Sustainable Systems News | Research News Center

January 15, 2026

Science for Public Good: Introducing the Community Engagement Graduate Fellows

4 min read

Four graduate students from the College of Sciences were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google, to develop projects that positively impact the metro Atlanta area.

Degraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.

January 12, 2026

Coastal Resilience Project Secures Nearly $1 Million to Restore Wetlands

3 min read

The award will support the design of nature-based solutions including living shorelines and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia.

Pictured are Christian Coles (left) and Moinak Choudhury (right).

January 6, 2026

Solar-powered Façade Panel System Wins Seed Grant Award

2 min read

The Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) and the College of Design (CoD) awarded a seed grant to Christian Coles, lecturer in the School of Architecture; Moinak Choudhury, Ph.D., lecturer in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC);

Two Georgia Tech researchers looking at a biomedical chip.

January 5, 2026

Georgia Tech Climbs to No. 2 University in Federally Sponsored Research Expenditures

3 min read

This is the Institute’s best ranking in the National Science Foundation’s annual survey.

Georgia Tech human-centered computing Ph.D. student Ashley Boone is building data tools to reduce the likelihood of birds flying into buildings.

December 12, 2025

Students Collaborating with Nonprofit to Reduce Bird Collisions with Buildings

5 min read

Interactive computing students are developing new data tools to reduce bird/building strikes in Atlanta, which is among the country's deadliest cities for migratory birds.

December 5, 2025

Georgia Tech Earns Spot in Princeton Review's 2026 Guide to Green Colleges

2 min read

Building on the recognition from last year, Georgia Tech again makes the cut.

Group picture of Community Engaged Research workshop participants.

December 4, 2025

Connecting Communities: Georgia Tech’s Community-Engaged Research Council Drives Engagement and Impact

4 min read

Georgia Tech has considerable expertise in community engagement. The CER council connects all the initiatives around campus adding impact and reach to everyone's efforts.

November 26, 2025

Community Spotlight - Iris Tien

3 min read

Tien considers resilience a key part of sustainability. She focuses on how to design better systems to meet community needs.

November 26, 2025

Chelsea Ekwegh Honored as Millennium Fellow for Work in Urban Sustainability

1 min read

Ekwegh’s project, titled Bridging Energy Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Development, explores ways to connect new and old technologies so cities can evolve without leaving people or infrastructure behind.

Three Georgia Tech researchers working together in the lab on cancer research

November 20, 2025

Georgia Tech Ranked No. 7 Globally in Interdisciplinary Science Rankings

1 min read

Georgia Tech has been ranked 7th in the world in the 2026 Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings

Collage of seven portraits of the 2025 BBISS Faculty Fellows

November 13, 2025

BBISS Welcomes Seven New Faculty Fellows

2 min read

As fellows, they serve as strategic advisors, help cultivate a vibrant community of sustainability-focused scholars and students across Georgia Tech, and champion the Institute’s mission, values, and goals to broader audiences.

Rebecca Watts Hull and her husband Jonathan pose at a scenic overlook on a hiking trip.

November 11, 2025

Community Spotlight – Rebecca Watts Hull

4 min read

Rebecca Watts Hull wants to transform what students learn and how faculty across campus connect, innovate, and inspire action for a sustainable future.

The Georgia Tech contingent gather for a group photo at the 2025 Georgia Resiliency Conference.

November 6, 2025

Georgia Tech Attendees Reflect on the Georgia Resiliency Conference 2025

5 min read

Faculty, administration, research fellows, students, collaborators, and Georgia Tech President Emeritus and keynote speaker G. Wayne Clough brought diverse perspectives to discussions ranging from coastal vulnerability to data-driven decision-making.

November 4, 2025

Researchers Develop Biobased Film that Could Replace Traditional Plastic Packaging

3 min read

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a biologically based film made from natural ingredients found in plants, mushrooms, and food waste that can block moisture and oxygen as effectively as conventional plastics

October 28, 2025

Community Spotlight - Ali Sarhadi

3 min read

Ali Sarhadi and his research team at GT's Climate Risk and Extreme Dynamics Lab are focused on a phenomenon called hurricane-induced compound flooding — hurricanes fueled by a warming climate.

Image of Sandra Neuse, vice chancellor of Real Estate and Facilities, University System of Georgia

October 22, 2025

Office of Sustainability Hosts USG Energy Summit to Amplify Efforts in Energy Management

2 min read

USG schools are working together to manage energy use on campuses.

October 17, 2025

EAS Faculty Named to Endowed Positions

5 min read

Congratulations to Isaiah Bolden, Jennifer Glass, Alex Robel, and Yuanzhi Tang on their new endowed faculty professorships.

October 15, 2025

Kristin Janacek Named Associate Director for Interdisciplinary Research Impact at BBISS

4 min read

In this newly created BBISS role, Janacek is eager to amplify the Institute’s interdisciplinary research portfolio and foster stronger relationships between Georgia Tech and its partners.

The high impact between the metal balls in a ball mill reactor and the polymer surface is sufficient to momentarily liquefy the polymer and facilitate chemical reactions.

October 10, 2025

New Method Uses Collisions to Break Down Plastic for Sustainable Recycling

4 min read

Researchers have developed a method to break down PET, one of the world’s most widely used plastics, for sustainable recycling using mechanical forces instead of heat or harsh chemicals.

Post-hurricane flooding inundates residential areas and transportation infrastructure, with low-lying terrain overwhelmed by storm surge and excessive rainfall.

October 9, 2025

Fixing Flooding for the Southeast’s Future

1 min read

Georgia Tech researchers are developing solutions to monitor and forecast flooding, as well as restore ecosystems to prevent future flooding. These efforts support communities’ resilience in the face of climate change and keep the U.S. secure.