Click here for the full list of Georgia Tech faculty and staff awardees.
College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants were recently recognized for their educational and research excellence during the 2023 Georgia Tech Faculty and Staff Honors Luncheon, held April 21 at the Exhibition Hall.
The awards included Institute-wide honors and those from Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Honorees were recognized for their service, activities, and accomplishments over the past academic year.
Please join us in congratulating College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants who received 2023 Georgia Tech and CTL awards:
Georgia Tech Chapter, Sigma Xi Awards
Best Faculty Paper
Itamar Kimchi, Assistant Professor, Physics
Institute Research Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Research Innovation
Younan Xia, Brock Family Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor
John R. Reynolds, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development
Spaceflight Project Group
Christopher Carr, Assistant Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences/Aerospace Engineering
ANAK Awards
Outstanding Faculty
Timothy Cope, Professor, Biological Sciences
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Awards
Undergraduate Educator
Adam J. Decker, Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences
Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching
Mary E. Peek. Principal Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Emily Weigel, Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences
Center for Teaching and Learning/BP Junior Faculty Teaching
Anton Bernshteyn, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Gongjie Li, Assistant Professor, Physics
Innovation in Co-Curricular Education
Pamela Pollet, Senior Research Scientist, Chemistry and Biochemistry
International Initiatives Award
Steven A. Denning Faculty Award for Global Engagement
Anton Leykin, Professor, Mathematics
Faculty Honors Committee Awards
Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher
Dan Margalit, Professor, Mathematics
Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Assistant (TA) and Future Faculty Awards
(These awards were presented April 19 in the Georgia Tech Exhibition Hall.)
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Charlotte Carl, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Bret Hendricks, Mathematics
Maeve Janecka, Biological Sciences
Benjamin Peer, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Santana Afton, Mathematics
Alex Costa, Biological Sciences
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Tiffany Nguyen, Psychology
Markace Rainey, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Leo Wood, Physics
Graduate Student Instructor
James Anderson, Mathematics
Terri Dunbar, Psychology
Cassandra Shriver, Biological Sciences and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP)
Online TA of the Year
Mollene Denton, Mathematics
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) TA Awards
CIRTL Associate Certificates
Stephanie Bilodeau, Biological Sciences
Katherine Booth, Mathematics
Abigail Diering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Luke Foster, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Eliza Gazda, Physics
Chad Gomard-Henshaw, Physics
Sarah Gonzalez, Physics
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Abigail Hagwood, Chemistry
Kamisha Hill, Chemistry
Mary Kho, Biological Sciences
Na Liu, Physics
Ravyn Malatesta, Chemistry
Sarah Roney, Biological Sciences
Afaf Saaidi, Mathematics
Steven Tarr, Physics
Alisha Vera, Physics
Mengshi Zhang, Biological Sciences
CIRTL Associate and Tech to Teaching Certificates
Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Taehun Kim, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
Tech to Teaching Certificates
Austin Christian, Mathematics
Sierra Knavel, Mathematics
Andrew Kristof, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Athulya Ram Sreedharan Nair, Mathematics
Danielle Skinner, Physics
Yan Zhang, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Teaching Fellows
Maugan Lloyd, Psychology
Jelly Vanderwoude, Biological Sciences
International TA Liaisons
Chang Ding, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
One of the Institute Strategic Plan (ISP) goals is to connect globally and amplify impact by contributing “to global collaborative efforts that advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through our education, research, and service.” In response, Sustainability Next developed a plan to expand SDG concept and skill integration across the undergraduate curriculum. In support of the plan, 21 projects representing all six colleges and 15 schools were presented at the Undergraduate Sustainability Education Jamboree, held on April 26 in the Kendeda Building auditorium. With many winning projects featuring high enrollment and core courses, this first round of sustainability education “seed grants” will significantly expand the reach of Georgia Tech’s sustainability-across-the-curriculum initiatives.
“Our Strategic Plan commitment to bring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our teaching is part of our vision for transformative teaching and learning more broadly,” explains Larry Jacobs, Senior Vice Provost for Education and Learning. “Helping students identify connections between disciplinary concepts and skills and complex societal challenges enhances learning and supports Georgia Tech’s mission to equip students to improve the human condition.”
The Jamboree featured lightning presentations from the award winners, as well as presentations about related initiatives at Georgia Tech to help instructors, students, and staff better understand the landscape of sustainability education innovation on campus. Instructors engaged in course design or re-design through the awards will have opportunities to collaborate with and learn from their peers through a Community of Practice on Transformative Teaching with the SDGs and a SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) research group. Many began identifying potential collaborators at the event, as they heard from other award winners. “The afternoon of lightning presentations by fellow faculty was exhilarating,” Sabir Khan, Associate Professor, Schools of Industrial Design and Architecture, shared. “I came away impressed and excited at the range of projects and have already invited a few instructors to join my class in the fall to discuss their approaches to tackling the UN SDGs."
Presenter Kate Williams, Interim Director, Transformative Teaching and Learning, Faculty Initiatives, shared connections between the Sustainability Innovation Awards and Georgia Tech’s Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) strategic initiative. “The success of the first round of Sustainability Education Innovation Grants demonstrates our faculty's commitment to creating innovative experiential learning opportunities for students,” Dr. Williams noted.
For more information about future award opportunities or the communities of practice described above, please contact Jennifer Leavey (Assistant Dean for Faculty Mentoring, College of Sciences) or Rebecca Watts Hull (Assistant Director, Faculty Development for Sustainability Education Initiatives, Center for Teaching and Learning).
Review all 21 awarded Undergraduate Sustainability Education Innovation projects.
The College of Sciences at Georgia Tech continues to make progress in the graduate school rankings published by U.S. News and World Report.
Released on March 29, the 2023 U.S. News Best Graduate School Rankings highlights all six College of Sciences schools as best overall science programs for graduate studies:
Biology – No. 37
Chemistry – No. 21
Earth Sciences – No. 28
Mathematics – No. 21
Physics – No. 28
Psychology – No. 39
Biological Sciences rose 17 places (from No. 54) in a nine-way tie with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University-Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Utah, and UT Health MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Chemistry and Biochemistry shifted from No. 20 in a four-way tie with Johns Hopkins University, University of California (UC)-San Diego, and Texas A&M University-College Station.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences rose by 10 (from No. 38) in a tie with Ohio State University, University of Southern California, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Mathematics advanced by five, up from No. 26 in a tie with Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, UC-San Diego, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Physics maintains its No. 28 ranking in a tie with Brown University, Duke University, and Rice University.
Psychology rose six spots to No. 39 in a tie with Arizona State University, Michigan State University, Stony Brook University, University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of Pittsburgh.
U.S. News previously ranked graduate science programs in their 2019 Best Graduate Schools Edition (published in March 2018) with the exception of Psychology, which is categorized under U.S. News “Social Sciences and Humanities” programs and was last ranked in the 2017 Edition.
Among specialty graduate programs, Analytical Chemistry and Condensed Matter (Physics) both rank in the top 20, while previously unranked Applied Math climbed into the top 16 to No. 11.
Mathematical Analysis and Topology tied for No. 18 and No. 15, respectively, and Tech remains top five in the nation for Discrete Math and Combinatorics. Uniquely organized across the Colleges of Sciences, Computing, and Engineering, the Institute’s Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization program previously held a rank of No. 2.
Analytical Chemistry – No. 17
Applied Math – No. 11
Condensed Matter – No. 18
Discrete Math and Combinatorics – No. 5
Mathematical Analysis – No. 18
Topology – No. 15
“I was very happy to see that several of our schools in the College of Sciences moved up in the rankings, in some cases quite significantly,” shares Matthew Baker, professor in the School of Mathematics and associate dean for Faculty Development in the College.
Fellow colleges on campus are also on the rise in the latest U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” set, with Engineering remaining in the top ten in its overall disciplines, and Business, Computing, and Public Affairs also ranking among top programs in the nation. The full roster of current Georgia Institute of Technology rankings can be found here, along with U.S. News’ methodology for graduate rankings here.
The College of Sciences at Georgia Tech continues to advance in the graduate school rankings published by the U.S. News and World Report.
Released on April 25, the 2023-2024 U.S. News Best Graduate School Rankings features all six College of Sciences schools among its best science schools for graduate studies:
- Biological Sciences – No. 37
- Chemistry – No. 20
- Earth Sciences – No. 33
- Mathematics – No. 20
- Physics – No. 21
- Psychology – No. 39
The 2023-2024 rankings of doctoral programs in the sciences are based solely on the results of surveys sent by U.S. News to academic officials in fall 2022 and early 2023 in chemistry, earth science, mathematics, physics, and computer science (which is part of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, see here). Surveys for biological sciences, statistics and biostatistics were sent to academic officials in fall 2021 and early 2022.
Georgia Tech College of Sciences rankings
Biological Sciences retains its No. 37 rank from 2022, in a nine-way tie with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University-Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Utah, and UT Health MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Chemistry and Biochemistry rises by one spot to No. 20, tied with Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University, and University of California (UC)-San Diego.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences ranks No. 33 (ranked No. 28 in 2022, No. 38 in 2019) in a tie with Ohio State University, University of Oregon, University of Southern California, Virginia Tech, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Mathematics advances by one to No. 20, tied with Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, UC-San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Maryland-College Park, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Physics rises by seven to No. 21, in a tie with Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University-University Park, Rice University, Stony Brook University-SUNY, UC-San Diego, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Psychology retains its No. 39 rank from 2022 in a tie with Arizona State University, Michigan State University, Stony Brook University-SUNY, University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of Pittsburgh.
U.S. News previously ranked graduate science programs in their 2022 Best Graduate Schools Edition, published in March 2022. Current rankings for Biological Sciences and Psychology were part of those 2022 rankings.
Among specialty science graduate programs at Georgia Tech, Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Theoretical Chemistry all rank in the top 20.
In Mathematics specialty graduate programs, Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics remains the top 5, while Analysis ties for No. 20, and Applied Math ties for No. 16. Uniquely organized across the Colleges of Sciences, Computing, and Engineering, the Institute’s Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization program kept its No. 5 spot from last spring.
Chemistry specialty graduate programs
- Analytical Chemistry – No. 11
- Inorganic Chemistry – No. 20
- Physical Chemistry — No. 14
- Theoretical Chemistry — No. 18
Mathematics specialty graduate programs
- Analysis — No. 20 (tie)
- Applied Math — No. 16 (tie)
- Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics — No. 5 (tie)
Fellow colleges across Georgia Tech are also on the rise in this year’s U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” set, with Engineering remaining in the top ten in its overall disciplines — and Business, Computing, and Public Affairs also ranking among top programs in the nation. The full roster of current Georgia Institute of Technology graduate school rankings can be found here, along with U.S. News’ methodology for graduate rankings here.
The Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted Tuesday to maintain tuition and mandatory student fees at current levels for most USG institutions, including Georgia Tech, in the 2023-24 academic year. The BOR also voted to allocate to Georgia Tech $484 million in state appropriations for fiscal year 2024 (FY24) — a 6% increase over last year.
“I’m proud that we’ve been able to not only avoid increases in tuition and fees over the past four years, but have actually reduced them by $1,100, which is unheard of in higher education,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “We’ve been able to do this thanks to increases in state appropriations, enrollment growth, and the dedication of faculty and staff who constantly find innovative ways to get the job done, serve more students, and deliver the highest value to students in the nation. Georgia Tech is regularly cited among the best values for higher education in the nation — students pay less to go to school and get higher paying jobs when they’re done. It is my hope that Georgia Tech can continue to grow in the future, and I look forward to working with state officials to ensuring that we can continue to do so.”
State appropriations for FY24 include approximately $11 million for the $2,000 cost-of-living adjustment for full-time, eligible employees. The majority of pay adjustments will be completed in July.
“Georgia Tech remains strong, as demonstrated by our talented students, our growing undergraduate and graduate enrollment, and our incredible staff and faculty,” said Interim Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance and Interim Chief Business Officer Mike Shannon. “The approved funding will enable us to continue to advance our instructional, research, and service missions.”
Additional details regarding the FY24 budget and how it will affect the Georgia Tech community will be provided in the coming weeks as information becomes available.
Memorial Day — the unofficial start of summer — is a good time to relax and dive into the books on your reading list or select a book you had not considered. We asked several readers for recommendations. The books range from an anthology of poems with commentary by Edward Hirsch, a top poetry critic, to a climate fiction novel set in the near future.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery
By Alan Bradley, Bantam Books, 2010
“If you are a fan of precocious, nerdy children and British murder mysteries, you’ll love amateur chemist/detective Flavia de Luce. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first in a mystery series driven by Flavia’s unrelenting curiosity and resourcefulness. She is a 10-year-old MacGyver studying poisons in her crumbling English ancestral home in the 1950s, freely ranging around the countryside, stalking alleged murderers, and narrowly avoiding scrapes. If you like this one, you’ll be pleased to know there are several more in the series and they just get better.”
—Kelley Broome, corporate relations manager, Jones MBA Center, Scheller College of Business
By Kim Stanley Robinson, Orbit Books, 2020
“The Ministry for the Future, a climate fiction — or “cli-fi” — novel, is relevant to today’s landscape of record-breaking droughts and heat waves, record breaking precipitation and flooding, wildfires and powerful storms — clear reminders that climate challenges are real. Set in the near future, the story places you in the center of an organization created by the Paris Climate Agreement to work on behalf of future generations. A thriller, social science commentary, and detailed scientific case study, The Ministry for the Future is an engaging and satisfying work of science fiction sure to broaden readers’ understanding of the effects of climate change and the options available to us to today to alter its impact.”
—Daren Hubbard, vice president of Information Technology and chief information officer
By Edward Hirsch, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021
“Edward Hirsch’s 100 Poems to Break Your Heart is an anthology of selected poems that span from the 19th century to the present and includes poems originally written in English, as well as translations of poems from many other languages, such as Greek, French, Spanish, Russian, Yiddish, and German. Each poem is accompanied by Hirsch’s accessible commentary. He is among our top thinkers and critics of poetry, and his insights into the poems get right to the emotional core of each piece. Don’t let the title of the book fool you — while many of the poems in this collection might deal with grief or sadness, this book is anything but a downer. These 100 essential poems, as Hirsch says, ‘make us feel less alone and more connected.’ That’s what good poems do.”
—Travis Denton, associate director, Poetry@Tech, and editor, Terminus Magazine
By Jennifer Weiner, Simon and Schuster, 2022
“There is a house with feelings and memories held by its family. There is a global pandemic, as well as uncomfortable family arrangements, an engagement, and lots of ‘Wait, what?’ Find a nice seat out in the sun or a comfy chair to read this joy by Jennifer Weiner. She wrote this book after reading an article about houses having feelings and holding our memories. She took that article and brought it to life. One of the main characters in this novel is the house which wants to protect the family. Grab a comfortable spot and a notebook, because you will definitely need it. Enjoy one of my favorite novels of the last three years.”
—Lauren Morton, academic program manager, Clark Scholars and Dean’s Scholars Program, College of Engineering
By Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, Ballantine Books, 2022
“This novel follows Olivia McAfee and Lily Campanello on their life journey of starting over. Through a series of suspenseful events and stories, the two find themselves connected as Lily falls in love with Olivia’s son, Asher. One day, Olivia’s world is rocked when she receives a phone call that Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned. The story follows both of their lived experiences, uncovering secrets and stories untold, an unforgettable love story, and the power of family. I could not put this book down and loved the emotions that it led me through as I learned what their stories held.”
—Tim Edmonds-King, learning consultant, Workplace Learning and Professional Development, Georgia Tech Professional Education
An Assassin in Utopia: The True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Sex Cult and a President’s Murder
By Susan Wels, Pegasus Crime, 2023
“Susan Wels tells a gripping story about the assassination of President James A. Garfield in 1881, but the book is about so much more. It is a sweeping exploration of Victorian America, including major intellectual currents, the minutiae of political parties and schemes, and colorful, larger than life characters. Wels examines one of many 19th-century utopian settlements — Oneida, in upstate New York, which was organized around principles of free love and gender equality, but in practice would prove disturbing to both Victorian and modern eyes — and a delusional resident who sought to save the Republican Party by killing a president. It’s every bit as engrossing as a novel.”
—Stacy Braukman, senior writer and editor, Institute Communications
By Cristina Garcia, Knopf, 2003
“This novel follows a family through four generations, but it is not a wealthy family, not one of the privileged elites. It is an ordinary family — or ‘ordinary’ for each time period, just people like millions of their contemporaries. The story spans from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century, and it begins with a man being duped into enslavement. While a portion of the story takes place in the United States, most of it is set in Cuba and in China. The book is detailed, yet moves quickly, showing some of the ways humans hurt each other and some of the ways we help each other. It can be a bit depressing to notice the ties to human depravity, but the strands of common human goodness and the demonstrations of resilience are what I am left with at the end of this lyrical and slightly magical book.”
—Amy Bass Henry, executive director, Office of International Education
By Thomas Mullen, 37INK/ATRIA, 2016
“This is a murder mystery that tells the story of two of the first eight black police officers hired, due to political pressure, by the Atlanta Police Department in the sweltering heat of the summer of 1948. The two are investigating the murder of a woman, and they suspect a fellow officer may be the culprit. This work of historical fiction is a must-read for those living in the city. Mullen takes you back in time with his vivid imagery and attention to detail, to a world that was not so long ago.”
—DeMarco Williams, digital project manager, Georgia Tech Professional Education
The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations
By Daniel Yergin, Penguin Random House, 2020
“If you’re looking for the best roundup yet of the critical factors weighing on the international energy industry but don’t want to feel like you’re slogging through an oil company’s earnings report, consider Daniel Yergin’s The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations. The book is a very accessible update to his 1991 best-seller The Prize, which won its own prize, a Pulitzer. The New Map gives economist-historian Yergin a chance to check in on the U.S., China, Russia, and the Middle East, and how the rise of shale oil production, a climate crisis, a pandemic, and volatile geopolitics have caused tectonic shifts within the industry, which Yergin has tracked since the mid-1970s. He uses the latest data, science, and technological advances to help readers navigate The New Map for oil and gas in the 21st century.”
—Renay San Miguel, communications officer, College of Sciences
The College of Sciences is pleased to share the appointment of Young-Hui Chang as associate dean of Faculty for the College. Chang, a professor and associate chair for Faculty Development in the School of Biological Sciences, will assume his new role July 1, 2023.
“In this new role,” Chang says, “I am looking forward to learning about how our faculty are leading and excelling across the College of Sciences. My hope is to support each school in recruiting the best faculty possible, to increase the diversity of our ranks, and to help our faculty succeed at Georgia Tech.”
The associate dean for Faculty is responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing programs that enhance the instructional, research, and career opportunities for faculty. Key areas of responsibility include faculty hiring, mentoring of faculty, faculty retention, promotion, and tenure; and diversity, equity, and inclusion at the faculty level.
“Because of his service to Biological Sciences as the associate chair for Faculty Development over the past six years, Young-Hui will bring a wealth of experience to this new position,” says Susan Lozier, dean of the College of Sciences, Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS). “He impressed the search committee and me with his commitment to faculty excellence, support and advancement.
“I am grateful to Greg Huey, chair of EAS, for chairing the search committee and to Jennifer Leavey, Wing Li, and Lewis Wheaton for serving on the committee. Thanks also to Juliet Dawson-Dyce for providing administrative support to the committee,” Lozier added.
“I was really humbled, and [am] honored to be taking on this role,” Chang says. “I see it as an opportunity to support my colleagues in the College and give back to the Institute that has supported me through my own academic journey.
“In my role as associate chair for Faculty Development in Biological Sciences, I was able to see how exceptional our faculty are,” he added, “from the ones dedicated to teaching and serving our students, to those on the leading edge in their respective fields of research — and how I could use my position to support their individual professional goals.”
The College’s inaugural associate dean for Faculty, Matt Baker, appointed 2018, is one of 39 researchers around the country named to the 2023 Class of Simons Fellows. Baker, a professor in the School of Mathematics, will use the fellowship and a Georgia Tech Faculty Development Grant for a sabbatical in 2023-2024.
“We will soon have a proper send-off to thank Matt Baker for his service over the past five years, but I would be remiss if I did not also take this opportunity to thank him for his many contributions to the College,” Lozier says.
About Young-Hui Chang
Chang is the director of the Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory in the School of Biological Sciences, where he also currently serves as a professor and as associate chair for Faculty Development.
His research program focuses on trying to understand how animals move through and interact with their environment. He integrates approaches and techniques from both biomechanics and neurophysiology to study both passive mechanical and active neural mechanisms that control limbed locomotion in humans and other vertebrates.
Georgia Tech’s College of Sciences is pleased to announce that Jennifer Curtis, professor in the School of Physics, has been appointed the new ADVANCE Professor for the College.
Curtis will serve as one of six ADVANCE Professors, one for each college at Georgia Tech. Her appointment is effective July 1, 2023.
“It is an honor,” Curtis says. “Having personally benefited from ADVANCE initiatives, I am grateful for the opportunity to build on my predecessors' work and to contribute to the well-being of all faculty at Georgia Tech. I look forward to partnering with the current ADVANCE professors, the College’s Center for Promoting Inclusion and Equity in the Sciences (C-PIES), and Georgia Tech leadership.
“Jennifer has been a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion for many years, and I am confident she will bring that advocacy to this new role,” says Susan Lozier, Dean of the College of Sciences, Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair and Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “In this role, Jennifer will work with ADVANCE professors from the other five colleges to advance Georgia Tech’s mission and will play an integral role in the College of Sciences Center for Promoting Inclusion and Equity in the Sciences. For my part, I look forward to a close partnership with her in the months and years ahead.”
"Jennifer has been a true champion of diversity and inclusion at Georgia Tech,” adds Feryal Özel, professor and chair in the School of Physics. “She has been working tirelessly toward providing education and career opportunities as well as a welcoming environment for everyone who is interested in physics and the sciences. I am looking forward to seeing all the exciting things she will do with her ADVANCE professorship."
Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has served as the College’s ADVANCE Professor since 2022. Lynch-Stieglitz is among nine Jefferson Science Fellows selected this year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to build STEM expertise in the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“This announcement also gives me the opportunity to thank Jean for her service as our ADVANCE professor over the past year,” added Lozier. “As a reminder, Jean’s term in this role was limited since she accepted a prestigious Jefferson Fellowship that will take her to the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. next year.”
Lynch-Stieglitz will be joined in that fellowship by Olga Shemyakina, associate professor in the School of Economics at Georgia Tech.
“As the College of Sciences ADVANCE professor, there are three areas where I will focus my attention,” Curtis says. “The first area is the continued support for College women and minority faculty, including non-tenure track faculty members. A second area unique to my interests — and an extension of my ongoing work — is to collaborate closely with C-PIES to identify accelerated solutions to increase the diversity of our faculty at Georgia Tech.”
Curtis adds, “The third area that I will pursue is at the Institute level in coordination and collaboration with the other Georgia Tech ADVANCE professors: I will leverage the experience and wisdom of my colleagues to guide my efforts in the College of Sciences and to support and lead Institute-wide ADVANCE initiatives.”
About ADVANCE
Supported by Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Georgia Tech’s ADVANCE Program builds and sustains an inter-college network of professors who are world-class researchers and role models to support the community and advancement of women and minorities in academia by “advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion, advising campus leadership on policy and structure, increasing awareness and reducing the impact of implicit bias, and making data-driven recommendations for faculty retention, advancement, and satisfaction.”
About Jennifer Curtis
Since 2016, Curtis has served as director or co-director of the School of Physics’ Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, funded by the National Science Foundation, which focuses on broadening participation in physics and strengthening ties with the Atlanta University Consortium (AUC), which includes Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. At least 10 REU students have since entered graduate programs at Georgia Tech.
Working with Morehouse leadership, Curtis has arranged for College of Sciences faculty to present once a month in Morehouse’s weekly research seminar series. Curtis and School of Physics undergraduate Julianne Tijani are a Georgia Tech chapter of the National Society of Black Physicists.
Curtis’ research is primarily focused on the physics of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, in particular within the context of glycobiology (the study of sugar chains in nature) and immunobiology.
Her lab’s newest projects focus on questions of collective and single cell migration in vitro and in vivo; immunophage therapy — an immunoengineering approach — that uses combined defense of immune cells plus viruses (phage) to overcome bacterial infections; and the study of the molecular biophysics and biomaterials applications of hyaluronan synthase, an enzyme. Learn more.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a disruptive technology transforming industries and governments across the world. At Georgia Tech, developments in AI span many disciplines with dozens of campus centers and institutes. The newly announced AI Hub at Georgia Tech will unite AI entities across campus, enabling the Institute to align on goals to become an international thought leader in AI. It will also drive AI education and research and development toward real-world, responsible applications.
As an AI-powered university, Georgia Tech is embracing AI throughout the Institute, incorporating it into academic programs and research to assist and amplify human intelligence in all areas of work. The vision of AI Hub at Georgia Tech is to advance AI through discovery, interdisciplinary research, responsible deployment, and next-generation education to build a sustainable future.
“Georgia Tech’s integrated capabilities in the area of AI, machine learning, engineering, and interdisciplinary research are highly valuable to industry, government, and education,” said Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for research at Georgia Tech. “By bringing together researchers from across campus, we can harness our collective expertise in AI to work towards a common goal to become the leading university for AI research and application.”
Co-led by faculty members Irfan Essa and Larry Heck, AI Hub at Georgia Tech will lead in developing new paths in educating and training the next generation of the AI workforce. Additionally, it will serve as a dedicated space for decision makers and other stakeholders to access best-in-class resources to guide them through the complexities of commercializing and deploying AI.
“Georgia Tech is well positioned to pursue meaningful opportunities in AI by focusing our collective capabilities across campus not only in AI research but also in the integration and application of AI solutions,” said Larry Heck, interim co-director of AI Hub at Georgia Tech, GRA Eminent Scholar, Rhesa S. Farmer, Jr., Advanced Computing Concepts Chair, co-executive director of ML@GT, and professor with a joint appointment in the Schools of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Interactive Computing.
Georgia Tech has been actively engaged in AI research and education for decades, with more than 350 faculty working in fundamental and applied AI-related research across all six colleges, Georgia Tech Research Institute, and the majority of interdisciplinary research institutes and centers. The Institute has a strong foundation and advantage in AI, as the leading engineering university with an applied, solutions-focused approach. It was also the first public university to launch a computer science school.
“The discipline of AI has a deep history at Georgia Tech, and we continue to serve as leaders in many areas of AI research and education,” said Irfan Essa, interim co-director of AI Hub at Georgia Tech, distinguished professor, senior associate dean in the College of Computing, and co-executive director of ML@GT. “At present, we are seeing unprecedented growth in AI and responsible deployment is top of mind for many. AI Hub at Georgia Tech will bring all areas of AI under one umbrella to provide structure and governance as the Institute continues to lead and innovate in the discipline of AI, with the related disciplines of machine learning, robotics, and data science."
To become involved in AI Hub at Georgia Tech, contact irfan@gatech.edu or larryheck@gatech.edu.
Whether it’s diagnosing an ailment, preventing it, or alleviating its symptoms, conversations about health often center around illness. The same can be said about mental health.
“The concept of mental health is a euphemism,” explains Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, a professor of practice in the School of Psychology and a licensed psychologist. “Often people use the term ‘mental health’ as a catch-all phrase when they're really talking about mental illness. But mental illness and mental health are actually discrete and dichotomous terms. Good health is indicated by positive emotions and productive functioning, not just the absence of illness.”
With a new minor in the Science of Mental Health and Well-Being in the School of Psychology, Hughes-Troutman is hoping to balance the conversation. Launching this fall, the minor will work to give students practical tools to build mental wellness and gain the ability to conceptualize mental health, well-being, and other constructs firmly grounded in neuroscience.
“It’s critical that we create a psychologically safe atmosphere in the classroom, the lab, and other spaces so that students have opportunities to connect with others and build resilience and other key skills,” says Hughes-Troutman. “I view this new minor as a really great opportunity not only to infuse content about health and well-being into the curriculum for students, but also, it’s a pivotal step that students can take to foster a greater sense of health and well-being for themselves. Through this minor, we aim to help students cope with pressures and stress, and ensure that they understand the relation between increased well-being, higher productivity, enhanced learning, and a stronger sense of connectedness and purpose.”
“As we aim to instill students with a wide range of fundamental knowledge and skills that can benefit them throughout their lives,” says Tansu Celikel, professor and chair in the School of Psychology, “this minor will be of interest to all students across the Institute.”
Exploring the link between brain, behavior, and mental health and well-being
Cultivating well-being is a key component of Georgia Tech’s strategic plan. With courses like Flourishing: Strategies for Well-Being and Resilience (APPH 1060) and Resilience Building Strategies 4801/8801, bringing wellness into the curriculum has been a vital step toward that goal across the Institute.
“We have excellent courses that span topics fundamental to human well-being offered on campus, and this new minor gives students another option on a rich menu,” said Hughes-Troutman. “Unique elements of this minor include a focus on the distinct psychological processes and neural mechanisms of well-being. Psychological science plays a distinct role in improving the human condition for individuals and communities on many levels; students who take our courses will be exposed to the latest research and practice innovations.”
The minor will debut Neuroscience of Mental Health: Research and Practice (PSYC 3803), a new course co-taught by Celikel and Hughes-Troutman. In the course, Hughes-Troutman says, “we're taking a deep dive into what happens in the brain, practical applications to enhance well-being, and other ways that students can increase positive affective states such as joy and happiness while minimizing stress.”
That course will be linked with a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team led by Celikel and Hughes-Troutman that will give students hands-on experience assessing and building mental health and wellness. “Well-Being VIP students will work with students in the class using survey and biosensing data to give them accurate data and monitoring of their mental health,” says Hughes-Troutman. “They’ll use apps and other e-tools to measure their levels of mindfulness, help them meditate, and reach their goals related to focus, attention, and relaxation. By the end of the class, students will have developed a portfolio that allows them to reflect upon and document a cadre of skills and experiences.”
Students in the minor will also choose 12 credits of other courses offered as part of the program, including Science of Stress, Anxiety, and Happiness (PSYC 3000), Mindfulness: Science and Practice (PSYC 3005), Health Psychology (PSYC 3009), and many more exploring the neuroscience and psychology of mental health.
“The Science of Mental Health and Well-Being curriculum highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach that considers both psychological and neurological factors maintaining mental well-being,” adds Celikel, the School of Psychology chair. “A deeper appreciation for the complexities of mental health conditions and their underlying mechanisms will help to reduce stigma and drive research and innovation in the field.”
The minor is open to all students across Georgia Tech, though Hughes-Troutman and Celikel are hopeful that psychology, neuroscience, and pre-health students will take particular interest in the program.
“When I think about students going to medical school or entering clinical programs in particular, there is a need to take an inclusive and holistic approach to health so that they can attend to the mind, body, and spirit of their clients and patients,” says Hughes-Troutman. “So many medical models ignore the concept of wellness when solely focusing on eradicating illness and this can lead to an unfortunate disconnect.”
“These are skills that pre-health, public health, counseling, and clinical students are going to learn very early,” she says. “I think that will augment their education and their future careers as they provide excellent care to clients and patients as well as help themselves.”
“The degree to which we can provide education about health and well-being,” Hughes-Troutman adds, “that we can get students excited about those concepts, and that we can contribute to the greater good of our community at Georgia Tech so students are equipped with the skills to help themselves and others — it's just fantastic.”
The minor is officially launching this fall and is currently accepting enrollment. To learn more about the minor, visit the School of Psychology website or contact Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman at tiffiny.hughes-troutman@psych.gatech.edu.
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