News and Notes

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.

Keith Oden, longtime Director of Academic Diversity for the College of Sciences, will retire after serving and building the Georgia Tech community for 35 years. 

College of Engineering and College of Sciences leverage grant to drive diversity across all graduate programs. The project is known as Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Research Universities Alliance Model: Advancing Minority Math, Physical Science, Environmental Science, and Engineering PhD Candidates and Postdoctoral Scholars to Faculty.

School of Psychology researcher wins NSF subcontract for measuring AI’s effectiveness in classrooms, along with funding for a U.S. Air Force-related project studying team dynamics in training

The first class of the College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council is named, with the goal of providing staff advocacy and advisory expertise to address immediate and long-term needs across the College and Institute.

Although the pandemic and travel visas interrupted schedules for several first-years who planned to study on campus this fall, accommodations in Shenzhen, China and Metz, France are helping students start their academic careers on time, with peers and a dynamic mix of local and remote support.

A pair from studies from School of Psychology researchers shows that health care professionals and older Americans are worrying more about personal safety, among other anxieties in the midst of the pandemic — which could signal significant mental health issues for these groups. 

The smartphones in everyone’s purse or pocket could soon become powerful tools in the effort to control coronavirus in the campus community.

A new at-home polysomnography kit, built by Audrey Duarte and W. Hong Yeo, proposes a path to getting data and a better night’s sleep — thanks to a new, unobtrusive nanotech device.

Kathryn Lanier (PhD Chem 17), Maria Soto-Giron (PhD BI 18), and Nseabasi Ufot (Psy 02) are included in a new program designed to recognize the achievements of young Georgia Institute of Technology alumni who are improving the human condition.

The inaugural round of a new Georgia Tech-Oak Ridge National Laboratory collaborative seed program has resulted in funding for ten Institute recipients, including two Sciences graduate students. More funding is available, and all Georgia Tech Ph.D. students and postdocs in good academic standing can apply.

Myanna, who joined Georgia Tech as director of the LGBTQIA Resource Center in May, shares insights and advice for students, faculty, and staff looking to connect to resources, forge new friendships, and get involved as advocates and allies.

On behalf of Susan Lozier, Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair: I am charging a task force to address the following two questions: 1. How do we build a College of Sciences community that is just, fair, and equitable for all members of our community – staff, students and faculty?  2. How do we attract and retain Black faculty, students and staff to our community?

On behalf of the School of Psychology, we would like to take a moment and congratulate the Class of 2020. We are extremely proud and honored to have you represent the GT Psychology family. We know this video does not replace your live graduation, but hope you know how much we appreciated you during your time here and the importance of this moment. From all of us in Psychology: Congratulations Graduates!!

A letter from Susan Lozier, Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair: I am writing to express what I am sure are shared sentiments: pain and anger at George Floyd’s senseless killing and at systemic inequity and injustice that have gone on for too long.

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the College of Sciences' research programs remain strong, with a number of faculty members receiving grants to pursue their scientific studies. 

Georgia Tech honors faculty elected this year to National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences — including three members of the College of Sciences.

This year, a record 49 graduate students and postdocs received the Tech to Teaching certificate and 68 participants received the CIRTL certificate. The Center for Teaching and Learning has awarded 114 Tech to Teaching certificates and 170 CIRTL certificates since 2016.

Two months after a rapid evolution to remote learning and teaching, College of Sciences students, faculty, and graduate teaching assistants share perspectives, challenges, surprises, and what they’ve learned together — apart.

Election to the Academy is among the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

She helps 55 researchers in two College of Sciences schools get funding for their projects. Stacey Bass wins a top award for Georgia Tech staff members because of her grants administration work.

An assistant professor in the School of Psychology will get more than $2 million in National Institutes of Health grants for two research proposals that focus on the brain's decision-making abilities, and on a promising treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders. 

Georgia Tech’s Spring 2020 Commencement Ceremony is postponed until… well, we don’t know just yet. Once we receive updated guidance on large gatherings, we will choose a date for our traditional, in-person ceremony — complete with all the pomp and circumstance (and gold and white balloons) graduating Yellow Jackets have come to expect! So, stay tuned for that announcement.

School of Psychology assistant professor Dobromir Rahnev is one of two Georgia Tech winners of the Office of Naval Research's Young Investigator Program Awards. Rahnev will research how the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps can use technology and science to update and enhance job skills training.

Undergraduates in Georgia Tech's College of Sciences are recognized for taking part in research studies that might be offered only to graduate students at other institutions. The students studies complex problems in math, biochemistry, psychology, and physics. 

Calling all passionate CoS staff and faculty! Teach Explore Living Learning Communities sections in GT 1000 this fall.

Calling Georgia Tech students, faculty, and researchers to collaborate with Oak Ridge National Lab!

Thousands of people focused on the future of Georgia Tech by helping us complete phase one — visioning and drafting — of Georgia Tech’s strategic planning process. Now, the process moves into the goal-setting phase that will include an opportunity for review and input from the Georgia Tech community.

A Georgia Tech graduate and former employee of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, currently working with the Atlanta BeltLine development project, is returning to campus to take on a new role: College of Sciences Communications Director.

The College of Sciences had abundant reasons to celebrate in 2019. It started the year by honoring a 150-year-old icon that remains relevant in labs and classrooms.  

They chose to study at Georgia Tech. Once here, they discovered that the academic rigor and leading-edge science research they’ve heard so much about is true – and demands their best. Some found Tech overwhelming at times, but all succeeded.

To celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tech students, faculty, and staff talk about their favorite elements. For December, we have Henry "Pete" La Pierre, from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  

Harshavardhan Murali, a third-year physics Ph.D., wins quiz 7 of ScienceMatters Season 3.

Lucrezia De Pascalis, a fourth-year chemistry Ph.D. student, wins quiz 10 of ScienceMatters Season 3.

Aditya Tapshalkar, a third-year computer science major, wins quiz 9 of ScienceMatters Season 3.

"The essence and beauty of science is that it is a collective effort that spans generations," College of Sciences Dean Susan Lozier said in remarks at the grand opening of the 'ASTOUNDING ELEMENTS' exhibit at the Georgia Tech Library. 

On Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, the planet Mercury will pass across the disk of the sun. This planetary transit is rare, occurring only around 13 times each century. “This will be the last such event visible from Georgia Tech until 2049,” says James Sowell, director of the Georgia Tech Observatory.

To celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tech students, faculty, and staff talk about their favorite elements. For November, we have Johannes Leisen, from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  

Georgia Tech is a new participant in the University System of Georgia (USG) STEM IV initiative, which was launched on October 29-30, in Athens, Georgia.

“ASTOUNDING ELEMENTS,” an exhibit in Crosland Tower opening on Nov. 7, celebrates elements – real and fictional – and looks back at some events and artifacts from activities led by the College of Sciences.

Six College of Sciences alumni share their memories of life at Georgia Tech, the lessons they learned that they applied in their careers, and what they would tell current students about how to make the most of their time in the College of Sciences.

Fourth-year aerospace engineering Ph.D. student Venkata Ramana Makkapati wins quiz 4 of ScienceMatters Season 3.

First-year biochemistry major Baylor Reini wins quiz 3 of ScienceMatters Season 3.

Mathematical concepts that have been around for centuries could help NASA save on fuel for future trips to the solar system's outer planets and moons, thanks to research from School of Mathematics Professor Rafael de la Llave.

Aerospace engineering Ph.D. student Vinodhini wins quiz 2 of ScienceMatters Season 3. 

The College of Sciences held its annual summer dinner on Sept. 18, hosted by Susan Lozier, the new dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair of the College of Sciences. The gathering has become a tradition for welcoming new members; recognizing excellence in research, instruction, and service; and affirming the College’s special community of scholars.

School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Assistant Professor Chris Reinhard studies the early Earth in the hopes of learning clues about potential Earths outside our solar system.

Season 3 of the College of Sciences podcast ScienceMatters debuts with a look at the neuroscience behind daydreaming and suspenseful movies. Other subjects in the 10-episode season include the latest research on climate science, the search for extraterrestrial life, and what microbiology teaches us about the early Earth.

The College of Sciences welcomes seven members of faculty who joined in 2019. They include Susan Lozier, the new dean, Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, and professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Six others joined the Schools of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physics, and Psychology, as well as the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience. 

When it rains, it pours. That’s how it felt last month when email after email from School of Psychology Acting Chair Mark Wheeler arrived in various inboxes, sharing the joyful news of a new award. The announcement of a $334,000 grant to Dobromir Rahnev in May has been succeeded by seven other research awards to eight faculty members.

Susan Lozier began her service as the new Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair of the College of Sciences on September 1. Lozier’s path to Georgia Tech is marked by excellence in research, education, and leadership, as well as the integration of scientific disciplines and a passion for mentoring. As dean, she will bring her vast experience to bear in addressing the needs of the College as she leads it to the next levels of achievement.

The research to be conducted represents an expansion
of the construct space for selection to include new measures of
adult intellectual abilities in the areas of perceptual and cognitive
abilities, and to capitalize on the common variance among key
non-ability traits (e.g., personality, interests, self-concept, and motivational traits)
to improve prediction of individual differences in criterion measures of
real-world performance.

 

Two-Year R21 grant to develop apps for measuring everyday memory failures using ecological momentary assessment and then using this procedure to evaluate effectiveness of an intervention to improve everyday memory.  The second study (Year 2) is being registered as an NIH Clinical Trial.

We all know about the periodic table in some capacity. For scientists, it is a widely-accepted arrangement of chemical elements organized by trends and properties. For others, it’s mostly a colorful reminder of high school classrooms and chemistry textbooks. But have you ever considered trying to use the periodic table as an organizing principle? First-year students in Courtney Hoffman’s English 1102 course last summer did exactly that – create their own periodic tables. 

Preparing for the worst: Evidence that older adults proactively downregulate negative affect

Briefly, with age, there is generally an increased ability to regulate emotions, which may contribute to greater memory for positive events and emotional well being typical of older adults. This "positivity effect" has been shown in imaging studies in response to positive events but it isn't clear whether older adults can spontaneously engage in emotional regulation when they anticipate experiencing negative events, such as emotionally preparing for an upcoming root canal, for example. Brittany's study is the first to provide evidence that the “positivity effect” seen in older adults’ memory performance may be related to the spontaneous emotional suppression of negative affect in anticipation of, not just in response to, negative stimuli.

Supported by the expertise of USG Centers for Teaching and Learning, the Chancellor’s Learning Scholars will facilitate Faculty Learning Communities on their respective campuses.

Individual differences in habitual sleep quality and episodic memory network activity across the adult lifespan

Difficulty utilizing cognitive control and the patterns of prefrontal cortical (PFC) activity underlying it is a major contributor to episodic memory decline in normal aging. Sleep quality is related to PFC integrity and its associated network connectivity. Normal aging has been shown to negatively affect this activity, sleep quality, and episodic memory performance but the relationship between these variables is unclear. The overarching goal of this project is to determine the extent to which age-related sleep disruptions contribute to those in PFC network activity during learning that, in turn, affect episodic memory performance. A mediation model is proposed in which poor sleep quality partially mediates the negative impact of healthy aging on episodic memory via reduced resolution of interference during learning, a major age-related cognitive control deficit. A diverse sample of 90 young, middle-aged, and older adult participants without sleep disorders, perform multiple episodic memory tasks that tax different interference resolution functions is measured to assess the generalizability of the negative impact of poor sleep. Episodic memory is assessed behaviorally and supporting brain activity measured with fMRI. In order to evaluate the specificity of the model to episodic memory, both episodic and item memory are tested. Memory is tested immediately following learning and after a 24-hour delay in order to separately assess the impact of sleep on new learning from consolidation. The influence of multiple confounds, including medication, naps, depression, and exercise is controlled through screening and statistical analyses. Objective measures of sleep are obtained using actigraphy, the best method for assessing habitual sleep patterns over multiple days for a large number of individuals naturally, in their homes, with minimal intrusion. Mediation results from average sleep estimates, the night immediately prior to memory testing, and night-to-night variability are compared in order to separate the impact of habitually poor sleep from variable or a poor night’s sleep. Univariate analyses are used to identify PFC regions that support resolution of interference defined by activity that is correlated on a trial-by-trial basis with multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA)-derived interference signals. Functional connectivity analyses are additionally applied to identify the networks affected by sleep quality.

“I wanted to be sure to point out that you have in your Convocation tradition bags a collection of Periodic Table scavenger-hunt cards provided by the College of Sciences to help you get out and explore the campus and meet new people this week. As you’ll learn, this is a very ‘Georgia Tech’ kind of game!” With those words of President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, addressed to the 3,100 new students at the Convocation on Aug. 18, 2019, the Georgia Tech Scavenger Hunt for the Chemical Elements commenced.

The College of Sciences welcomed two development professionals early this month. Courtney Ferencik is the new director of development, and Erin Green is the College’s first development associate. Both started in their new roles on August 1.

“Can we improve cognitive mapping with virtual reality? Environmental barrier visibility is a big factor, and a good target – at least for people with the right psychological traits”

This year Georgia Tech faculty members going through promotion and tenure will have a different experience from their predecessors. For the first time, the process will be tracked from beginning to end in PROMOTE, software that enables faculty to upload their promotion package and monitor its progress through each stage.

To celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tech students, faculty, and staff talk about their favorite elements. For August we have Jasmine Howard, an MBA candidate in the Scheller College of Business.

A couple of Georgia Tech courses are in pursuit of happiness. One is offered by the School of Psychology. 

Studies using rats have shown that navigation in open environments creates a honeycomb-like grid of brain activity. When barriers are present, the neural map breaks into fragments, each mapping only the space between the barriers. Does the same thing happen in humans? If so, our brains needing to piece together different maps could explain why we struggle to point accurately between two locations separated by barriers

College of Sciences faculty raised a historic amount of external research funding in fiscal year 2019. At $70.5 million, the FY2019 total continues the College’s steady gains in external grants for the past several years.

Christopher Draheim receives Graduate Travel Award from the Psychonomic Society.

High School students learn about how the brain controls attention, and how emotion, exercise, stress, and meditation affect our attention. Campers get to create their own research projects about attention that they present on the last day of camp. 

Barcelona Study Abroad Program -

School of Psychology's Dr. Christopher Stanzione teaching a  Study Abroad Class in Barcelona - PSYC 2103 Human Development

Program-Fall Semester 2019

Listen to Leucine Zipper and the Zinc Fingers, Lew Lefton, and David Hu. Be amazed with Matt Baker's card magic!

To celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tech students, faculty, and staff talk about their favorite elements. For June, we have Benjamin Breer, a physics major who just completed his first year at Georgia Tech.

Child Lab Day Graduation, June 14, 2019

In just five weeks, we interviewed a former vice president of Costa Rica, scrambled up the slopes of a volcano, and came face to face with sloths, vipers, and bullet ants. The Nature, Governance, and Sustainability in Costa Rica (NGS-CR) Study-Abroad Program has been an unbelievable experience. From the remote jungles of Sarapiqui to the stunning peaks of Monteverde, Costa Rica has inspired us to explore and learn at every turn.

The 2019 Julius E. Uhlaner Award for outstanding contributions
in research on military selection and recruitment from the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 19 has been awarded to Phillip Ackerman's Knowledge and Skill Lab.

Christopher Hertzog, a professor in the School of Psychology who studies age-related declines in memory and cognition, has been chosen by the Gerontological Society of America for its 2019 Distinguished Career Contribution to Gerontology Award.

To celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tech students, faculty, and staff talk about their favorite elements. For May, we have President G.P. "Bud" Peterson, the 11th president of Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Christopher Hertzog selected as recipient of The Gerontological Society (GSA) 2019 Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Distinguished Career Contribution to Gerontology Award.  

College of Sciences students who work closely with faculty are among those honored during end-of-year festivities at the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Twenty-eight students submitted to the section for art inspired by the periodic table or chemical elements. In addition to paintings and photographs, the entries included poetry, drawings, sculptures, and digital art pieces.The diverse creative expressions yielded mind-opening and fresh perspectives of the periodic table. Top honors went to three College of Engineering students.

Initiated in fall 2017, the B.S. in Neuroscience program has graduated its first students. Seven neuroscience majors graduating in May 2019 were among those students who changed their major to neuroscience as soon as the program was announced.

The research opportunities at Georgia Tech enticed Sophie A. Kay to Atlanta. In particular, she wanted to work with Howard Weiss, professor in the School of Psychology and renowned researcher in industrial-organizational psychology.  

Growing up in Alpharetta, Georgia, Caroline Dalluge was encouraged by her family to try new things – soccer, dance, marching band, and winter guard, an indoor color guard sport.

Psychology PhD student Rachel Stuck was named a runner up of the People's Choice award at the GVU Demo/Research Showcase. Rachel's project from her work in the SonLab focused on using the Cozmo robot to research trust and automation.

Georgia Tech faculty and graduate students attended the inaugural Smokies Cognition & Neuroscience Symposium (SCANS) in Asheville, NC April 11-13 2019.

School of Psychology Grad Students Chris Draheim, Cody Mashburn and Jessie Martin, of the Engle Lab, published in Psychological Bulletin

Draheim, C., Mashburn, C. A., Martin, J. D., & Engle, R. W. (2019). Reaction time in differential and development research: A review and commentary on problems and alternatives. Psychological Bulletin, 145(5), 508-535.

Georgia Tech has selected Troy Hilley as the recipient of the 2019 Process Improvement Excellence Award. Hilley is an academic and research IT support engineer lead in the College of Sciences’ Academic and Research Computing Services (ARCS).

Join us in congratulating Psychology PhD student Sophie Kay on being selected for the Institute-Wide Graduate Student Instructor of the Year Award. 

Effective immediately, the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) will become a unit within the Center for 21^st Century Universities (C21U).

Susan Lozier, distinguished professor of Ocean Sciences at Duke University, has accepted the role of dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences.

Dr. Randy Engle awarded the 2019 Mentor Award from the Southeastern Psychological Association at the 65th SEPA Annual Meeting March 20-23, 2019.

ScienceMatters, the podcast of the College of Sciences, brings more tales of curiosity and discovery. Season 2 is now live at sciencematters.gatech.edu.

To celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table, Tech students, faculty, and staff talk about their favorite elements. For January, we have School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Assistant Professor Amit Reddi. 

Sophie Kay winner of School of Psychology's 2019 Graduate Student Instructor Award

Sophie Kay winner of School of Psychology's 2019 Exceptional Student Award

When it comes to the health effects of chronic stress, the type of stressor matters a lot.

Science and math students live, learn, study, and research together in Explore, the College of Science's Living Learning Community. 

Dr. Phillip Ackerman has been selected by the American Psychological Association
as one of five distinguished psychologists as Master Lecturers for 2019.


 

A unique treat awaits fans at the Yellow Jackets’ Jan. 22 men’s basketball home game. The Georgia Tech team will battle Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish for the hoops amid element cards, games, and prizes to celebrate 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements.  

They chose to study at Georgia Tech. Once here, they discovered that the academic rigor and leading-edge science research they’ve heard so much about is true – and demands their best. Some found Tech overwhelming at times, but all succeeded.

Dr. Susan Embretson has won the Psychometric Society Career Award for Lifetime Achievement and will be giving a Keynote talk at the society's 2019 meeting in Santiago, Chile on July 15, 2019. 

School of Psychology's MAP lab Research Assistant Sarah Freeman Awarded Penelope W. and E. Roe Stamps IV President’s Scholarship

School of Psychology's Dr. Frank Durso chosen as discussant for National Academies Seminar on November 1 in Washington, DC

School of Psychology Grad Student Emily Hocket a  Finalist in Georgia Tech's 2018 3-Minute Thesis Competition.

Megen Wittling, winner of the ScienceMatters Episode 8 quiz, now works at the Food & Drug Administration, in Washington, DC. She listens to ScienceMatters while riding the Washington Metro. 

The Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning has named Dr. Christopher Stanzione to be a recipient of the 2018 Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award. His selection is based on his outstanding contributions in teaching PSYC 1101 CS as reflected in his exceptional scores and response rates in Course-Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS).  

Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning has named Dr. James Roberts to be a recipient of 2018 Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award. His selection is based on his outstanding contributions in teaching PSYC 6019A as reflected in his exceptional scores and response rates in Course-Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS).  

Nine accomplished alumni describe how they used their College of Sciences degrees to make a difference in their professions. 

What is “memory clutter”? Can we make it go away? Audrey Duarteuses magnetic resonance imaging and special tests to discover what causes obstacles in the brain’s pathways as people age.

Qiliang He wins Best College of Sciences Poster at GATech Postdoc Research Symposium

Sean McGlynn winner of HFES-ATG Scholarship