Economic Impact Research | Research News Center

A hazy photo of an electronic board, possibly an internal image of a data center.

July 9, 2026

Data Centers Are Booming. Who Benefits?

5 min read

Data centers continue to expand across the U.S. Do the communities nearby really benefit?

4 panel image: clockwise from upper left - solar panels in field, data center and cooling complex, Hormuz Island, gas pump in a car's fuel port

July 1, 2026

EPIcenter Experts in the News: AI, Prices, and the War

1 min read

EPIcenter Faculty Affiliates have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.

June 30, 2026

Meet the Expert: Brian An

1 min read

In this EPIcenter Expert series, meet Brian An, EPIcenter Affiliate, studying the intersection of energy resilience and urban policy to improve grid equity during extreme weather.

United States map showing the eight regions of the CORE-CM Initiative. Courtesy: Department of Energy Core-CM Initiative

June 24, 2026

Mining New Possibilities for Critical Minerals: Mapping a Stronger U.S. Supply Chain

4 min read

A new Department of Energy award will help Georgia Tech lead a regional effort to identify, recover, and reuse materials essential to energy, manufacturing, and national security.

Drone photo of FIFA decorated Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia

June 12, 2026

Atlanta’s World Cup Beyond the Hype

5 min read

Georgia Tech experts say the 2026 World Cup will bring global attention and economic activity, but the real measure of success is who benefits and what lasting impact the tournament leaves behind.

May 6, 2026

New Graduate Builds Fintech Startup using Leadership Mindset

5 min read

Agam Shah returns to campus this week to officially graduate from Tech, giving us a chance to catch up about his grad school experience and life as an entrepreneur.

EPIcenter ACCELERATE Program Recipients: Top (Left to Right) - Clio Andris, Marilyn Brown, Dylan Brewer, Gaurav Doshi, Michelle Graff; Bottom (Left to Right) - Tony Harding, Brian An, Matt Oliver, Micah Ziegler, Constance Crozier

May 5, 2026

EPIcenter Awards Inaugural Funding to Advance Energy Policy Impact in the Southeast

3 min read

The Energy Policy and Innovation Center at Georgia Tech has awarded funding to a new faculty cohort through its ACCELERATE program, designed to strengthen Georgia Tech’s thought leadership and real world impact in energy policy in the Southeast.

A person filling gas in his car with the gas prices shown in the foreground

May 1, 2026

What’s in the Price of a Gallon of Gas?

7 min read

Georgia Tech energy economist Bobby Harris said U.S. gasoline prices are driven mainly by crude oil costs, with refining, distribution and taxes accounting for a smaller and shifting share of what consumers pay at the pump.

Omar Garcia gives a lecture in Startup Lab

April 30, 2026

Inside CREATE‑X Startup Lab: A Foundation for Entrepreneurial Thinking

7 min read

CREATE‑X Startup Lab helps students build entrepreneurial confidence by learning how to navigate uncertainty, test assumptions, and develop sound judgment.

April 29, 2026

Powering the Future - Georgia Tech Alumni Fuel Nation’s Largest Nuclear Plant

1 min read

Georgia Tech’s influence on the Vogtle expansion spans alumni leadership at the plant, a growing student pipeline, and faculty conducting cutting‑edge nuclear research.

Graph showing supply demand of crude oil with price plotted in the Y axis and quantity in million barrels per day in the X axis during the months of Feb-April 2026.

April 20, 2026

When oil prices spike, where does the money go?

5 min read

Georgia Tech–affiliated energy and trade economists describe how higher oil prices don’t just hurt consumers—they also shift enormous amounts of money to oil producers, with impacts varying by region, ownership, and government policy.

Ground‑mounted solar panel array in the foreground with wind turbines and large battery storage units visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

April 17, 2026

Frontiers of Weatherization

2 min read

A recent review published in Energy Research & Social Science by EPIcenter public policy affiliates – Ryan Anthony, Brian An, Marilyn A. Brown, Michelle Graff, and Daniel C. Matisoff – examines five decades of low-income weatherization program evaluations

April 15, 2026

Vision AI Models Improve Decision Making in Manufacturing, Energy, and Finance

4 min read

Georgia Tech researchers have developed Diffusion-DFL, the first decision-focused learning model built on diffusion AI technology. It uses the same engineering behind image generators to help industries make more accurate, lower-cost planning decisions.

Karen Rommelfanger smiling in a warmly lit room. A window and brick wall are visible behind her.

April 13, 2026

Georgia Tech Welcomes a Neuroethics Pioneer

5 min read

As brain interfacing tools move out of the lab and into everyday life, Karen Rommelfanger is bringing her global neuroethics expertise to Georgia Tech to prepare the next generation of ethical innovators.

April 10, 2026

Mapping Independence: How MapHabit Supports People With Cognitive Challenges

4 min read

MapHabit, an ATDC-supported startup, uses visual task mapping to help individuals with cognitive challenges build independence through everyday routines.

Olufisayo “Fisayo” Omojokun, associate dean in Georgia Tech’s College of Computing

April 9, 2026

Computing Associate Dean Cultivates Innovation With CREATE-X

7 min read

Olufisayo “Fisayo” Omojokun, Georgia Tech associate dean in the College of Computing, found new energy in teaching through CREATE‑X, where open‑ended entrepreneurship equips students to confidently navigate uncertainty and solve real‑world problems.

Victor Espinosa, Founder of Loto Punto, stands in front of his product, pitching it on Columbia's Shark Tank

April 9, 2026

CREATE-X Startup Brings Digital Access to the Unbanked

6 min read

Georgia Tech master’s student Victor Espinosa is building Loto Punto, a fintech startup using self‑service kiosks to help unbanked communities convert cash into digital financial access through the CREATE‑X Startup Launch program.

Karthik Ramachandran smiles in a navy suit coat

April 7, 2026

The Paradox of Familiarity: Karthik Ramachandran Shows How Team Dynamics Shape Product Success

2 min read

Karthik Ramachandran, Dunn Family Professor of Operations Management, offers a smarter way to design product development teams

Lamarr.AI Co-founder and CEO Tarek Rakha

March 26, 2026

Ready for its Closeup: PIN-Supported Lamarr.AI Uses Technology to Make Buildings More Efficient and Occupants More Comfortable

2 min read

Through PIN’s new Community Investment program, Georgia Tech–based Lamarr.AI is partnering with the city of Savannah to use drone‑ and AI‑driven building assessments to improve energy efficiency in historic municipal facilities.

Large group of people standing and seated in a bright industrial-style indoor space, gathered on and around a metal staircase and long tables. The setting includes exposed beams, railings, overhead lighting, and tables with notebooks, cups, and coats visible in the foreground.

March 25, 2026

Atlanta Area Students Partner With Community Organizations for Research Projects

4 min read

The Atlanta Community-Engaged Research Student Network launched this semester to train graduate students to co-lead community-engaged and locally focused research along with community-based organizations.