Georgia Tech News Center

josh ingersoll and gautami chennur

Reflection Speakers Connect, Inspire at Commencement

By Stacy Braukman December 13, 2019

What would you say if you only had three minutes to sum up your entire Georgia Tech experience — and inspire your fellow graduates — on one of the biggest days of your life?

At each of Georgia Tech’s Commencement ceremonies (bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D.), a graduating student serves as a reflection speaker. With limited time, and in front of a large audience, they are tasked with sharing memories, crafting an inspiring message and theme, and leaving graduates, their friends, and their families with a warm feeling and maybe even a teardrop or two.

MEET THIS SEMESTER'S SPEAKERS

Spotlight

chris payne
Chris Payne Finds His Passion in Brotherhood and Video Games

Payne will graduate this December with a B.S. in computational media.
megan stevens
Megan Stevens to Earn Family's Fifth Georgia Tech Degree

Her parents and sister all graduated from Tech, and many of them aren't stopping there.
Breaking Down the Cap and Gown

Take a look at the caps and gowns worn by Institute leaders.
lane mcaree
Lane McAree Develops Global Perspective Through Time at Tech

McAree will graduate this December with a B.S. in business administration.

Campus and Community

Previous Pause Next
Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage Recipients to Be Honored for Being Pioneers in Classroom and Beyond

The prize honors those who have made a positive difference by standing up for moral principle while facing personal risks.
zvi galil and david joyner
OMSCS Wins Oscars of Educational Technology

The Online Master of Science in Computer Science won Reimagine Education’s gold award for the best distributed/online program for nurturing 21st-...
aditi shah
Aditi Shah: Journey of Independence

Aditi Shah, who has been blind since age 15, believes she can be an inspiration to other blind people who are interested in STEM careers,

megan stevens
Megan Stevens to Earn Family's Fifth Georgia Tech Degree

Her parents and sister all graduated from Tech, and many of them aren't stopping there.
What to Read During the Holiday Break

We asked several avid readers for recommendations. The books range from a story of the reflections and adventures of a failed novelist to a how-to on...
lane mcaree
Lane McAree Develops Global Perspective Through Time at Tech

McAree will graduate this December with a B.S. in business administration.
Georgia Tech Wins Atlanta Bike Challenge

Georgia Tech placed first out of 67 organizations with 500+ staff, and first overall out of nearly 300 organizations that participated in the...
Op-Ed: For Struggling Students, Faculty Can Be a Friend at the Front of the Room

Engineering Dean Steven McLaughlin co-authors piece calling for colleges to give their faculty the tools and training to help students struggling...
Reconnected Royalty

Shared history unites Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech 2019
GTRI Researcher Recognized For Career Accomplishments

Lynn Fountain was named a Woman of the Year in Nonprofit Educational Institutions by the organization Women In Technology, an Atlanta group that...
What Not to Wear: Commencement Edition…and Other Tips For Your Graduation Day

For those who are still scrambling for the picture-perfect Commencement attire, here are some tips to help out.
Buildout of the Eco-Commons Completes the Northwest Sector

A lush green space will soon emerge from what was formerly the Beringhause Building and two surface parking lots.
Well-Being as an Element of International Education

A closer look at elements of International Education Week at Georgia Tech.
Yellow Jackets: Highly Social Little Stingers

Georgia Tech researchers are studying the highly social behavior of yellow jackets.

Tech Responds to Student Data Disclosure

Georgia Tech is taking steps to correct its internal policies and protocols following an inadvertent disclosure of protected student information.
Alumnus Tapped to Serve as Board of Regents Chair

At its November meeting, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) elected Sachin Shailendra, a civil engineering alumnus from...
Georgia Tech Enrollment Reaches All-Time High

Online graduate programs drive increase in Fall 2019 enrollment.
Former Tech Student Honored by Last Patrol

Now in hospice care, veteran says Georgia Tech changed his life
Giving Students a Home for the Holidays

Georgia families may volunteer to host a student for Thanksgiving.
Employees Can Donate Sick Leave

Under the University System of Georgia’s Shared Sick Leave Program, Tech employees who are experiencing any condition under the Family Medical Leave...

Science and Technology

Previous Pause Next
Armored With Plastic ‘Hair’ and Silica Shell, New Perovskite Nanocrystals Show Enhanced Durability

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a novel approach aimed at addressing the material’s durability problem: encasing...
El Nino Swings More Violently in the Industrial Age, Hard Evidence Says

Hard evidence now says: El Nino and the climate phenomenon that drives it have become more extreme in the industrial age.
Georgia Tech Internet of Things Research Center Releases White Paper on Digital Transformation

New white paper offers pathways for business leaders exploring digital transformation and the Internet of Things.
Exoplanet Axis Study Boosts Hopes of Complex Life, Just Not Next Door

An exoplanet study on axis tilts raises hopes that advanced life may exist elsewhere in the universe.
Informatics Accelerates Design of Hybrid Membrane Materials for Chemical Separations

A $1.7 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology develop much cheaper ways to...
Novel Solar Cells Arrive at International Space Station for Testing

Five different types of solar cells fabricated by Georgia Tech researchers have arrived at the International Space Station to be tested.
National Labs, Georgia Tech, Collaborate on AI Research

Georgia Tech is part of a new research center created to solve some of the most challenging issues in AI.
Q&A with Georgia Tech Professors on the Intersection of Science Fiction and the Chemical Elements

A discussion with Georgia Tech scientists and science fiction writers explores connection in science, fiction and culture.

3D-Printed Device Finds ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Cancer Cells by Removing the Hay

A new approach enabled by 3D printing could help isolate tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream.
Reframing Antarctica’s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level

There's a speed limit on the damage surface ponds can do to ice shelves, but that doesn't mean the ponds aren't dangerous.
Research On Large Storm Waves Could Help Lessen Their Impact On Coasts

An international team of researchers has analyzed months of data of large nearshore waves to provide new insights that could help improve the designs...
Diversity May Be Key to Reducing Errors in Quantum Computing

In quantum computing, as in team building, a little diversity can help get the job done better, computer scientists have found.
Atomic-level imaging could offer roadmap to metals with new properties

A team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a new process that could help gain new insights into individual high-...
New Architected Material Shape-Changes to Tune Its Qualities

A flick of a switch, and this new architected material changes shape and holds it until new current reverses it.
3D Printing Technique Accelerates Nanoscale Fabrication a Thousandfold

A new 3D-printing technique can create nanoscale structures a thousand times faster than current processes.
Warming Impedes a Coral Defense, but Hungry Fish Enhance It

Corals exude defenses against bacteria associated with bleaching, but warming disadvantages the defense. Conservation offers limited hope.
Test for Life-Threatening Nutrient Deficit Made From Bacteria Entrails

Thousands die of zinc deficiency, but this test could detect it easily.
Platinum-Graphene Atomically-thin Fuel Cell Catalysts Show Superior Stability Over Bulk Platinum

Films of platinum only two atoms thick supported by graphene could enable fuel cell catalysts with unprecedented catalytic activity and longevity,...
Shape-Shifting Robot Built from 'Smarticles' Shows New Locomotion Strategy

Researchers have built a robot entirely from smaller robots known as "smarticles."

Business and Economic Development

Previous Pause Next
NSF Invests Another $750K in Student Startup FireHUD

FireHUD's reimagined platform monitors physiological data in real-time to guard against overexertion.
Atlanta Regional Commission Calls Kendeda Building ‘Groundbreaking Example of Sustainability Leadership’

The building is the first of its kind on the Southeast and designed to meet the Living Building Challenge 3.1 performance standards.
The Transformation-Ready Institution

A new report reveals how university leaders are preparing for changing market forces and disruption in higher education.
Georgia Tech-Lorraine Recognized for Boosting Economic Development

GT Lorraine receives the Crystal Peach Award for economic development work.
Georgia Tech’s Technology Square Phase III to Include Scheller Tower

A new building in Tech Square Phase III to be named Scheller Tower
Georgia Tech’s Economic Impact on Atlanta Clocks in at $3.3B in 2018

Annual analysis shows the Institute's impact grew 8.5% and contributes 27,000 jobs to the region.
Forum Addresses Tech’s Role in Economic Development

Entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and political leaders gathered at The Biltmore Wednesday afternoon for an economic development forum.
karen fite
Karen Fite to Lead Enterprise Innovation Institute as Interim Vice President

Fite, who is EI²’s associate vice president, will lead the 12-program organization while Georgia Tech conducts a national search for a permanent vice...
Georgia Institute of Technology and Morehouse School of Medicine Announce Collaborative Effort for Health Technology Startup Development

Initiative aims to expand Morehouse School of Medicine’s research commercialization efforts, and support focus on the needs of underserved minority...
Georgia Smart Communities Challenge Selects Four New Community Projects

Columbus-Muscogee, Macon-Bibb, Woodstock, and Milton will work with Georgia Tech to launch ideas in their communities.
Finding the ‘Goldilocks’ Level of Enthusiasm for Business Pitches

Georgia Institute of Technology researchers found that how long an entrepreneur displays the highest level of excitement during a pitch plays a major...
GTRI Celebrates Grand Opening of Cobb County Research Facility South Campus

GTRI opens Cobb County Research Facility South Campus with ribbon cutting.
VentureLab works to commercialize liquid cooling system technology developed at Georgia Tech

Liquid cooling system lets microchips perform more operations per second, but at cooler temperatures than current commercial options.
National Search Launched for VP and Director of Enterprise Innovation Institute

Georgia Tech is beginning a search for a new vice president for the Enterprise Innovation Institute
Durability Vs. Recyclability: Dueling Goals in Making Electronics More Sustainable

Research released by a team at Georgia Institute of Technology looked into the impact of government policies put in place to reduce the amount of...
Applications now open for the 2019 Georgia Innovative Economic Development Internship Program

Graduate students have opportunity to further research in 10-week, paid summer internship at Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center Enters 33rd Year of Continuous Service to Georgia Businesses

Program helped Georgia-based firms win more than $14.1 billion in government contracts since 1986.
Georgia Tech Hosts State Legislative Leaders at ATDC HealthTech Summit

Georgia's lieutenant governor, state senators see how ATDC leads startup innovation in health technology
Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership recruiting companies to participate in new energy management improvement program

Federal award supports targeted focus on energy management system implementation and improvements for manufacturers in six southern states.
wally mlynarski
Elavon Invests in FinTech Innovation with Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center

Investment will create valuable partnerships to spur greater innovation in payments.

Earth and Environment

Previous Pause Next
El Nino Swings More Violently in the Industrial Age, Hard Evidence Says

Hard evidence now says: El Nino and the climate phenomenon that drives it have become more extreme in the industrial age.
Exoplanet Axis Study Boosts Hopes of Complex Life, Just Not Next Door

An exoplanet study on axis tilts raises hopes that advanced life may exist elsewhere in the universe.
Reframing Antarctica’s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level

There's a speed limit on the damage surface ponds can do to ice shelves, but that doesn't mean the ponds aren't dangerous.
Energy Regulation Rollbacks Threaten Progress Against Harmful Ozone

This is what could happen if all endangered regulations that help in the fight against harmful ozone go away.
Georgia Tech Dedicates the Most Sustainable Building of Its Kind in the Southeast

The Kendeda Building goes beyond sustainability to be a regenerative building that gives back more than it takes from the environment.
Georgia Tech Included in Major Water Desalination Research Initiative

Georgia Tech is part of a new effort to address water security issues in the United States.
Warming Impedes a Coral Defense, but Hungry Fish Enhance It

Corals exude defenses against bacteria associated with bleaching, but warming disadvantages the defense. Conservation offers limited hope.
Metal Oxide-infused Membranes Could Offer Low-Energy Alternative For Chemical Separations

STAMI-CRĀSi and -GTPN researchers are working on membranes that could separate chemicals without using energy-intensive distillation processes.
Instability in Antarctic Ice Projected to Make Sea Level Rise Rapidly

Instability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously...
Rising Tundra Temperatures Create Worrying Changes in Microbial Communities

Rising temperatures could affect the microbial communities in northern latitude tundra.
Scientists Discover the Biggest Seaweed Bloom in the World

Record-breaking belt of brown algae stretches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico
Smart Sea Sensors Expo Highlights Accomplishments and Shares Future Plans

Smart Sea Level Sensors project marks first year successes.
Turner Foundation Awards Grant Supporting the Region’s First Sustainability Network

The Turner Foundation recently awarded the Georgia Tech Foundation a $40,000 grant.
Ocean Optimism

A four-day summit that will begin laying the foundation for establishing a united community of researchers focused on preserving a global resource
honeybee
Adhesive Formed From Bee Spit and Flower Oil Could Form Basis of New Glues

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are looking at that mixture of ingredients as a model for a bioinspired glue because of its unique...
Georgia Tech to Launch State’s First Master’s Program Focused Exclusively on Sustainability

The degree program will help educate the next generation of sustainability leaders for corporations, government, and non-governmental organizations.

When Coral Species Vanish, Their Absence Can Imperil Surviving Corals

Off of Fiji, a Georgia Tech study elucidates a potential silent coral reef killer: Disappearing biodiversity appears to threaten the lives surviving...
The Helix, of DNA Fame, May Have Arisen with Startling Ease

An evolutionary enigma may have just been cracked: Explaining how the helix of RNA and DNA evolved.
Swapping Bacteria May Help ‘Nemo’ Fish Cohabitate with Fish-Killing Anemones

Why the fish-killing anemone spares the clownfish is a scientific mystery that Georgia Tech marine microbiologists are now tackling in fish mucus.
When Boy Fish Build Castles to Impress Girl Fish, Boy Genes Get a Rise

Instinctive behavior may be directly driven be gene regulation, at least researchers were able to match the two up.

Society and Culture

Previous Pause Next
Atlanta Honors College Namesake, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., through Newly Dedicated Bridge in Downtown Atlanta

The Path Bridge connecting downtown to the Westside highlights the legacy of Mayor Ivan Allen Jr.
Natural Disasters Contribute to Holiday Travel Delays

Natural disasters and severe weather are unusual factors in planning for travel around the Thanksgiving holiday.
llya Kaminsky is One of the World's Top Poets, and He Teaches at Georgia Tech

Ilya Kaminsky, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, is a finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry.
Poetry@Tech Works to Increase Diversity in Literary Criticism, Publishing

Poetry@Tech is partnering with poets and scholars in the UK on a program meant to increase diversity among poetry critics in the United States.
Study Probes Gender Pay Gaps in U.S. Federal Science Agencies

The researchers, including Kaye Husbands Fealing, set out to understand the reasons behind gender pay gaps at U.S. federal science agencies.
Georgia Tech Poet Ilya Kaminsky Named Finalist for National Book Award

Ilya Kaminsky's book 'Deaf Republic' was one of 245 volumes of poetry submitted for the highly coveted literary award.
New Partnership with Georgia State Looks for Computing Solutions to Social Challenges

Georgia Tech computer science researchers are collaborating with social scientists from GSU thanks to a new $180K grant.
Kaye Husbands Fealing Elected NAPA Fellow; Keynotes AAAS Fellowship Program

The School of Public Policy Chair was chosen among 51 leaders in the field of public administration to have been selected for NAPA's 2019 Class...
Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering Graduate James McConville Sworn in as Army’s Top Officer

A decorated helicopter pilot who earned a master's in 1990, McConville is the first aviator to serve as the Army’s chief.
$3M NSF Project Will Use Nature’s Designs to Spark High School Students’ Interest in Engineering

Four-year project will bring teachers into Georgia Tech labs and create new curriculum materials for them to use in class.
Associate Professor Willie Belton
New Georgia Tech Study Examines Diversity, Social Mistrust

Economist Willie Belton’s study finds suggestive evidence that social capital falls when diversity rises because we view such changes as a conflict...
NSF Invests $4 Million in Big Data for Southern United States

A $4 million NSF award will help apply data science and engineering to challenges of the southern U.S.
Innovative Career Course Features Cross-Cultural Studies, Importance of Humanities

'Career Design for Global Citizenship' uses a study-abroad metaphor for career exploration
humanTech Symposium Identifies Opportunities, Challenges for Humanities at Technological Universities

Paula M. Krebs, executive director of the Modern Language Association, spoke along with other humanities scholars.
Smart Communities Address Transportation, Housing, Flooding Challenges

Four Georgia communities are exploring innovative technologies and collaborating with Georgia Tech and local partners.
Mobile Phone Accessibility Improves, But Gaps Remain, Study Finds

Mobile phones are increasingly more accessible by people with disabilities, but significant gaps remain.
Will Moving to the Commercial Cloud Leave Some Data Users Behind?

A space policy researcher urges caution on the design of commercial cloud contracts for hosting federal agency data.
Flu Vaccine Supply Gaps Can Intensify Flu Seasons, Make Pandemics Deadlier

A tweak to our flu vaccine resupply logistics could save thousands of lives
Study Finds Dramatic Growth in Numbers of “Supporting Scientists” on Research Teams

A new study examines the roles of supporting scientists in the research enterprise.
How Communication Among Cells Affects Development of Multicellular Tissue

A new study shows how intercellular communication affects the differentiation of an embryonic stem cell colony over time.

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Previous Pause Next
Metagenomics Unlocks Unknowns of Diarrheal Disease Cases in Children

Researchers have found that conventional culture-based lab tests may misdiagnose as many as half of the microbial causes of diarrheal diseases in...
3D-Printed Device Finds ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Cancer Cells by Removing the Hay

A new approach enabled by 3D printing could help isolate tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream.
Particles Emitted by Consumer 3D Printers Could Affect Indoor Air Quality

The particles emitted from 3D printers can negatively impact indoor air quality and have the potential to harm respiratory health, according to a...
GTRI Interns Create Portable, Modular Medical Imaging Devices for Remote Places

Students used a 3D printer and magnets to build an expandable prototype device.
New $1.2 Million NSF Grant Aims to Improve Treatment for PTSD Patients

The grant — which includes Georgia Tech, Emory, and the University of Rochester -- will fund the development of a computational assessment toolkit...
Bathroom Scale Could Monitor Millions with Heart Failure

This scale could help keep heart failure patients out of the hospital.
Wearable Brain-Machine Interface Could Control a Wheelchair, Vehicle or Computer

Combining new classes of nanomembrane electrodes with flexible electronics and a deep learning algorithm could help disabled people wirelessly...
Suturing Device, Helicopter Hoist Stabilizer Make it to Finals of National Collegiate Inventors Competition

One invention keeps patients safe during emergency airlifts. The other simplifies prostate-removal surgery.
Periodontitis Bacteria Love Colon and Dirt Microbes

Mythbuster: Ideas that bacterial collaborations within microbiomes are generous and exclusive appear to be quite wrong.
Stretchable Wireless Sensor Could Monitor Healing of Cerebral Aneurysms

A wireless sensor small enough to be implanted in the blood vessels of the human brain could help clinicians evaluate the healing of aneurysms.
Cassie Mitchell Receives 2019 Award from the American Neurological Association

Awards recognize work in the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease, the microbiome and stroke, clinical trial design, and more
Millions of Children Exposed to Opioid Misuse at Home, New Georgia Tech Study Reveals

The study is from Lindsey Bullinger of the School of Public Policy and a co-author from Indiana University.
Nanoscale “Glass” Bottles Could Enable Targeted Drug Delivery

Tiny silica bottles filled with medicine and a special temperature-sensitive material could be used for drug delivery to kill malignant cells only in...
Soft Wearable Health Monitor Uses Stretchable Electronics

A wireless, wearable monitor built with stretchable electronics could allow comfortable, long-term health monitoring of adults, babies and small...
Aaron Levine, a bioethicist in the School of Public Policy.
Georgia Tech Expert Raises Concerns About Medical Crowdfunding for Advanced Cancer Therapies

Aaron Levine's new paper in 'The Lancet Oncology' examines crowdfunding for CAR-T cell therapy
$21.9 Million Gene Modulation Research Effort Targets Influenza Pandemics

A new $21.9 million research initiative will modulate gene expression to help protect against pandemic flu.
Study Ties Poor Sleep to Reduced Memory Performance in Older Adults

Variability in night-to-night sleep time and reduced sleep quality adversely affect the ability of older adults to recall information.
Hydrogel Offers Double Punch Against Orthopedic Bone Infections

Researchers have a developed a hydrogel that both attacks bacteria and encourages bone regrowth.
Antibiotics, Taken Strategically, Could Actually Help Defeat Antibiotic Resistance

Those same antibiotics driving the rise in antibiotic resistant bacterial strains could help defeat them if used as part of an informed strategy.
New Machine Learning Research ID’s Opioid Addiction Self-Treatments and Risks

Findings provide new insights into how people use clinically untested opioid recovery methods.

Campus Newsstand

Research Horizons Magazine
Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine
The Whistle - Georgia Tech's Faculty/Staff Newspaper
The Daily Digest
Georgia Tech Athletics
Technique
WREK Georgia Tech Radio

Expert Voices

James Wray

James Wray (Photo Fitrah Hamid)

More Hints of Life on Ancient Mars
James Wray
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Alex Hsu
Federal Rate Hike Predictions
Alex Hsu
Scheller College of Business

TECH IN THE NEWS

—

Feature Stories

Ryan Gravel sitting in a stylish chair, smiling and looking up
The Man With a Plan
Twenty years ago this month, Ryan Gravel submitted a master’s thesis that would transform Atlanta.
Creative montage of colorful nebula and stars
Star Power
Across Tech, women are investigating the great unknowns of space.
homecoming court 2019
The Month in Photos: November 2019
Homecoming, Ethletics Day, and Fall Foliage
hidden georgia tech - campus recycling
Hidden Georgia Tech: Campus Recycling
When you put your recycling into a campus container, where does it go?

Featured Videos

After losing her sight due to reginitis pigmentosa at the age of 15, Aditi Shah earned two degrees in India before coming to Georgia Tech. She will leave Atlanta with a master's in computer science with a focus in cybersecurity and a goal to inspire the blind women in India to pursue their dreams.

A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and The Ohio State University has developed a material that uses magnetic fields to transform into a variety of shapes. The material could enable a range of new applications from antennas that change frequencies on the fly to gripper arms for delicate or heavy objects.

Georgia Tech hosts the 2019 US Swimming Championships.