The anniversary celebration reflected on IPaT's past, looked toward its future, and recognized those whose contributions have helped shape IPaT and its community.

For 15 years, Georgia Tech's Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) has connected researchers, students, and partners from across disciplines to explore a fundamental question: How can technology better serve people and communities?

On Oct. 28, the IPaT community came together to celebrate that legacy during the 15th anniversary celebration at George Tower | Scheller Tower. Colleagues, collaborators, partners, and friends gathered for an afternoon highlighting the people and ideas that have helped define IPaT.

The celebration featured a distinguished lecture, a panel discussion, the presentation of IPaT Impact Awards, and a reception.

"The 15th anniversary celebration has allowed us to pause and reflect on IPaT's many achievements," said Michael Best, IPaT’s executive director. "For me, the event was a perfect example of what we call ‘The IPaT Way,’ an approach full of substance, community, and just plain fun."

15 Years of Putting People First

Created in 2011, IPaT is an interdisciplinary research institute at Georgia Tech dedicated to a people-first approach to research and innovation. It connects academia with industry, government, civil society, and other partners to develop people-centered approaches to some of society's most complex challenges.

Over the past 15 years, IPaT researchers and collaborators have contributed to work spanning health, aging, usability, sustainability, smart cities, and other areas. A defining part of that mission has been translating research beyond the laboratory and into people's lives through products, applications, community education, and outreach.

Today, the interdisciplinary community includes more than 30 research faculty and more than 125 affiliated faculty, supported by programs, research infrastructure, engineering and research translation, events, and staff that connect expertise from across Georgia Tech.

"For 15 years, the Institute for People and Technology has demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary research to address society's most complex challenges," said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech's vice president for interdisciplinary research. "By bringing together diverse experts and partnering with communities, industry, and government, IPaT has created a model for people-centered innovation that delivers meaningful impact."

Looking Back, Looking Forward

The anniversary program featured a distinguished lecture by Elizabeth Mynatt, dean of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University and the founding executive director of IPaT. Mynatt joined Northeastern in 2022 after a 23-year career at Georgia Tech, where she served as a Regents' and Distinguished Professor in the College of Computing in addition to leading IPaT.

The program also featured a panel discussion titled "Looking Back, Looking Forward." Moderated by Michael Best, the panel included Laurie Dean Baird, managing director of Ladarium Media Group; Maribeth Gandy Coleman, director of research for IPaT; Keith Edwards, professor in Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing and former director of the GVU Center; and Caroline Wood, executive director of Georgia Tech's Office of Corporate Engagement.

Together, they provided an opportunity to reflect on the relationships among people, technology, and society that have been at the heart of IPaT's work while also looking ahead to new opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration.

15 Years, 15 Impact Awards

A centerpiece of the anniversary celebration was the presentation of the 2026 IPaT Impact Awards recognizing 15 individuals whose work and support have made a lasting contribution to IPaT.

The honorees were recognized for their vision, commitment, and generosity. Collectively, their contributions represent many of the characteristics that have defined IPaT over its first 15 years, from interdisciplinary research and organizational leadership to community building, technological innovation, and partnerships.

The 2026 IPaT Impact Award recipients are:

• Keith Edwards, Professor, School of Interactive Computing.
• Sherry Farrugia, Senior Vice President, Veranex.
• Brian Jones, Principal Research Engineer, IPaT.
• Debra Lam, Founding Executive Director, Partnership for Innovation.
• Leigh McCook, Deputy Director, IPaT, and Principal Research Associate, GTRI.
• Cynthia Moore, Assistant Director of Business Operations, IPaT.
• Jessica Pater, Senior Research Scientist, Parkview Research Center.
• Nicoleta Serban, Professor, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
• Richard Starr, Senior Research Scientist, IPaT.
• Faith Sumpter, Program Manager, IPaT.
• Tim Trent, Research Technologist, IPaT.
• Bruce Walker, Professor, School of Psychology and School of Interactive Computing.
• Caroline Wood, Executive Director, Office of Corporate Engagement.
• Ellen Zegura, Fleming Chair and Professor, School of Computer Science.
• Craig Zimring, Founding Director, SimTigrate Design Center, and Professor Emeritus, School of Architecture.

The awards build on a tradition established by Georgia Tech's GVU Center (now merged with IPaT), whose Impact Awards recognized members of its community during major anniversary milestones in 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022. Previous GVU Impact Awardees were not eligible for the IPaT 15th anniversary prize.

More information about the honorees is available on the 2026 IPaT Impact Award winners page.

New Advisory Board Announced

At the anniversary celebration, Best also announced the members of IPaT’s newly formed advisory board. Inaugural members are:

• Jill Savitt – President and CEO, National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
• Barbara Smith – Vice President, Peace Programs, The Carter Center.
• Phil Breedlove – Distinguished Professor of the Practice and CETS Senior Fellow, U.S. Air Force (retired).
• Bruce McEvoy – Director of Regenerative Design, Perkins and Will.
• Donnie Beamer – Chief Technology Officer, City of Atlanta.
• Robert Kinyanjui – Research Partnerships Manager, John Deere.
• Alison Cernich – Director, Shriners Children’s Research Institute. 
• Laura Moody – CMO and Co-Founder, Purpose Possible.
• Kevin Perry – Head of Industry, International Growth Agency Team, Google.
• Mohammed K. Ali, M.D.  – Co-Director, Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, and the William H. Foege Distinguished Professor of Global Health at Emory University. Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in the Emory School of Medicine.

The Next 15 Years

The milestone also offered an opportunity to consider what comes next.

"Since its inception, IPaT's focus on people-centered technology has only grown in relevance and reach," Best said. "Looking ahead to the next 15 years, ensuring that people and their passions sit at the very center of technical innovation will be more vital than ever."

That emphasis on people has remained a thread connecting IPaT's research, partnerships, and community throughout its first decade and a half. It is also central to its vision of an inclusive, equitable, and just future supported by people-centered technologies.

As Georgia Tech researchers confront emerging challenges and opportunities, IPaT's interdisciplinary model provides a way to bring technical expertise together with the experiences, needs, and aspirations of people and communities.

"As we celebrate this milestone, we also look ahead to the next generation of discoveries and collaborations that will improve lives, strengthen communities, and help shape a better tomorrow," Kubanek said.

The 15th anniversary offered a moment to recognize how far IPaT has come, celebrate the people who helped build its community, and look toward what it can accomplish in the years ahead. And as IPaT begins its next chapter, the principle that has helped guide its work remains unchanged: Meaningful technological innovation starts with people.

A picture album of IPaT’s 15th anniversary celebration. 

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