The Georgia Tech research community is invited to a virtual research town hall hosted by Executive Vice President of Research (EVPR), Chaouki Abdallah.
Agenda will include a welcome and research update from the EVPR. Research panel with Irfan Essa, Tim Lieuwen, and Helen Anne Curry, and a moderated Q&A session.
Event Details
During the Institute Address, President Ángel Cabrera will highlight recent Institute achievements, convey his vision and goals for the upcoming academic year, and answer audience questions. The campus community is invited to join in person or watch live on president.gatech.edu.
Email your questions in advance to townhall@gatech.edu. Questions should be submitted by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30.
Event Details
Dean Susan Lozier will host the 2023 College of Sciences Plenary and Reception the afternoon of August 30 in the Petit Institute (IBB) Building.
All College of Sciences faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to attend.
RSVP by August 21 for details and a calendar invitation. (GT login required.)
Event Details
The University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents announced 12 first-time Georgia Tech appointments to Regents’ distinctions for 2023 and affirmed the renewal of existing distinctions for four esteemed faculty members.
Regents’ distinctions may be granted for a period of three years by the Board of Regents (BOR) to outstanding faculty members from Georgia Tech, Augusta University, Georgia State University, the University of Georgia, and, in special circumstances, other USG institutions. A Regents’ professor, researcher, or entrepreneur distinction is awarded only after unanimous recommendation from the president of the recipient’s university, their chief academic officer and dean, as well as three additional members of the faculty who are named by the university president. Approval by the chancellor and the BOR Committee on Academic Affairs is also required. These distinctions are given to those who make outstanding contributions to their respective institutions.
Georgia Tech faculty named as Regents’ Professors include:
Srinivas Aluru, Professor, School of Computational Science and Engineering, College of Computing
Rafael L. Bras, K. Harrison Brown Family Chair and Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences
Thomas Orlando, Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences
Frank T. Rothaermel, Russell and Nancy McDonough Chair in Business and Professor, Scheller College of Business
Jeffrey Skolnick (renewal), Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology, and Professor, School of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences
Vigor Yang (renewal), Professor, School of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Lisa Yaszek (renewal), Professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Ellen Zegura (renewal), Stephen Fleming Chair in the College of Computing and Professor, School of Computer Science, College of Computing
Faculty named as Regents’ Researchers include:
Maribeth Coleman, Director of Research and Associate Director of Interactive Media, Institute for People and Technology
Douglas Denison, Laboratory Director, Advanced Concepts Laboratory, GTRI
Mehmet Talat Odman, Principal Research Engineer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Linda Viney, Principal Research Engineer and Chief, Systems Integration Division, Applied Systems Laboratory, GTRI
Faculty named Regents’ Entrepreneurs — granted to outstanding full-time, tenured faculty members who have established reputations as successful innovators and who have taken their research into a commercial setting — include:
J. David Frost, Elizabeth and Bill Higginbotham Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Jennifer Olson Hasler, Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Raghupathy Sivakumar, Vice President of Commercialization, Chief Commercialization Officer and Wayne J. Holman Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Todd Sulchek, a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering, has been named a Regents’ Innovator.
“We are thrilled to have so many distinguished members of our community honored in this way by the Board of Regents of the USG,” said Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “Georgia Tech is known for the strength of our academics, research, innovation, and the brilliant entrepreneurs who emerge from all corners of the Institute. We are deeply grateful for their contributions.”
To learn more about the requirements for USG Regents’ distinctions, visit the Board of Regents Policy Manual.
The University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents announced 12 first-time Georgia Tech appointments to Regents’ distinctions for 2023 and affirmed the renewal of existing distinctions for four esteemed faculty members.
Regents’ distinctions may be granted for a period of three years by the Board of Regents (BOR) to outstanding faculty members from Georgia Tech, Augusta University, Georgia State University, the University of Georgia, and, in special circumstances, other USG institutions. A Regents’ professor, researcher, or entrepreneur distinction is awarded only after unanimous recommendation from the president of the recipient’s university, their chief academic officer and dean, as well as three additional members of the faculty who are named by the university president. Approval by the chancellor and the BOR Committee on Academic Affairs is also required. These distinctions are given to those who make outstanding contributions to their respective institutions.
Georgia Tech faculty named as Regents’ Professors include:
Srinivas Aluru, Professor, School of Computational Science and Engineering, College of Computing
Rafael L. Bras, K. Harrison Brown Family Chair and Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences
Thomas Orlando, Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Sciences
Frank T. Rothaermel, Russell and Nancy McDonough Chair in Business and Professor, Scheller College of Business
Jeffrey Skolnick (renewal), Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology, and Professor, School of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences
Vigor Yang (renewal), Professor, School of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Lisa Yaszek (renewal), Professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Ellen Zegura (renewal), Stephen Fleming Chair in the College of Computing and Professor, School of Computer Science, College of Computing
Faculty named as Regents’ Researchers include:
Maribeth Coleman, Director of Research and Associate Director of Interactive Media, Institute for People and Technology
Douglas Denison, Laboratory Director, Advanced Concepts Laboratory, GTRI
Mehmet Talat Odman, Principal Research Engineer, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Linda Viney, Principal Research Engineer and Chief, Systems Integration Division, Applied Systems Laboratory, GTRI
Faculty named Regents’ Entrepreneurs — granted to outstanding full-time, tenured faculty members who have established reputations as successful innovators and who have taken their research into a commercial setting — include:
J. David Frost, Elizabeth and Bill Higginbotham Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Jennifer Olson Hasler, Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Raghupathy Sivakumar, Vice President of Commercialization, Chief Commercialization Officer and Wayne J. Holman Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Todd Sulchek, a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering, has been named a Regents’ Innovator.
“We are thrilled to have so many distinguished members of our community honored in this way by the Board of Regents of the USG,” said Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “Georgia Tech is known for the strength of our academics, research, innovation, and the brilliant entrepreneurs who emerge from all corners of the Institute. We are deeply grateful for their contributions.”
To learn more about the requirements for USG Regents’ distinctions, visit the Board of Regents Policy Manual.
Billions of years ago, self-replicating systems of molecules became separated from one another by membranes, resulting in the first cells. Over time, evolving cells enriched the living world with an astonishing diversity of new shapes and biochemical innovations, all made possible by compartments.
Compartmentalization is how all living systems are organized today — from proteins and small molecules sharing space in separate phases to dividing labor and specialized functions within and among cells.
Now, with $6 million in support from NASA, a team of researchers led by Georgia Tech’s Frank Rosenzweig will study the organizing principles of compartmentalization in a five-year project called Engine of Innovation: How Compartmentalization Drives Evolution of Novelty and Efficiency Across Scales.
It's one of seven new projects selected recently by NASA as part of its Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR) program. ICAR is embedded among NASA’s five Astrobiology Research Coordination Networks (RCNs). Rosenzweig is co-lead for the RCN launched in 2022, LIFE: Early Cells to Multicellularity.
“We’re excited by the prospect of exploring this fundamental question through the interplay of theory and experiment,” said Rosenzweig, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, whose team of co-Investigators includes biochemists, geologists, cell biologists, and theoreticians from leading NASA research centers: Jeff Cameron, Shelley Copley, Alexis Templeton, and Boswell Wing from the University of Colorado Boulder; Josh Goldford and Victoria Orphan from California Institute of Technology; and John McCutcheon from Arizona State University. Collaborating with them is Chris Kempes, professor at the Santa Fe Institute.
Rosenzweig is also eager to eventually collaborate with existing ICAR teams, such as MUSE, led by the University of Wisconsin’s Betül Kaçar, a former Georgia Tech postdoctoral researcher, and newly selected teams, such as Retention of Habitable Atmospheres in Planetary Systems, led by Dave Brain at University of Colorado Boulder.
Meanwhile, he plans to build upon Georgia Tech’s outstanding reputation in astrobiology, where a cluster of researchers, such as Jen Glass, Nick Hud, Thom Orlando, Amanda Stockton, and Loren Williams, among others, is engaged in a diverse range of work supported by NASA.
“This is just the latest chapter in a long history of excellence in NASA research at Georgia Tech, one written by my colleagues across the Institute,” Rosenzweig said.
Billions of years ago, self-replicating systems of molecules became separated from one another by membranes, resulting in the first cells. Over time, evolving cells enriched the living world with an astonishing diversity of new shapes and biochemical innovations, all made possible by compartments.
Compartmentalization is how all living systems are organized today — from proteins and small molecules sharing space in separate phases to dividing labor and specialized functions within and among cells.
Now, with $6 million in support from NASA, a team of researchers led by Georgia Tech’s Frank Rosenzweig will study the organizing principles of compartmentalization in a five-year project called Engine of Innovation: How Compartmentalization Drives Evolution of Novelty and Efficiency Across Scales.
It's one of seven new projects selected recently by NASA as part of its Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR) program. ICAR is embedded among NASA’s five Astrobiology Research Coordination Networks (RCNs). Rosenzweig is co-lead for the RCN launched in 2022, LIFE: Early Cells to Multicellularity.
“We’re excited by the prospect of exploring this fundamental question through the interplay of theory and experiment,” said Rosenzweig, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, whose team of co-Investigators includes biochemists, geologists, cell biologists, and theoreticians from leading NASA research centers: Jeff Cameron, Shelley Copley, Alexis Templeton, and Boswell Wing from the University of Colorado Boulder; Josh Goldford and Victoria Orphan from California Institute of Technology; and John McCutcheon from Arizona State University. Collaborating with them is Chris Kempes, professor at the Santa Fe Institute.
Rosenzweig is also eager to eventually collaborate with existing ICAR teams, such as MUSE, led by the University of Wisconsin’s Betül Kaçar, a former Georgia Tech postdoctoral researcher, and newly selected teams, such as Retention of Habitable Atmospheres in Planetary Systems, led by Dave Brain at University of Colorado Boulder.
Meanwhile, he plans to build upon Georgia Tech’s outstanding reputation in astrobiology, where a cluster of researchers, such as Jen Glass, Nick Hud, Thom Orlando, Amanda Stockton, and Loren Williams, among others, is engaged in a diverse range of work supported by NASA.
“This is just the latest chapter in a long history of excellence in NASA research at Georgia Tech, one written by my colleagues across the Institute,” Rosenzweig said.
Nothing announces the start of a new academic year quite like the King of Pops combined with a free BIOLOGY t-shirt. Come grab your sweet treat and your shirt as we welcome our new and returning undergraduates to campus for the Fall semester. If you have a shirt from a previous event, be sure to show it off at this year’s event which will be held at the Kendeda Porch on Tuesday, August 22nd from 11 AM – 12:30 PM. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Event Details
An extraordinary group of young alumni were recently recognized by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association with their release of the 2023 class of 40 under 40. Four College of Sciences alumni from three schools are members of this class of Jackets.
Launched in 2020, this annual program recognizes 40 alumni under the age of 40 who innovate their fields and positively impact the world.
The Alumni Association notes that they are “proud to celebrate this exceptional class of Jackets who have done the impossible; from furthering space exploration to revolutionizing healthcare, these individuals have made the Tech community exceptionally proud.”
Nominees, who must have completed at least one semester at Georgia Tech and be under the age of 40 as of June 30, 2023, were scored using a 25-point rubric by a committee of 24 faculty, staff, and volunteers who collectively represented all Georgia Tech colleges.
Learn more about the 2023 class on the Alumni Association’s website, or explore quick stats about the class here.
From making groundbreaking discoveries on Mars to revolutionizing healthcare, meet the four trailblazing Sciences alumni in the 2023 class:
Stephen Crooke, Ph.D. Chem ‘18
Lead Microbiologist, Vaccine Immunology | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stephen Crooke leads the Vaccine Immunology Team in the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where his team supports global and international disease surveillance and researches the development of new vaccines and diagnostics. He is a recipient of the Maurice R. Hilleman Early-Stage Career Investigator Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, and he is also an investigator in the Center for Childhood Immunizations and Vaccines at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In his free time, Crooke enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his wife and young daughter.
Favorite Tech Memory: Watching the Jackets defeat UGA in Athens (in overtime, no less!) circa 2014 has to claim the top spot!
Jasreet Hundal, M.S. BI ‘09
Principal Project Lead / Senior Scientist | McDonnell Genome Institute
Jasreet Hundal has revolutionized personalized medicine through her innovative work in computational genomics. After completing her master’s in bioinformatics at Georgia Tech, she joined the Genome Institute at Washington University, focusing on cancer genomics and researching neoantigens. Realizing her computational skills and passion for innovation, she pursued her doctoral degree and developed pVACtools, a computational suite that revolutionizes cancer treatment by predicting individualized neoantigens. Clinical trials across various tumor types now utilize pVACtools to design personalized cancer vaccines. Hundal’s expertise in computational analysis and her pioneering contributions to precision medicine have been widely recognized and published in top-tier scientific journals.
Favorite Tech Memory: Doing late night collaborative assignments in one of the oldest buildings—Cherry Emerson, where the biological sciences program was housed!
Lujendra Ojha, Ph.D. EAS ‘16
Assistant Professor | Rutgers University
Lujendra Ojha is a planetary scientist and assistant professor of planetary sciences at Rutgers University. He gained widespread recognition for his discovery of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) on Mars, which are seasonal features that may indicate the presence of liquid water on the planet. Ojha’s groundbreaking discovery led to numerous media appearances, including interviews with major news networks and an article in Rolling Stone magazine. He has since published numerous papers in prestigious scientific journals, including Science and Nature Communications. Ojha is committed to advancing our understanding of planetary evolution and the potential for habitability beyond Earth.
Favorite Tech Memory: Midtown Tavern, seminars in the Ford ES&T Building, followed by midnight dinner at Waffle House on 5th street.
Lavanya Rishishwar, M.S. BI ‘12, Ph.D. BI ‘16
Senior Technical Manager | Pillar Biosciences
Lavanya Rishishwar extracts meaningful and actionable insights from vast genomic datasets. Collaborating with federal and state government partners, he has contributed to outbreak investigations, developed infrastructure for laboratory preparedness, and pioneered scalable computational tools for the future. Through mentoring and training, he nurtures the next generation of scientists. Rishishwar’s dedication to translating genomics into real-world impact has earned him recognition and appreciation. His work exemplifies the tremendous potential bioinformatics holds in advancing our understanding of the biological world. Rishishwar received a bachelor’s of science in Bioinformatics from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology.
Favorite Tech Memory: Walking onto the set of The Internship and being playfully scolded by Vince Vaughn for working late on a Friday night.
An extraordinary group of young alumni were recently recognized by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association with their release of the 2023 class of 40 under 40. Four College of Sciences alumni from three schools are members of this class of Jackets.
Launched in 2020, this annual program recognizes 40 alumni under the age of 40 who innovate their fields and positively impact the world.
The Alumni Association notes that they are “proud to celebrate this exceptional class of Jackets who have done the impossible; from furthering space exploration to revolutionizing healthcare, these individuals have made the Tech community exceptionally proud.”
Nominees, who must have completed at least one semester at Georgia Tech and be under the age of 40 as of June 30, 2023, were scored using a 25-point rubric by a committee of 24 faculty, staff, and volunteers who collectively represented all Georgia Tech colleges.
Learn more about the 2023 class on the Alumni Association’s website, or explore quick stats about the class here.
From making groundbreaking discoveries on Mars to revolutionizing healthcare, meet the four trailblazing Sciences alumni in the 2023 class:
Stephen Crooke, Ph.D. Chem ‘18
Lead Microbiologist, Vaccine Immunology | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stephen Crooke leads the Vaccine Immunology Team in the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where his team supports global and international disease surveillance and researches the development of new vaccines and diagnostics. He is a recipient of the Maurice R. Hilleman Early-Stage Career Investigator Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, and he is also an investigator in the Center for Childhood Immunizations and Vaccines at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In his free time, Crooke enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his wife and young daughter.
Favorite Tech Memory: Watching the Jackets defeat UGA in Athens (in overtime, no less!) circa 2014 has to claim the top spot!
Jasreet Hundal, M.S. BI ‘09
Principal Project Lead / Senior Scientist | McDonnell Genome Institute
Jasreet Hundal has revolutionized personalized medicine through her innovative work in computational genomics. After completing her master’s in bioinformatics at Georgia Tech, she joined the Genome Institute at Washington University, focusing on cancer genomics and researching neoantigens. Realizing her computational skills and passion for innovation, she pursued her doctoral degree and developed pVACtools, a computational suite that revolutionizes cancer treatment by predicting individualized neoantigens. Clinical trials across various tumor types now utilize pVACtools to design personalized cancer vaccines. Hundal’s expertise in computational analysis and her pioneering contributions to precision medicine have been widely recognized and published in top-tier scientific journals.
Favorite Tech Memory: Doing late night collaborative assignments in one of the oldest buildings—Cherry Emerson, where the biological sciences program was housed!
Lujendra Ojha, Ph.D. EAS ‘16
Assistant Professor | Rutgers University
Lujendra Ojha is a planetary scientist and assistant professor of planetary sciences at Rutgers University. He gained widespread recognition for his discovery of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) on Mars, which are seasonal features that may indicate the presence of liquid water on the planet. Ojha’s groundbreaking discovery led to numerous media appearances, including interviews with major news networks and an article in Rolling Stone magazine. He has since published numerous papers in prestigious scientific journals, including Science and Nature Communications. Ojha is committed to advancing our understanding of planetary evolution and the potential for habitability beyond Earth.
Favorite Tech Memory: Midtown Tavern, seminars in the Ford ES&T Building, followed by midnight dinner at Waffle House on 5th street.
Lavanya Rishishwar, M.S. BI ‘12, Ph.D. BI ‘16
Senior Technical Manager | Pillar Biosciences
Lavanya Rishishwar extracts meaningful and actionable insights from vast genomic datasets. Collaborating with federal and state government partners, he has contributed to outbreak investigations, developed infrastructure for laboratory preparedness, and pioneered scalable computational tools for the future. Through mentoring and training, he nurtures the next generation of scientists. Rishishwar’s dedication to translating genomics into real-world impact has earned him recognition and appreciation. His work exemplifies the tremendous potential bioinformatics holds in advancing our understanding of the biological world. Rishishwar received a bachelor’s of science in Bioinformatics from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology.
Favorite Tech Memory: Walking onto the set of The Internship and being playfully scolded by Vince Vaughn for working late on a Friday night.
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