News Briefs

Gloria Steinem, Beverly Guy-Sheftall To Speak

November 4, 2009

Young feminist scholar and activist Alexis Pauline Gumbs will moderate a discussion with feminist icons Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Gloria Steinem about their impact on the history and future of feminism. Sponsored by the Georgia Tech Women’s Resource Center and Charis Books, the event will take place on November 5 at 7:30PM in the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Free tickets are available to Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff when they R.S.V.P. to the event on the Women’s Resource Web site.

Charis Books, established more than 35 years ago, is a source for feminist literature in Atlanta. Charis co-owner Sara Look approached Upton about co-sponsoring the event. “Partnering with Charis to bring such a well-known woman to Georgia Tech helps us remind the Atlanta �“ and Georgia Tech �“ community that women are now an integral part of Georgia Tech,” said Upton.

The event is an important step in increasing awareness about the role of women on Tech’s campus. “Women’s career opportunities have vastly expanded in the past 50 years, but there are still fewer women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and leadership positions,” Upton remarked. “It’s disproportionate to the number of women who have the capability to be scientists, engineers and leaders. Georgia Tech is making major strides in encouraging women to succeed; we are poised to make a big impact on the future.”

The changing roles of women, specifically the actions of Steinem and Guy-Sheftall, will be a prominent theme of the event. “The women’s movement of the 1960s and ‘70s changed the landscape of our country and provided new opportunities for young women today,” Upton said. “It’s important to understand that history, determine what we believe and what we want to be, and then strive to fulfill these dreams for ourselves and future generations.”

The public may purchase tickets through Charis Books. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Charis Circle. “Charis Circle is our sister non-profit that funds and supports free community programs at Charis,” Look said.

For more information Contact Yvette Upton (Phone: 404-385-1563)

Peterson Named to Noro-Moseley Advisory Board

October 15, 2009

Georgia Institute of Technology President G.P. “Bud” Peterson has joined the Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP) Advisory Board.

Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson
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He will serve along with eight other Advisory Board members including Emory University President Jim Wagner and Georgia Tech alumnus Thomas Noonan, former president and chief executive officer of Internet Security Systems.

Established in 1983, NMP focuses on investing in early and early-growth stage companies. The Atlanta-based venture capital firm has funded more than 160 companies primarily in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.

For more information Contact Lisa Grovenstein (Phone: 404-894-8835)

Provost Highlights Tech’s Role in Sustainability

September 20, 2009

The Georgia Institute of Technology, a leader in sustainability and green technology development, will continue to be on the cutting edge of discovery and innovation while preparing students to meet the challenges of the future, according to the Institute’s Provost Dr. Gary Schuster.

Georgia Tech Provost Gary Schuster
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Schuster is one of four keynote speakers at the second International Presidential Forum on Global Research Universities organized by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Seoul. He is also serving as the American representative for a press conference focusing on green technology development preceding the symposium.

“Georgia Tech is working to position itself as a global leader in education, research and service in the area of sustainable development,” said Schuster. “We continue to take an interdisciplinary approach to learning, providing international experiences for our faculty and students and creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship - all while framing our values and principles around concepts of sustainability.”

Schuster believes that, looking forward, innovation and technology will play a vital role in helping to address global challenges acknowledging that external costs will be necessary.

“Strong domestic and international government funding for basic and applied research is certainly one tried and true collaboration model that has produced solid results,” Schuster said. “This innovation and prosperity engine has certainly proved viable for the United States over the last 60 years, and I believe that globally this will remain the key tactic for a successful green technology revolution.”

When it comes to innovation, Schuster noted that no single country had a lock on all the good ideas. “No sole private organization or public agency has the capacity to fully understand and provide all the holistic green technologies that we urgently need now and in the future. Collaboration between government, academia and business will continue to be vital.”

Researchers at Georgia Tech continue working toward sustainable solutions in a variety of disciplines and focus areas. For example, Georgia Tech’s University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics is developing better ways to use solar power. The Institute is also addressing the growing concern over carbon cycle issues and climate trends through the development and deployment of new technologies in carbon management. Focus areas include carbon capture and sequestration related to power generation. Researchers in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Science are studying hurricanes and working with farmers in Bangladesh to better understand the monsoon and drought cycles, while city and regional planning experts are looking for better ways to build the metropolitan areas of the future with a focus on sustainability.

“Georgia Tech’s goal is to be a global university,” concluded Schuster. “We see globalization as a pathway to more efficient innovation, improved knowledge and technology transfer and better and faster product and service development, all leading to a better quality of life, improved environmental outcomes and more robust and stable economies worldwide.”

For more information Contact Lisa Grovenstein (Phone: 404-894-8835)