{"646503":{"#nid":"646503","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biological Sciences and Chemistry Faculty Receive Trio of 2020-2021 Institute Research Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the criteria for choosing the recipient of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/node\/63\u0022\u003EOutstanding Achievement in Research Program Development Award\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the winning team\u0026rsquo;s ability to address major challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe latest team of annual recipients took on \u003Cem\u003Ethe \u003C\/em\u003Echallenge of 2020 at Georgia Tech: addressing the coronavirus pandemic across campus to help keep our community safe and healthy. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/faces-testing\u0022\u003EAnton Bryskin\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-gibson\u0022\u003EGregory Gibson\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022\u003EPinar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/shannon\u0022\u003EMichael Shannon\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joshua-weitz\u0022\u003EJoshua Weitz\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Williams\/Loren\u0022\u003ELoren Williams\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/faces-testing\u0022\u003EJulieAnne Williamson\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;answered that call with a Georgia Tech Covid-19 testing program that now serves as a model for other institutions of higher learning across the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe winner of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/node\/312\u0022\u003EOutstanding Achievement in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Research Award\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/france\/\u0022\u003EStefan France\u003C\/a\u003E, also responded to a formidable task, one that existed before Covid-19: the critical need to boost the number of underrepresented minority students at Georgia Tech \u0026mdash; as did \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/pollet\/pamela\u0022\u003EPamela Pollet\u003C\/a\u003E, this year\u0026#39;s recipient of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/node\/87\u0022\u003E1940 W. Roane Beard Outstanding Teacher Award\u003C\/a\u003E for \u0026quot;excellence and extraordinary efforts in teaching\u0026quot; throughout an unprecedented school year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThose who nominated the College of Sciences recipients of this year\u0026#39;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/taxonomy\/term\/13\u0022\u003EInstitute Research Awards\u003C\/a\u003E note the outstanding impact these individuals have realized by addressing these issues in positive, measurable, meaningful ways:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech answers coronavirus call to action\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe winners of the Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development Award are the researchers and staff members who quickly came up with a successful in-house platform for conducting Covid-19 testing at Georgia Tech:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EAnton Bryskin, senior research scientist and Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/research\/molecular-evolution-core\u0022\u003EMolecular Evolution Core Facility\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB)\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-gibson\u0022\u003EGregory Gibson\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Patton Distinguished Professor,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, Director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cig.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Integrative Genomics\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;member of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022\u003EPinar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E, William W. George Chair and Professor and Director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chhs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Health and Humanitarian Systems\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/shannon\u0022\u003EMichael Shannon\u003C\/a\u003E, Deputy Chief Business Officer for Administration and Finance, formerly Principal Research Engineer in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/laboratories\/advanced-concepts-laboratory\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u0026rsquo;s (GTRI) Advanced Concepts Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joshua-weitz\u0022\u003EJoshua Weitz\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Patton Distinguished Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Co-Director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Ph.D. in Quantitative Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Williams\/Loren\u0022\u003ELoren Williams\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EJulieAnne Williamson, Interim Director for Sustainable Management and Operations, Assistant Vice President for Administration and Finance\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFrom the nomination materials:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This program is the outcome of\u0026nbsp;remarkable vision and decisive action in experimental science\u0026nbsp;on the part of\u0026nbsp;this team, beginning in spring 2020 with the emergence of coronavirus infections\u0026nbsp;in the U.S. It was immediately apparent that accurate tests for viral infection\u0026nbsp;were greatly\u0026nbsp;needed, and that the normal governmental and commercial channels\u0026nbsp;for providing those tests\u0026nbsp;would be overwhelmed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERather than simply wait for national\u0026nbsp;systems to sort themselves out, the\u0026nbsp;molecular biologists in the team initiated a bold plan to prepare and validate\u0026nbsp;all\u0026nbsp;of the components needed to perform hundreds of thousands of tests using\u0026nbsp;the accepted polymerase chain\u0026nbsp;reaction (PCR)-based method approved for clinical\u0026nbsp;use, and to do this entirely in-house on the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVery soon after the appearance of\u0026nbsp;the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Professor Williams began the\u0026nbsp;construction of the Georgia Tech version\u0026nbsp;of the PCR test, and its necessary technical infrastructure,\u0026nbsp;without a mandate.\u0026nbsp;Professors Gibson, Keskinocak, and Weitz provided key scientific insight\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;leadership for a GT campus-wide testing system. Dr. Bryskin was, and remains, the\u0026nbsp;program\u0026rsquo;s indispensable technical expert \u0026mdash; creating and optimizing processes\u0026nbsp;for the complex\u0026nbsp;steps that need to be performed flawlessly on thousands of\u0026nbsp;samples per day. He was also the\u0026nbsp;first to see and act on the need for CLIA\u0026nbsp;(Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certification, an essential component of GT\u0026rsquo;s ability\u0026nbsp;to collect and use the\u0026nbsp;resulting information.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDr. Farrell, Ms. Williamson, and Dr. Shannon\u0026nbsp;solved many\u0026nbsp;seemingly insurmountable bureaucratic and organizational barriers, including\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;rapid creation of staff positions and space in the EBB building.\u0026nbsp;Many others have contributed\u0026nbsp;mightily of course, including the companion\u0026nbsp;symptomatic testing program at Stamps Health\u0026nbsp;Services run by Dr. Ben Holton, but\u0026nbsp;these were the true visionaries and indispensables.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith a screening capacity of 3,000\u0026nbsp;saliva samples per day and using CLIA-certified, FDA-approved methodology, this\u0026nbsp;program is now a model for efforts at other universities and\u0026nbsp;institutions in\u0026nbsp;the state of Georgia and nationwide.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA chemistry professor\u0026rsquo;s formula for diversity, mentorship\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/france\/\u0022\u003EStefan France\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, receives the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/node\/312\u0022\u003EOutstanding Achievement in Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Research\u003C\/a\u003E 2021 Award. In addition to $7,500, France wins a $2,500 research support grant.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis award honors multiple contributions by France. From the nomination materials:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In Spring 2020,\u0026nbsp;France became the Project Leader for GT-CREATER, an American Chemical Society-funded Bridge Site that\u0026nbsp;offers two-year thesis M.S. degrees to support the transition from undergraduate\u0026nbsp;to graduate\u0026nbsp;school for underrepresented minority students.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrance has trained approximately\u0026nbsp;60 undergraduates, about half from Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;Since 2016, he has served as the principal investigator for the National Science Foundation-funded Chemistry Research\u0026nbsp;Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site, providing summer research\u0026nbsp;opportunities to more\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;30 undergraduates from around the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIn 2019, France established\u0026nbsp;the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Bridges to the\u0026nbsp;Professoriate\u0026nbsp;(B2P), a pre-professional group for students and postdocs interested in\u0026nbsp;obtaining\u0026nbsp;academic positions.\u0026nbsp;He also serves as\u0026nbsp;co-advisor for the GT Chapter of National Organization for the Professional\u0026nbsp;Advancement of Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClass of 1940 W. Roane Beard Outstanding Teacher Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFurthermore, the Georgia Tech Faculty Honors Committee has also presented its\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/node\/87\u0022\u003EClass of 1940 W. Roane Beard Outstanding Teacher Award\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/pollet\/pamela\u0022\u003EPamela Pollet\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Safety Program Coordinator, Senior Research Scientist, and Associate Director of the Specialty Separation Center for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Outstanding Teacher Award is given to those who \u0026ldquo;display teaching excellence, including\u0026nbsp;extraordinary efforts in teaching, inspiration transmitted to students, direct impact and involvement with students, intellectual integrity and scholarship, and impact on post graduate success of students,\u0026rdquo; according to the Faculty Honors Committee Awards website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAll of the Institute Research Awards were presented at the virtual Faculty and Staff Honors celebration on Thursday, April 15, 2021.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe College of Sciences-led team that developed the Covid-19 testing program for Georgia Tech \u0026mdash; along with a pair of Chemistry faculty leading a new diversity initiative, excellence in teaching \u0026mdash; are honored with Institute Research Awards for 2020-2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Sciences-led team that developed the Covid-19 testing program for Georgia Tech \u2014 along with a pair of Chemistry faculty leading a new diversity initiative, excellence in teaching \u2014 are honored with Institute Research Awards for 2020-2021."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-04-15 17:28:23","changed_gmt":"2021-04-20 13:52:09","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"596590":{"id":"596590","type":"image","title":"Multi Pipette","body":null,"created":"1506545763","gmt_created":"2017-09-27 20:56:03","changed":"1506545763","gmt_changed":"2017-09-27 20:56:03","alt":"Multi Pipette","file":{"fid":"227378","name":"Photo-small.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo-small.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Photo-small.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":325686,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Photo-small.jpg?itok=BcI3zhFf"}}},"media_ids":["596590"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/specialevents.gatech.edu\/faculty-and-staff-honors","title":"2021 Georgia Tech Faculty \u0026 Staff Honors Celebration"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/faces-testing","title":"Faces of Testing"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/american-chemical-society-adds-college-sciences-its-formula-diversity-success","title":"American Chemical Society Adds College of Sciences to its Formula for Diversity Success"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/faculty-resources\/faculty-diversity-council","title":"College of Sciences Faculty Diversity Council"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"187578","name":"Institute Research Awards"},{"id":"187579","name":"Outstanding Achievement in Advancing Diversity"},{"id":"306","name":"equity"},{"id":"187580","name":"and Inclusion Award"},{"id":"187581","name":"Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development Award"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}