News and Notes

We asked a few avid readers for book recommendations.

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. 

Georgia Tech's 264th Commencement, held May 5 and 6 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, celebrated 5,673 graduates. Here are a few moments captured during the event. More images from Spring Commencement are available on Flickr.

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.

U.S. News and World Report continues to rank all six College of Sciences schools among its best science schools for graduate studies. In the 2023-2024 edition, Physics rises by seven to 21, and Chemistry and Mathematics each advance into the top 20. Science specialty programs also take home high marks, with seven in the top 20.

This month, dozens of College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants are recognized by Georgia Tech for their excellence in instruction and research.

Join us in congratulating the College of Sciences students recognized for their research, academic, and teaching achievements at Georgia Tech’s annual student award celebrations.

Physicist Steven Chu was the first person appointed to the U.S. Cabinet after having won a Nobel Prize — and the first scientist to hold a Cabinet position. On April 26, he will deliver a public lecture at Georgia Tech on climate change and innovative paths towards a more sustainable future.

The College of Sciences community gathered in Harrison Square on April 18 to honor faculty and staff with awards for the 2022-2023 school year during the Spring Sciences Celebration.

Two teams from Georgia Tech have been awarded a combined $15 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for basic research projects as part of the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program. MURI seeks to fund research teams with creative and diverse solutions to complex problems and is a major part of the DoD’s research portfolio.

The campus community is invited to participate in this kick-off event for Earth Month.

A spring memorial is planned for Howard M. Weiss, emeritus professor and a former school chair at Georgia Tech and Purdue, who died in February. The event will include the announcement of a new student award in Weiss’ name.

For STEAM enthusiasts across Atlanta, the month of March is a highlight of the year for one big reason: the Atlanta Science Festival. We spoke with some of the event organizers and presenters to get a sneak peek at what this year's festival will have to offer.

Four faculty in the College of Sciences have received new funding to help foster student belonging at Georgia Tech. The team’s six-year grant is part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 initiative, and is one of 104 new grants funded through an overall initiative that’s allocating $60 million over six years and several phases.

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Over 15 faculty from the College of Sciences have been recognized for their teaching excellence by Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning in the Fall 2022 Course Instructor Opinion Survey.

Atlanta history is ripe with achievements from the Black community, and history continues to be made here today. Great work is being done on campus, across Atlanta, and beyond by Georgia Tech students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are working across different industries to help bring about change to improve the human condition. Atlanta Change-Makers introduces you to a few of the people whose aspirations and actions are making a difference — for today, and for a brighter future.  

On Saturday, March 11, Georgia Tech will open its doors to the community for Science and Engineering Day at Georgia Tech.

The portal provides information on how to apply for law school.

Georgia Tech’s College of Sciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) offers summer programs for 2023.

Georgia Tech alumni are being recognized for work in their communities in Georgia Trend’s Most Influential Georgians for 2023.

Summit launches national initiative to expand access and opportunities in STEM and medicine fields.

Three second- and third-year undergraduates – including two students from the College of Sciences – were recently chosen as walk-on recipients of the Stamps President’s Scholarship.

New research suggests the “growth mindset” strategy favored by some educators to improve student performance hasn’t lived up to its promise—resulting in time and effort dedicated to growth mindsets in the classroom without meaningful gains in grades or test scores.

A recent paper from the School of Psychology and the School of Economics has found that good navigators often use a bird’s eye view perspective to organize and remember different places in the environment and have a map-like representation of the environment in their mind. 

During the summer, Duncan Hughes, an Environmental Technology instructor at North Georgia Technical College (NGTC) introduced his students to the web application Virtual Ecological Research Assistant, better known as VERA. It allowed students to construct conceptual models and ecological systems, as well as run interactive model simulations on the brook trout, a species of freshwater fish.

This month, one Georgia Tech student is taking her personal story and turning it into a way to support research for childhood cancer.

Graduate students from each of the six College of Sciences schools have received 2022-2023 Herbert P. Haley Fellowships to expand their research — and connect with fellow scientists and mathematicians at conferences and events.

Senior academic professional and wellness requirement co-director Teresa Snow talks about volunteering, a key aspect of her Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS) affiliated APPH 1040 course, Scientific Foundations of Health, which is available to all undergraduates.

Three new appointees — Karla Haack, Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Christa Sobon — talk about what they learned while at Georgia Tech, and how they hope to advise the College on support for students and their former disciplines.

As triplets, Adam, Rommi, and Zane Kashlan are used to doing things together. After three years at Georgia Tech, the brothers added one more thing to that list: graduating with a trio of Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience degrees and gearing up for medical school. We recently spoke with the Kashlans about their time at Georgia Tech, advice for students, and what’s next on the horizon.

With the research landscape rapidly changing, Georgia Tech must respond to external forces to address local, national, and global challenges and produce novel ideas ​and actionable solutions.​ In alignment with the Institute strategic plan, Research Next positions Georgia Tech to respond to future challenges with innovation, expertise, creativity, and a dedication to improving the human condition.

The College of Sciences has named three new Blanchard Early Career Professors — Martin Mourigal, School of Physics; Dobromir “Doby” Rahnev, School of Psychology; and Yuanzhi Tang, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences — thanks to the generosity of late alumnus Elwood “Doc” Blanchard.

The College of Sciences is pleased to announce that Lewis Wheaton has been appointed the inaugural director of the Center for Promoting Inclusion and Equity in the Sciences (C-PIES) in the College. Wheaton, an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, is also an advisor on the National Institute of Health’s National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research, among several other leadership roles.

Researchers at Georgia Tech are working in the realm of computational neuroscience, a branch of neuroscience that uses mathematical models, computer simulations, and theoretical analysis of the brain to gain a deeper understanding of the nervous system.

National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REUs), Georgia community college initiative, and workshops centered on new scientific methods and communicating key concepts offer ample opportunities for students — current, prospective, and visiting — to hone their research skills in the College of Sciences.

School of Psychology Professor Ruth Kanfer has a book, a highly cited paper, and a new project to study artificial intelligence’s potential for enhancing adult learning. Kanfer is also keeping an eye on the post-pandemic workforce, the status of aging employees, and the 21st century office.

Childhood psychological maltreatment is one of the most prevalent, yet under-addressed forms of childhood adverse events,” says Kimberly French, assistant professor in the School of Psychology. French leads a new study that traces the relationships between childhood trauma and work-family conflict in adulthood — and outlines several ways supervisors and policymakers can help.

Four School of Psychology alumni are now in leadership positions are two major U.S. zoos, while another is the CEO of a top wildlife conservation fund. The latest issue of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine shows how their time in academia prepared them for their current roles.

How did “Top Gun” change movie making, and why does it continue to be relevant 36 years later? To address those questions and much more, the Georgia Tech community reflects on the film and its legacy on the eve of its long-awaited sequel — “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Several College of Sciences students were recognized for excellence this year at the annual Student Honors Celebration on Thursday, April 21.

The Elsevier-VSS Young Investigator Award, sponsored by Vision Research, is given to an early-career vision scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the field. This year's recipient is Doby Rahnev, associate professor in the School of Psychology.

Thackery Brown, assistant professor in the School of Psychology, has won a pair of prestigious research grants from the Curci Foundation and National Institute on Aging — and his lab has new research findings on memory, spatial navigation, and decision-making.

Over 30 from College of Sciences are recognized as 2021-2022 recipients of top student honors, teaching assistant accolades, and future faculty awards — including the Institute’s prestigious Love Family Foundation Award.

Beth Cabrera, the first lady of Georgia Tech, is a psychologist and Tech alumna (M.S. PSY 1993, Ph.D. PSY 1995). She recently shared her expertise on positivity with Tech students as a guest presenter in a five-week course called Resilience Building Strategies: Growing Through What We Are Going Through.

“As long as you have the gift, do the work — and fit it in wherever you can.” Tikica Platt has been singing since she was three years old, which is what happens when your mom is in choir and your father is a drummer for Clarence Carter, Otis Redding, and Percy Sledge. Now, the School of Psychology administrative manager is releasing her first R&B EP.

Georgia Tech is among a collaborative team of institutions awarded a $5 million OpenCI grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help support the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem Services and Support (ACCESS) program.

Georgia Tech will celebrate its 25th annual Earth Day with a 4-day schedule of events this week.

Joined by alumni and friends, the College of Sciences welcomes new professors, presents annual faculty honors alongside inaugural staff and research faculty awards in recognition of individual excellence and community accomplishments.

An announcement from Georgia Advance Technology Ventures (GATV), a cooperative organization of Georgia Tech, and Trammell Crow Company (TCC), the project developer, shares details of what will become a major life science innovation hub for the Atlanta region.

Nearly 50 College of Sciences faculty are receiving Center for Teaching and Learning awards for excellence in teaching.

Female Founders is open to startup teams that are founded or co-founded by women, with 25 chosen for each cohort. The program is open to all Georgia Tech students, community teams, and researchers from other institutions in the United States. Apply by April 7, 2022.

U.S. News and World Report ranks all six College of Sciences schools among the best overall science programs in the nation for graduate studies. In the 2023 edition, Biology rises 17 places, Earth Sciences by 10, Mathematics by five, and Psychology by six. Specialty programs also take home high marks, with six in the top 20.

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In his tenure as a faculty member at Tech, Alonzo Whyte, academic advisor for both the Health and Medical Sciences Minor and the B.S. in Neuroscience program, has seen a diversity of routes that students take on the path to a pre-health career. Today he shares some advice on success stories, mistakes to avoid, and resources to explore.

Spencer Garcia, Emily Gleaton, Paulina Maxim, Lucas Provine chosen for Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) funding to keep pursuing “highest degree available in their course study.”

Through the Little Einsteins Organization, Georgia Tech students are creating at-home science kits, collaborating with K-5 schools and local libraries, and using Zoom to keep Atlanta's youngest scientists and engineers engaged in STEM.

Using a new philanthropic grant, Georgia Tech will hire software engineers to write scalable, reliable, and portable open-source software for scientific research.

James Stringfellow, an employment specialist with experience helping Atlanta’s veterans and entertainment industry, will now assist College of Sciences students and instructors with career mapping, planning, and workforce issues.

As of this week, the omicron variant makes up the majority of new coronavirus cases in the U.S.

For over 30 years, Georgia Tech-Lorraine has led the European presence in Georgia Tech’s commitment to academics, research, and innovation. Now, the campus joins an extensive network of universities and industry partners throughout Europe with that same commitment.

Satellite counselor Tara Holdampf will provide confidential consultations and support for students, virtually and from the Molecular Science and Engineering Building.

Equipment purchased with Tech Fees make a huge difference in putting sophisticated instrumentation into Georgia Tech's teaching labs, say College of Sciences administrators, giving undergraduates experiences that are beyond those typically found at other institutions of higher learning.

During International Education Week, the College of Sciences celebrates the impact of international perspectives, connection, and contributions in our community. 

A recent study from the School of Psychology puts a spotlight on how leadership opportunities in early careers can affect workers, with gender differences apparent and implications for the current pandemic-related "Great Resignation" trend in U.S. workplaces. 

One of Georgia Tech’s core values, “We act ethically,” guides our priorities every day. Explore 2021 Ethics Week events, including an interdisciplinary panel of faculty in biological sciences, civil and environmental engineering, business, and public policy discussing teaching ethics and preparing students for ethical dilemmas in their careers.

It’s Homecoming week at Georgia Tech, but with Halloween coming this weekend, there are other kinds of spirits on campus this week as well.

President Ángel Cabrera is among just a handful of Hispanic leaders to helm a major U.S. university. This National Hispanic Heritage Month, he reflects on his time as a student in the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech — and speaks to the critical role of recruiting and supporting more Hispanic and Latinx students and faculty in STEM.

In celebration of the U.N. International Day of the Girl, College of Sciences Dean Susan Lozier shares about mentoring and leadership, early education, research and teaching excellence, building diverse communities, and creating a more equitable path for women and girls in science.

Eight College of Sciences faculty and staff members were honored at a Sept. 15th event sponsored by Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, for their work on efforts to expand representation and inclusiveness at Georgia Tech. 

The September Sciences Celebration, staged outdoors at Harrison Square on September 9, 2021 by the College of Sciences Office of the Dean, welcomed new faculty and presented 2020-2021 awards to a number of faculty and a fourth year student in the School of Mathematics. 

Georgia Tech is introducing new rewards to encourage individuals on campus to get vaccinated and test weekly.

In 2022, all six schools in Georgia Tech's College of Sciences will offer a summer NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Students attending this year's REUs recount what they learned, and how it will impact their academic careers. 

The College of Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of Tansu Celikel as the new chair of the School of Psychology, effective fall 2021. Celikel is director of the Donders Institute, and established the Department of Neurophysiology at the Radboud University, where he has since served as professor and chair.

Georgia Tech researchers have created a data visualization plus sonification approach lets users explore data with visual, auditory, or both modalities.

Eric Schumacher, professor in the School of Psychology, teaches that, with intentional practice, people can improve their happiness level regardless of the circumstances and their individual predisposition.

Georgia Tech received two National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes awards, totaling $40 million. Over the next five years, Georgia Tech will make a substantial investment in AI that includes hiring an additional 100 researchers in the field, further solidifying its standing as a leader in the teaching and discovery of machine learning.

Could the absence of spectators — and their cheers — impact the performances of Olympic athletes in Tokyo competing in the Summer Games? Psychology professor Bruce Walker says much depends on whether the athlete hears spectator sounds as distractions, or "white noise" that helps them focus. 

In a fiscal year indelibly marked by the pandemic, College of Sciences researchers kept busy with projects and teaching, grant applications, and a number of significant funding wins. 

Leavey, named assistant dean for Faculty Mentoring in the College, is a principal academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences, director of the Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project, and coordinator of science and sustainability educational activities for the College. Shepler, who joins the Dean’s Office as assistant dean for Teaching Effectiveness, also serves as principal academic professional in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, ​focusing primarily on undergraduate program initiatives.

Cadonati, a professor in the School of Physics and director of the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, has also held leadership positions in LIGO — including leading its data analysis and astrophysics division at the time of the discovery of gravitational waves, which led to the 2017 Nobel prize in Physics to the founders of the project.

New findings could point the way to a therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's with the potential to slow the incurable disease's advance, thanks to a study led by Annabelle Singer (Coulter BME) that examined whether a technique of flickering lights and sound — which has been found to reduce Alzheimer's in mice — was viable to try with humans. Qiliang He, a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Psychology, is first author for the study. 

Zulfiqar, who is graduating with a degree in psychology with the research option, discusses life at Georgia Tech — as a transfer student and the first woman in her family to graduate from college.

Kilpatrick, who is graduating with a degree in psychology and minor in health and medical sciences, shares that her path to a top-rated physician assistant program has been all about balancing academics and her own health — plus a lot of fun memories working with Georgia Tech Football as head student athletic trainer. 

Brady Bove reflects on biomedical engineering, leadership studies, cognitive psychology, senior design, meeting friends and her fiancé, and a favorite Georgia Tech memory — involving classical physics and a box of Sublime Doughnuts on a Friday night. 

Julia Kubanek, professor of biological sciences and chemistry and biochemistry, and associate dean for Research in Georgia Tech’s College of Sciences, has been named vice president for Interdisciplinary Research, effective July 1.

Instead of grades from faculty, it's evaluations from the students for the Class of 1934 Awards from the Center for Teaching and Learning. 40 College of Sciences faculty are among those who are receiving honors and accolades.

Seven faculty members from five schools in the College of Sciences are among those honored with annual Spring awards from Georgia Tech's Center for Teaching and Learning that celebrate innovation in teaching.

Eight School of Psychology graduate students and early career scientists are recognized for stellar classroom, teaching, and research achievements in 2020-2021.

In celebration of Women's History Month, Georgia Tech highlights the onward and upward trajectory of nine women across campus who are shattering the traditional "glass ceiling" — carving a path for others and for equitable recognition, respect, and inclusion.

School of Psychology professor Randall Engle, chosen this year to receive the Society of Experimental Psychologists' Norman Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award, looks back on a career dedicated to discoveries regarding working memory and attention — and shares what's next in his research.

College of Sciences students, staff, and faculty will lead a dozen new projects focused on building communities of excellence, catalyzing discovery and solutions, and amplifying impact. The proposals, funded by the Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Dean's Chair, aim to achieve a number of goals outlined in the College’s new strategic plan.

Fourth-year undergraduate Zach Hopton, who is double majoring in Psychology and Applied Languages & Intercultural Studies (ALIS) with a concentration in French, discusses study abroad, research, and his path to finding the right major. 

Qiliang He, a postdoctoral researcher, is following the path blazed by his Georgia Tech mentors — and will use his new Warren Alpert Foundation Scholar Award to target gamma brain wave stimulation to try to reverse the effects of aging. 

Third-year Neuroscience student discusses his involvements at Georgia Tech, career goals, and thoughts and reflections on Black History Month. 

On and off Georgia Tech’s campus, there are countless opportunities for undergraduate students to gain practical skills, connections with industry leaders, and hands-on experience through research and internship opportunities.  

A new study from School of Psychology researchers shows that color and scenes have a lot to do with how we encode memories, and how we recall them. The study could pave the way for earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

The rise of "deepfakes" — videos that are computer-enhanced to impersonate real people in a way that average people may not be able to determine they're fake — is getting the attention of a School of Psychology graduate student. Zachary Tidler is conducting research to better understand if certain individuals are fooled by this manipulated media more often than others, and if so, why.

The College's #StraightToTheSource social media series answers Covid-19-related community and frequently asked questions by directly examining scientific findings and research with College of Sciences experts.

The Graduate Record Examination will not be required for fall 2021 application into any College of Sciences graduate program. Additionally, three Sciences schools and two graduate programs have opted to permanently #GRExit — no longer requiring the exam for application and admission.

Professor Paul Verhaeghen and University of North Georgia's Shelley Aikman win a new Mind & Life Institute PEACE Grant that will continue studies into the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness meditation.

More than 50 representatives from across the campus have been appointed by President Ángel Cabrera to the newly formed Georgia Tech Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council which will identify issues of campus racial and gender disparity, bias, and inequity to be addressed in order to deliver upon the Institute’s vision of diversity and inclusion.