Georgia Institute of Technology and the Trammell Crow Company are transforming Atlanta’s booming skyline with the launch of the first phase of Science Square, a pioneering mixed-use development dedicated to biological sciences and medical research and the technology to advance those fields. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for April 25. 

“The opening of Science Square’s first phase represents one of the most exciting developments to come to Atlanta in recent years,” said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “The greatest advances in innovation often emerge from dense technological ecosystems, and Science Square provides our city with its first biomedical research district, which will help innovators develop and scale their ideas into marketable solutions.” 

Science Square’s first phase includes Science Square Labs, a 13-story purpose-built tower with state-of-the-art infrastructure to accommodate wet and dry labs and clean room space. To promote overall energy efficiency as well as sustainability, the complex houses a massive 38,000-square-foot solar panel. The solar panel system is in addition to an energy recovery system that extracts energy from the building’s exhaust air and returns it to the building’s HVAC system, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Electrochromic windows, which tint during the day to block ultraviolet rays and steady the temperature while also controlling the environment — key in research labs — are also featured throughout the building.   

Equipped with technologically advanced amenities and infrastructure, Science Square Labs serves as a nexus for groundbreaking research, enabling collaboration between academia, industry, and startup ventures. Portal Innovations, a company specializing in life sciences venture development, is among the first tenants to establish operations at Science Square, as Atlanta takes center stage as the country’s top city for research and development employment growth. 

The opening of the complex’s first phase, just south of Georgia Tech’s campus and totaling 18 acres, also features retail space and The Grace Residences developed by High Street Residential, TCC's residential subsidiary. The 280-unit multifamily tower, already welcoming tenants, is named in honor of renowned Atlanta leader and Georgia State Representative Grace Towns Hamilton who spent many years championing this community.

Beyond its scientific endeavors, Science Square embodies Georgia Tech’s commitment to uplifting the local community. By collaborating with organizations like Westside Works, Science Square aims to empower residents through targeted workforce development initiatives and economic opportunities.  

“This mixed-use development adds immense value to Atlanta’s west side and will lead the development of pioneering medical advances with the power to improve and save lives,” President Cabrera added.  

For the past 10 years, the National Institutes of Health have led an unprecedented effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. The aptly named BRAIN (Brain Research Through Advancing Neurotechnologies) Initiative has led to remarkable technological advancements, insights into the structure and function of the brain, and budding therapies. 

Recently, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Professor Chris Rozell traveled to Washington, D.C. to share the impact of his BRAIN Initiative research with U.S. Congressional offices — and offer insights on how critical this program is to society. The briefing took on a particular urgency because BRAIN Initiative funding was cut over 40% this year, and future funding appears to be in jeopardy in the current federal budget climate. 

“The millions of patients suffering with intractable neurologic disorders and mental illness deserve a moonshot to develop new solutions for their conditions,” said Rozell, who also holds the Julian T. Hightower Chair in ECE and serves on the executive committee for Georgia Tech’s Neuro Next Initiative. “You can't get to the moon with a paper plane, and you can’t get there without a map. The BRAIN Initiative is a vital program because it's one of the few places that brings together interdisciplinary teams that include the scientists who have been building maps of brain circuits and the engineers who have been building rockets to understand and intervene with those circuits. 

“I'm proud to have had the chance to represent not only our own research, but the incredible community here at Georgia Tech and around the country working to understand many different aspects of the brain, developing new neurotechnologies, and advancing therapies for neurologic disorders.” 

Interdisciplinary impacts 

“The main message we presented to Congress is that the interdisciplinary combination of rigorous science and technical innovation can have enormous societal impact over the next few decades,” said Rozell. 

A stark example of that impact was published in Nature this past fall. In this research, Rozell and his collaborators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Emory University School of Medicine identified the first known biomarker of disease recovery with deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant depression. 

“The fact that an engineer can advance clinical therapies is a testament to the new era we're in,” says Rozell, “where disciplinary boundaries are fading, and technological innovation accelerates our scientific and translational breakthroughs.” 

This research served as a focal point of the congressional briefing, where Rozell presented with BRAIN Initiative Director John J. Ngai, clinical collaborators, and a family whose lives have been transformed by this work.  

“Events like last week are dream come true,” shared Jon Nelson, who was treated with deep brain stimulation as part of the study and presented with Rozell in D.C. After living through 10 years of debilitating, treatment-resistant depression, Nelson says “remission of depression still doesn't feel real. It's been a year and a half, and I still am in awe every single day. 

“The fact that I have come out of this study and found that the disease is purely an electrical deficiency in my brain has fueled me to completely pulverize the stigma of mental illness,” Nelson explained. “When you have an opportunity to go speak to Congress — that’s about as great of a platform as you can get for that. Being able to put a face to what the BRAIN Initiative funding can do for people was just amazing.” 

When meeting with local representatives, Rozell also relayed his work as co-executive leader of the Neuro Next Initiative, a budding Interdisciplinary Research Institute at Georgia Tech. 

“I was thrilled to highlight that Georgia Tech is leading the charge with the Neuro Next Initiative, which will evolve into a full Interdisciplinary Research Institute in 2025,” said Rozell. “Georgia Tech has the ingredients to become a leading center for modern technology-driven interdisciplinary brain research and workforce development. 

“This visit was a reminder to me that research funding is not guaranteed and it’s important to keep communicating the critical value that research plays in advancing our understanding, training our workforce, fueling our economy, and ultimately making a better tomorrow for society.” 

Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer diagnosis for U.S. women, and the second-leading cause of female cancer deaths. In recent years, breast cancer treatments have improved significantly, thanks to targeted gene therapy and immunotherapy. However, for the small group of patients diagnosed with the most aggressive basal-like type of breast cancer, such approaches are less successful.

Recently, scientists in the Georgia Tech Integrated Cancer Research Center (ICRC) have found that this particular breast cancer displays a unique interactive gene network structure. Using a type of mathematics called “graph theory,” which models relationships between a pair of objects, the researchers computationally detected changes in gene-gene interactions as this breast cancer occurs and develops.

“The discovery of novel gene networks associated with basal-like breast cancers has helped us identify potential new gene targets to treat this very aggressive type of breast cancer,” said John McDonald, ICRC founding director, professor emeritus in the School of Biological Sciences, and the study’s corresponding author. “We would not have discovered these possible treatments through analyses of gene expression alone.”

While causing just 10-20% of breast cancer diagnoses, basal-like breast cancer is much more aggressive than other subtypes — and if not identified early, when it can be treated by surgery and/or radiation therapy, effective anti-cancer drug treatment can be challenging. The basal-like subtype does not respond to traditional hormonal therapies.

One theory as to why, advocated by many cancer researchers, is that individual genes do not function autonomously; as such, changes in how genes interact with one another in cancer may be as important as the cancer-driving genes themselves.

“The components of any complex system, like the human genome, are certainly important,” said McDonald. “The way in which these independent components interact with one another is also critical.”

For this study, the researchers analyzed three major subtypes of breast cancer, with particular emphasis on the most aggressive basal-like subtype. The researchers found that gene-gene interactive networks are quite different in the aggressive basal-like subtype, compared to the more prevalent luminal A and luminal B subtypes.

Many of the genes comprising these unique networks were found to be involved in functions not previously associated with breast cancer. Stephen Housley, a neurobiology researcher in the School of Biological Sciences and a co-author on the paper, noted that “an unexpected and intriguing result from our study is that neural processes appear to play a prominent role in distinguishing the highly aggressive basal-like tumors from the less aggressive luminal A and luminal B subtypes.”

In total, the researchers examined more than 300 million pairs of genes, comparing healthy women to those with breast cancer. Study co-author Zainab Ashard, a computational biologist who recently worked in McDonald’s lab, explained, “Differences in the gene network structure between healthy individuals and breast cancer patients allowed us to identify changes in patterns of gene-gene interactions within breast cancer development.”[s1] 

The team’s results are detailed in a new paper, “Changes in Gene Network Interactions in Breast Cancer Onset and Development,” which appeared in the April 2024 issue of GEN Biotechnology. Based on the results of this study and their previously published analyses of eight other types of cancer, the researchers believe they have established the usefulness of network analysis in identifying potential new candidates for the diagnosis of and targeted gene therapy treatment for breast and other types of cancers.

In addition to McDonald, Housley, and Ashard, Kara Keun Lee, a former bioinformatics Ph.D. student who worked in McDonald’s lab, is also a co-author on the paper.

The results shown here are in whole or in part based on data generated by the TCGA Research Network. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project was supported by the Common Fund of the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and by NCI, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, and NINDS.

This research was supported by the Mark Light Integrated Cancer Research Center Student Fellowship, the Deborah Nash Endowment Fund, Northside Hospital (Atlanta), and the Ovarian Cancer Institute (Atlanta).

Citation: “Changes in Gene Network Interactions in Breast Cancer Onset and Development,” Zainab Arshad, Stephen N. Housley, Kara Keun Lee, and John F. McDonald, GEN Biotechnology, April 2024,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/genbio.2024.0002

Breanna Shi, a student in the bioinformatics Ph.D. program, discovered the importance of student-led support groups early on in her graduate education journey. Since then, she has taken on a variety of mentorship roles, including co-organizing the 2024 Women Computational Biology Cohort with fellow Ph.D. bioinformatics student Zoey Yang. 

Before the Women Computational Biology cohort, I felt a strong desire to have more community with my fellow graduate students,” said Shi. “The program has done so much to help women like Zoey and myself derive a sense of community in our work, and we want to be a part of seeing this community help the next generation of female scientists.

Shi and Yang share the importance of developing women-centered communities and provide their insight into developing a community. 

Provide a safe space for discussion. 

“Pursuing a graduate degree is difficult,” said Yang. “Pursuing a graduate degree as a woman is particularly hard. Women are often given specific expectations by our society. Pursuing advanced degrees may often be seen as ‘too ambitious’ or ‘unnecessary’ for women.” 

In the cohort, Yang had the opportunity to meet other women scientists every month to discuss their experience in doing computational biology research. 

“As women in male-dominated research areas, our experience and struggles are unique.”

The cohort provided a safe space to talk about different aspects of their prospective career, mental health, and life in general. 

“We understand each other, and we support each other with constructive advice,” said Yang. 

Meet with Like-Minded Peers of Diverse Perspectives.

According to Shi, the women in their cohort help each other navigate the academic environment, empowering them to tackle the challenges they will inevitably face in a Ph.D. program. 

 “I feel that women are better able to reach their goals through this program because of the diversity of perspective and experience levels that this program allows Ph.D. students to encounter,” said Shi. “Each woman in my cohort contributes a different perspective on her graduate experience, which collectively serves all new women graduate students to walk forward in her Ph.D. confident and prepared for the challenges she will conquer in her Ph.D.”

Walk away from meetings with a plan of action. 

At the beginning of Shi’s third year, she was distressed. The idea for her thesis was not working, and she did not have any other ideas. 

“I spoke to some of the women from my program that were able to help me feel more confident defending my ideas with my advisor,” said Shi. “At my next meeting, I was able to come to a consensus about a new direction to take my thesis. I brought this idea to my faculty mentor, and she helped to make a plan for my proposal and my first publication.” 

Combat feelings of isolation.

For Shi, there were many times in the beginning of her Ph.D. when she felt isolated. She wondered if the challenges she was experiencing were normal. 

Avery Davis Bell, postdoctoral scholar in the School of Biological Sciences, launched the Women Computational Biology Cohort with Professor Lynn Kamerlin to provide graduate women and gender minorities with a faculty mentor and to host events aimed at empowering these students. 

“Conversations with Avery and other women in my cohort have completely changed my perspective on graduate school,” said Shi. 

The advice given during their meetups have been invaluable to Shi’s growth and success as a Ph.D. student. 

 “Avery has been a huge advocate for me during this program,” said Shi. “She is always ready to give advice, support my ideas, and help me to grow as a female leader. She has actively shown me time and time again her passion for empowering the next generation of female scientists. I feel lucky to learn from her experience as I try to give back the experience I was given." 

Launching Your Own Community. 

Shi gives the following tips for starting your own community: 

• Start with something simple. “Go get a cup of coffee with someone new in your department,” said Shi. “Find out what graduate students in your department need and find people who are willing to get the work done. It takes a good team to build a community.” 
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. “Your department is likely more than willing to help you start a new graduate community,” said Shi. “This will help you identify the people who are passionate about your ideas. 
• Do the work to maintain your community. “The best strategy that you can have to create a supportive community is to realize that community building is an active role, not a passive role,” said Shi. 

The 2024 Women Computational Biology Cohort will be accepting applications this summer. Applications are open to all women and gender minority Ph.D. students who research computational biology regardless of major. Faculty willing to serve as mentors and women interested in the program should email Breanna Shi. 

This Earth Month more than 100 campus and community stakeholders gathered near the Georgia Tech EcoCommons for the 2024 Frontiers in Science: Climate Action Conference and Symposium.

On April 18, the College of Sciences hosted more than 20 speakers and panelists from across the Institute and Atlanta community presenting groundbreaking research and discussing innovations and ideas in climate change, challenges, and solutions. 

Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera (M.S. PSY 1993, Ph.D. PSY 1995) kicked off the morning sessions by highlighting the Institute’s new Climate Action Plan, which outlines the pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Cabrera’s remarks focused on Georgia Tech’s role on the frontlines of research and education informing how we respond to climate challenges — and noted that the Institute’s work must extend beyond our laboratories and classrooms.

“It is essential that we not only do the science, but that we also tell that science to the world,” Cabrera says.

Interdisciplinary inquiry

This year, Frontiers in Science featured an array of climate research and initiatives led by the College of Sciences, fellow colleges across Georgia Tech, and the wider Atlanta community.

Following a three-year hiatus of the Frontiers series, the 2024 edition re-envisioned the signature annual event as a research conference and symposium to convene campus experts — and to incubate seed grant proposals to support the work of early career faculty.

Frontiers previously hosted Nobel laureates and invited thought leaders for individual talks across the College’s six schools, and celebrated milestones like the International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements.

“This year, we wanted to showcase what we are doing right here in the College of Sciences and throughout the Institute,” 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. “Our faculty are at the forefront of broadening our knowledgebase and uncovering solutions in areas critical to the planet and our well-being. We wanted to uplift that work and see what sort of connections could be made.”

Connections and collaboration were key themes of the day as faculty, staff, students, and alumni participants representing all six Georgia Tech colleges shared research results and ongoing work and discussed collaborative ideas for horizons ahead.

“Scientists alone cannot [create accurate models],” noted Annalisa Bracco, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and associate chair for Research, who shared her own research alongside Lozier, who presented a version of her 2024 TED Talk on ocean overturning. “Engineers alone cannot do it. We need social scientists, policy makers, communicators.”

The importance of an interdisciplinary approach was reinforced by the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech (SEI) and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), which announced an interdisciplinary seed grant funding opportunity for assistant professors with ideas for new climate solutions.

Frontiers in focus

Across three themed sessions, faculty and leadership from the Colleges of Sciences, Engineering, and Design spearheaded talks on the ocean and cryosphere, biodiversity, carbon cycling, coastal wetlands, biofuels production, and beyond.

Panels on climate challenges across community, technological, and policy initiatives were hosted by Georgia Tech Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research and Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Julia Kubanek.

Following a networking lunch with climate table topics, Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research and Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chaouki T. Abdallah (M.S. ECE 1982, Ph.D. ECE 1988) kicked off the afternoon sessions — which also announced the scholarship recipients of a student video competition and featured videos with a pair of alumnae working in meteorology, climate research, and policy.

Afternoon highlights also included discussions on the Georgia Tech Climate Action Plan and Sustainability Next initiative, led by Jennifer Chirico (B.S. MGMT 1997, Ph.D. PUBP 2011), associate vice president of Sustainability for Georgia Tech Infrastructure and Sustainability, and Jennifer Leavey (B.S. CHEM 1995), assistant dean for Faculty Mentoring in the College of Sciences and interim assistant director for Interdisciplinary Education in the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems.

Although many of the presentations provided a stern outlook of the state of our ecosystems, the conference concluded with a sense of hope. This optimism was grounded in the range of opportunities that exist to address climate challenges — thanks, in part, to the body of knowledge and solutions being tested and explored by Georgia Tech researchers.

At the end of the day, Katie Griffin, a first year undergraduate student in Environmental Science, read Amanda Gorman’s poem Earthrise and provided this reminder:

All of us bring light to exciting solutions never tried before
For it is our hope that implores us, at our uncompromising core,
To keep rising up for an earth more than worth fighting for.

Experience the event in pictures with the College of Sciences’ Flickr account, and discover the highlights through the day’s live tweets on College of Sciences’ X account.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded 60 Georgia Tech students with Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF). The fellowships, valued at $159,000 each, include funding for three years of graduate study and tuition.

This year’s winners represent areas of study ranging from aerospace engineering to ocean sciences. The purpose of the GRF initiative, the oldest of NSF’s programs, is to develop experts who will contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. Their awards total more than $9.5 million in funding, the most Georgia Tech has ever had in the program.

This year’s recipients are: 

In the Postdoc Visibility Project, we spotlight the journeys and experiences of our postdoctoral scholars (postdocs) at Georgia Tech. As we delve deeper into the postdoc community, we turn our focus to a vital aspect: gratitude and acknowledgement within this dynamic cohort. 

We asked our postdocs whom they would like to extend their thanks. Their responses revealed the profound impact of collaboration, mentorship, and peer support. 

Avery Davis Bell, Postdoc in the School of Biological Sciences

Bell expresses deep gratitude to her mentor, Dr. Annalise Paaby, highlighting her as a profoundly creative and rigorous scientific thinker. Bell admires Paaby as one of the most supportive mentors she has encountered, emphasizing her dedication to her students and postdoctoral fellows, going above and beyond to support their growth and success. 

Additionally, Bell extends thanks to her family, recognizing their crucial role in supporting her career endeavors. She acknowledges her husband and child for their flexibility and her mother for assisting with childcare on busy days, enabling Bell to focus on her experiments and research work. 

Bell emphasizes the importance of a supportive community, mentioning the graduate students in her lab and the broader research faculty and postdoc communities at Georgia Tech. These communities provide crucial support, combat feelings of isolation, and fostering collaborative exchanges that are vital for academic and personal wellbeing. 

Nicole Hellessey, Postdoc in the Ocean Science & Engineering Department

Hellessey extends heartfelt thanks to her professor, Marc Weissburg, whose mentorship and support were instrumental in her postdoc placement at Georgia Tech. 

“Without him, I would not have had a postdoc,” said Hellessey, “I would not have come to Georgia Tech or had any of the opportunities I have had here.” 

Hellessey also extends a “massive shout out” to all the Ph.D. students in the Kubanek Lab and Hay Lab, recognizing their exceptional support and assistance. She highlights their role in ensuring that she didn’t feel lost along the way, emphasizing the importance of their presence in navigating the intricacies of research and academia. 

Lastly, Hellessey expresses her appreciation for the camaraderie and friendship she has found among fellow postdocs across various departments at Georgia Tech. 

Zita Hüsing, Postdoc in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication

Hüsing thanks those who have supported her throughout her academic journey. She acknowledges the steadfast encouragement of her partner, family, and friends, whose support has been crucial during challenging times. 

Hüsing extends her appreciation to her dissertation committee at Louisiana State University, including Dr. Brannon Costello, Dr. Chris Barrett, Dr. Carl Freedman, and Dr. Katherine Henninger, for their guidance and contributions to her academic development. 

She also thanks her directors in the Writing and Communication program at Georgia Tech, Dr. Melissa Ianetta and Dr. Andy Frazee, for their support and mentorship, contributing to her professional growth and success. 

Ida Su, Postdoc in the Department of Biomedical Engineering

Su’s journey through academia has been shaped by a network of support and mentorship. Reflecting on her path, Su emphasizes the impact of familial encouragement. 

“Without their support,” said Su, “I would not have overcome the challenges throughout my Ph.D., and now postdoc, journey.” 

Su credits her current postdoc advisor, Dr. Gabe Kwong, for providing invaluable guidance and opportunities for growth. From research methodologies to grant writing and mentoring, Dr. Kwong’s mentorship has pushed Su beyond her comfort zone, enabling her to achieve remarkable milestones such as the prestigious K99 Pathway to Independence award from the National Institutes of Health. 

Additionally, Su acknowledges the invaluable contributions of her collaborators, including Dr. Madhav Dhodapkar, Dr. Philip Santangelo, and Dr. Rafi Ahmed, whose mentorship and advice were pivotal in assembling the K99 application and publishing high-quality research papers.   

Su also expresses gratitude towards her Ph.D. advisory committees, particularly highlighting Dr. Patrick Stayton and Dr. Daniel Ratner, along with Dr. Suzie Pun, for their continuous support, guidance, and encouragement throughout her academic endeavors. Their mentorship extended beyond research projects to helping her navigate challenges faced during graduate school and steering her towards a career path aligned with her aspirations. 

Lastly, Su acknowledges the support and camaraderie of her postdoc friends, whose shared experiences and encouragement have been a source of strength during the highs and lows of postdoc research life. 

The Postdoc Visibility Project is a collaboration between the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Services, the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Tech’s postdocs. Our goal is to highlight the contributions of postdocs to the research enterprise, humanize the postdoc experience, and connect postdocs to each other. To achieve this, we will share three spotlight articles and accompanying video interviews throughout the Spring 2024 semester. This is the third installment of the Project. 

This work is supported in part by the National Sciences Foundation Mathematical and Physical Sciences divisions ASCEND program under grant award number CHE-2138107.  
 

As the academic year nears its end, a season of celebration begins. Students from across the Institute were recognized for excellence this year at the annual Student Honors Celebration on Wednesday, April 10. Several College of Sciences students were recognized.

See the full list of student awardees from across the Institute.
View photos from the Student Honors Celebration — and more spring events around the College of Sciences.

Institute Awards

Provost’s Academic Excellence Award

• Hope Hazelton
  Psychology Major

• Zikang Leng
  Physics and Computer Science Dual Major

Outstanding Tutor Award

• Harrison Banks
  Physics Major

Outstanding Learning Assistant Award

• Ellia Kelso
  Biology Major (Pre-Med)

College of Sciences Awards

A. Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Prize

Lance Lampert
Mathematics and Physics Dual Major

The Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Undergraduate Research Award is presented by the College of Sciences to a student who has engaged in scholarship at the interface of physics and mathematics. 

Lance Lampert entered Georgia Tech as a graduate of Syosset High School, in Syosset, New York. This May, he will graduate with dual degrees in Physics and in Mathematics. Lampert has research experience in the School of Physics with both Professor Dragomir Davidovic and Professor Colin Parker, and with the GTRI Quantum Systems Division.

In summer 2022, Lampert participated in the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the University of Michigan, and he spent last summer as a researcher at the CERN in Switzerland where he worked on advancing the measurement of the gravitational acceleration of antimatter. Lampert will embark on graduate study in physics this fall, and is currently deciding between multiple offers of positions.
 

Roger M. Wartell, Ph.D., and Stephen E. Brossette, M.D., Ph.D. Award for Multidisciplinary Studies in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics

Brittany Ahn
Neuroscience Major, Mathematics Minor

The Roger M. Wartell and Stephen E. Brossette Award is presented to a student who has engaged in scholarship at the interface of the life sciences with physics or mathematics. 

This May, Brittany Ahn will graduate with a degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Mathematics. At Georgia Tech, Ahn engaged in research in the Computational Industrial Design Lab, the GTRI Electrical-Optical Lab, and the Mathematical Neuroscience Lab with Professor Hannah Choi. 

Last summer, Ahn participated in the NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates program at Northwestern University, during which she modeled the effect of temperature on neuronal action potential dynamics. 

Ahn has served as a teaching assistant in both industrial systems engineering and the neuroscience program, a math tutor, and as a volunteer with the Atlanta Science Festival and the Special Olympics. This fall, Ahn will enroll in the doctoral program in Computational Neuroscience at Boston University.
 

Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship

• Callie Goins
  Chemistry Major, Materials Science and Engineering Minor

• Emily Melvin
  Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Major

• Michelle Seeler
  Biology Major, Spanish Minor

The College of Sciences presents the Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship to top graduating seniors. This year there are three recipients.

Callie Goins will graduate with a degree in Chemistry and a minor in Materials Science and Engineering. Prior to attending Georgia Tech, Goins attended River Ridge High School in Woodstock, Georgia, and dual enrolled at Kennesaw State University.

For the last three years, she has conducted research in the laboratory of Professor John Reynolds, leading to her undergraduate thesis titled “Investigating IR Switching of Dioxythiophene-Based Conjugated Polymers.”

Goins has also completed summer internships with Alcon and with Parker Lord, and served as a teaching assistant in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Goins appears as a co-author on peer reviewed articles in the journals Materials Advances and ACS Materials Letters and on a number of conference presentations. She is the recipient of the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Organic Chemistry.

Professor Reynolds shares that “Callie has always demonstrated a tremendous enthusiasm for learning … She is a student who loves scientific discourse and takes advantage of every opportunity that she gets to share her research.” This fall, Goins will embark on graduate studies; she is currently choosing between a number of opportunities.

Emily Melvin will be among the first graduates of the new Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences B.S. degree (AOS). Melvin’s degree will include the AOS research option, also offered through the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Melvin hails from Marstons Mills, Massachusetts. She has served as an intern with Brookhaven National Laboratory and at the Naval Research Laboratory where she worked on simulations of the proposed flight plans to explore the marine atmospheric boundary layer. Beyond academic work, Melvin has volunteered as treasurer and marketing manager of The Dance Company at Georgia Tech, a group of Tech students who love to dance and perform.

Melvin plans to attend graduate school in atmospheric sciences and is currently selecting a program of study.

Michelle Seeler grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She is graduating with a degree in Biology, a minor in Spanish, and completion of the research option. For the last two years, Seeler has worked with Professor Julia Champion on the targeted delivery of therapeutics.

In summer 2022, Seeler conducted research at the Jackson Laboratory (JAX) biomedical research institution, and she spent the summer of 2023 at Harvard Medical School. She served as the founding president of the March of Dimes at Georgia Tech, and as president of the Support Health and Education for Women initiative at Georgia Tech.

Professor Champion notes that “Michelle is an intelligent, motivated, a dedicated researcher and effective communicator, and she has an innate desire to use her talents to help patients in the future — especially women who have been underserved by current research efforts and spending.” After graduation, Michelle plans to enroll in the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Sciences at University of California, San Francisco.