Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Tech today announced that Associate Professor Daniel Castro has been appointed to chair of the School of Building Construction in the College of Architecture. An expert in material procurement, automation protocols and sustainable energy alternatives for buildings, he is tasked with advancing Building Construction education and research and with expanding its international outreach.

While much of campus melts in the heat and humidity of July, five researchers will migrate south to winter in Santiago, Chile, to develop a startup venture aimed at providing sanitation to remote and low-income communities.

Sanivation was one of 110 companies awarded $40,000 from Startup Chile, a six-month Chilean government program encouraging entrepreneurial activity in the South American country.

Get ready to enjoy everything from wings to specialty pastas — without ever leaving campus. 

The North Avenue Dining Hall will host “soft” openings during lunch on June 20, 22 and 23, and on July 11 through 15, in preparation for its August 31 grand opening. The dining hall is located at the corner of North Avenue and Techwood Drive in the North Avenue Apartment complex.

Whether you use four wheels, two wheels or two feet to get to Tech each day, you may start to notice some changes for bicycles around campus. It’s not the ghost of Sideways installing bike racks or painting bike lanes; it’s the collaboration of students and staff on the Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee (BIIC).

Formed in January, the group plans to improve the quality of bicycle infrastructure for the Georgia Tech community to make it safer and easier to bike for pleasure, health and commute.

Georgia Tech School of Architecture students are testing their abilities to imagine, design and construct in an international competition intended to increase awareness of consumption behavior and the power of recycling.  An 11-member team has constructed a tower made out of plastic bottles along with a hanging tower constructed of plastic hangers.

If you’ve ditched a bike on a campus bike rack lately, it’s time to fix it up or say goodbye. Starting Monday, May 16, the Georgia Tech Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee (BIIC) will begin a campus-wide effort to tag and remove bicycles on campus racks that have been abandoned.

Recently, members of the Georgia Tech Student Alumni Association (SAA) presented the Office of Solid Waste Management and Recycling with more than $20,000 through its SAA Gift to Tech program. 

“Our office is honored to have been thought of so highly by the students that they would support our initiatives monetarily,” said Cindy Jackson, manager of campus recycling. “I will be working closely with the Student Alumni Association to develop plans on how the money will be used to expand the recycling program here at Georgia Tech.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a five-year grant of $8 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory to create one of four national Clean Air Research Centers addressing the public health impacts of air pollution. The new centers were announced today at the Society of Toxicology meeting in Washington, D.C.

Sustainability in construction and design continues to gain traction as stakeholders become more aware of the benefits of sustainable materials. The healthcare design industry, in particular hospitals, is putting more of an emphasis on how flooring materials can deliver benefits over the lifecycle of their facilities. 

A recent study by Georgia Tech research associate Jennifer DuBose and College of Architecture graduate assistant Amaya Labrador shows that several elements need to be considered when choosing the correct floor for a hospital environment.