Research News

Researchers Report First Entanglement between Light and an Optical Atomic Coherence

June 19, 2013 - Using clouds of ultra-cold atoms and a pair of lasers operating at optical wavelengths, researchers have reached a quantum network milestone: entangling light with an optical atomic coherence composed of interacting atoms in two different states.

GTRI Agile Aperture Antenna Technology is Tested on an Autonomous Ocean Vehicle

June 18, 2013 - Antenna technology originally developed to quickly send and receive information through a software-defined military radio may soon be used to transmit ocean data from a wave-powered autonomous surface vehicle. The technology, the lowest-power method for maintaining a satellite uplink, automatically compensates for the movement of the antenna as the boat bobs around on the ocean surface.

Moving Iron in Antarctica

June 12, 2013 - Georgia Tech research indicates that diatoms stuff more iron into their silica shells than they actually need. As a result, there’s not enough iron to go around, and the added iron may stimulate less productivity than expected.

Polymer Structures Serve as “Nanoreactors” for Nanocrystals with Uniform Sizes and Shapes

June 11, 2013 - Using star-shaped block co-polymer structures as tiny reaction vessels, researchers have developed an improved technique for producing nanocrystals with consistent sizes, compositions and architectures – including metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconductor and luminescent nanocrystals. The technique relies on the length of polymer molecules and the ratio of two solvents to control the size and uniformity of colloidal nanocrystals.

Borneo Stalagmites Provide New View of Abrupt Climate Events Over 100,000 Years

June 6, 2013 - A new set of long-term climate records based on cave stalagmites collected from tropical Borneo shows that the western tropical Pacific responded very differently than other regions of the globe to abrupt climate change events. The 100,000-year climate record adds to data on past climate events, and may help scientists assess models designed to predict how the Earth’s climate will respond in the future.

Architecture Graduate Student Miguel Otero Fuentes Awarded Portman Prize for Innovative Charter School Design

June 5, 2013 - Architecture Graduate Student Miguel Otero Fuentes Awarded Portman Prize for Innovative Charter School Design

IRI Intros: 5 Questions with Norman Marsolan

June 5, 2013 - You’ve probably heard that Georgia Tech has a number of Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs) – but do you know much about them? This article is the second in a series of Q&As to introduce the Tech community to the eight IRIs and their faculty leaders. In this installment, Executive Director Norman Marsolan answers questions about the Georgia Tech Institute of Paper Science and Technology.

Model Finds Common Muscle Control Patterns Governing the Motion of Swimming Animals

June 4, 2013 - What do swimmers like trout, eels and sandfish lizards have in common? According to a new study, the similar timing patterns that these animals use to contract their muscles and produce undulatory swimming motions can be explained using a simple model. Scientists have now applied the new model to understand the connection between electrical signals and body movement in the sandfish.

Distracted Drivers: Your Habits Are to Blame

June 3, 2013 - In two peer-reviewed academic journals, Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Robert Rosenberger explains that, because people talk on the phone on a regular basis, they have developed learned habits that take over their awareness while driving, sometimes entirely.

NIH Director Meets with Research University Representatives

June 1, 2013 - Georgia’s research university community recently welcomed Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Collins met with administrators and researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, the University of Georgia (UGA), Georgia State University and Morehouse School of Medicine during his May 30 visit to Atlanta.   

Advanced Paper Could be Foundation for Inexpensive Biomedical and Diagnostic Devices

May 28, 2013 - Paper is known for its ability to absorb liquids, making it ideal for products such as paper towels. But by modifying the underlying network of cellulose fibers, etching off surface “fluff” and applying a thin chemical coating, researchers have created a new type of paper that repels a wide variety of liquids – including water and oil.

Emory, Georgia Tech receive first human exposome center grant in U.S.

May 22, 2013 - Investigators at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, along with partners at the Georgia Institute of Technology, have received a $4 million grant over four years to establish the HERCULES Center at Emory University (Health and Exposome Research Center: Understanding Lifetime Exposures). The grant is the first exposome-based center grant awarded in the United States. 

Three Civil Engineering Faculty Awarded Prestigious ASCE Huber Prize

May 22, 2013 - The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently announced that three faculty from Georgia Tech were chosen to receive the 2013 Walter L. Huber Prize.

Soft Matter Offers Ways to Study Arrangement of Ordered Materials in Non-spherical Spaces

May 21, 2013 - A fried breakfast food popular in Spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut-shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics, mathematics and materials.

Grand Challenges Grant Supports Tissue Engineered Model of Lymphatic System

May 20, 2013 - Georgia Tech has won a Grand Challenges Explorations Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  J. Brandon Dixon, assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will pursue an innovative global health and development research project, titled “Lymphatic on a chip as a model for lymphatic filariasis (LF) parasites.”

Study Suggests Drug Side Effects Inevitable; Basic Physics Enabled Early Biochemistry

May 20, 2013 - A new study of both computer-created and natural proteins suggests that the number of unique pockets – sites where small molecule pharmaceutical compounds can bind to proteins – is surprisingly small, meaning drug side effects may be impossible to avoid. The study also found that the fundamental biochemical processes needed for life could have been enabled by the simple physics of protein folding. 

Principles of Ant Locomotion Could Help Future Robot Teams Work Underground

May 20, 2013 - Future teams of subterranean search and rescue robots may owe their success to the lowly fire ant, a much despised insect whose painful bites and extensive networks of underground tunnels are all-too-familiar to people living in the southern United States.

RNA Was Capable of Catalyzing Electron Transfer on Early Earth with Iron’s Help, Study Shows

May 19, 2013 - A new study shows how complex biochemical transformations may have been possible under conditions that existed when life began on the early Earth. The study shows that RNA is capable of catalyzing electron transfer under conditions similar to those of the early Earth.

Good Design Improves Health By Fostering Physical Activity

May 14, 2013 - Active Design: Affordable Designs for Affordable Housing is a new report that builds on the Active Design Guidelines published by New York City in 2010. The report examines strategies and costs for incorporating active design principles specifically aimed at increasing physical activity among children ages 3 to 18 years old in family-focused affordable housing developments.

Student Spotlight: Richard Lu on Undergraduate Research

May 9, 2013 - Richard Lu, a second year undergraduate student in the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, is going beyond his required IE coursework, and tackling real world problems through undergraduate research.

Biomaterial Shows Promise for Type 1 Diabetes Treatment

May 8, 2013 - Researchers have made a significant first step with newly engineered biomaterials for cell transplantation that could help lead to a possible cure for Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 3 million Americans. 

Hearing the Russian Meteor, in America

May 3, 2013 - How powerful was February’s meteor that crashed into Russia? Strong enough that its explosive entry into our atmosphere was detected almost 6,000 miles away in Lilburn, Ga., by infrasound sensors – a full 10 hours after the meteor’s explosion.

How to Get More Followers on Twitter

May 2, 2013 - What do all Twitter users want? Followers – and lots of them. But unless you're a celebrity, it can be difficult to build your Twitter audience (and even some celebs have trouble). Looking at a half-million tweets over 15 months, a first-of-its-kind study from Georgia Tech has revealed a set of reliable predictors for building a Twitter following.

A Text Message A Day Keeps the Asthma Attack Away

April 30, 2013 - Simply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes.

Robots Able to Reach through Clutter with Whole-Arm Tactile Sensing

April 29, 2013 - Robots are now able to intelligently maneuver within clutter, gently making contact with objects while accomplishing a task, thanks to technology developed by Dr. Charlie Kemp and the Healthcare Robotics Lab.  

IRI Intros: 5 Questions with Tim Lieuwen

April 29, 2013 - You’ve probably heard that Georgia Tech has a number of Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs) – but do you know much about them? This article is part of a series of Q&As to introduce the Tech community to the eight IRIs and their faculty leaders. In this installment, Executive Director Tim Lieuwen answers questions about the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute.

How Would You Like Your Assistant - Human or Robotic?

April 29, 2013 - Based on a Georgia Institute of Technology study, it appears that the healthcare providers will welcome robots into the workplace. y may be welcomed with open arms depending on the tasks at hand.

Pathway Competition Affects Early Differentiation of Higher Brain Structures

April 26, 2013 - A new study in fish shows how the strength and timing of competing molecular signals during brain development has generated natural and presumably adaptive differences in a brain region known as the telencephalon -- much earlier than scientists had previously believed.

Piezoelectric “Taxels” Convert Motion to Electronic Signals for Tactile Imaging

April 25, 2013 - Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.

New Study Offers Insight on Pandemic Flu

April 25, 2013 - A recent study published in PLoS ONE, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, provides new information for public health officials on mitigating the spread of infection from emerging flu viruses

Sea Turtles and FlipperBot Show How to Walk on Granular Surfaces like Sand

April 23, 2013 - Based on a study of both hatchling sea turtles and "FlipperBot" -- a robot with flippers -- researchers have learned principles for how both robots and turtles move on granular surfaces such as sand.

What Drives Activity on Pinterest?

April 23, 2013 - Researchers at Georgia Tech and the University of Minnesota have released a new study that uses statistical data to help understand the motivations behind Pinterest activity, the roles gender plays among users and the factors that distinguish Pinterest from other popular social networking sites.

Researchers Develop Sensor System to Assess the Effects of Explosions on Soldiers

April 22, 2013 - To study the effects of improvised explosive devices on soldiers and help provide continuing treatment, researchers have developed a sensor system that measures the physical environment of an explosion and collects data that can correlate what the soldier experienced with long-term outcomes.

Georgia Tech Group Planning the Future of International Urban Waterfronts

April 18, 2013 - A group of City & Regional Planning and Architecture graduate students traveled to Taiwan during their Spring Break to conduct research and share ideas with members of the local government and officials from institutions of higher education as part of a semester-long studio project.

Wireless "Smart Skin" Sensors Could Provide Remote Monitoring of Infrastructure

April 16, 2013 - Researchers are developing a novel technology that would facilitate close monitoring of bridges, parking decks and other structures for early signs of strain, stress and formation of cracks. Their approach uses wireless sensors that are low cost, require no power, and can be implemented on tough yet flexible polymer substrates.

Bose-Einstein Condensates Evaluated for Communicating Among Quantum Computers

April 11, 2013 - Physicists have examined how Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) might be used to provide communication among the nodes of a distributed quantum computer. The researchers determined the amount of time needed for quantum information to propagate across their BEC.

Project Will Help Protect U.S. Forces by Simulating Hostile UAVs

April 10, 2013 - The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is developing integrated hardware devices that simulate sensors potentially present on enemy UAVs. The technology is expected to be used to gauge the effectiveness of U.S. countermeasures against enemy drones.

Surface Diffusion Plays a Key Role in Defining the Shapes of Catalytic Nanoparticles

April 9, 2013 - Controlling the shapes of nanometer-sized catalytic and electrocatalytic particles made from noble metals such as platinum and palladium may be more complicated than previously thought.

Adhesive Differences Enable Separation of Stem Cells to Advance Potential Therapies

April 7, 2013 - A new separation process that depends on an easily-distinguished physical difference in adhesive forces among cells could help expand production of stem cells generated through cell reprogramming. By facilitating new research, the separation process could also lead to improvements in the reprogramming technique itself and help scientists model certain disease processes.

Project Will Improve Heat Dissipation in 3-D Microelectronic Systems

April 2, 2013 - Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have won a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to develop three-dimensional chip cooling technology able to handle heat loads as much as ten times greater than systems commonly used today.

Engineering Style of Dance for Robots and People

April 1, 2013 - Instead of programming a robot to copy an existing dance such as those in the online videos, Amy LaViers, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical and computer engineering, is defining the various styles of human movement and creating algorithms to reproduce them on a humanoid robot. 

Acoustic Time Delay Device Could Reduce the Size and Cost of Phased Array Systems

March 29, 2013 - A research team has developed an ultra-compact passive true time delay device that could help reduce the size, complexity, power requirements and cost of phased array designs. The patent-pending device takes advantage of the difference in speed between light and sound to create nanosecond signal delays needed for beam steering.

IRI Intros: 5 Questions with Bob Guldberg

March 27, 2013 - This article is the second in a series of Q&As to introduce the Tech community to the eight IRIs and their directors. In this installment, Executive Director Bob Guldberg answers five questions about the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Bioscience.

Georgia Tech Adds Robotics Research Component to Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering Program

March 27, 2013 - Ayanna Howard has been awarded a NSF REU Site: Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) continuing grant for her proposal to add a robotics component to Georgia Tech’s SURE program.

New Nanotechnology Research Study Turns Brain Tumors Blue

March 27, 2013 - Georgia Techn and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta announce new technique that increases precision in brain tumor removal.

Trees Used to Create Recyclable, Efficient Solar Cell

March 25, 2013 - Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University researchers have developed efficient solar cells using natural substrates derived from plants such as trees. Just as importantly, by fabricating them on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates, the solar cells can be quickly recycled in water at the end of their lifecycle.

"Terradynamics" Could Help Designers Predict How Legged Robots Will Move on Granular Media

March 21, 2013 - Using a combination of theory and experiment, researchers have developed a new approach for understanding and predicting how small legged robots – and potentially also animals – move on and interact with complex granular materials such as sand.

Collaborative Health Information Technology Program Launches

March 20, 2013 - Classes got underway March 4 at Gwinnett Tech in Lawrenceville for the newly-launched Health Information Technology (HIT) certificate program, a part of the HIT education partnership between the Georgia Institute of Technology and Gwinnett Technical College.

Mechanical Forces Control Assembly and Disassembly of a Key Cell Protein

March 20, 2013 - Researchers have for the first time demonstrated that mechanical forces can control the depolymerization of actin, a critical protein that provides the major force-bearing structure in the cytoskeletons of cells. The research suggests that forces applied both externally and internally may play a much larger role than previously believed in regulating a range of processes inside cells.

Georgia Tech Computer System Predicts NCAA Basketball Champion

March 20, 2013 - When Georgia Tech opens the doors to the Georgia Dome next month as the host institution for the 2013 Final Four, expect third-seeded Florida to walk out as the national champion. That’s the prediction from Georgia Tech’s Logistic Regression/Markov Chain (LRMC) college basketball ranking system, a computerized model that has chosen the men’s basketball national champ in three of the last five years.

Robots to Spur Economy, Improve Quality of Life, Keep Responders Safe

March 20, 2013 - Robots are being used more widely than expected in a variety of sectors, and the trend is likely to continue with robotics becoming as ubiquitous as computer technology over the next 15 years, according to the new report.

Azad Naeemi Wins NSF CAREER Award

March 18, 2013 - ECE Assistant Professor Azad Naeemi has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his research project entitled "Physical Models and Experimental Validation for High-Frequency Multilayer Graphene Interconnects."

Improved Hearing Anticipated for Implant Recipients

March 18, 2013 - A team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a new type of interface between cochlear implant devices and the brain that could dramatically improve the sound quality of the next generation of implants. Cochlear implants help deaf individuals perceive sound.

Startup Launched from Georgia Tech-Emory University Research Receives $7.9 Million

March 18, 2013 - Clearside Biomedical, Inc. an Atlanta-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical company launched from research at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, has received $7.9 million in funding to continue drug and technology development for treatment of ocular diseases.

ISyE Graduate Program Maintains Top Ranking in 2014 U.S. News & World Report

March 12, 2013 - The Georgia Tech Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering's graduate program maintained its top ranking once again in the just released 2014 edition of the U.S. News & World Report.

Neural “Synchrony” May be Key to Understanding How the Human Brain Perceives

March 11, 2013 - In a perspective article published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, biomedical engineering professor Garrett Stanley detailed research progress toward “reading and writing the neural code.” The neural code details how the brain’s roughly 100 billion neurons turn raw sensory inputs into information we can use to see, hear and feel things in our environment.

Medical and Biological Engineering Group Names Bellamkonda President-Elect

March 10, 2013 - The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has named Ravi Bellamkonda as the organization’s president-elect. He will begin his term as president in 2014.

An Active Milky Way

March 6, 2013 - Evidence suggests that the Milky Way was very active several million years ago. Astronomers from Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt propose that a single event -- a black hole collision -- can explain clues about the galaxy's current state.

Industry Agreements Streamline Contracting Process

March 1, 2013 - The Office of Industry Engagement — part of the Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) — has developed four contract mechanisms that enable industry to engage with Georgia Tech researchers at all stages of R&D.

Georgia Tech Tools Enable Groundbreaking Gas Research

March 1, 2013 - Scientists are now better able to examine rare methane gas samples recovered from deep beneath the seafloor using innovative tools developed by Georgia Tech.  

Neutron Scattering Technique Provides New Data on Adsorption of Ions in Microporous Materials

February 27, 2013 - Researchers have demonstrated the use of a technique known as small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to study the effects of ions moving into nanoscale pores. The study is believed to be the first application of the SANS technique for studying ion surface adsorption in-situ.

GT Computing Hosts NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

February 25, 2013 - Sixty-six Georgia high school girls were honored for computing-related achievements at the 2012-13 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Awards, held Feb. 24 in Atlanta and cosponsored by the College of Computing and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT).

SimTigrate Helps Children's Heart Center Select Device for Electronic Medical Records

February 21, 2013 - The SimTigrate Design Lab designed a mocked-up exam room to have the exact configuration as the Sibley clinics so the doctors and nurses could experience the usability of each device in a realistic environment. 

Auslander on the Road in Switzerland and Finland

February 21, 2013 - On 28 February 2013, Prof. Phil Auslander, in his guise as art historian, will give a talk titled "Surrogate Performances: Performance Documentation and the New York Avant-Garde, ca. 1964–1974" at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst [Migros Museum of Contemporary Art] in Zurich, Switzerland.

Researchers Study Adhesion System of Remora Fish to Create Bio-Inspired Adhesive

February 21, 2013 - A new study provides details of the structure and tissue properties of the unique adhesion system used by remora fish to attach themselves to sharks and other marine animals. The information could lead to a new engineered reversible adhesive that could be used to create pain- and residue-free bandages, attach sensors to objects in aquatic or military reconnaissance environments, replace surgical clamps and help robots climb.

Alan Wagner Receives Air Force Young Investigator Program Award for Social Robotics Work

February 20, 2013 - Wagner, who works in GTRI’s Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory (ATAS), is one of 40 recipients of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program (AFOSR YIP) award for his proposal “Trust and Trustworthiness in Human-Robot Interaction: A Formal Conceptualization.” 

Molecules Assemble in Water, Hint at Origins of Life

February 20, 2013 - Researchers have spontaneously assemble "proto-RNA bases" in water,  suggesting that the genes of life could have gotten started from these or similar molecules.

And the Oscar (and Thanks) Goes To…

February 19, 2013 - Georgia Tech student Rebecca Rolfe analyzed 60 years of Academy Awards acceptance speeches as part of a research project that focused on gratitude. She has outlined the trends and patterns on an interactive website.

Mallory Soldner Honored as IIE Representative for 2013 New Faces of Engineering

February 19, 2013 - Mallory Soldner, a Ph.D. student in the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, has been selected as the Institute of Industrial Engineers representative for the 2013 New Faces of Engineering, a program that honors promising young engineers who are contributing greatly to society, thus promoting the image of engineering globally.

Pollution Doesn’t Change the Rate of Cloud Droplet Formation, Study Shows

February 18, 2013 - When it comes to forming the droplets that make up clouds, a little oily and viscous organic material apparently doesn’t matter that much. And that’s good news for reducing the uncertainty of climate model predictions.

Designer Blood Clots: Artificial Platelets Could Treat Injured Soldiers on the Battlefield

February 15, 2013 - When it comes to healing the terrible wounds of war, success may hinge on the first blood clot – the one that begins forming on the battlefield right after an injury.

Sticky Cells: Cyclic Mechanical Reinforcement Extends Longevity of Bonds Between Cells

February 14, 2013 - A new study provides insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It’s thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders.

Video Study Shows Picky Eater Fish Threaten Endangered Coral Reefs

February 12, 2013 - Using underwater video cameras to record fish feeding on South Pacific coral reefs, scientists have found that herbivorous fish can be picky eaters – a trait that could spell trouble for endangered reef systems.

Georgia Tech Alumni Elected to National Academy of Engineering

February 8, 2013 - The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced this week that aerospace engineering alumnus James O. Ellis, ('70), and civil engineering alumnus John R. Huff, ('68), have been elected to the prestigious organization.

Georgia Tech Explores the Digital Future of Journalism

February 7, 2013 - As technology continues to transform the business of news dissemination, what role does computation play in the practice of journalism—both today and in the future? Last week, the Georgia Tech College of Computing tried to answer that question through the second “Computation + Journalism Symposium,” held Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

Agilent Technologies Commits $90 Million Gift of Software to Georgia Institute of Technology

February 4, 2013 - Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the largest in-kind software donation ever in its longstanding relationship with the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Study Finds Substantial Microorganism Populations in the Upper Troposphere

January 28, 2013 - In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms – principally bacteria – in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above the Earth’s surface.

The City and the Coming Climate Named Outstanding Academic Title by Choice

January 27, 2013 - Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries, selected Associate Professor Brian Stone's The City and the Coming Climate as a 2012 Outstanding Academic Title in Earth Science.

"Rise of the Drones": Schools of Building Construction and Aerospace Engineering Collaborate to Investigate Potential Applications of Drone Technology in Construction.

January 23, 2013 - School of Building Construction Assistant Professor Dr. Javier Irizarry  and School of Aerospace Engineering Associate Professor Dr. Eric Johnson were awarded $74,984 from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to evaluate the potential uses of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or "Drones" for safety inspections, surveying, bridge inspections, and other applications.  

Georgia Tech Partners to Improve Prosthetic Socket for Veteran Amputees

January 16, 2013 - Researchers at Georgia Tech are major players in a team that will develop an advanced prosthetic socket system that could offer better comfort, functionality and mobility for military-veteran amputees. 

Aerial Platform Supports Development of Lightweight Sensors for UAVs

January 16, 2013 - A research team at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is developing an airborne testing capability for sensors, communications devices and other airborne payloads. This aerial test bed, called the GTRI Airborne Unmanned Sensor System (GAUSS), is based on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made by Griffon Aerospace and modified by GTRI. 

Farrokh Ayazi Named 2013 IEEE Fellow

January 16, 2013 - Farrokh Ayazi, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is among the 298 individuals worldwide named as a 2013 IEEE Fellow.

Klein Publishes Article in American Quarterly

Study Quantifies the Size of Holes Antibacterials Create in Cell Walls to Kill Bacteria

January 9, 2013 - Researchers recently created a biophysical model of the response of a Gram-positive bacterium to the formation of a hole in its cell wall, then used experimental measurements to validate the theory, which predicted that a hole in the bacteria cell wall larger than 15 to 24 nanometers in diameter would cause the cell to lyse, or burst.

$1.6 Million Grant from NSF will Fund Interdisciplinary Research on Sustainable Energy Systems for Homes

January 9, 2013 - The NSF Sustainable Energy Pathways Program has awarded a 1.6 million dollar grant to a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture and Ohio University.  The Georgia Tech team, led by Dr. Daniel Castro, includes Dr. Perry Yang and Prof. Charles Rudolph from the College of Architecture. 

Improving Flood Predictions in Developing Nations

January 8, 2013 - Georgia Tech researchers have created a hydrological model that forecasts flooding in Pakistan as many as ten days in advance.

Spear Phishing: Researchers Work to Counter Email Attacks that Gain Recipients’ Trust

January 8, 2013 - Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are working to counter threats from spear phishing. The attacks use knowledge of computer users to gain their trust to break into corportate networks.

Bolter, MacIntyre, and Engberg Publish Cover Article in ACM Interactions

Boston on Fallout from the Fiscal Cliff "Shotgun Wedding"

January 4, 2013 - "Had we hit the fiscal cliff, the effects would have hurt but not nearly as much as advertised," wrote Economics Professor Danny Boston. "There would have been time and opportunity to cut a deal to remove more uncertainty regarding the country’s current and future debt. Instead, we panicked and struck a problematic deal." 

Coral Records Suggest that Recent El Nino Activity Rises Above Noisy Background

January 3, 2013 - By examining a set of fossil corals that are as much as 7,000 years old, scientists have dramatically expanded the amount of information available on the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, a Pacific Ocean climate cycle that affects climate worldwide. The new information will help assess the accuracy of climate model projections for 21st century climate change in the tropical Pacific.

Clays on Mars: More Plentiful Than Expected

December 20, 2012 - A new study co-authored by the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that clay minerals, rocks that usually form when water is present for long periods of time, cover a larger portion of Mars than previously thought.

Industrial and Systems Engineers: Making a Difference in the World

December 18, 2012 - Through projects that span the globe and fuel the imagination, ISyE faculty and alumni are making a difference in the world.   

Georgia Peaches, Alaskan Salmon, and California Pears: Where does your food come from?

December 18, 2012 - Faculty members in ISyE are working to identify and develop solutions across the wide-ranging, critically important field of food traceability.

Big Findings in Big Data

December 18, 2012 - Jeff Wu discusses big data and the potential in exploring the vast store of information accumulated by millions of business and consumer transactions in modern life.

The Power of Mathematics

December 18, 2012 - This article, written by Professor Dave Goldsman, discusses the uses and power of mathematics for those who want to work on cutting-edge applications or emerging research areas in the field of industrial engineering.

Georgia Tech Power Cell Among Top 10 Physical Science Breakthroughs in 2012

December 14, 2012 - A power cell that directly converts mechanical energy to chemical energy – which can then be stored and converted to electrical energy – has been selected as one of 2012’s top breakthroughs in the physical sciences by Physics World magazine.

Researchers Contribute to Instrument for Remotely Measuring Hurricane Intensity

December 12, 2012 - A device designed by engineers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is part of the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD), an experimental airborne system developed by the Earth Science Office at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

Study Examines Role of “Helpful” Scientists in the Success of Others

December 12, 2012 - A new study highlights the role of “helpful” colleagues – those who, for instance, provide feedback on the papers of other scientists and are willing to serve as a sounding board for new ideas.

Utz Publishes Essay, "Robin Hood, Frenched"

December 11, 2012 - Utz, Chair of LMC, publishes on Robin Hood in a collection edited by Gail Ashton and Daniel T. Kline, Medieval Afterlives in Popular Culture, which is part of Palgrave's The New Middle Ages Series.

Wu Receives the 2012 US Army Wilks Award

December 11, 2012 - C.F. Jeff Wu, the Coca-Cola Chair in Engineering Statistics and professor in ISyE, received the 2012 US Army Wilks Award during the 2012 Army Conference on Applied Statistics on October 24.

ID Students at Capstone Design Expo Fall 2012

December 10, 2012 - Industrial Design undergraduates and their instructors displayed their best at Georgia Tech's Fall 2012 Capstone Design Expo.

Device Helps Children with Disabilities Access Tablets

December 10, 2012 - Researchers at Georgia Tech are trying to open the world of tablets to children whose limited mobility makes it difficult for them to perform the common pinch and swipe gestures required to control the devices. Ayanna Howard, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and graduate student Hae Won Park have created Access4Kids, a wireless input device that uses a sensor system to translate physical movements into fine-motor gestures to control a tablet.

Self-Assembled Monolayers Create P-N Junctions in Graphene Films

December 10, 2012 - Researchers are creating graphene p-n junctions by transferring films of the electronic material to substrates that have been patterned by compounds that are either strong electron donors or electron acceptors.

Mobile Browsers Fail Georgia Tech Safety Test

December 5, 2012 - ATLANTA – Dec. 5, 2012 – How unsafe are mobile browsers? Unsafe enough that even cyber-security experts are unable to detect when their smartphone browsers have landed on potentially dangerous websites, according to a recent Georgia Tech study. Source: Office of Communications

Pishdad-Bozorgi Speaks at LEED Platinum Certification Ceremony

December 4, 2012 - Dr. Pardis Pishdad-Bozorgi was an invited speaker at the Atlanta Emerging Green Professionals meeting and ceremony designating the LEED-CI Platinum award at the Haworth Ideation Center.

MCRP Reaccredited for full 7-year Term

December 3, 2012 - The Planning Accreditation Board has reaccredited Georgia Tech's Master of City and Regional Planning degree program for a seven-year term through 2019.

Squirrels and Birds Inspire Researchers to Create Deceptive Robots

December 3, 2012 - Using deceptive behavioral patterns of squirrels and birds, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed robots that are able to deceive each other. The research is funded by the Office of Naval Research and is led by Professor Ronald Arkin, who suggests the applications could be implemented by the military in the future. The research is highlighted in the November/December 2012 edition of IEEE Intelligent Systems.

Gulf of Mexico Clean-Up Makes 2010 Spill 52-Times More Toxic

November 30, 2012 - If the 4.9 million barrels of oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 Deep Water Horizon spill was a ecological disaster, the two million gallons of dispersant used to clean it up apparently made it even worse – 52-times more toxic. That’s according to new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes (UAA), Mexico.

GT, UGA Studio Collaborative Imagines a Sustainable Biloxi Casino

November 30, 2012 - Innovative undergraduate design studio to develop an ecologically senstive gambling casino site in Mississippi.

Georgia Tech Wins $2.7 Million to Advance Big-Data Technology for DARPA

November 29, 2012 - A research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has received a $2.7 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop technology intended to help address the challenges of "big data" – data sets that are both massive and complex.

Georgia Tech Awarded $9.4M to Develop Energy Technology Solutions

November 28, 2012 - Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have been awarded three grants totaling more than $9 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to develop energy technology solutions. 

Online Tool Creates Catch-Up Immunization Schedules for Missed Childhood Vaccinations

November 28, 2012 - A new online tool takes the guesswork out of developing individualized catch-up immunization schedules by allowing parents and health care providers to easily create a schedule that ensures missed vaccines and future vaccines are administered according to approved guidelines.

Nihad Farooq Publishes Essay on Darwin in Concentric

Microneedle Patch May Advance World Measles Vaccination Effort

November 27, 2012 - Measles vaccine given with painless and easy-to-administer microneedle patches can immunize against measles at least as well as vaccine given with conventional hypodermic needles, according to research done by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Auslander Featured in Museum Exhibition Catalog

Ellis Presents Paper at First International Philip K. Dick Conference in Dortmund

Research Will Study How Diversity Helps Microbial Communities Respond to Change

November 26, 2012 - Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have received a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study how complex microbial systems use their genetic diversity to respond to human-induced change. The work is important because these microbial communities play critical roles in the environment, breaking down pollutants, recycling nutrients – and serving as major sources of nitrogen and carbon.

Georgia Tech Collaborates with GE, Ford on Alternative Fuel Vehicle Research

November 21, 2012 - Researchers from Georgia Tech are partnering with GE and Ford Motor Co. to study ways to add greater efficiencies to electric driving and charging performance.

Helpful Hints for Healthy Holiday Eating

November 21, 2012 - As the holiday season begins, so does holiday eating. Here are tips for eating healthy, based on studies by Associate Professor Koert van Ittersum.

Georgia Tech Launches Manufacturing Institute

November 20, 2012 - To support a new industry-friendly research strategy, the Georgia Institute of Technology announces the launch of an interdisciplinary research institute to promote a technologically advanced and globally competitive manufacturing base in the United States.

NIH awards Georgia malaria research consortium up to $19.4 million contract

November 19, 2012 - The research team will use the comprehensive research approach of systems biology to study and catalog in molecular detail how malaria parasites interact with their human and animal hosts.

New Whale Shark Study Used Metabolomics to Help Understand Shark and Ray Health

November 19, 2012 - New research from Georgia Aquarium and Georgia Institute of Technology provides evidence that a suite of techniques called “metabolomics” can be used to determine the health status of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world’s largest fish species. The study, led by Dr. Alistair Dove, director of Research & Conservation at Georgia Aquarium and an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech, found that the major difference between healthy and unhealthy sharks was the concentration of homarine in their in serum—indicating that homarine is a useful biomarker of health status for the species.