{"689875":{"#nid":"689875","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Hidden Language of Life\u2019s Early Proteins","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHow did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins \u2014 once limited to just half of today\u2019s amino acids \u2014 could still form the sophisticated structures life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe paper,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S258959742600047X\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Borderlands of Foldability: Lessons from Simplified Proteins\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is a meta-analysis of six decades of protein research and reveals that ancient proteins may have been far more complicated and dynamic than previously thought.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERecently published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ETrends in Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E, the study includes Georgia Tech researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Chair in Molecular Design, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/academics\/degrees\/phd\/quantitative-biosciences-phd\u0022\u003EQuantitative Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/user\/231\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlfie-Louise Brownless\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECo-authors also include\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isct.ac.jp\/en\u0022\u003EInstitute of Science Tokyo\u003C\/a\u003E graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKoh Seya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/liamlongo.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiam M. Longo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who serves as a specially appointed associate professor at Science Tokyo and as an affiliate research scientist at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bmsis.org\/\u0022\u003EBlue Marble Space Institute of Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe research has implications ranging from the origins of life and the search for life in the universe to cutting-edge medical innovation. \u201cOne of the biggest unanswered questions in science is how life first began,\u201d says Kamerlin, who is a corresponding author of the study. \u201cUnderstanding how the first protein-like molecules formed and what the earliest proteins may have been like is a key part of that puzzle.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cProteins power our bodies \u2014 and all life on Earth,\u201d she adds. \u201cSimply put, the evolution of proteins is the reason that we\u2019re able to have this conversation at all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Protein Folding Paradox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf proteins are the scaffolding of life, amino acids are the components that make up that scaffolding. \u201cToday, an average protein is constructed from a chain of about 300 amino acids, involving 20 different types of amino acids,\u201d Kamerlin shares. Proteins fold when these chains twist into a specific 3-dimensional shape, creating structures critical for biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHowever, while these folds are essential, exactly\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ehow\u003C\/em\u003E a protein knows which way to fold remains a mystery. \u201cWe know that proteins didn\u2019t just fold randomly,\u201d Kamerlin shares, \u201cbecause randomly trying all possible configurations would take a protein longer than the age of the universe.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a cornerstone problem in biological science called \u201cLevinthal\u2019s Paradox,\u201d and highlights a fundamental mystery: Proteins fold incredibly quickly into very specific combinations \u2014 but like a sheet of paper spontaneously folding into an origami swan, researchers don\u2019t know how proteins \u201cchoose\u201d the folds they make.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe can predict what a protein will look like, but can\u2019t tell you how it got there,\u201d Kamerlin adds. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re interested in exploring: how small early proteins developed into the complex proteins that support every living thing on today\u2019s Earth.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimple Letters, Sophisticated Structures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEarly proteins likely had access to just half of today\u2019s amino acids. \u201cAbout 10-12 amino acids were likely available on early Earth,\u201d Kamerlin says. Like writing a story with just the letters \u201cA\u201d through \u201cL,\u201d researchers assumed that the \u2018vocabulary\u2019 proteins could build from such a limited amino acid alphabet would also be constrained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is a language to protein folding,\u201d Kamerlin explains. \u201cThat language is hidden in their structures. Our research is in trying to understand the rules \u2014 the grammar and vocabulary that dictate a protein fold.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe grammar they discovered was surprising: with a combination of creative techniques and environmental support, complex structures can arise from limited amino acid alphabets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe found that it is possible to develop complex folds with very simple tools \u2014 and certain environments, like salty ones, can help support that,\u201d Kamerlin shares. \u201cEarly proteins could also cross-link and associate, interacting like LEGO blocks to create more complex structures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPioneering Proteins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENow, the team is conducting research in environments that could mimic conditions on early Earth \u2014 aiming to discover more about how these regions could have given rise to today\u2019s complex proteins. \u201cThis aspect of our research also ties into the amazing\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/2026-frontiers-science-advancing-space-exploration-0\u0022\u003Espace research\u003C\/a\u003E happening at Georgia Tech,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cWhile we\u2019re interested in understanding early life on Earth, our work could help inform where best to look for evidence of life beyond our planet.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin specializes in creating computer models that simulate possible scenarios \u2013 creating an opportunity to quickly and efficiently test many theories. The most compelling of these can then be tested by her collaborator and co-author at Science Tokyo, Liam Longo, in lab experiments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EProtein folding is also at the forefront of medical innovation, ranging from diagnostic tools to cancer treatments and neurodegenerative diseases. \u201cIn the broader scope, we\u2019re interested in discovering what we can design, what we can stress test, and what we can reconstruct with AI and other computational tools,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cBecause if you can understand how proteins fold, you gain the ability to design them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: NASA, the Human Frontier Science Program, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.trechm.2026.03.001\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Persistent link using digital object identifier\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.trechm.2026.03.001\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHow did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins formed the sophisticated structures life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Life\u2019s first alphabet was likely small \u2014 but surprisingly powerful."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-04-20 16:06:30","changed_gmt":"2026-04-22 15:01:58","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}},"680000":{"id":"680000","type":"image","title":"Amino acid diversity in peptides and proteins over time. Now, in the era of biotechnology, the amino acid alphabet is poised to expand again. (Figure Credit: \u201cThe borderlands of foldability: lessons from simplified proteins,\u201d Trends in Chemistry, 2026)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAmino acid diversity in peptides and proteins over time. Over time, the genetic code expanded into the 20-amino acid alphabet found in contemporary biology. Now, in the era of biotechnology, the amino acid alphabet is poised to expand once more. (Figure Credit: \u201cThe borderlands of foldability: lessons from simplified proteins,\u201d Koh Seya, Alfie\u2011Louise R. Brownless, Shina C. L. Kamerlin, and Liam M. Longo, \u003Cem\u003ETrends in Chemistry, \u003C\/em\u003E2026)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776701693","gmt_created":"2026-04-20 16:14:53","changed":"1776701693","gmt_changed":"2026-04-20 16:14:53","alt":"A diagram showing the history of peptides and proteins over time. It is shaped like an hourglass.","file":{"fid":"264232","name":"Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":591690,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg?itok=l_Fxw_Fs"}}},"media_ids":["677019","680000"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"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\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689619":{"#nid":"689619","#data":{"type":"news","title":"11th Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition: Our 2026 Winners, Announced","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s 11th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition took place on Tuesday, April 7th, where 12 scholars presented their innovative research in just three minutes to a non-specialist audience. After five preliminary rounds and Tuesday\u2019s climactic competition, five graduate students were named winners and awarded research travel grants.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECongratulations to our 2026 Three Minute Thesis Winners:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOverall Ph.D. Winner - $2,000 travel grant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShreya Kothari, Ph.D. Biological Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHarnessing Nature\u0027s Helpers: Discovering Bioemulsifiers to Help Clean Up Future Oil Spills\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst Runner-Up - $1,500 travel grant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShehan Parmar, Ph.D. Chemistry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDiscovering Thermoresponsive Ionic Liquids for Water Desalination\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond Runner-Up - $1,000 travel grant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERichard Asiamah, Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDevelopment and Applications of Synthetic Electric Grid Models for Underrepresented Regions\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaster\u0027s Winner - $1,000 travel grant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJinchu Li, MS, Computer Science\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPredicting New Concept-Object Associations in Astronomy by Mining the Literature\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople\u0027s Choice Award Winner - $500 travel grant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHari Sridhara, Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESolid-State Batteries: A Stronger and Safer Energy Storage Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education coordinates Tech\u2019s 3MT competition in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the Naugle Writing and Communications Center, and the Language Institute. For more information about this year\u2019s 3MT Competition, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/grad.gatech.edu\/3mt\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Egrad.gatech.edu\/3mt\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive graduate students emerge victorious at Georgia Tech\u0027s 11th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on Tuesday, April 7th.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"2026 3MT Competition Winners"}],"uid":"36872","created_gmt":"2026-04-10 15:48:55","changed_gmt":"2026-04-21 14:25:27","author":"fkhan47","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679940":{"id":"679940","type":"image","title":"3MT Winners","body":null,"created":"1776171862","gmt_created":"2026-04-14 13:04:22","changed":"1776172050","gmt_changed":"2026-04-14 13:07:30","alt":"From left to right, Assistant Vice Provost, Jana Stone, winners Shehan Parmar, Jinchu Li, Hari Sridhara, Richard Asiamah, Shreya Kothari, and Vice Provost Bonnie Ferri ","file":{"fid":"264165","name":"26-R10410-P118-099.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/26-R10410-P118-099.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/14\/26-R10410-P118-099.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3832442,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/14\/26-R10410-P118-099.jpg?itok=o-5xEjVi"}}},"media_ids":["679940"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175447","name":"Three Minute Thesis 3MT"},{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"},{"id":"15156","name":"graduate education"},{"id":"2248","name":"Graduate Studies"},{"id":"182976","name":"office of graduate education"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFaria Khan\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer I\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Efkhan47@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["fkhan47@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689761":{"#nid":"689761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Career Conversations Take Center Stage at Annual Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe College of Sciences honored\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.boehringer-ingelheim.com\/us\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Boehringer Ingelheim\u003C\/a\u003E as its 2026 Internship Employer of the Year during the Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner, an annual event designed to foster meaningful connections between alumni and students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is incredible power in alumni stories,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cIt\u2019s inspiring for students to speak with alumni in the workforce, hear how they landed their first jobs, and learn from their successes\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;and their setbacks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClaire Haskell\u003C\/strong\u003E (Mathematics 2025) recently obtained her first job with Deloitte and\u0026nbsp;attended the dinner to offer perspective to current students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI want to reassure students still in school that, even in today\u2019s uncertain times, getting a job is still really doable and not as out of reach as it seems. Meeting Tech alumni is a great first step.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Night of Networking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences Career Educator Program Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stringfellow\u003C\/strong\u003E and Director of Alumni Relations\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELeslie Roberts\u003C\/strong\u003E organized the annual signature career event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe put on events like this because we want all of our students ready for their next opportunity,\u201d says Stringfellow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESecond-year psychology major\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAleena Sange\u003C\/strong\u003E attended the event for the first time, and says she will be back next year. \u201cThe alumni were really helpful and reassuring,\u201d says Sange. \u201cI learned what employers look for in a resume and even received advice about contract negotiations and retirement.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFirst-year astrophysics student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShannon Callahan\u003C\/strong\u003E agrees. \u201cWhat struck me the most was hearing how well Georgia Tech prepares you for the workforce. It gave me a lot of confidence to hear that Tech alumni\u0026nbsp;hit the ground running because they\u2019re used to learning quickly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe evening included casual and more structured networking, with students rotating between tables on topics such as \u201cUsing AI in the Workplace,\u201d \u201cHandling Conflict,\u201d and \u201cHow to Get Hired in the Real World.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJanessa Rowland\u003C\/strong\u003E (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2014) works as an operations program manager for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. She\u0026nbsp;encouraged students to think beyond their major\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSometimes an internship or class outside your major can open up the door for what you can do after Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMorgan Foreman\u003C\/strong\u003E (Psychology 2017), a technical product manager at IBM, offered encouraging insight: \u201cPeople often tell you college is the best years of your life. Georgia Tech also sets you up for your dream life after college.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Internship Employer of the Year\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDuring the festivities, Stringfellow announced\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBoehringer Ingelheim\u003C\/strong\u003E as the Internship Employer of the Year. The award honors a company that provides a high-quality learning environment for student interns.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArya Akbarshahi\u003C\/strong\u003E, a biochemistry major who spent a semester doing a co-op job at the company, presented the award, thanking the\u0026nbsp;biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health\u0026nbsp;for the learning experience provided.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cCo-oping at Boehringer Ingelheim was one of the most formative experiences in my training. From day one, I was trusted as a scientist, which allowed me to formulate hypotheses and execute experiments with direct implications for drug development strategy and decisions,\u201d\u0026nbsp; says\u0026nbsp;Akbarshahi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter presenting the award to\u0026nbsp;Boehringer Ingelheim\u0026nbsp;Senior Scientist\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Marc Sprouse\u003C\/strong\u003E, Akbarshahi also presented a surprise mentorship award to Sprouse.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMarc was an exceptional mentor,\u201d says Akbarshahi. \u201cHe challenged me to think critically about the biology, not just the assay, and consistently created space for me to take ownership and operate at a higher level.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESprouse accepted both awards and spoke of the benefits of working while still in school: \u201cGetting real-world work experience while in school sets students up for success. I encourage all College of Science students to check out our website and apply for future co-ops and internships.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe event provided an opportunity for students and alumni to network and engage in career-focused discussions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The event provided an opportunity for students and alumni to network and engage in career-focused discussions."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-04-15 15:16:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-15 18:18:56","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679954":{"id":"679954","type":"image","title":"Leslie Roberts, David Gaston, Susan Lozier, Marc Sprouse, Arya Akbarshahi, Andrea Comsa, and James Stringfellow","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELeslie Roberts, David Gaston, Susan Lozier, Marc Sprouse, Arya Akbarshahi, Andrea Comsa, and James Stringfellow\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776266242","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 15:17:22","changed":"1776266242","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 15:17:22","alt":"7 people standing in a line","file":{"fid":"264180","name":"IMG_2039.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2039.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2039.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3282162,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2039.jpg?itok=U6KYSVZ7"}},"679960":{"id":"679960","type":"image","title":"Chris Kwan (Mathematics 2019) leads a discussion about optimizing a science degree in the job search.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Kwan (Mathematics 2019) leads a discussion about optimizing a science degree in the job search.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776268996","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 16:03:16","changed":"1776268996","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 16:03:16","alt":"A group sits around a round table","file":{"fid":"264187","name":"IMG_2052.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2052_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2052_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2111678,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2052_0.jpg?itok=JkSIkozq"}},"679961":{"id":"679961","type":"image","title":" Mark Sprouse and Arya Akbarshahi","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Mark Sprouse and Arya Akbarshahi\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776269553","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 16:12:33","changed":"1776270011","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 16:20:11","alt":"A man and a male college student shake hands and hold up an award.","file":{"fid":"264188","name":"IMG_2048.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2048.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2048.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3072561,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2048.jpg?itok=8L_C_f5l"}}},"media_ids":["679954","679960","679961"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/students-and-alumni-connect-networking-event","title":"Students and Alumni Connect at Networking Event"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-hosts-first-ever-student-employer-networking-expo","title":"College of Sciences Hosts First-Ever Student-Employer Networking Expo"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689472":{"#nid":"689472","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space\u0022\u003EFrontiers in Science\u003C\/a\u003E conference. Held on April 2, the full-day event focused on space research guiding discovery and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs during previous editions, this year\u2019s conference featured more than two dozen scientists, engineers, policy experts, and thought leaders from Georgia Tech and beyond, illustrating how collaboration across fields \u2013 from science and engineering to public policy and international affairs \u2013 helps to advance strategic research priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFrontiers is about discovery and connections across disciplines and generations,\u201d says\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lozier.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cThis edition provided an inspiring glimpse into the future of space exploration and the many ways Georgia Tech is contributing to research and missions seeking answers to what lies beyond our planet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommitment to Space\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpace research is a key institutional priority at Georgia Tech, which is home to numerous academic and research programs in planetary sciences, robotics, mission design, space policy, and other areas.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe recently established\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SRI) serves as the central hub connecting the broad range of space-related research across campus. Led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2885\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who also serves as principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, SRI has expanded support for space research and commercialization through initiatives such as the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/26\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech\u0022\u003ECreationsVC Space Fellows Program\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/10\/georgia-techs-space-research-institute-announces-inaugural-seed-grant-awardees\u0022\u003ECenters, Programs, and Initiatives seed grant program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESRI\u2019s efforts are in line with Georgia Tech\u2019s long-standing contribution to space exploration. Hundreds of Yellow Jacket alumni work in the space sector, including several graduates who are playing key roles in the Artemis program. To date, more than a dozen Georgia Tech alumni have traveled to space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploring the Final Frontier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference featured a series of panels and discussions led by faculty and researchers from the Colleges of Sciences and Engineering as well as the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESessions explored how researchers are studying the processes and conditions that support planetary habitability, seeking to answer one of humanity\u2019s greatest questions: Does life exist beyond Earth? Speakers also examined how analog fieldwork in Earth\u2019s extreme environments can inform space exploration, and how space research, in turn, can deepen our understanding of our own world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditional conversations centered on building better space missions through improved understanding of team and individual resilience, data collection, navigation, and the development of advanced technologies like the robots developed through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/good-dog-lassie-spirit-learns-walk-moon\u0022\u003ENASA LASSIE Project\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrontiers also highlighted Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to preparing the next generation of space scientists, engineers, and leaders. Student training and engagement were recurring themes throughout the day, with speakers emphasizing opportunities for student-led and student-run missions and research. A panel of Georgia Tech alumni shared their own STEM career journeys, challenging the idea of \u201cone right path\u201d to success \u2014 and acknowledging the resources and opportunities available at the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA highlight of the conference was a fireside chat with Atlanta-native, retired U.S. Army Colonel and NASA Astronaut\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/kimbrough-rs.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ER. Shane Kimbrough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (M.S. Operations Research 1998). Kimbrough, who spent a total of 388 days in space and performed nine spacewalks across three missions, reflected on his career and the evolution of spaceflight. He emphasized the expanding role of public-private and international partnerships in advancing ambitious goals, such as creating a permanent human outpost on the Moon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolicy and Public\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference also explored how policy influences space discovery and innovation, with discussions touching on such issues as space security, access, governance, sustainability \u2014\u0026nbsp;and the influence of technology and science fiction on public perception and policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPanelists described current policy frameworks governing outer space as struggling to keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies and expanding activities. According to these experts, increasing tensions among commercial, research, and recreational uses of space call for greater coordination among private and government entities to balance competing priorities while maximizing opportunities for innovation and exploration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe conference was punctuated by a networking lunch connecting attendees with Atlanta\u2019s public astronomy community \u2013 including partners at several universities and the Georgia Tech Astronomy Club, which set up telescopes for attendees to safely observe the sun. Later that evening, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astronomy.gatech.edu\/Observatory.php\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E hosted its Public Night, welcoming the broader Atlanta community to campus for telescope views of Jupiter, the Orion Nebula, and other celestial bodies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Observatory Night was a fitting conclusion to a full day focused on Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment and contributions to inspiring future generations of space explorers through research, education, and outreach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EExperience the Frontiers conference in pictures on the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gtsciences\/albums\/72177720332868366\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Sciences\u2019 Flickr account\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u0026nbsp;Frontiers in Science conference.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"One day after the historic Artemis II launch, the College of Sciences welcomed more than 150 researchers, students, and community members to its signature\u00a0Frontiers in Science conference."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-06 14:05:00","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 21:23:26","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679862":{"id":"679862","type":"image","title":" Retired NASA astronaut R. Shane Kimbrough (M.S. Operations Research 1998) reflects on his career and the evolution of spaceflight.","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"R. Shane Kimbrough speaks in front of room of people during a fireside chat","file":{"fid":"264072","name":"55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2611719,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185614870_ef06b5fa33_o.jpg?itok=9k4zXi2s"}},"679861":{"id":"679861","type":"image","title":"Joyce Shi Sim, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Joyce Shi Sim holds a microphone and laser pointer while presenting to room of people","file":{"fid":"264071","name":"55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1858656,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185376153_8350a8e96f_o.jpg?itok=QKyejMSW"}},"679863":{"id":"679863","type":"image","title":"Professor James Wray, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences","body":null,"created":"1775485879","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:31:19","changed":"1775485923","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:32:03","alt":"Professor James Wray holds microphone and points to powerpoint slide during his presentation","file":{"fid":"264073","name":"55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2636888,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55184328417_3a02de62dc_o.jpg?itok=saXBEEUR"}},"679860":{"id":"679860","type":"image","title":" [From left] Professor Glenn Lightsey, Professor Thom Orlando, Moderator Naia Butler-Craig  (M.S. AE 2023, Ph.D. AE 2026), Associate Professor Brian Gunter, and Research Engineer I Ava Thrasher ","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Group photo of five people, including Georgia Tech faculty","file":{"fid":"264070","name":"55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6182876,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55184003111_c862d712f2_o.jpg?itok=dcGAnsv4"}},"679858":{"id":"679858","type":"image","title":" The Georgia Tech Astronomy Club set up telescopes for attendees to safely observe the sun.","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Three people stand outdoors with one person looking at the sun through a telescope","file":{"fid":"264068","name":"55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2674661,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185476429_49ab238e05_o.jpg?itok=cCQeyNP0"}},"679859":{"id":"679859","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Observatory\u2019s April 2, 2026 Public Night","body":null,"created":"1775484488","gmt_created":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","changed":"1775484488","gmt_changed":"2026-04-06 14:08:08","alt":"Adults and children observing the night sky through a computer that is connected to a telescope","file":{"fid":"264069","name":"55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4887238,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/06\/55185567256_ba1be5a592_o.jpg?itok=NaAICFg3"}}},"media_ids":["679862","679861","679863","679860","679858","679859"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration - Program"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/38-billion-year-old-titanium-clue-sheds-new-light-moons-early-chemistry","title":"3.8\u2011Billion\u2011Year\u2011Old Titanium Clue Sheds New Light on the Moon\u2019s Early Chemistry"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-pioneers-first-space-sustainability-course-us","title":"Georgia Tech Pioneers First Space Sustainability Course in the U.S."},{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/welcome-future-artemis-ii-set-launch-moon","title":"\u2018Welcome to the Future!\u2019 Artemis II Set for Launch to the Moon"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/02\/26\/new-space-startups-take-georgia-tech","title":"New Space Startups Take Off at Georgia Tech"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2025\/12\/10\/georgia-techs-space-research-institute-announces-inaugural-seed-grant-awardees","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute Announces Inaugural Seed Grant Awardees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"172511","name":"Frontiers Conference"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194975","name":"go-space"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"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\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689493":{"#nid":"689493","#data":{"type":"news","title":"U.S. News Ranks College of Sciences Graduate Programs Among Nation\u2019s Best","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGraduate programs across the College of Sciences are again recognized among the nation\u2019s best in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/top-science-schools\/georgia-institute-of-technology-139755\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report Best Graduate School Rankings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, reflecting Georgia Tech\u0027s continued strength in fundamental and discovery science, interdisciplinary research, and innovative education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EReleased on April 7, the latest U.S. News report features the College\u0027s six schools, each of which earned top\u2011tier placements that reflect academic quality and peer reputation across disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Sciences rankings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBiological Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E: No.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E41\u003C\/strong\u003E (tied)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETied with Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Northwestern University; Purdue University\u2013West Lafayette; University of Arizona; University of California, Santa Barbara; and University of California, Santa Cruz.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChemistry\u003C\/strong\u003E: No.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E20\u003C\/strong\u003E (tied)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETied with University of California, San Diego.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarth Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E: No.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E29\u003C\/strong\u003E (tied),\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eup four spots\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETied with Johns Hopkins University; Oregon State University; Texas A\u0026amp;M University\u2013College Station; and Washington University in St. Louis.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMathematics\u003C\/strong\u003E: No.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E26\u003C\/strong\u003E (tied)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETied with Rice University; Rutgers University\u2013New Brunswick; and the University of Washington.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhysics\u003C\/strong\u003E: No.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E22\u003C\/strong\u003E (tied)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETied with Brown University; Duke University; Northwestern University; The Ohio State University; and the University of Wisconsin\u2013Madison.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPsychology\u003C\/strong\u003E: No.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E39\u003C\/strong\u003E (tied)*\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETied with Michigan State University; Stony Brook University\u2013SUNY; University of Arizona; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Florida; and University of Iowa.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E*Psychology rankings were carried forward from the most recent U.S. News social sciences rankings cycle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThese new rankings \u2014 based on peer perception surveys, as well as statistical indicators measuring faculty resources, research activity, and student outcomes \u2014 continue to highlight the College of Sciences\u2019 breadth across core scientific disciplines and its role in advancing discovery, training future researchers, and supporting Georgia Tech\u2019s research and mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpecialty Rankings: Chemistry and Mathematics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to overall program rankings, Georgia Tech continues to earn national recognition in existing\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003Especialty graduate rankings\u003C\/strong\u003E within the College of Sciences, which carry forward from April 2023:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChemistry\u003C\/strong\u003E remains consistently ranked among the nation\u2019s top programs, reflecting strength across sub\u2011disciplines and sustained research impact.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMathematics\u003C\/strong\u003E continues to earn recognition for both applied and theoretical strengths, supported by interdisciplinary connections across engineering, computing, and the sciences.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChemistry specialty graduate programs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAnalytical Chemistry \u2013 No. 11\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EInorganic Chemistry \u2013 No. 20 \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPhysical Chemistry \u2014 No. 14\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETheoretical Chemistry \u2014 No. 18\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Mathematics specialty graduate programs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAnalysis \u2014 No. 20 (tie)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EApplied Math \u2014 No. 16 (tie)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDiscrete Mathematics and Combinatorics \u2014 No. 5 (tie)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFull rankings:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/about\/rankings\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Egatech.edu\/about\/rankings\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGraduate programs across the College of Sciences are again ranked among the nation\u2019s best in the 2026 U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report Best Graduate School Rankings, reflecting Georgia Tech\u2019s continued leadership in science and research.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"College of Sciences Graduate Programs Earn Strong 2026 U.S. News Rankings"}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-04-07 16:28:09","changed_gmt":"2026-04-07 16:30:13","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673414":{"id":"673414","type":"image","title":"A view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1710522679","gmt_created":"2024-03-15 17:11:19","changed":"1710522636","gmt_changed":"2024-03-15 17:10:36","alt":"A view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"256810","name":"22C10400-P10-002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5193114,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg?itok=n1Xzkjik"}}},"media_ids":["673414"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"834","name":"Rankings"}],"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":""}},"689264":{"#nid":"689264","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis Thursday, April 2, the \u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E is hosting an inspiring look at the future of space exploration and life beyond Earth. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will convene leading scientists, engineers, policy experts, and thought leaders from across Georgia Tech and beyond to share research that\u2019s guiding discovery and innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted annually by College of Sciences Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair \u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E, Frontiers showcases how collaboration across disciplines \u2014 from science and engineering to public policy and international affairs \u2014 advances strategic research priorities. Recent programs have explored neuroscience and AI, climates in flux \u2014 and, this year, our solar system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E2026 Frontiers will convene more than 25 experts to discuss planetary science, satellites and orbital observation, robotic exploration, public astronomy, and bold visions for human spaceflight. The conference will also highlight the future of space policy, careers and commercialization, space as a laboratory, and will feature an \u201cAstronaut\u2019s Perspective\u201d fireside chat with \u003Cstrong\u003ER. Shane Kimbrough \u003C\/strong\u003E(MS OR \u201998) and \u003Cstrong\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E, who serves as executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s new \u003Cstrong\u003ESpace Research Institute (SRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E and GTRI principal research engineer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe are at capacity for day passes!\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMembers of the community are welcome to drop by sessions of interest, lunchtime and evening telescope viewings, and our afternoon networking reception without RSVP.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA schedule of events and location info can be found at:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttp:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/frontiers-space\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u0027s Frontiers in Science conference will offer an inspiring look at the future of space exploration and life beyond Earth \u2014 from satellites and rovers to bold visions for human exploration. Our 2026 speaker schedule includes more than two dozen leading scientists, engineers, and thought leaders who are pushing the boundaries of what lies beyond. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This year\u0027s Frontiers in Science conference will offer an inspiring look at the future of space exploration and life beyond Earth \u2014 from satellites and rovers to bold visions for human exploration."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-03-31 16:54:49","changed_gmt":"2026-03-31 17:16:56","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679800":{"id":"679800","type":"image","title":"Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration is set for Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Georgia Tech.","body":null,"created":"1774976148","gmt_created":"2026-03-31 16:55:48","changed":"1774976148","gmt_changed":"2026-03-31 16:55:48","alt":"A black banner reading \u0022Frontiers in Science: Advancing Space Exploration.\u0022 The words are surrounded by dynamic gold sparkles, along with light blue, gold, and white parallelograms.","file":{"fid":"264004","name":"2025-Frontiers-tv-screen.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/2025-Frontiers-tv-screen.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/31\/2025-Frontiers-tv-screen.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":353831,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/31\/2025-Frontiers-tv-screen.jpg?itok=WzD8RaCi"}}},"media_ids":["679800"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194975","name":"go-space"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688902":{"#nid":"688902","#data":{"type":"news","title":"3.8\u2011Billion\u2011Year\u2011Old Titanium Clue Sheds New Light on the Moon\u2019s Early Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA chemical signature hidden in a 3.8\u2011billion\u2011year\u2011old lunar rock is offering new insights into the availability of oxygen within the young Moon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished today in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Communications,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe paper \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69770-w\u0022\u003ETrivalent Titanium in High-Titanium Lunar Ilmenite\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d confirms titanium in a reduced, trivalent state in a black, metal-rich lunar mineral called\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eilmenite\u003C\/em\u003E. It\u2019s a state only possible in low-oxygen environments, conditions researchers refer to as \u201creducing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cModels have suggested that these reducing conditions may have varied at different locations and times across the surface of the Moon,\u201d says lead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/advik-vira\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvik Vira\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a graduate student in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E who recently earned his doctoral degree. \u201cWe hope our microscopy technique can be a valuable step in mapping and understanding the Moon\u2019s 4.5-billion-year history.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team anticipates that their technique could be used on many of the lunar samples collected more than 50 years ago by the Apollo missions in addition to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/lunar-science\/programs\/angsa\/\u0022\u003EApollo Next Generation Samples\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 a group of lunar samples that have been stored under pristine conditions \u2014 and new samples from the planned\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/artemis-ii\/\u0022\u003EArtemis missions\u003C\/a\u003E, with Artemis II slated for launch this spring. The technique might also be applicable to samples collected from the far side of the Moon and returned in 2024 by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/space-missions\/change-6\u0022\u003EChang\u2019e-6 mission\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Moon holds clues not only to its own past, but also to the earliest eras of Earth\u2019s evolution \u2014 history that has long since been erased from our planet,\u201d Vira says. \u201cThis study is a step toward understanding the history of both and a reminder that there is still so much left to learn from the lunar rocks we\u2019ve brought back to Earth.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe School of Physics research team included corresponding authors Vira and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/phillip-first\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhillip First\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERoshan Trivedi\u003C\/strong\u003E; undergraduate students\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGabriella Dotson, Keyes Eames\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDean Kim,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E Emma Livernois\u003C\/strong\u003E; and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/zhigang-jiang\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZhigang Jiang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, along with Institute for Matter and Systems Materials Characterization Facility Senior Research Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.research.gatech.edu\/people\/mengkun-tian\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMengkun Tian\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Senior Research Scientist\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/brant-m-jones\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrant Jones\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/thomas-orlando\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThom Orlando\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ERegents\u0027 Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a joint appointment in the School of Physics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Georgia Tech team was joined by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/addisenergy.com\/\u0022\u003EAddis Energy\u003C\/a\u003E Senior Geochemist\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKatherine Burgess\u003C\/strong\u003E; Macalester College Assistant Professor of Geology\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geology\/facultystaff\/emily-first\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily First\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; along with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lbl.gov\/\u0022\u003ELawrence Berkeley National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E Research Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energygeosciences.lbl.gov\/profile\/hlisabeth\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarrison Lisabeth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Senior Scientist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/als.lbl.gov\/people\/nobumichi-tamura\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENobumichi Tamura\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPostdoctoral Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETyler Farr,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewho recently earned a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECLEVER research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe investigation began with a dark gray rock called a lunar basalt. Formed when ancient magma erupted on the Moon\u2019s surface, minerals crystallized as it cooled \u2014 preserving key information in their structures. Billions of years later, the rock was brought to Earth by the 1972 Apollo 17 mission, where a small piece is now stored at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/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) center led by Orlando.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a NASA virtual institute, CLEVER supports researchers exploring lunar conditions and developing tools for the upcoming crewed Artemis missions, and provided the lunar samples for this research. The SSERVI also plays a critical role in training the next generation of planetary researchers: both Vira and Farr earned their Ph.D.s while on the CLEVER team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAt CLEVER, we are very interested in understanding the impacts of space weathering,\u201d Vira says. \u201cWe implemented modern\u0026nbsp;sample preparation and advanced microscopy techniques\u0026nbsp;to image samples at the atomic level, and were curious to apply it more broadly to the collection of Apollo rocks in the Orlando Lab. This sample caught our attention.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen we imaged an ilmenite crystal from the lunar basalt, what struck us first was how uniform and perfect the crystal structure was,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe found no defects from space weathering and instead saw an undamaged, pristine crystal \u2014 undisturbed for 3.8 billion years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo investigate further, the team analyzed small chips of the rock with Burgess,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ea member of the RISE2 SSERVI team and then a geologist at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nrl.navy.mil\/\u0022\u003EU.S. Naval Research Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. Using state-of-the-art electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, Vira determined the oxidation state of the elements in the ilmenite\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epresent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn spectroscopy measurements, each element leaves a distinct \u2018signature,\u2019 Vira explains. \u201cWhen we brought our results back to Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.research.gatech.edu\/mcf\/materials-characterization-facility\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility\u003C\/a\u003E, Mengkun (Tian) noticed something unusual: the signature showed titanium might be present in the trivalent state.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe presence of trivalent titanium had long been suspected in this lunar mineral. The team was intrigued.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new window into old rocks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWith funding from Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cstar.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Space Technology and Research (CSTAR)\u003C\/a\u003E, Vira returned to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to analyze additional samples. The results confirmed that more titanium was present than the mineral\u2019s formula (FeTiO\u2083) predicts \u2014 indicating a portion of the titanium present was trivalent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThat led me to place our measurements in terms of the broader geological context,\u201d Vira shares. Working with First, Vira explored how ilmenite with trivalent titanium could help reconstruct the nature of ancient magmas from the Moon, especially the chemical availability of oxygen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBecause its location on the Moon was noted during the Apollo mission, we know exactly where this rock is from, and we can determine how old the rock is,\u201d he explains. \u201cWhen coupled with our trivalent titanium measurements, we can use that information to estimate the reducing conditions for this specific region at the specific time our rock formed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf the upcoming Artemis missions return samples suitable for the team\u2019s technique, these rocks could provide a new window into ancient lunar geology. The research also highlights that many lunar samples already on Earth could be reexamined to look for trivalent titanium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is still so much to learn from the lunar samples we have already brought to Earth,\u201d Vira says. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to the long-term value of each sample return mission. As technology continues to advance, this type of work will continue to give us critical insights into our planet and our place in the universe for years to come.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69770-w\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E10.1038\/s41467-026-69770-w\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: This work was directly supported by the NASA SSERVI under CLEVER. Researchers were also supported by the NASA RISE2 SSERVI and the Heising-Simons Foundation. Funding for collaborations between the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Georgia Tech for the investigation of lunar minerals was provided by the Georgia Tech Center for Space Technology and Research. Sample preparation was performed at the Georgia Tech Institute for Matter and Systems, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. This work utilized the resources of the Advanced Light Source, a user facility supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and was supported in part by previous breakthroughs obtained through the Laboratory Direct.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe finding offers new clues about the oxygen conditions that shaped the Moon\u2019s early environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The finding offers new clues about the oxygen conditions that shaped the Moon\u2019s early environment."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 18:40:17","changed_gmt":"2026-03-27 14:09:07","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679604":{"id":"679604","type":"image","title":"Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. (Credit: NASA)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETaken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. (Credit: NASA)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340129","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:28:49","changed":"1774620147","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:02:27","alt":"Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface.","file":{"fid":"263785","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":884051,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-11.32.02-AM_0.png?itok=MbOCiQtk"}},"679608":{"id":"679608","type":"image","title":"Advik Vira","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAdvik Vira\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340703","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:38:23","changed":"1773340750","gmt_changed":"2026-03-12 18:39:10","alt":"Advik Vira. He is wearing a colorful science-print button up.","file":{"fid":"263789","name":"Vira-Headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Vira-Headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/Vira-Headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":341274,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/Vira-Headshot.jpg?itok=ogP_wqEd"}},"679610":{"id":"679610","type":"image","title":"An illustration\u00a0of the Apollo rock 75035\u00a0on the Moon, an atomic image of the sample, and its spectral signature.\u00a0(Credit: August Davis)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration\u0026nbsp;of the Apollo rock 75035\u0026nbsp;on the Moon, an atomic image of the sample, and its spectral signature.\u0026nbsp;(Credit: August Davis)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773350645","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 21:24:05","changed":"1774620172","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:02:52","alt":"A figure showing moon rocks, a magnifying glass showing the internal structure, with a green wavy line emitting from the rock.","file":{"fid":"263792","name":"feature-image-suggestion--1-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/feature-image-suggestion--1-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/feature-image-suggestion--1-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":752836,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/feature-image-suggestion--1-.png?itok=wx3iLDkB"}},"679606":{"id":"679606","type":"image","title":"An optical image of the chip\u00a0from the lunar\u00a0rock\u00a0the team investigated.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn optical image of the chip\u0026nbsp;from the lunar\u0026nbsp;rock\u0026nbsp;the team investigated.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340509","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:35:09","changed":"1774620185","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:03:05","alt":"A chip of the lunar sample.","file":{"fid":"263787","name":"optical-image-75035.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/optical-image-75035.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/optical-image-75035.png","mime":"image\/png","size":284379,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/optical-image-75035.png?itok=7TX3fZrH"}},"679607":{"id":"679607","type":"image","title":"An image of the chip from the sample, imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Titanium is shown in light blue, and white boxes show areas where\u00a0samples\u00a0were\u00a0extracted\u00a0to analyze the\u00a0ilmenite\u00a0crystal.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn image of the chip from the sample, imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Titanium is shown in light blue, and white boxes show areas where\u0026nbsp;samples\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;extracted\u0026nbsp;to analyze the\u0026nbsp;ilmenite\u0026nbsp;crystal.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773340593","gmt_created":"2026-03-12 18:36:33","changed":"1774620199","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:03:19","alt":"The chip, colored in large areas with purple, with blue ribbons of color. There are a total of five white rectangles on the blue areas.","file":{"fid":"263791","name":"SEM-image-75035.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/SEM-image-75035.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/12\/SEM-image-75035.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5511950,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/12\/SEM-image-75035.png?itok=aaHnKhSw"}}},"media_ids":["679604","679608","679610","679606","679607"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-69770-w","title":"Trivalent titanium in high-titanium lunar ilmenite"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"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\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688969":{"#nid":"688969","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Carbon Into Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential for all living things. Twenty different amino acids build the thousands of proteins that carry out biological tasks. While some are made naturally in our bodies, others are absorbed through the food we eat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmino acids also play a critical role commercially where they are manufactured and added to pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, animal feeds, and industrial chemicals \u2014 an energy-intensive process leading to greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA landmark new system developed at Georgia Tech could lead to an alternative: a commercially scalable, environmentally sustainable method for amino acid production that is carbon negative, using more carbon than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe breakthrough builds on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-carbon-negative-method-produce-essential-amino-acids\u0022\u003Ea method that the team pioneered\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024 and solves a key issue \u2013 increasing efficiency to an unprecedented 97% and reducing the bioprocess cost by over 40%.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;the highest reported conversion of CO2 equivalents into amino acids using any synthetic biology system to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Synthetic Biology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022\u003ECell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids From One-Carbon Feedstocks\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/bioengineering-phd\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERay Westenberg\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peralta-yahya.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Pamela Peralta-Yahya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The team also included\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShaafique Chowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. ChBE 25) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKimberly Wennerholm\u003C\/strong\u003E (ChBE 23)\u003Cstrong\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ealongside\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Washington\u003C\/a\u003E collaborators\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chainreaction.anl.gov\/ryan-cardiff\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Cardiff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, then a Ph.D. student and now a Chain Reaction Innovations Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, and Charles W. H. Matthaei Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cheme.washington.edu\/facultyfinder\/james-carothers\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames M. Carothers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to\u0026nbsp;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Synthetic Biology Team Leader\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/alex-beliaev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander S. Beliaev\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This work shifts the narrative from simply reducing carbon emissions to actually consuming them to create value,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;Peralta-Yahya.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are taking low-cost carbon sources and building essential ingredients in a truly carbon-negative process that is efficient, effective, and scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeat-Loving Organisms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe work builds on the cell-free technology the team used in their earlier study. \u201cPreviously, we discovered that a system that uses the machinery of cells, without using actual living cells, could be used to create amino acids from carbon dioxide,\u201d Peralta-Yahya explains. \u201cBut to create a commercially viable system, we needed to increase the system\u2019s efficiency and reduce the cost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team discovered that bits of leftover cells were consuming starting materials, and \u2014 like a machine with unnecessary gears or parts \u2014 this limited the system\u2019s efficiency. To optimize their \u201cmachine,\u201d the team would need to remove the extra background machinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Leftover cell parts were using key resources without helping produce the amino acids we were looking for,\u201d says Peralta-Yahya. \u201cWe knew that heating the system could be one way to purify it because heat can denature these components.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe challenge was in how to protect the essential system components from the high temperatures, she adds. \u201cWe wondered if introducing enzymes produced by a heat-loving bacterium,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMoorella thermoacetica,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Emight protect our system, while still allowing us to denature and remove that inefficient background machinery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe results were astounding: after introducing the enzymes, heating and \u201ccleaning\u201d the system, and letting it cool to room temperature, synthesis of the amino acids serine and glycine leaped to 97% yield \u2014 nearly three times that of the team\u2019s previous system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling for Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo make the system viable for large-scale use, the team also needed to reduce costs. \u201cOne of the most costly components in this system is the cofactor tetrahydrofolate (THF),\u201d Peralta-Yahya shares. \u201cReducing the amount of THF needed to start the process was one way to make the system more inexpensive and ultimately more commercially viable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy linking reaction steps so waste from one step fueled the next, the team devised a method to recycle THF within the system that reduces the amount of THF needed by five-fold \u2014 lowering bioprocessing costs by 42%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis decrease in cost and increase in yield is a critical step forward in creating a method with real potential for use in industry and manufacturing,\u201d Peralta-Yahya says. \u201cThis system could pave the way for moving this carbon-negative technology out of the lab and onto the continuous, industrial scale.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E); U.S. Department of Energy; and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022 title=\u0022DOI URL\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:04:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 14:16:42","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679657":{"id":"679657","type":"image","title":"Amino Acids","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of a chain of amino acids forming a protein (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773763467","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","changed":"1773763467","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","alt":"Blue and orange spirals against a light blue background.","file":{"fid":"263840","name":"AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":483310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg?itok=nVtDwueb"}}},"media_ids":["679657"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"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\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688551":{"#nid":"688551","#data":{"type":"news","title":"David Sherrill Named Executive Director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has appointed David Sherrill as executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), effective March 1. Sherrill is a Regents\u0027 Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a joint appointment in the School of Computational Science \u0026amp; Engineering. Sherrill has served as associate director for IDEaS since its founding in 2016 and as interim director since January 1, 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to see Professor Sherrill tackle this role for the coming 5 years. He understands the rapidly evolving opportunities to apply AI and data science approaches to the diversity of research conducted by Georgia Tech faculty and students, and has a strong agenda to help our researchers make the most of this explosive change in the research landscape.\u201d Said V.P. of Interdisciplinary Research, Julia Kubanek. \u201cHe also has deep experience with team building and management which will position IDEaS favorably.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs executive director, Sherrill will guide IDEaS\u2019 current initiatives, which include the Microsoft CloudHub program that supports innovative applications in Generative Artificial Intelligence, and provide oversight and support for the joint College of Computing \/ IDEaS Center for Artificial Intelligence in Science and Engineering (ARTISAN), which provides\u0026nbsp; Georgia Tech faculty and research engineers expert support staff, needed cyberinfrastructure, software resources, and advice to assist faculty with projects using large data sets or using AI and machine learning to drive discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill will also the lead the launch of a new strategic vision, emphasizing the Georgia Tech research community\u2019s expertise in the development of AI and ML techniques and their application to problems in science and engineering, high performance computing, and academic software. Sherrill will focus on internal and external partnerships at IDEaS, creating new collaborative efforts in areas such as economics, policy, and the arts and humanities. He will also work to strengthen current connections across Georgia Tech\u2019s Colleges, Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs), and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a great honor to be named the next executive director of IDEaS,\u201d said Sherrill.\u0026nbsp; \u201cGeorgia Tech has world-class faculty and students, and an unparalleled spirit of collaboration.\u0026nbsp; By bringing together faculty from across campus and working together with some of the amazing student groups, we can leverage the power of AI to accelerate our research and maximize our impact.\u0026nbsp; IDEaS will continue to run upskilling workshops to help our campus keep pace with the rapid changes in AI.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill is an active promoter of education in computational quantum chemistry, as well as a strong voice for the benefits of open-source software for research acceleration. He was named Outreach Volunteer of the Year by the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society in 2017, and he is the lead principal investigator of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PSI_(computational_chemistry)\u0022\u003EPsi\u003C\/a\u003E open-source quantum chemistry program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill earned a B.S. in chemistry from MIT in 1992 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Georgia in 1996. From 1996-1999 Sherril was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherrill is Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Chemical Society, and the American Physical Society, and he has been Associate Editor of the Journal of Chemical Physics since 2009.\u0026nbsp;Sherrill has received a Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award, the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry Young Investigator Award, an NSF CAREER Award, and Georgia Tech\u0027s W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award. In 2023, he received the Herty Medal from the Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society, and in 2024, he was elected to the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Christa M. Ernst\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has appointed David Sherrill as executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), effective March 1. Sherrill is a Regents\u0027 Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a joint appointment in the School of Computational Science \u0026amp; Engineering. Sherrill has served as associate director for IDEaS since its founding in 2016 and as interim director since January 1, 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has appointed David Sherrill as executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), effective March 1. "}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 17:22:25","changed_gmt":"2026-03-10 20:55:44","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679455":{"id":"679455","type":"image","title":"David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","body":null,"created":"1772126566","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 17:22:46","changed":"1772126566","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 17:22:46","alt":"Picture of David Sherrill who has been Named Executive Director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science","file":{"fid":"263619","name":"David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":55311,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/David-Sherrill-for-Ex-Dir-Bio-Page.jpg?itok=9oMmhNCm"}}},"media_ids":["679455"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187190","name":"-go-gtmi"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187582","name":"go-ibb"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"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":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChrista M. Ernst - \u003C\/strong\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["christa.ernst@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688841":{"#nid":"688841","#data":{"type":"news","title":" $8.9 Million Approved for Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u2019s forest industry has long been a pillar of the state\u2019s rural economy. But in recent years, mill closures and shifting markets have put pressure on landowners, workers, and entire communities, particularly in south Georgia. A recently approved $8.9 million \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Forestry-Task-Force-Report-FINAL.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Innovation Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E will help chart a new path forward, creating more value from Georgia\u2019s abundant forest resources and expanding opportunities for the people and regions depending on them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is pleased to partner with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Commission\u003C\/a\u003E on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget. This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia\u2019s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state. The initiative will establish pilot facilities and accelerate technology to business transfer in partnership with industry, with the long-term goal of enabling multiple manufacturing sites across Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe appreciate the state\u2019s investment in helping move these innovations from the lab to Georgia businesses,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2863\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECarson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (RBI). \u201cWe also acknowledge the critical support of industry collaborators and partners like the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gfagrow.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Association\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gffgrow.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work builds on collaborative interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech involving \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Professors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/andreas-bommarius\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndreas Bommarius\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christopher-luettgen\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChris Luettgen\u003C\/a\u003E and Meredith; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/stefan-france\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStefan France\u003C\/a\u003E and Professor of the Practice \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/anthony-j-bo-arduengo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EA.J. \u201cBo\u201d Arduengo\u003C\/a\u003E; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial Systems and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E. Gary Black, RBI program manager, has also contributed to this effort. It is led by RBI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi1.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.) The effort reflects years of cross-disciplinary collaboration among faculty and staff committed to advancing sustainable, wood-based technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/2026\/03\/06\/89-million-approved-georgia-forestry-innovation-initiative\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELearn more.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is pleased to partner with the Georgia Forestry Commission on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Governor Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget. This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia\u2019s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia\u2019s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state. "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-03-10 20:49:33","changed_gmt":"2026-03-10 20:50:16","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679569":{"id":"679569","type":"image","title":"georgia-forest.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is pleased to partner with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatrees.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Forestry Commission\u003C\/a\u003E on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s amended FY 2026 budget.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773166846","gmt_created":"2026-03-10 18:20:46","changed":"1773166846","gmt_changed":"2026-03-10 18:20:46","alt":"Tall pine trees in a sunlit forest with dense green grasses and undergrowth covering the forest floor.","file":{"fid":"263745","name":"georgia-forest.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/georgia-forest.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/10\/georgia-forest.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1769985,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/10\/georgia-forest.jpeg?itok=tKeLvrC4"}}},"media_ids":["679569"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: Jennifer Martin | jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688580":{"#nid":"688580","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two College of Sciences Faculty Named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/chandra-raman\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Chandra S. Raman\u003C\/a\u003E and\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Associate Professor\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/jason-azoulay\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Jason Azoulay\u003C\/a\u003E have been recognized as senior members of the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;National Academy of Inventors\u003C\/a\u003E (NAI) Class of 2026. Launched in 2018, the program recognizes faculty, scientists, and administrators at NAI Member Institutions who have successfully produced, patented, and commercialized technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society and economic progress.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis year\u2019s class is a truly impressive cohort,\u201d said Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, president of NAI. \u201cI commend them on their incredible pursuits, and I\u2019m honored to welcome them to the Academy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecognizing NAI Senior Member Chandra S. Raman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERaman is a physicist, inventor, and technology entrepreneur whose work is helping shape the future of quantum sensing. As the Dunn Family Professor of Physics, he studies how atoms behave at extremely low temperatures and uses that knowledge to build new kinds of ultra-precise measurement devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBest known for the co-invention of chip\u2011scale atomic beam technology \u2014\u0026nbsp;a breakthrough that makes it possible to build tiny quantum sensors for navigation and timing \u2014 Raman and his team\u2019s patented\u0026nbsp;devices can operate where GPS fails. These inventions form the foundation for a new generation of manufactured quantum hardware, offering new capabilities for autonomous vehicles, aerospace systems, and national security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo bring these technologies from the lab to real-world use, he founded 8Seven8, Inc.:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBy launching 8Seven8 as the first quantum hardware company in Georgia, we are creating high-tech jobs, building a skilled workforce pipeline, and seeding a quantum ecosystem in the Southeast that will see lasting economic benefits,\u201d explains Raman. \u201cWe seek to establish the region as a player in the rapidly expanding quantum technology economy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe is the principal investigator for the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramanlab.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Raman Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a frequent invited speaker at international conferences, and an advisor to national and space-based quantum initiatives. Raman holds six patents, including three issued U.S. patents and two licensed patents. Through his research, mentorship, and entrepreneurial leadership, he is working to advance scientific discovery and the development of practical technologies with lasting impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis award is the culmination of years of effort in developing innovative approaches to bringing quantum sensing out of the lab,\u201d says Raman. \u201cThe NAI is chock-full of wonderful inventors, and I am privileged to be among them. Through this award, I hope to bring useful inventions out of the lab and promote Georgia as a great place to be an entrepreneur.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecognizing NAI Senior Member Jason Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAzoulay is the Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Distinguished Investigator in Optoelectronics and the principal investigator for the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/azoulaygroup.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Azoulay Group\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;His research has pioneered the development of new classes of functional materials and made field-leading advancements in core areas spanning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Homogeneous catalysis applied to polymer synthesis\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Electronic, photonic, spin, magnetic, and quantum materials\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Device fabrication and engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Chemical sensing for environmental monitoring\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u00b7 Synthesis, application, and engineering of high-performance polymers across multiple technology platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAzoulay has demonstrated new classes of organic semiconductors with infrared functionality by exploiting new light-matter interactions, analyzing emergent transport phenomena, and understanding device physics, functionality, and engineering considerations. His work has resulted in nine issued patents and many additional applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditionally, he is the principal investigator for two multi-million-dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. The first grant harnesses an underused part of the electromagnetic spectrum for energy sensing, manufacturing, and more. His team creates organic polymers that can efficiently convert infrared radiation into electrical signals and develop the materials into functional devices. The initiative is the NSF\u2019s principal vehicle to continue the momentum of the decade-long Materials Genome Initiative and takes advantage of the power of machine learning and chemical synthesis to develop new functional materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe second NSF-funded program develops CP-based optical and electrical sensing platforms that operate in complex aqueous environments and enable the detection and discrimination of challenging analytes known to negatively impact human, biota, and ecosystem health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAzoulay holds a joint appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and leads Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE). COPE-affiliated faculty create flexible organic photonic and electronic materials and devices that serve the information technology, telecommunications, energy, and defense sectors.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERaman is being honored for advancing chip\u2011scale quantum sensing technologies, while Azoulay is recognized for pioneering functional materials that enable new capabilities across science and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Raman is being honored for advancing chip\u2011scale quantum sensing technologies, while Azoulay is recognized for pioneering functional materials that enable new capabilities across science and technology."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-02-27 15:08:22","changed_gmt":"2026-02-27 18:38:45","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679470":{"id":"679470","type":"image","title":"Chandra Raman","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChandra Raman\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772204931","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 15:08:51","changed":"1772204931","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 15:08:51","alt":"Headshot of a man","file":{"fid":"263637","name":"Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3692630,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/Raman-Headshot-cropped.jpg?itok=xdMKZTWF"}},"679471":{"id":"679471","type":"image","title":"Jason Azoulay","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Azoulay\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772205492","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 15:18:12","changed":"1772205492","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 15:18:12","alt":"Professional headshot of a man","file":{"fid":"263638","name":"azoulay.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/azoulay.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/azoulay.png","mime":"image\/png","size":102970,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/azoulay.png?itok=xvt3dwh9"}}},"media_ids":["679470","679471"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/26\/five-georgia-tech-faculty-named-nai-senior-members-class-2026?utm_source=newsletter\u0026utm_medium=email\u0026utm_content=5%20Georgia%20Tech%20Professors%20Named%20NAI%20Senior%20Members\u0026utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20Feb.%2026%2C%202026%20","title":"Five Georgia Tech Faculty Named to NAI Senior Members Class of 2026"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192251","name":"cos-quantum"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688133":{"#nid":"688133","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biophysicist Lynn Kamerlin Becomes Institute of Physics Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser Woolley Chair in Molecular Design\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has become an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iop.org\/\u0022\u003EInstitute of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E (IOP) Fellow. It is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022The IOP has a long and distinguished history as the primary learned society and professional body for physicists in the U.K., Ireland, and beyond,\u201d says Kamerlin, who completed both a Master of Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Organic Chemistry\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.birmingham.ac.uk\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Birmingham\u003C\/a\u003E in the United Kingdom. \u201cAs a society, it plays an important role in building community, promoting science, advancing advocacy for our discipline, and supporting the next generation of physicists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin joins a list of distinguished Fellows that includes legendary physicists such as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iop.org\/about\/support-grants\/bell-burnell-fund\/woman-behind-fund\u0022\u003EDame\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJocelyn Bell Burnell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a preeminent astrophysicist responsible for the discovery of pulsars (a previously unknown type of star) and the first female president of the IOP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt is a great honor to be awarded Fellowship of the IOP, particularly as women more broadly remain vastly underrepresented in physics,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cI look forward to giving back to the physics community, supporting the mission of the society, and working to remind the next generation that physics is for everyone.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Lynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kamerlinlab.com\/\u0022\u003Eresearch in computational biophysics\u003C\/a\u003E is at the intersection of chemistry and biology, where she focuses on investigating fundamental physical chemistry and using computational tools to understand complex biomolecular problems. Currently, she is interested in leveraging machine learning tools to design new enzymes and in predicting protein structures and behaviors using large language models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to her roles at Georgia Tech, Kamerlin\u0026nbsp;is a senior editor of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/journal\/1469896x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProtein Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the editor-in-chief of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org\/journals\/electronic-structure\/about-electronic-structure\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EElectronic Structure\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and was named a 2025-27 visiting professor at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/portal.research.lu.se\/en\/persons\/lynn-kamerlin\/\u0022\u003ELund University\u003C\/a\u003E. She\u0026nbsp;was also named a\u0026nbsp;Fellow of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rsc.org\/\u0022\u003ERoyal Society of Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, received the 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/lynn-kamerlin-receives-biochemical-society-honor\u0022\u003EInspiration and Resilience Award\u003C\/a\u003E from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biochemistry.org\/\u0022\u003EBiochemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E, and was the 2023\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biophysics.org\/\u0022\u003EBiophysical Society\u003C\/a\u003E Theory \u0026amp; Computation Subgroup Mid-Career Award Winner.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EIt is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society. \u0022I look forward to giving back to the physics community, supporting the mission of the society, and working to remind the next generation that physics is for everyone,\u0022 says Kamerlin.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" It is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-09 17:30:13","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:32:36","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}}},"media_ids":["677019"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"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\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688224":{"#nid":"688224","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vinayak Agarwal Wins Bridge Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/vinayak-agarwal\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVinayak Agarwal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has received the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/\u0022\u003EResearch Corporation for Science Advancement\u003C\/a\u003E (RCSA) Bridge Award. The award provides up to $100,000 in continuity funding to support early-career researchers \u0022pursuing exciting and productive programs that are training the next generation of scientists,\u0022 according to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/2026\/01\/11-cottrell-scholars-win-rcsa-bridge-awards\/\u0022\u003Eorganization\u2019s press release\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSupport from the RCSA is much appreciated right now to maintain our research productivity and pedagogic service to our student body,\u201d says Agarwal. \u201cThe focus of RCSA extends beyond scientific research to include student success, which is in excellent concert with Georgia Tech\u2019s mission.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAgarwal, who joined Georgia Tech in 2017, holds joint appointments in the Schools of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EBiological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. His research group studies natural products\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;small molecules created by living\u0026nbsp;organisms\u0026nbsp;\u2014 to understand how they are made and explore potential\u0026nbsp;uses. In 2021, Agarwal was named an RCSA Cottrell Scholar in recognition of his study of natural products found in oceans and his efforts to develop new curricula for undergraduates related to this research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHis additional professional recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, the American Society of Pharmacognosy Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and the Sloan Research Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECreated by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the award provides continuity funding to support early-career researchers pursuing programs focused on training the next generation of scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Created by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the award provides continuity funding to support early-career researchers pursuing programs focused on training the next generation of scientists."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-02-12 17:12:05","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:19:57","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"602393":{"id":"602393","type":"image","title":"Vinayak Agarwal","body":null,"created":"1518706912","gmt_created":"2018-02-15 15:01:52","changed":"1518706912","gmt_changed":"2018-02-15 15:01:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"229589","name":"Vinayak Agarwal.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Vinayak%20Agarwal_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Vinayak%20Agarwal_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":476665,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Vinayak%20Agarwal_0.jpg?itok=IuHJMGwW"}}},"media_ids":["602393"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/theagarwallab\/","title":"Agarwal Research Group"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/making-medicines-vinayak-agarwal-awarded-nsf-career-grant-peptide-research","title":"Vinayak Agarwal Awarded NSF CAREER Grant for Peptide Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/vinayak-agarwal-wins-2021-cottrell-scholar-award-ocean-studies","title":"Vinayak Agarwal Wins 2021 Cottrell Scholar Award for Ocean Studies"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"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":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lvidal7@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687826":{"#nid":"687826","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yellow Jacket Connection Sparks Glaucoma Research Fund at Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAn estimated 4 million Americans have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that can lead to irreversible blindness.\u0026nbsp;Now, Georgia Tech is home to a Glaucoma Research Fund that will\u0026nbsp;support cutting-edge work to understand and advance treatments for the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new initiative was sparked by ongoing research at Georgia Tech \u2014 and a Yellow Jacket connection: when\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Youngblood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brightfocus.org\/news\/a-key-protein-could-alter-risk-for-pseudoexfoliation-glaucoma\/\u0022\u003Ework on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG)\u003C\/a\u003E was featured by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brightfocus.org\/\u0022\u003EBrightFocus Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;it caught the attention of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Rucker,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EExcited that the research could change outcomes for people like her \u2014 and proud that it\u2019s happening at her husband\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPhilip Rucker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s, EE 72, alma mater \u2014 Jennifer Rucker reached out to Youngblood and her advisor,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor and Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Ph.D. Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/raquel-lieberman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaquel Lieberman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAs the wife of a Georgia Tech graduate and an individual with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, I was inspired to support the scientists whose efforts may help me and others,\u201d Jennifer Rucker says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhat followed was a meaningful dialogue and a shared sense of purpose \u2014 and the creation of the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund (Wreck Glaucoma! Fund).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt meant so much that Jennifer took the initiative to reach out to learn more about our research,\u201d says Lieberman. \u201cMoments like this remind me how deeply meaningful it is to connect with people in the broader community who are navigating glaucoma. Opportunities for such personal connections are rare, but they inspire and further motivate us to achieve our lab\u2019s mission to improve the lives of individuals suffering from blindness diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Personal Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYoungblood\u2019s interest in glaucoma research also stems from a personal connection: her father\u0026nbsp;was diagnosed with glaucoma as a young adult.\u0026nbsp;Now, Youngblood\u0026nbsp;studies the genetic and molecular factors behind XFG in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lieberman.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELieberman research lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cXFG is an aggressive form of the disease with no known cure,\u201d Youngblood says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhile scientists know that XFG is the result of abnormal accumulation of proteins in the eye, current treatments only address symptoms rather than treating the root cause of the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe know XFG is driven by protein buildup, but we still don\u2019t know\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ewhy\u003C\/em\u003E it happens,\u201d she explains. \u201cMy work studying specific genetic variants aims to uncover this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Genetics of Glaucoma\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn particular, Youngblood is researching the role of LOXL1, a protein that plays a role in soft tissue throughout the body, including the eyes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cResearch has shown that people with variants in the genes responsible for this protein are more likely to have XFG,\u201d she says. \u201cThat made me curious to see if the variants might be impacting the structure of the LOXL1 protein itself and how those variants might lead to disease.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYoungblood is currently testing her theory in the lab. \u201cMy hope is that new insight into proteins like LOXL1 will bring us closer to treatments that address XFG at its source,\u201d she says. \u201cThe new Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund is a tremendous step forward in making that hope a reality.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupport the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPlease visit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/59801\/donations\/new?designation_id=a000015611000\u0026amp;\u0022\u003EGlaucoma Research Fund support page\u003C\/a\u003E to give to this specific program. To discuss additional philanthropic opportunities, please contact the College of Sciences Development Team:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:development@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edevelopment@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour investment ensures that these scholars and researchers have world-class resources, facilities, and mentors to excel in this critical work. Thank you for helping us shape the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Youngblood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp;work on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) was featured by the\u0026nbsp;BrightFocus Foundation,\u0026nbsp;it caught the attention of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Rucker,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago. What followed was a meaningful dialogue and a shared sense of purpose \u2014 and the creation of the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund (Wreck Glaucoma! Fund).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"When\u00a0Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u00a0Hannah Youngblood\u2019s\u00a0work on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) was featured by the\u00a0BrightFocus Foundation,\u00a0it caught the attention of\u00a0Jennifer Rucker,\u00a0an Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-01-29 17:23:21","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:19:24","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679130":{"id":"679130","type":"image","title":"Hannah Youngblood","body":null,"created":"1769722230","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 21:30:30","changed":"1769722339","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 21:32:19","alt":"Hannah Youngblood","file":{"fid":"263251","name":"Headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":42055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg?itok=1PjOSH2M"}},"679127":{"id":"679127","type":"image","title":"Raquel Lieberman","body":null,"created":"1769707506","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 17:25:06","changed":"1769722356","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 21:32:36","alt":"Raquel Lieberman","file":{"fid":"263248","name":"083.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14074756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg?itok=qPG_sbYX"}}},"media_ids":["679130","679127"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/59801\/donations\/new?designation_id=a000015611000\u0026","title":"Make a Gift to Support the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"193234","name":"Campaign Stories"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"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:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688134":{"#nid":"688134","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Wine, Science, and Spectroscopy: Georgia Tech Outreach Produces Published Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENew work from Georgia Tech is showing how a simple glass of wine can serve as a powerful gateway for understanding advanced research and technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project, inspired by an Atlanta Science Festival event hosted by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/andrew-mcshan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew McShan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, develops an innovative outreach and teaching module around nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, and is designed for easy adoption in introductory chemistry and biochemistry courses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished earlier this year in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Chemical Education,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.jchemed.5c00652\u0022\u003EAutomated Chemical Profiling of Wine by Solution NMR Spectroscopy: A Demonstration for Outreach and Education\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d was led by a team from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry including lead author McShan, Ph.D. students\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELily Capeci\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth A. Corbin, Ruoqing Jia\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMiriam K. Simma\u003C\/strong\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EF. N. U. Vidya\u003C\/strong\u003E, Academic Professional\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMary E. Peek\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Georgia Tech NMR Center Co-Directors\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJohannes E. Leisen\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u003Cstrong\u003E Hongwei Wu\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cNMR is one of the most widely used analytical tools in chemistry and the life sciences, and Georgia Tech hosts one of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/nmr-center\/\u0022\u003Ethe most cutting-edge NMR centers\u003C\/a\u003E in the world,\u201d McShan says. \u201cOur study shows that you don\u2019t need advanced training to appreciate how powerful tools like NMR work and how those tools are used in research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAll materials, tutorials, and data are freely available via\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mcshan.chemistry.gatech.edu\/static\/outreach\/2025_Tutorial_Wine%20NMR.pdf\u0022\u003Eonline tutorials\u003C\/a\u003E and a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9_QPgV14mbs\u0022\u003EYouTube video\u003C\/a\u003E, enabling educators to replicate or adapt the activity even in settings with limited access to NMR facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWine sleuthing at the Atlanta Science Festival\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrom families with K-12 students to undergraduates to adults with no prior chemistry experience, nearly 130 visitors explored wine chemistry at the Georgia Tech NMR Center during the Atlanta Science Festival event. With McShan\u2019s guidance, they identified and quantified more than 70 chemical components that influence wine taste, aroma, and quality by analyzing the chemical composition, structure, and dynamics of molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETaking on the role of wine investigators (a real-world application of NMR), the group investigated examples of wine fraud, learning to identify harmful additives like methanol, antifreeze, and lead acetate \u2013 additives that played roles in both historical and modern wine scandals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBy connecting the science to something familiar like wine, we were able to spark curiosity and excitement across age groups,\u201d says McShan. \u201cThis a framework for how complex analytical techniques can be made inclusive, interactive, and inspiring whether in the classroom or at a science festival.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScience for all\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study underscores the potential of NMR and other powerful technologies as outreach opportunities \u2013 from engaging the public to better teaching undergraduate students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAfter the event, adults said they learned how chemical composition affects wine characteristics and how NMR is used in research and industry,\u201d McShan says. \u201cYounger participants learned key concepts about wine composition and found benefits from the sensory elements, like watching the spectrometer in action.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThey aim to use these takeaways to continue developing outreach tools. \u201cMy end goal is to develop NMR into a practical teaching tool by grounding the technique in real-world examples,\u201d adds McShan. \u201cUsing this approach is a clear avenue to introducing the general public to the world-class instruments used by researchers at Georgia Tech and exposing undergraduate students to the powerful analytical techniques they are likely to encounter throughout their careers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: National Science Foundation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew work from Georgia Tech is showing how a simple glass of wine can serve as a powerful gateway for understanding advanced research and technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New work from Georgia Tech is showing how a simple glass of wine can serve as a powerful gateway for understanding advanced research and technologies."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-09 17:35:37","changed_gmt":"2026-02-10 14:14:53","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679226":{"id":"679226","type":"image","title":"The study underscores the potential of NMR and other powerful technologies as outreach opportunities \u2013 from engaging the public, to better teaching undergraduate students.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe study underscores the potential of NMR and other powerful technologies as outreach opportunities \u2013 from engaging the public, to better teaching undergraduate students.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770658548","gmt_created":"2026-02-09 17:35:48","changed":"1770658548","gmt_changed":"2026-02-09 17:35:48","alt":"An abstract glass of wine consisting of points, lines, and shapes.","file":{"fid":"263359","name":"AdobeStock_212736055.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/09\/AdobeStock_212736055.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/09\/AdobeStock_212736055.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1267237,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/09\/AdobeStock_212736055.jpeg?itok=cjJ2nonC"}},"673456":{"id":"673456","type":"image","title":"Andrew McShan","body":null,"created":"1711032511","gmt_created":"2024-03-21 14:48:31","changed":"1711032492","gmt_changed":"2024-03-21 14:48:12","alt":"Andrew McShan","file":{"fid":"256854","name":"McShan_photo.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/21\/McShan_photo.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/21\/McShan_photo.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":96566,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/21\/McShan_photo.jpeg?itok=aCepzxdB"}}},"media_ids":["679226","673456"],"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":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"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\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687668":{"#nid":"687668","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Making a Difference: EMTs Juggle Schoolwork and Emergency Medicine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMany Georgia Tech students spend their free time studying, relaxing, or working part-time jobs. But for students who work as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), their time outside the classroom includes responding to medical emergencies \u2014\u0026nbsp;and helping patients when every minute counts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s literally life or death sometimes,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBrandon Brigner\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fall 2025 biochemistry graduate now pursuing a master\u2019s in chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFour Georgia Tech students share their experiences on the front lines of medicine as EMTs, including Brigner;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELianna Homrich\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year biology major;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDaeun \u201cEsther\u201d Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year biomedical engineering major; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKrishna Monroe\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year neuroscience major. Brigner, Homrich, and Monroe work as EMTs on ambulances while Lee serves as a technician at Emory University Hospital Midtown. Each plans a career in medicine and serves on the leadership team for\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/emsat\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;EMS at Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, a student organization dedicated to expanding access to and knowledge of emergency medical services on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy become an EMT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAll four agree that EMT work offers unmatched medical experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cYou can show up on someone\u2019s worst day and immediately make a difference\u003Cem\u003E,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E says Lee.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHomrich started exploring EMT work after realizing she needed clinical hours for the pre-health track. \u201cThe adrenaline and lifesaving aspect appealed to me. I knew I\u2019d learn so much from living the hands-on side of medicine.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBrigner began working as an EMT in high school.\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u201cI wanted to get started on my pre-med journey,\u201d\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehe explains\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u201cBecoming an EMT is one of the most powerful medical experiences you can have \u2014\u0026nbsp;and it\u2019s definitely solidified my decision to pursue medicine as a career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s the job like?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe first joined an ambulance crew with American Medical Response in DeKalb County and now works for Grady Health System. \u201cAt a basic level, our job is to stabilize patients and get them to the hospital safely,\u201d says Monroe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBrigner explains that most ambulance EMTs split time between emergency calls, special events, and transfers. \u201cIt can be intense,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen everything goes well, you can seriously change someone\u2019s life trajectory.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe adds that there is no typical shift on an ambulance. \u201cWe\u2019ve had anything from people shot in the chest to someone struggling to breathe to someone experiencing abdominal pain because they are hungry. You respond where the public needs you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you like best about being an EMT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHomrich appreciates the people. \u201cYou\u2019re on a truck for 12 hours with career paramedics who spend their lives saving others. Many are former military; I learn something new every shift. They\u2019re heroes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee values the teamwork she finds at the hospital. \u201cUsually when something very high acuity comes in, like a cardiac arrest,\u0026nbsp;you have everyone in the emergency room acting as a team. We\u2019re doing chest compressions, checking in with each other, and switching out when needed. Everyone is there in this very stressful time, working together to save someone\u2019s life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does EMT work prepare you for careers in medicine?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEMT work offers solid medical experience and critical soft skills. \u201cYou\u2019re making decisions about real patients,\u201d says Monroe. \u201cYou have your own patient, sometimes with no help for 30-45 minutes, depending on how long it takes to get to the hospital. It\u2019s the best clinical experience you can get.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee adds, \u201cIt teaches creativity, problem solving, and composure under pressure \u2014\u0026nbsp;skills you can\u2019t learn from a textbook. You learn to stay composed in chaos.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow do you balance school and work?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAll four agree that it takes a lot of organization and discipline. \u201cHaving a good calendar system is key, and strategically scheduling classes really helps,\u201d says Homrich. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely fallen into traps where I get really into EMS \u2014\u0026nbsp;picking up cool events or overnight shifts for bonuses \u2014\u0026nbsp;but I\u2019ve learned to make schoolwork a priority. Academics come first.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee primarily works weekends to accommodate her school schedule. \u201cI work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays,\u201d she says. \u201cI get most of my studying done during the week.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat kind of training does it take to become an EMT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe is an Advanced EMT while Brigner, Homrich, and Lee hold the EMT Basic designation. Training includes coursework, skills testing, and clinical ride-alongs. To become an EMT, students must complete training, earn National Registry EMT certification, and apply for a state license.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe real learning happens during clinicals or \u2018third rides,\u2019 where you ride along as the third person on the truck,\u201d says Homrich.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMonroe estimates that he has spent more than 600 hours studying and training to earn both certifications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you describe a meaningful moment in your EMT career?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBeyond the life-saving thrills, these students encounter moments that stay with them forever.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBrigdon remembers an incident from his very first day as an EMT:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe were transporting a patient up from the depths of the D.C. subway. After putting him on the gurney, we took the escalator instead of the elevator. The fire crew saw us and immediately let us know that wasn\u2019t the right move. Listening to their angry feedback put into perspective how serious this job is and the life-changing implications of doing it right. That moment taught me that every decision matters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHomrich remembers leading an \u201chonor walk,\u201d a ceremony to honor organ donors and support their families, for a deceased teenage patient being transferred for organ donation:\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cAt 19 years old, I wheeled a son away from his mother for the last time, knowing she\u2019d never see him again. It was heavy but also meaningful because his sacrifice would create so much life. That moment reminded me how much trust people place in us \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003Eand the importance of what we do.\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is Emergency Medical Services at Tech (EMS at Tech)?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA student organization dedicated to improving emergency medical care on campus, the club partners with Grady EMS and the Georgia Tech Police Department to respond to medical emergencies, lead CPR and first aid classes, and provide clinical opportunities for members.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEMS at Tech is a community where you can nerd out and share your passion for emergency medicine,\u201d says Homrich, the club\u2019s vice president.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u201c\u003C\/em\u003EWhen you\u2019re with friends at lunch, no one wants to hear about applying a tourniquet for an arterial bleed. But at EMS at Tech, everyone is an emergency medicine enthusiast who wants to share experiences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELast semester, the group trained more than 160 students, faculty, and staff in CPR\/AED and supported campus events like Homecoming and Halloween. EMS at Tech also guides students pursuing EMS certifications and helps administer the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/emsat\/todd-family-fund-scholarship\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Todd Family Fund EMS Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E, which covers tuition for Grady EMS Academy classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour Georgia Tech students share what it\u2019s like to balance rigorous coursework with the high-stakes world of emergency medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four Georgia Tech students share what it\u2019s like to balance rigorous coursework with the high-stakes world of emergency medicine."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-01-26 16:35:54","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 15:11:29","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679085":{"id":"679085","type":"image","title":"From L to R: Krishna Monroe, president of EMS at GT; Lianna Homrich, vice president of EMS at GT;\u00a0 Daeun \u201cEsther\u201d Lee, outreach director of EMS at GT; and Brandon Brigner, CPR officer of EMS at GT.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom L to R: Krishna Monroe, president of EMS at GT; Lianna Homrich, vice president of EMS at GT;\u0026nbsp; Daeun \u201cEsther\u201d Lee, outreach director of EMS at GT; and Brandon Brigner, CPR officer of EMS at GT.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769446300","gmt_created":"2026-01-26 16:51:40","changed":"1769540357","gmt_changed":"2026-01-27 18:59:17","alt":"Four students stand in front of emergency sign.","file":{"fid":"263217","name":"cropped2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/cropped2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/cropped2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2519783,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/26\/cropped2.jpg?itok=8KDP-jjh"}},"679090":{"id":"679090","type":"image","title":"EMS at Tech members provide medical support during campus events like Halloweekend.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEMS at Tech members provide medical support during campus events like Halloweekend.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769454300","gmt_created":"2026-01-26 19:05:00","changed":"1769455091","gmt_changed":"2026-01-26 19:18:11","alt":"Students stand in front of an ambulance.","file":{"fid":"263207","name":"IMG_0843.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/IMG_0843.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/26\/IMG_0843.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4198068,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/26\/IMG_0843.jpeg?itok=a2uRzRK_"}}},"media_ids":["679085","679090"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/bill-todd-grady-emergency-medical-technician-scholarship.html","title":" Professor Bill Todd Creates Grady Emergency Medical Technician Scholarship for Georgia Tech Students"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_bmyFvzfsUGiuGsm","title":"Pre-Health Advising"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"5170","name":"pre-health"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"}],"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":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura Segraves Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686891":{"#nid":"686891","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI4Science Center Awards Inaugural Seed Grants","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai4science.ai.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAI4Science Center\u003C\/a\u003E has announced the first recipients of its semiannual seed grant competition. Supported by the Schools of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physics, and Psychology, the seed grant aims to support the development of research projects centered on innovation and collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe selection committee received more than a dozen proposals that push the boundaries of AI-enabled science and encourage collaboration across units. I look forward to seeing the great science, strong results, and successful future external funding enabled by these seed grants,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/dimitrios-psaltis\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDimitrios Psaltis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and director of the AI4Science Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELaunched earlier this semester, the center promotes cross-disciplinary research on AI tools that address scientific challenges. The following three proposals were selected by the center based on their scientific goals, extent of interdisciplinary collaboration, and potential for outside funding:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpring 2026 AI4Science Center Seed Grant Recipients\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGraph Foundation Models for Protein Conformational Dynamics | School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPIs: Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPeter Kasson\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJC Gumbart\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Physics; Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAmirali Aghazadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGraduate student:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffy Jeffy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETeam statement: \u201cThe AI4Science Center\u2019s seed funding will allow us to complete and test a prototype of our new deep learning architecture for protein dynamics. We\u0027re super excited about the project and happy that this gives us support to pursue our new idea.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECombinations of Verified AI and Domain Knowledge for New Insights in Theoretical Physics | School of Physics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPIs: Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAishik Ghosh\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Physics; Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EVijay Ganesh\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Computer Science\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGraduate student:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPiyush Jha\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETeam statement: \u201cThis seed funding gives us an opportunity to connect two fields in a way that could transform our approach to certain problems in theoretical physics.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarnessing the Manifold Geometry of Neural Representations for Robust LLM Safety | School of Psychology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPIs: Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAudrey Sederberg\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Psychology; Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPan Li\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGraduate student:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERuixuan Deng\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETeam statement: \u201cOur project injects insights from human neuroscience directly into AI safety algorithm design, allowing us to move beyond black-box approaches toward more interpretable and principled safety mechanisms. By closing the loop, these computational models will also provide new feedback and insights for neuroscience.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe AI4Science Center\u0027s seed grant aims to support the development of research projects centered on innovation and collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The AI4Science Center\u0027s seed grant aims to support the development of research projects centered on innovation and collaboration. "}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-12-15 17:17:58","changed_gmt":"2026-01-20 20:53:55","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678844":{"id":"678844","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower (Rob Felt\/Georgia Tech)","body":null,"created":"1765822837","gmt_created":"2025-12-15 18:20:37","changed":"1765822837","gmt_changed":"2025-12-15 18:20:37","alt":"Tech Tower (Rob Felt\/Georgia Tech)","file":{"fid":"262933","name":"08C1004-P51-012.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/15\/08C1004-P51-012.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/15\/08C1004-P51-012.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4010092,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/15\/08C1004-P51-012.jpg?itok=pFiHJo2j"}}},"media_ids":["678844"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ai4science.ai.gatech.edu\/","title":"AI4Science Center"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-announces-launch-ai4science-center","title":"College of Sciences Announces Launch of AI4Science Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"192258","name":"cos-data"}],"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":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lvidal7@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687053":{"#nid":"687053","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Garg Recognized as Rising Star","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssociate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/neha-garg\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeha Garg,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E Blanchard Early Career Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been selected as a recipient of the American Chemical Society\u2019s (ACS) 2026 Women Chemists Committee (WCC)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acswcc.org\/awards\/rising-star-award\/\u0022\u003ERising Star Award\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;This national honor\u0026nbsp;recognizes exceptional early- to mid-career women chemists who have demonstrated outstanding promise for contributions to their respective fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe School of Chemistry and Biochemistry is thrilled to see that Neha Garg is included in the current WCC Rising Star cohort,\u201d says School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Chair and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EVicki Wysocki.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cShe is richly deserving of this award, given her excellent work on the interactions between eukaryotes (e.g., humans) and the microbiome.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGarg obtained her Ph.D. from the\u0026nbsp;University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and conducted postdoctoral research at\u0026nbsp;UC San Diego (UCSD)\u0027s Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She has been at Georgia Tech since 2017.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis award is a tremendous source of personal pride as it acknowledges my lab\u2019s hard work in the field of microbial chemistry,\u201d says Garg. \u201cIt\u2019s especially meaningful that it\u0027s a WCC award because it serves as a powerful platform for me to inspire young women.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe adds that visibility remains essential for advancing women in STEM.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cImposter syndrome is real, so awards like this are important for women in science,\u201d explains Garg. \u201cI\u2019m grateful this recognition exists, and I\u2019m proud and happy to be honored.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs part of the Rising Star Award, Garg will be honored at a WCC luncheon and deliver a scientific talk highlighting her career path and current research at the ACS Spring 2026 Meeting in March.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChemical communication and connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGarg\u2019s lab studies the chemistry that underlies crosstalk between the human microbiome and its host. The microbiome includes vast communities of bacteria living on and inside the body \u2014\u0026nbsp;from the skin and mouth to the gut, reproductive system, and lungs. Her group examines how these microbes and human tissues exchange information through small molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur work aims to understand the chemistry of collaboration between the microbiome and its host,\u201d says Garg. \u201cWe focus on the lungs and airways, studying how epithelial cells and microbial communities interact through nutrients and microbial compounds. These molecules form a chemical dialogue, and my lab builds models to decode and investigate it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy mapping this communication network, Garg hopes to shape future therapeutic strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cUnderstanding collaboration between the microbiome and the host will help develop microbiome-targeted therapies,\u201d she explains. \u201cThese therapeutics could prevent respiratory infections, promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, limit harmful bacteria, or influence host tissues in ways that improve health.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer work also extends to marine systems. Garg\u2019s team studies similar chemical interactions between microbes and corals, offering insight into ecosystem resilience and ocean health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGarg was co-nominated by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPieter Dorrestein\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at UCSD\u2019s Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBradley Moore\u003C\/strong\u003E, distinguished professor of marine chemical biology and director of the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at UCSD\u2019s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Moore also serves as a distinguished professor at the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cShe\u2019s a multidisciplinary wizard leading a revolution in functional metabolomics,\u201d says Moore. \u201cNeha gives me great hope for a better tomorrow in science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cNeha is a remarkable scientist taking on deeply compelling questions in metabolic communication,\u201d adds Dorrestein. \u201cHer leadership, integrity, and commitment to mentorship make her a true role model for emerging scientists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAwards and accolades\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGarg has earned numerous honors throughout her career, including the Royal Society of Chemistry\u0027s 2024 Natural Product Reports Emerging Investigator Lectureship Award, the 2023 ACS Academic Young Investigator Award from the Division of Organic Chemistry, Georgia Tech\u2019s 2022 Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, and a 2021 NSF CAREER Award. While working on her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she received the Anne A. Johnson Work Award for Excellence in Biochemistry, which recognizes one female student per year for excellence in Ph.D. thesis research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECulture and community at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGarg credits her experience at Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;and the Institute\u2019s strong support of women in STEM\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;for shaping her path as a scientist and mentor. She praises the collaborative environment, helpful colleagues, and the number of women in leadership roles. Garg also appreciates the work of Georgia Tech organizations such as\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/wic\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Women+ in Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wst.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech provides a supportive, collegial, and respectful environment where women in STEM can thrive and truly make a difference,\u201d says Garg.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGarg\u2019s groundbreaking research on chemical communication between humans and microbes \u2014 and her dedication to advancing women in STEM \u2014 has earned her national recognition as a WCC Rising Star.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Garg\u2019s groundbreaking research on chemical communication between humans and microbes \u2014 and her dedication to advancing women in STEM \u2014 has earned her national recognition as a WCC Rising Star."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 14:49:18","changed_gmt":"2026-01-13 19:31:54","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678921":{"id":"678921","type":"image","title":"Neha Garg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENeha Garg\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767634559","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 17:35:59","changed":"1767634559","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 17:35:59","alt":"Women standing in front of railing","file":{"fid":"263018","name":"Portrait-NG.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Portrait-NG.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/Portrait-NG.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11005063,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/Portrait-NG.jpg?itok=KHb9Xi4S"}}},"media_ids":["678921"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.garglab-microbiomegt.com\/","title":"The Garg Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"26011","name":"faculty honors"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Segraves Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686713":{"#nid":"686713","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Sciences Launches Ambassador Program","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwenty-five undergraduate students have been selected to represent the College of Sciences as part of its new Ambassadors Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are thrilled to have an official Ambassador Program featuring a group of students ready to help with special events and recruiting activities,\u201d says Academic Program Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAshley Edwards\u003C\/strong\u003E, who created the program. \u201cEvents become much more meaningful when alumni and prospective students can speak with actual students who provide a real-world perspective about life at Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe ambassadors will be busy, says Edwards. They will play a key role in recruitment activities, including the bi-weekly\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scienceandmath.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s All About Science and Math\u003C\/a\u003E event where prospective students visit campus for an overview of the College, enjoy lunch with faculty and students, and even sit in on a class. Ambassadors will also help host admitted student events, such as the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/application.gatech.edu\/portal\/explore_cos\u0022\u003EExplore Science and Math Open House\u003C\/a\u003E, participate in alumni engagement events, and assist with career education programs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBeing an ambassador is a chance to share my experiences and help others find their place here,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMeghan Hamrick\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year chemistry major on the pre-health track. \u201cI want to give back to the Institute that has given so much to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmbassadors will serve as a direct link for prospective students seeking personalized insight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTalking with a current student who participates in things they are interested in, like marching band, intramural soccer, or living in our Explore Living Learning Community, makes it real for prospective students. It\u2019s a powerful connection,\u201d explains Edwards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI hope I can be a useful resource. I think my experiences with neuroscience, study abroad, and working in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.housleylab.com\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Housley Lab\u003C\/a\u003E will resonate with future students,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EInara Sheeraz\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year neuroscience major.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnja Govednik\u003C\/strong\u003E, a second-year physics major, looks forward to talking up her major. \u201cI\u2019d love to answer questions about physics \u2014\u0026nbsp;there\u2019s so much more than most people realize!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERepresenting the College\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe ambassadors were selected based on GPA, short essay questions, campus involvement, and, for the finalists, a one-minute video introduction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe had more than 85 amazing students apply, so choosing was hard,\u201d says Edwards. \u201cWe wanted a broad array of students, including transfer students, undergraduate researchers, student leaders, athletes, work-study students, and students from each major.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe adds, \u201cMost importantly, we looked for students who want to help, are passionate about science and math, really love Georgia Tech and the College of Sciences,\u0026nbsp;and are excited to get other people to love the Institute as much as they do.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEdwards is pleased to have the program up and running. \u201cIt\u2019s a win-win. Not only will it showcase our strengths and the human side of the College of Sciences, but it will also help our student ambassadors. They\u2019ll gain resume-worthy experience, connect with alumni, and engage with prospective students and parents. Plus, ambassadors will have opportunities to work closely with our deans and learn more about the College beyond academics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeet the 2025 College of Sciences ambassadors:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmeera Alam\u003C\/strong\u003E, Psychology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAgastya Arora\u003C\/strong\u003E, Mathematics;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EWalker Bailey\u003C\/strong\u003E, Mathematics\/Economics; \u003Cstrong\u003EJayanna Baptiste\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlison Bola\u00f1os\u003C\/strong\u003E, Neuroscience;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELaurel Bourg\u003C\/strong\u003E, Physics;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGiuli Capparelli Sanabria\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPallavi Dokka\u003C\/strong\u003E, Neuroscience;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAnjali Ganapathiraju\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAnja Govednik\u003C\/strong\u003E, Physics;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMeghan Hamrick\u003C\/strong\u003E, Chemistry;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBritney Huynh\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAva-Elizabeth Jacoby\u003C\/strong\u003E, Psychology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMeghana Kesari\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ENeuroscience;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMelody Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E, Computer Science\/Mathematics;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELarissa Martin\u003C\/strong\u003E, Astrophysics;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrea Ninh\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMalavika Niverthi\u003C\/strong\u003E, Neuroscience;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELea Setton\u003C\/strong\u003E, Psychology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EInara Sheeraz\u003C\/strong\u003E, Neuroscience;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENidhi Shenoy\u003C\/strong\u003E; Biochemistry;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDeandra Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E, Neuroscience;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJ\u2019Avani Stinson\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biology;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EIshita Sukul,\u003C\/strong\u003E Biology; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERia Vittal\u003C\/strong\u003E, Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECongratulations to the inaugural class of College of Sciences undergraduate student ambassadors!\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Congratulations to the inaugural class of College of Sciences undergraduate student ambassadors!"}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2025-12-03 13:58:47","changed_gmt":"2025-12-08 14:14:54","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678748":{"id":"678748","type":"image","title":"1st row, from L to R: Ria Vittal, Malavika Niverth; 2nd row: Meghan Hamrick, Britney Huynh, Andrea Ninh; 3rd row: Larissa Martin, Anja Govednik; 4th row: Alison Bola\u00f1os, J\u2019Avani Stinson, Deandra Smith.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E1st row, from L to R: Ria Vittal, Malavika Niverth; 2nd row: Meghan Hamrick, Britney Huynh, Andrea Ninh; 3rd row: Larissa Martin, Anja Govednik; 4th row: Alison Bola\u00f1os, J\u2019Avani Stinson, Deandra Smith.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1764770361","gmt_created":"2025-12-03 13:59:21","changed":"1764770361","gmt_changed":"2025-12-03 13:59:21","alt":"10 students standing in rows in front of brick building.","file":{"fid":"262822","name":"finalright54961485863_0055a18bc1_k.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/03\/finalright54961485863_0055a18bc1_k.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/03\/finalright54961485863_0055a18bc1_k.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":815448,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/03\/finalright54961485863_0055a18bc1_k.jpg?itok=G94q4Ens"}},"678755":{"id":"678755","type":"image","title":"1st row, from L to R: Nidhi Shenoy, Inara Sheeraz, Pallavi Dokka; 2nd row: Meghana Kesari, Ishita Sukul; 3rd row: Ameera Alam, Anjali Ganapathiraju, Agastya Arora; 4th row: Lea Setton, Jayanna Baptiste, Ava-Elizabeth Jacoby.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E1st row, from L to R: Nidhi Shenoy, Inara Sheeraz, Pallavi Dokka; 2nd row: Meghana Kesari, Ishita Sukul; 3rd row: Ameera Alam, Anjali Ganapathiraju, Agastya Arora; 4th row: Lea Setton, Jayanna Baptiste, Ava-Elizabeth Jacoby.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1764787322","gmt_created":"2025-12-03 18:42:02","changed":"1764787322","gmt_changed":"2025-12-03 18:42:02","alt":"Eleven students sitting in rows in front of a brick building.","file":{"fid":"262829","name":"SidrightFD4DB270-E83B-45A1-BEE7-507B2224BE4B_1_201_a.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/03\/SidrightFD4DB270-E83B-45A1-BEE7-507B2224BE4B_1_201_a.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/03\/SidrightFD4DB270-E83B-45A1-BEE7-507B2224BE4B_1_201_a.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":388021,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/03\/SidrightFD4DB270-E83B-45A1-BEE7-507B2224BE4B_1_201_a.jpeg?itok=7JdI_4Xo"}}},"media_ids":["678748","678755"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/students-making-difference-qa-yellow-jackets-against-poverty-president-benjamin-manoj","title":"Students Making a Difference: A Q\u0026A With Yellow Jackets Against Poverty President Benjamin Manoj"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"174142","name":"Student Ambassadors"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Segraves Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685737":{"#nid":"685737","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Discover Spontaneous Chirality in Conjugated Polymers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story is shared with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.illinois.edu\/news\/stories\/researchers-discover-spontaneous-chirality-conjugated-polymers\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Enewsroom\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. John R. Reynolds is a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. He served as founder of the Georgia Tech Polymer Network (GTPN) and is a member of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChirality, a property where structures have a distinct left- or right- \u201chandedness,\u201d allows natural semiconductors to move charge and convert energy with high efficiency by controlling electron spin and the angular momentum of light. A new study has revealed that many conjugated polymers, long considered structurally neutral, can spontaneously twist into chiral shapes. This surprising behavior, overlooked for decades, could pave the way for development of a new class of energy-efficient electronics inspired by nature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, a collaborative project that included researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of North Carolina, and Purdue University was recently published in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany molecules essential to life are chiral,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.illinois.edu\/people\/profile\/yingdiao\u0022\u003EYing Diao\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Illinois, who led the project. \u201cThe question that has remained a really a big fascination across the field is how chiral symmetry breaking happens in the first place: that is how life selects one handedness over the other. Our work mainly focuses on the origin of chirality: why chirality spontaneously emerges in absence of any chiral sources.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo answer this question, the team tested 34 different conjugated polymers. Each polymer was dissolved in a solvent, then the researchers gradually increased the polymer concentration to observe whether liquid\u2013liquid phase separation (LLPS) occurred. When LLPS was detected, they used circular dichroism spectroscopy to analyze the samples, revealing a strong correlation between phase separation and the emergence of chirality. The researchers refer to this phenomenon as \u003Cstrong\u003Espontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey found that approximately two-thirds of the polymers spontaneously formed chiral structures when their concentration in the solution increased.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat took our community by surprise, because conjugated polymers have been studied for half a century,\u201d Diao said. \u201cThese new chiral helical states of matter have basically been hiding in plain sight.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand why some of the polymers developed chirality while others did not, Illinois chemistry professor and senior co-author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.illinois.edu\/jacksonn\u0022\u003ENicholas E. Jackson\u003C\/a\u003E applied machine learning to analyze molecular features across the polymer library. The analysis, later backed up by additional testing, revealed that polymers with longer molecular chains were more likely to form chiral assemblies. Unexpectedly, the researchers also found that the presence of oxygen atoms in the side chains was a strong predictor of chiral behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMachine learning uncovered hidden patterns across dozens of conjugated polymers, relating subtle chemical details to chiral phase formation,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cSuch insights would have been very difficult to derive by human intuition alone.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiao noted that the discovery not only deepens our fundamental understanding of chiral emergence but also holds significant technological promise. In nature, chiral systems \u2013 such as those involved in photosynthesis \u2013 enable highly efficient electron transport. Looking ahead, Diao said that mimicking this behavior could lead to major performance gains in electronic devices and innovation of new device types.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are thinking about using chirality to control conductivity \u2013 for example, in transparent conductors for phones or in solar cells that could be more stable and efficient,\u201d she said. \u201cIn our computers, electrons bounce around and heat is a big problem. But if we make chiral versions, we think charge transfer could be extremely efficient, just like in nature.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s nice about this is, this is not the end of the story,\u201d said Georgia Institute of Technology chemistry professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/john-reynolds\u0022\u003EJohn Reynolds\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior co-author on the study. \u201cThis work provides guidance to polymer scientists in the field for studying the many, many conjugated polymers that have been synthesized over the years, and for designing new polymers with enhanced properties.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis study was supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Molecule Maker Lab Institute, and the National Science Foundation. Polymers for the study were provided by Reynolds, University of North Carolina chemistry professor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chem.unc.edu\/faculty\/you-wei\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWei You\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, University of Illinois chemistry professor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.illinois.edu\/jsmoore\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJeff Moore\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, and Purdue University chemistry professor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chem.purdue.edu\/people\/profile\/meij\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJianguo Mei\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIn addition to her appointment in\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.illinois.edu\/directory\/profile\/jacksonn\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Diao is a full-time faculty member at the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/beckman.illinois.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBeckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, holds a faculty appointment with\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.illinois.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChemistry\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/las.illinois.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECollege of Liberal Arts \u0026amp; Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u0026nbsp;and is affiliated with\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matse.illinois.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMaterials Science \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/grainger.illinois.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Grainger College of Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. In addition to his appointment in Chemistry, Jackson is a group leader at the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/beckman.illinois.edu\/research\/molecular-science-and-engineering-research-theme\/artificial-intelligence-for-materials\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBeckman Institute\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E and affiliate faculty member in the departments of\u0026nbsp;Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science \u0026amp; Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe paper, \u0022Ubiquitous Chiral Symmetry Breaking of Conjugated Polymers via Liquid Liquid Phase Separation,\u0022 is available online at \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/jacs.5c07995\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/jacs.5c07995\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A surprising behavior, overlooked for decades, could pave the way for development of a new class of energy-efficient electronics inspired by nature."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study reveals that many conjugated polymers, long considered structurally neutral, can spontaneously twist into chiral shapes. This surprising behavior, overlooked for decades, could pave the way for development of a new class of energy-efficient electronics inspired by nature. Collaborative findings across University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Tech, University of North Carolina, and Purdue University are published in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A surprising behavior, overlooked for decades, could pave the way for development of a new class of energy-efficient electronics inspired by nature."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2025-10-16 14:23:35","changed_gmt":"2025-10-28 20:19:32","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678364":{"id":"678364","type":"image","title":"Tiny helices emerge during a phase separation process, offering clues about how life\u0027s building blocks may have first developed a preference for one \u0027handed\u0027 form over another.\u00a0(Credit: Jong-Hoon Lee, Ziming Wang, Ying Diao)","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECertain materials can spontaneously form spiral-shaped structures, even when they start out without any \u0027handedness.\u0027 These tiny helices emerge during a phase separation process, offering clues about how life\u0027s building blocks may have first developed a preference for one \u0027handed\u0027 form over another.\u0026nbsp;(Credit: Jong-Hoon Lee, Ziming Wang, Ying Diao)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760624659","gmt_created":"2025-10-16 14:24:19","changed":"1760624659","gmt_changed":"2025-10-16 14:24:19","alt":"Tiny helices emerge during a phase separation process, offering clues about how life\u0027s building blocks may have first developed a preference for one \u0027handed\u0027 form over another.\u00a0(Credit: Jong-Hoon Lee, Ziming Wang, Ying Diao)","file":{"fid":"262382","name":"images_large_ja5c07995_0007.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/16\/images_large_ja5c07995_0007.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/16\/images_large_ja5c07995_0007.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45287,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/16\/images_large_ja5c07995_0007.jpeg?itok=VS3wxxZm"}}},"media_ids":["678364"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/chbe.illinois.edu\/news\/stories\/researchers-discover-spontaneous-chirality-conjugated-polymers","title":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188020","name":"go-rbi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"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:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo reach Ying Diao: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:yingdiao@illinois.edu\u0022\u003Eyingdiao@illinois.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685873":{"#nid":"685873","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Partners With Emory School of Nursing to Strengthen Nursing Workforce ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nursing.emory.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing\u003C\/a\u003E at Emory University are partnering to develop a pipeline that prepares more local nurses to meet workforce demands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith this collaboration, eligible students who graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech will be able to enroll in the School of Nursing\u2019s Master of Nursing (MN) program.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmory\u2019s MN program is an entry-to-practice, pre-licensure degree program designed for students with bachelor\u2019s degrees in other disciplines. Students who complete the 15-month program are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination and begin practice as a registered nurse.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are excited to participate in a program that will develop future leaders in nursing,\u201d said Steven Girardot, vice provost for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ouess\/\u0022\u003EUndergraduate Education and Student Success\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cThis direct pathway opens doors for our graduates to launch careers in nursing, living out our motto of Progress and Service in the most meaningful way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe five-year partnership exemplifies the School of Nursing\u2019s ongoing collaboration with metro Atlanta colleges and universities to prepare and empower high-caliber nurses. It represents another milestone in the school\u2019s efforts to address workforce needs and advance nursing education.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPartnering with Georgia Tech represents another exciting step forward for nursing education,\u201d said Linda McCauley, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. \u201cTogether, we\u2019re expanding opportunities for future nurses and ensuring that our communities and health systems have the skilled professionals they need to thrive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is the fourth local institution to partner with the School of Nursing, joining Spelman College, Agnes Scott College, and Oglethorpe University. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs one of the nation\u2019s top nursing schools, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University is committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars. Ranked the No. 1 master\u2019s, No. 1 BSN, and No. 8 DNP programs in the nation by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report, the school offers undergraduate, master\u2019s, doctoral, and non-degree programs. It brings together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical\u202fexperiences, and access to leading healthcare partners to shape the future of nursing and improve health and well-being. Learn more at\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nursing.emory.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enursing.emory.edu.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E, or \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E, is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute offers\u202f\u003Cstrong\u003Ebusiness\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003Ecomputing\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003Edesign\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003Eengineering\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003Eliberal arts\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u202fand \u003Cstrong\u003Esciences \u003C\/strong\u003Edegrees, as well as \u003Cstrong\u003Eprofessional development\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EK-12 programs\u003C\/strong\u003E for fostering success at every stage of life. Its more than 53,000 undergraduate and graduate students represent 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 146 countries. They study at the main campus in Atlanta, at instructional sites around the world, and through distance and online learning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University are partnering to develop a pipeline that prepares more local nurses to meet workforce demands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University are partnering to develop a pipeline that prepares more local nurses to meet workforce demands. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-10-23 13:53:56","changed_gmt":"2025-10-24 14:42:11","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678429":{"id":"678429","type":"image","title":"Nursing students at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENursing students at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1761156746","gmt_created":"2025-10-22 18:12:26","changed":"1761156746","gmt_changed":"2025-10-22 18:12:26","alt":"Nursing students at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University","file":{"fid":"262452","name":"0690_0882.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/22\/0690_0882.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/22\/0690_0882.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1473020,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/22\/0690_0882.jpg?itok=gy1GmPWt"}}},"media_ids":["678429"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.success.gatech.edu\/pre-health\/","title":"Georgia Tech Pre-Health Advising"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.nursing.emory.edu\/","title":"Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University"},{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ouess\/","title":"Undergraduate Education and Student Success at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"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:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685591":{"#nid":"685591","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Undergraduate Bioinformatics Class Produces Published Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis fall, 20 Georgia Tech students published a peer-reviewed scientific paper\u0026nbsp;\u2014 the culmination of work done during\u0026nbsp;a semester-long laboratory course. During the semester,\u0026nbsp;students analyzed genomes sequenced from marine samples collected in Key West, Florida \u2014 doing\u0026nbsp;hands-on original bioinformatics research on par with graduate students and\u0026nbsp;working with bioinformatics tools to explore drug discovery potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe course, BIOS 4590, is a research project lab for senior biology majors that provides an opportunity for professors to share their expertise with students in a hands-on environment. In his class, Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/vinayak-agarwal\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVinayak (Vinny) Agarwal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E aimed to introduce undergraduates to advanced bioinformatics tools through applied research using new-to-science raw data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe resulting paper, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acschembio.5c00507\u0022\u003EPhylogenomic Identification of a Highly Conserved Copper-Binding RiPP Biosynthetic Gene Cluster in Marine\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMicrobulbifer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EBacteria\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d which was recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Chemical Biology\u003C\/em\u003E, involves the historically understudied genus of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMicrobulbifer\u003C\/em\u003E, a type of bacteria often associated with sponges and corals. These microbial communities are rich sources of natural products, small biological molecules often associated with medicine and drug discovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This class, and the resulting research, is a testament to the transformative power of hands-on learning,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences, Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u201cThe success of this course \u2014 and the students\u2019 remarkable achievement \u2014 reflects Georgia Tech\u0027s commitment to fostering curiosity, collaboration, and scientific rigor and to empowering the next generation of scientists and leaders.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFunded by Agarwal\u2019s 2023\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/making-medicines-vinayak-agarwal-awarded-nsf-career-grant-peptide-research\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation CAREER grant\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/vinayak-agarwal-named-camille-dreyfus-teacher-scholar\u0022\u003ECamille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar award\u003C\/a\u003E, the class also received support from leadership in the College of Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, and School Chemistry and Biochemistry. The study\u2019s lead author, graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYifan (Grace) Tang,\u003C\/strong\u003E served as the class teaching assistant, and was funded in part by a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/gaann-fellowship-program-biochemistry-and-biophysics\u0022\u003EBiochemistry and Biophysics\u0026nbsp;Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe students in this class are working on important, novel work \u2014 this cohort worked with real genomic data that had never been sequenced before,\u201d she says. \u201cTypically, researchers might work with one or two genome sequences, but we provided students with 42 \u2014 this might be the first time anyone has looked at\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMicrobulbifer\u003C\/em\u003E at such a wide scope.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom classroom to publication\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo prepare for the class, Tang worked alongside Laboratory Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/alison-onstine\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlison Onstine\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u003C\/strong\u003E who manages the School of Biological Sciences teaching laboratory spaces, to sequence the Key West bacterial genomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur work in the Agarwal Lab is in natural product discovery. We focus on finding new pharmaceutical drugs through marine bacteria \u2014 but with a bioinformatics spin,\u201d Tang explains. \u201cWe wanted to bring this type of experience to undergraduates, so we gave fully sequenced genomes to students and asked them to look for potential properties.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThroughout the class, students learned different techniques for analyzing bacterial genome sequences and extracting data with various tools \u2014 gaining both lab and computational skills through hands-on experiences, live demos, and troubleshooting sessions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe highlight was showing students just how much we can learn about a bacterial genus, especially one that hasn\u2019t been studied at this scale before,\u201d Tang shares. \u201cThis is a growing field, so there are so many opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions while learning new skills.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmpowering future students\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor many students, it was their first time using these types of tools, but Agarwal says that it\u2019s something they\u0027ll likely encounter in both industry and research. He sees this type of research experience as especially helpful for seniors, who are often deciding between entering the workforce or continuing their education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cBioinformatics is increasingly important for analyzing big data. Students need the ability to manipulate and understand data using computational tools, and this class plays an important role in familiarizing them with this process,\u201d he shares. \u201cOur goal is to demystify research and give students the confidence and tools for both graduate school and for the workforce after graduation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe class will be offered for a third time in Fall 2026. While the exact course of research hasn\u2019t yet been decided, \u201cwe always aim for something new that can produce publication-quality research \u2014 students don\u2019t repeat past year\u2019s work,\u201d Agarwal says. This recent cohort of students built on the success of 18 undergraduates who took the class in 2023, who\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/news\/curriculum-innovation-drives-undergraduate-research-tech\u0022\u003Ealso published a paper\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis course truly underscores Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to pioneering meaningful undergraduate experiences \u2014 no other peer institution I know of is exposing undergraduates to bioinformatics at this level.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;NSF CAREER and the Dreyfus Foundation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis course truly underscores Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to pioneering meaningful undergraduate experiences,\u201d says teacher Vinayak (Vinny) Agarwal. \u201cNo other peer institution I know of is exposing undergraduates to bioinformatics at this level.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u201cThis course truly underscores Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to pioneering meaningful undergraduate experiences,\u201d says teacher Vinayak (Vinny) Agarwal. \u201cNo other peer institution I know of is exposing undergraduates to bioinformatics at this level.\u201d"}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-10-08 14:32:26","changed_gmt":"2025-10-13 19:13:13","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678300":{"id":"678300","type":"image","title":"Grace Tang (Left) and Alison Onstine (Right) holding bacteria plates that spell \u0022BIOL 4590\u0022 (Credit: Tang and Onstine)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGrace Tang (Left) and Alison Onstine (Right) holding bacteria plates that spell \u0022BIOL 4590\u0022 (Credit: Tang and Onstine)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759934162","gmt_created":"2025-10-08 14:36:02","changed":"1759934162","gmt_changed":"2025-10-08 14:36:02","alt":"Grace Tang (Left) and Alison Onstine (Right) holding bacteria plates that spell \u0022BIOL 4590\u0022 (Credit: Tang and Onstine)","file":{"fid":"262310","name":"Grace-left-_Alison-right-_No_Glasses.JPEG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/Grace-left-_Alison-right-_No_Glasses.JPEG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/Grace-left-_Alison-right-_No_Glasses.JPEG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3698314,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/08\/Grace-left-_Alison-right-_No_Glasses.JPEG?itok=MCTBHuIX"}},"678301":{"id":"678301","type":"image","title":"A collection of the undergraduate students who co-authored the paper. (Credit: Tang and Onstine)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA collection of the undergraduate students who co-authored the paper. (Credit: Tang and Onstine)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759934162","gmt_created":"2025-10-08 14:36:02","changed":"1759934162","gmt_changed":"2025-10-08 14:36:02","alt":"A collection of the undergraduate students who co-authored the paper. (Credit: Tang and Onstine)","file":{"fid":"262311","name":"Headshots_Layout_2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/Headshots_Layout_2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/08\/Headshots_Layout_2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5159554,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/08\/Headshots_Layout_2.png?itok=6fgzlfju"}}},"media_ids":["678300","678301"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"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\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685547":{"#nid":"685547","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Progress and Service in Action: Honoring College of Sciences\u2019 Distinguished Alumni","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe College of Sciences hosted its first-ever\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/2025-distinguished-alumni-awards-ceremony\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration\u003C\/a\u003E to honor eight alumni who embody the Institute\u2019s motto of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EProgress and Service\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eand reflect the transformative power of an education from Georgia Tech. Held at the Historic Academy of Medicine, the event brought together more than 200 faculty, students, and alumni, including Georgia Tech President\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/president.gatech.edu\/about\/biography\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00c1ngel Cabrera\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Ea College of Sciences alumnus, and Alumni Association President\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDene Sheheane\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cA university\u2019s success is measured and reflected in the achievements of its alumni,\u201d notes Cabrera. \u201cIt is a great source of pride for Georgia Tech to recognize these College of Sciences alumni and their impressive accomplishments \u2014 across the world and at Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESix alumni\u0026nbsp;\u2014 one from each School \u2014\u0026nbsp;received the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDistinguished Alumni Award\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/jack-mccallum\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJack McCallum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EApplied Biology 1966, a surgeon-turned-entrepreneur and educator, was honored for his contributions to medicine, business, and philanthropy. He joked that medical school was easier than Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/kelly-sepcic-pfeil\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKelly Sepcic Pfeil\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EM.S. Chemistry 1992, Ph.D. Chemistry 2003, a scientific leader in flavor and sweetener technology, was recognized for her global career and support of women in chemistry. She thanked Tech for supporting her as a young working mother who traveled globally for business while earning her graduate degrees.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/rutt-bridges\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERutt Bridges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPhysics 1973, M.S. Geophysical Sciences 1975, a pioneer in seismic software and climate solutions, author, and venture fund owner, was celebrated for his entrepreneurial success and philanthropy. His introduction revealed that he worked for $3.50 a day as a roustabout and well digger before Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchool of Mathematics\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/frank-cullen\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Cullen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EMath 1973,\u0026nbsp;M.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering 1976,\u003Cbr\u003EPh.D. Industrial and Systems Engineering 1984, a serial entrepreneur and longtime supporter of faculty research, was honored for his business leadership and philanthropic impact. He entered Georgia Tech at just 16 years old \u2014 and didn\u2019t leave for 14 more years!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/nathan-meehan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENathan Meehan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPhysics 1975, a globally recognized petroleum engineer, business leader, and educator, was celebrated for his technical leadership and commitment to early-career scientists. His introduction showcased his many professional accolades as well as his self-proclaimed status as the \u201cbest BBQ cook of his generation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchool of Psychology\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/margaret-beier\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMargaret Beier\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EM.S. Psychology 1999, Ph.D. Psychology 2004, now chair of Psychological Sciences at Rice University, was honored for her research on lifelong learning and academic leadership. She thanked the faculty and researchers who inspired and supported her, enabling her to realize her dreams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe evening also included two special honors:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYoung Scientist Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/kristel-topping\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKristel Bayani Topping\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPh.D. Physiology 2021,\u0026nbsp;a principal researcher at The Home Depot, dedicated her win to her two young daughters and thanked her mentor School of Biological Sciences Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELewis Wheaton\u003C\/strong\u003E for helping her become a \u201cbetter scientist and leader.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EImpact Award\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/alumni\/john-sutherland\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Clark Sutherland\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Physics 1962, M.S. Physics 1964, Ph.D. Physics 1967, currently the dean of Science and Mathematics at Augusta University, was recognized for being an\u0026nbsp;exceptional graduate whose sustained engagement, visionary leadership, and strategic support significantly advanced the College\u2019s mission.\u0026nbsp;Sutherland spoke about how far Georgia Tech has come since he was a student and the importance of continuing to invest in the Institute\u2019s future through student support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis celebration marks a significant milestone for our College,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cOur alumni are not just a part of our history; they are central to our future. Their leadership, generosity, and engagement support our faculty and inspire our students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn her closing remarks, Lozier thanked alumni\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Goggin\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPhysics 1991, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ECharlie Crawford\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EApplied Mathematics 1971, for their help in creating the celebration as well as\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELeslie Roberts\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of Alumni Relations, for \u201cher vision, persistence, and championship of an alumni recognition event.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe awards presentation concluded with a rousing performance by the Georgia Tech Glee Club and a reception to celebrate the award winners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt was an amazing night recognizing eight incredible alumni who have made such a difference in the world,\u201d says Roberts. \u201cWhat struck me the most about this night was the humility of our honorees. In their speeches, they thanked Georgia Tech for launching their careers and recognized others for their efforts. They are truly an inspiration to the Yellow Jacket community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Sciences\u2019 community came together to celebrate the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards, recognizing the diverse achievements and inspiring journeys of eight alumni.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Sciences\u2019 community came together to celebrate the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards, recognizing the diverse achievements and inspiring journeys of eight alumni."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2025-10-06 12:02:22","changed_gmt":"2025-10-06 16:29:16","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678267":{"id":"678267","type":"image","title":"(First row, left to right): Susan Lozier, John Clark Sutherland, Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Margaret Beier, and Rutt Bridges. (Second row, left to right): Jack McCallum, Angel Cabrera, Kristel Bayani Topping, Frank Cullen, and Nathan Meehan.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E(First row, left to right): Susan Lozier, John Clark Sutherland, Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Margaret Beier, and Rutt Bridges. (Second row, left to right: Jack McCallum, Angel Cabrera, Kristel Bayani Topping, Frank Cullen, and Nathan Meehan.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759752211","gmt_created":"2025-10-06 12:03:31","changed":"1759766058","gmt_changed":"2025-10-06 15:54:18","alt":"A group of individuals standing on the stairs.","file":{"fid":"262270","name":"distinguishedalumniwithleadership.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/distinguishedalumniwithleadership.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/distinguishedalumniwithleadership.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2492543,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/06\/distinguishedalumniwithleadership.jpeg?itok=N1icPVvJ"}},"678269":{"id":"678269","type":"image","title":"Dean Susan Lozier closed the event by thanking all in attendance for helping to \u0022build a tradition that will continue to highlight the incredible reach of our College of Sciences alumni.\u0022","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDean Susan Lozier closed the event by thanking all in attendance for helping to \u0022build a tradition that will continue to highlight the incredible reach of our College of Sciences alumni.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759754347","gmt_created":"2025-10-06 12:39:07","changed":"1759754347","gmt_changed":"2025-10-06 12:39:07","alt":"a woman at a podium in front of a screen highlighting all of the Distinguished Alumni Award winners.","file":{"fid":"262272","name":"IMG_0323.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/IMG_0323.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/IMG_0323.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1336776,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/06\/IMG_0323.jpg?itok=EMPfbp3_"}},"678268":{"id":"678268","type":"image","title":"Three generations celebrated Kristel Bayani Topping\u0027s award.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThree generations celebrated Kristel Bayani Topping\u0027s award.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759754051","gmt_created":"2025-10-06 12:34:11","changed":"1759755892","gmt_changed":"2025-10-06 13:04:52","alt":"A family group standing in a hallway","file":{"fid":"262271","name":"Topping.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Topping.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Topping.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1725994,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/06\/Topping.jpg?itok=-ssa2mKe"}}},"media_ids":["678267","678269","678268"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-announces-inaugural-distinguished-alumni-award-honorees","title":"College of Sciences Announces Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"172338","name":"Alumni Georgia Tech Alumni Association"},{"id":"171949","name":"Alumni Awards"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685248":{"#nid":"685248","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Sciences Surpasses Campaign Goal","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Sciences has exceeded its $75 million campaign target, raising $78 million and counting as part of the Institute\u2019s historic philanthropic effort, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAchieving this milestone reflects the generosity and deep commitment of our alumni, donors, and friends to advancing science education and research,\u201d says \u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier,\u003C\/strong\u003E dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cWe are energized by this momentum and grateful to everyone who has supported us through investment in our success as we continue to fundraise for key priorities such as endowed faculty positions, graduate fellowships, undergraduate scholarships, and innovative teaching and experiential learning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESciences is the first Georgia Tech College to reach its goal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis early success highlights the foundational and essential role of the sciences,\u201d adds College of Sciences Director of Development \u003Cstrong\u003EDan Warren\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cThe enthusiastic support from alumni, foundations, and corporate partners speaks volumes \u2014 reaching this milestone is a tribute to the transformative power of philanthropy and community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhilanthropy in action\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe funds raised are already making a meaningful impact across the College, supporting students, faculty, and research. Campaign contributions are being invested in important initiatives such as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003Efaculty endowments with an emphasis to support those in early and mid-career and in interdisciplinary areas;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Egraduate student top-up fellowships to support recruitment of the best and brightest to our programs;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eneed-based undergraduate scholarships to ensure an affordable education;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eresearch-based undergraduate scholarships to provide co-curricular opportunities; and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Edirect support for faculty research to accelerate discovery and solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew programs made possible in the College by \u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Einclude the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cpies.cos.gatech.edu\/student-transfer-enrichment-program-step\/\u0022\u003EStudent Transfer Enrichment Program (STEP),\u003C\/a\u003E which helps transfer students thrive through academic support, social engagement, and leadership development, as well as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/rising-tide\u0022\u003ERising Tide\u003C\/a\u003E program, which helps recruit and mentor early-career scientists. Also noteworthy is the enhanced \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/career-education\u0022\u003ECareer Education Program\u003C\/a\u003E, which connects students with alumni and career opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA vision for the future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe College\u2019s success contributes to the broader campaign, which has raised more than $1.6 billion toward its $2 billion goal. Fiscal year 2025 was the most successful fundraising year in Georgia Tech\u2019s history, with nearly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/29\/georgia-tech-has-historic-fundraising-year\u0022\u003E$300 million raised\u003C\/a\u003E in new philanthropic support. Earlier this month, the Institute announced a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2025\/09\/georgia-tech-receives-record-100m-gift-alumnus-john-w-durstine\u0022\u003Ehistoric $100 million bequest\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 the largest single gift in Tech\u2019s history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s next\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the campaign continues, the College of Sciences will remain focused on expanding student opportunities, accelerating scientific discovery, and supporting faculty excellence. The top priority for the Dean is creating opportunities for students to have access to a Georgia Tech education through need-based scholarships and graduate fellowships which provide a competitive advantage in recruiting the best and brightest students to our programs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are extremely grateful for the alumni, friends, students, faculty, staff, and corporations who have supported us so far,\u201d says Warren. \u201cThanks to you, we\u2019re heading into the final stretch of the campaign with wind in our sails. Now is the perfect moment to invest in the students, educators, and researchers driving tomorrow\u2019s breakthroughs.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETo learn more or make a gift to the College of Sciences, contact Dan Warren, director of Development for the College of Sciences, at dan.warren@cos.gatech.edu.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Sciences is the first Georgia Tech College to reach its target, exceeding a $75 million campaign goal."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESciences is the first Georgia Tech College to reach its target, exceeding a $75 million campaign goal. As the campaign continues, the College of Sciences remains focused on expanding student opportunities, accelerating scientific discovery, and supporting faculty excellence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sciences is the first Georgia Tech College to reach its target, exceeding a $75 million campaign goal."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2025-09-24 19:50:10","changed_gmt":"2025-09-24 19:52:03","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678137":{"id":"678137","type":"image","title":"Dean Lozier congratulates a newly minted College of Sciences alum.","body":null,"created":"1758743434","gmt_created":"2025-09-24 19:50:34","changed":"1758743505","gmt_changed":"2025-09-24 19:51:45","alt":"Dean Lozier congratulates a newly minted College of Sciences alum.","file":{"fid":"262123","name":"CoS-Campaign-Target-Story.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/24\/CoS-Campaign-Target-Story.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/24\/CoS-Campaign-Target-Story.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":592349,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/24\/CoS-Campaign-Target-Story.jpg?itok=DqP70fIb"}}},"media_ids":["678137"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"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:jess@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\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStory by Laura Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685180":{"#nid":"685180","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Secures Multiple No. 1 Rankings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech continues its upward trajectory in the latest \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-colleges\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E Best Colleges 2026 rankings, released Sept. 23. The Institute moved up to No. 32 among national universities, improving one spot from last year and tying with institutions such as New York University and University of California, Davis. Among top public national universities, Georgia Tech held steady at No.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E9, and it achieved No. 1 rankings across several categories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has emerged as a unique case in American higher education \u2014 an institution that delivers some of the best student outcomes in the nation while growing at a record pace in terms of enrollment, degrees granted, and research,\u201d said Georgia Tech President \u003Cstrong\u003E\u00c1ngel Cabrera\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cI am delighted to see rankings like these recognize Georgia Tech among the best public universities in the nation, and I invite families, students, employers, and corporate partners to reach out and learn more about what we\u2019re doing here.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAcademic Distinctions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech also distinguished itself in areas that reflect the quality of the student experience and support for undergraduates. The Institute ranked No. 16 for Best Colleges for Veterans, maintaining its position from last year, and placed No. 3 nationally for internships and co-ops, underscoring Tech\u2019s emphasis on hands-on learning opportunities. The senior capstone experience held steady at No. 12, highlighting the Institute\u2019s commitment to preparing students for real-world problem-solving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition, Georgia Tech ranked No. 21 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, rising 10 places from last year, and No. 3 in Most Innovative Universities, continuing a streak of top-five placements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScience and Math Excellence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmong \u0026nbsp;universities offering undergraduate, master\u2019s, and doctoral programs, Georgia Tech ranks No. 32 nationally.\u003Cem\u003E U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E formally ranks only a handful of undergraduate programs in math and science. This year, the College of Sciences\u0027 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/undergraduate\/programs\u0022\u003Eundergraduate program in psychology\u003C\/a\u003E entered the top 40 for the first time, moving up 30 places to No. 33.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences graduate programs are consistently ranked in the top 10% of accredited programs. The latest\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-graduate-schools\/georgia-institute-of-technology-139755\/overall-rankings\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report \u003C\/em\u003EBest Graduate School Rankings\u003C\/a\u003E, published in April 2023, features\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-rises-us-news-best-graduate-school-rankings\u0022\u003Eall six College of Sciences schools\u003C\/a\u003E among its best science schools for graduate studies. Several\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-rises-us-news-best-graduate-school-rankings\u0022\u003Especialties\u003C\/a\u003E also received high marks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESee ranking updates for other Georgia Tech programs\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/23\/georgia-tech-secures-multiple-no-1-rankings\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehere\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*Please note that this summary includes the latest rankings issued by\u202fU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report. Not all Georgia Tech Colleges, Schools, and subjects are ranked every year by this organization.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Momentum builds as Georgia Tech accelerates in academics, teaching, and student success."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech continues its upward trajectory in the latest\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EU.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u003C\/em\u003E Best Colleges 2026 rankings. Among top public national universities, Georgia Tech held steady at No.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E9, and it achieved No. 1 rankings across several categories.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech continues its upward trajectory in the latest\u00a0U.S. News \u0026 World Report Best Colleges 2026 rankings. Among top public national universities, Georgia Tech held steady at No.\u00a09, and it achieved No. 1 rankings across several categories."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-09-23 14:54:31","changed_gmt":"2025-09-23 16:09:09","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673414":{"id":"673414","type":"image","title":"A view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1710522679","gmt_created":"2024-03-15 17:11:19","changed":"1710522636","gmt_changed":"2024-03-15 17:10:36","alt":"A view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"256810","name":"22C10400-P10-002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5193114,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg?itok=n1Xzkjik"}}},"media_ids":["673414"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/degrees-majors-numbers-fact-sheets-and-program-fliers","title":"College of Sciences programs and degrees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"194455","name":"2026 rankings"},{"id":"2315","name":"US News and World Report"}],"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":""}},"684795":{"#nid":"684795","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Nexus of Ideas","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recently awarded $20 million NSF Nexus Supercomputer grant to Georgia Tech and partner institutes promises to bring incredible computing power to the CODA building. But what makes this supercomputer different and how will it impact research in labs on campus, across disciplinary units, and across institutions?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPurpose Built for AI Discovery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENexus is Georgia Tech\u2019s next-generation supercomputer, replacing the HIVE. Most operational high-performance computing systems utilized for research were designed before the explosion in Machine Learning and AI. This revolution has already shown successes for scientific research and data analysis in many domains, but the compute power, complex connectivity, and data storage needs for these systems have limited their access to the academic research community. The Nexus supercomputer design process retained a robust HPC system as a base while integrating artificial intelligence, machine learning and large-scale data science analysis from the ground up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpert Support for Faculty and Researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS)\u003C\/a\u003E and the College of Computing house the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Science and Engineering (ARTISAN) group. This team has collective experience in working with national computational, cloud, commercial and institutional resources for computational activities, and decades of experience in scientific tools that aid in assisting both teaching and research faculty. Nexus is the next logical step, bringing together everything they\u2019ve learned to build a national resource optimized for the future of AI-driven science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrincipal Research Scientist for the ARTISAN team, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/suresh-marru\u0022\u003ESuresh Marru\u003C\/a\u003E, highlighted the need for this new resource, \u201cAI is a core part of the Nexus vision. Today, researchers often spend more time setting up experiments, managing data, or figuring out how to run jobs on remote clusters than doing science. With Nexus, we\u2019re flipping that script. By embedding AI into the platform, we help automate routine tasks, suggest optimal ways to run simulations, and even assist in generating input or analyzing results. This means researchers can move faster from question to insight. Instead of wrestling with infrastructure, they can focus on discovery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Accessible AI Resource for GT \u0026amp; US Scientific Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E90% of Nexus capacity will be made available to the national research community through the NSF Advanced Computing Systems \u0026amp; Services (ACSS) program. Researchers from across the country, at universities, labs, and institutions of all sizes, will have access to this next-generation AI-ready supercomputer. For Georgia Tech research faculty and staff, the new system has multiple benefits:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E10% of the time on the machine will be available for use by Georgia Tech researchers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENexus will allow GT researchers a chance to try out the latest hardware for AI computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThanks to cyberinfrastructure tools from the ARTISAN group, Nexus will be easier to access than previous NSF supercomputers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInterim Executive Director of IDEaS and Regents\u0027 Professor David Sherrill notes, \u0022Nexus brings Georgia Tech\u0027s leadership in research computing to a whole new level.\u0026nbsp;It will be the first NSF Category I Supercomputer hosted on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus.\u0026nbsp;The Nexus hardware and software will boost research in the foundations of AI, and applications of AI in science and engineering.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"How the NSF Nexus Supercomputer at Georgia Tech will impact campus and national research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA recently awarded $20 million NSF Nexus Supercomputer grant to Georgia Tech and partner institutes promises to bring incredible computing power to the CODA building. But what makes this supercomputer different and how will it impact research in labs on campus, across disciplinary units, and across institutions?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nexus is Georgia Tech\u2019s next-generation supercomputer, replacing the HIVE. "}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2025-09-11 20:55:48","changed_gmt":"2025-09-22 20:01:24","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677982":{"id":"677982","type":"image","title":"Network-cubes-fotoplot.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGraphic Representation of networked system: Adobe Stock\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1757624171","gmt_created":"2025-09-11 20:56:11","changed":"1757624171","gmt_changed":"2025-09-11 20:56:11","alt":"Graphic Representation of networked system: Adobe Stock","file":{"fid":"261951","name":"Network-cubes-fotoplot.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/11\/Network-cubes-fotoplot.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/11\/Network-cubes-fotoplot.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8203776,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/11\/Network-cubes-fotoplot.jpeg?itok=lxZczU8j"}}},"media_ids":["677982"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684992":{"#nid":"684992","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Molecular \u2018Fossils\u2019 Offer Microscopic Clues to the Origins of Life \u2013 But They Take Care to\u00a0Interpret","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe questions of how humankind came to be, and whether we are alone in the universe, have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S1473550407003692\u0022\u003Ecaptured imaginations for millennia\u003C\/a\u003E. But to answer these questions, scientists must first understand life itself and how it could have arisen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn our work as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=0SOG_SsAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=vi\u0022\u003Eevolutionary biochemists\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=e_IKMz4AAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eprotein historians\u003C\/a\u003E, these core questions form the foundation of our research programs. To study life\u2019s history billions of years ago, we often use clues called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/embor.2013.162\u0022\u003Emolecular \u201cfossils\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 ancient structures shared by all living organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently, we discovered that an important molecular fossil found in an ancient protein family \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/molbev\/msaf055\u0022\u003Emay not be what it seems\u003C\/a\u003E. The dilemma centers, in part, on a simple question: What does it mean if a simple molecular structure \u2013 the fossil \u2013 is found in every single organism on Earth? Do molecular fossils point to the seeds that gave rise to modern biological complexity, or are they simply the stubborn pieces that have resisted erosion over time? The answers have far-reaching implications for how scientists understand the origins of biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFollow the Phosphorus to Follow Life\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife is made of many different building blocks, one of the most important of which is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/air-space-magazine\/phosporus-you-cant-have-life-without-it-least-earth-180967243\/\u0022\u003Echemical element phosphorus\u003C\/a\u003E. Phosphorus makes up part of your genetic material, powers complex metabolic reactions and acts as a molecular switch to control enzymes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhosphorus compounds \u2013 specifically a charged form called phosphate \u2013 have a number of unique chemical properties that other biological compounds cannot match. In the words of the pioneering organic chemist F.H. Westheimer, they are chemically able to \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.2434996\u0022\u003Edo almost everything\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir unique combination of stability, versatility and adaptability is why many researchers argue that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.popularmechanics.com\/space\/solar-system\/a19685943\/alien-life-phosphorus\/\u0022\u003Efollowing phosphorus is key to finding life\u003C\/a\u003E. The presence of phosphorus both close to home \u2013 in the ocean or on one of Saturn\u2019s moons \u2013 and in the farthest reaches of our galaxy is strong evidence for the potential for life beyond Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690272\/original\/file-20250910-56-jjsn6y.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\/690272\/original\/file-20250910-56-jjsn6y.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Chemical structure of a nucleotide, made of a phosphate, ribose sugar and base\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhosphate is part of many essential biological molecules, including the building blocks of DNA. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/biology\/chapter\/9-1-the-structure-of-dna\/\u0022\u003ECharles Molnar and Jane Gair\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\u0022\u003ECC BY-SA\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf phosphorus is so critical to life, how did early biology \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/evolution.berkeley.edu\/from-soup-to-cells-the-origin-of-life\/how-did-life-originate\/\u0022\u003Epredating cells\u003C\/a\u003E first use it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, biological organisms are able to make use of phosphates \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-is-a-protein-a-biologist-explains-152870\u0022\u003Ethrough proteins\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 molecular machines that regulate all aspects of life. By \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1039\/B9NJ00718K\u0022\u003Ebinding to proteins, phosphates\u003C\/a\u003E regulate metabolism and cellular communication, and they serve as a source of cellular energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurther, the process of phosphorylation, or adding a phosphate group to a protein, is ubiquitous in biology and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rstb.2012.0013\u0022\u003Eallows proteins to perform functions\u003C\/a\u003E their individual building blocks cannot. Without proteins, the existence of organisms such as bacteria and humans may not be possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiven how essential phosphorus is to life, scientists hypothesize that phosphate binding was among the first biological functions to emerge on Earth. In fact, current evidence suggests that the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.64415\u0022\u003Efirst phosphate-binding proteins are truly ancient\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 even older than the last universal common ancestor, the hypothetical mother cell to all life on Earth that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgen.1007518\u0022\u003Eexisted around 4 billion years ago\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Mysterious Phosphate-Binding Fossil\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne family of phosphate-binding proteins, called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1812400115\u0022\u003EP-loop NTPases\u003C\/a\u003E, regulates everything from the communication between cells to the storage of energy and are found across the tree of life. Because P-loop NTPases are among the most ancient protein families, analyzing their properties can provide key insights into both the emergence of proteins and how primitive life used phosphates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough P-loop NTPases are diverse in structure, they share a common motif called a P-loop. This component binds to phosphate by wrapping a nest of amino acids \u2013 the building blocks that make up proteins \u2013 around the molecule. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/eLife.64415\u0022\u003EEvery known organism\u003C\/a\u003E has multiple families of P-loop NTPase, which makes the P-loop an excellent example of a molecular fossil that can provide clues about the evolution of life. Our crude analysis of the human genome estimates that humans have about 5,000 copies of P-loops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen part of a larger protein structure, the P-loop folds like origami into a shape that is ideal for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1812400115\u0022\u003Ehugging a phosphate molecule\u003C\/a\u003E. These nests are extremely similar to each other, even when the surrounding proteins are only distantly related in function. A landmark study in 2012 argued that even if the P-loop nest is extracted from a protein, it can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/prot.24038\u0022\u003Estill bind to phosphate\u003C\/a\u003E. In other words, the ability of a P-loop to form a nest is determined by its interactions with phosphate, not its protein scaffold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis study provided the first evidence that some forms of the P-loop sequence could have functioned billions of years ago, even before the emergence of large, complex proteins. If true, this implies that P-loop nests may have seeded the emergence and evolution of many of the phosphate-binding proteins seen today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EInterrogating the History of the P-loop\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pioneer of bioinformatics, Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, hypothesized in 1966 that the large collection of big proteins seen today \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.201609977\u0022\u003Earose from small peptides\u003C\/a\u003E that were duplicated and fused over long periods of time. Although P-loops may have evolved in a different way, Dayhoff\u2019s realization was the first to clarify how complex forms could have arisen from much simpler ones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInspired by Dayhoff\u2019s hypothesis, we sought to interrogate the role that simple P-loops may have played in the evolution of the complex proteins key to life. Our findings challenge what\u2019s currently known about these molecular fossils.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/690273\/original\/file-20250910-56-q9xtll.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\/690273\/original\/file-20250910-56-q9xtll.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Diagram showing the evolution of amino acids to oligopeptides to complex proteins\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Dayhoff hypothesis proposed that large, complex proteins arose from the duplication and merging of smaller, simpler peptides over time. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/biom12060793\u0022\u003EMerski et al.\/Biomolecules\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\u0022\u003ECC BY-SA\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing computer models, we compared a range of P-loops from the P-loop NTPase family to a control group made of the same amino acids but in a different order. While these control loops are also found in proteins, they do not form nests.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the P-loops and the control loops are very different in their nest-forming ability, we found that they both are able to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/molbev\/msaf055\u0022\u003Eform transient nests\u003C\/a\u003E when embedded in proteins. This meant that, contrary to popular belief, the amino acid sequence of P-loops aren\u2019t special in their ability to form nests \u2013 as would be expected if they alone were the seeds for many modern proteins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Fossil Eroded Over Time\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur work strongly suggests that while the P-loop is a molecular fossil, the true nature of its form billions of years ago may have been eroded by the sands of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, when \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/molbev\/msaf055\u0022\u003Ewe repeated our simulations\u003C\/a\u003E in a different solvent \u2013 specifically methanol \u2013 we found that P-loops situated in their parent proteins were able to regain some of their ability to form nests. This doesn\u2019t mean that being in methanol drove the first proteins with P-loops to form the nests critical for life. But it does emphasize the importance of considering the surrounding environment when studying peptides and proteins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as archaeologists know to be careful in how they \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/was-it-a-stone-tool-or-just-a-rock-an-archaeologist-explains-how-scientists-can-tell-the-difference-251126\u0022\u003Einterpret physical fossils\u003C\/a\u003E, historians of protein evolution could take similar care in their interpretation of molecular fossils. Our results complicate the current understanding of early protein evolution and, consequently, some aspects of the origins of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn resetting the field\u2019s broader understanding of how these crucial proteins emerged, scientists are poised to start rewriting our own evolutionary history on this planet.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/259271\/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\/molecular-fossils-offer-microscopic-clues-to-the-origins-of-life-but-they-take-care-to-interpret-259271\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe questions of how humankind came to be, and whether we are alone in the universe, have captured imaginations for millennia. But to answer these questions, scientists must first understand life itself and how it could have arisen.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The questions of how humankind came to be, and whether we are alone in the universe, have captured imaginations for millennia. But to answer these questions, scientists must first understand life itself and how it could have arisen."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-09-17 13:13:05","changed_gmt":"2025-09-18 16:37:43","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678052":{"id":"678052","type":"image","title":"ATP synthase is an enzyme that has been using phosphate to generate life\u2019s energy for millions of years.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EATP synthase is an enzyme that has been using phosphate to generate life\u2019s energy for millions of years. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/synthase-enzyme-complex-illustration-royalty-free-image\/1328336178\u0022\u003ENanoclustering\/Science Photo Library via Getty Images\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758125600","gmt_created":"2025-09-17 16:13:20","changed":"1758125600","gmt_changed":"2025-09-17 16:13:20","alt":"ATP synthase is an enzyme that has been using phosphate to generate life\u2019s energy for millions of years.","file":{"fid":"262030","name":"file-20250910-66-w313hf.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/17\/file-20250910-66-w313hf.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/17\/file-20250910-66-w313hf.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":182818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/17\/file-20250910-66-w313hf.jpg?itok=wnfLg1eK"}}},"media_ids":["678052"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/molecular-fossils-offer-microscopic-clues-to-the-origins-of-life-but-they-take-care-to-interpret-259271","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"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"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\/caroline-lynn-kamerlin-2416162\u0022\u003ECaroline Lynn Kamerlin\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/liam-longo-2423771\u0022\u003ELiam Longo\u003C\/a\u003E, specially appointed associate professor, Earth-Life Science Institute, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/institute-of-science-tokyo-6525\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EInstitute of Science Tokyo\u003C\/em\u003E\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":""}},"684145":{"#nid":"684145","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IMS Funds New Research Initiatives and Programs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E (IMS) has selected six interdisciplinary research projects to receive funding including four new research initiatives and two new programs. This funding is part of a larger IMS effort to identify and support visionary leaders driving groundbreaking research and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIMS focuses on transformational technological and societal systems that arise where innovative materials, devices, and processes converge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cInterdisciplinary research often struggles to find a home,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/michael-filler\u0022\u003EMichael Filler\u003C\/a\u003E, IMS deputy director. \u201cIMS aims to fill that gap\u2014through programs like the CPI, we provide a place where unconventional collaborations from across Georgia Tech and beyond can take root, grow, and ultimately redefine what\u2019s possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe funded initiatives come from four colleges and 11 schools across the Institute, and from GTRI. These research projects were selected based on their innovative approaches, potential impact, and alignment with IMS\u2019 mission to push the boundaries of science and technology. They will receive funding, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and other support from IMS to bring their projects 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. The four newly announced initiatives are funded at the lowest level of IMS\u2019 three-tiered model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two new research programs were previous IMS research initiatives that have been elevated to the program level. The successful elevation to research program highlights the funding pipeline and its design to support novel interdisciplinary research. As initiatives, these researchers were given seed funding and support for workshops, visioning and team nucleation, they demonstrated dedication to their research and team building. As IMS research programs, these projects will have the opportunity to expand their operations including with support for team expansions, proposals, and some staff support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe IMS funding pipeline is about giving researchers a ladder where none exists\u2014support to take the first step with a new idea, and the structure to keep climbing as their work matures,\u201d said Filler. \u201cBy providing that scaffold, we enable bold, interdisciplinary teams to turn early sparks of discovery into thriving research programs with real-world impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new research initiatives and programs:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Initiatives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\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\u003EAdaptive Biomacromolecular and Cellular Networks\u003C\/strong\u003E | Anant Paravastu, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Vinayak Agarwal, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Andrew McShan, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Itamar Kolvin, School of Physics\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\u003EElectrochemical Manufacturing of Materials and Resource Recovery\u003C\/strong\u003E | Hailong Chen, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Programs\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\u003EMagnetometry and Spectrum-Based Quantum Sensing Platforms\u003C\/strong\u003E| Zhigang Jiang, School of Physics; Martin Mourigal, School of Physics; Yan Wang, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\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\u003EFour initiatives and two programs have received support from the Institute for Matter and Systems to advance interdisciplinary research with real-world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four initiatives and two programs have received support from the Institute for Matter and Systems to advance interdisciplinary research with real-world impact."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2025-08-25 20:26:59","changed_gmt":"2025-08-25 20:36:12","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677800":{"id":"677800","type":"image","title":"marcus_outside_webCrop.jpg","body":null,"created":"1756154125","gmt_created":"2025-08-25 20:35:25","changed":"1756154125","gmt_changed":"2025-08-25 20:35:25","alt":"Outside the Marcus nanotechnology Building","file":{"fid":"261738","name":"marcus_outside_webCrop.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/25\/marcus_outside_webCrop.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/25\/marcus_outside_webCrop.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":375764,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/25\/marcus_outside_webCrop.jpg?itok=45hCDTLt"}}},"media_ids":["677800"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"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 | Research Communications Program 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":""}},"683216":{"#nid":"683216","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Announces New Minor in Science Communication and Policy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy is partnering with the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) to offer the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/minor-science-communication-policy\/\u0022\u003EMinor in Science Communication and Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. Based in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/a\u003E, the new program provides an in-depth look at how science is communicated to the public, how policy shapes research, and how science communication affects society. It\u2019s open to students in all majors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis interdisciplinary program is designed for humanities students interested in careers in health and science, media, technical communication, or public relations, as well as STEM majors seeking to develop their human-centered communication skills.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStudents must take LMC 3310 \u2013 The Rhetoric of Scientific Inquiry and PUBP 4410 \u2013 Science, Technology, and Public Policy and also choose three electives from a list of courses that includes LMC 3412 \u2013 Communicating Science and Technology to the Public, LMC 3318 \u2013 Biomedicine and Culture, and LMC 4406 \u2013 Contemporary Issues in Professional Communication.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA unique feature of this minor is the optional study-abroad experience in Dublin, Ireland, on storytelling and AI in journalism, offered in partnership with CNN.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis is an exciting opportunity for Georgia Tech students to learn how policy shapes and is shaped by how we talk about science and to learn how scientific advances are communicated by professionals to different public audiences,\u201d said LMC Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKelly Ritter\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Minor in Science Communication and Policy is\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/683148\/ivan-allen-college-offers-minors\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eone of three new minors\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E offered by the Ivan Allen College this fall.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe interdisciplinary program provides an in-depth look at how science is communicated to the public, how policy shapes research, and how science communication affects society.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The interdisciplinary program provides an in-depth look at how science is communicated to the public, how policy shapes research, and how science communication affects society."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-07-22 16:09:13","changed_gmt":"2025-07-22 17:24:34","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673414":{"id":"673414","type":"image","title":"A view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1710522679","gmt_created":"2024-03-15 17:11:19","changed":"1710522636","gmt_changed":"2024-03-15 17:10:36","alt":"A view of Tech Tower from Crosland Tower. Photo: Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"256810","name":"22C10400-P10-002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5193114,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/15\/22C10400-P10-002_0.jpg?itok=n1Xzkjik"}}},"media_ids":["673414"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/minor-science-communication-policy\/","title":"Minor in Science Communication and Policy"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"183271","name":"science communications"},{"id":"183724","name":"majors and minors"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Pearson\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683160":{"#nid":"683160","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Congratulations to the 2025 Class of 40 Under 40","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour College of Sciences alumni have been selected as members of the\u0026nbsp;2025 class of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/s\/1481\/alumni\/19\/interior.aspx?sid=1481\u0026amp;gid=21\u0026amp;pgid=19274\u0026amp;cid=1t\u0022\u003E40 Under 40\u003C\/a\u003E. Launched by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Alumni Association\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2020, this program highlights the work of Yellow Jackets who are \u201creshaping industries, solving big challenges, and leaving a lasting mark on the world as they elevate excellence.\u201c\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are incredibly proud to see four outstanding alumni from the College of Sciences recognized in this year\u2019s 40 Under 40,\u201d says \u003Cstrong\u003ELeslie Roberts\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of Alumni Relations for the College of Sciences. \u201cTheir achievements are a testament to the power of scientific curiosity and innovation to shape a better future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeet the inspirational honorees from the College of Sciences:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrandi Brown, BIO 2013\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounder\/CEO\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Gulf Spore\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBrandi Brown is making waves in the mushroom industry. Upon graduating from Georgia Tech, she commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. After serving her country, she earned a Ph.D. in bioengineering, focusing on the development of bioplastics from microbes. Recognizing the beauty and potential of fungi, she founded Gulf Spore, a mushroom biotech company dedicated to solving many of humanity\u2019s greatest challenges, such as food waste. Gulf Spore was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant by the National Science Foundation.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite Tech Memory:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;One of my favorite memories was getting to perform Honor Guard at the GT football game as a rifle bearer!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVictoria Fritz, BIO 2017\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFounder\/CEO\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| BabyBumps\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDr. Victoria Fritz is a physician turned entrepreneur. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Fritz went to medical school at the University of North Carolina\u2013Chapel Hill and matched into cardiothoracic surgery (heart and lung surgery) for residency. After a major medical diagnosis forced her to leave her career in heart surgery, she launched BabyBumps, a company focused on the fertility space with a mission to elevate the value of women in surrogacy.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite Tech Memory:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EI met my husband when we were students at Tech! He is now my most important business partner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMitchell Hanson, NEURO 2020\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMD\/MPH Student\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Medical College of Georgia\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMitchell Hanson is a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health candidate at the Medical College of Georgia with interests in public health, dermatology, and fitness. He has presented at national and international conferences, published in high-impact journals including the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology\u003C\/em\u003E and the Alzheimer\u2019s Association, and appeared on TEDx and AMA national platforms. He has managed nearly $50,000 in grant funding for community health initiatives and completed his MPH internship in Vietnam researching vascular anomalies and laser technologies. As the current president of his institution\u2019s Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter, Hanson aims to reshape medicine through medical media, artistic expression, and a reimagined identity of physicianship. He was inducted into the AMA Leadership Development Institute 2025-26 Health Administration and Management Cohort.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite Tech Memory:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Biomolecular Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Study Abroad Program in Lyon. I made lifelong friends there, including one whose wedding I just officiated for!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnthony Rojas, CHEM 2014\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESenior Academic Professional\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;| Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAnthony J. Rojas is a senior academic professional in chemistry at Georgia Tech. He earned his Ph.D. from MIT and his bachelor\u2019s from Georgia Tech, both in chemistry. His research spans peptide therapeutics, transition metal catalysis, and inclusive chemistry education, with over a dozen peer-reviewed publications. A passionate educator, he has received multiple teaching awards and led funded projects from NIH, NSF, and ACS. Rojas is committed to mentorship and outreach. He integrates light-board technology and active learning to enhance student engagement and success in the chemistry classroom.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFavorite Tech Memory:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EMeeting my people, including my future wife!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELearn more about the 2025 class on the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/s\/1481\/alumni\/19\/interior.aspx?sid=1481\u0026amp;gid=21\u0026amp;pgid=19274\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech Alumni Association\u2019s website\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;or by exploring the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/views\/GeorgiaTechAlumni40Under402025\/dash2?:showVizHome=no\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Einteractive honoree dashboard\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour exceptional alumni from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Sciences have been named to the Georgia Tech Alumni Association\u2019s 2025 class of 40 Under 40, recognized for their contributions in science, medicine, entrepreneurship, and education.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four exceptional alumni from Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Sciences have been named to the Georgia Tech Alumni Association\u2019s 2025 class of 40 Under 40, recognized for their contributions in science, medicine, entrepreneurship, and education."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2025-07-16 16:26:19","changed_gmt":"2025-07-17 15:37:09","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677437":{"id":"677437","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Alumni Association\u0027s 2025 Class of 40 Under 40","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Alumni Association\u0027s 2025 Class of 40 Under 40\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752683818","gmt_created":"2025-07-16 16:36:58","changed":"1752683818","gmt_changed":"2025-07-16 16:36:58","alt":"Big collage of honoree headshots.","file":{"fid":"261334","name":"40U40-2025-group-FBLI.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-group-FBLI.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-group-FBLI.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1242259,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-group-FBLI.jpg?itok=_30txqCG"}},"677438":{"id":"677438","type":"image","title":"Brandi Brown, BIO 2013, (Founder\/CEO, Gulf Spore)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBrandi Brown, Bio 13, (Founder\/CEO, Gulf Spore)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752684754","gmt_created":"2025-07-16 16:52:34","changed":"1752758436","gmt_changed":"2025-07-17 13:20:36","alt":"Headshot of blonde woman superimposed on Georgia Tech scene.","file":{"fid":"261335","name":"40U40-2025-IG-Brandi-Brown.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Brandi-Brown.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Brandi-Brown.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1356054,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Brandi-Brown.jpg?itok=wJGW1YYW"}},"677442":{"id":"677442","type":"image","title":"Victoria Fritz, BIO 2017, (Founder\/CEO, BabyBumps)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVictoria Fritz, Bio 17, (Founder\/CEO, BabyBumps)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752685711","gmt_created":"2025-07-16 17:08:31","changed":"1752758427","gmt_changed":"2025-07-17 13:20:27","alt":"Female headshot superimposed on old fashioned scenes from Georgia Tech.","file":{"fid":"261339","name":"40U40-2025-IG-Victoria-Fritz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Victoria-Fritz_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Victoria-Fritz_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1376142,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Victoria-Fritz_0.jpg?itok=echGEWSE"}},"677441":{"id":"677441","type":"image","title":"Mitchell Hanson, NEURO 2020, (MD\/MPH Student, Medical College of Georgia)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMitchell Hanson, Neur 20, (MD\/MPH Student, Medical College of Georgia)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752685586","gmt_created":"2025-07-16 17:06:26","changed":"1752758416","gmt_changed":"2025-07-17 13:20:16","alt":"Male headshot superimposed on Georgia Tech scenes.","file":{"fid":"261338","name":"40U40-2025-IG-Mitchell-Hanson.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Mitchell-Hanson.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Mitchell-Hanson.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1317465,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Mitchell-Hanson.jpg?itok=yB3-NARj"}},"677443":{"id":"677443","type":"image","title":"Anthony Rojas, CHEM 2014, (Senior Academic Professional, Georgia Tech) ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnthony Rojas, Chem 14, (Senior Academic Professional, Georgia Tech)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752685845","gmt_created":"2025-07-16 17:10:45","changed":"1752758404","gmt_changed":"2025-07-17 13:20:04","alt":"Male headshot superimposed on Georgia Tech scenes.","file":{"fid":"261340","name":"40U40-2025-IG-Anthony-Rojas.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Anthony-Rojas.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Anthony-Rojas.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1330016,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/16\/40U40-2025-IG-Anthony-Rojas.jpg?itok=4YsumoX5"}}},"media_ids":["677437","677438","677442","677441","677443"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/honoring-2024-class-40-under-40","title":"Honoring the 2024 Class of 40 Under 40"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"15050","name":"40 under 40"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"171949","name":"Alumni Awards"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682808":{"#nid":"682808","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Sciences Faculty Named to Spring 2025 Honor Roll","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Office of Academic Effectiveness (OAE) have announced the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.ctl.gatech.edu\/2025\/06\/11\/spring-2025-honor-roll\/\u0022\u003ESpring 2025 Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) Honor Roll\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty members who made the Spring 2025 Honor Roll have been celebrated by their students for outstanding teaching and educational impact. Students overwhelmingly praised these educators for their excellent teaching methods and dedication to student success. Each Honor Roll recipient receives a certificate from the Center for Teaching and Learning recognizing their accomplishment as well as an invitation to the next Celebrating Teaching Day held in March 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Sciences congratulates the following faculty members who have been named to the Spring 2025 CIOS Honor Roll:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Sciences \u2013 Small Classes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBenjamin McKenna, recognized for MATH 3235: Probability Theory\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EColin Harrison, recognized for BIOS 4803: Special Topics: Sexual Differentiation Humans\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKatharine McCann, recognized for NEUR 4803: Special Topics: Neuroscience of Addiction\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELiana Boop, recognized for EAS 1600: Intro-Environmental Sci\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMark Hay, recognized for BIOS 4417: Marine Ecology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMark Himmelstein, recognized for PSYC 2020: Psychological Statistics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESven Simon, recognized for PHYS 4803: Special Topics: Space Plasma Physics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWill Gutekunst, recognized for CHEM 6750: Prep\u0026amp;Reactions-Polymers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Sciences \u2013 Large Classes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAdam Decker, recognized for BIOS 3753: Human Anatomy\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnjuli Datta, recognized for BIOS 4570: Immunology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnthony Rojas, recognized for CHEM 3111: Inorganic Chemistry\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChristopher Haines, recognized for CHEM 2312: Organic Chemistry II\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEmily Weigel, recognized for BIOS 4401: Exper Dgn \u0026amp;Statis Methods\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHannah Smith, recognized for BIOS 3380: Microbiology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMioy Huynh, recognized for CHEM 1310: Prin of Gen Chem for Engr\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPamela Pollet, recognized for CHEM 2311: Organic Chemistry I\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERobert Richards, recognized for BIOS 4401: Exper Dgn \u0026amp;Statis Methods\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWilliam Stern, recognized for PSYC 2210: Social Psychology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe full \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.ctl.gatech.edu\/2025\/06\/11\/spring-2025-honor-roll\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESpring 2025 CIOS Honor Roll\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E can be found on CTL\u2019s website.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEighteen faculty members from the College of Sciences have been recognized by their students for outstanding teaching and educational impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Eighteen faculty members from the College of Sciences have been recognized by their students for outstanding teaching and educational impact. "}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-06-18 14:02:40","changed_gmt":"2025-06-18 14:30:28","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677246":{"id":"677246","type":"image","title":"Spring 2025 Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) Honor Roll","body":null,"created":"1750255380","gmt_created":"2025-06-18 14:03:00","changed":"1750255380","gmt_changed":"2025-06-18 14:03:00","alt":"Spring 2025 Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) Honor Roll","file":{"fid":"261127","name":"2024-CIOS-6.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/18\/2024-CIOS-6.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/18\/2024-CIOS-6.png","mime":"image\/png","size":355034,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/18\/2024-CIOS-6.png?itok=I5Ns7Xxy"}}},"media_ids":["677246"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/blog.ctl.gatech.edu\/2025\/06\/11\/spring-2025-honor-roll\/","title":"Spring 2025 CIOS Honor Roll"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"190099","name":"CIOS Award"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"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=\u0022https:\/\/blog.ctl.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECenter for Teaching and Learning\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682472":{"#nid":"682472","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Peptides, Persistence, and Publication","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhen Marielle Frooman joined the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mcshanlab.com\/\u0022\u003EMcShan Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, she brought a strong passion for chemistry, but no lab experience. Today, the fourth-year Georgia Tech biochemistry student is the first co-author of a groundbreaking malaria study published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-025-92191-6\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScientific Reports\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Portfolio\u003C\/em\u003E journal. Through extensive experimentation coupled with computer modeling, Frooman led a team of undergraduate and graduate researchers that uncovered eight peptides that can help the immune system recognize and fight the malaria parasite.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMalaria kills over 500,000 annually with the mortality rate substantially higher in Africa,\u201d says Frooman. \u201cOur research explores how specific peptides bind to proteins that trigger immune responses.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrooman originally hoped the research would help her learn how to think like a scientist and gain basic lab knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe gained those skills and more, quickly becoming recognized as an exceptional researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMarielle is one of the most passionate and talented undergraduate researchers I have ever worked with,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/andrew-mcshan\u0022\u003EAndrew McShan\u003C\/a\u003E, McShan Lab principal investigator and associate professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cShe is also a caring mentor and motivated future leader who wants to change the world. Her malaria research has the potential to provide\u0026nbsp;real therapeutic outcomes, including better designs for vaccines and immunotherapy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom curiosity to contribution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrooman\u2019s journey into undergraduate research began with persistence. After a year and a half of searching for lab opportunities, she attended a School of Chemistry and Biochemistry research showcase. She approached several graduate students and professors with no success, until she met McShan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cOur first meeting was so relaxed and friendly that I didn\u2019t even realize Professor McShan was the principal investigator,\u201d admits Frooman. \u201cThat\u2019s how it all started.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOnce she officially joined the lab, Frooman contributed to every stage of the research, including designing experiments, performing computational and wet lab work, analyzing data, and writing and presenting the paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELessons in resilience\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team faced several challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe research was delayed by failure after failure,\u201d says Frooman. \u201cBut each setback taught us something valuable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team\u2019s biggest challenge involved trying to grow crystals of the peptide\/HLA (protein) complexes to determine how they fit together. They spent two years attempting various methods, but nothing worked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGuided by McShan, Frooman and the team then came up with the idea of using computational modeling to enable a deeper understanding of how the peptides and proteins interact at both biophysical and structural levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cUtilizing the computational modeling enabled us to see the best bindings and turned into a game-changing insight for our research, potentially leading to the design of more effective malaria treatments and vaccines,\u201d explains Frooman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe is quick to credit Georgia Tech and McShan for providing her with such a valuable learning experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAt many universities, undergraduates rarely do meaningful research, but at Tech, it\u2019s a priority,\u201d explains Frooman. \u201cI\u2019m extremely grateful for the opportunity to grow in such a supportive environment, and to learn from mentors like Professor McShan who lead by example and make time for every student.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer advice to other undergraduates entering research?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEmbrace your failures. They make the successes even more rewarding,\u201d shares Frooman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutside the lab\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOn campus, Frooman is president of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society and Cleanup Crew at GT, a member of Alpha Phi International Fraternity, and a campus tour guide who serves on their executive board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe especially loves being a tour guide as it allows her to share her love of Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;and its people:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEveryone is unapologetically themselves and fully invested in their major or interests. As someone who loves chemistry, I enjoy being surrounded by people who are just as dedicated to their passions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrooman is a recipient of the Chance Family Scholarship, presented to two School of Chemistry and Biochemistry upperclassmen, recognizing their academic excellence, research contributions, and potential for career success in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERecently, she shifted her research focus to organic synthetic chemistry and now works in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gutekunstlab.com\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Gutekunst Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. Her career goals include earning a Ph.D. in Chemistry with an emphasis on natural product synthesis, the lab-based creation of complex chemical compounds found in nature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve seen what university labs can do,\u201d says Frooman. \u201cI hope to one day lead my own lab, advancing impactful research and mentoring the next generation of scientists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Marielle Frooman\u2019s Undergraduate Research Path"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor her first undergraduate research experience,\u0026nbsp;Marielle Frooman did more than work in the McShan lab \u2014\u0026nbsp;she helped lead research that could shape the future of malaria treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For her first undergraduate research experience, Marielle Frooman did more than work in the McShan lab \u2014 she helped lead research that could shape the future of malaria treatment."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2025-05-20 14:23:34","changed_gmt":"2025-06-10 18:50:11","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677093":{"id":"677093","type":"image","title":"\u0022I\u0027m passionate about this research because of its potential for worldwide impact,\u0022 says Frooman.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u0027m passionate about this research because of its potential for worldwide impact,\u0022 says Frooman.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1747751096","gmt_created":"2025-05-20 14:24:56","changed":"1747759733","gmt_changed":"2025-05-20 16:48:53","alt":"a woman in a lab coat","file":{"fid":"260957","name":"33466402-2DE7-4116-8AFC-F2EB90676614_1_105_c.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/33466402-2DE7-4116-8AFC-F2EB90676614_1_105_c.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/33466402-2DE7-4116-8AFC-F2EB90676614_1_105_c.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":159264,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/20\/33466402-2DE7-4116-8AFC-F2EB90676614_1_105_c.jpeg?itok=Ffgeg5p0"}},"677099":{"id":"677099","type":"image","title":"Frooman\u0027s Georgia Tech honors include the President\u2019s Undergraduate Research Award and the Judith Priddy Award, given to a Panhellenic woman with demonstrated high scholarship and leadership.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrooman\u0027s Georgia Tech honors include the President\u2019s Undergraduate Research Award and the Judith Priddy Award, given to a Panhellenic woman with demonstrated high scholarship and leadership.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1747760188","gmt_created":"2025-05-20 16:56:28","changed":"1748441123","gmt_changed":"2025-05-28 14:05:23","alt":"Young woman posting with Georgia Tech mascot Buzz.","file":{"fid":"260968","name":"froobuzz264920A4-D6F4-4A68-A1FB-C4363C192C36.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/froobuzz264920A4-D6F4-4A68-A1FB-C4363C192C36.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/20\/froobuzz264920A4-D6F4-4A68-A1FB-C4363C192C36.png","mime":"image\/png","size":14783219,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/20\/froobuzz264920A4-D6F4-4A68-A1FB-C4363C192C36.png?itok=zeqKCU4E"}}},"media_ids":["677093","677099"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-frontier-immune-research-andrew-mcshan-awarded-career-grant-protein-lipid-research","title":"A New Frontier of Immune Research: Andrew McShan Awarded CAREER Grant for Protein-Lipid Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/undergraduate-anu-iyer-leads-parkinsons-research-study","title":"Undergraduate Anu Iyer Leads Parkinson\u2019s Research Study"}],"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":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"48951","name":"featured student research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"7629","name":"malaria"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"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\u003EWriter: Laura S. Smith\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682584":{"#nid":"682584","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Poetry to Polymers: How the Pursuit of a Creative Path Led to Electrochromic Materials","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-shen\u0022\u003EEric Shen\u003C\/a\u003E, a research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, loves art and science in equal measure \u2014 and believes it\u2019s possible for creatives to build STEM careers that foster joy. In the latest installment of the \u201cUnexpected Paths\u201d series, Shen discusses his work with color-changing windows and why he continues to be at Georgia Tech after over a decade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/43211\u0022\u003ERead the article here \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEric Shen loves art and science in equal measure \u2014 and believes it\u2019s possible for creatives to build STEM careers that foster joy. Learn about his unexpected path to becoming a research engineer in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Eric Shen loves art and science in equal measure \u2014 and believes it\u2019s possible for creatives to build STEM careers that foster joy. "}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-05-29 17:22:49","changed_gmt":"2025-06-06 14:54:21","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677148":{"id":"677148","type":"image","title":"Eric Shen","body":null,"created":"1748451373","gmt_created":"2025-05-28 16:56:13","changed":"1748540192","gmt_changed":"2025-05-29 17:36:32","alt":"Eric Shen","file":{"fid":"261016","name":"shen-feature-6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/28\/shen-feature-6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/28\/shen-feature-6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":85037,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/28\/shen-feature-6.jpg?itok=7iCTzMwM"}}},"media_ids":["677148"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/unexpected-paths","title":"Unexpected Paths: 12 Research Faculty Journeys"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"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":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"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":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682514":{"#nid":"682514","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Faculty and Programs Recognized With 2025 Regents\u2019 Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) recently honored Georgia Tech with 17 distinctions and awards, reflecting the Institute\u2019s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, innovative practices, and impactful leadership.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Board of Regents (BOR) may grant Regents\u2019 distinctions for a period of three years to exceptional members of the USG\u2019s academic and research community. To receive a Regents\u2019 distinction, a candidate must be unanimously recommended by key leaders at their university: the president, the chief academic officer, the dean, and three additional faculty members appointed by the university president. Following this, final approval must be obtained from both the chancellor and the BOR Committee on Academic Affairs. The renewal process follows similarly rigorous guidelines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese prestigious distinctions honor faculty and staff who have demonstrated exceptional achievements and have had an outstanding impact on their institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAward for Excellence in High-Impact Practices\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year, Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVertically Integrated Projects\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E program was honored with the \u003Cstrong\u003ERegents\u2019 Award for Excellence in High-Impact Practices and Experiential Learning\u003C\/strong\u003E. This recognition underscores the program\u2019s success in engaging students across disciplines to tackle real-world challenges through collaborative, project-based learning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe following Georgia Tech faculty members were appointed or reappointed to distinguished positions:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegents\u2019 Researcher\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStephen Balakirsky\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Aerospace, Transportation \u0026amp; Advanced Systems Laboratory *Reappointment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnton Bryksin\u003C\/strong\u003E, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience *Reappointment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrad Fain\u003C\/strong\u003E, Center for Advanced Communications Policy, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Electronic Systems Laboratory\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E*Reappointment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrent Wagner\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegents\u2019 Entrepreneur\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EF. Levent Degertekin\u003C\/strong\u003E, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Kohl\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegents\u2019 Professorship\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFacundo Fernandez\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences *Reappointment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EM.G. Finn\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJulia Kubanek\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Biological Sciences and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Liang\u003C\/strong\u003E, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDana Randall\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Computer Science, College of Computing and School of Mathematics, College of Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeril Toktay\u003C\/strong\u003E, Scheller College of Business *Reappointment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarvin Whiteley\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegents\u2019 Innovator\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManos Antonakakis\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETarek Rakha\u003C\/strong\u003E, School of Architecture, College of Design\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAcademic Recognition Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the faculty awards, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/25\/public-policy-student-ashley-cotsman-selected-usg-academic-recognition-day\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAshley Cotsman,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E a recent graduate of the School of Public Policy, received the prestigious \u003Cstrong\u003EAcademic Recognition Award\u003C\/strong\u003E, which celebrates her outstanding academic achievements during her time at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReflecting on Excellence\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese honors highlight the incredible talent, dedication, and innovation that define Georgia Tech,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003ESteve McLaughlin\u003C\/strong\u003E, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. \u201cFrom our transformative programs to our distinguished faculty, researchers, and students, these recognitions affirm our commitment to state-wide leadership in education and research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute continues to demonstrate excellence in academics and research, setting a benchmark for higher education in the state of Georgia and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"USG Board of Regents\u2019 awards honor outstanding achievements and high-impact practices in instruction, research, entrepreneurship, and campus programming."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently honored Georgia Tech with 15 distinctions and awards, reflecting the Institute\u2019s commitment to excellence, innovation, and leadership.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently honored Georgia Tech with 15 distinctions and awards, reflecting the Institute\u2019s commitment to excellence, innovation, and leadership."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-05-23 12:10:04","changed_gmt":"2025-05-23 12:15:45","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":[],"media_ids":[],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/celebrating-excellence-across-college-sciences","title":"Celebrating Excellence Across the College of Sciences"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"19401","name":"Regents Professors"},{"id":"728","name":"Board of Regents"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"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 Brittany Aiello\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFaculty Communications Program Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EExecutive Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682182":{"#nid":"682182","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Propelling Georgia Tech to the Final Frontier","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEarly on, Georgia Tech graduate students William Trenton Gantt and Hugh (Ka Yui) Chen imagined working in the space industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I was 14, I dreamed about being in space one day,\u201d recalls Chen, 22, a native of Hong Kong and a Ph.D. student in aerospace engineering. \u201cI think the industry has been making space more accessible to everyone. Commercialization is a big part of enabling this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGantt, an engineer and former U.S. Army veteran graduating with an MBA from the Scheller College of Business this spring, remembered seeing the space shuttle retire and companies begin privatizing space as he entered young adulthood.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in space, and a lot of it comes from the challenge of going to space,\u201d he observes. \u201cSeeing how hard it is to get to space and seeing it become achievable \u2014 that to me was the most attractive thing about it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Gantt, the feeling always brings to mind John F. Kennedy\u2019s famous line that spelled out America\u2019s space ambitions: \u201cWe choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecognizing Georgia Tech\u2019s aerospace strengths, Gantt didn\u2019t waste time building bridges within Scheller and in other parts of Georgia Tech. He founded the Scheller MBA Space Club, a first at the College, to track the industry as it grows and develops.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI came from a military background, so I had my eye on the defense industry going into the MBA program. Georgia Tech, being the No. 2 aerospace engineering undergraduate school in the nation, I knew they already had strong industry connections. Making connections was a big goal coming into this program.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssessing Early-Stage Space Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe took part in the Entrepreneurship Assistants Program (EAP), which pairs a Scheller MBA student with a faculty or student inventor to evaluate early-stage technology for potential commercialization. He evaluated two space-related technologies, one with Chen\u2019s support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe EAs conduct technology commercialization assessments and develop a business model canvas. By applying an entrepreneurial strategy compass, they predict potential go-to-market strategies for new technology,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/paul-joseph\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Joseph\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal in the Office of Commercialization\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Quadrant-\u003Cem\u003Ei\u003C\/em\u003E unit, who created the EAP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;(See sidebar to read more about the EAP and the specific technologies assessed.)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETapping Into a Nearly $2T Industry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to McKinsey \u0026amp; Co., the space technology market, fueled by advancements in satellite technology, commercial space travel, and 5G networks, is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re seeing an industry shifting from a multibillion-dollar market cap to a multitrillion-dollar market cap in less than a decade. If you look at this from a business perspective, this is a massive addressable market for entrepreneurs,\u0022 says Gantt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom its Center for Space Technology and Research to the new Center for Space Policy and International Relations and labs like the Space Systems Design Lab, which focuses on areas such as CubeSat propulsion, lunar research, and hypersonic flight, Georgia Tech excels in space research across disciplines. In July, Georgia Tech will launch the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/682182\u0022\u003ESpace Research Institute (SRI)\u003C\/a\u003E, one of its newest Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRI), to foster additional collaboration in this growing field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt Georgia Tech, there are competencies across every single College that will help to augment our understanding of space,\u201d says Alex Oettl, professor of strategy and innovation in Scheller College, whose interest in the new space economy spans the last 20 years. \u201cWhen you look at the technologies coming from Georgia Tech, they can impact this future trillion-dollar industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;An economist by training, Oettl led Georgia Tech\u2019s involvement in the Creative Destruction Lab-Atlanta, a multi-university program that helped commercialize early-stage scientific technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeveraging Affordable Launch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe emergence of affordable launch, spurred by SpaceX\u2019s introduction of the Falcon 9 rocket using reusable rocket technology, has made space much more accessible, from biomedical companies to academic institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause there has been a drop in the cost of accessing space, it allows experimentation to flourish,\u201d says Oettl.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe recalls Mark Costello, former chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, explaining how he could launch a CubeSat into Low Earth Orbit out of his research budget, whereas before it would have been cost-prohibitive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, Georgia Tech students and researchers are poised to capitalize on the new space economy stack \u2014 from new launch capabilities to new development in propellants and in-space operations and maintenance to more powerful sensors on Earth-observation satellites.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve seen firsthand the traction occurring on the commercial side. There are a lot of social scientists waking up to the opportunity that exists and thinking about business dynamics that will emerge as a result of this great opportunity,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech, an interdisciplinary, tech-focused university, brings significant capabilities across its Colleges to drive new and emerging technologies that have implications for space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSpace hits on all the strengths that exist at the various Colleges,\u201d Oettl explains. \u201cFaculty at Georgia Tech are pushing the boundary and showing our students innovations that will emerge in the space economy that are not immediately obvious \u2014 such as in adjacent industries.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOettl calls these first-order and spillover impacts of new technology. By first-order impacts, he means businesses can take advantage of these opportunities and create new products on top of the original innovation. By spillovers, he cites as an example an Earth-observation satellite enabling other industries to take advantage of data from the ground. For instance, insurance companies are one of the largest users of space technology by way of satellite imagery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBringing Capabilities Together Through New Space IRI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SRI will bring together the best in engineering, computer science, policy, and business research across Georgia Tech. Along the way, it could help engineers and computer scientists think with a more business-minded approach to pitch their innovations to the commercial space sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou don\u2019t see a lot of engineers having that inherent ability,\u201d notes Gantt. \u201cThe Space IRI can shine by fostering collaboration between business students and engineers, enabling them to develop innovative go-to-market strategies and clearly define the unique value propositions these technologies offer to end users. You can bring these people together and create some forward momentum in the space industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew space IRI and commercialization activities showcase space as an exciting destination for students and faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New space IRI and commercialization activities showcase space as an exciting destination for students and faculty."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2025-05-01 21:22:32","changed_gmt":"2025-05-19 20:52:21","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677017":{"id":"677017","type":"image","title":"Space Commercialization","body":null,"created":"1746187901","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 12:11:41","changed":"1746188079","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 12:14:39","alt":"Trenton Gantt and Hugh (Ka Yui) Chen work together in the lab","file":{"fid":"260876","name":"space-commercialization.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/space-commercialization.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/space-commercialization.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1612561,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/space-commercialization.png?itok=t7RqalhH"}}},"media_ids":["677017"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENews Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaurie Haigh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682216":{"#nid":"682216","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Unique Molecule May Lead to Smaller, More Efficient Computers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/jason-azoulay\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJason Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is an associate professor of \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMaterials Science and Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E at Georgia Tech. He is the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gra.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Vasser-Woolley Distinguished Investigator in Optoelectronics and serves as co-director of the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cope.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECenter for Organic Photonics and Electronics\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story by Janette Neuwahl Tannen is \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.miami.edu\/stories\/2025\/05\/unique-molecule-may-lead-to-smaller-more-efficient-computers.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eshared jointly with the University of Miami\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E newsroom.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, most of us carry a fairly powerful computer in our hand \u2014 a smartphone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut computers weren\u2019t always so portable. Since the 1980s, they have become smaller, lighter, and better equipped to store and process vast troves of data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet the silicon chips that power computers can only get so small.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the past 50 years, the number of transistors we can put on a chip has doubled every two years,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.miami.edu\/profile\/f7bad2a8f419d8386bde26d3bb75406d\u0022\u003EKun Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of physics at the University of Miami \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.as.miami.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Arts and Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBut we are rapidly reaching the physical limits for silicon-based electronics, and it\u2019s more challenging to miniaturize electronic components using the technologies we have been using for half a century.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a problem that Wang and many in his field of molecular electronics are hoping to solve. Specifically, they are looking for a way to conduct electricity without using silicon or metal, which are used to create computer chips today. Using tiny molecular materials for functional components, like transistors, sensors, and interconnects in electronic chips offers several advantages, especially as traditional silicon-based technologies approach their physical and performance limits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut finding the ideal chemical makeup for this molecule has stumped scientists. Recently, Wang, along with his graduate students, \u003Cstrong\u003EMehrdad Shiri\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EShaocheng Shen\u003C\/strong\u003E, and collaborators \u003Cstrong\u003EJason Azoulay\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Distinguished Investigator;\u0026nbsp;and \u003Cstrong\u003EIgnacio Franco\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at the University of Rochester, uncovered a promising solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis week, the team shared what they believe is the world\u2019s most electrically conductive organic molecule. Their discovery, published in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__http:\/www.pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/jacs.4c18150__;!!KVu0SnhVq1hAFvslES2Y!LLGIGEsofweH_wfibO4xZ3nKxcvpUgjmdtiRpstWtkFFtN9MzYlEwOkWLnAMmkrSFJJ23Gt1-txxR2ds$\u0022\u003EJournal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E, opens up new possibilities for constructing smaller, more powerful computing devices at the molecular scale. Even better, the molecule is composed of chemical elements found in nature \u2014 mostly carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSo far, there is no molecular material that allows electrons to go across it without significant loss of conductivity,\u201d Wang says. \u201cThis work is the first demonstration that organic molecules can allow electrons to migrate across it without any energy loss over several tens of nanometers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe testing and validation of their unique new molecule took more than two years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the work of this team reveals that their molecules are stable under everyday ambient conditions and offer the highest possible electrical conductance at unparalleled lengths. Therefore, it could pave the way for classical computing devices to become smaller, more energy-efficient, as well as cost-efficient, Wang adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, the ability of a molecule to conduct electrons decreases exponentially as the molecular size increases. These newly developed molecular \u201cwires\u201d are needed highways for information to be transferred, processed, and stored in future computing, Wang says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s unique in our molecular system is that electrons travel across the molecule like a bullet without energy loss, so it is theoretically the most efficient way of electron transport in any material system,\u201d Wang notes. \u201cNot only can it downsize future electronic devices, but its structure could also enable functions that were not even possible with silicon-based materials.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang means that the molecule\u2019s abilities might create new opportunities to revolutionize molecule-based quantum information science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe ultra-high electrical conductance observed in our molecules is a result of an intriguing interaction of electron spins at the two ends of the molecule,\u201d he adds. \u201cIn the future, one could use this molecular system as a qubit, which is a fundamental unit for quantum computing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team was able to notice these abilities by studying their new molecule under a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Using a technique called STM break-junction, the team was able to capture a single molecule and measure its conductance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShiri, the graduate student, adds: \u201cIn terms of application, this molecule is a big leap toward real-world applications. Since it is chemically robust and air-stable, it could even be integrated with existing nanoelectronic components in a chip and work as an electronic wire or interconnects between chips.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond that, the materials needed to compose the molecule are inexpensive, and it can be created in a lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis molecular system functions in a way that is not possible with current, conventional materials,\u201d Wang says. \u201cThese are new properties that would not add to the cost but could make (computing devices) more powerful and energy efficient.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/jacs.4c18150\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/jacs.4c18150\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003EU.S. Department of Energy\u003C\/strong\u003E, Office of Science, Basic Energy\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESciences; \u003Cstrong\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/strong\u003E (NSF); \u003Cstrong\u003EAir Force Office of Scientific Research\u003C\/strong\u003E (AFOSR) under support provided by the Organic Materials\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChemistry Program; \u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E (GTRI) Graduate\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Researcher Fellowship Program (GSFP). Computational resources were provided by the \u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Integrated Research Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E (CIRC) at the\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUniversity of Rochester.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlong with Jason Azoulay, Georgia Tech co-authors also include \u003Cstrong\u003EParamasivam Mahalingam\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003ETyler Bills\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander J. Bushnell\u003C\/strong\u003E, and \u003Cstrong\u003ETanya A. Balandin\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Physicists have developed a new type of molecule that could offer a groundbreaking material for computer chips.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPhysicists from Georgia Tech, University of Miami, and University of Rochester have developed a new type of molecule that could offer a groundbreaking material for computer chips.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Physicists have developed a new type of molecule that could offer a groundbreaking material for computer chips.  "}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2025-05-02 20:46:28","changed_gmt":"2025-05-02 20:50:56","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677029":{"id":"677029","type":"image","title":"(Rendering: Second Bay Studios)","body":null,"created":"1746219016","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 20:50:16","changed":"1746219016","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 20:50:16","alt":"(Rendering: Second Bay Studios)","file":{"fid":"260889","name":"Full_D5_Gold65-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/Full_D5_Gold65-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/Full_D5_Gold65-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2190871,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/Full_D5_Gold65-web.jpg?itok=uxPpGaA0"}}},"media_ids":["677029"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-welcomes-first-gra-distinguished-investigator-new-eminent-scholar","title":"Georgia Tech Welcomes First GRA Distinguished Investigator, New Eminent Scholar"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/experts\/nsf-invests-725m-design-revolutionary-materials","title":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/experts\/nsf-invests-725m-design-revolutionary-materials"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682186":{"#nid":"682186","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Lynn Kamerlin Receives Biochemical Society Honor","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser Woolley Chair in Molecular Design in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, has been awarded the 2026 Inspiration and Resilience Award by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biochemistry.org\/\u0022\u003EBiochemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E. This award honors Kamerlin\u2019s \u201coutstanding promise and resilience,\u201d recognizing her achievements and contributions to the field of molecular bioscience in the face of significant challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAcademic CVs rarely, if ever, carry the human stories underlying professional accomplishments,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cI have chosen to be open about my battles with infertility and my experiences as a rare disease patient to help others feel less alone. Because of that decision, receiving this award, which recognizes those experiences and their role in shaping my career beyond my visible professional accomplishments, really means a lot to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe hopes that her story and the visibility of this award will encourage and inspire other scientists who are navigating their career paths and facing their own challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin, who joined the Institute in 2022, has also served as a Lise Meitner Guest Professor of Molecular Design at Lund University in Sweden since 2025. She obtained a Ph.D. in Theoretical Organic Chemistry from the University of Birmingham and completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Vienna and University of Southern California.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kamerlinlab.com\/\u0022\u003Eresearch lab\u003C\/a\u003E focuses on understanding the role of conformational dynamics\u0026nbsp;\u2014 changes in the\u0026nbsp; three-dimensional shape of a protein\u0026nbsp;\u2014 in protein evolution, and how these dynamics can be exploited to engineer novel proteins with tailored biocatalytic properties.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin has been extensively involved in high-level science policy, particularly relating to open science and researcher careers. She served as chair of the Young Academy of Europe and as a member of the executive council of the Protein Society. Kamerlin has also been deeply engaged in efforts to support women in science, broaden European participation in research, and promote the careers of young scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award honors Professor Kamerlin\u2019s \u201coutstanding promise and resilience,\u201d recognizing her achievements and contributions to the field of molecular bioscience in the face of significant challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award honors Professor Kamerlin\u2019s \u201coutstanding promise and resilience,\u201d recognizing her achievements and contributions to the field of molecular bioscience in the face of significant challenges."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-05-02 13:41:36","changed_gmt":"2025-05-02 16:43:51","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}}},"media_ids":["677019"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/kamerlinlab.com","title":"Kamerlin Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/protein-problem-georgia-tech-researchers-challenge-fundamental-assumption-evolutionary","title":"Protein Problem: Georgia Tech Researchers Challenge Fundamental Assumption in Evolutionary Biochemistry"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"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":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"12240","name":"faculty awards"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: Lindsay C. Vidal\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682159":{"#nid":"682159","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Honoring Faculty Promoted to the Highest Rank, Spring 2025","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Spring 2025,\u0026nbsp;67 academic and research faculty members\u0026nbsp;were promoted to the highest rank. We are honored to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to the Georgia Tech community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAcademic Faculty\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFaculty members newly awarded tenure are indicated with an asterisk (*).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EPromoted to Professor\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul T. Alonso\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Modern Languages, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAditi Das\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMunmun De Choudhury\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Interactive Computing, College of Computing*\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Blanchard Glass\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarta Hatzell\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames H. Hays\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Interactive Computing, College of Computing*\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMargaret Kosal\u003C\/strong\u003E - School of International Affairs, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGabriel A. Kwong\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHenry Storms La Pierre\u003C\/strong\u003E - School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Gerd Lerch\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Music, College of Design\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMark D. Losego\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Todd McDowell\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMartin P. Mourigal\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Physics, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPardis Pishdad\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Building Construction, College of Design\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EB. Aditya Prakash\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmit Prasad\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of History and Sociology, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA. Fatih Sarioglu\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoseph K. Scott\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Matthew Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of History and Sociology, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJake D. Soper\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimon N. Sponberg\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Physics, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELauren Krista Stewart\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWenting Sun\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMolei Tao\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Mathematics, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EW. Hong Yeo\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EPromoted to Principal Lecturer\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJacqueline Louise Garner\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Scheller College of Business\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EPromoted to Principal Extension Professional\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDonna M. Ennis\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJuli Golemi\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDamon C. Nix\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWendy White\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EPromoted to Principal Academic Professional\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrandy Ball Blake\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristy Michelle O\u0027Mahony\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBalakrishna S. Pai\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher M. Stanzione\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Psychology, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJana Stone\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EPromoted to Librarian\/Archivist IV\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlison E. Valk\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Georgia Tech Library\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EResearch Faculty\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromoted to Principal Research Scientist\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECurtis Free\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKishor Kumar Gupta\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnthony J. Giarrusso\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Geoinformation Systems, Architecture Centers, GTRI\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKinsey R. Herrin\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreston D. Herold\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAkihiro Hayashi\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Computer Science, College of Computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrevor Mackenzie Lewis\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Taylor Matthews\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ICL, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWilliam Stuart Michelson\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ATASL, ESL (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnton S. Petrov\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJun Shirako\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Computer Science, College of Computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHongyi Zhou\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 School of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromoted to Principal Research Engineer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShaun David Anderson\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ATASL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaula Gomez\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFran\u00e7ois Guillot\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETheodore Grosch\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 SEAL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChad Kerr\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ESL, ESD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Kovitz\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ACL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENelson E. Lourenco\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 SEAL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00c1lvaro L. Marenco\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 SEAL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScott Leon McLennan\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Zachary Miller\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ACL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid John Oostdyk\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 SEAL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffrey David Pitcher\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ICL, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew J. Stark\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 EOSL, ESD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EXiaojuan Song\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ATASL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrancisco Vald\u00e9s\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaymond Warner\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ATASL, SISD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESamantha Ann Zaydman\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 ESL, ESD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromoted to Principal Research Associate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhu Chieu Le\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Research Support, Operations Division (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDusty Meaders\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 CIPHR, ICSD (GTRI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromoted to Principal Extension Professional\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDonna M. Ennis\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJuli Golemi\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDamon C. Nix\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWendy White\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn Spring 2025,\u0026nbsp;67 academic and research faculty members\u0026nbsp;were promoted to the highest rank. We are honored to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to the Georgia Tech community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In Spring 2025, 67 academic and research faculty members were promoted to the highest rank. We are honored to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to the Georgia Tech community."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2025-05-01 15:48:28","changed_gmt":"2025-05-01 19:38:00","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"665542":{"id":"665542","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1675786600","gmt_created":"2023-02-07 16:16:40","changed":"1680535335","gmt_changed":"2023-04-03 15:22:15","alt":"Close up shot of Tech Tower in the spring with blooming flowers","file":{"fid":"251701","name":"Untitled design (45).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%2845%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%2845%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":219284,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%2845%29.jpg?itok=8KmsPMrs"}}},"media_ids":["665542"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/celebrating-tenure-spring-2025","title":"Celebrating Tenure: Spring 2025"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"184348","name":"faculty promotions"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"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=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of the Vice Provost for Faculty\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682129":{"#nid":"682129","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A New Frontier of Immune Research: Andrew McShan Awarded CAREER Grant for Protein-Lipid Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EImagine unlocking universal immunotherapies and cancer treatments, powerful vaccines, and a deeper understanding of our own immune systems. Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/andrew-mcshan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew McShan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is laying the groundwork for these innovations by investigating the previously understudied field of lipids, and how they interact with proteins in the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMcShan, an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, has been awarded a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2442018\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003E$1.4 million CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E(NSF) to support this research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cProtein-lipid assemblies carry out all sorts of biological functions, and harnessing their interactions could lead to powerful tools and treatments\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;but historically, they\u2019ve been difficult to study,\u201d McShan says. \u201cBuilding resources for researchers and making this information accessible are critical steps in developing this field. This CAREER grant will enable me to expand the current knowledge base, while also allowing me to develop a class that will train the next generation of researchers, which is hugely important to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program is a five-year grant designed to help promising researchers establish a foundation for a lifetime of leadership in their field. Known as CAREER awards, the grants are NSF\u2019s most prestigious funding for early-career faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECrucial for nearly all biological processes, lipid-protein interactions play a key role in everything from immune responses to energy storage \u2014 but\u0026nbsp;what drives their interactions has historically been difficult to map and understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMcShan will use the CAREER grant to expand that knowledge base, experimenting in the lab to characterize protein-lipid interactions, and developing computational tools that can predict those interactions. The work will include an in-depth study of how lipids interact with different families of proteins that are important for immune system function.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cRight now, understanding protein-lipid assemblies is expensive in both time and lab materials,\u201d McShan says. \u201cMy goal is to create computer models that can predict how these biomolecular interactions occur, what they look like, and how they contribute to cellular functions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new model would allow researchers to quickly and inexpensively \u2018experiment\u2019 with molecules on a computer, vastly expanding the amount of research that could be conducted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project builds on McShan\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s42004-024-01384-z\u0022\u003Erecent publication\u003C\/a\u003E in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E-family journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ECommunications Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E, which showcased\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-database-revolutionizes-protein-lipid-research\u0022\u003EBioDolphin \u2014 a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive, and annotated database\u003C\/a\u003E of protein-lipid interactions that are all integrated into a user-friendly web server and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biodolphin.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Efreely accessible to all\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s also adjacent to research funded by a Curci Grant from the Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation, which McShan was previously awarded\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/andrew-mcshan-awarded-curci-grant-cutting-edge-cancer-research\u0022\u003Efor research on cutting-edge cancer treatments\u003C\/a\u003E that involved identifying new cancer lipid signatures in tumor cells, and characterizing known cancer lipid antigens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPioneering the future of research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAdditionally, the CAREER grant will support McShan\u2019s initiatives to train the next generation of researchers through a new class centered around hands-on laboratory research and peer mentorship. Students will have the opportunity to pick a protein-lipid assembly, study it using computational and experimental biophysical methods, develop testable hypotheses, and\u0026nbsp;\u2014 if successful\u0026nbsp;\u2014 publish their results in peer reviewed journals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe class will also pair undergraduate and graduate students into research teams. \u201cI\u2019m excited to see how a peer mentoring approach will add depth to the class,\u201d McShan shares, explaining that graduate students will gain valuable mentoring experience in a collaborative research environment. \u201cThis is very different from typical mentoring experiences many graduate students have, which tend to be more along the lines of a TA experience rather than collaborating on hands-on research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis type of class, to my knowledge, hasn\u2019t been offered before, and there\u2019s a lot of research that I\u2019m doing to lay the groundwork for it,\u201d McShan adds. \u201cHopefully, it can not only introduce students to lipid-based research\u0026nbsp;\u2014 something typically lacking in many biochemistry curricula\u0026nbsp;\u2014 but also to the type of collaborative mentorship we want to foster in research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndrew McShan has been awarded a\u0026nbsp;$1.4M NSF CAREER grant to research lipids, and how they interact with proteins in the body. Lipid-protein interactions play a key role in everything from immune responses to energy storage \u2014 and could be the key to unlocking universal immunotherapies and cancer treatments, powerful vaccines, and a deeper understanding of our own immune systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Andrew McShan has been awarded a\u00a0$1.4M NSF CAREER grant to research lipids, and how they interact with proteins in the body."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-04-30 14:11:41","changed_gmt":"2025-04-30 14:23:32","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673456":{"id":"673456","type":"image","title":"Andrew McShan","body":null,"created":"1711032511","gmt_created":"2024-03-21 14:48:31","changed":"1711032492","gmt_changed":"2024-03-21 14:48:12","alt":"Andrew McShan","file":{"fid":"256854","name":"McShan_photo.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/21\/McShan_photo.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/21\/McShan_photo.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":96566,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/21\/McShan_photo.jpeg?itok=aCepzxdB"}}},"media_ids":["673456"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"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\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}