"This is very strange, because no metal is supposed to be able to do this," said Walter de Heer, a professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology and co-author of the paper published on the topic in Science. "These clusters become spontaneously polarized, with electrons moving to one side of the cluster for no apparent reason. One side of each cluster becomes negatively-charged, and the other side becomes positively-charged. The clusters lock into that behavior and stay that way."

This ferroelectric phenomenon has so far been observed in clusters of niobium, vanadium and tantalum - three transition metals that in bulk form become superconducting at about the same temperature that the researchers observe formation of dipoles in the tiny clusters. De Heer believes this discovery will open up a new field of research - and provide clues to the mystery of superconductivity.

In bulk metals -- and even in niobium clusters at room temperature -- electrical charge is normally distributed equally throughout the sample unless an electric field is applied. But in the clusters of up to 200 niobium atoms created by de Heer and collaborators Ramiro Moro, Xiaoshan Xu and Shuangye Yin, that changes when the particles are cooled to less than 20 degrees Kelvin.

The Georgia Tech researchers discovered this "spontaneous symmetry breaking" while searching for signs of superconductivity in the nanometer-scale clusters. It was completely unexpected - and de Heer admits he has no explanation for it.

"When this happens, these particles that are made out of metal atoms no longer behave as if they were metallic," he said. "Something changes the particles from a metal into something else."

For the smallest clusters, the strength of the dipole effect varies dramatically according to size. Clusters composed of 14 atoms display strong effects, while those made up of 15 atoms show little effect. Above 30 atoms, clusters with even numbers of atoms display stronger dipole effects than clusters with odd numbers of atoms.

"Structure matters greatly to this process," de Heer said. "A small change can affect the position of the phase transition rather profoundly, and the exact arrangement of atoms really does matter to these systems."

He attributes the size sensitivity to the quantum size regime, which is related to restrictions on how electrons can move in very small clusters.

De Heer sees strong "circumstantial evidence," but no solid proof, that the phenomenon is connected to superconductivity in these metals.

"Seaweeds live in constant contact with potentially dangerous microbes, and they have apparently evolved a chemical defense to help resist disease," said lead author Julia Kubanek, an assistant professor of biology and chemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "These plants have a really effective way of defending themselves."

Few studies have addressed disease resistance in seaweeds, and seaweed diseases are little understood, except for species that are commercially important - for example, the seaweed used for sushi. This study's report of isolating a potent antifungal compound contained in the common seaweed species Lobophora variegata reveals an unusual chemical structure not seen before in plants.

And the study lends insight into the ecological interactions between this seaweed species and other marine organisms, Kubanek said. Also, it presents the possibility of biomedical applications for the newly discovered antifungal compound, she added.

The research - funded in part by the National Science Foundation - was conducted in collaboration with colleagues Paul Jensen and William Fenical at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, Calif., Paul Keifer of Varian Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif., and researchers M. Cameron Sullards and Dwight Collins of Georgia Tech.

This promising early-stage research was reported in the journal Advanced Materials 15 (2003) pp 521-526.

"This is a new approach for producing hydrogen that has several advantages compared to conventional production technology," said Zhong L. Wang, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. "For some applications, particularly those in the home, this could provide an alternative way to supply hydrogen for small-scale fuel cells."

Traditional reforming processes use metallic catalysts and temperatures in excess of 800 degrees Celsius to produce hydrogen from hydrocarbons such as methane. While efficient in industrial-scale production, the traditional reforming process may not be ideal for the small-scale hydrogen production needed to power fuel cells in homes or vehicles.

By operating at lower temperatures, the oxide system being developed at Georgia Tech could provide a lower-cost alternative that uses less energy and less water to operate.

The system would take advantage of the oxides' unique crystalline structure, which allows as much as 20 percent of the oxygen atoms to leave the lattice without structural damage. That would permit cycling oxygen atoms out of and back into the structure through a sequence of oxidation and reduction processes that both produce hydrogen, first from methane and then from water vapor. By providing an oxygen supply, the oxide system could reduce the amount of water required for hydrogen production.

First, temperatures of 700 degree Celsius drive oxygen out of the material, where it oxidizes carbon in the methane to form carbon oxides and free hydrogen. Temperatures as low as 375 degrees Celsius are then used to reduce water vapor, pulling oxygen from water to replenish the crystalline structure -- producing more hydrogen.

"By cycling the temperature back and forth in the presence of methane or water, you can continuously produce hydrogen," Wang said.

In a half-day session on May 21 dubbed "Technology Day West," Georgia Tech VentureLab staff made presentations to 60 representatives of California venture capital firms, including some of the nation's top investors in early-stage technology ventures. In all, venture capital companies included in the event manage more than $12 billion in capital, noted Steve Derezinski, director of VentureLab.

Held at the Quadrus Conference Center on Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto, the meeting provided an overview of VentureLab - and highlighted six Georgia Tech technologies: one member company of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), two early-stage VentureLab companies, and three technologies in earlier stages of company development.

It also provided investors a look at Georgia Tech's microelectronics program, which has produced several new companies. Professor Mark Allen, co-founder of ATDC member company CardioMEMS and a researcher in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, described commercial potential of the applied research being done in the Microelectronics Research Center (MiRC).

California area Georgia Tech alumni hosted the event, their efforts headed by Brook Byers (BSEE 68), a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers - and an early supporter of technology commercialization at Georgia Tech through ATDC. Many of them investors themselves, the alumni encouraged colleagues to attend and helped VentureLab tailor presentations to the interests of West Coast investors, Hodges noted.

In disc brakes, squeal can occur when the brake pads contact the rotor while the vehicle is moving at low speeds, setting up a vibration that manifests itself as an annoying high-pitched squeal. The noise doesn't affect brake operation, but the problem - which occurs in cars, trucks and buses - leads to needless replacement of brake pads and the addition of shims, damping materials and other parts designed to stop the noise.

"A squealing brake still works, and from an engineering perspective, there is no safety problem when the brakes are squealing," said Kenneth Cunefare, an acoustics researcher in Georgia Tech's School of Mechanical Engineering. "But it's a perceived problem with the quality of the vehicle. If you've bought a new luxury car, you don't want the brakes to squeal. So manufacturers must spend money on warranty repairs that shouldn't be necessary."

Automotive engineers have learned many tricks for designing quiet braking systems, but despite their best efforts, squeal still appears unpredictably. Designers have proposed feedback control systems that would detect the noise and then generate out-of-phase vibrations to counter the specific frequency of the squeal. Because of the complexity and cost, such systems haven't been implemented.

By contrast, the Georgia Tech system would use a simple piezoceramic actuator mounted inside the brake piston to apply bursts of a "dithering" frequency to the backing plate of the inside brake pad, suppressing the vibrations that cause squeal. This active control would work despite temperature and humidity changes - and normal brake system wear - all of which can change the squeal frequency.

The system would be connected to vehicle brake light switches, turned on whenever the brakes were applied.

"Compared to feedback control, our dither system would be much simpler," Cunefare said. "It would be an open loop control system in which we won't need to detect the presence of squeal. All we would need to know is that the brakes have been applied."

Without the need for detectors or logic systems to determine the proper control frequency, the Georgia Tech system could be much simpler, with fewer components. The piezoceramic stacks that Cunefare is now testing cost $130 each today, but he estimates high-volume production should reduce that to around $30 each - and perhaps even to a few dollars each. A single frequency generator and power electronics system could serve a vehicle's entire braking system, though an actuator would be required for each brake piston.

In extensive laboratory testing using a dynamometer and acoustic measuring equipment, the system has been able to control brake squeal under a variety of different conditions. Next, Cunefare and his collaborators would like to field-test the system under real vehicle operating conditions.

"In terms of understanding the design constraints, we are pretty far along with this," he said. "We know the temperature changes we'll have to survive, and we know the forces that we'll have to generate."

CSUR concentrates on the revitalization of existing properties, such as brownfields, adaptive reuse and infill development. Housed within GTRI's Electro-Optics, Environment and Materials Laboratory, the new center will provide a formal mechanism to tap different resources at Georgia Tech, supporting urban redevelopment in three ways:

Education. "University research isn't always disseminated to people who can use it," Schmitter says. "We want to help deliver knowledge to a variety of participants -- architects, attorneys, policymakers -- so those people can better understand what's going on and make decisions that are economically, environmentally and socially friendly. For example, what would be the best use of a property, and how does it factor into job creation?"

Research. CSUR will provide assistance to university researchers and also conduct research projects of its own. Two current projects include:

- Building disaster-resistant communities. This means not only protecting communities from natural disasters, such as floods and tornados, but also from terrorists.

- "Green" building products and sustainability. Are emerging energy-efficient, environmentally conscious products as good as traditional ones? Do they make sense from an economic and safety perspective? For example, if the materials caught fire, would they burn more quickly or be more dangerous in any way?

Technical assistance. CSUR will help communities with cleanup of hazardous waste sites and brownfields (properties contaminated by past industrial or commercial activities, such as an old gas station with a leaky oil tank).

"It doesn't have to be a Superfund issue," Schmitter notes, referring to those seriously contaminated sites that are eligible for federal cleanup funds. "A community may have a garbage dump in its backyard. We can tell people how to get involved in the cleanup process."

CSUR's first major undertaking is to assist Jacoby Development Inc. (JDI) with Atlantic Station, its 138-acre, mixed-use project in Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood. A combination of retail, office and residential, Atlantic Station sits on the former site of Atlantic Steel mill. What once was one of Georgia's largest brownfields is now a model for sustainable redevelopment, using building practices and construction materials that will reduce pollution and energy consumption

Collins, a senior research engineer in the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Electronic Systems Laboratory, likens the "minds" of these machines to those of clever insects that have learned to thrive. "A cockroach is intelligent because it can survive and do the things it needs to do well. By that definition, these robots are smart," he says.

In the Mobile Robot Laboratory, Collins collaborates with researchers in the College of Computing to create machines that can make complex decisions. They are exploring two new applications in a study funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Researchers are teaching the robots how to search through rooms for biological hazards, and perhaps to find, intercept and destroy a moving enemy tank on the battlefield. The robots perform the tasks on their own. No one uses a joystick to guide them.

Some university robot labs focus on low-level performance, such as movement guidance systems. Others work to achieve higher-level reasoning in machines. But researchers in Georgia Tech's robot program are pioneering efforts to integrate those separate levels of functioning to design behavior-based robotics for both military and private-sector applications.

"Our goal is to create intelligence by combining reflexive behaviors with cognitive functioning," explains Ronald Arkin, a Regents' professor of computer science and director of the lab. "This involves the issue of understanding intelligence itself. Is it complex? Or just an illusion of complexity?"

"Georgia did well in adding high-tech jobs in the boom years of the 1990s," says researcher Philip Shapira, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Public Policy. "But, following a peak at the end of 2000, Georgia's high-tech jobs total has declined in every subsequent quarter."

Despite losing high-tech jobs overall at a rate faster than the nation, several sectors within the technology segment have actually gained employment. Jobs in engineering and architectural services, research and testing services, and drug manufacturing grew in Georgia between 2000 and 2002.

"Georgia has special capabilities in these areas," notes Jan Youtie, a researcher in Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute who co-authored the study with Shapira and Public Policy Doctoral Student Jue Wang. "We have a critical mass of engineering capabilities and research capabilities; it's the third-largest sector with over 31,000 jobs in 2002."

The Georgia Tech study indicates that Georgia's competitive advantage lies in research- and service-related technology sectors. Three service industries make up more than 70 percent of Georgia's high-tech sector: telecommunications services, computer and data processing services, and engineering services.

In 2002, high-technology firms employed nearly seven percent of Georgia's workforce, or 222,000 employees.

The Georgia Tech study also demonstrates that high-tech services is a larger employment sector in Georgia than high-tech manufacturing, with services accounting for approximately 177,000 jobs and manufacturing accounting for approximately 44,000 jobs. The services sector also accounts for higher wages than high-tech manufacturing.

Georgia's specialty is in knowledge-intensive high-tech services rather than manufacturing, according to Youtie. "High-tech services in Georgia are often overlooked despite outperforming high-tech manufacturing in employment scale and average wages."

Overall, Georgia's high-tech industries paid very well compared to the average private sector firm. Average weekly wages for employees in Georgia high-tech establishments in 2001 were $1,192, compared to $684 for all private-sector employees. That has magnified the economic impact of the job losses, Shapira notes.

"These are much higher wage jobs, so it's nice when they go up. But when they go down it takes a disproportionately greater amount of money out of local economies," he says.

While national employment levels in high-tech sectors stabilized during the second quarter of 2002, Georgia's high-tech employment levels continued to drop, according to the study. Georgia's decline began one quarter before national employment levels began to drop and continued to fall by 1.6 percent between the first and second quarters of 2002 - even as high-tech employment stabilized nationally.

"We think there's a fairly strong case that sympatric speciation may have occurred in seahorses," said Georgia Institute of Technology Assistant Professor of Biology Adam Jones, the lead author on the PNAS paper. "We're not arguing that all speciation in seahorses is sympatric. The majority of speciation is probably due to some geographic barrier to genetic migration. But in some instances it looks like sympatric speciation occurred."

Driving the sympatric speciation process in seahorses is the fish's size-similar mating practice imposed by male pregnancy, extended male parental care and monogamy, Jones said. Seahorses choose similar-size mates to have the best chances for successful reproduction. The female inserts ripe eggs into the male's brood pouch, where the eggs are fertilized, embed and incubate for 10 days to six weeks, depending on the species.

"Male reproductive rates, the size of the brood pouch and the number of eggs that a female produces all increase with the size of the seahorse," Jones explained. "So if you're a large seahorse, you want to mate with another large seahorse so you're not wasting your eggs or your brood pouch space. So this kind of mating is the real mechanism for sympatric speciation. A lot of forms of parental care might not cause that size-specific restraint in mating, but this one does."

In addition to size-specific mating, a process called disruptive selection is also necessary for sympatric speciation to occur, Jones said. Disruptive selection occurs when large-sized and small-sized individuals survive better than mid-sized animals.

To test their hypothesis, Jones and his co-authors developed a computer-based genetic model to determine if the rate of size-similar mating in their field study population was sufficient enough to produce disruptive selection and, in turn, sympatric speciation. The model allows simulated populations to evolve at the rate of size-similar mating that Jones and his colleagues observed in a seahorse species off the coast of Perth, Australia. Under these conditions, the model indicated sympatric speciation does occur with fairly modest levels of disruptive selection.

"So the remaining question is whether disruptive selection occurs at a sufficient strength in natural populations of seahorses," Jones noted. "The model shows it's plausible, but as in most cases of sympatric speciation, we have no definitive proof."

To determine that size-similar mating was occurring in the field study population, researchers conducted genetic analyses of parentage, much like the DNA "fingerprinting" technique used in humans. Researchers tagged males and females in the field, sampled the DNA of the males' progeny and then determined the mother of those offspring. Then, researchers compared the sizes of male and female partners to chart a statistical trend that indicated size-similar mating.

A third line of evidence for sympatric speciation came from the phylogeny, or family tree, of seahorses, which are found in coastal and ocean habitats throughout the world, except in extreme latitudes. Researchers gathered documentation of species pairs that are close relatives and live in the same place.

"If there had been sympatric speciation and it was based on assortative mating by size, then when speciation occurs, the result should be a large species and a small species that live in the same place," Jones explained. Indeed, researchers noted two examples of species that are close relatives that are sympatric over part or all of their range.

Understanding how catch bonds work could offer drug designers a new target for anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombosis compounds, and potentially provide a new approach to controlling the metastasis process that cancers use to spread.

"Before the experimental demonstration of catch bonds, we tended to think that force could regulate biochemical reactions only in one direction," said Cheng Zhu, a professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "This work demonstrates that force can alter the rate in the other direction, depending on the type of interaction. In this post-genome era, we need to know more about how proteins interact with one another and with DNA. This work illustrates a new regulatory mechanism for how proteins - which from a mechanical engineer's perspective are nanomachines - operate."

Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the research involves two teams of scientists, one at Georgia Tech and Emory University in Atlanta, and the other at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. A paper describing the work was published in the May 8 issue of the journal Nature.

The researchers studied the activity of selectin molecules, a family of proteins that helps control the adhesion of white blood cells - leukocytes - used by the body to fight infection and repair injuries. Before they can respond to injury or infection, leukocytes must first tether to and then roll along the wall of a blood vessel. While tethered, the cells receive signals instructing them to enter underlying tissue to fight pathogens or repair injuries. The selectins control the first stage of that process, causing the leukocytes to drop out of the bloodstream and begin attaching to blood vessel walls.

In two separate but complementary experiments, the researchers found evidence of catch bonds operating within the complex of P-selectin and its ligand PSGL-1.

"Many of these kids have no idea of what they want to do when they get out of high school," said Sundiata Jangha, a 27-year-old African-American doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Tech. Jangha is a fellow in Georgia Tech's Student and Teacher Enhancement Partnership (STEP), a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded program now in its second year at the midtown Atlanta university.

As a STEP fellow, he spends at least 10 hours a week teaching general chemistry along with accelerated physics and chemistry at the predominately African-American Cedar Grove High School in south DeKalb County. He, along with 11 other fellows, has spent the past year working with teachers in one of six metro Atlanta high schools, most of them in the city's mainly African-American southern portion.

As graduate students not long out of high school, said Jangha. "We can connect with the students in ways that the school's teachers can't." Plus they can show the students how we use concepts discussed in class in our research projects. Seeing firsthand, how these seemingly dense subjects are used in research and the business world, helps students make connections between what they're studying and the real world, he said.

"One of the real strengths of the STEP program is that it helps fill in the gaps of the school's curricula. In addition to helping the teachers with the core subjects, the fellows mentor the students. They show them why those subjects are important and how they can use what they're learning in class to pursue college, graduate school and a career," said Marion Usselman, co-principal investigator of STEP at Tech and research scientist at the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC).

Tech's STEP program is jointly administered by by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and CEISMC. In 2001, Tech's first year in the program, 25 graduate students applied for slots as one of the 12 fellows. This past year, 40 applied and, for 2003-2004, 55 students applied for teaching positions.

Tech's current NSF grant ends at the end of spring semester 2004. But Donna Llewellyn, principal investigator of STEP at Tech and director of CETL, said they are pursuing a second grant to continue their funding for another five years, which would give Tech time to find ways to make the program, or some aspects of it, a permanent fixture.

Getting students on a college and career path is vital to their success, said Jangha. "I try to get my students to think about what they want to do when they graduate from high school. So many of them have such a broad range of career ideas: firemen, policemen, astronaut. That's great when you're six, but at this point you need to narrow your choices and find out what it takes to get there," he explained.

At 6'4," Jangha is an imposing presence. And though he is well liked by the students, he often asks and expects more of them than they would like to give, said Mike Pastirik, a teacher Jangha partners with at Cedar Grove. "But he asks good things and, in the long run, the students step up."

"Being an outsider, I'm allowed to be harder on the students academically than the teachers," said Jangha. "I'm an excuse buster. I tell the students, 'If you're not performing, excuses don't matter'."

Doing more than the minimum, Jangha says, is one ethic he's trying to instill in his students. "High school kids are minimalists. They do as little as possible. If the assignment is to do numbers one, three, five and seven, they do one, three, five and seven. I try to teach them the benefits of doing the even numbered problems. It never occurs to them that doing problem number two could help them understand number three," he said.

STEP fellow David (pronounced DAH-vid) Woessner is also trying to teach his students to go the extra mile. A candidate for a master's degree in mechanical engineering and another in business administration, he teaches applied math, introduction to engineering and the college transition class at Westlake High School in south Fulton County. Like Jangha, he is African-American, and he helped his students start a junior chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at the predominately black Westlake.

"Some of my students are interested in engineering professions, but others are in NSBE because they're not sure what they want to do and getting involved is a good way to figure that out," he said.

As an engineer, Woessner said, he's especially interested in helping African-American students join the profession. "Why do we need more black engineers? We have a big problem in the black community with access to technology," he said. "Technology can be a great divider of society and engineers can give back to their community by providing access to both the technology and the company. Even among the wealthy African-Americans, I notice a technology and computer illiteracy. For instance, out of the 25 or so students in NSBE at Westlake, only five use e-mail."

Closing this technology gap, said Woessner, is crucial for the black community to continue to grow and penetrate into professional fields. So is going to college.

Last fall, he drove a group to visit Wabash College in Indiana. Even if they're not planning on going to Wabash, visiting colleges is a great way to get them to think about what it takes to get into college and get them to want to go, he said.

In addition, Woessner along with Jangha and the other STEP fellows, took their students to Georgia Tech's FOCUS weekend, a program designed to recruit African-American graduate students to Tech.

Visiting a graduate school recruiting program may seem like jumping the gun, when the students aren't even in college yet, said Jangha, but getting them to think about graduate school helps them focus on a career path. "When I was seven, I was told by my godfather that I was going to get a Ph.D. He taught me to go to grad school so I had a path in mind. So many of the kids who go off to college without a path end up coming right back to the neighborhood, working at a minimum wage job," he said.

To help students develop a career path, STEP Fellow Kendra Taylor co-founded the Young Ladies Initiative at Dunwoody High School in north DeKalb County. The group, made up of 17 students, Taylor and three other professional women, meets on Wednesday mornings and at lunch to discuss goals and strategies for success.

"Many of the students don't understand the linkage between what they study and their career," said Taylor. "In the Young Ladies Initiative we ask them to ask themselves, 'What are the characteristics I see in the young lady that I will become in the next five years?' I remind them of these traits during the weeks that we meet," she said. By the end of the semester, these young ladies will have a list of their goals and strategies to achieve them, which is the first step in the long road to success.

By the end of the semester, Taylor will have taken two groups of students through the mentoring program. Thanks to a relatively rigid public school curriculum, the teachers don't get a lot of time to teach anything except the core subjects, she said. That doesn't leave a lot of time for futures planning or developing the organizational and leadership skills the students will need when they go to college and beyond. Taylor hopes her program will help round out her students' education.

"In my mentoring, I try to incorporate the math, science and engineering and let the young ladies know this is something they can do," said Taylor, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in industrial engineering.

Not surprisingly, Taylor and Jangha said they hope to be college professors someday and that by participating in STEP they will gain a better understanding of their future students, both on a cultural level as well as learning what the high schools are teaching them. Woessner intends to go into professional sports management but plans to keep mentoring students through the NSBE junior chapter he helped found.

In fact, most former fellows have continued mentoring students in one way or another. Because as Woessner, put it, " The STEP program offers a way for me to give back to the community and to provide support, encouragement and expertise to young students. The main reason I mentor is because I hope to impact some young person's life in a profound manner just as my life was influenced by a mentor of mine."

"To think I thought I wouldn't be noticed, that I'd just sneak in," Herndon said with a laugh.

Not only were they noticed, but their numbers quickly grew. In just 50 years, Tech has gone from having just two women students to producing more female engineers than any other university in the country.

"Other schools have been admitting females longer than Georgia Tech, but I don't think they've made the concerted effort that Tech has," said Mary Frank Fox, professor in Tech's Ivan Allen College and co-director of the Center for the Study of Women, Science and Technology.

For the 2002-03 fall semester, 2,045 women were enrolled as engineering majors at Tech. That's compared to 1,773 at the University of Michigan and 1,285 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

MIT began admitting female students in 1883, five years before Tech, opened its doors as the Georgia School of Technology. Despite years of lobbying by Ella Van Leer, her husband, Georgia Tech President Blake Van Leer, and longtime Tech Librarian Dorothy Crosland, the Board of Regents didn't allow Tech to admit female students until the 1952-53 academic year, and even then, women could only major in those programs not offered at other university system schools. This meant women could enroll in the engineering programs, architecture programs and the master's degree in applied mathematics. It wasn't until 1968 that the Regents voted to allow women to enroll in all programs at Tech.

"We didn't go there to change Georgia Tech. We went there for an education," explained Shirley Mewborn, one of two first women students to get a degree from Tech and the first female president of the Alumni Association.

But whether they meant to or not, these first women students did change Tech and subsequently, engineering. Their presence set in motion a complete overhaul of science and technology education in Georgia and opened the doors for more women to enter the traditionally male-dominated fields of science and engineering.

The diversity of backgrounds and ideas that women students and faculty brought have been extremely important to the quality of education at Tech, said Sue Rosser, dean of the Ivan Allen College and Tech's first female academic dean. "Women faculty and students often have a different perspective on problems. They often are much more interested in the social applications that a particular technology will have. Given all the amazing technological problems that need to be solved, we need to have people with as much creativity, with as many different backgrounds, as possible, working on these solutions," said Rosser.

In addition, female students at Tech have higher GPA's and better retention and graduation rates than their male counterparts.

Women in Engineering

Part of Tech's success in recruiting women into engineering can be chalked up to its Women in Engineering program (WIE), currently run by civil and environmental engineering professor Mimi Philobos. WIE seeks to recruit female engineers and provide them opportunities for professional growth and development. One program within WIE, the Technology, Engineering and Computing Camp, targets girls as early as middle school.

"Some might argue that women don't pursue careers in math and science because they aren't interested, but studies indicate that girls are more interested in math and science in elementary school. Something happens when they go to middle school," said Philobos.

At the camp, the girls get an introduction to computer science. They also get to design and program a robot and design aerospace projects like rockets and hot air balloons.

"We have a technological society, and we have a shortage of women in the tech professions. If we want to be competitive, we cannot afford to overlook the talents of half of our population," said Philobos.

Tech's Center for the Study of Women in Science and Technology is another way the Institute is meeting the needs of women both on and off campus. The center offers a minor in gender studies as well as programs aimed at female students who are entering fields in science and technology.

ADVANCE-ing Toward the Future

A university also has to meet the needs of the female faculty. Through the ADVANCE program, sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Tech is working to increase the representation of women both in academia and in industry. Jane Ammons is one of four ADVANCE professors and has been at Tech since she came here as a student in 1976. As one of Tech's first female professors of engineering, she's seen firsthand how the Institute has changed through the years from a place that merely tolerated female faculty to a university that actively seeks to recruit and advance them. One of her fondest memories, she said, is fighting to get a woman's restroom put in her academic building in the late 1970's.

"I jumped into the fray with an industrial engineering study based on the numbers of males and females in the building. Making my logical engineering arguments, I approached key administrators at Tech, with no luck," she said.

Knowing a complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice could withhold all federal funding to Tech, she made one last stop at the vice president's office.

"Instead of simply changing the sign on the door, which was my request, he found the money to renovate the building and add a larger women's restroom. For the remainder of our time in that building, the women secretaries and students threatened to put up a plaque in the bathroom that said, 'When using this room, think of Jane Ammons.'"

As an ADVANCE professor, Ammons is still working to make the campus more accommodating to female faculty and students. So far, ADVANCE has been instrumental in convincing the administration to extend the tenure clock for faculty who have a new baby, adopt a child or take leave to care for a sick relative. Ammons and the other ADVANCE professors also mentor younger faculty members and actively seek out ways to promote opportunities for women.

"It's important for students, faculty and staff as well as the administration to see women in leadership positions," explained Rosser. "And given that Georgia Tech students are always leaders when they get out into the workplace, I expect that women who have graduated from Tech will assume leadership positions and make an impact on the world."

The Next 50 Years

As a result of Tech's commitment to women, Ammons said, "I don't think that female students today spend as much time worrying about the culture of Tech affecting women as much as they just have worries that regular students have."

But Tech still has much to do, said Rosser. "We're working to attract more women to enroll. Overall, we've had about 28-29 percent women for about a decade. We're looking at subtle changes in the curriculum because research shows that women are attracted to science and engineering when they can see its social usefulness. A Ph.D. program in the College of Computing on human-computer interaction is one of the changes Tech is looking at," she said.

Whatever changes Tech makes over the next 50 years, Rosser said, they will all meet the same high standards the women of the past 50 years have worked so hard to meet. "The women of today owe the women of the past 50 years a tremendous debt, not only to the women students but to the women faculty."

"We were just students. We weren't looking behind or ahead. We were just looking to get out, if you will," explained Mewborn. Today, I see the accomplishments of so many of our women students and what they have meant to science and technology. I'm just so happy to see the contributions that women have made. I guess had we not started this, then it wouldn't have happened. So, that makes me very proud."

NACME was founded in 1974 and has become the nation's largest private source of scholarships for minorities in engineering. The organization champions efforts to bring the talents of African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans to the nation's engineering workforce.

Slaughter's address will focus on the goal of diversity in higher education, particularly in the disciplines of science and engineering. He is expected to touch on topical issues, such as the legal case contesting affirmative action admissions policies at the University of Michigan and the decisions of Princeton University and MIT to open programs originally designed for underrepresented minorities to white and Asian students.

"Historically, matters of diversity and pluralism have not been highly visible on the radar screens of science and engineering departments in our nation's colleges and universities and the relative absence of women and minorities in and in front of the classrooms and laboratories is one indication of this reality," Slaughter writes in his keynote synopsis.

Slaughter has a long and illustrious career as a leader in the education, engineering and scientific communities. President Emeritus of Occidental College in Los Angeles, he also served as assistant director and later as director of the National Science Foundation and chancellor at the University of Maryland. Slaughter is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

The lecture, which is sponsored by the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will be held Thursday, April 10, 2003 at 3:30 p.m. in the Van Leer Building on the Georgia Tech campus. The event is free and open to the public.

To counter this trend, the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed successful minority recruiting campaigns. Georgia Tech now awards more master’s and doctoral degrees to African American engineers than any other university in the nation, and ranks second in the number of degrees awarded to African American engineers at the bachelor’s level, according to Black Issues in Higher Education.

To encourage African Americans to pursue graduate degrees, Georgia Tech will host almost 300 of the country’s best and brightest black college students during FOCUS 2003, Jan. 16 - 19. This is the twelfth anniversary of the program, which is held annually during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

FOCUS is designed to give undergraduate African Americans an opportunity to visit Georgia Tech, receive an overview of the graduate degree programs and participate in the holiday celebration. Additionally, the participants will hear from prominent African American leaders like Dixie Garr, vice president of Customer Success Engineering for Cisco Systems, Inc., and Calvin Mackie, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Tulane University and co-founder of Channel ZerO, an educational and motivational consulting company.

The FOCUS program will conclude with Georgia Tech’s twelfth annual King Week Ecumenical Service, with keynote speaker Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar. The Ecumenical Service will be held Sunday, January 19, at 10 a.m. in Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Drive, and is open to the public.

Edelman has been an advocate of disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional career. Under her leadership, CDF has become the nation’s strongest voice for children and families. The mission of CDF is to “Leave No Child Behind” and to ensure every child a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in life with the support of caring families and communities.

A molecular beacon is a new type of biosensor that uses principles of photonics to seek out and illuminate specific target genes. The beacon is a short piece of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the shape of a hairpin loop with a fluorescent dye molecule at one end and a "quencher" molecule at the other end. The ssDNA is synthesized to match a region on a specific mRNA that is unique to the gene or where a mutation is known to occur. The fluorescence of the beacon is quenched, or suppressed, until it seeks out and binds to a complementary target mRNA, which causes the hairpin to open up and the beacon to illuminate. When used for gene detection in living cells, however, the conventional molecular beacon design could cause a lot of false-positive signals.

Dr. Bao's new "dual-FRET" molecular beacons technology uses a pair of molecular beacons with FRET dyes (fluorescence resonance energy transfer). The FRET signal does not occur until both donor and acceptor beacons are bound to adjacent sites on the same target mRNA, which results in transfer of energy between the two dye molecules. The dual-beacon technology could significantly reduce the false-positive signals of living cell gene detection, says Dr. Bao.

In the laboratory, Dr. Bao is applying his molecular beacon technology to the detection of pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Pancreatic cancer is extremely difficult to detect in its early stages, and many patients diagnosed with the cancer die within six months. The one-year survival rate is 12 percent. Pancreatic cancer is most commonly detected using x-rays, CT scans, or biopsies, which are only effective after the tumor becomes large and in a very late stage.

"This is a simple and promising tool that we hope can eventually be applied to the detection of many cancer-related genetic markers," Dr. Bao said. He is designing his tiny molecular beacon to detect a specific genetic mutation in the K-ras gene that is present in 80 to100 percent of pancreatic cancers. Working with Dr. Margaret Offermann at Emory University, his lab has started detecting viral infection in cells using molecular beacons. He also hopes his technology will eventually be used clinically to target genetic markers of other diseases with high sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency.

More than 90 teams will compete in this year's relay event, with a fundraising goal of $110,000. Last year, Tech raised more than $55,000 in its first Relay for Life event.

In 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt walked, jogged and ran around a track in Tacoma, Washington for 24-hours, raising $27,000 to support the American Cancer Society. The following year, 220 supporters on 19 teams joined Dr. Klatt in this overnight event, and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life was born. This year, there are 3,803 relays planned across the United States, with 140 events planned on college campuses.

Did you know?

·1,284,900 individuals were diagnosed with cancer in 2002.
·555,500 individuals died due to cancer in 2002.
·Today nearly 9 million Americans are cancer survivors.
·The American Cancer Society has funded nearly $2.5 billion in research.

For information on the day of the event, contact David Prophitt, 404-483-3283.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently approved changing the names of the Master's and Doctoral degrees to Master of Science in History and Sociology of Technology and Science and Doctor of Philosophy with a major in History and Sociology of Technology and Science. The first students will graduate with the new degree names this spring.

"We are pleased that the name change has been approved," said Andrea Tone, professor and director of Graduate Studies, HTS. "Our graduate program is one of the best in the country, and we feel this change will help us attract even stronger students. One student has already selected the sociology track, and we expect this number to grow."

"When I became chair of the School in 2001, I realized that the School's intellectual strength in sociology and science was not readily apparent to potential students and faculty," said Willie Pearson, Jr., chair and professor, HTS. "I felt it was important to change the name in order for the program to grow the way it deserved."

For years the school's faculty was composed primarily of historians, reflecting the legacy of former school chair and professor Mel Kranzberg, founder of the Society for the History of Technology and widely regarded as the founder of the History of Technology discipline. In recent years, the school has consciously added more faculty with sociology backgrounds including such notable additions as Mary Frank Fox, gender; Willie Pearson, Jr., science and family; and Sue Rosser, women and science and women's health. Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Pennsylvania offer similar hybrid programs in history and sociology.

HTS launched its graduate program in 1992. The medium-sized graduate program serves approximately 21 full-time graduate students. A few of the topics that current students are researching includes the role of radio technology in the Cold War, sociology of cancer research, women in architectural space, economic development in biotechnology, and history of the printing industry.

The Georgia Tech students who will be participating are from the School of Public Policy's class on Constitutional Issues. Atlanta Attorney Georgia Lord will moderate the forum.

The forum will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 7, 2003. An informal reception follows the discussion. The event is free, but seating is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will be held in Clary Theatre in the Bill Moore Student Success Center on the Georgia Tech campus. Parking will be available at the visitor's lot near the Tech Student Center on Ferst Drive.

The forum is co-sponsored by the Individual Rights Section of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Bob Barr formerly represented Georgia's Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his service in the U.S. Congress he held the post of Assistant Majority Whip. Prior to his service in the House, Mr. Barr was the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. He has also worked in the CIA and has served as President of the Southeastern Legal Foundation. Currently, Mr. Barr occupies chairs at The American Conservative Union and Freedom Alliance; he also is a consultant on privacy matters for the American Civil Liberties Union, and serves as counsel for the Law Office of Edwin Marger in Jasper, Georgia.

When the first phase of Georgia Tech's Food Processing Technology Research Facility is complete in spring 2004, it will provide the state a unique, world-class research center for collaborative food-processing technology development, academic research and public interaction. It will be built at 640 Strong Street NW in Atlanta.

"Georgia Tech has a long history of working with the state's traditional industries, helping them implement new technologies that help them compete in the marketplace," Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough said. "We see this as a neighborhood improvement project as well as an important project for our state and industries."

More than 40 engineers and scientists associated with the facility will work together to develop exciting breakthroughs in computer vision, robotics, plant ergonomics, biosensors and wearable-computer technology. The research facility also will serve as headquarters for the Food Processing Technology Division, a research unit within the Georgia Tech Research Institute that examines new technological developments for processing food more efficiently.

The state of Georgia and a mix of corporate and industrial donors provide funding for the facility. About 75 people representing agri-business leaders, Georgia Tech researchers plus state and local officials attended a ceremonial groundbreaking for the facility Thursday.

"What is occurring here today is just one of the many key ways that the University System of Georgia and Georgia Tech are involved in economic development in the state," said Daniel S. Papp, senior vice chancellor for academic and fiscal affairs within the University System of Georgia.

"This facility will be an important tool in helping the state of Georgia become a leader in the food processing industry," Papp said. "We must stay focused over the course of the next few months and over the course of the next few years on economic revival."

Rep. Richard Royal, chairman of the Georgia House Ways and Means Committee, praised the new facility as one that will help industries tap into emerging technologies and serve as a catalyst for new technology firms and more food-processing industry to the state.

"This is a great example of a public/private partnership that will be important to the state of Georgia," Royal said. "This construction reflects the growing connection between the state of Georgia and the food processing industry."

When complete, the building will be one of several included in Georgia Tech's new North Avenue Research Area. Its first phase will house 35,000-square feet of laboratory and office space for research and development in the areas of automation technology, information technology and environmental systems.

A 50-seat auditorium and meeting facilities will be included, plus a lower lobby outfitted with interactive computer kiosk systems to entertain and inform school and visitor groups about the growing role of technology in the poultry and food-processing industries.

Phase II, to be built at a later date, will house 10,000-square feet of additional laboratory and office space for human factors, food safety and bioprocessing research.

Georgia Tech's Food Processing Technology Division also houses the Agricultural Technology Research Program, which recently ranked tenth among the top 10 university programs serving the meat and poultry industry, according to an industry survey conducted by Meat and Poultry magazine.

McIntire, who has built a distinguished career in the health and engineering fields, is currently the chair of Rice University's Department of Bioengineering, as well as Rice's Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering. He holds the E.D. Butcher Professorship of Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering at Rice.

"I have worked in this field for many years now and Larry McIntire is a noted expert in this area," said Georgia Tech College of Engineering Dean Don Giddens, who chaired the department from 1997 until last year when he assumed his new position. "I have a personal interest in this position and believe I'm passing the torch to an outstanding leader."

McIntire's appointment concludes a national search begun last year to fill the position, which is responsible for overseeing the department's academic and research programs in areas such as biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, cancer technologies, neuroscience, computer-assisted surgery and drug delivery. The department has 23 faculty members and 15 staff members, and offers academic degree programs at all levels.

"It is with a great sense of excitement that I look forward to joining the Georgia Tech/Emory Biomedical Engineering Department and continuing its development into the best in the nation in biomedical engineering research and education," said McIntire, 59.

McIntire joined Rice University in 1970 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering after earning a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Princeton University. After becoming a full professor in 1978, he went on to chair the department from 1981 to 1989 and serve as director of the Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering - one of three major labs that make up the Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering at Rice. In 1991, McIntire was appointed chair of the Institute, which promotes cross-disciplinary research and education among scientists and engineers at Rice and their colleagues at the nearby Texas Medical Center, the Johnson Space Center, private industry, and other institutions.

In 1997, McIntire assumed the chair of the department of bioengineering at Rice and currently holds appointments at the University of Texas Medical School - Houston, Baylor College of Medicine and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

McIntire's research is focused on understanding the interplay between fluid mechanics, convective mass transport, cell biology, and molecular biology in the cardiovascular system.

Georgia Tech and Emory created the joint department of biomedical engineering in the fall of 1997. The collaborative relationship blends the expertise of medical researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine with that of the engineering faculty at Georgia Tech, and is the first of its kind between a public and private institution. The collaboration has resulted in a biomedical engineering program ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

"Dr. McIntire is an outstanding and proven leader in biomedical engineering, with the skills and creative vision necessary to shape and guide the very promising future of our collaborative relationship," said Thomas J. Lawley, M.D., dean of Emory University School of Medicine. "I look forward to working with him as he accepts the challenges and opportunities provided by the merging of engineering and medicine."

The two partner universities maintain a commercial research and development center called EmTech Bio that is primarily responsible for facilitating the transfer of biotech discoveries into marketable products and promoting the development of local biotech companies. Located between the schools on Briarcliff Road in Atlanta, EmTech Bio includes an incubator run by Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC).

In addition, Georgia Tech and Emory established the Georgia Tech/Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues (GTEC) in 1998 through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Scientists within GTEC combine their expertise in engineering and medicine to develop substitute tissues to replace native tissues damaged by disease or injury.

The grant enables the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech to create a structured fellowship for young and mid-career scientists, computer scientists and engineers to study the challenging field of international security policy in the 21st century. Social scientists with expertise in the formulation, execution and teaching of security policy and recognized national security scientists will act as faculty to the fellows.

"Georgia Tech is already one of the nation's leading universities in research related to Homeland Security," said G. Wayne Clough, president, Georgia Institute of Technology. "This significant grant from the prestigious MacArthur Foundation will allow us to capitalize on our expertise and extend the reach of our research and instruction."

"We are very excited about the opportunities this grant gives us to serve as a bridge between international policy and technology studies and research," said William Long, chair, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. "We are in excellent company in this program and will be working hard to recruit the best and the brightest scientists, computer scientists and engineers to join our program."

Selected fellows will receive useful exposure to national security subjects through weekly seminars, professional field trips, research projects and a two-week summer workshop. Participants will also have the opportunity to showcase their research under the MacArthur program fellowship in Washington and at a forum held at Georgia Tech in 2004.

Participants will be recruited nationally at the mid-career, post-doctoral and pre-doctoral levels from computer science, sciences and engineering. Georgia Tech is committed to sustain this program beyond the three-year grant and will add a faculty member to the Sam Nunn School for a jointly appointed associate professor with either the College of Computing, Science or Engineering to direct and coordinate the program to meet this critical national need.

Co-principal investigators are John Endicott, professor of international affairs and director, Center of International Strategy, Technology and Policy, and Seymour Goodman, professor, jointly appointed to the Sam Nunn School and the College of Computing. Endicott is a leader in developing a Nuclear Free Zone in northeast Asia, and former Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, Associate Dean of the National War College and Director of American Defense Policy at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Goodman co-directs the Georgia Tech Information Security Center and former director of the program for research on information security and policy at Stanford University.

Other lead faculty include: William Hoehn, visiting professor of international affairs, and former senior staff member, Senate Armed Services Committee and Pentagon Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; Robert Kennedy, professor of international affairs, and former director of the Marshall Center in Germany and faculty member, Army War College; Senator Sam Nunn, distinguished professor of international affairs, and others.

"The faculty leading the program bring incredible depth of knowledge and real-world experience to the issues related to national and international security," said Endicott. "We feel the participants will benefit greatly from their fellowship experiences."

"The fellows will benefit from a complete mentoring environment and have opportunities for extensive peer interaction and long-term professional bonding," said Goodman. "This experience will give mid-career and young scientists and technical experts a strong understanding of the issues and help them better understand how to best apply their specialized technological knowledge."

The nine other schools receiving grants under the Foundation's Peace and Security Program are Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Harvard, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Maryland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Stanford, and King's College London.

Potential applicants may contact the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs for more information at 404-894-3195 or email william.long@inta.gatech.edu or john.endicott@inta.gatech.edu.

"She's really the best I've seen in several years," said Paul Griffin, undergraduate coordinator for ISyE.

Gupta came to Tech from Macon, GA three years ago. At the time, she said, she didn't really know what she wanted to do, only that she wanted to study engineering. After being at Tech for a while, it all came together when she decided to major in ISyE.

"ISyE gives me an engineering background, which helps with research analysis and technical writing," Gupta said.

Healthcare system efficiency is also one of the major areas of concentration in ISyE, said Griffin.

Gupta has been working on gene therapy techniques with Joseph LeDoux, professor in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.

Gene therapy is a novel approach to treating diseases, and most of it is still in the experimental phase, said Gupta. But the idea is that scientists would first identify a gene in a patient that is causing a certain disease. "A new gene would be created in a lab, and doctors would use it to replace the gene that is causing the problem. One way to deliver the new gene to the patient is by using a retrovirus to carry the gene into the affected area of the patient," explained Gupta.

"Diseases that can be helped by gene transfer include rheumatic arthritis and juvenile arthritis," she said.

Before winning the Goldwater, Gupta won Tech's four-year President's Scholarship, which is given to incoming freshmen who demonstrate leadership in their community and academic excellence. By paying up to $7,500 toward next year's tuition, fees and room and board, the scholarship should help her save money for graduate and medical school.

This year the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation awarded 300 scholarships out of a field of 1,093 applicants from the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The Foundation is a federally endowed agency established in 1986. The Scholarship Program, honoring former Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater, was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering.

Among the highly competitive schools of business, Tech's DuPree College of Management ranked 51st overall and the College's Production/Operations Management program ranked 10th.
"Overall trends are far more important than a specific ranking in a specific year," said President Wayne Clough. "Our consistently high rankings in Engineering indicate that we have been able to sustain a very high level of quality for a long time. That's a very satisfying trend," said Clough. "I'm also confident in the fundamentals of our management program and look forward to improved rankings in the future. The economy has hit the technology sector extremely hard, so it's only natural that a college that excels in entrepreneurship and the management of technology would feel the impact of that."
Tech's College of Engineering remained a member of the elite top five, behind only MIT, Stanford, Cal-Berkeley, and Illinois. The seven Engineering programs ranked in the top 10 are: Aerospace (4th), Biomedical (6th), Civil (5th), Electrical (6th), Environmental (9th), Industrial and Systems (1st) and Mechanical (6th).
"I'm very proud of the work done by our faculty, graduate students, and staff to achieve these rankings," said Clough. We're consistently competing well against some of the finest universities in the world. Rankings are not why we are here, but the trends contained therein are notable."
This year, U.S. News & World Report ranked graduate programs in Business, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Law and Medicine. Additional information may be found at the U.S. News Web site.

"TI:GER is an innovative program designed to pair technologically savvy engineers and scientists with bright business and law students so that all three groups will be better equipped to deal with the challenges of commercializing technology," said G. Wayne Clough, president, Georgia Institute of Technology. "The technology transfer process is complex and takes the knowledge and skill sets of technologists, and business and legal experts to be successful."

"TI:GER is the only program that brings together law, economics, management, and science and engineering graduate students in a research environment to consider social and economic consequences of research," says the program's creator Dr. Marie Thursby, professor of strategic management and Hal and John Smith Chair in Entrepreneurship in the DuPree College of Management at Georgia Tech. "Another unique feature of the program is that economic, regulatory, and legal mechanisms are considered before the research is conducted, so that students are able to take the potental impact on society into account in determining the direction of their research."

TI:GER is funded by a prestigious $2.9 million National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education in Research Training (NSF-IGERT) grant, designed to provide all of the students with the skills and multidisciplinary perspective needed to succeed in innovation-related careers, as well as promote engineering thesis research with both technical merit and market relevance. TI:GER is one of 21 IGERT awards that NSF is making in 2003.

Thursby has designed and directed three major multidisciplinary programs for research and curriculumn development while at Purdue University including the Technology Tranfer Initiative, Innovation Realization Lab, and Purdue's Center for International Business Education and Research.

TI:GER involves the collaboration of faculty from the Georgia Tech DuPree College of Management, the joint Georgia Tech/Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory Center for Engineering of Living Tissues, Manufacturing Research Center, Microelectronics Research Center, Microelectromechanical Systems, and Packaging Research Center, the Emory Law School, and Emory Economics Department.

"In order for patent examiners and patent lawyers to make good decisions, it has become increasingly more important for them to understand the technical and business issues," said George Shepherd, professor, Emory Law School and co-principal investigator. "TI:GER exposes the Emory Law students to a high-tech lab environment for resolving typical start-up legal issues and an opportunity to see what an R&D environment is like."

Currently, 24 graduate students working in four teams are enrolled in TI:GER. All the students take a series of core courses together including Innovation Fundamentals, and also complete other complementary courses depending on their degree program. The current Georgia Tech doctoral students come from mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering and chemistry.

IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the multidisciplinary backgrounds and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. In the fifth year of the program, awards are being made to twenty-one institutions for programs that collectively span the areas of science and engineering supported by NSF.

On April 12, 1981, Space Shuttle Columbia, a winged shuttle orbiter the size of a commercial jetliner, lifted off, launching modern space travel as we know it under the command of one of the world's most experienced space travelers, Astronaut John W. Young, AE '52.

Now, in the wake of the Feb. 1 Space Shuttle disaster, Columbia is again the link to new discussions on the future of the space program, as well as the international space station and efforts to build new spacecraft to supplement the shuttle.

What does the future hold for human space exploration? On Thursday, April 17, Capt. Young returns to Georgia Tech to talk about what he thinks the future holds. He is the keynote speaker for the Aerospace Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series, presented by the School of Aerospace Engineering and the William R. T. Oakes Endowment. The lecture begins at 11 a.m. in the Student Success Center.

With 835 hours logged in six space flights and the remarkable distinction of being one of 12 men to walk on the moon, Young is now Associate Director (Technical) at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). He is responsible for technical, operational and safety oversight of all agency programs and activities assigned to JSC.

Young, 72, is the oldest astronaut currently working for NASA and is a highly sought-after speaker on the nation's space program. He made his first journey into space on Gemini 3, in 1965. He flew on Gemini 10, Apollo 10 and commanded Apollo 16, where he walked on the moon, and commanded the first Space Shuttle flight, STS-1, and the first Spacelab mission, STS-9.

Young earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering with the highest honors at Georgia Tech in 1952, then went on to enter the U.S. Navy where he excelled as a Navy fighter pilot and test pilot. In September 1962, he was named to the Astronaut Corp as one of the "New Nine", the second group of men to be selected to train as astronauts. Of that group, he was the first to be assigned to a mission.

His special assignment after being selected was to monitor the design and development of environmental control systems, survival gear, pressure suits, ejection seats, couches and other personal equipment. In less than three years he began the first of his six missions to come:

Gemini 3, March 23, 1965
Young's first flight was with Gus Grissom in Gemini 3, the first manned Gemini mission, on March 23, 1965. This was a complete end-to-end test of the Gemini spacecraft, during which Grissom accomplished the first manual change of orbit altitude and plane and the first lifting reentry, and Young operated the first computer on a manned spacecraft.

Gemini 10, July 18-21, 1966
With Young as Commander and Mike Collins as Pilot, the team completed a dual rendezvous with two separate Agena target vehicles. While Young flew close formation on the second Agena, Collins did an extravehicular transfer to retrieve a micro-meteorite detector from that Agena.

Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969
On his third flight, Young was Command Module Pilot of Apollo 10. Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan were also on this mission, which orbited the Moon, completed a lunar rendezvous, and tracked proposed lunar landing sites.

Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972
His fourth space flight was a lunar exploration mission, with Young as Spacecraft Commander, Ken Mattingly and Charlie Duke. Young and Duke set up scientific equipment and explored the lunar highlands at Descartes. They collected 200 pounds of rocks and drove over 16 miles in the lunar rover on three separate geology traverses.

Space Shuttle Columbia STS-1, April 12-14, 1981
Young's fifth flight was as Spacecraft Commander of STS-1, the first flight of the Space Shuttle, with Bob Crippen as Pilot. The 54-1/2 hour, 36-orbit mission verified Space Shuttle systems performance during launch, on orbit, and entry. Tests of the Orbiter Columbia included evaluation of mechanical systems including the payload bay doors, the attitude and maneuvering rocket thrusters, guidance and navigation systems, and Orbiter/crew compatibility. One hundred and thirty three of the mission's flight test objectives were accomplished. The Orbiter Columbia was the first manned spaceship tested during ascent, on orbit, and entry without benefit of previous unmanned missions. Columbia was also the first winged reentry vehicle to return from space to a runway landing. It weighed about 98 tons as Young landed it on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Spacelab STS-9, Nov. 28-Dec. 8, 1983
Young's sixth flight was as Spacecraft Commander of STS-9, the first Spacelab mission, with Pilot Brewster Shaw, Mission Specialists Bob Parker and Owen Garriott, and Payload Specialists Byron Lichtenberg of the USA and Ulf Merbold of West Germany. For ten days the 6-man crew worked 12-hour shifts around-the-clock, performing more than 70 experiments in the fields of atmospheric physics, Earth observations, space plasma physics, astronomy and solar physics, materials processing and life sciences. The mission returned more scientific and technical data than all the previous Apollo and Skylab missions put together. The Spacelab was brought back for re-use, so that Columbia weighed over 110 tons as Young landed the spaceship at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

The trip abroad will be Ahsan's fourth since enrolling at Tech in 1998. After her freshman year, she studied at GT Lorraine, returning to France her junior year to intern at Schlumberger in Clamart. She also spent time in Bangladesh and India on her own. Ahsan said her international experience has given her a fascination with the way people from different cultures communicate and solve problems.

Studying at Cambridge is an amazing opportunity, said Ahsan. Its reputation as an academic institution is legendary and "it's a place where I'll see a meeting of the minds from all over the world. I'll see people from different cultures and how they approach a problem."

In addition to her work in France, Ahsan worked as a co-op student at Visteon in Pennsylvania, conducted undergraduate research at Tech's Manufacturing and Research Center and taught fluid mechanics as an intern in the School of Mechanical Engineering, all while maintaining a 3.97 grade point average.

"Saniya has put together an incredible record at Tech," said Amanda Gable, academic professional in the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. "She's someone who's always trying to find something to put her energy into."

Teaching is what she's most passionate about. In addition to teaching at Tech, Saniya has taught literacy to adults with Project Read and English-as-a-Second Language with Hands on Atlanta.

"I've always loved to read, and education has been a huge part of my life. Language is so important. It's how we communicate, which is something we take for granted," said Ahsan.

While at Cambridge, Ahsan will perform research projects with auto makers and power companies using tiny machines, known in the industry as Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) to study how fluid flows through turbines. More fuel-efficient cars and power plants are just two of the possible applications of her research.

She plans on returning to the states the following year to get a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering.

Born and raised in Kansas, Ahsan moved to Georgia with her parents where she became valedictorian of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw. She was a President's Scholar at Tech and also received a Wohlford Cooperative Education Scholarship as well as a Governor's Scholarship. Ahsan said Tech's reputation as a tough school challenged her to do better than her best.

"When I first came to Tech, I was so scared because of its reputation of failing people out. It doesn't matter if you were valedictorian, so I really studied hard and made sure that I knew my stuff," she explained.

Tech's first female to win the Churchill, Ahsan is only the second Tech student to receive the honor. The scholarship is given out by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States, which was founded in 1959 as an expression of admiration for former British Prime Minister William Churchill. The award pays for one year of study at Cambridge University, plus a living allowance. Only 75 universities are allowed to nominate students for this prestigious honor.

Q: Should I apply for financial aid, even if I think I won't get it because I make too much money?
A: Absolutely. We can't promise that if you apply for aid, you'll get it. But we can promise you won't get it if you don't apply.

Q: Is the admissions application the same as a financial aid application?
A: In most cases, no. At most schools you still need to fill out a financial aid application if you want to apply for scholarships and federally financed student loans and grants.

Q: What is a FAFSA and do I really need to fill it out?
A: The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and as the name implies, there is no application fee. The U.S. Department of Education requires that you fill one out if you want to receive federally financed grants and loans. The FAFSA measures the your ability to contribute financially to your child's education. The good news is you don't have to fill out one for each school that your son or daughter has applied to, because the Department of Education sends your form to all the schools you select.

Q: Once I fill out the FAFSA, do I still need to fill out a financial aid application?
A: Every school is different, but in most cases you'll need to fill out both forms. When in doubt call your school's financial aid office, believe it or not, we actually like helping people get money and we want to make sure you get whatever assistance you qualify for.

Q: How do you determine what I have to pay?
A: Well, first your student has to be accepted to the university, naturally. After that, we rely on the income and necessary expenditure statements that you provide, as well as your tax statements. And no, that trip to Europe you took last summer and that new BMW you just bought doesn't count toward your necessary expenditures. We're looking at true necessities, like if someone in your family requires expensive medical care. Of course, we do flag some applications to verify the information in them. The Department of Education also verifies some applications.

Q: You look at my tax statements? What if I haven't filed yet, or I need an extension?
A: Be careful about filing for extensions, because it can delay your award. If we find we need to "verify" your statements, then that could add even more time, while other parents and students are snatching up the available money, which could end up affecting your award.

Q: How much financial information do I need to put on those aid forms?A: All household income and most assests, including your own and your spouse's as well as your student's income. Some schools require additional information, like the student's grandparents' income and/or income from divorced parents.

Q: What happens if my financial circumstances change after I've submitted my forms? For instance, if someone in the household loses a job?
A: Unfortunately, that situation is becoming more common in this economy. If that happens, contact your school's financial aid office and let them know. They'll be able to tell you the procedure they use for documenting changes in financial status. Of course, if you win the lottery, the financial aid office will want to know that too, but then again, they'll probably see it on the news.

Q: What if my student has special needs? Is that taken into account when determining the amount of financial aid?
A: If your student has needs that will make the cost of his or her education more expensive than that of the typical student, such as special materials for the visually impaired, then you might be eligible to receive more aid. Be sure to let your school's financial aid office know if your child has any special circumstances.

Q: Can't I just declare my child financially independent and be done with it?
A: Nice try, but unless your child is older than 24, applying to graduate school, a veteran with an honorable discharge, married, has legal dependants of his or her own, or is an orphan (in which case we wouldn't be having this conversation), the federal government considers your child to be financially dependent on you.

The Seven Deadly Sins People Commit When Trying to Get Financial Aid

Skip the application.
It's like the lotto. You can't win if you don't play.

Apply late.
Deadlines are important and most people applying for aid meet them. So, don't expect much sympathy if you're late.

Apply incompletely.
The applications are important, so fill in every line. This is not the SAT, where you're supposed to leave a question blank if you don't know the answer. If you don't know the answer, find out, or call the financial aid office for help.

Don't accept the offer.
If you don't respond to the offer for aid, the financial aid office assumes you don't want the money.

Refuse to provide a social security number or provide an incorrect number.
This is government money. They already know your social security number. So, while it's not a good idea to give your social security number to telemarketers or the guy on the corner selling hot dogs, giving it to the financial aid office is essential if you want the money.

Neglect to report changes in financial circumstances.
If your financial resources suddenly bottom out, let the financial aid office know. Many awards are based on financial need, so if you have that need, make it known.

Wait until you receive an admissions acceptance letter before applying for aid.
For many schools the deadline for applying for financial aid is close to or earlier than the day they send out acceptance letters. So, give yourself enough time and apply early so you don't commit sin number two.

I believe in getting involved in the leadership of your community, wherever you are," said Watson.

While at Tech, the 21-year-old junior has done his best to get as much experience as he can in public life. In addition to his work on the SGA, Watson has interned for U.S. Congressman John Linder, Georgia State Senator Steve Thompson and the Georgia General Assembly. That's time well spent, given his career choice: U.S. congressman and environmental policymaker.

"I feel a lot of the time that politics has a dirty name," said Watson. "I want to do my best to restore people's faith in politics. If we can focus on the issues, I believe we can do that."

According to Watson, he's "definitely not a liberal."

"I support smaller government, however, I believe individuals need to take leadership of their communities. There is a lot they can do of their own free will," he explained.

Free will, the power of markets and environmental protection are three things Watson said he's passionate about. "I first became interested in protecting the environment while I was a Boy Scout. Then, in 1999 I went to Honduras as part of a mission trip. I saw the tremendous water problems they had there and then came back to Georgia to see the water problems we're having here," he said. But, rather than have government issue strict environmental controls on industry that could have dire consequences for the economy, the power of the market can be used to give incentives to industries to control pollution, Watson said.

"Protecting our environmental and economic resources go together," he said. "I believe we can use market-based ideas to improve the environment." These ideas include emissions trading, in which companies are given credits representing the amount of pollution they are allowed to emit. Companies, that don't use all of their credits can sell them to other companies. This keeps the net amount of pollution the same, but because polluting has a cost associated with it, the idea is that some companies will have incentives to reduce their output.

Watson is full of ideas, which should serve him well during a life in politics. One of his major goals for the SGA is getting the Board of Regents to approve an academic bill of rights in May. The bill, which has been several years in the making, would guarantee rights to students such as the right to get a syllabus, the right to see professors during office hours and the right to have class only during scheduled times.
Watson is one of 76 Scholars selected from 635 national candidates nominated for the Truman award. Each scholarship provides $30,000 - $3,000 for the senior year and $27,000 for two or three years of graduate study. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to the 33rd president of the United States. The foundation awards scholarships for college students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Scholars are selected for outstanding leadership potential, communication skills, academic achievement, and a commitment to public service.

The scholarship isn't the first honor Watson has won at Tech. As an incoming freshman, he won the President's Scholarship, the Institute's most prestigious scholarship, which is given to freshman who demonstrate leadership in their community and academic excellence.

Steve Potter and his research team in the Laboratory for Neuroengineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology are studying the basics of learning, memory, and information processing using neural networks in vitro. Their goal is to create computing systems that perform more like the human brain.

Potter, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, presented his most recent findings last month during the Third International Conference on Substrate-Integrated Microelectrodes in Texas.

As the lead researcher on a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Potter is connecting laboratory cultures containing living neurons to computers in order to create a simulated animal, which he describes as a neurally-controlled animat.

"We call it the 'Hybrot' because it is a hybrid of living and robotic components," he said. "We hope to learn how living neural networks may be applied to the artificial computing systems of tomorrow. We also hope that our findings may help cases in which learning, memory, and information processing go awry in humans."

The team uses networks of cultured rodent brain cells as the Hybrot's brain, and has essentially given the cultured neural networks a body in the form of a mobile robot. Potter's group hopes the research will lead to advanced computer systems that could some day assist in situations where humans have lost motor control, memory or information processing abilities. The neural interfacing techniques they are developing could be used with prosthetic limbs directly controlled by the brain. Advances in neural control and information processing theory could have application, for example, in cars that drive themselves or new types of computing architectures.

Inside Potter's lab, a droplet containing a few thousand living neurons from rat cortex is placed on a special glass petri dish instrumented with an array of 60 micro-electrodes. The neurons are kept alive in an incubator for up to two years using a new sealed-dish culture system that Potter developed and patented. The neural activity recorded by the electrodes is transmitted to the robot, the Khepera, made by K-Team S.A, which serves as the body of the cultured networks. It moves under the command of neural activity that is being transmitted to it, and information from the robot's sensors is sent back to the cultured net in the form of electrical stimuli.

Central to the experiments is Potter's belief that over time, the team will be able to establish a living network system that learns like the human brain.

The team is able to make detailed observations of the neural signaling patterns, and document changes in the morphology and connectivity of the cells and networks by using high-speed cameras and voltage-sensitive dyes, in conjunction with 2-photon laser-scanning microscopy. The team is looking for evidence that the networks are growing and learning over time.

"Learning is often defined as a lasting change in behavior, resulting from experience," Potter said. "In order for a cultured network to learn, it must be able to behave. By using multi-electrode arrays as a two-way interface to cultured mammalian cortical networks, we have given these networks an artificial body with which to behave."

Each year, Georgia Tech students act as mentors to local teams and help secure sponsorship. This year, the students are working with two teams from Wheeler and Roswell High Schools. The teams will compete against 46 other schools in a regional competition March 27-29 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth. The championship event will be held in Houston on April 10 and is expected to attract 300 high schools from the United States, Canada, Germany and Brazil.

The students met after school and on weekends at Georgia Tech for six weeks as they built their robots from scratch. They tackle a multitude of engineering problems during the planning, design, building and testing phases. The competitions are high-tech sporting events, the result of months of focused brainstorming, teamwork, dedicated mentoring, project timelines and deadlines.

“It’s not easy,” said tenth-grader Tauhira Hoossainy, 16, who is a member of the Wheeler High School team. “I do drafting engineering, but never anything like this before. Choosing a design was probably the most difficult because we all have different ideas.”

In January, FIRST sent entrants a manual that defined the rules for constructing a robot and the games. The robots are built to pick up and move large containers and then stack them one atop the other. The goal of this year’s challenge, The Stack Attack, is to move the containers into scoring positions on the playing field while stacking as many as possible. The Wheeler team decided to attach a gripping mechanism to its robot, allowing it to grip the ends of each container and raise it into the air. The team with the highest score wins a match. Some of these teams will participate in the Championship in Houston.

“The hardest part is making everything work together,” said tenth grader Roman Shtylman, 16. “It’s a big challenge and takes a lot of teamwork.”

Two engineering students from the RoboJackets Robotics Club at Georgia Tech – Anne Bergeron and Jeremy Roberts, both seniors majoring in mechanical engineering and computer engineering respectively – acted as mentors throughout the project.

“This is one of the greatest hand-on experiences that high school students can get in the area of engineering,” Bergeron said. “It gives them an opportunity to apply the math and science they learn in school in a competitive project to design and build a machine that’s also a competitor. It’s gives everyone a great feeling of accomplishment.”

Two years ago, Bergeron and Roberts worked with George Washington Carver High School, whose team named its robot “The Prowler.” It placed in the top half of its division during the national competition and won a Judge’s Award at a regional competition that recognized the tenacity of the Georgia Tech students – most of them participated in FIRST competitions when they were high school students. This past year, the Georgia Tech mentors worked with Roswell High School and received the Rookie All-Star Award at the regional and national competitions.

The idea for the litter box - err- came from Griffin's enigmatic cats, Sassy and Sumo.
"Sassy is an 18-pound female who has the ability to turn invisible when guests arrive. Sumo is a 16-pound male. He has no special abilities other than being very large and very fluffy," Griffin said. "Both were my eager assistants while designing Cat Cove."
"One night in August 2002, before classes began, my wife and I were complaining about the litter box," he said. "Over dinner I started sketching out ideas with no intention of completing the project. The actual process for coming up with the Cat Cove took about three months and included research, concept development and embodiment design."
Griffin developed the Cat Cove as a project in the Industrial Design Program's Intermediate Design Studio. The focus of the class, taught by Assistant Professor Terri Laurenceau, is to learn a systematic design process for creating products. Griffin's completed class project included a full-size prototype of the Cat Cove made of foam core, which he displayed at the International Housewares Show.
"My cats currently sleep in it, without the litter of course," he said. "I hope to license it to a manufacturer. I'm currently speaking with a couple of interested parties."
Winning an award for the Cat Cove design this year not only earned Griffin an honor among his peers, but it put his work in the spotlight during an event that attracts about 50,000 visitors looking for the next-big-thing in housewares. That's nothing to turn one's nose up at, since the housewares industry accounts for $73 billion in retail sales in this country, according to the IHA.
"I made a lot of great professional contacts [at the trade show]," Griffin said. "It also brought Cat Cove out of the design studio and into the real world, where I am able to continue learning about the product development process. And, the award validated all of the hard work I put into the project. I've received a lot of great feedback from cat owners."
Victoria Matranga, design programs coordinator for the IHA, said the National Student Design Competition gives dozens of the nation's top industrial design students an opportunity to show and explain prototypes of their highly practical and sometimes whimsical products -- items such as cordless ironing stations, bathroom mirror de-foggers or litter boxes.
Previous winners have received full-time or part-time jobs in the housewares industry, she said.
"The students receive several valuable benefits by entering the competition," Matranga said. "They get to focus and apply what they've learned in class to situations in the real world, and they have to work on a deadline. We're quite specific and detailed in what we require, so they learn to be well prepared.
"The students often say that more than the cash, the real-world experience of being at the show is what really matters," Matranga said. "It's the exposure they get and coming face to face with retailers and manufacturers. These students realize that in their professional lives as designers, they'll have to know how to make a pitch to convince their clients."
Currently, Griffin pursues a master's degree in industrial design at Georgia Tech. He previously earned an undergraduate degree from Furman University and a master's degree in fine arts from Parsons School of Design. Before coming to Georgia Tech, he worked in New York City as an Interaction Designer.

Georgia Tech Experts
Updated March 7, 2003

Aerial Robotics and Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Daniel Schrage
Professor, School of Aerospace Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
404-894-6257
daniel.schrage@aerospace.gatech.edu

Eric Johnson
Lockheed Martin Assistant Professor of Avionics Integration
School of Aerospace Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
404-385-2519
eric.johnson@aerospace.gatech.edu
Bio online at: http://www.ae.gatech.edu/~ejohnson

Judy Curry
Professor and Chair, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Sciences
(404) 894-3955
judith.curry@eas.gatech.edu
http://www.eas.gatech.edu/people/curry.html
Chem-Bio Sensor Technology

Dan Campbell
Senior Research Scientist
Electro-optics, Environment and Materials Laboratory
Georgia Tech Research Institute
(404) 894-3627
daniel.campbell@gtri.gatech.edu
http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/reshor/rh-win02/r-first.html

Homeland Security Initiatives / Emergency Response Technology

Tom Bevan
Principal Research Associate and Director
Center for Emergency Response Technology, Instruction & Policy
Georgia Tech Research Institute
404.894.7076
tom.bevan@gtri.gatech.edu
www.gatech.edu/news-room/archive/news_releases/homelandsecurity.html

State-of-the-Art Warplanes

Eric Johnson
Lockheed Martin Assistant Professor of Avionics Integration
School of Aerospace Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
404-385-2519
eric.johnson@aerospace.gatech.edu
Bio online at: http://www.ae.gatech.edu/~ejohnson

Information Security

Richard A. DeMillo
Dean, College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: Information security, Department of Defense policy for software testing and evaluation, Patriot Air Defense System, Strategic Defense Initiative
404-894-8357

Seymour Goodman
Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and Joint Appointment with College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: Terrorism; Information Technologies and National Security; International Dimensions of Information Technologies and Related Policy Issues
404-385-1461
goodman@cc.gatech.edu

International Affairs

Peter Brecke
Associate Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: conflict management, developing a conflict early warning system, reconciliation in international relations
404-894-6599
peter.brecke@inta.gatech.edu

John Endicott
Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: nuclear non-proliferation, foreign relations, intelligence community, American defense policy, Korea, Japan and East Asia, security affairs
404-894-9451

Seymour Goodman
Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and Joint Appointment with College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: Terrorism; Information Technologies and National Security; International Dimensions of Information Technologies and Related Policy Issues
404-385-1461
goodman@cc.gatech.edu

Bill Hoehn
Visiting Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: Terrorism; Arms Control; Information Security; Weapons of Mass Destruction Preparedness
404-894-8823
william.hoehn@inta.gatech.edu

Ambassador John H. Kelly
Center for International Strategy, Technology and Policy in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: As former US Ambassador to Lebanon and Finland, Kelly has extensive knowledge of the Middle East.
Call 404-894-4233 or 404-894-0870 to schedule an interview.

Sylvia Maier
Visiting Assistant Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: International Law; Human Rights; Politics of Immigration in Europe; Patterns of Discrimination Against Minorities; Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict; Legal Pluralism
sylvia.maier@inta.gatech.edu
404-385-2829

Computing Technologies

Ronald C. Arkin
Professor and Director of the Mobile Robot Laboratory, College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: mobile land robots, developing software for robots to be used in urban warfare
404-894-8209
ronald.arkin@cc.gatech.edu

Richard A. DeMillo
Dean, College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology
Expertise: Information security, Department of Defense policy for software testing and evaluation, Patriot Air Defense System, Strategic Defense Initiative
404-894-8357

Nuclear Plant Protection and Safety

Nolan Hertel
Director of the Neely Research Center
Professor of nuclear and radiological engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
404-894-3601
nolan.hertel@me.gatech.edu

Radiation and Dirty Bombs

Jim St. John
Research Scientist
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Sciences
(404) 894-1754
jim.stjohn@eas.gatech.edu
http://stjohn.eas.gatech.edu/

Impact of Terrorism on Supply Chain Management

John Langley
Director of Supply Chain Executive Programs
The Logistics Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology
404-894-6523
john.langley@isye.gatech.edu

Impact of Terrorism on Air Cargo

Mo Bazaraa
Managing Director, Global Logistics Program
The Logistics Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology
404-894-4821
mo.bazaraa@isye.gatech.edu

Impact of Terrorism on Transportation Logistics and Ports Security

Chelsea (Chip) White
Professor in Transportation and Logistics, Industrial Systems and Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
404-894-0235
cwhite@isye.gatech.edu

Weather in the Persian Gulf Region

Jim St. John
Research Scientist
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Sciences
(404) 894-1754
jim.stjohn@eas.gatech.edu
http://stjohn.eas.gatech.edu/

For additional assistance, call:

Elizabeth Campell
Direct: 404-894-4233
elizabeth.campell@icpa.gatech.edu
Topic Areas: Business; economics; humanities; computing; e-commerce; finance; educational technology; entrepreneurship; international affairs; internet technology; and public policy.

Larry Bowie
Direct: 404-894-6016
larry.bowie@icpa.gatech.edu
Topic Areas: Engineering, including biomedical; aerospace; chemical; mechanical; civil and environmental; electrical and computer; textiles and fiber, and industrial and systems engineering; broadband; nanotechnology; telecommunications; sustainable technology; Georgia Tech Lorraine and the Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program.

Sean Selman
Direct: 404-894-7460
sean.selman@icpa.gatech.edu
Topic Areas: Architecture; science; environment; smart growth; regional planning; air and water quality; art; music; drama; distance learning; alumni; athletics; biology; physics; bioinformatics and nanotechnology.

David Terraso
Direct: 404-385-2966
david.terraso@icpa.gatech.edu
Topic Areas: University-wide issues; international education; admissions; financial aid; student affairs; academic affairs; enrollment; commencement; continuing education; legal affairs; philanthropy and fundraising.

Dole, who will address the undergraduate ceremony at 9 a.m., has a long history of public service. She joined the Nixon administration in 1969 as Deputy Assistant for Consumer Affairs. In 1983, serving in President Reagan's Cabinet, she became the first female Secretary of Transportation. President George Bush named her Secretary of Labor in 1989. Two years later she became the second woman since founder Clara Barton to serve as president of the American Red Cross. She campaigned for President of the United States in the 2000 Republican Primary and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, where she serves on the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Banking and Aging Committees.

Dole is a native of Salisbury, North Carolina. She married then-U.S. Senator Robert Dole, R-KS, in 1975. She is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School. She also holds a master's degree in education and government from Harvard. At the ceremony, Georgia Tech will honor Dole with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy.

Julie L. Gerberding, MD, MPH
Gerberding will address the graduate ceremony at 3 p.m. She was named director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the administrator of the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in July 2002. She's leading the CDC's efforts to respond to the world wide outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) for the United States.

Before being appointed to the director's post, Gerberding served as the Acting Deputy Director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases, where she played a major role in leading the CDC's response to the anthrax bioterrorism evens of 2002. She joined the CDC in 1998, developing the agency's patient safety initiatives and other programs to prevent infections, antimicrobial resistance and medical errors.

Gerberding earned her bachelor's in chemistry and biology as well as her M.D. at Case Western Reserve University. She earned her master's of public health at the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the CDC, she worked at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), where she was director of the Prevention Epicenter. She is still active in higher education, holding associate professorships at both Emory University and UCSF.

Student Cheats Death Twice to Graduate
As hundreds of proud parents cheer on their graduates Saturday, perhaps no one will have more pride than the family of industrial engineering graduate William Palmer. Palmer enrolled at Tech in fall quarter 1994. A fifth-year co-op student in the spring of 1999, he was just finishing up his degree when he was involved in an auto accident that left him with severe brain injuries and in a coma. After he had been in the coma one month, doctors told his parents he had only a 5 percent chance of surviving. Then, after the fifth week, Palmer woke up.

Recovery wasn't easy for Palmer; he had to learn to walk again after spending so much time in the coma and had lost much of his short-term memory. But by the fall, he had re-enrolled at Tech and was on his way to finishing his degree.

"It was rough going back to school," he said. "But I was determined to make it."

Just a few short weeks after he returned to Tech, Palmer developed a severe headache. Having had a serious brain injury, Palmer knew the headache could be a sign of something serious so he began driving to Piedmont Hospital.

"I remember driving there and then everything cut out, like nothing," said Palmer. " I hit a pole and a building. I remember walking out of the car and sitting on the curb."

Palmer had suffered a brain hemorrhage and was taken to Grady Hospital. While at Grady a drainage tube ripped a hole in his stomach, which was discovered only after he was transferred to a hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He developed Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterial infection that's resistant to antibiotics. He spent the day with his heart rate above 170 beats per minute and a fever of 105.9 degrees Fahrenheit. He was about one hour away from death when the doctors found and treated the infection.

As a result of his two brain injuries, Palmer's left side is slightly paralyzed and he has to use a motorized wheelchair to get around. His physical therapist doesn't think he will ever walk again, which means Medicare will not pay for his therapy, but Palmer isn't giving up. He's doing his own brand of physical therapy in the gym. He points out after both accidents his doctors didn't think he would live. Once he survived, they told him he would never graduate after suffering two severe brain injuries. Now that he's proven them wrong three times, Palmer said, he aims to prove them wrong again. He may seem stubborn, but that's alright with him.

"My ex-girlfriend told me 'I know you'll walk again because you're so stubborn.' I said, 'You mean determined.' And she said, 'No, I mean you're stubborn.' But that's okay. Not only am I going to walk again, I'm going to run again.," said Palmer.

Until this past January Maple was president of Zoo Atlanta, a post he had held since his appointment by the mayor of Atlanta in 1984. At that time, prior neglect, mismanagement and lack of funds at the zoo led to the deaths of several animals, the loss of Zoo Atlanta's accreditation from the American Society of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, and the notoriety of being named one of the 10 worst zoos in the country by the Humane Society of the United States.
But, during his tenure, Maple helped turn Zoo Atlanta into one of the nation's finest, attracting national awards and an increase in annual visitors. The year after giant pandas arrived in 1999 the zoo hit an attendance record of 1 million visitors. It also became one of metro Atlanta's top attractions.
Maple remained on Georgia Tech's faculty during his tenure at the zoo, as a psychology professor specializing in animal behavior. He continues his work in that area while he builds the new Center for Conservation and Behavior, said Gary Schuster, dean of Georgia Tech's College of Sciences. Maple will need about $200,000 a year to start the center, Schuster said.
Maple is the founding editor of the professional journal Zoo Biology and is the author and editor of more than 150 scientific publications. He is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a former president of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums.
He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of the Pacific, and he received a master's degree and a Ph.D. in psychobiology from the University of California at Davis.

The three-day symposium, sponsored by Georgia Tech and the Georgia Cancer Coalition, will bring together top researchers in the field from Georgia Tech, Emory University School of Medicine, the University of Georgia, the Medical College of Georgia and the National Cancer Institute, in addition to other speakers from the biotech industry and cancer-related organizations.

The 11th Annual Suddath Symposium and the Second Annual Georgia Cancer Coalition Symposium will be held at the Georgia Centers for Advanced Telecommunications Technology (GCATT) near the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta. All symposium sessions are open and free to the Georgia Tech community and cancer researchers at any of the Georgia academic institutions, but pre-registration is recommended.

“This is a unique gathering of investigators who represent essentially the entire spectrum of cancer research, from chemistry to molecular biology, to engineering to the clinic,” said symposium chair Alfred Merrill, who is the Smithgall Institute Chair in Molecular Cell Biology at Georgia Tech and chair of the Georgia Tech Cancer Research Council. “Major advances are born at the junctions between fields, and Georgia is fortunate to be able to bring together this wealth of talent from its universities and the broader scientific community.”

Speakers will describe basic mechanisms of cell regulation that are the underpinning of cancer biology, and new technologies for cancer detection, imaging, targeting and control. Topics include cell-signaling pathways in cancer, cancer detection and control, biosensing and bioimaging, and cancer informatics and biocomputing.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Georgia, one of the highest cancer rates in the country.
Cancer research at Georgia Tech is conducted across the disciplines among scientists in areas from biology to computing and biomedical engineering to electrical engineering. Georgia Tech and Emory University operate a joint department in biomedical engineering where faculty at both institutions regularly collaborate on cancer research. Tech recently formed the Georgia Tech Cancer Research Council as part of its strategic plan to bolster cancer research and cancer-related academic programs on campus. The Council consists of faculty whose work touches on cancer research.

The Georgia Cancer Coalition is a statewide collaborative effort, funded with $37 million from the tobacco settlement, involving universities, clinics and hospitals in cancer research. The Coalition works to strengthen the collective impact of existing cancer-related programs and create new initiatives that bring early detection, leading-edge treatment, research, prevention and education to Georgians.

The symposium begins Thursday with a 7 p.m. reception in the atrium of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience on the Georgia Tech campus. The Friday and Saturday sessions will be held at GCATT and both begin at 8:15 a.m. The symposium is also an opportunity for students and research associates to present their research, and for those who are not currently applying their expertise to cancer research to find out how they may fit in.

To register online for the symposium, visit www.ibb.gatech.edu.

"Since we are celebrating 50 years of women at Georgia Tech, it is especially appropriate to honor Ms. Ivins, who has blazed a trail in the largely male-dominated arena of political journalism," said Usha Nair-Reichert, co-chair of the Founder's Day Committee and associate professor of Economics. "We want to recognize Ms. Ivins for her years of exceptional political commentary and her ability to use humor to critique both state and national politics and politicians."
Last year, former President Jimmy Carter received the 2002 Prize, named in honor of former Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. (Class of 1933) and the College's namesake. Senator Zell Miller received the first Prize in 2001.

In addition, Ivan Allen College celebrates its Founder's Day on March 27 by presenting a panel discussion on "Academic Transitions: Lessons for the Future" at 9:30 a.m. in the Clary Theater in the Student Success Center. Panelists include former female faculty at Georgia Tech who will discuss their experiences and challenges as one of a small number of female professors on campus.

Panel participants include: Miriam Drake, dean emerita, Library; Helen Grenga, professor emerita, Materials Science and Engineering; Annibel Jenkins, professor emerita, English Department; and Dorothy Cowser Yancy, president of Johnson C. Smith University and former professor of History, Technology and Society and in the School of Management at Georgia Tech. Sue Rosser, dean of Ivan Allen College will moderate the panel.

Ivins is known for her wit and irreverence for all things political. She has authored two best-selling books, "Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?" and "Nothin' But Good Times Ahead," both collections of essays on politics and journalism. She has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize three times and was the winner of the 1992 Headliners Award for best column in Texas.

Ivins' freelance work has appeared in Esquire, Atlantic, The Nation, Harper's, TV Guide and numerous other publications. She also does occasional commentary for National Public Radio and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. She served for three years on the board of the National News Council, is active in Amnesty International's Journalism Network and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. She writes about press issues for the American Civil Liberties Union and several journalism reviews. She has received a number of journalism awards and in 1976 was named Outstanding Alumna by Columbia University's School of Journalism.

Ivins is from Houston, has a B.A. from Smith College, a Master's in journalism from Columbia University and studied for a year at the Institute of Political Science in Paris. She speaks both French and Spanish. She began her career in journalism at the Houston Chronicle and has also written for the Minneapolis Tribune, the New York Times, and The Texas Observer.

Ivan Allen College, the liberal arts college of Georgia Tech, is named for Atlanta's legendary mayor, businessman, and Tech alumnus, Ivan Allen Jr. The College was founded in 1990 to provide a strong liberal arts dimension for all Tech students and to permit focused majors in humanities and social sciences, with an international technological and professional emphasis. Ivan Allen College includes the Schools of Economics; History, Technology and Society; the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; Literature, Communication and Culture; Modern Languages; and Public Policy as well as Air Force, Army, and Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) units.

Note: Media are invited to cover Molly Ivins' remarks and the presentation of the 2003 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize in the Student Center Ballroom on campus at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 27. The Prize presentation is scheduled for 1 p.m., with Ivins speaking shortly thereafter. Please call Elizabeth Campell at 404-894-4233 for assistance or more information about this event.

"The higher I flew, the easier it was to sail," said Hsu, who along with four other Georgia Tech students, is representing Georgia Tech during the Energy Challenge 2003 competition at Jockey's Ridge State Park, in Nags Head, NC. The competition pits the Georgia Tech team against teams from nine other colleges across the country.

They'll see who can build the best paper hang glider, as well as who can "hang one,' or fly it the farthest, from atop an 80-foot dune in North Carolina, near the same dunes where the famous Wright brothers toiled to record the first powered flight in history one hundred years ago in 1903. The contest also marks the centennial celebration of flight.

With a top prize of $15,000 at stake, the team has been intently building their hang glider in a large cargo bay at the Atlanta Technology Center. Much of the sail is being built using materials such as paperboard and linerboard, and various chemicals during the finishing and bonding stages.

"We're testing the strength and elasticity of the paper today," said Jabulani Barber, a chemical engineering student and team member, as he placed a strip of paper into a machine that measures how much pressure the paper can take before it snaps in half. The information will be useful as the team selects the best paper to use for the glider.

The next step: They'll select a strong glue to piece the different types of paper together. Eventually, the paper will be laid out on the ground and cut to the specs of the hang glider's metal frame in a modified Rogallo wing design. From there, they'll attach the paper sail to the glider and frame.

Judges will score the teams primarily on who sails the farthest distance. Each team gets three flights, and the combined distance of those flights weighs heavily in determining the winner. Other factors will be considered, such as which hang glider weighs the least, which team made the best use of recycled products, and which glider looks the best in flight.

The Energy Challenge is an annual event sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Institute of Paper Science and Technology. This year, Kitty Hawks Kites, Inc. is also a sponsor. The purpose of Energy Challenge is to increase interest in science and engineering and promote awareness of energy efficiency, manufacturing design, recycling, waste minimization, package maximizing and pulp and paper industrial processes.

Teams participating this year, in addition to Tech, are: North Carolina State University; North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; University of Maine; Miami University; Temple University; Savannah College of Art and Design; Spartan School of Aeronautics; University of Central Florida; and Western Michigan University. The first place school will receive $15,000; second place, $10,000; and third place, $5,000. The team's faculty advisor is Jeffery Hsieh, a professor of chemical engineering at Tech.

Last year, another Georgia Tech team entered the Energy Challenge and sailed away with the $15,000 prize. The competition required teams to build a paper sailboard and windsurf it at Lake Lanier.

Note: Media may schedule time to visit the team at Georgia Tech as they build the paper hang glider prior to the April 5 competition. Media may also be placed on a calling list for instant competition results at 1:30 p.m. April 5. Still photography and video will be available following the competition.

GIFT, or the Georgia Industrial Fellowships for Teachers program, offers teachers throughout Georgia summer fellowships in business, industry, public science institutes and research. Teachers bring those experiences back into their classrooms to give students insight into real-world careers.

Robertson has served on the GIFT Advisory Council for eight years. Since its founding in 1990, GIFT has contributed to the professional development of more than 700 teachers in Georgia.

EMS, the state's leading space-technology company and a leading supplier of RF hardware for a variety of satellite and wireless markets, has mentored more than 10 teachers in the GIFT program.

"Mike is leading the enhancement of GIFT's Advisory Board, which will include representatives from area school districts and representatives from Georgia Tech in addition to business leaders," said CEISMC Director Paul Ohme. "He has the vision and attributes that it will take to help the program grow through better partnerships within the state."

"GIFT is expanding its horizons by broadening the roles to which students are exposed through their teachers' summer work experiences," Robertson said. "It's gratifying to guide a program that is laying the groundwork for science and math careers for our young people.

"We need engineers and other skilled workers," Robertson said. "Students that teachers are touching today are our employees tomorrow."

EMS Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG) is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of wireless, satellite and defense solutions, and focuses its unique range of advanced technologies on the needs of broadband and mobile information users. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,700 people worldwide, and has manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, Montreal, Ottawa and Brazil.

Hanjoong Jo, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory and Georgia Tech, and his colleagues used a combined engineering and molecular approach to demonstrate how changes in blood flow might contribute to the prevention or development of lipid-containing plaques that can rupture and block blood vessels, leading to heart attack and stroke. The research is published in the on-line edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The research team of biomedical engineers, cardiologists and surgeons included George P. Sorescu, Michelle Sykes, Daiana Weiss, Manu O. Platt, Aniket Saha, Jinah Hwang, Nolan Boyd, Yong C. Boo, J. David Vega and W. Robert Taylor

Bioengineers believe that areas of the vascular system with curves, forks, and less direct flow are more likely to develop atherosclerotic plaques than are vascular areas with straight and unobstructed blood flow. Jo hypothesized that endothelial cells (the cells that line blood vessels) have a biological response to alterations in their mechanical environment. He designed a mechanical system using a test fluid to model the patterns made by blood as it flows through the body's vessels, and then exposed the fluid to mouse aortic endothelial cells.

Using microarray (gene chip) technology, he screened 12,000 genes found in the endothelial cells, comparing tissue exposed to a straight and streamlined flow of blood (laminar shear) to tissue exposed to abnormal, non-linear flow patterns (oscillatory shear stress). In the cells exposed to oscillatory shear stress, he discovered a marked increase in expression of the gene that encodes the protein BMP4 (bone-morphogenetic protein-4). In the cells exposed to laminar shear, he found almost no evidence of BMP4.

To further support his results, Jo's team, in collaboration with Emory cardiologist W. Robert Taylor, MD, and Emory vascular surgeon J. David Vega, MD, screened endothelial cells from human coronary arteries of patients with atherosclerotic lesions to test for expression of BMP4. BMP4 expression was undetectable in arteries with minimal disease, but it was strongly expressed in endothelial patches found overlying an early form of atherosclerotic lesions called "foam cell lesions."

Although high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and a diet high in saturated fat are known to increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, the risk of physical inactivity is comparable to other factors, according to the American Heart Association.

"The molecular biological response to increases or decreases in blood flow might help us explain why physical inactivity promotes disease," Jo said. "Increasing one's heart rate through vigorous exercise causes blood to flow faster through the vessels, and some exercise-related benefits may be due to endothelial expression of certain genes and proteins."

Jo hopes to use his findings about BMP4 to develop new diagnostic tests or gene-based therapies to prevent plaque formation.

The Georgia Tech SUV submission faces rigorous testing and evaluation, in areas such as acceleration and off-road performance events to determine which team will win the challenge. The students participated in the 2002 competition and are confident they'll exceed the 2003 goal of achieving 25 percent better over-the-road fuel economy in the SUV and significantly reduce overall emissions.

"This competition presents students with real-world design and engineering exercises and challenges them to produce real-world results," said professor Jerry Meisel, team advisor for the Georgia Tech team. "The students have worked really hard all year, and we are ready to take home first place."

The Georgia Tech truck incorporates a split-parallel design in which the motor is not directly coupled to the engine, as in a normal parallel hybrid. Instead, the engine drives the front wheels while the motor supplements that power by driving the rear wheels. Aggressive weight reduction methods are used to further increase the overall efficiency of the vehicle as well.

"Training young engineers to solve complex automotive engineering challenges is what this competition is all about," said Al Kammerer, Ford's Executive Director of Sport Utility Vehicles and Body on Frame. "FutureTruck provides the training ground for hundreds of student engineers to explore advanced vehicle technologies so they are better equipped to lead the automotive industry in the 21st Century."

Various judging events will take place at Ford's Michigan Proving Ground in Romeo and the Allen Park Testing Lab in Allen Park, Mich. The winning university team will be announced on June 12th as part of Ford's centennial celebration in Dearborn, Mich.

Ford Motor Company and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are the headline sponsors for the 2003 FutureTruck competition. Argonne National laboratory, a DOE R&D facility, provides competition management, technical and logistical support. More than 16 other government and industry sponsors also support the program.

Competing universities for FutureTruck 2003 are: Georgia Tech; California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo; Cornell University; Michigan Technological University; The Ohio State University; Pennsylvania State University; Texas Tech University; University of Alberta; University of California, Davis; University of Idaho; University of Maryland; University of Tennessee; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Virginia Tech; and West Virginia University.

In her new role at Georgia Tech, Ross will direct the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development, an educational research arm of the College of Architecture that will examine key issues of land use, community design, transportation and air quality throughout the Atlanta region and beyond.

The center will be housed within Georgia Tech's new, mixed-use facilities at Technology Square, nearing completion in Midtown Atlanta. Ross begins July 1.

"I am most pleased to have Catherine assume the leadership role of the center, and I believe this is an historically important step in expanding Georgia Tech's position in metropolitan-growth scholarship, research and outreach," Dean Galloway said.

"Catherine and the center hold tremendous opportunities for Georgia Tech's City and Regional Planning Program, the College of Architecture, other Institute units and sister universities in Atlanta who will be involved with us as we build this new center together," he said.

Becoming the Harry West Chair for Quality Growth and Regional Development is "a one-to-one fit" for Ross and the new center, she said.

"I'm thrilled to accept this position, especially as the first endowed faculty member of the College of Architecture," Ross said. "Creation of the center is very timely, too, because issues of sustainable growth, transportation and community involvement are critical -- not only in Atlanta, but throughout the region and the nation."

Previously, Ross was the first executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA), a state agency created by the Legislature in 1999. Its mission is to help 13 counties out-of-compliance with clean air standards develop new transportation plans and initiatives to help them meet or exceed federal requirements.

"GRTA provided me a wonderful opportunity to learn and address the issues facing our community. It's a valuable asset to the state and the region," Ross said. "I'm extremely proud of the progress we made at GRTA and I have high expectations for its future. Like GRTA, Georgia Tech's Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development will have no peer in the nation in terms of its mission and great focus."

Ross is no stranger to Georgia Tech. She first came to the Institute in 1976 as an assistant professor in the Graduate City Planning Program. She became an associate professor in 1984, then a full professor in 1990. She has held a variety of important leadership positions here, including vice provost for academic affairs, associate vice president for academic affairs, co-director of the Transportation Research and Education Center and director of the College of Architecture's Ph.D. program.

At the national level, Ross previously served as a senior policy adviser to the National Academy of Sciences' Transportation Research Board. Today she is a member of that board. She also is past president of the National Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning; a member of the Board of Directors for the ENO Transportation Foundation; and is a national advisory board member for the Women's Transportation Seminar. Locally, she was vice chair of the Atlanta Development Authority in 1998.

"Catherine is extremely well-regarded nationally for her work in examining regional transportation issues," said Cheryl Contant, the director of Georgia Tech's City and Regional Planning Program who led the search for the Harry West Chair.

"But, after more than three years heading GRTA, nobody knows the Atlanta region better than Catherine Ross," Contant said. "This combination of national prominence and local knowledge makes her uniquely suited for the Harry West Chair and the directorship of the center."

Ross' chief duties will be to organize the center's mission and activities, building research and issue teams to address problems and develop solutions. She also is charged with raising funds to sustain the center's activities into the future, Contant said.

However, Ross' biggest challenge is to get the new center up and running quickly.

"There is significant demand for the center's efforts in Atlanta and other, similar metropolitan regions in the United States that presently is unmet," Contant said. "Because of her unique experience and expertise, Dr. Ross should be able to capitalize on her extensive knowledge and local connections to hit the ground running."

Ross said the center will address more than just issues that affect Atlanta and the Southeast. It will serve as a national and international model for advancing regional concerns -- such as community design, improved air and water quality, education, transportation and overall quality of life.

"These are not only issues that are important to us. People all over the world are struggling with the same problems, and we have a great chance of actually addressing some of them here," she said. "The private sector and the public sector both play prominent roles in solving our growth problems.

"This center certainly is a good example of the marriage of the private and public sectors and how they might work together to address the critical issues our communities face today," she said.

Among Ross' teaching and research interests are transportation policy analysis; transportation planning; environmental impact assessments; urban revitalization; spatial analysis; public involvement; and land-use planning.

Ross earned a bachelor's degree from Kent State University in 1971, followed by a master's degree in regional planning from Cornell University in 1973. She earned her doctorate in city and regional planning from Cornell in 1979 and did post-doctorate work at the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition to teaching at Georgia Tech and her leadership of GRTA, Ross founded a consulting company that has conducted research for numerous government transportation agencies. She has published extensively in the fields of urban planning, transportation planning and public participation.

The Harry West Chair of Quality Growth and Regional Development was created in 1999 with a generous, $1.5 million endowment from John A. Williams, the founder of Post Properties Inc. The chair is the first endowed faculty position within Georgia Tech's College of Architecture and it is housed in the City and Regional Planning Program.

It is named in honor of Harry West, who served 26 years as director of the Atlanta Regional Commission. During his tenure there, West became known as a tireless champion of constituency-based planning, the process of bringing together diverse stakeholders in a community to forge a single vision for growth and change.

The research could yield the most accurate description to date of the turbulent flow environment blood cells and platelets are exposed to as they pass through an implanted mechanical heart valve - information that researchers hope will lead to improvements in current mechanical valve testing and design procedures, and help reduce the potential for thromboembolic complications.

Backed by a four-year, $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the research is being spearheaded by Ajit Yoganathan, Regents' professor in the Wallace H. Coulter School of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and an internationally renowned expert on artificial heart valves and cardiovascular fluid mechanics research; and Fotis Sotiropoulos, an associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a leading expert in computational fluid mechanics.

To date, the fluid mechanics of heart valves have been largely studied using experimental approaches. The Georgia Tech research is the first comprehensive attempt to develop advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques and apply them in conjunction with experiments to study blood flow turbulence in heart valves.

"Our numerical simulations can provide descriptions of the blood flow at a level of detail that far exceeds the insight one can get from experiments alone," Sotiropoulos said. "We will be able to go on a virtual journey along with platelets and blood cells through the valve and identify design elements that induce turbulence patterns, which could be harmful to blood elements. This cannot be done experimentally. Yet, we must rely on experiments to make sure that our virtual blood flow environment closely represents reality."

The team is working to adapt advanced CFD modeling techniques developed for simulating turbulent flows past bridge foundations in natural rivers and through hydraulic turbines in hydropower installations to prosthetic heart valves. In spite of many common elements with hydraulic engineering application, the heart valve problem is so complex that its solution necessitates new advancements and innovation in computational algorithms.

The heart valve consists of two leaflets that are free to open and close as the blood rushes back and forth during the cardiac cycle. To model this fluid/structure interaction, the team is developing sophisticated techniques to account for the coupling of leaflet motion with the blood flow. Unlike hydraulic engineering applications, where the water flow is fast enough to remain chaotic and turbulent all the time, the beating heart causes the blood flow through the valve to change its speed and direction continuously.

For the most part, the flow is ordered and laminar except for a brief period of time near peak systole when the blood flow becomes chaotic and turbulent. It is during this brief interval when engineers suspect that the flow environment could become most hazardous to blood elements. The team will pioneer the development and application of advanced models of turbulence that can accurately model flows continuously transitioning back and forth from a laminar to a turbulent state.

Since 1960, cardiac surgeons have been implanting artificial heart valves in patients who require heart valve replacement. There are two major types available: mechanical valves, which are made from man-made materials; and bioprosthetic valves, which are made from animal tissues.

All mechanical valves are made up of an orifice ring and occluders, either one or two "leaflets" through which blood flows through the heart in a forward direction. In the ring is a single movable disc, or two "leaflets," which open and close much like a natural heart valve to control the flow of blood. Current mechanical heart valves are made from biocompatible materials such as titanium and pyrolytic carbon. A soft fabric sewing ring, which is attached to the valve orifice is utilized by the cardiac surgeon to suture the valve into the patient's heart at the correct anatomical location.

Even though artificial heart valves have saved millions of lives over the past four decades, modern designs are less than ideal. To date, more than 50 different designs have been developed, a majority of them have failed in their clinical utility. The flow of blood across modern mechanical heart valves, such as bileaflet and tilting disc designs, is more turbulent than normal blood flow, which can lead to blood clots and stroke. This requires valve recipients to be on lifelong anticoagulant therapy (blood thinners).

"In the 21st century we need to design and evaluate medical devices such as artificial heart valves using state-of-the-art engineering and biological tools" said Yoganathan, who directs Georgia Tech's Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. "The marriage of engineering and biological experimental techniques with computational analysis tools is critical to the effort to produce better medical devices."

A unique aspect of the Georgia Tech approach is that it will rely heavily on a close synergy between modelers and experimentalists to produce experimental data sets for validating and refining the simulation tools. In the past, CFD modeling and experiments were conducted independently of each other. The Georgia Tech team will design experiments tailor-made to provide the precise information needed to validate and improve the CFD models. Such synergy would ensure the development of a reliable modeling tool, which, coupled with rapid advancements in computational power, will pave the way for incorporating CFD into a virtual design environment. Engineers and medical doctors will be able to use these computational tools to interactively modify a given valve design and assess the hemodynamic implications of their modifications in real-time.

Hughes will begin as chair in August, pending approval from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. He succeeds Roberto Leon, who has served as interim chair since last summer.

"Dr. Hughes is a dynamic educator and leader," said Don Giddens, dean of the College of Engineering. "His experience in administration, combined with his outstanding academic achievements, will be a great asset to the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering here at Georgia Tech."

"We are delighted he will be a member of the Georgia Tech team," Giddens said. "I'd also like to take this opportunity to personally thank Roberto Leon, for his exceptional leadership during this interim period."

Hughes' appointment concludes a national search begun last year to fill the position, which is responsible for overseeing the school's academic and research programs in areas such as structural survivability following an earthquake to developing new transportation systems. The school has 50 faculty members and offers academic degree programs at all levels to more than 800 students, making it one of the largest programs of its kind in the country.

Hughes has been at Rice since 1992, serving as an assistant professor, associate professor and chair of the university's Department of Environmental Science and Engineering. He then was co-director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Hazardous Substances Research Center South and Southwest, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering and then chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

As chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice since 2001, Hughes oversaw a program with 13 faculty, 40 undergraduates and 50 graduates. He also supervised more than $6 million in programs and government contracts through the Hazardous Substances Research Center, Department of Defense, EPA, National Science Foundation and other agencies.

"I am extremely surprised and excited about the offer to join the faculty of Georgia Tech," Hughes said. "The dynamic nature of the campus, the desire to achieve excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, and the strength of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering were all factors in my decision. I truly believe that the school can achieve even greater levels of national and international distinction in the years ahead—and also we can increase the opportunities for students at all levels. I can't wait to get started!"

Hughes has a number of publications and written works to his credit. His research has centered on the area of environmental biotechnology; in particular understanding how novel biochemical metabolic processes can be harnessed through engineering to improve the quality of our environment.

Hughes received both the Charles Duncan Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and the American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Professor Award at Rice University in 2002—an award he also received in 1997.

Anyone with an email account recognizes these marketing come-ons from the spam or junk email they've received. Experts say it is not your imagination; the number of spam emails is increasing. One estimate predicts that fifty percent of all e-mail traffic this year will be spam - unwanted emails selling products, according to Brightmail Inc, an anti-spam firm. For March 2003, Brightmail says 45 percent of all email traffic was spam, up from 8 percent in September 2001.

The problem has grown to the point where the Federal Trade Commission recently held a three- day conference in early May to focus on the issue. Legislation is pending in several states to try to outlaw spam or at least curb e-marketers using questionable tactics like false sender names and misleading subject lines to entice users to open the e-mail. The problem has grown to such an extent that the three largest e-mail providers - AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo - recently announced an alliance to work together to reduce spam.

"That alliance points out that spam has become a major problem, even for the Internet Service Providers (ISPs)," says Richard Lipton, professor and Frederick G. Storey chair in Computing in the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) housed in Georgia Tech's College of Computing. "All of the ISPs tout their anti-spam filters as the best to reduce unwanted email, but obviously they feel they need to pool their efforts to tackle this growing problem."

Spam is a serious problem that is getting worse for ISPs for two main reasons -- uses up valuable computing resources and their customers dislike spam.

ISPs have to store these emails until their customers delete them clogging their storage capabilities, and they have to grow their bandwidth or network pipeline to handle the additional volume of e-mail traffic. Ferris Research, a market research firm, estimates that U.S. corporations spend $9 billion per year fighting spam and that $4 billion is the amount of productivity lost at Y.S. businesses due to spam. AOL reports that the company blocks 2.3 billion spam e-mails every day, as of April 30 of this year. These are real costs.

Also, ISP customers are angered at receiving spam, and many want or expect their ISP to prevent junk e-mail from arriving in their in boxes.

Lipton says that currently most approaches to reduce spam can be sorted into three categories. First, the most common method filters the "from" field for unwanted or unknown senders, a tactic which spammers easily defeat. The second most common scheme is content based, and spammers have shown that they change their wording or avoid using suspect words like "free" to circumvent the content-based filters. Third, ISPs create a number of dummy email accounts in order to monitor e-mails received by their system, and when the human monitor or filter find large-scale spam, they set up a system-wide filter to prevent that new spam from reaching their customers.

Dr. Wenke Lee, assistant professor in GTISC and the College of Computing, explains their novel approach to develop their new anti-spam application that seems to work.

"We thought about what does the spammer want the email user to do?" says Lee. "Usually, the spammer wants the recipient to click on a link to a web address to find out more about the product or service and buy it online."

In thinking about the problem from the spammer's point of view, Lee and Lipton realized this means that most spam e-mail contains a URL or web address for a website for potential customers to visit. So, they have created a filter application based on looking for unwanted URL addresses in emails.

"This approach and application is elegant and incredibly computer cheap and fast," says Lipton. "It seems to work better than the existing commercial products, and the end user can customize it easily."

Lee developed the working prototype over the past year, and the two have been running the prototype on several computers since December. So far, the developers are very pleased with the results.

The end user can create "white lists" (the opposite of black lists) of URLs that are acceptable such as favorite news sites or online retailers such as CNN.com or Amazon.com. Their application also has a "wild card" category so the user can specify for the system to allow all emails with university URLs that contain ".edu." Conveniently, all emails that do not contain a web address are allowed into the users in box.

The application also includes a "black list" feature where the user can easily add URLs from unwanted e-marketers and others. These unwanted emails are delivered to a "Spam Can," so the user can periodically check the spam to make sure no wanted emails accidentally were trashed.

"We've had very few false positives," says Lipton. "It's important that the system not accidentally remove legitimate email."

Lipton and Lee have a provisional patent on their new spam tool. This summer they plan to refine the application by adding several more customizable filtering features, finalize the patent, write a paper about their project, and hope to eventually license the application for broad use.

Torex has licensed the technology that Pinkerton helped to develop while at Michigan, and Pinkerton is named on the patent there. The technology is a reinforcement fiber for concrete. Beams constructed with the Torex fiber exhibit up to five times the strength of beams constructed with existing fiber reinforcement materials. The technology has incredible market relevance now with increasing homeland security concerns, and it is environmentally friendly because it is made from scrap material from the tire industry. These two features were key to the Carrot Capital competition judges deciding to invest in this business.

"We learned something each time we competed," said Pinkerton. "We ended up revising the plan based on each competition's judges feedback. Some of the best feedback we got, however, was the negative feedback. This information really helped us refine the plan and hone in on the best strategy."

At the Georgia Tech Business Plan competition, Torex placed third and received $2,500 in funding. Also, the judges felt the venture had such strong investment potential, they awarded them a $45,000 package of legal, financial accounting, and graphic design services, which allowed Torex to improve their plan in time for the Carrot Capital competition. The extra investment definitely paid off.

Increasing Entrepreneurial Activity

Georgia Tech's business school, the DuPree College of Management, is building a culture of entrepreneurship not only for its MBA and undergraduate students but also for the entire Georgia Tech campus and the Atlanta community.

For years the College's faculty has specialized in entrepreneurship, but about three years ago, students in the Georgia Tech Entrepreneur Club launched the first Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition and invited would-be entrepreneurs from across the campus to participate. That first year was so successful, that the College was able to make the competition an annual event with the financial sponsorship of alumnus Leland Strange of Intelligent Systems.

To assist these entrepreneurial dreams, the College organizes a series of workshops each year covering the vital aspects of writing a business plan including financing, intellectual property, legal issues, marketing, and more and encourages competitors to use these resources in fine-tuning their business ideas. This year's competition had more university-wide teams than in the past, and the competition is proving to be an excellent launching point for strong business plans. This year for the first time, an all-undergraduate team made it the final round.

Each year the entrants to the Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition have gotten stronger, and more teams are invited to participate in national competitions. This year two teams -- Advanced Audio and Torex International -- won at major national business plan competitions with substantial cash awards.

Many of the most competitive teams start in the New Venture Creation course taught in the fall by Professor Pat Dickson. Dickson coaches several teams as well. In the course composed of half MBA and half-non management graduate students, Dickson encourages the students to form teams with a mix of majors.

"I tell my students that cross-disciplinary teams tend to do better," said Dickson. "It's important to have that mix of perspectives and strengths."

Taking a different path, Advanced Audio, a team composed of all MBA students, two of which have Master's degrees in engineering from Georgia Tech, excelled at the prestigious, national academic-based competition called Venture Challenge hosted annually by San Diego State College. Advanced Audio won the grand prize of $15,000 and an additional $1,000 for the Golden Phone Award for the best sales pitch over the phone.

"Many of the teams at these competitions are driven by a single visionary individual," says Trace Hawkins, vice president of marketing, Advanced Audio and Georgia Tech MBA student. "Our team is driven by a single vision, but four distinct and equally competent individuals."

Advanced Audio's technology came out of Georgia Tech's VentureLab, which assists Georgia Tech faculty interested in commercializing their technology. The technology is the first all digital microphone for hearing aids, providing enhanced sensitivity and improved power consumption over today's microphones. This technology will require a longer gestation period before it is ready to be commercialized compared to Torex, according to Dickson.

In addition to winning Venture Challenge, the Advanced Audio team placed fourth at the New Venture Championship hosted by the University of Oregon and second in the Georgia Tech competition.

Next year, Dickson anticipates expanding the business plan competition by hosting two major competitions at DuPree's new home in Technology Square. Next year the Georgia Bowl usually held at the University of Georgia will take place at Georgia Tech, and Dickson is finalizing plans to host one of the regional semi-finals of a competition organized by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Future of Competitions Grows

The DuPree College is now planning a unique international, technology-focused competition for spring 2004. Teams from universities from around the world will be invited to compete in the first Global Technology Commercialization and Business Plan competition slated for April.

"There are over 100 business plan competitions in the U.S., about 50 in Europe, 20 or so in Asia, and a handful in Latin America," says Nick Voigt, assistant to the dean for Global Entrepreneurship Programs and former executive with Hewlett-Packard. "One or two boast an international flavor, but none are focused exclusively on technology. DuPree's competition will be unique in being both international and technology-specific."

This niche suits DuPree and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech has the expertise, reputation, and credibility in this space, so it's appropriate to launch a competition focused on commercializing technology and entrepreneurship.

Why launch a new competition in the current economy? "Entrepreneurship is more prevalent in a bad economy than in a good," says Voigt. People who've thought of starting their own business often decide to take the plunge when their careers are interrupted.

Voigt leads the effort to recruit universities to submit teams to the competition and to sign on sponsors. The ideal schools to participate fit three criteria - have a technology emphasis, a business school, and a campus business plan competition. Georgia Tech's international campuses in France and Singapore are excellent resources for recruiting universities overseas.

All this competitive entrepreneurial activity began three years ago when a group of committed students in the Georgia Tech Entrepreneur Club decided to launch the first campus competition. Today, the College encourages and supports these ventures and works to strengthen Georgia Tech's culture of entrepreneurship.

Dr. Cross -- currently the director and chief executive officer of the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute -- succeeds Edward Reedy, who has served as director of GTRI since 1996. Dr. Reedy is retiring from Tech after a 33-year career.

Cross begins his new responsibilities Sept. 1, 2003.

"To lead one of the world's most highly regarded research organizations is an exciting opportunity and challenge," Cross said. "I'm honored to be asked to join such an impressive group of professionals.

"GTRI has made -- and continues to make -- significant and lasting contributions to the nation's security and economic strength," he said. "It has a key role to play in Georgia Tech's vision and strategy for the future."

The Georgia Tech Research Institute is the applied research arm of the Institute. Some 1,200 GTRI employees perform or support about $115 million in annual research for more than 200 clients in industry and government.

The GTRI mission is to plan and conduct focused programs of innovative research, education, and economic development that advance the global competitiveness and security of Georgia, the region, and the nation.

"Steve brings an impressive background to an important post," said Georgia Tech Provost Jean-Lou Chameau. "From radar to fuel cells, and homeland defense to technology transfer, GTRI conducts research vital to government and industry and contributes to a strong academic environment at Georgia Tech.

"Steve's hands-on leadership style, coupled with his innovative ideas and outstanding academic credentials, will serve the university well in the years to come," Dr. Chameau said. "I'm very pleased to see someone as capable as Steve succeed Ed Reedy, a loyal and successful employee during his distinguished career. Our research institute will be in very good hands."

Since 1996, Dr. Cross has been director and chief executive officer of the Software Engineering Institute, an applied research laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University. He also holds a joint appointment as a research professor in the Robotics Institute of the School of Computer Science. He joined the university in 1994 as a member of the research faculty.

Dr. Cross is a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and is the past chairman of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Information Science and Technology panel. He has published more than 50 papers on technology transition and the applications of advanced information processing technology.

Cross received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, his M.S.E.E. from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and his B.S.E.E. from the University of Cincinnati. In addition, Cross is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (Flight Test Engineer Program), the Air War College, and the National Defense University.

In 2002, Dr. Cross was selected as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering.

"I'm looking forward to the experience of traveling and working with an international research group," said Jenkins.

The Fulbright program was created in 1946 with legislation sponsored by Sen. J. William Fulbright. A fervent believer in cultural exchange, he reasoned that nations would be less likely to go to war against each other if people could study abroad and learn about each other's cultures.

Except for a 30-minute excursion into Mexico, this will be Jenkins' first international experience. In Como, he'll study how to produce light bullets, which are intense pulses of laser light that can go through some transparent materials without spreading out like most laser pulses do. The result is a spherical pulse of light that can travel large distances intact.

"If one could generate and transmit these light bullets over large distances, we could have faster communications because there is no dispersion," said Jenkins. "Since there is no diffraction, we could have communications over longer distances."

But it's not the applications of his research that get him excited; he's interested in research for research's sake.

"I have an inherent curiosity as to how and why things work," he said, explaining his interest in science. "And I suppose my parents introducing me to Star Trek at an early age had something to do with it."

Jenkins is Tech's second Fulbright Fellow this year. Computer Science and Mathematics major David Eger won a Fulbright to study math in Budapest, Hungary this fall.

The Fulbright Fellowship covers the cost of travel, tuition, books, as well as room and board for a year of study. Sponsored by the U.S. State Department, the domestic component of the international program awards about 1,000 grants for American students to pursue international research. More than 140 countries participated in the program this year.

"Sometimes we're not sure how much help a student received in writing the essay. Using the tests' writing components will level the playing field for all applicants and help us ensure that each student writes his or her own essay without any help," said Deborah Smith, associate vice provost for Enrollment Services.

Starting March 2005, the College Board will replace the current SAT I with a new version that includes a mandatory writing test, featuring an essay and multiple choice questions. The ACT will offer an optional essay, beginning in the 2004-2005 academic year.

The essay helps Tech determine the quality of prospective students' writing skills and is used in choosing recipients of the President's Scholars Program, Tech's most prestigious merit-based scholarship.

Admission to Tech is based on a combination of high school grade-point average and standardized test score as well as the essay, leadership abilities and activities.

Other universities that will soon require standardized writing tests include Harvard, Notre Dame, Rice, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State.

This is not something that should happen at Georgia Tech, one of the leading research universities in the nation. I have always expected, and will continue to expect, that our coaches will work with academic support personnel in a coordinated fashion to ensure that student-athletes have the opportunity to meet the challenges of a Tech education and make steady progress toward graduation. I also expect our student-athletes to achieve at an academic level comparable to that of the average of the student body, including remaining on track for graduation.

That is why our academic support services are so important. They are important to the performance of our athletes and they are important for the ultimate mission of the Institute. Credible and competent academic support enhances the experience of our student-athletes and upholds the rigorous academic excellence of Georgia Tech.

Because of that unique dual role, Academic Support Services will continue to report to both the Athletic Director and the Office of the Provost. Such an arrangement makes sense. It ensures that those in daily contact with the student athletes are fully engaged in their academic progress. It also ensures that the academic side of the house has an active role in working with athletics to provide a balanced perspective. This is all about maximizing the potential of our student-athletes in the classroom and on the playing field. That is, after all, our primary mission.

We are also announcing today that Dr. Carole Moore, the Director of Academic Services for the Athletic Association, has elected to return to a full-time academic role at Georgia Tech. Dr. Moore will become a special assistant to the Vice Provost, where she will teach, further our international education efforts, and help to develop our elite scholar initiatives. She is currently a teacher in the Georgia Tech Oxford program.

Dr. Moore has significantly improved academic advising services in the Athletic Association during her tenure, as was evidenced by improved graduation rates, higher GPA's, and sustained academic progress for student-athletes. Georgia Tech owes Carole a large debt of gratitude for her long and dedicated service to the Institute and most recently for working hard on behalf of our student-athletes.

Col. James Stevens, who is retiring from the Air Force, will replace Dr. Moore. He is a 1975 Industrial Management graduate of Georgia Tech and holds two master's degrees in Management and Logistics. He has been the Professor of Aerospace Studies for the past three years, commanding the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 165 at Georgia Tech.

Col. Stevens was a former football and baseball standout for Tech in the early 1970s. He played quarterback under Bill Fulcher in 1972 and 1973 and was named the MVP of Georgia Tech's victory against Iowa State in the 1972 Liberty Bowl. He also played baseball for Coach Jim Luck in 1974. He is married to the former Dee Hudson and they have four children -- Chad, Dea, Joel and Renee. Col. Stevens has enjoyed an outstanding career in the Air Force and brings the type of academic and athletic credentials important to succeed in a demanding job like this.

As part of his duties, David and I have asked Col. Stevens to visit a number of universities well known for the academic success of their student-athletes to see what we might learn from their experience. There are a number of important academic changes on the horizon for student-athletes, and we want to ensure that we take advantage of best practices. He is keenly aware of our expectations and is ready to take a fresh approach to meeting them. I'm confident that the excellent foundation provided by Dr. Moore and the new perspectives brought by Col. Stevens will yield positive results in the future.

While the academic accomplishments of Georgia Tech student-athletes on average have steadily improved for the past four years, following this spring semester 11 student-athletes were declared ineligible, of who 10 were football players. These players are required to sit out a term before returning to school.

Dr. Carole Moore, formerly Director of Academic Services for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, has elected to return to a full-time academic role at the Institute. Moore will become a special assistant to the vice provost, where she will teach, further develop international education efforts, and refine elite scholar initiatives. Moore currently is a teacher in the Georgia Tech Oxford program.

Clough praised Moore for significantly improving academic advising services in the Athletic Association during her tenure, as was evidenced by improved graduation rates, higher grade point averages, and sustained academic progress for student-athletes.

"Georgia Tech owes Carole a large debt of gratitude for her long and dedicated service to the Institute and most recently for working hard on behalf of our student-athletes," said Clough.

Col. James Stevens, a Tech alumnus who is retiring from the U. S. Air Force after a 27-year career, will replace Moore. Stevens holds master's degrees in business administration and logistics and has been the professor of Aerospace Studies for the past three years, commanding Georgia Tech's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 165. He was named MVP of the Liberty Bowl in 1972.

In making the announcement, Clough and Braine made it clear that coaches will continue to be expected to work with academic support personnel in a coordinated team effort to ensure that student-athletes have the opportunity to meet the challenges of a Tech education while making steady progress toward graduation.

"We also expect better effort and performance from our student-athletes," said Clough. "The vast majority of our student-athletes go far above and beyond what an average student must do in pursuit of their education. But all of the support systems in the world won't work if a student isn't motivated to obtain an education."

Clough emphasized his expectation that student-athletes should be able to achieve at an academic level comparable to that of the average of the student body, including remaining on track for graduation. He also highlighted the importance of academic advising within athletics.

"Credible and competent academic support enhances the experience of our student-athletes and upholds the rigorous academic excellence of Georgia Tech," said Clough.

Stevens will spend time this summer visiting some of the nation's most successful athletic departments to exchange ideas about how to cope with increasingly tough academic progress requirements from the NCAA.

"As part of his duties, we have asked Col. Stevens to visit a number of universities well known for the academic success of their student-athletes to see what we might learn from their experience," said Clough, a member of the NCAA Executive Committee. "There are a number of important academic changes on the horizon for student-athletes, and we want to ensure that we take advantage of best practices."

"Col. Stevens is keenly aware of our expectations and is ready to take a fresh approach to meeting them," said Clough. "I'm confident that the excellent foundation provided by Dr. Moore and the new perspectives brought by Col. Stevens will yield positive results in the future."

As is currently the case, Academic Support Services will report to both the athletic director and the provost.

"Such an arrangement makes sense," said Clough. "It ensures that those in daily contact with the student-athletes are fully engaged in their academic progress. It also ensures that the academic side of the house has an active role in working with athletics to provide a balanced perspective.

"In the end this is all about the maximizing the potential of our student-athletes in the classroom and on the playing fields," said Clough. "That is, after all, our primary mission."

About Col. James Stevens

Col. Stevens received his Industrial Management degree from Georgia Tech in 1975 and was a football and baseball standout for Tech in the early 1970s. He played football under Bill Fulcher in 1972 and 1973 as quarterback and was named the MVP of the 1972 Liberty Bowl in Georgia Tech's victory against Iowa State. He also played baseball for Coach Jim Luck in 1974 as an outfielder and designated hitter. He led the Jackets with seven home runs and a .377 batting average.

Stevens received his commission into the U.S. Air Force from Detachment 165 at Georgia Tech in 1975. He went on to fly F-111s as a weapons systems officer. He has been a commander at the flight, detachment, squadron, and group levels. He also was a professor of Strategy and Force Planning at the Naval War College in Newport, RI.

From there he was assigned as a group commander in charge of more than 1,500 people and four squadrons providing base security, communications, human resources and moral, recreation, and welfare services to a population of more than 20,000 people at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. His final assignment in the Air Force brought him back to his alma mater and the AFROTC detachment where his service to his country began.

Col. Stevens is married to the former Dee Hudson and they have four children -- Chad, Dea, Joel and Renee.

"Diana, in both her current research position and in her previous research, has focused on science policy, an area of strength in our School of Public Policy," says Sue Rosser, Dean, Ivan Allen College, the Liberal Arts College of Georgia Tech. "She enjoys respect from her peers and is widely acknowledged to be a significant science policy scholar with excellent academic credentials as well. I am confident she will raise the school's already strong profile in science and technology policy."

Hicks comes to Georgia Tech from CHI Research, Inc. where she has served as a senior policy analyst since 1998 specializing in science and technology policy. Before joining CHI Research, from 1988-97 Hicks was on the faculty of the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex, a leading research university in the United Kingdom, where she taught graduate courses in science policy and sociology of science and directed a graduate program.

She was a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley in 1994, where she taught an MBA course on innovation in Japan. In 1990-91, as a visiting fellow at the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) in Tokyo, she researched university-industry research links in Japan.

"I am excited to be joining a distinguished group of colleagues with international reputations in science and technology policy. I look forward to undertaking the challenging role of chair of the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech," said Hicks. "The School has thrived under Susan Cozzens' leadership, and building on that momentum I hope to continue the School's leadership in the study of science and technology policy and to enhance the visibility of this nationally ranked program."

Her career has focused on analyzing large databases of patents and papers to address questions of broad interest at the intersection of science and technology. Most recently she has been working for several Federal agencies analyzing the U.S. patent database to answer agency's questions about the relationship between their research and U.S. technology. She has also examined whether there is evidence in patterns of patenting in the U.S. to suggest that new technology is changing the nature of innovation and its relationship to research. Other recent work established that technology is most likely to build on high-quality, often basic, research. Hicks has published extensively in peer-reviewed publications including such prestigious science and technology journals as Nature, Research Policy, Scientometrics, and Science, Technology and Human Values. She also authored a chapter in the widely read "AAAS Science and Technology Policy Yearbook."

Hicks received her B.A. in Physics from Grinnell College in Iowa. She then studied at the University of Sussex on a Fulbright Scholarship for her Master's degree and later completed her Ph.D. degree from the University of Sussex as well.

The nationally ranked School of Public Policy is part of Ivan Allen College, the Liberal Arts College of Georgia Tech. The School offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Public Policy as well as undergraduate course work in several social science disciplines whose theories and methods contribute to the systematic study of public policy problems. The School also offers undergraduate courses in political science, philosophy, and other social sciences. Research and studies at the School of Public Policy focus on policy issues characterized by their scientific and technological content. This distinguishes the School from many other policy programs. The School offers several certificates and minors, including a Pre-Law minor and certificate.

"I am delighted to be representing our graduate and executive programs to the business community," says Kranzusch. "The College offers a wealth of educational and career-enhancing opportunities. Programs are small and customized to meet client needs, and our MBA students are top-quality job candidates."

Kranzusch has held a variety of leadership positions in sales, marketing and general management throughout his career. In addition to a 15-year career with IBM, culminating as Director of Retail Operations, his professional experience includes leadership in entrepreneurial ventures and consulting. Kranzusch served as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Inform-Portman Companies, a $140 million technology marketing center. As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Telemate.Net Software, he helped guide the company through a successful IPO and merger. As founder of a consulting practice, ClientView, LLC, Kranzusch advised senior managers on client retention and the use of measurable practices that enhanced financial performance.

For the past year, he has been a partner in The Leadership Forum, the Southeast's leading provider of advanced executive learning programs. This experience enhanced his understanding of the educational needs of executives and their organizations. Involvement in career growth and change in organizations has been a common theme throughout his career.

"Jim's combination of experience and skills is an extraordinary match for our needs," says Blum. "He brings insight into the recruiting and executive development needs of our corporate constituents. As we move into our dazzling new building in Midtown Atlanta, Jim will provide the leadership and focus to forge strong ties between the business school at Georgia Tech and the business community."

Capt. Groves, assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron from Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has completed all of his coursework online so far, since he has been unable to physically attend classes on campus. From a laptop in his tent, between piloting a Sikorsky MH-53M "Pave Low," used for special operations and combat search and rescue, Groves is finishing his fifth online class in Georgia Tech's distance learning program.

"My deployment schedule has been hectic at times, and quiet during others," Groves wrote in an email from Iraq. "At the start of my deployment, I was able to keep up somewhat as well. Once the war started, I didn't touch it for a couple of weeks."

Before Groves was deployed to Iraq, he gathered everything he needed so he could work at his own pace in the class, which focuses on designing open engineering systems. He downloaded and printed all of the reading material he'd need for the class. His professor, Farrokh Mistree, in Georgia Tech's School of Mechanical Engineering gave him a CD-rom of the previous semester's class.

"Everything I need is on my laptop computer," he writes. "CD-roms and email made my coursework possible. Mail takes 3-4 weeks or longer to get here. I had to have all of the courseware available before I left, otherwise the task would have been near impossible."

What's it like completing a distance learning class from war? Being deployed as a pilot means a lot of down time sitting on alert for contingencies that seldom happen, Groves says. Pilots are also required to have 12 hours of rest prior to flying, which leaves only a couple of hours to study even when things are hectic. When his crew flies heavily, however, there is little time or energy for anything else.

"It was possible to sit in my tent, put in earplugs, and complete my coursework," he said. "There is no library, of course, and it is difficult to conduct any kind of research. Whenever I use e-mail I have to wait in line and I'm usually limited to 15 minutes, so even surfing the Internet is difficult. Many sites are restricted."

Professor Mistree, Marshall's instructor at Georgia Tech, has had students take his online course while serving in the military before, but never from a war. When working with students in this type of scenario, he realizes he must be accommodating with deadlines and correspondence.

"Our focus is on empowering students to learn how to learn while accommodating the needs of distance learning students," Mistree said.

In fall 1999, Georgia Tech became the first university in the nation to offer its master's degree in mechanical engineering entirely via the Internet. Twenty-one courses in CD-ROM format are on web. Internet instruction includes links to other web-based materials and features the power and capability of Georgia Tech's computer network.

Groves, who obtained his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO in 1995, hopes to complete at least a portion of the remainder of his studies on campus at Georgia Tech. He expects to graduate within three years. In the current course Groves is completing, he has finished all his assignments and is working now on the final project. Groves expects to return to the U.S. in late June and hopefully stay a while.

"Technology Square is poised to be the center of the high-tech corridor of Atlanta. Having a thriving retail community is essential to supporting the education and business innovation that Technology Square and Centergy will foster," said Bob Thompson, senior vice president for administration and finance at Georgia Tech.

Barnes and Noble at Georgia Tech

Barnes and Noble at Georgia Tech, scheduled to open July 12, will be a 55,000 square-foot academic superstore including a 2,500 square-foot Starbucks. Serving both as a Barnes and Noble superstore and as the Georgia Tech bookstore, it will feature 70,000 books, 13,000 DVD and music titles and sheet music along with computer equipment, electronics, digital cameras, college textbooks and merchandise. The store will be Barnes and Noble College Bookstores' largest on a college campus in the southeast and the leading technology resource center in the state.

Positioned to be a vibrant part of Atlanta and Georgia Tech, Barnes and Noble at Georgia Tech is planning a host of community events including author appearances by such writers as science fiction guru Neal Stephenson. The superstore also is planning open-mike poetry nights on Fridays, story telling for children on Saturday mornings and Saturday Night's at Starbucks, featuring jazz and acoustic music.

LA Fitness

LA Fitness is scheduled to open their 20th location in Georgia at Centergy in August. The 29,000 square-foot facility will feature state-of-the-art fitness equipment. LA Fitness was started in Southern California in 1984 and has since expanded into six states.

Susan Mendheim, president and CEO of Midtown Alliance, said the mix of restaurants, retail stores and services Centergy and Technology Square will provide is exactly what Midtown needs. "They will definitely enhance Midtown's reputation as a vibrant urban center," said Mendheim.

Fifth Street Ribs and Blues

In addition to the two anchors, Technology Square will add six restaurants to the Midtown dining scene. Fifth Street Ribs and Blues will offer high quality barbecue and blues. The blues-themed restaurant, owned by father and son team Ron and Brett Brooks, is scheduled to open in mid-to-late August. Fifth Street Ribs and Blues will be open for lunch and dinner.

Tin Drum Asian Café

Tin Drum Asian Café is another newcomer debuting at Technology Square. Offering a mix of Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Malaysian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, Tin Drum Asian Cafe is scheduled to open in mid-August. Owner Stephen Chan is no stranger to the Atlanta restaurant market. Chan owns Thai Diner, a successful Thai restaurant with five locations in the metro area. This is Chan's first foray into pan-Asian cuisine. Chan said he is excited about opening his sixth restaurant and that Technology Square was the perfect location for him, considering he's an architecture graduate from Tech.

"It's like coming back home. My restaurant is the first one you come to when you cross the bridge from the main Tech campus from the College of Architecture," said Chan.

Moe's Southwest Grill

Moe's Southwest Grill is set to be the leader in the fresh-mex market. Moe's opened its first restaurant in 2001 and already has locations in eight states, soon to be 17. Opening in mid-August, Moe's is famous for its fresh (they don't even own a freezer) burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads as well as its eclectic décor and music. Sporting paintings and music of pop-culture icons such as Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Hendrix along with menu items with names like "Joey Bag of Donuts" and "The Full Monty," Moe's wraps a bit of fun and humor into everything they do.

St. Charles Deli

St. Charles Deli will open its second Atlanta location at Technology Square in September. Offering freshly made deli sandwiches, desert and espresso, St. Charles Deli will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The deli will also offer delivery and catering.

"It seemed to be fate that just as we were looking to expand, Georgia Tech had space available at this prime location. It's such a perfect fit, it feels like the space was created for me," said owner Douglas Clearly.

Great Wraps

With more than 50 locations in 12 states, Great Wraps has a reputation for fresh wrap sandwiches, rollers and smoothies. Great Wraps features fast, friendly service and a diverse menu. It's sure to be a hit with the busy Midtown business and university crowd.

Marble Slab Creamery

Customers can cool off at the Marble Slab Creamery. Having opened its doors earlier this month, this is the Houston-based ice cream giant's ninth store in the Atlanta area. With 290 stores in the United States, Marble Slab Creamery is known for ice cream and cones made fresh in the store each day. Customers can personalize their ice cream by choosing from a variety of fruits, nuts, candies and cookies mixed on a frozen marble slab.

Posh Day Spa

Technology Square and Centergy also will host four retail stores featuring a variety of services. Posh Day Spa will provide the perfect getaway for Midtown residents, business executives and hotel guests. Opening in mid-July, owner Mia Evans Buckner said the spa will offer nail and skin treatments, body polish, massage, facials and seaweed wraps. Buckner has owned a successful in-home spa business since 2001.

"We've been looking over a year now for the ideal spot. We wanted something in an urban area with an opportunity to serve a broad clientele. We love the fact that Tech Square is in an extremely diverse community," said Buckner.

T-Mobile

The T-Mobile store offers busy Midtown customers and students the latest in wireless phone service and technology. T-Mobile USA is one of the fastest growing nationwide wireless providers, offering all digital voice, messaging and high-speed wireless data services to nearly 10 million customers. Already serving satisfied customers, the T-Mobile store was the first retail location to open its doors at Centergy.

Parcel Plus/ Copy Club

Parcel Plus/Copy Club combines the resources of two national retail chains to provide packaging, shipping, high quality and large format printing, graphics and binding services under one roof. The store opened in mid-April.

Modern Care Cleaners and Newstand

Modern Care Cleaners and Newstand is owner Thomas Kang's third location in Atlanta. In business for 21 years, Kang offers top-notch cleaning and pressing to area residents, businesses and guests of the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Modern Care opened its doors this month.

Although 12 spots are filled, Technology Square has two locations available. The adjacent bays can be combined or licensed separately and measure 1,613 and 1,453 square feet. They are located on the ground floor of the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.

About Technology Square:

Designed to be the nexus of a thriving high-tech corridor in Atlanta, Technology Square and Centergy connect the intellectual capital of Georgia Tech, one of the nation's premier technological research universities, to the burgeoning business community in Midtown Atlanta. Within walking distance from the Midtown and North Avenue MARTA transit stations and with easy access to Interstate 75/85, Technology Square and Centergy are easy to reach whether traveling by foot, transit, or car.

Major components of Technology Square include:

·DuPree College of Management, with 189,000 square feet of classrooms, offices, and learning resource space, including Executive Education and Interdisciplinary Centers.
·The 252-room Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, including an Executive Conference Center with 21,000 square feet of meeting space.
·Global Learning Center, including 113,000 square feet dedicated to classrooms, computing labs, offices, and distance learning.
·Economic Development Institute, devoted to furthering business development and growth throughout the state of Georgia.
·Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development, a research center to study Metro Atlanta as a living laboratory for mixed-use development and related issues.

Centergy Includes:

·Centergy One, a 486,993-square-foot office building featuring Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center, dedicated to incubating high-tech business start-ups.
·Technology Square Research Building, a 210,000-square-foot Georgia Tech building dedicated to becoming one of the world's premier centers for research, design and commercialization of broadband communications technology.

Despite tough new federal regulations on foreign students, 104 international students are expected to enroll in Tech's 2003-2004 freshman class, which is a 57.5 percent increase over last year and the largest in Tech's history. Georgia Tech already boasts the largest number of international students in the state, with 2,825 enrolled in Tech's undergraduate and graduate programs for 2002-2003. The increase comes as a pleasant surprise to Sheila Schulte, associate director for international students and scholar services at Tech.

"We weren't sure if the new rules on student visas would deter students from applying. It's nice to see that the high caliber of our reputation was able to outweigh any difficulties they might have with the visa process," said Schulte.

Attracting top-notch international students is vital for a university that wants to increase diversity on campus, said Ingrid Hayes, interim director of the Office of Undergraduate Admission. "Diversity doesn't just apply to African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American students. Having a truly diverse campus means that you have students from all over the world, with vastly different backgrounds contributing their ideas, culture and ways of viewing the world to your campus. This greatly enhances the education students get at Tech and gives them the skills to prosper in the business world, which is becoming more internationally focused every day."

The majority of international freshmen come from India, with China and South Korea tying for the number two spot, followed by Canada and Pakistan.

Coupled with the increasing number of international students at Tech is a dramatic rise in the number of students taking foreign language courses. Courses in Arabic, scheduled to debut this fall, are already incredibly popular as are Korean classes, which began last fall. The boom in foreign language courses is occurring despite the fact that Tech has no foreign language requirement.

Tech students this year will also see an influx of international television channels. The Georgia Tech Cable Network (GTCN) is adding 24 international channels to its line-up. The channels will feature 13 different foreign languages including Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Japanese and French. There will also be eight Spanish language channels.

An informal survey conducted by GTCN suggests their international line-up is larger than those of the cable systems serving the top 25 universities for international students.

The channels will be available to students living on campus and to anyone in the Institute's academic buildings. Mark Adelman, manager of GTCN, said it was Tech's growing population of international students and the rising interest in foreign languages and international affairs that led the network to offer so many international channels.

"These channels won't only be of interest to international students. We think they'll be valuable to professors in the classroom and to all students who are interested in learning foreign languages or about other cultures," said Adelman.

To meet the growing demand for international diversity, Tech is beginning to raise money for a new 20,000-square-foot International House. The new facility would house the Office of International Education, student groups and activities, and a kitchen.

"What we hope to do is to have the International House serve as a place where we provide a bridge between cultures for international students and students from the United States who become involved. It will be a place to share ideas and learn from one another," said Howard Rollins, director of the Office of International Education.

Tech's diversity continues to rise among other groups as well. The number of Asian freshmen (399) is expected to grow 12 percent, while the 26.4 percent gains Hispanic freshmen made last fall are holding steady.

Staying Close to Home

More students are sticking close to home. Tech expects 1,425 freshmen to enroll from Georgia high schools, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to last fall.

The weak economy may have something to do with students choosing to stay closer to home, said Deborah Smith, vice provost of Enrollment Services. "People aren't sure whether or not they can afford to pay out-of-state tuition and are uncertain if the economy will get better," she said.

Money being more of an issue, 12.4 percent fewer freshmen from outside of Georgia are expected to enroll this fall compared to last fall.

Despite the changing demographics, there is one thing that hasn't changed in Tech's freshman class: the academic quality of the students. Average SAT scores and grade-point averages of the freshman class are about the same as last year's averages. Nationally, Tech's SAT scores are the second-highest among public research universities, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings. Tech's SAT scores rank 25th overall.

Fall 2003 Freshman Class Quick Facts

·Number of freshmen expected to enroll - 2,254

·Average high school GPA - 3.74

·Average SAT - 1339

·Number of 1600 SAT scores - 6 freshmen with 1600 test scores; 4 on the same test date; 2 of these were ACT; 1 has 1600 on the SAT and a perfect score on the ACT.

·Average age - 18 years

·Most popular first name:
female - Amanda (17)
male - Michael (70)

·Most popular last name:
female - Lee (9)
male - Smith (14)

·Most popular majors:
Undecided Engineering (487)
Computer Science (213)
Aerospace Engineering (212)

·43 states and Puerto Rico represented. No freshmen from Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, North and South Dakota, and West Virginia.

·Top 5 foreign countries:
India (42)
Pakistan (7)
Korea, Republic of (South) (6)
Canada (6)
Columbia (5)

·There are 5 sets of twins.

·There are 98 freshmen who have multiple legacies and 481 with at least one legacy.

·There are 900 high schools represented.

·Fifty-two percent (1,192) of the freshman class submitted a Web application.

·There are 54 National Merit Finalists (UMF) and 20 National Achievement Finalists (UAF).

Torex International offers steel fiber designed for the international construction industry. The product enables customers to create safer structures at a lower cost with revolutionary, patented Steel Fiber Reinforced Cement (SFRC) composite technology.

The Torex International team includes DuPree College of Management MBA students Alicia Benyard, Mike Bliss, David Devine, Luke Pinkerton, and Andy Warner and Chemical Engineering graduate student Chris Power. Dr. Pat Dickson, assistant professor, DuPree College of Management serves as faculty adviser to DuPree's venture teams.

In March, Torex International won third place and received $2,500 in funding at the 2003 Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition. They also received a $45,000 service package for being the most fundable venture team.

"If you go to a country where the food is wonderful and the people are awesome, you just can't wait to get back. There is a great candidness to the people and to the country. Their mathematicians are second to none. It's just beautiful ,and I want to go back," said Eger.

The Fulbright program was created in 1946 with legislation sponsored by Sen. J. William Fulbright. A fervent believer in cultural exchange, he reasoned that nations would be less likely to go to war against each other if people could study abroad and learn about each other's culture, a philosophy Eger has taken to heart.

"There are a lot of far off places that we may hear about on the news, but we have no concept of what they are really like," said Eger.

On his first trip, Eger rented a room from an 85-year-old Hungarian woman. Eger didn't speak much Hungarian and she didn't speak much English, so they spoke to each other in the only language that was mutual - German. Living with her was an amazing experience, Eger said. Her husband was in the military, and she had lived through several wars. She was an eyewitness to history.

Fulbright advisor Amy Bass Henry said Eger's enthusiasm made him the perfect Fulbright candidate. "I'm so glad he was awarded the Fulbright. He is very passionate about Hungary and math."

Eger will spend a year taking graduate-level math in Budapest and then plans to return to the states to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science.

"There's a beauty to math. There's a bit of finality. Once you're done proving something in math, you're done," said Eger.

The Fulbright Fellowship will pay for his travel, tuition, books, as well as room and board. Sponsored by the U.S. State Department, the domestic component of the international program awards about 1,000 grants for American students to pursue international research. More than 140 countries participated in the program this year.

"Georgia Tech is already a recognized leader in creating sustainable technologies, solving environmental problems and educating students to view their professions through the prism of sustainability," said Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough. "The Environmental Science and Technology Building will take our efforts to a new level, and we are very pleased to have Ford Motor Company as a partner in this effort."

The $58 million Ford ES&T Building was built with a combination of state and private funding, with $38 million coming from the state of Georgia, $15 million from private donors and $5 million from the Georgia Research Alliance.

Tech will celebrate Ford's $10 million commitment to the building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to be followed by a reception and public tours. The program will feature remarks by Clough and appearances by University System of Georgia Chancellor Thomas Meredith and honored guest Edsel Ford II, a member of the Board of Directors of Ford and great-grandson of the company's founder.

"This is a tremendous new building, and it also is a tool," said Ford. "But what counts most is the Georgia Tech scientists, engineers and cadre of dedicated graduate assistants. In the hands of these very capable people, this facility will help increase our environmental understanding and shape a better world for all of us."

Ford has had operations in Atlanta for nearly a century. The company is responsible for more than 3,000 jobs in the metro region and has donated several million dollars to Atlanta organizations in recent years. Ford has a long history of hiring Tech graduates as well as funding the Institute's programs. Over the past 40 years the company has been a key corporate partner with Tech, giving more than $4.6 million. Ford celebrates its 100th anniversary on June 16, 2003.