The College of Sciences at Georgia Tech continues to advance in the graduate school rankings published by the U.S. News and World Report.
Released on April 25, the 2023-2024 U.S. News Best Graduate School Rankings features all six College of Sciences schools among its best science schools for graduate studies:
- Biological Sciences – No. 37
- Chemistry – No. 20
- Earth Sciences – No. 33
- Mathematics – No. 20
- Physics – No. 21
- Psychology – No. 39
The 2023-2024 rankings of doctoral programs in the sciences are based solely on the results of surveys sent by U.S. News to academic officials in fall 2022 and early 2023 in chemistry, earth science, mathematics, physics, and computer science (which is part of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, see here). Surveys for biological sciences, statistics and biostatistics were sent to academic officials in fall 2021 and early 2022.
Georgia Tech College of Sciences rankings
Biological Sciences retains its No. 37 rank from 2022, in a nine-way tie with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University-Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Utah, and UT Health MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Chemistry and Biochemistry rises by one spot to No. 20, tied with Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University, and University of California (UC)-San Diego.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences ranks No. 33 (ranked No. 28 in 2022, No. 38 in 2019) in a tie with Ohio State University, University of Oregon, University of Southern California, Virginia Tech, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Mathematics advances by one to No. 20, tied with Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, UC-San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Maryland-College Park, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Physics rises by seven to No. 21, in a tie with Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University-University Park, Rice University, Stony Brook University-SUNY, UC-San Diego, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Psychology retains its No. 39 rank from 2022 in a tie with Arizona State University, Michigan State University, Stony Brook University-SUNY, University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of Pittsburgh.
U.S. News previously ranked graduate science programs in their 2022 Best Graduate Schools Edition, published in March 2022. Current rankings for Biological Sciences and Psychology were part of those 2022 rankings.
Among specialty science graduate programs at Georgia Tech, Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Theoretical Chemistry all rank in the top 20.
In Mathematics specialty graduate programs, Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics remains the top 5, while Analysis ties for No. 20, and Applied Math ties for No. 16. Uniquely organized across the Colleges of Sciences, Computing, and Engineering, the Institute’s Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization program kept its No. 5 spot from last spring.
Chemistry specialty graduate programs
- Analytical Chemistry – No. 11
- Inorganic Chemistry – No. 20
- Physical Chemistry — No. 14
- Theoretical Chemistry — No. 18
Mathematics specialty graduate programs
- Analysis — No. 20 (tie)
- Applied Math — No. 16 (tie)
- Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics — No. 5 (tie)
Fellow colleges across Georgia Tech are also on the rise in this year’s U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” set, with Engineering remaining in the top ten in its overall disciplines — and Business, Computing, and Public Affairs also ranking among top programs in the nation. The full roster of current Georgia Institute of Technology graduate school rankings can be found here, along with U.S. News’ methodology for graduate rankings here.
The College of Sciences at Georgia Tech continues to advance in the graduate school rankings published by the U.S. News and World Report.
Released on April 25, the 2023-2024 U.S. News Best Graduate School Rankings features all six College of Sciences schools among its best science schools for graduate studies:
- Biological Sciences – No. 37
- Chemistry – No. 20
- Earth Sciences – No. 33
- Mathematics – No. 20
- Physics – No. 21
- Psychology – No. 39
The 2023-2024 rankings of doctoral programs in the sciences are based solely on the results of surveys sent by U.S. News to academic officials in fall 2022 and early 2023 in chemistry, earth science, mathematics, physics, and computer science (which is part of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, see here). Surveys for biological sciences, statistics and biostatistics were sent to academic officials in fall 2021 and early 2022.
Georgia Tech College of Sciences rankings
Biological Sciences retains its No. 37 rank from 2022, in a nine-way tie with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University-Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Utah, and UT Health MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Chemistry and Biochemistry rises by one spot to No. 20, tied with Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University, and University of California (UC)-San Diego.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences ranks No. 33 (ranked No. 28 in 2022, No. 38 in 2019) in a tie with Ohio State University, University of Oregon, University of Southern California, Virginia Tech, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Mathematics advances by one to No. 20, tied with Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, UC-San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Maryland-College Park, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Physics rises by seven to No. 21, in a tie with Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University-University Park, Rice University, Stony Brook University-SUNY, UC-San Diego, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Psychology retains its No. 39 rank from 2022 in a tie with Arizona State University, Michigan State University, Stony Brook University-SUNY, University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of Pittsburgh.
U.S. News previously ranked graduate science programs in their 2022 Best Graduate Schools Edition, published in March 2022. Current rankings for Biological Sciences and Psychology were part of those 2022 rankings.
Among specialty science graduate programs at Georgia Tech, Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Theoretical Chemistry all rank in the top 20.
In Mathematics specialty graduate programs, Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics remains the top 5, while Analysis ties for No. 20, and Applied Math ties for No. 16. Uniquely organized across the Colleges of Sciences, Computing, and Engineering, the Institute’s Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization program kept its No. 5 spot from last spring.
Chemistry specialty graduate programs
- Analytical Chemistry – No. 11
- Inorganic Chemistry – No. 20
- Physical Chemistry — No. 14
- Theoretical Chemistry — No. 18
Mathematics specialty graduate programs
- Analysis — No. 20 (tie)
- Applied Math — No. 16 (tie)
- Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics — No. 5 (tie)
Fellow colleges across Georgia Tech are also on the rise in this year’s U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” set, with Engineering remaining in the top ten in its overall disciplines — and Business, Computing, and Public Affairs also ranking among top programs in the nation. The full roster of current Georgia Institute of Technology graduate school rankings can be found here, along with U.S. News’ methodology for graduate rankings here.
Click here for the full list of Georgia Tech faculty and staff awardees.
College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants were recently recognized for their educational and research excellence during the 2023 Georgia Tech Faculty and Staff Honors Luncheon, held April 21 at the Exhibition Hall.
The awards included Institute-wide honors and those from Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Honorees were recognized for their service, activities, and accomplishments over the past academic year.
Please join us in congratulating College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants who received 2023 Georgia Tech and CTL awards:
Georgia Tech Chapter, Sigma Xi Awards
Best Faculty Paper
Itamar Kimchi, Assistant Professor, Physics
Institute Research Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Research Innovation
Younan Xia, Brock Family Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor
John R. Reynolds, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development
Spaceflight Project Group
Christopher Carr, Assistant Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences/Aerospace Engineering
ANAK Awards
Outstanding Faculty
Timothy Cope, Professor, Biological Sciences
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Awards
Undergraduate Educator
Adam J. Decker, Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences
Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching
Mary E. Peek. Principal Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Emily Weigel, Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences
Center for Teaching and Learning/BP Junior Faculty Teaching
Anton Bernshteyn, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Gongjie Li, Assistant Professor, Physics
Innovation in Co-Curricular Education
Pamela Pollet, Senior Research Scientist, Chemistry and Biochemistry
International Initiatives Award
Steven A. Denning Faculty Award for Global Engagement
Anton Leykin, Professor, Mathematics
Faculty Honors Committee Awards
Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher
Dan Margalit, Professor, Mathematics
Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Assistant (TA) and Future Faculty Awards
(These awards were presented April 19 in the Georgia Tech Exhibition Hall.)
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Charlotte Carl, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Bret Hendricks, Mathematics
Maeve Janecka, Biological Sciences
Benjamin Peer, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Santana Afton, Mathematics
Alex Costa, Biological Sciences
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Tiffany Nguyen, Psychology
Markace Rainey, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Leo Wood, Physics
Graduate Student Instructor
James Anderson, Mathematics
Terri Dunbar, Psychology
Cassandra Shriver, Biological Sciences and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP)
Online TA of the Year
Mollene Denton, Mathematics
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) TA Awards
CIRTL Associate Certificates
Stephanie Bilodeau, Biological Sciences
Katherine Booth, Mathematics
Abigail Diering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Luke Foster, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Eliza Gazda, Physics
Chad Gomard-Henshaw, Physics
Sarah Gonzalez, Physics
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Abigail Hagwood, Chemistry
Kamisha Hill, Chemistry
Mary Kho, Biological Sciences
Na Liu, Physics
Ravyn Malatesta, Chemistry
Sarah Roney, Biological Sciences
Afaf Saaidi, Mathematics
Steven Tarr, Physics
Alisha Vera, Physics
Mengshi Zhang, Biological Sciences
CIRTL Associate and Tech to Teaching Certificates
Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Taehun Kim, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
Tech to Teaching Certificates
Austin Christian, Mathematics
Sierra Knavel, Mathematics
Andrew Kristof, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Athulya Ram Sreedharan Nair, Mathematics
Danielle Skinner, Physics
Yan Zhang, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Teaching Fellows
Maugan Lloyd, Psychology
Jelly Vanderwoude, Biological Sciences
International TA Liaisons
Chang Ding, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Each spring, the Georgia Tech community gathers to recognize the academic achievements and excellence of undergraduate and graduate students across the Institute. Dozens of College of Sciences students were honored during Tech’s Student Honors Celebration, held on April 19 at the Academy of Medicine.
Teaching excellence was also honored through Georgia Tech Teaching Assistant Awards and special certificates during the Institute’s Teaching Assistant (TA) and Future Faculty Award ceremonies, also held on April 19, at the Exhibition Hall Midtown Ballroom.
Please join us in congratulating these special recipients across our College of Sciences community:
Provost’s Academic Excellence Award
Established in 2021, the Provost’s Academic Excellence Award was created to recognize the remaining finalists of the Love Family Foundation Award (awarded this year to College of Design student Karis Wang). Each student is a graduating senior and represents the most outstanding scholastic record from their college. Finalists receive a $2,000 award, generously sponsored by the Love Family Foundation, and recognition at the annual Student Honors program.
One of this year’s recipients of the Provost’s Academic Excellence Award is Elena Cabrera, who is graduating from the School of Psychology. Cabrera conducted three years of research in the Adult Cognition Lab, earning her the College of Sciences Dean’s Scholarship and Early Research Award. She has also served as Psychology Association president and received two Tower Awards from the Office of Minority Educational Development. After graduation, Cabrera plans to pursue social and cultural psychological research on her path to becoming a psychology professor.
Other recipients include Arul Gupta from the Scheller College of Business, Kevin Li from the College of Computing, Jacob Young from the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and Peter Lais from the College of Engineering. Read more.
Honors Program Outstanding Student Award
This award was established in fall 2022 to honor one graduating student who best exemplifies the Honors Program during their time at Georgia Tech.
The first ever recipient of this award is Sarah Sorme, a graduating neuroscience major who has been active in the Honors Program. Sorme has had many leadership roles within the Honors Program during her time at Georgia Tech, including serving on two committees — the New Student Committee and the Community Outreach Committee — acting as a first-year retreat guide, and serving as editor of the Honors Program newsletter (The HyPe). She also served as co-director of the Honors Leadership Council and was instrumental in guiding the Program through the Covid-19 pandemic.
After graduation, Sarah wants to use her cognitive science knowledge and leadership experiences to develop human-centered technology to improve society.
Read more about Sorme.
Roger M. Wartell and Stephen E. Brossette Award for Multidisciplinary Studies in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics
This award is presented to an undergraduate student with demonstrated accomplishments at the interface of biology with either physics or mathematics. The award was established by a generous donation from alumnus Stephen E. Brossette in recognition of the many contributions of Roger M. Wartell to the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The 2023 winner, Julianne Tijani, is a physics major who has conducted research on the evolution of yeast, antibiotic-resistant infections, and cystic fibrosis. She has participated in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, and was recognized as a Petit Scholar. Julianne has also served as a teaching assistant in the School of Physics, a student assistant for the EXPLORE living learning community, and a medical scribe at Emory University Hospital.
A. Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Undergraduate Research Award
This award was created by the endowment gift of Joyce E. Nickelson and John C. Sutherland to honor Joyce’s late mother, alumna A. Joyce Nickelson, and Sutherland. The scholarship, which recognizes excellence at the interface of mathematics and physics, is awarded to an undergraduate student who has jointly studied mathematics and physics, and who has engaged in scientific research.
Nickelson-Sutherland award winner Lance Lampert is completing degrees in physics and mathematics. He has been a research assistant at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, has taken part in the University of Michigan NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program, and will be conducting research at the CERN particle accelerator facility in Switzerland this summer. He is also a leader in the Quantum Computing Association, maintains the web infrastructure for Georgia Tech’s student radio station WREK, and hosts a show on the channel.
Cynthia L. Bossart and James Efron Scholarship
This honor was created by alumna Cindy Bossart to recognize high academic achievement by a student in the College of Sciences who is a non-Georgia resident.
Veronika Vessigault is the 2022-3 recipient of this award and is a mathematics major with a minor in computational data analysis. She is currently taking graduate-level numerical linear algebra, and she studied in Hungary as part of the Budapest Semester in Mathematics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics and an academic career. While at Tech, she volunteered close to 100 hours teaching high school and community college students and served as a teaching assistant in both the School of Mathematics and the College of Computing.
Metha Phingbodhipakkiya Memorial Scholarship
This honor was established by Maranee Phingbodhipakkiya to honor her father, his love for physics, and the sacrifices he made to assure that she would have the finest education. This award is made to a junior or senior in the College of Sciences based on academic merit.
The recipient of this award, Saima Firoj, is a biochemistry major who is also completing minors in Spanish and health and medical sciences. She has conducted research on the structure and aggregation patterns of membranes through cryo-electron microscopy to aid in drug development and delivery, and on the biochemical origins of life. She has also volunteered extensively in the medical field.
Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship
The College of Sciences presents this scholarship in honor of Robert “Bob” Pierotti, past dean of the College and founder of the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC). The award is made to top graduating seniors in the College who have excelled both academically and in research.
The three recipients of the 2022 Pierotti Award are Thiago Esslinger, Andrew Ji, and Lila Nassar.
Esslinger is majoring in both biochemistry and earth and atmospheric sciences. During his time as an undergraduate, Esslinger conducted research with Kim Cobb, former professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences who now serves as the director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. His research aimed to investigate the influence of symbiont community composition on coral geochemical proxy records in the central equatorial Pacific. In addition, he has worked as a study abroad teaching assistant, and has received a President’s Undergraduate Research Award as well as the Sustainability Student Champions Award.
Ji is a biology major with a minor in computing and intelligence. He is a researcher in the School of Biological Sciences, where he works with Francesca Storici — professor and associate chair for Graduate Education in the School — to sequence the genome of a species of yeast. He also serves as a teaching assistant for the Bioethics and Integrative Genetics course, for which he was recognized as the School of Biological Sciences Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year. Ji has also done considerable volunteer work in clinics and hospitals.
Nassar is a physics major with a concentration in the physics of living systems. Nassar has a broad set of research experiences with faculty Martin Mourigal and Jennifer Curtis in the School of Physics. Nassar has also served as the secretary and president of the Georgia Tech Society of Women in Physics. In summer 2021, Nassar also participated in the NSF REU program at Vanderbilt University.
College of Sciences Undergraduate Research Awards
Undergraduate research awards are made to students in the College of Sciences who have made strong contributions to research over a number of semesters. This year’s winners were Chelsea Bekemeier, Lydia Kenney, Dimitrios Kidonakis, and Evelyn Gardolinski.
Bekemeier is graduating from the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with a concentration in meteorology. Bekemeier conducts research with Greg Huey, professor and chair of the School, and has contributed to controlled burning experiments in Fort Columbus, GA, as well as the Asian Summer Monsoon Chemical and CLimate Impact Project (ACCLIP) based in South Korea. She has also been dedicated to outreach endeavors, serving as a STEM educator for iFLY Indoor Skydiving and a Superheroes Club Educator at Awaken Education LLC.
Kenney is a biochemistry major who began working with Raquel Lieberman, professor and Sepcic-Pfiel Endowed Chair in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2020. She was named a Beckman Scholar — a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry and biological sciences — in 2021, conducting metagenomics research on deep sea sediments to identify novel binding proteins. Throughout her work with Lieberman, Kenney has won the best poster competition at the 36th Annual Protein Society Symposium in San Francisco, CA, and co-authored a manuscript.
Kidonakis is a mathematics major who began research as a high schooler in 2018. Working with Joseph Rabinoff, associate professor at Duke University formerly in Georgia Tech’s the School of Mathematics, Kidonakis conducted a research project on arithmetic geometry which won the award for best project in mathematics at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair. During his time at Tech, Kidonakis has also worked with School of Mathematics professors Igor Belegradek and Matt Baker.
Gardolinski is graduating from the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, and began doing research with Tim Cope, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, in 2020. Gardolinski conducted her research thesis with Cope, which aimed to develop a large data base on molecular mechanisms underlying signaling by specialized sensory receptors responsible for movement perception. She has also served as a teaching assistant, a peer advisor, and as the vice president of finance for Georgia Tech’s Red Cross Club.
Larry O’Hara Graduate Scholarship
This honor is provided by an endowment bequeathed by alumnus Larry O’Hara. It is presented to outstanding graduate students in the College of Sciences.
All of the 2023 winners have established a strong record of research with multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as multiple conference presentations:
- Xiaonan Liu, Ph.D. candidate, Mathematics
- Aaron Pfennig, Ph.D. candidate, Quantitative Biosciences program, Biological Sciences
Liu is currently studying structural graph theory, extremal combinatorics, and graph coloring with Xingxing Yu, a professor in the School of Mathematics and the director of Graduate Studies.
Pfennig’s research interests include theoretical and empirical population genetics of admixed populations. He currently works with Joseph Lachance, an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, to examine admixture of modern humans with archaic hominins.
Teaching Assistant Awards
The College of Science had several winners among the 2023 Georgia Tech Teaching Assistant Awardees. The awards are presented annually by the Center for Teaching and Learning to celebrate the contributions to teaching excellence at Georgia Tech made by graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants:
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year:
Bret Hendricks, Mathematics - Graduate Teaching Assistants of the Year:
Santana Afton, Mathematics
Markace Rainey, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Leo Wood, Physics - Graduate Student Instructor of the Year:
James Anderson, Mathematics
Several students also won Teaching Assistant Awards at the school level:
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award:
Charlotte Carl, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Benjamin Peer, Chemistry and Biochemistry - Graduate Teaching Assistant Award:
Alex Costa, Biological Sciences
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Tiffany Nguyen, Psychology - Graduate Student Instructor Award:
Cassandra Shriver, Biological Sciences
Terri Dunbar, Psychology - Online Teaching Assistant Award:
Mollene Denton, Mathematics
Tech to Teaching Certificates
Tech to Teaching Certificates are designed to prepare Georgia Tech graduate and postdoctoral associates for college teaching positions.
Through this certificate program, participants will develop a thorough understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning, and will demonstrate their ability to apply these skills in the classroom.
The following College of Sciences students were awarded Tech to Teaching Certificates:
- Austin Christian, Mathematics
- Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Sierra Knavel, Mathematics
- Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Athulya Ram Sreedharan Nair, Mathematics
- Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
- Danielle Skinner, Physics
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Certificates
As a member institution in the CIRTL national network, Georgia Tech joins with 39 other universities on a mission to improve undergraduate education through the preparation of future faculty.
Participants in these certificate programs learn about how students learn, how differences among students affect their learning, evidence-based teaching and assessment practices, and teaching with technology.
Participants who complete these foundation-level learning outcomes through a combination of coursework, workshops, or online learning, receive the CIRTL Associate certificate.
The following College of Sciences students were awarded CIRTL Certificates:
- Stephanie Bilodeau, Biological Sciences
- Katherine Booth, Mathematics
- Abigail Diering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Luke Foster, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Eliza Gazda, Physics
- Chad Gomard-Henshaw, Physics
- Sarah Gonzalez, Physics
- Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Brian Hack, Biological Sciences
- Abigail Hagwood, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kamisha Hill, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Mary Kho, Biological Sciences
- Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Ravyn Malatesta, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Sarah Roney, Biological Sciences
- Afaf Saaidi, Mathematics
- Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
- Steven Tarr, Physics
- Alisha Vira, Physics
- Mengshi Zhang, Biological Sciences
Each spring, the Georgia Tech community gathers to recognize the academic achievements and excellence of undergraduate and graduate students across the Institute. Dozens of College of Sciences students were honored during Tech’s Student Honors Celebration, held on April 19 at the Academy of Medicine.
Teaching excellence was also honored through Georgia Tech Teaching Assistant Awards and special certificates during the Institute’s Teaching Assistant (TA) and Future Faculty Award ceremonies, also held on April 19, at the Exhibition Hall Midtown Ballroom.
Please join us in congratulating these special recipients across our College of Sciences community:
Provost’s Academic Excellence Award
Established in 2021, the Provost’s Academic Excellence Award was created to recognize the remaining finalists of the Love Family Foundation Award (awarded this year to College of Design student Karis Wang). Each student is a graduating senior and represents the most outstanding scholastic record from their college. Finalists receive a $2,000 award, generously sponsored by the Love Family Foundation, and recognition at the annual Student Honors program.
One of this year’s recipients of the Provost’s Academic Excellence Award is Elena Cabrera, who is graduating from the School of Psychology. Cabrera conducted three years of research in the Adult Cognition Lab, earning her the College of Sciences Dean’s Scholarship and Early Research Award. She has also served as Psychology Association president and received two Tower Awards from the Office of Minority Educational Development. After graduation, Cabrera plans to pursue social and cultural psychological research on her path to becoming a psychology professor.
Other recipients include Arul Gupta from the Scheller College of Business, Kevin Li from the College of Computing, Jacob Young from the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and Peter Lais from the College of Engineering. Read more.
Honors Program Outstanding Student Award
This award was established in fall 2022 to honor one graduating student who best exemplifies the Honors Program during their time at Georgia Tech.
The first ever recipient of this award is Sarah Sorme, a graduating neuroscience major who has been active in the Honors Program. Sorme has had many leadership roles within the Honors Program during her time at Georgia Tech, including serving on two committees — the New Student Committee and the Community Outreach Committee — acting as a first-year retreat guide, and serving as editor of the Honors Program newsletter (The HyPe). She also served as co-director of the Honors Leadership Council and was instrumental in guiding the Program through the Covid-19 pandemic.
After graduation, Sarah wants to use her cognitive science knowledge and leadership experiences to develop human-centered technology to improve society.
Read more about Sorme.
Roger M. Wartell and Stephen E. Brossette Award for Multidisciplinary Studies in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics
This award is presented to an undergraduate student with demonstrated accomplishments at the interface of biology with either physics or mathematics. The award was established by a generous donation from alumnus Stephen E. Brossette in recognition of the many contributions of Roger M. Wartell to the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The 2023 winner, Julianne Tijani, is a physics major who has conducted research on the evolution of yeast, antibiotic-resistant infections, and cystic fibrosis. She has participated in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, and was recognized as a Petit Scholar. Julianne has also served as a teaching assistant in the School of Physics, a student assistant for the EXPLORE living learning community, and a medical scribe at Emory University Hospital.
A. Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Undergraduate Research Award
This award was created by the endowment gift of Joyce E. Nickelson and John C. Sutherland to honor Joyce’s late mother, alumna A. Joyce Nickelson, and Sutherland. The scholarship, which recognizes excellence at the interface of mathematics and physics, is awarded to an undergraduate student who has jointly studied mathematics and physics, and who has engaged in scientific research.
Nickelson-Sutherland award winner Lance Lampert is completing degrees in physics and mathematics. He has been a research assistant at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, has taken part in the University of Michigan NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program, and will be conducting research at the CERN particle accelerator facility in Switzerland this summer. He is also a leader in the Quantum Computing Association, maintains the web infrastructure for Georgia Tech’s student radio station WREK, and hosts a show on the channel.
Cynthia L. Bossart and James Efron Scholarship
This honor was created by alumna Cindy Bossart to recognize high academic achievement by a student in the College of Sciences who is a non-Georgia resident.
Veronika Vessigault is the 2022-3 recipient of this award and is a mathematics major with a minor in computational data analysis. She is currently taking graduate-level numerical linear algebra, and she studied in Hungary as part of the Budapest Semester in Mathematics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics and an academic career. While at Tech, she volunteered close to 100 hours teaching high school and community college students and served as a teaching assistant in both the School of Mathematics and the College of Computing.
Metha Phingbodhipakkiya Memorial Scholarship
This honor was established by Maranee Phingbodhipakkiya to honor her father, his love for physics, and the sacrifices he made to assure that she would have the finest education. This award is made to a junior or senior in the College of Sciences based on academic merit.
The recipient of this award, Saima Firoj, is a biochemistry major who is also completing minors in Spanish and health and medical sciences. She has conducted research on the structure and aggregation patterns of membranes through cryo-electron microscopy to aid in drug development and delivery, and on the biochemical origins of life. She has also volunteered extensively in the medical field.
Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship
The College of Sciences presents this scholarship in honor of Robert “Bob” Pierotti, past dean of the College and founder of the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC). The award is made to top graduating seniors in the College who have excelled both academically and in research.
The three recipients of the 2022 Pierotti Award are Thiago Esslinger, Andrew Ji, and Lila Nassar.
Esslinger is majoring in both biochemistry and earth and atmospheric sciences. During his time as an undergraduate, Esslinger conducted research with Kim Cobb, former professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences who now serves as the director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. His research aimed to investigate the influence of symbiont community composition on coral geochemical proxy records in the central equatorial Pacific. In addition, he has worked as a study abroad teaching assistant, and has received a President’s Undergraduate Research Award as well as the Sustainability Student Champions Award.
Ji is a biology major with a minor in computing and intelligence. He is a researcher in the School of Biological Sciences, where he works with Francesca Storici — professor and associate chair for Graduate Education in the School — to sequence the genome of a species of yeast. He also serves as a teaching assistant for the Bioethics and Integrative Genetics course, for which he was recognized as the School of Biological Sciences Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year. Ji has also done considerable volunteer work in clinics and hospitals.
Nassar is a physics major with a concentration in the physics of living systems. Nassar has a broad set of research experiences with faculty Martin Mourigal and Jennifer Curtis in the School of Physics. Nassar has also served as the secretary and president of the Georgia Tech Society of Women in Physics. In summer 2021, Nassar also participated in the NSF REU program at Vanderbilt University.
College of Sciences Undergraduate Research Awards
Undergraduate research awards are made to students in the College of Sciences who have made strong contributions to research over a number of semesters. This year’s winners were Chelsea Bekemeier, Lydia Kenney, Dimitrios Kidonakis, and Evelyn Gardolinski.
Bekemeier is graduating from the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with a concentration in meteorology. Bekemeier conducts research with Greg Huey, professor and chair of the School, and has contributed to controlled burning experiments in Fort Columbus, GA, as well as the Asian Summer Monsoon Chemical and CLimate Impact Project (ACCLIP) based in South Korea. She has also been dedicated to outreach endeavors, serving as a STEM educator for iFLY Indoor Skydiving and a Superheroes Club Educator at Awaken Education LLC.
Kenney is a biochemistry major who began working with Raquel Lieberman, professor and Sepcic-Pfiel Endowed Chair in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2020. She was named a Beckman Scholar — a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry and biological sciences — in 2021, conducting metagenomics research on deep sea sediments to identify novel binding proteins. Throughout her work with Lieberman, Kenney has won the best poster competition at the 36th Annual Protein Society Symposium in San Francisco, CA, and co-authored a manuscript.
Kidonakis is a mathematics major who began research as a high schooler in 2018. Working with Joseph Rabinoff, associate professor at Duke University formerly in Georgia Tech’s the School of Mathematics, Kidonakis conducted a research project on arithmetic geometry which won the award for best project in mathematics at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair. During his time at Tech, Kidonakis has also worked with School of Mathematics professors Igor Belegradek and Matt Baker.
Gardolinski is graduating from the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, and began doing research with Tim Cope, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, in 2020. Gardolinski conducted her research thesis with Cope, which aimed to develop a large data base on molecular mechanisms underlying signaling by specialized sensory receptors responsible for movement perception. She has also served as a teaching assistant, a peer advisor, and as the vice president of finance for Georgia Tech’s Red Cross Club.
Larry O’Hara Graduate Scholarship
This honor is provided by an endowment bequeathed by alumnus Larry O’Hara. It is presented to outstanding graduate students in the College of Sciences.
All of the 2023 winners have established a strong record of research with multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as multiple conference presentations:
- Xiaonan Liu, Ph.D. candidate, Mathematics
- Aaron Pfennig, Ph.D. candidate, Quantitative Biosciences program, Biological Sciences
Liu is currently studying structural graph theory, extremal combinatorics, and graph coloring with Xingxing Yu, a professor in the School of Mathematics and the director of Graduate Studies.
Pfennig’s research interests include theoretical and empirical population genetics of admixed populations. He currently works with Joseph Lachance, an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, to examine admixture of modern humans with archaic hominins.
Teaching Assistant Awards
The College of Science had several winners among the 2023 Georgia Tech Teaching Assistant Awardees. The awards are presented annually by the Center for Teaching and Learning to celebrate the contributions to teaching excellence at Georgia Tech made by graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants:
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year:
Bret Hendricks, Mathematics - Graduate Teaching Assistants of the Year:
Santana Afton, Mathematics
Markace Rainey, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Leo Wood, Physics - Graduate Student Instructor of the Year:
James Anderson, Mathematics
Several students also won Teaching Assistant Awards at the school level:
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award:
Charlotte Carl, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Benjamin Peer, Chemistry and Biochemistry - Graduate Teaching Assistant Award:
Alex Costa, Biological Sciences
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Tiffany Nguyen, Psychology - Graduate Student Instructor Award:
Cassandra Shriver, Biological Sciences
Terri Dunbar, Psychology - Online Teaching Assistant Award:
Mollene Denton, Mathematics
Tech to Teaching Certificates
Tech to Teaching Certificates are designed to prepare Georgia Tech graduate and postdoctoral associates for college teaching positions.
Through this certificate program, participants will develop a thorough understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning, and will demonstrate their ability to apply these skills in the classroom.
The following College of Sciences students were awarded Tech to Teaching Certificates:
- Austin Christian, Mathematics
- Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Sierra Knavel, Mathematics
- Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Athulya Ram Sreedharan Nair, Mathematics
- Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
- Danielle Skinner, Physics
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Certificates
As a member institution in the CIRTL national network, Georgia Tech joins with 39 other universities on a mission to improve undergraduate education through the preparation of future faculty.
Participants in these certificate programs learn about how students learn, how differences among students affect their learning, evidence-based teaching and assessment practices, and teaching with technology.
Participants who complete these foundation-level learning outcomes through a combination of coursework, workshops, or online learning, receive the CIRTL Associate certificate.
The following College of Sciences students were awarded CIRTL Certificates:
- Stephanie Bilodeau, Biological Sciences
- Katherine Booth, Mathematics
- Abigail Diering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Luke Foster, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Eliza Gazda, Physics
- Chad Gomard-Henshaw, Physics
- Sarah Gonzalez, Physics
- Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Brian Hack, Biological Sciences
- Abigail Hagwood, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kamisha Hill, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Mary Kho, Biological Sciences
- Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Ravyn Malatesta, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Sarah Roney, Biological Sciences
- Afaf Saaidi, Mathematics
- Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
- Steven Tarr, Physics
- Alisha Vira, Physics
- Mengshi Zhang, Biological Sciences
Georgia Tech will be a key partner for the New York Climate Exchange (The Exchange), a first-of-its-kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to the global climate crisis. In addition to convening the world’s leaders and climate experts, The Exchange will address the social and practical challenges created by climate change — including commercially viable research and ideas that lead to immediate action on local and global levels.
“Today's climate issues are urgent, and environmental justice and ecological sustainability necessitate action from leaders across the world,” said Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for research at Georgia Tech. “As a core partner of The Exchange, Georgia Tech will provide research expertise in the areas of energy, urban planning, biological ecosystems, public policy, and more, and we look forward to playing an instrumental role in bringing its mission to fruition.”
Georgia Tech researchers are studying glacial melt, coral growth, sea level rise, and other climate concerns in the state of Georgia and around the world and will share their data and research results with partners at The Exchange. Likewise, research at The Exchange will be applicable for towns and cities across Georgia, allowing state leaders to take advantage of economic opportunities that arise when climate change is addressed head on.
In addition to contributing critical research across the many areas of climate change, Georgia Tech leads major initiatives that are focused on solving the crises laid out in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Generation 2 Reinvented Toilet (G2RT) — a solution to the world’s water and sanitation problem — is led by Shannon Yee, associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. This cost-effective, globally scalable reinvented toilet with built-in human waste treatment will ensure that drinking water stays clean and will improve public health around the world.
Georgia Tech is also a leading partner of the Ocean Visions – UN Decade Collaborative Center for Ocean-Climate Solutions, an international center headquartered at the Georgia Aquarium that aims to co-design, develop, test, fund, and deliver scalable and equitable ocean-based solutions to reduce the effects of climate change and build climate-resilient marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Championed at Georgia Tech by Susan Lozier, dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences, the Center also supports opportunities to accelerate ocean-based carbon dioxide removal research and advance sustainable ocean economies.
“We are looking forward to contributing and demonstrating some of the engineering sustainability solutions that have been developed at Georgia Tech with New York City and the world,” said Yee. “Many of the technical and economic solutions that serve the state of Georgia, the coastal city of Savannah, and the urban center of Atlanta can also serve the urban harbor of New York City. Similarly, the innovations and economic opportunities that address climate change can be shared with and benefit Georgia. This collaboration embodies the concept of an exchange where we share with one another.”
As The Exchange’s anchor institution, Stony Brook University will build and operate the center which will be located on Governors Island in New York City. The center is slated to open in 2028.
“It is becoming clear year after year in New York, and around the world, that the impacts of climate change are real and are here,” said Kevin Reed, associate dean for Research and associate professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook. “By partnering with communities, industries, governments, and universities, The Exchange will help to accelerate the implementation of urban solutions to these climate impacts through an interactive research ecosystem where community engagement is paramount. As a climate scientist, I recognize that New Yorkers need solutions to the climate crisis now, and The Exchange will help to make that a reality.”
Click here for the full list of Georgia Tech faculty and staff awardees.
College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants were recently recognized for their educational and research excellence during the 2023 Georgia Tech Faculty and Staff Honors Luncheon, held April 21 at the Exhibition Hall.
The awards included Institute-wide honors and those from Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Honorees were recognized for their service, activities, and accomplishments over the past academic year.
Please join us in congratulating College of Sciences faculty and teaching assistants who received 2023 Georgia Tech and CTL awards:
Georgia Tech Chapter, Sigma Xi Awards
Best Faculty Paper
Itamar Kimchi, Assistant Professor, Physics
Institute Research Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Research Innovation
Younan Xia, Brock Family Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor
John R. Reynolds, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development
Spaceflight Project Group
Christopher Carr, Assistant Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences/Aerospace Engineering
ANAK Awards
Outstanding Faculty
Timothy Cope, Professor, Biological Sciences
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Awards
Undergraduate Educator
Adam J. Decker, Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences
Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching
Mary E. Peek. Principal Academic Professional, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Emily Weigel, Senior Academic Professional, Biological Sciences
Center for Teaching and Learning/BP Junior Faculty Teaching
Anton Bernshteyn, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Gongjie Li, Assistant Professor, Physics
Innovation in Co-Curricular Education
Pamela Pollet, Senior Research Scientist, Chemistry and Biochemistry
International Initiatives Award
Steven A. Denning Faculty Award for Global Engagement
Anton Leykin, Professor, Mathematics
Faculty Honors Committee Awards
Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher
Dan Margalit, Professor, Mathematics
Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Assistant (TA) and Future Faculty Awards
(These awards were presented April 19 in the Georgia Tech Exhibition Hall.)
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Charlotte Carl, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Bret Hendricks, Mathematics
Maeve Janecka, Biological Sciences
Benjamin Peer, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year
Santana Afton, Mathematics
Alex Costa, Biological Sciences
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Tiffany Nguyen, Psychology
Markace Rainey, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Leo Wood, Physics
Graduate Student Instructor
James Anderson, Mathematics
Terri Dunbar, Psychology
Cassandra Shriver, Biological Sciences and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP)
Online TA of the Year
Mollene Denton, Mathematics
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) TA Awards
CIRTL Associate Certificates
Stephanie Bilodeau, Biological Sciences
Katherine Booth, Mathematics
Abigail Diering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Luke Foster, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Eliza Gazda, Physics
Chad Gomard-Henshaw, Physics
Sarah Gonzalez, Physics
Erin Griffith, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Abigail Hagwood, Chemistry
Kamisha Hill, Chemistry
Mary Kho, Biological Sciences
Na Liu, Physics
Ravyn Malatesta, Chemistry
Sarah Roney, Biological Sciences
Afaf Saaidi, Mathematics
Steven Tarr, Physics
Alisha Vera, Physics
Mengshi Zhang, Biological Sciences
CIRTL Associate and Tech to Teaching Certificates
Rebecca Guth-Metzler, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Taehun Kim, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Katie Kuo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Kavita Matange, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Emily Saccuzzo, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Breanna Shi, Biological Sciences
Tech to Teaching Certificates
Austin Christian, Mathematics
Sierra Knavel, Mathematics
Andrew Kristof, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Athulya Ram Sreedharan Nair, Mathematics
Danielle Skinner, Physics
Yan Zhang, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Graduate Teaching Fellows
Maugan Lloyd, Psychology
Jelly Vanderwoude, Biological Sciences
International TA Liaisons
Chang Ding, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Download photos from this year’s Sciences Celebration on the GTSciences Flickr.
The College of Sciences community gathered in Harrison Square on April 18 to honor faculty and staff with awards for the 2022-2023 school year during the Spring Sciences Celebration.
“It is nothing short of a pleasure to recognize outstanding faculty who excel in teaching and research,” said Susan Lozier, College of Sciences Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, “and to celebrate the leadership and commitment to excellence of remarkable staff members across the College.”
At the annual celebration, Lozier and the College also recognized the 25 new faculty members who joined Georgia Tech for the 2022-2023 academic year.
This year’s awardees include:
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
The Cullen-Peck Fellowship Awards, established by Frank Cullen (‘73 Math, MS ‘76 ISyE, PhD ‘84 ISyE) and Elizabeth Peck (‘75 Math, MS ‘76 ISyE), to encourage the development of especially promising mid-career faculty.
Cullen-Peck Faculty Fellows:
- Thackery Brown, Psychology
- Alex Robel, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Amanda Stockton, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Gretzinger Moving Forward Award, endowed by Ralph Gretzinger (‘70 Math) and named to honor his late wife Jewel, recognizes the leadership of a school chair or senior faculty member who has played a pivotal role in diversifying the composition of tenure-track faculty, creating a family-friendly work environment, and providing a supportive environment for early-career faculty:
- Cam Tyson, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Eric R. Immel Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching, endowed by Charles Crawford (‘71 Math) recognizes exemplary instruction of lower division foundational courses. It honors the late School of Mathematics professor Eric R. Immel, who greatly influenced Crawford’s undergraduate experience at Tech:
- Christina Ragan, Biological Sciences
The Leddy Family Dean’s Faculty Excellence Award, established by Jeff Leddy (’78 Physics) and Pam Leddy, supports a faculty member at the associate professor level with proven accomplishments in research and teaching:
- Amit Reddi, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Faculty Mentor Award, established jointly by the College of Sciences and its ADVANCE Professor, awards the efforts and achievements of our faculty members who mentor fellow faculty:
- Andrzej Swiech, Mathematics
RESEARCH FACULTY AWARDS
The CoS Outstanding Junior Research Faculty Award and CoS Outstanding Senior Research Faculty Award recognize postdoctoral and non-tenure track research faculty who have made exceptional research contributions with significant impact on their field of study:
- Junior Research Faculty: Claudia Alvarez-Carreño, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Senior Research Faculty: Mu Gao, Biological Sciences
The CoS Research Faculty Community Trailblazer Award recognizes postdoctoral and non-tenure track research faculty who have demonstrated and sustained leadership that strengthens the sense of community among research faculty within the College of Sciences:
- Eric Shen, Chemistry and Biochemistry
STAFF AWARDS
The College of Sciences Staff Awards are made possible by funding from the Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Dean’s Chair endowment. They include:
The Exceptional Staff Member Award and Leadership in Action Staff Member Awards recognize College of Sciences staff who exemplify outstanding performance above and beyond the call of duty, by positively impacting the strategic goals of their department and the College, consistently providing excellent service within their school or the overall College, and demonstrating exemplary teamwork.
- Exceptional Staff Member: Aria Higgins, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Leadership in Action Staff Member: Gary Longstreet, Physics
The Excellence in Leadership Staff Awards and the Staff Excellence Award recognize College of Sciences staff who have made exceptional contributions to the College through innovative and strategic leadership, change management, business process improvement, special project leadership, and similar accomplishments.
Excellence in Leadership Staff
- Shameka Fahie, Dean’s Office
- Nguyen Nguyen, Academic and Research Computing Services
Staff Excellence Award
- Jenny Eaton, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Danny Hardwar, Academic and Research Computing Services
- David Murray, Academic and Research Computing Services
- Shebbie Murray, Psychology
NEW COLLEGE OF SCIENCES FACULTY
Academic Year 2022-2023
- Jason Azoulay, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Isaiah Bolden, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Gong Chen, Mathematics
- Aditi Das, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Anjuli Datta, Biological Sciences
- Chunhui Du, Physics
- Benjamin Freeman, Biological Sciences
- Qiliang He, Psychology
- Svetlana Jitomirskaya, Mathematics
- Shina (Lynn) Kamerlin, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Thomas Kelly, Mathematics
- Hunter Lehmann, Mathematics
- Kalila Lehmann, Mathematics
- Andrew McShan, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Farzaneh Najafi, Biological Sciences
- Feryal Özel, Physics
- Michael Porter, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Dimitrios Psaltis, Physics
- Stephanie Reikes, Mathematics
- Surabhi Sachdev, Physics
- Deborah Santos, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- William Stern, Psychology
- Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, Psychology
- Hailong Wang, Physics
- Michael Wolf, Mathematics
Download photos from this year’s Sciences Celebration on the GTSciences Flickr.
The College of Sciences community gathered in Harrison Square on April 18 to honor faculty and staff with awards for the 2022-2023 school year during the Spring Sciences Celebration.
“It is nothing short of a pleasure to recognize outstanding faculty who excel in teaching and research,” said Susan Lozier, College of Sciences Dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, “and to celebrate the leadership and commitment to excellence of remarkable staff members across the College.”
At the annual celebration, Lozier and the College also recognized the 25 new faculty members who joined Georgia Tech for the 2022-2023 academic year.
This year’s awardees include:
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
The Cullen-Peck Fellowship Awards, established by Frank Cullen (‘73 Math, MS ‘76 ISyE, PhD ‘84 ISyE) and Elizabeth Peck (‘75 Math, MS ‘76 ISyE), to encourage the development of especially promising mid-career faculty.
Cullen-Peck Faculty Fellows:
- Thackery Brown, Psychology
- Alex Robel, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Amanda Stockton, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Gretzinger Moving Forward Award, endowed by Ralph Gretzinger (‘70 Math) and named to honor his late wife Jewel, recognizes the leadership of a school chair or senior faculty member who has played a pivotal role in diversifying the composition of tenure-track faculty, creating a family-friendly work environment, and providing a supportive environment for early-career faculty:
- Cam Tyson, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Eric R. Immel Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching, endowed by Charles Crawford (‘71 Math) recognizes exemplary instruction of lower division foundational courses. It honors the late School of Mathematics professor Eric R. Immel, who greatly influenced Crawford’s undergraduate experience at Tech:
- Christina Ragan, Biological Sciences
The Leddy Family Dean’s Faculty Excellence Award, established by Jeff Leddy (’78 Physics) and Pam Leddy, supports a faculty member at the associate professor level with proven accomplishments in research and teaching:
- Amit Reddi, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Faculty Mentor Award, established jointly by the College of Sciences and its ADVANCE Professor, awards the efforts and achievements of our faculty members who mentor fellow faculty:
- Andrzej Swiech, Mathematics
RESEARCH FACULTY AWARDS
The CoS Outstanding Junior Research Faculty Award and CoS Outstanding Senior Research Faculty Award recognize postdoctoral and non-tenure track research faculty who have made exceptional research contributions with significant impact on their field of study:
- Junior Research Faculty: Claudia Alvarez-Carreño, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Senior Research Faculty: Mu Gao, Biological Sciences
The CoS Research Faculty Community Trailblazer Award recognizes postdoctoral and non-tenure track research faculty who have demonstrated and sustained leadership that strengthens the sense of community among research faculty within the College of Sciences:
- Eric Shen, Chemistry and Biochemistry
STAFF AWARDS
The College of Sciences Staff Awards are made possible by funding from the Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Dean’s Chair endowment. They include:
The Exceptional Staff Member Award and Leadership in Action Staff Member Awards recognize College of Sciences staff who exemplify outstanding performance above and beyond the call of duty, by positively impacting the strategic goals of their department and the College, consistently providing excellent service within their school or the overall College, and demonstrating exemplary teamwork.
- Exceptional Staff Member: Aria Higgins, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Leadership in Action Staff Member: Gary Longstreet, Physics
The Excellence in Leadership Staff Awards and the Staff Excellence Award recognize College of Sciences staff who have made exceptional contributions to the College through innovative and strategic leadership, change management, business process improvement, special project leadership, and similar accomplishments.
Excellence in Leadership Staff
- Shameka Fahie, Dean’s Office
- Nguyen Nguyen, Academic and Research Computing Services
Staff Excellence Award
- Jenny Eaton, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Danny Hardwar, Academic and Research Computing Services
- David Murray, Academic and Research Computing Services
- Shebbie Murray, Psychology
NEW COLLEGE OF SCIENCES FACULTY
Academic Year 2022-2023
- Jason Azoulay, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Isaiah Bolden, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Gong Chen, Mathematics
- Aditi Das, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Anjuli Datta, Biological Sciences
- Chunhui Du, Physics
- Benjamin Freeman, Biological Sciences
- Qiliang He, Psychology
- Svetlana Jitomirskaya, Mathematics
- Shina (Lynn) Kamerlin, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Thomas Kelly, Mathematics
- Hunter Lehmann, Mathematics
- Kalila Lehmann, Mathematics
- Andrew McShan, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Farzaneh Najafi, Biological Sciences
- Feryal Özel, Physics
- Michael Porter, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Dimitrios Psaltis, Physics
- Stephanie Reikes, Mathematics
- Surabhi Sachdev, Physics
- Deborah Santos, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- William Stern, Psychology
- Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, Psychology
- Hailong Wang, Physics
- Michael Wolf, Mathematics
On April 26, 2023, the School of Physics and College of Sciences at Georgia Tech will welcome Stanford University physicist Steven Chu to speak on climate change and innovative paths towards a more sustainable future. Chu is the 1997 co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, and in his former role as U.S. Secretary of Energy, became the first scientist to hold a U.S. Cabinet position.
About the Talk
The event is part of the School of Physics “Inquiring Minds” public lecture series, and will be held at the Ferst Center for the Arts. The talk is free and open to campus and the Atlanta community, and no RSVP is required. Refreshments begin at 4:30, and the lecture will start at 5 p.m. ET.
“The multiple industrial and agricultural revolutions have transformed the world,” Chu recently shared in an abstract for the lecture. “However, an unintended consequence of this progress is that we are changing the climate of our planet. In addition to the climate risks, we will need to provide enough clean energy, water, and food for a more prosperous world that may grow to 11 billion by 2100.”
The talk will discuss the significant technical challenges and potential solutions that could provide better paths to a more sustainable future. “How we transition from where we are now to where we need to be within 50 years is arguably the most pressing set of issues that science, innovation, and public policy have to address,” Chu added.
The event’s faculty host is Daniel Goldman, Dunn Family Professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech.
About Steven Chu
Steven Chu is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics and a professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology in the Medical School at Stanford University.
Chu served as the 12th U.S. Secretary of Energy from January 2009 until the end of April 2013. As the first scientist to hold a U.S. Cabinet position and the longest serving Energy Secretary, Chu led several initiatives including ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy), the Energy Innovation Hubs, and was personally tasked by President Obama to assist in the Deepwater Horizon oil leak.
In the spring of 2010, Chu was the keynote speaker for the Georgia Tech Ph.D. and Master's Commencement Ceremony.
Prior to his cabinet post, Chu was director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he was active in pursuit of alternative and renewable energy technologies, and a professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford, where he helped launch Bio-X, a multi-disciplinary institute combining the physical and biological sciences with medicine and engineering. Previously he also served as head of the Quantum Electronics Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories.
He is the co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to laser cooling and atom trapping. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Pontifical Academy Sciences, and of seven foreign academies. He formerly served as president, and then chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Chu earned an A.B. degree in mathematics and a B.S. degree in physics from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as 35 honorary degrees.
He has published over 280 papers in atomic and polymer physics, biophysics, biology, bio-imaging, batteries, and other energy technologies. He holds 15 patents, and an additional 15 patent disclosures or filings since 2015.
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