the occupational group health manager of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E (EI2) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESafety, Health, and Environmental Services Program\u003C\/a\u003E. Houlroyd works with Georgia businesses to reduce workplace hazards and protect employee health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe realized how siloed this work can be,\u201d Houlroyd said. \u201cChemical safety researchers and chemists often operate separately, but their skills are complementary. That\u2019s how we came up with the idea for the class.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe VIP format made that collaboration possible. The 20-student team included majors from chemistry, biochemistry, biology, computer science, neuroscience, and ChBE. In addition to research, students heard from guest speakers \u2014 including journalists, lawyers, and policymakers \u2014 whose work intersects with chemical safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling a Real-World Risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe students focused on a practical problem in industrial hygiene: quickly estimating a person\u2019s exposure to hazardous chemicals after a spill or open container in a confined space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you hire an industrial hygienist like me, it\u2019s going to take time to schedule, and it\u2019s going to be expensive,\u201d Houlroyd said. \u201cBut if there\u2019s a chemical spill event happening, you need that safety data right away.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address this, the students built a computational model that simulates how chemicals evaporate and spread through air in enclosed environments. Using benzene, a common solvent, as a test case, the model predicts how benzene concentrations change over time, from minutes to hours after a spill or residual pool in an enclosed space. It can also estimate exposure at different heights, accounting for whether someone is standing upright or crouching in a chemical-heavy area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re addressing important gaps in modeling chemical exposures,\u201d said John Pederson, a chemistry Ph.D. student who mentored the student team. \u201cThere\u2019s been strong work in industrial settings, but less attention to environments found in transportation, agriculture, and sanitation, for example.\u0026nbsp;It\u0027s an easily overlooked fact that working with paints, coatings, cleaning solutions, and other solvents presents a risk of acute or chronic exposure.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Classroom to Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team ultimately hopes to make the model widely accessible and create a user-friendly app. While that work is ongoing, Pollet and Houlroyd say the project already demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project was a very nice overlap of our fields,\u201d Pollet said. \u201cIt helps students understand real-world scenarios in a way you can\u2019t replicate in a traditional classroom.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Houlroyd, the collaboration also extended her impact beyond the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI work for EI2, and we\u2019re primarily external-facing and helping businesses out across the state of Georgia, but this has been a great opportunity to take what I\u0027m learning in the field and then share it with the students,\u201d she said. \u201cI am so proud of the students. To see them take this big issue and make it into something the industry can use is so exciting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling Time-Dependent Chemical Concentrations in Confined Spaces for General Safety Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiya Godavarti, Waynell Simbafo, John Pederson, Jenny Houlroyd, and Pamela Pollet\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EACS Chemical Health \u0026amp; Safety\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EArticle ASAP\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOI: 10.1021\/acs.chas.6c00021\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe tool, a class project, estimates how hazardous vapors build up in enclosed spaces after a spill.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The tool, a class project, estimates how hazardous vapors build up in enclosed spaces after a spill."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 17:44:45","changed_gmt":"2026-06-03 14:11:38","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680404":{"id":"680404","type":"image","title":"VIPClass.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most recent VIP class.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780422323","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 17:45:23","changed":"1780422323","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 17:45:23","alt":"Current VIP class","file":{"fid":"264660","name":"VIPClass.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/VIPClass.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/VIPClass.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9239012,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/VIPClass.jpg?itok=q0KEQ3d4"}}},"media_ids":["680404"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193654","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690589":{"#nid":"690589","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ph.D. Student Gets the Assist as Bike Robot Performs First Front Flip","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA bicycle robot from the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Cambridge, Mass., has become the first to perform an unassisted acrobatic front flip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERAI calls the bicycle robot an ultra-mobility vehicle (UMV). It can reach a height of 3 feet and can jump from the floor onto a platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe contributions of a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student helped make these feats possible through a robot control policy he developed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJeonghwan Kim, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics under the advisement of Associate Professor Sehoon Ha, spent two semesters interning at RAI. His task was to design a policy to teach the UMV to land after a flip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result was iterative motion imitation (IMI), a novel method that imitates flip trajectories generated from prior examples. Kim said the robot bases its flip on a demonstration, and human engineers reconstruct and refine the flip path through simulation to fill in the gaps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo guide the robot to flip, we started with an imperfect trajectory generated by a motor-based controller and then ran simulations,\u201d Kim said. \u201cIt\u2019s an unstable trajectory, but we use it as a guide to train a single policy that can track it as it lands and tries to balance itself.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESticking the Landing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim interned under the supervision of Shamel Fahmi, a research scientist at the RAI Institute. RAI has been developing the UMV for nearly three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe wanted to work on a different robot morphology that wasn\u2019t legs or legs with wheels,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cThat\u2019s when we thought of working with bikes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to merge the athleticism of (Boston Dynamics\u2019) Atlas with the mobility of a bike. We wanted a robot that can go anywhere, do parkour, and acrobatics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFahmi said that before Kim arrived, the research team had trouble getting the UMV to land consistently without breaking or falling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UMV has two joints \u2014 an upper and a lower. The upper joint contains the motors and pulls the lower joint along as it propels into the air. The problem is getting the lighter lower joint to absorb the impact of landing without being crushed by the heavier upper joint.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s what brings reinforcement learning into the equation,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cWe teach the robot to minimize its impact on the ground to land gracefully.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFahmi said that Kim proved the imitation examples the robot learns from don\u2019t have to be perfect. The process takes some time, but all it needs is a rough idea to get started.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can have an imperfect sketch and then constantly refine it,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cThe first time, it\u2019s not going to go well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t care about torque or power limits as long as it does the motion. Then we\u2019ll have a slightly better reference, repeat it, and imitate it again. In every iteration, we can add more parameters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUp Against the Clock\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim said he felt the pressure of time constraints during his two semesters with RAI as he worked to achieve consistent, successful landings. Even though he had multiple UMVs to experiment with, they broke down dozens of times. Each time one broke, a hardware team at RAI had to repair it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere was a lot of pressure to not only get this working before my internship ended, but also knowing there are costs behind every failed attempt, and every time the robot breaks, it takes time to repair it,\u201d Kim said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt took almost five months for it to land without breaking. Then we needed two more months for it to stay balanced after the landing. It requires a lot of engineering effort to achieve a robust control policy for a safe flip.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the time Kim left RAI, the IMI policy had achieved consistent, seamless landings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe jump right now is what we call the visitor demo,\u201d Fahmi said. \u201cIf there are guests coming over to see it, we want to show them something that is extremely impressive, but also, more importantly, extremely reliable. It never fails.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was only possible because of the huge effort we put into designing, maintaining, and continuously improving the robot.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim authored a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/imi-umv.github.io\/\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E on his framework and will present it at this week\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2026.ieee-icra.org\/\u0022\u003EInternational Conference on Robotics and Automation\u003C\/a\u003E (ICRA) in Vienna.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the UMV project, please visit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rai-inst.com\/resources\/blog\/designing-wheeled-robotic-systems\/\u0022\u003ERAI blog\u003C\/a\u003E or watch their\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cjaZUFMZWOY\u0026amp;t=95s\u0022\u003Evideo\u003C\/a\u003E on YouTube.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA bicycle robot from the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Cambridge, Mass., has become the first to perform an unassisted acrobatic front flip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJeonghwan Kim, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics under the advisement of Associate Professor Sehoon Ha, spent two semesters interning at RAI. His task was to design a policy to teach the UMV to land after a flip.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech Ph.D. student\u0027s robot control policy helped the Robotics and AI Institute develop the first bike robot capable of an unassisted front flip."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 13:06:16","changed_gmt":"2026-06-02 13:11:56","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680398":{"id":"680398","type":"image","title":"DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto courtesy of the Robotics and AI Institute\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780405593","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 13:06:33","changed":"1780405662","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 13:07:42","alt":"Bike robot","file":{"fid":"264654","name":"DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":131530,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/DSC07117-2048x1365.jpg-copy.jpg?itok=12RGh4JN"}}},"media_ids":["680398"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187991","name":"go-robotics"},{"id":"184632","name":"mobile robotics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690553":{"#nid":"690553","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New App Allows Anyone to Operate a Robot From Their Phone","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESomeone with no computing experience may soon be able to remotely control a robot from anywhere on the planet using a smartphone, thanks to new technology developed by Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new technology is also set to revolutionize the scale of policy training data collection, which is essential to advancing robotic capabilities and meeting growing production demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cobalt-teleop.github.io\/\u0022\u003ECOBALT\u003C\/a\u003E is a mobile app that turns smartphones into controllers for robot arms. With a secure Wi-Fi connection to a server, users can move their phones in any direction, and the robot arm will mirror the motion \u2014 from anywhere in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAyush Agarwal, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing who leads a research team developing COBALT, said it works like the games people play on smartphones. Users can press a button to have the arm grasp an object, move it, and release it with another button.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal conducted several user studies with participants in nine countries who remotely operated robot arms inside Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pair.toronto.edu\/\u0022\u003EPeople, AI \u0026amp; Robotics (PAIR) Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. The lab is directed by Assistant Professor Animesh Garg, who advises Agarwal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe built an entire distribution system for remote teleoperation scaled to where we had people from Indonesia, India, and Pakistan operating for us,\u201d Agarwal said. \u201cThey were novice operators who had never done it before. By collecting data from these new users, we showed that we can train policies to automate certain tasks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg envisions a world where data collection for policy training is done through crowdsourcing. He began working toward this goal 10 years ago as a postdoc at Stanford University, when he developed\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/roboturk.stanford.edu\/\u0022\u003ERoboTurk\u003C\/a\u003E, an earlier version of COBALT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is a large-scale data collection requirement for mass robot production to be possible, and it will not be solved purely through simulation,\u201d Garg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur idea was, what if we could get almost every person on the planet to be a passive source for data collection? There are almost five billion people who have smartphones and know how to use them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation and Economy Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother major implication of COBALT could be expanded access to CS and robotics education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents can learn to operate a robot remotely in any classroom. In fact, Garg and his lab recently hosted students from Midtown High School in Atlanta to demonstrate COBALT and let them control robot arms from a phone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarg also sees the possibility of a \u201cgig economy\u201d in which people pay remote operators to control assistive robots in their homes and complete household chores for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could be Uber for robots,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople who want to log onto the platform can do so at their convenience and for as long as they want.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies with robot-dependent labor tasks could also use the platform to enable human oversight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf I deploy a robot in a factory that achieves high autonomy for most tasks, but there are still times it needs help, a human could operate the robot from anywhere in the world,\u201d Garg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Network\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal\u2019s studies showed that people prefer to interact with and control a robot using a smartphone rather than virtual reality (VR) headsets, controllers, keyboards, mice, or other devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe phone is a more intuitive interface and can provide data quality that\u2019s on par with other commonly used devices,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal also said there is minimal latency in the video feed sent back to operators on the other side of the world. That\u2019s because the amount of data being processed is small.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe data is carried over Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC), the same technology used by many streaming services and web conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a connection from your phone to the teleoperation server, which is connected to the robots,\u201d Agarwal said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThen there\u2019s another connection from the teleoperation server back to the user, which allows for a video stream. We need low latency on both because you don\u2019t want the user to move their phone and wait 10 seconds to see the visual feed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAgarwal is the co-lead author of a paper on COBALT that is being presented at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2026.ieee-icra.org\/\u0022\u003EIEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation\u003C\/a\u003E this week in Vienna. He said the paper stands out because it has moved from theory to the implementation of an entire distribution network.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real novelty of our paper is the systems that we build around it to actually support the scaling of remote operation and data collection at a global level,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith a secure Wi-Fi connection to a server, users can move their phones in any direction, and the robot arm will mirror the motion \u2014 from anywhere in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new mobile app turns smartphones into controllers for robot arms. "}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-29 16:37:15","changed_gmt":"2026-05-29 16:43:09","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680381":{"id":"680381","type":"image","title":"Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","body":null,"created":"1780072785","gmt_created":"2026-05-29 16:39:45","changed":"1780072785","gmt_changed":"2026-05-29 16:39:45","alt":"Three men use their phones to control a robot arm","file":{"fid":"264637","name":"Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":186525,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/29\/Animesh-Garg-lab_86A8356.jpg?itok=8WOofrjN"}}},"media_ids":["680381"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"168927","name":"smartphones"},{"id":"44461","name":"robot arm"},{"id":"93131","name":"ICRA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690507":{"#nid":"690507","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) Spring Workshop Highlights Advances in Renewable Materials ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech hosted its Spring 2026 Workshop, \u201cResilient Forests to Renewable Futures,\u201d on May 11 and 12. The workshop brought together university researchers, scientists, and industry partners to discuss new developments shaping the future of the bioeconomy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPreceded by an Industry Advisory Board meeting, the two-day workshop focused on how renewable materials, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing can support more sustainable industrial systems. Discussions throughout the event explored topics ranging from forest health and biotechnology innovations to sustainable packaging and high-value biochemical products derived from forest resources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpening the workshop, RBI Executive Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/j-carson-meredith\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECarson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E emphasized the institute\u2019s focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to catalyze a community of researchers who focus on solving real-world challenges by investing in team building across interdisciplinary boundaries,\u201d Meredith said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeredith also highlighted the growing need to create higher-value products from renewable resources in addition to traditional commodity materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat focus connected closely with updates on Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/research\/center-for-renewables-based-economy-from-wood\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for a Renewables-based Economy from Wood (ReWOOD)\u003C\/a\u003E. The center supports research aimed at turning sustainable plant-based materials into products such as aviation fuels, specialty chemicals, solvents, and pharmaceutical ingredients while strengthening connections between research and industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral presentations focused on improving the long-term health and productivity of working forests. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/warnell.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/caterina-villari\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECaterina Villari\u003C\/a\u003E from the University of Georgia and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/staff-profile\/david-j-weston\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Weston\u003C\/a\u003E from Oak Ridge National Laboratory shared research aimed at protecting trees from diseases such as fusiform rust and brown spot needle blight. Their work combines biotechnology, genetic screening, and artificial intelligence tools to help identify tree varieties that are more resilient to disease and environmental stress.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop also explored how forest fibers can be used to create more sustainable packaging materials. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/patricia-stathatou\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPatritsia Stathatou\u003C\/a\u003E from Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E presented research on manufacturing methods designed to reduce water and energy use in paper and packaging production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndustry speakers discussed the challenges of bringing those materials into large-scale manufacturing. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michael-joyce-phd\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichael Joyce\u003C\/a\u003E, Senior Associate Principal Engineer at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mondelezinternational.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMondel\u0113z International\u003C\/a\u003E, emphasized that paper-based alternatives must still meet the strength, durability, and performance standards required for existing packaging systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional discussions focused on how forest-derived materials can be used to create higher-value products beyond traditional paper and lumber applications. Speakers highlighted a growing interest in converting wood residues and byproducts into specialty chemicals, fuels, and biomaterials that can strengthen the long-term economics of renewable manufacturing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/larissafenn\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELarissa Fenn\u003C\/a\u003E from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ryam.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERayonier Advanced Materials\u003C\/a\u003E discussed the company\u2019s work converting wood-derived materials into natural prebiotics for livestock. In collaborative studies with researchers at the University of Georgia, the products improved livestock gut health and feed efficiency while performing similarly to traditional antibiotics in certain diseased conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop also included a student poster session and networking event, giving attendees an opportunity to engage directly with RBI Fellows and researchers working across renewable materials and manufacturing research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cWhat made the workshop especially valuable was having people from different backgrounds and sectors all in the same room looking at these challenges from different perspectives. Those conversations are what move ideas from research into real-world applications,\u201d said Meredith. \u201cRBI will continue to host these workshops as part of our commitment to interdisciplinary research advancing the bioeconomy. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech hosted its Spring 2026 Workshop, \u201cResilient Forests to Renewable Futures,\u201d on May 11 and 12. The workshop brought together university researchers, scientists, and industry partners to discuss new developments shaping the future of the bioeconomy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) at Georgia Tech hosted its Spring 2026 Workshop, \u201cResilient Forests to Renewable Futures,\u201d on May 11 and 12."}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 14:01:16","changed_gmt":"2026-05-28 17:03:11","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680365":{"id":"680365","type":"image","title":"Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-11.58.47-AM.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left: Carson Meredith, Blair Brettmann, Andreas (Andy) S. Bommarius, Ulrika Egertsdotter, Joel Kostka, Titiksha Fernandes and Chris Luettgen.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779987698","gmt_created":"2026-05-28 17:01:38","changed":"1779987775","gmt_changed":"2026-05-28 17:02:55","alt":"From left: Carson Meredith, Blair Brettmann, Andreas (Andy) S. Bommarius, Ulrika Egertsdotter, Joel Kostka, Titiksha Fernandes and Chris Luettgen.","file":{"fid":"264621","name":"Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-11.58.47-AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/28\/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-11.58.47-AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/28\/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-11.58.47-AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9375345,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/28\/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-11.58.47-AM.png?itok=0oINCaZC"}}},"media_ids":["680365"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ychernet3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYanet Chernet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690525":{"#nid":"690525","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Framework Enhances AR Experience by Predicting Where Users Will Look","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAugmented reality (AR) devices like smart glasses may soon be able to predict where a user will look and provide an enhanced interactive experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fkryan.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFiona Ryan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is pioneering research that tracks and predicts user gaze from a first-person perspective in 3D environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, most AR devices react to where users look, playing catch-up. Ryan\u2019s method could give these devices a heads-up and make the user experience more seamless.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt allows an AR system to anticipate what the person will interact with next and where they\u2019re going to look next so it can proactively render the experience,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan is the lead author of the paper \u003Cem\u003EForecasting 3D Scanpaths in Egocentric Video,\u003C\/em\u003E which she will present next week at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cvpr.thecvf.com\/\u0022\u003EIEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition\u003C\/a\u003E (CVPR) in Denver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile there is existing research on predicting user gaze from 2D still images, her work is the first to address the issue through a 3D framework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause we live in a 3D world and people are dynamically moving around from multiple points of view, we need to predict gaze in 3D rather than 2D,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a path of the person\u2019s attention in 3D through space. Our paper is the first to attempt to model this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan conducted most of the research while interning at Meta, where she used data from Meta\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.projectaria.com\/datasets\/adt\/\u0022\u003EAria Digital Twin dataset\u003C\/a\u003E. The dataset contains first-person video footage of users interacting with objects in an apartment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe chose that dataset because it has a high-fidelity 3D reconstruction of a full environment, which helps us get a ground-truth 3D gaze,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can trace eye movement and see how it intersects with the environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA video demonstration of Ryan\u2019s work shows her software tracking a user\u2019s path toward a table with a cup on it. Once the user picks up the cup, the software correctly predicts the direction the user will turn next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we look at a scene, we don\u2019t take in everything in full detail all at once,\u201d she said. \u201cWe fixate on certain areas, and our gaze is a sequence of fixations, which might depend on what we\u2019re trying to do. If we want to pick up a cup, we might look toward that and then the next step would be looking at where we\u2019re going to put it down.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said the software can predict, on average, up to three seconds into the future \u2014 and as far as 10 seconds in some cases. That\u2019s enough time for the AR system to proactively render a more enhanced environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not looking that far into the future right now, but it would be interesting to explore longer forecasting windows,\u201d she said. \u201cI think potential futures would diverge pretty quickly, so we\u2019re trying to explore what can reasonably be predicted from a short segment of a person looking and moving through space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said her paper served as a proof-of-concept, and that there is still much future work to be done. She already has some ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think future models can include different scenarios to help narrow down possibilities. Sometimes a person\u2019s gaze stays on one thing for a long time. If we know what someone is trying to do, we\u2019ll have a better idea of the likely path their attention might go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere could also be future implications for her work in robotics research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could potentially be used for training algorithms for robots to emulate active human perception. If we can understand what a person looks at as they perform a task, we could use that to facilitate a robot learning to do that same task.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices. If these devices know where a user will look next, it can proactively display information and interactive features more seamlessly.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices"}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 21:15:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 21:16:17","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680364":{"id":"680364","type":"image","title":"IMG_2114.JPG","body":null,"created":"1779916518","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 21:15:18","changed":"1779916518","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 21:15:18","alt":"Fiona Ryan","file":{"fid":"264620","name":"IMG_2114.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/IMG_2114.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/IMG_2114.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":100549,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/27\/IMG_2114.JPG?itok=uM3cBtPX"}}},"media_ids":["680364"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1597","name":"Augmented Reality"},{"id":"11506","name":"computer vision"},{"id":"183308","name":"smart glasses"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690524":{"#nid":"690524","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Framework Enhances AR Experience by Predicting Where Users Will Look","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAugmented reality (AR) devices like smart glasses may soon be able to predict where a user will look and provide an enhanced interactive experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fkryan.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFiona Ryan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing, is pioneering research that tracks and predicts user gaze from a first-person perspective in 3D environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, most AR devices react to where users look, playing catch-up. Ryan\u2019s method could give these devices a heads-up and make the user experience more seamless.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt allows an AR system to anticipate what the person will interact with next and where they\u2019re going to look next so it can proactively render the experience,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan is the lead author of the paper \u003Cem\u003EForecasting 3D Scanpaths in Egocentric Video,\u003C\/em\u003E which she will present next week at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cvpr.thecvf.com\/\u0022\u003EIEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition\u003C\/a\u003E (CVPR) in Denver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile there is existing research on predicting user gaze from 2D still images, her work is the first to address the issue through a 3D framework.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause we live in a 3D world and people are dynamically moving around from multiple points of view, we need to predict gaze in 3D rather than 2D,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a path of the person\u2019s attention in 3D through space. Our paper is the first to attempt to model this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan conducted most of the research while interning at Meta, where she used data from Meta\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.projectaria.com\/datasets\/adt\/\u0022\u003EAria Digital Twin dataset\u003C\/a\u003E. The dataset contains first-person video footage of users interacting with objects in an apartment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe chose that dataset because it has a high-fidelity 3D reconstruction of a full environment, which helps us get a ground-truth 3D gaze,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can trace eye movement and see how it intersects with the environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA video demonstration of Ryan\u2019s work shows her software tracking a user\u2019s path toward a table with a cup on it. Once the user picks up the cup, the software correctly predicts the direction the user will turn next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we look at a scene, we don\u2019t take in everything in full detail all at once,\u201d she said. \u201cWe fixate on certain areas, and our gaze is a sequence of fixations, which might depend on what we\u2019re trying to do. If we want to pick up a cup, we might look toward that and then the next step would be looking at where we\u2019re going to put it down.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said the software can predict, on average, up to three seconds into the future \u2014 and as far as 10 seconds in some cases. That\u2019s enough time for the AR system to proactively render a more enhanced environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not looking that far into the future right now, but it would be interesting to explore longer forecasting windows,\u201d she said. \u201cI think potential futures would diverge pretty quickly, so we\u2019re trying to explore what can reasonably be predicted from a short segment of a person looking and moving through space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERyan said her paper served as a proof-of-concept, and that there is still much future work to be done. She already has some ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think future models can include different scenarios to help narrow down possibilities. Sometimes a person\u2019s gaze stays on one thing for a long time. If we know what someone is trying to do, we\u2019ll have a better idea of the likely path their attention might go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere could also be future implications for her work in robotics research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could potentially be used for training algorithms for robots to emulate active human perception. If we can understand what a person looks at as they perform a task, we could use that to facilitate a robot learning to do that same task.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices. If these devices know where a user will look next, it can proactively display information and interactive features more seamlessly.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. student Fiona Ryan has created a new framework for tracking and predicting user gaze in Augmented Reality devices"}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 20:42:33","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 20:42:33","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1597","name":"Augmented Reality"},{"id":"11506","name":"computer vision"},{"id":"183308","name":"smart glasses"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690488":{"#nid":"690488","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Program Backs Pioneering Antibody Research with Global Reach","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new grant from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gra.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E (GRA) is backing an ambitious effort by Georgia Tech scientists to accelerate the development of human antibody therapies \u2014 a class of medicines that has transformed treatment across cancer, autoimmune disease, and infectious illness, yet it cannot be generated against many disease targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $250,000 funding award, made through GRA\u2019s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I\u0026amp;E) program, supports the translational work of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/ankur-singh\u0022\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/andres-j-garcia\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor in Mechanical Engineering and the Executive Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E. Singh and Garc\u00eda are collaborating to develop functional human antibodies against some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases. While antibody therapies already benefit an estimated 20 million patients worldwide, fewer than 10 percent of discovery efforts ultimately yield candidates suitable for clinical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis shortfall spans major disease areas \u2014 from oncology and autoimmune disorders to heart and metabolism-related conditions and neurological and infectious diseases \u2014 limiting therapeutic options for patients. The challenge lies not only in identifying candidate antibodies, but in engineering them to function reliably in the human body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe I\u0026amp;E program exists to bridge the gap between a discovery that works in the lab and one that can anchor a company,\u201d said Justin Burns, Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at GRA. \u201cSingh and Garc\u00eda are tackling a problem the field has faced for decades: A significant fraction of drug targets remains inaccessible to antibody-based therapies. Our goal is to help move bold, high-potential science toward real-world impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGRA\u2019s model targets a well-known bottleneck in translation. While university labs generate promising technologies, many stall before reaching the marketplace due to a lack of validation and early-stage development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh and Garc\u00eda aim to overcome this barrier by using a proprietary antibody-engineering framework developed in Singh\u2019s laboratory, and supported by an earlier GRA grant. The objective is straightforward: Increase the success rate of discovery efforts so more antibody candidates can advance toward clinical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe implications extend well beyond our laboratory,\u201d said Singh. \u201cBy expanding the pipeline of functional human antibodies, we can begin to address diseases that currently lack durable treatment options. GRA\u2019s support is transformative \u2014 not only for advancing the science, but for positioning Georgia as a leader in biotechnology innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project is built with real-world use in mind, aiming to turn the research into a new company and eventually a clinical product. By testing the idea early and lowering risk, the team hopes to attract investment and move the technology quickly beyond the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarc\u00eda emphasized the translational vision of the work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a transformative platform technology that overcomes major bottlenecks in antibody discovery and will accelerate and increase the efficiency of this powerful class of therapeutics,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis effort is about rethinking how we design antibodies from the ground up \u2014 integrating biological insight with engineering principles to produce molecules that are not just viable, but clinically meaningful,\u201d he said. \u201cWith GRA\u2019s support, we can de-risk early discovery and create a clearer path from promising concepts to therapies that reach patients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Tracey Mullen, a seasoned biopharma executive, entrepreneur, and antibody discovery and engineering leader currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Mosaic Biosciences, is advising the team on translational strategy, commercial development, and company formation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe ability to rapidly generate functional human antibodies in physiologically relevant systems could meaningfully change how therapeutic discovery is approached,\u201d Mullen said. \u201cBy moving beyond largely empirical, animal- or screening-heavy workflows and incorporating human-specific, mechanism-informed evaluation earlier in the process, this platform has the potential to generate more relevant antibody candidates and create a stronger path from discovery concept to translational development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs global demand for advanced therapeutics grows, efforts like this reflect a broader shift in how innovation moves from bench to bedside \u2014 one driven not only by scientific ingenuity, but by targeted investment at critical early stages.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAntibody therapy is a class of medicines that has transformed treatment across cancer, autoimmune disease, and infectious illness, yet it cannot be generated against many disease targets. The $250,000 funding award, made through GRA\u2019s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I\u0026amp;E) program, will help two Georgia Tech researchers develop functional human antibodies against some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new grant from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) is backing an ambitious effort by Georgia Tech scientists to accelerate the development of human antibody therapies "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 12:28:35","changed_gmt":"2026-05-27 14:06:25","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680359":{"id":"680359","type":"image","title":"_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779890722","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 14:05:22","changed":"1779890722","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 14:05:22","alt":"A man sits in a lab in front of a fume hood and uses tweezers to hold a plastic chip out toward the camera.","file":{"fid":"264616","name":"_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":130894,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/27\/_0000_Singh_GRA.jpg?itok=Cdmy-61A"}}},"media_ids":["680359"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690486":{"#nid":"690486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"INTERSECT 2026 Marks a Decade of Impact in Advancing the Southeast\u2019s Energy Policy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s INTERSECT 2026 brought together leading voices in energy on May 18 to explore critical issues in the Southeast\u2019s energy ecosystem. Hosted by the Energy Policy and Innovation Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEPIcenter\u003C\/a\u003E), INTERSECT coincided with the center\u2019s 10th anniversary, reflecting its sustained impact in convening cross-sector leaders to advance regional energy innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith more than 150 attendees from industry, academia, and research organizations, the event\u2019s high-level engagement underscored the urgency of critical issues facing the energy sector today, including the surging electricity demand, resiliency of the grid, and evolving supply chains, as well as the value of a dedicated space for candid, solutions-oriented dialogue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cINTERSECT 2026 demonstrated the power of bringing together leaders who are actively shaping the future of energy,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter. \u201cWhat began as a forum to explore emerging ideas has grown into a critical platform for aligning perspectives and advancing actionable solutions across the Southeast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s program focused on real-world implementation challenges, including managing large-scale load growth and coordinating infrastructure investments to meet demand reliably and affordably. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/intersect-2026\/\u0022\u003EPanels\u003C\/a\u003E featuring leaders from utilities, global energy corporations, and research organizations emphasized the importance of aligning strategy across sectors to ensure that the Southeast remains competitive and resilient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southerncompany.com\/about\/leadership\/chris-womack.html\u0022\u003EChris Womack\u003C\/a\u003E, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the unprecedented scale of current energy demands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMeeting this moment requires us to think differently \u2014 serving growth while ensuring reliability, resilience, and long-term value for our customers and communities,\u201d said Womack.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaunched in 2017, the inaugural INTERSECT conference marked the launch of EPIcenter itself and established Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to connecting research, industry insight, and policy development. It focused on the need to bridge the gap between rapidly advancing technologies and slower-moving regulatory and market frameworks, a theme that continues to shape its mission today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs INTERSECT 2026 concluded, participants pointed to a shared takeaway: With its\u0026nbsp;industrial base, growing population, and integrated energy systems,\u0026nbsp;the Southeast is uniquely positioned to lead in the next phase of the energy transition. With AI-driven power demand and grid infrastructure playing a significant role going forward, it is imperative to bring together the right voices to shape policies and strategies that will connect ideas to action.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s INTERSECT 2026 brought together leading voices in energy on May 18 to explore critical issues in the Southeast\u2019s energy ecosystem. 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QII.","file":{"fid":"264608","name":"IMG_1449.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1449.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1449.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2495542,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1449.jpg?itok=vr1zD1ce"}},"680352":{"id":"680352","type":"image","title":"IMG_1514.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EModerator Craig Jones (Oglethorpe Power Corporation) with Panelists Lisa Epifani (ClearPath, William Pizer (Resources for the Future) and Brad Townsend (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779847353","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:02:33","changed":"1779848242","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 02:17:22","alt":"Moderator Craig Jones (Oglethorpe Power Corporation) with Panelists Lisa Epifani (ClearPath, William Pizer (Resources for the Future) and Brad Townsend (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)","file":{"fid":"264606","name":"IMG_1514.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1514.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1514.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2456990,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1514.jpg?itok=NKTo9xm8"}},"680355":{"id":"680355","type":"image","title":"IMG_1464.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EModerator Scott McWhorter (Strategic Energy Institute), with Panelists Neva Espinoza (EPRI), Sherman Knight (Competitive Power Ventures), and Barbara Hampton (Georgia Transmission Corporation)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779847699","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:08:19","changed":"1779848292","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 02:18:12","alt":"Moderator Scott McWhorter (Strategic Energy Institute), with Panelists Neva Espinoza (EPRI), Sherman Knight (Competitive Power Ventures), and Barbara Hampton (Georgia Transmission Corporation)","file":{"fid":"264609","name":"IMG_1464.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1464.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1464.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2152246,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1464.jpg?itok=Qqri1Y77"}},"680356":{"id":"680356","type":"image","title":"IMG_1536.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EModerator Elaine Johns (Vantage Point Solutions and EnerVision) with Panelists Wayne Gossage (Jefferson Energy Cooperative), Michael Goodroe (Sawnee EMC) and Jeremy Nelms (Flint Energies)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779847849","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 02:10:49","changed":"1779847849","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 02:10:49","alt":"Moderator Elaine Johns (Vantage Point Solutions and EnerVision) with Panelists Wayne Gossage (Jefferson Energy Cooperative), Michael Goodroe (Sawnee EMC) and Jeremy Nelms (Flint Energies)","file":{"fid":"264610","name":"IMG_1536.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1536.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1536.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2400022,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/IMG_1536.jpg?itok=dxTsR50P"}}},"media_ids":["680346","680347","680353","680348","680354","680352","680355","680356"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690463":{"#nid":"690463","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Advance Energy, Science Innovation Through National Lab Internships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students are gaining hands-on research experience at U.S. national laboratories this summer, reinforcing the Institute\u2019s strong and enduring partnerships across the national lab system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe highly competitive\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/About\/Laboratory-Participants\u0022\u003ELaboratory Placement program\u003C\/a\u003E is a paid opportunity offered through the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/suli\u0022\u003EScience Undergraduate Laboratory Internships\u003C\/a\u003E. It provides students from a wide range of disciplines an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at leading facilities, including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anl.gov\/\u0022\u003EArgonne National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ameslab.gov\/\u0022\u003EAmes National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nlr.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Laboratory of the Rockies\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pppl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.srnl.gov\/\u0022\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program\u2019s 2026 cohort includes 16 Georgia Tech students from disciplines such as artificial intelligence, materials science, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics. Their research placements reflect the interdisciplinary nature of today\u2019s scientific challenges, with projects covering bioinformatics, high-energy and condensed matter physics, accelerator science, environmental management, and advanced materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of the internships are closely aligned with national energy priorities, with students working in research areas including nuclear energy, hydrogen and chemical systems, materials for energy applications, plasma and fusion sciences, and complex engineered systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s deep engagement with the national laboratory system creates unparalleled opportunities for our students to contribute to the future of energy,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute. \u201cBy connecting interdisciplinary talent with world-class research environments, we are not only advancing discovery but also shaping the next generation of leaders who will drive secure, sustainable, and resilient energy systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking alongside national lab scientists, students will not only gain access to world-class facilities but benefit from mentorship and professional networks, while contributing to research critical to national security, economic competitiveness, and a more sustainable energy future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese internships demonstrate the strength of Georgia Tech\u2019s relationships across the federal research ecosystem,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gov.gatech.edu\/staff-directory\u0022\u003ERobert Knotts\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of Federal Relations in the Office of Institute Relations. \u201cThey provide a direct pathway for students to engage in public service through mission-driven research at national laboratories \u2014 while strengthening connections that are vital to advancing national priorities in energy, security, and innovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students are gaining hands-on research experience at U.S. national laboratories this summer, reinforcing the Institute\u2019s strong and enduring partnerships across the national lab system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe highly competitive\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/About\/Laboratory-Participants\u0022\u003ELaboratory Placement program\u003C\/a\u003E is a paid opportunity offered through the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/wdts\/suli\u0022\u003EScience Undergraduate Laboratory Internships\u003C\/a\u003E. It provides students from a wide range of disciplines an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at leading facilities, including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anl.gov\/\u0022\u003EArgonne National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ameslab.gov\/\u0022\u003EAmes National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nlr.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Laboratory of the Rockies\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pppl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.srnl.gov\/\u0022\u003ESavannah River National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech students are gaining hands-on research experience at U.S. national laboratories this summer, reinforcing the Institute\u2019s strong and enduring partnerships across the national lab system."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-26 14:34:26","changed_gmt":"2026-05-26 19:23:02","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680345":{"id":"680345","type":"image","title":"National Lab Student Internships 2026","body":null,"created":"1779823309","gmt_created":"2026-05-26 19:21:49","changed":"1779823332","gmt_changed":"2026-05-26 19:22:12","alt":"Logos of national labs including Oak Ridge National Lab, AMES Lab, Argonne National Lab, Savannah River National Lab, PPPL, National Lab of the Rockies, National Fusion Facility, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab and Sandia national lab","file":{"fid":"264598","name":"GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/26\/GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2027423,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/26\/GT-Students-Interning-at-Labs_1.jpg?itok=SiYNOZ89"}}},"media_ids":["680345"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690279":{"#nid":"690279","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Soft, Skin-Like Nasal Patch Could Transform Sleep Monitoring","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESleep-related breathing disorders, including sleep apnea, affect millions of people worldwide but frequently go undiagnosed. One major barrier to diagnosis is the test itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional sleep monitoring systems often rely on bulky equipment and nasal cannulas \u2014 small tubes inserted into the nostrils to measure airflow. While effective, these systems can be uncomfortable, intrusive, and difficult to tolerate overnight, limiting their use for long-term monitoring at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yeo\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW. Hong Yeo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, have developed a soft, wireless nasal patch that could offer a more comfortable alternative for monitoring breathing during sleep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology, described in a recent study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnas.org%2Fdoi%2F10.1073%2Fpnas.2605960123\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctracie.troha%40me.gatech.edu%7Cce0da602964f459c097e08deb13aa914%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639143062664873257%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=7v2YqFZdB%2F1EBX3YLD0J2SiAQNkex92qZDCERO1qR7E%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, uses ultrathin, skin-like wearable electronics to detect subtle movements of the nose caused by breathing without tubes, wires, or direct airflow measurements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/soft-skin-nasal-patch-could-transform-sleep-monitoring\u0022\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESleep-related breathing disorders, including sleep apnea, affect millions of people worldwide but frequently go undiagnosed. One major barrier to diagnosis is the test itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional sleep monitoring systems often rely on bulky equipment and nasal cannulas \u2014 small tubes inserted into the nostrils to measure airflow. While effective, these systems can be uncomfortable, intrusive, and difficult to tolerate overnight, limiting their use for long-term monitoring at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers led by W. Hong Yeo, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, have developed a soft, wireless nasal patch that could offer a more comfortable alternative for monitoring breathing during sleep.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology, described in a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uses ultrathin, skin-like wearable electronics to detect subtle movements of the nose caused by breathing without tubes, wires, or direct airflow measurements.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers led by W. Hong Yeo, Peterson Professor in Pediatric Research at the Woodruff School, have developed a soft, wireless nasal patch that could offer a more comfortable alternative for monitoring breathing during sleep."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-05-14 21:46:23","changed_gmt":"2026-05-26 15:20:24","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680281":{"id":"680281","type":"image","title":"Figure-5.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778795216","gmt_created":"2026-05-14 21:46:56","changed":"1778795216","gmt_changed":"2026-05-14 21:46:56","alt":"Soft, wireless nasal patch","file":{"fid":"264528","name":"Figure-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Figure-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Figure-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":98315,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/14\/Figure-5.jpg?itok=P93vxp6D"}}},"media_ids":["680281"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690439":{"#nid":"690439","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Associate Professor John Blazeck Receives NSF\u2019s CAREER Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Blazeck, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), has won a 2026 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECAREER\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Award is the NSF\u2019s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/john-blazeck\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlazeck\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will receive $647,941 over five years for \u201cCreating and evolving antibodies from scratch in yeast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAntibodies are key proteins of the immune system that help fight disease. In people, immune cells called B cells create antibodies and then evolve them. B cells take months to do this, which makes it difficult to study antibody creation and evolution, Blazeck explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis CAREER project will design a method to evolve antibodies \u201cfrom scratch\u201d in yeast, which will open new avenues for exploring antibody creation, evolution, and function.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the full story on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/associate-professor-john-blazeck-receives-nsfs-career-award\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biomolecular Engineering\u0027s website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECAREER\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Award is the NSF\u2019s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"John Blazeck, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), has won a 2026 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF)."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-05-22 11:51:40","changed_gmt":"2026-05-22 11:53:35","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680331":{"id":"680331","type":"image","title":"Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779450727","gmt_created":"2026-05-22 11:52:07","changed":"1779450727","gmt_changed":"2026-05-22 11:52:07","alt":"A man with brown hair and a short beard smiles for a portrait while wearing a dark blue suit and red tie.","file":{"fid":"264579","name":"Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":250304,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/22\/Blazeck-2019-HeadShot.jpg?itok=lElpIX1Z"}}},"media_ids":["680331"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"94981","name":"College of Engineering; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon, Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690430":{"#nid":"690430","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Shake It Up: At Work With Zhigang Peng","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/peng-zhigang\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZhigang Peng\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E studies the physics of faulting, earthquake triggering, fault zone structures, earthquakes swarms, slow earthquakes, but lately he\u2019s added a few other topics that veer away from the usual. Vibrations in a sewer pipe. Exploding rock outcrops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn particular, what I have been working on the past 20 years is primarily understanding how earthquakes interact with each other, and in some cases, how other processes interact with earthquakes,\u201d explains the professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who also serves as associate chair for Research and Faculty Development for the School and is incoming president of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.seismosoc.org\/\u0022\u003ESeismological Society of America\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeng\u0027s recent work deploying nodal seismometers in and around Georgia has led him \u201calmost by accident\u201d into the field of environmental seismology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rise of nodal seismometers, fiber Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and machine learning have combined to produce a wealth of seismic data, and \u201cpretty quickly you realize that there are actually quite a lot of non-earthquake events that are also there in the data,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you really wanted to study earthquake events, you better learn to distinguish or throw out those non-earthquake events first. But it turns out that some of those events are also equally interesting or sometimes more interesting, depending on where you are studying,\u201d Peng adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental seismologists are turning noise into signal to study a variety of phenomena, from urban traffic to groundwater levels. Peng and his colleagues used seismic sensors to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rO6r1Dr5H1I\u0022\u003Eanalyze periodic vibrations from shaking homes\u003C\/a\u003E nearly every six minutes in a neighborhood outside of Atlanta, for instance, discovering that a faulty check valve in a sewer pipe was producing a water hammer effect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd then there are the exploding rocks. In July 2023, there was a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v7XxZVN7JVM\u0022\u003Eviolent spalling of rock\u003C\/a\u003E off the face of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arabiaalliance.org\/field-notes\/did-an-earthquake-strike-arabia-mountain\/\u0022\u003EArabia Mountain in Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E that scattered large chunks of gneiss. \u201cNormally on these outcrops the outer layer of bare rock can peel off slowly, but in some cases they kind of blast off violently and generate some ground shaking,\u201d Peng says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.seismosoc.org\/news\/at-work-zhigang-peng\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERead more in the Seismological Society of America newsroom.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeophysics Professor and incoming Seismological Society of America President Zhigang Peng shares what\u0027s new in research and recent work \u2014 from earthquakes and sewer pipes to exploding rock outcrops.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Geophysics Professor and incoming Seismological Society of America President Zhigang Peng shares what\u0027s new in research and recent work \u2014 from earthquakes and sewer pipes to exploding rock outcrops."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-05-21 18:59:09","changed_gmt":"2026-05-21 19:04:11","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680328":{"id":"680328","type":"image","title":"Fresh fault outcrop (Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJuly 2023: A long line of scattered rocks indicate a fresh fault in the outcrop within the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve. (Photo: Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779390019","gmt_created":"2026-05-21 19:00:19","changed":"1779390019","gmt_changed":"2026-05-21 19:00:19","alt":"July 2023: A long line of scattered rocks indicate a fresh fault in the outcrop within the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve. (Photo: Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area)","file":{"fid":"264575","name":"IMG_1771.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/21\/IMG_1771.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/21\/IMG_1771.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":154740,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/21\/IMG_1771.jpg?itok=9QwG0Qhj"}}},"media_ids":["680328"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690428":{"#nid":"690428","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Engineering Recognizes 8 Faculty Members with Excellence Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEight faculty members have been honored by the College of Engineering for their excellence\u0026nbsp;in research, service, teaching, inventorship, and commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECandidates for the fifth annual Faculty Excellence Awards were nominated by their peers or submitted self-nominations. Materials were reviewed by a committee of academic and research faculty members within the College.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach honoree receives $2,000. The honorees are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/menon\u0022\u003EAkanksha Menon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/yeo\u0022\u003EHong Yeo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/herrin\u0022\u003EKinsey Herrin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/lauren-steimle\u0022\u003ELauren Steimle\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/kevin-haas\u0022\u003EKevin Haas\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/omer-t-inan\u0022\u003EOmer Inan\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/scott-j-hollister\u0022\u003EScott Hollister\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/kim-l-paige\u0022\u003EKim L. Paige\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the full story on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/college-recognizes-8-faculty-members-excellence-awards\u0022\u003ECollege of Engineering website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECandidates for the fifth annual Faculty Excellence Awards were nominated by their peers or submitted self-nominations. Materials were reviewed by a committee of academic and research faculty members within the College.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach honoree receives $2,000.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Eight faculty members have been honored by the College of Engineering for their excellence in research, service, teaching, inventorship, and commercialization."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-05-21 18:30:58","changed_gmt":"2026-05-21 18:33:06","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680327":{"id":"680327","type":"image","title":"_0000_Tech-Tower.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779388267","gmt_created":"2026-05-21 18:31:07","changed":"1779388267","gmt_changed":"2026-05-21 18:31:07","alt":"Georgia Tech\u2019s historic Tech Tower rises above leafy green trees on a clear day, featuring a red brick facade, arched windows, and a pointed gray roof with the word \u201cTECH\u201d displayed prominently near the top.","file":{"fid":"264574","name":"_0000_Tech-Tower.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/21\/_0000_Tech-Tower.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/21\/_0000_Tech-Tower.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":173014,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/21\/_0000_Tech-Tower.jpg?itok=BjjKwXOD"}}},"media_ids":["680327"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer, Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690309":{"#nid":"690309","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Leaner and Meaner: Materials Tested in Space Could Help Build More Space-Resilient Satellites","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have come close to simulating space environments in Earth labs, but the combination of extreme thermal swings, complex cosmic radiation, and sustained microgravity that spacecraft experience make it impossible to capture the real thing perfectly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, in a project led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) researchers are closing the gap between Earth-based simulations and the true space environment by sending experimental materials to the International Space Station (ISS) for several months of in-orbit exposure. In a rare chance for space research, where most hardware is either left in orbit or burns up on reentry, they are getting those samples back for detailed analysis on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe materials are set to launch to the ISS in the near future as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment 22 (MISSE-22), a testbed attached to the outside of the station. Mounted on the forward-facing side of the ISS to ensure predominant exposure to highly corrosive atomic oxygen, the test samples will spend several months enduring the extreme temperatures, radiation, and reactive environment of low Earth orbit. The team is testing a selection of lightweight, research-grade polymers designed to survive these harsh conditions. Once the samples return to Earth, engineers will examine how they held up and use that data to enhance the strategic of future satellite constellations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project represents a collaboration across government, academia, and industry, bringing together GTRI, Georgia Tech, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a California-based R\u0026amp;D firm Hedgefog Research Inc., and DuPont de Nemours, Inc. The research is also supported by Aegis Aerospace, which owns and operates the MISSE Flight Facility platform aboard the ISS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Space is So Hard on Satellites\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarsh conditions in low Earth orbit \u2014 the region of space extending from approximately 100 miles to over 1,000 miles above Earth, where many satellites and the ISS travel \u2014 can darken, roughen, and weaken spacecraft surfaces over time. That damage shortens satellite lifetimes and requires engineers to add extra layers of protection, increasing overall logistical burden and mission costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOptimizing material durability is a strategic necessity, explained Elena Plis, a GTRI senior research engineer and principal investigator for the project, because every additional unit of shielding increases the cost of getting to orbit. To design lighter, more resilient materials, researchers need to examine how they degrade in a true space environment. However, most hardware is built for a one-way trip \u2014 designed to operate in orbit and then burn up on reentry, taking that valuable material data with it.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe beauty of this type of experiment is that the materials return to Earth,\u201d said Plis, who is also an affiliate of the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cFor many missions, stuff is sent up and never seen again. Being able to test returned samples from real space conditions is unique, and I can\u2019t stress enough how exciting that is for us.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA New Generation of Polymers Head for Space\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstead of relying on familiar spacecraft materials like DuPont\u2019s Kapton \u2014 a tough, heat-resistant polyimide plastic film that has coated spacecraft exteriors since the Apollo era \u2014 the team is sending up a set of new, lightweight, research-grade polymers. These materials are designed to improve the survivability of assets against space\u2019s unforgiving elements.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPlis and her collaborators started with dozens of candidate materials they developed. To earn a spot on the MISSE-22, a sample has to be transparent or translucent, so light can pass through it, and researchers can examine how its optical properties change in orbit. The materials also have to be tough enough to withstand intense atomic oxygen exposure without fragmenting, which would create debris near the ISS. In the end, only a select number of the team\u2019s materials made the cut.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe MISSE-22 testbed holds multiple experimental polymers. Instead of standard illumination, the team constructed a custom on-orbit polariscope: LEDs beneath each sample shine polarized light up through the material. A small camera system then slides over the top to capture these highly specific optical changes on a set schedule over the course of several months in space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUsing Light to Reveal Space Strain\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EUsing polarized light and machine learning to rapidly analyze color patterns in the images they receive from orbit, the researchers can track how stress inside each sample changes over time. Periodically, the system will cycle through the materials, and the images will be downlinked to Earth.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhen the extended mission ends and the samples return, the team will compare those in-orbit measurements with detailed lab tests on the actual pieces that flew. Without returned materials, they would only have images and sensor data to work from. By testing the same samples in the lab, they can check how accurate the remote measurements really are and refine their methods.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIf the materials perform as expected, the results could help engineers design satellites that last longer in orbit without carrying so much protective weight \u2014providing a significant technological advantage in space domain awareness and asset longevity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAbout the Space Research Institute\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Space Research Institute (SRI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology is an interdisciplinary hub that unites faculty, staff, and students to advance research, education, and collaboration in space science and technology. Bringing together expertise across engineering, science, policy, and the humanities, SRI drives innovative projects in areas such as astrophysics, aerospace systems, astrobiology, and space policy while fostering partnerships with academia, industry, and government. As Georgia Tech\u2019s central nexus for space-related initiatives, SRI is committed to advancing discovery, developing the future workforce, and expanding humanity\u2019s understanding of space and its impact on life on Earth. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Espace.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers, led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, are sending new polymers to the International Space Station to study their durability in harsh space conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers, led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, are sending new polymers to the International Space Station to study their durability in harsh space conditions."}],"uid":"35874","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 15:06:45","changed_gmt":"2026-05-21 15:11:47","author":"Anna Akins","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680284":{"id":"680284","type":"image","title":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the GTRI research team who helped develop and qualify materials that will be tested on the ISS during the MISSE-22 mission (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778857869","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","changed":"1778857869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","alt":"Four GTRI researchers pose for a photo in a lab space. ","file":{"fid":"264531","name":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":17428791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_19--1-.JPG?itok=q2wP1JPi"}},"680285":{"id":"680285","type":"image","title":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClose-up of a sample similar to those that will be sent to the ISS to study their durability in harsh space conditions (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778857869","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","changed":"1778857869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","alt":"A photo of a sample similar to the one that will be sent to the International Space Station. ","file":{"fid":"264532","name":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14395883,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_07.JPG?itok=xg6C06mf"}},"680286":{"id":"680286","type":"image","title":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPlis and her team are sending new lightweight, research-grade polymers to the ISS for months of in-orbit exposure and later testing on Earth. Here, she is pictured in a laboratory at a GTRI facility in Atlanta, GA (Photo Credit: Sean McNeil, GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778857869","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","changed":"1778857869","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 15:11:09","alt":"A photo of a GTRI researcher leading effort to send research-grade polymers to the ISS for months of in-orbit exposure and later testing on Earth. ","file":{"fid":"264533","name":"2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":15484992,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/2026_0422_image_MISSE-22_Elena-Plis_Baker_02.JPG?itok=YD7p2sd9"}}},"media_ids":["680284","680285","680286"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"415","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"2798","name":"International Space Station"},{"id":"190596","name":"space research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ENews Contact\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAuthor:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anna.akins@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnna Akins \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAyana Isles\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690386":{"#nid":"690386","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vida Jamali Receives the Inaugural Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Vida Jamali is the inaugural recipient of the new Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE@GT).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHer outstanding research accomplishments and contributions to the School and Georgia Tech led to this selection,\u201d said Professor Christopher W. Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair in ChBE@GT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $20,000 in discretionary funding from this one-year fellowship will support \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vidajamali.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJamali\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s research activities focused on developing new tools for \u003Cem\u003Ein situ\u003C\/em\u003E liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, stochastic thermodynamics, and nanoscience-based platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Spencers established the endowment from which the term fellowship funding comes in 2017. This endowment will eventually lead to the establishment of a professorship in ChBE@GT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBob Spencer is a successful alumnus who has remained connected to our chemical engineering program,\u201d according to Jones. \u201cHis family\u2019s gift will allow ChBE@GT to support an early career professor at a critical stage of their development\u2014the crucial years just before their promotion and tenure review. We are grateful for their support and generosity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/vida-jamali-receives-inaugural-dr-james-robert-and-margaret-spencer-early-career\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ChBE Newspage\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Vida Jamali is the inaugural recipient of the new Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE@GT).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHer outstanding research accomplishments and contributions to the School and Georgia Tech led to this selection,\u201d said Professor Christopher W. Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair in ChBE@GT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe $20,000 in discretionary funding from this one-year fellowship will support \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vidajamali.github.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJamali\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s research activities focused on developing new tools for \u003Cem\u003Ein situ\u003C\/em\u003E liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, stochastic thermodynamics, and nanoscience-based platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Professor Vida Jamali is the inaugural recipient of the new Dr. James Robert and Margaret Spencer Early Career Fellowship in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE@GT)."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-05-19 20:50:46","changed_gmt":"2026-05-19 20:54:42","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680322":{"id":"680322","type":"image","title":"vida_image_0.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVida Jamali, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779223851","gmt_created":"2026-05-19 20:50:51","changed":"1779223851","gmt_changed":"2026-05-19 20:50:51","alt":"Vida Jamali, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"264569","name":"vida_image_0.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/vida_image_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/19\/vida_image_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":30687,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/19\/vida_image_0.jpeg?itok=tgpG-de0"}}},"media_ids":["680322"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrad Dixon\u003C\/a\u003E, ChBE\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690314":{"#nid":"690314","#data":{"type":"news","title":"MSHCI Receives Board of Regents Award for Best Department or Program","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (MSHCI) program has another reason to celebrate as it prepares to mark its 30th anniversary later this year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia awarded the program the 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mshci.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMSHCI program\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Edirector Dick Henneman and assistant director Carrie Bruce received the award on May 12 during a Board of Regents (BOR) meeting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHenneman has served as director of the program since 2015, and Bruce has served as assistant director since 2014. The program began in 1996 and has since expanded to be offered by four Georgia Tech schools:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInteractive Computing\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIndustrial Design\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELiterature, Media, and Communications\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPsychology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs we put our award submission together, it was nice for us to reflect on all our hard work and to understand the impact this program has had on students,\u201d Bruce said. \u201cWe recently surveyed alums, and so many said they were thankful for the way this program shaped their careers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder the leadership of Henneman and Bruce, the program has achieved a 99% graduation rate, with about 60 graduates per year, up from about 30 since 2015. Henneman said the program has become one of the most competitive of its kind in the world, with an admission rate under 10%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have some incredibly qualified students who are a part of the program,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a number of graduates move into design management positions, and some have started their own companies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHenneman and Bruce said that one thing that distinguishes Tech\u2019s MSHCI program is its close partnerships and alignment with industry. The program has an industry advisory board that keeps students informed about the skills companies value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe adapted our core classes quite a bit to ensure that they weren\u2019t just getting the academic version of HCI methods,\u201d Bruce said. \u201cOur program is practical and focuses on what they are going to do when they get into industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the program continues to grow, Henneman says it has maintained a sense of community among students, which he says is another thing that sets it apart. Many alumni keep in touch and return to offer industry advice, critique resumes, and conduct mock interviews with current students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of times graduate school can be all about the individual,\u201d he said. \u201cAs we prepare students to go work in industry, it\u2019s all about collaboration and the people you\u2019re working with and learning how to work on teams.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech had 21 faculty and researchers recognized in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/13\/georgia-tech-faculty-and-researchers-recognized-2026-regents-awards?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Faculty%2C%20Researchers%20Recognized%20With%20Regents%E2%80%99%20Awards\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20May%2014%2C%202026\u0022\u003E2026 Regents Awards\u003C\/a\u003E. From the College of Computing, Santosh Vempala was named a Regents\u2019 Professor, while Srinivas Aluru and Ellen Zegura had their Regents\u2019 titles renewed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMSHCI program director Dick Henneman and assitant director Carrie Bruce reflect on 30 years of success after they received the 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program from the USG Board of Regents.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s MSHCI program received the 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program from the University System of Georgia\u0027s Board of Regents."}],"uid":"36530","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 17:00:12","changed_gmt":"2026-05-18 18:36:27","author":"Nathan Deen","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680288":{"id":"680288","type":"image","title":"USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778864433","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 17:00:33","changed":"1778864433","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 17:00:33","alt":"Raheem Bayeh, Carrie Bruce, Sonny Perdue, Dick Henneman","file":{"fid":"264535","name":"USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":163281,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/USG-BoR-5-12-2026-018-copy.jpg?itok=DFT3DWbz"}}},"media_ids":["680288"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"}],"keywords":[{"id":"21151","name":"mshci"},{"id":"186678","name":"USG Board of Regents"},{"id":"172013","name":"Faculty Awards and Honors"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690325":{"#nid":"690325","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow Awarded National Climate Resilience Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA Georgia Tech-led project advancing coastal resilience and ecosystem restoration has been selected for the inaugural\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reviverestore.org\/revive-restore-announces-inaugural-climate-resilience-fund-cohort\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Resilience Fund\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E cohort, awarded by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reviverestore.org\/\u0022\u003ERevive \u0026amp; Restore\u003C\/a\u003E. The award is one of ten in a new $3.4 million fund to leverage genetic rescue for marine and coastal ecosystems under threat from climate shifts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELed by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel E. Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E, Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow (GT\u00b2)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the research effort will help restore coastal salt marshes through AI-enabled micropropagation and developing probiotics for plants. It is the only salt marsh-focused effort funded nationally in the cohort.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe award supports both the development of more climate-resilient salt marsh plants, as well as new capacity for coastal restoration in Georgia \u2014 an effort that aligns closely with GT\u00b2\u2019s mission to connect research, innovation, and community needs to address critical environmental and community challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHealthy Coasts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESalt marshes are among Georgia\u2019s most important natural resources, helping buffer communities from storms, support fisheries, and sustain coastal economies. Yet the state currently lacks a reliable source of salt marsh seedlings needed for large-scale restoration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reviverestore.org\/probiotics-and-ai-enabled-micropropagation-for-salt-marsh-restoration\/\u0022\u003EThe funded project\u003C\/a\u003E addresses that gap by advancing the production of hardier marsh plants and laying the groundwork for a broader restoration economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe opportunity here is to build something that doesn\u2019t currently exist in Georgia \u2014 a scalable, science-driven supply of salt marsh plants for safer, healthier coastal communities and ecosystems,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cBy combining biotechnology, ecology, and partnerships across the region, we are accelerating coastal resilience while supporting long-term environmental and economic benefits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKostka will work with project co-researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EElse-Marie Ulrika Egertsdotter\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ECaitlin Petro\u003C\/strong\u003E (Georgia Tech Biological Sciences),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHeather Joesting (\u003C\/strong\u003EGeorgia Southern University),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Coffey\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELauren Eserman-Campbell\u003C\/strong\u003E (Atlanta Botanical Garden), and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESydney Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E (University of Georgia and Georgia Sea Grant) \u2014 along with several anticipated regional partners, including University of Georgia Marine Institute, GA\/SC\/NC Departments of Natural Resources, Southeastern Plant Conservation Alliance, and Bald Head Island Conservancy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team will create a \u201cClimate-Ready Spartina Toolkit\u201d with automated plant tissue culture, AI-based screening tools, a culture collection that serves as probiotics for plants, a seed bank and library of preserved plant materials, step-by-step instructions for successful growing, and ready for regional deployment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project also continues the evolution of Kostka\u2019s collaborative research Egertsdotter and the Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute. \u201cRBI shares the goal of using biotechnology to produce climate-resilient plants that benefit society,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cTheir expertise in plant tissue culture and automation make this work possible. It also is a great example of collaboration between GT Sciences and Engineering \u2014 the automation of plant tissue culture was developed by mechanical engineers in RBI.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegional Resilience\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new award builds on growing momentum for Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow and its expanding network of collaborators focused on coastal resilience. Based in the College of Sciences, GT\u00b2 is designed to align discovery science with technological innovation and data-driven tools to deliver practical solutions for communities across the state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn April, GT\u00b2 launched a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/23\/georgias-tomorrow-and-bald-head-island-conservancy-launch-research-fund-partnership\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eformal research fund and partnership with the Bald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, connecting Georgia Tech researchers with BHIC\u2019s Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability in North Carolina to advance shared work in coastal sustainability, ecosystem health, and environmental resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe partnership combines BHIC\u2019s applied, field-based conservation work with Georgia Tech\u2019s strengths in technological innovation and data analysis, creating new opportunities for graduate research, community engagement, and real-world implementation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBetter Together\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThese \u201call hands on deck\u201d approaches reflect a broader strategy to scale tangible solutions across regional ecosystems by connecting researchers and partners with community stakeholders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTogether, we hope these projects will demonstrate that genetic rescue is a powerful lever for the blue carbon ecosystems that underpin both ecological and human communities in the face of climate change,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELiv Liberman\u003C\/strong\u003E, Director of Ocean and Climate at Revive \u0026amp; Restore and program manager for the Climate Resilience Fund.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe efforts reflect GT\u00b2\u2019s goal of creating pathways from research to implementation, working across sectors to deliver measurable outcomes for the southeastern environment and its communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis award recognizes the kind of integrated, real-world research that GT\u00b2 is built to deliver,\u201d says Kostka. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing together researchers, agencies, and community partners to move from science to scalable solutions \u2014 especially along southeastern coasts, where the need is urgent and the opportunities are significant.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E###\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow (GT\u00b2) is a College of Sciences\u2013based initiative that connects discovery science, innovation, and partnerships to address pressing challenges in environmental and community resilience across Georgia. The initiative works with state agencies, industry, non-profits, and local communities to develop solutions that improve quality of life and strengthen the state\u2019s future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Revive \u0026amp; Restore\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERevive \u0026amp; Restore is a nonprofit conservation organization that develops and promotes genetic rescue technologies to protect and restore endangered and extinct species. Founded in 2012 by Stewart Brand and Ryan Phelan, the organization works across birds, mammals, coral, and marine ecosystems to demonstrate that biotechnology is an essential tool in the conservation toolkit.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech-led project advancing coastal resilience and ecosystem restoration has been selected for the inaugural Climate Resilience Fund cohort, awarded by Revive \u0026amp; Restore. The award is one of ten in a new $3.4 million fund to leverage genetic rescue for marine and coastal ecosystems under threat from climate shifts. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award is one of ten in a new $3.4 million fund to leverage genetic rescue for marine and coastal ecosystems under threat from climate shifts.  "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-05-18 15:27:44","changed_gmt":"2026-05-18 17:52:44","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680302":{"id":"680302","type":"image","title":"Spartina alterniflora lines a marsh environment on Sapelo Island. (Credit: Jess Hunt-Ralston)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESpartina alterniflora lines a marsh environment on Sapelo Island. (Credit: Jess Hunt-Ralston)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779119519","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 15:51:59","changed":"1779119683","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 15:54:43","alt":"A salt marsh waterway is lined by cord grasses, sand, and trees. The sunny cerulean sky is dotted with clouds.","file":{"fid":"264549","name":"DSC00553-copy2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/DSC00553-copy2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/DSC00553-copy2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2475406,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/DSC00553-copy2.jpg?itok=IRHQ2IaM"}},"680300":{"id":"680300","type":"image","title":"Ulrika Egertsdotter is a principal research scientist in the Renewable Bioproducts Institute and a renowned expert in seed cloning. (Credit: Christopher McKenney)","body":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUlrika Egertsdotter is a principal research scientist in the Renewable Bioproducts Institute and a renowned expert in seed cloning. She designs and develops automated technologies that produce valuable plants for the state\u2019s forestry, agriculture, and horticulture industries. (Credit: Christopher McKenney)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779118934","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 15:42:14","changed":"1779118934","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 15:42:14","alt":"Ulrika Egertsdotter is pictured in her lab, between shelves of trays with seeds that she is cloning.","file":{"fid":"264547","name":"seed-cloning.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/seed-cloning.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/seed-cloning.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2208576,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/seed-cloning.jpg?itok=KDdpfW8e"}},"680301":{"id":"680301","type":"image","title":"Joel Kostka and co-presenters at the RBI 2026 Spring Workshop.","body":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJoel Kostka and co-presenters at the RBI 2026 Spring Workshop. An international leader in ecosystem biogeoscience, Kostka is the inaugural faculty director of Georgia Tech for Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow, as well as Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and associate chair for Research in the School of Biological Sciences. He holds a joint appointment in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. (Credit: Jess Hunt-Ralston)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779119044","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 15:44:04","changed":"1779119044","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 15:44:04","alt":"Joel Kostka and co-presenters stand under a leafy tree in a courtyard outside the RBI 2026 Spring Workshop.","file":{"fid":"264548","name":"Kostka.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Kostka.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Kostka.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8844237,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/Kostka.jpg?itok=GbeZPGHC"}}},"media_ids":["680302","680300","680301"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow","title":"Georgia Tech for Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow"},{"url":"https:\/\/reviverestore.org\/revive-restore-announces-inaugural-climate-resilience-fund-cohort\/","title":"Revive \u0026 Restore: Climate Resilience Fund"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2026_-_georgias_tomorrow_-_concept_paper_-_coastal_solutions.pdf","title":"GT\u00b2 Concept Paper: Coastal Solutions"},{"url":"https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/","title":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:elizabeth@reviverestore.org\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth Bennett\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Director\u003Cbr\u003ERevive \u0026amp; Restore\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690288":{"#nid":"690288","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ding Appointed as Regents\u2019 Researcher","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia Board of Regents (BOR) honored 19 Georgia Tech faculty and researchers across campus with Regents\u2019 appointments at its April meeting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong those recognized is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/yong-ding\u0022\u003EYong Ding\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer and electron microscopy core lead at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/mcf\/materials-characterization-facility\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility\u003C\/a\u003E (MCF) within \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ethe Institute for Matter and System\u003C\/a\u003Es (IMS), who was named a Regents\u2019 Researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDing received his Ph.D. in Physics from\u0026nbsp;Nanjing University. Since joining Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;in 2003, he has made widespread contributions to interdisciplinary materials research through collaborations with faculty, national laboratories, and industry partners, enabling advanced materials characterization and scientific discovery. His current work focuses on the development and application of advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, including in-situ TEM, electron tomography, and quantitative spectroscopic analysis. He also leads major instrumentation initiatives, including the acquisition and deployment of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Ultra TEM.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDing\u2019s work has had a significant impact on nanoscience, catalysis, and energy materials. In addition to his research, he is a dedicated educator and mentor, providing training to dozens of microscopy users annually and teaching courses in electron microscopy and nanomaterials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Regents\u2019 Awards are among the University System of Georgia\u2019s highest honors, recognizing sustained excellence, national distinction, and long-term impact by faculty and researchers across the state\u2019s public institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERegents\u2019 distinctions may be granted to outstanding faculty members for a period of three years by the BOR and are awarded only after unanimous recommendation from the president of the recipient\u2019s university, their chief academic officer and dean, and three additional members of the faculty who are named by the university president. Approval by the chancellor and the BOR Committee on Academic Affairs is also required. These distinctions are given to those who make outstanding contributions to their respective institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/13\/georgia-tech-faculty-and-researchers-recognized-2026-regents-awards\u0022\u003ESee the full list of Georgia Tech honorees.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia recognized Georgia Tech\u2019s Yong Ding as a Regents\u2019 Researcher for his excellence in materials research and microscopy innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The University System of Georgia recognized Georgia Tech\u2019s Yong Ding as a Regents\u2019 Researcher for his excellence in materials research and microscopy innovation."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 13:33:08","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 13:35:00","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680283":{"id":"680283","type":"image","title":"YongDingWeb.png","body":null,"created":"1778851995","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 13:33:15","changed":"1778851995","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 13:33:15","alt":"Portrait of a smiling man with short dark hair and glasses wearing a striped button-down shirt against a plain beige background.","file":{"fid":"264530","name":"YongDingWeb.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/YongDingWeb.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/15\/YongDingWeb.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1423971,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/15\/YongDingWeb.png?itok=CvJbQHPp"}}},"media_ids":["680283"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690280":{"#nid":"690280","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emily Sanders Awarded NSF CAREER Award for Research on Shape-Shifting Materials ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sanders\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Sanders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation\u2019s (NSF) Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER Award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. The award provides $662,045 over five years to support Sanders\u2019 project, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award?AWD_ID=2542321\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPatterning Hard Interlocking Particles to Achieve Soft Materials and Structures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/emily-sanders-awarded-nsf-career-award-research-shape-shifting-materials\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering website\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEmily Sanders, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation\u2019s (NSF) Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER Award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. The award provides $662,045 over five years to support Sanders\u2019 project, Patterning Hard Interlocking Particles to Achieve Soft Materials and Structures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Emily Sanders, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the NSF\u2019s Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation."}],"uid":"35851","created_gmt":"2026-05-15 00:24:06","changed_gmt":"2026-05-15 00:26:06","author":"aritchie6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680282":{"id":"680282","type":"image","title":"Sanders-Wide.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778804663","gmt_created":"2026-05-15 00:24:23","changed":"1778804663","gmt_changed":"2026-05-15 00:24:23","alt":"Emily Sanders","file":{"fid":"264529","name":"Sanders-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Sanders-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/14\/Sanders-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":829767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/14\/Sanders-Wide.jpg?itok=aQG4gj83"}}},"media_ids":["680282"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"108731","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ashley.ritchie@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshley Ritchie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}