Hosted by the National Academy of Engineering in partnership with the European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE), and supported by The Grainger Foundation, the symposium is an invitation-only gathering of approximately 60 early- to mid-career engineers from the United States and Europe. The program is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and explore emerging engineering challenges.
Participation in the EU-U.S. FOE Symposium is considered one of the most prestigious honors for mid-career engineers and is often regarded as a catalyst for future leadership roles in the field, with many past participants going on to achieve high professional distinction.
The Kostka Lab works in peatland ecosystems to quantify changes in microbial communities brought on by climate change drivers. In particular, next generation gene sequencing and omics approaches are employed to investigate the microbial groups that mediate organic matter degradation and the release of greenhouse gases.
Peatlands make up just 3% of the earth’s land surface but store more than 30% of the world’s soil carbon, preserving organic matter and sequestering its carbon for tens of thousands of years. A new study sounds the alarm that an extreme drought event could quadruple peatland carbon loss in a warming climate.
In the study, published October 23 in Science, researchers find that, under conditions that mimic a future climate (with warmer temperatures and elevated carbon dioxide), extreme drought dramatically increases the release of carbon in peatlands by nearly three times. This means that droughts in future climate conditions could turn a valuable carbon sink into a carbon source, erasing between 90 and 250 years of carbon stores in a matter of months.
“As temperatures increase, drought events become more frequent and severe, making peatlands more vulnerable than before,” said Yiqi Luo, senior author and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science’s Soil and Crop Sciences Section, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University. “We add new evidence to show that with peatlands, the stakes are high. We observed that these extreme drought events can wipe out hundreds of years of accumulated carbon, so this has a huge implication.”
“To me, this study is striking in that it shows that around 10 to 100 years of carbon uptake by one of the most important global soil carbon stores can be erased by just two months of extreme drought,” adds Joel Kostka, Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech.
It was already well-established that drought reduces ecosystem productivity and increases carbon release in peatlands, but this study is the first to examine how that carbon loss is exacerbated as the planet warms and more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates extreme drought will become 1.7 to 7.2 times more likely in the near future.
Other co-authors include Cornell postdoctoral researchers Jian Zhou and Ning Wei; senior research associate Lifen Jiang; and researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ETH Zurich, Northern Arizona University, the Australian National University, the University of Western Ontario and Duke University.
Funding for the study came in part from the National Science Foundation, USDA, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
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Jess Hunt-Ralston Director of Communications College of Sciences Georgia Tech
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Sound Investment: Dolby Extends Partnership with College to Advance AI, Immersive Tech
Oct 23, 2025 —
Building on more than a year of successful collaboration, Dolby Labs has extended its investment in Georgia Tech’s College of Computing for a second year, donating $600,000 to support cutting-edge research.
Dolby and the College each have laboratories in the Coda building, which promotes collaboration at various levels. The audiovisual technology company supported seven research projects last year, spanning computing systems and AI modeling. The partnership also includes events such as this month’s co-hosted student seminar.
“This partnership has reinforced the importance of taking an interdisciplinary approach to our research,” said VivekSarkar, Dean of Computing, who worked in industry for two decades before returning to academia.
“I’d like to see us go even deeper in finding ways to combine faculty from different schools and different research areas to work with one partner.”
YalongYang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing, is one of the researchers who received Dolby support last year. He and his lab have been working on creating interactive, immersive versions of stories from the New York Times.
“We’re particularly interested in the engagement side,” Yang said. “That’s what Dolby’s business is about.” Yang and his collaborators have been showing the immersive stories to test subjects while collecting data on heart rate and eye movement.
These collaborations have resulted in several published papers. The code developed is released as open source, enabling anyone to use it. Meanwhile, Dolby scientists can tailor the code for their own needs.
“We deliberately look for ambitious, farther-looking projects," said ShriramRevankar, senior vice president of Dolby’s Advanced Technology Group.
"These are the risks that academia can take and do well in, because they have constant access to new students and other faculty."
At its core, the partnership is about developing relationships among faculty, students, and Dolby, according to HumphreyShi.
"The students get experience in solving real-world problems for an international corporation, and Dolby’s researchers expand their knowledge through connecting with Tech faculty," said Shi, an associate professor in interactive computing whose research has also been supported by Dolby.
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claycombe@cc.gatech.edu
Raheem Beyah Named Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Oct 23, 2025 —
Raheem Beyah
Raheem Beyah has been selected as Georgia Tech's next provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, beginning Nov. 1.
Beyah has served as the dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair at Georgia Tech since 2021. Under his leadership, the College has strengthened its national and global reputation for innovation, research excellence, and student success, earning top-10 national rankings across every engineering discipline.
Known for his mentorship and collaborative leadership, Beyah will assume the role of the Institute's chief academic officer — leading and supporting all academic and related units, including the Colleges, the Library, and professional education. He will also oversee academic and budgetary policy and priorities for the Institute.
"Raheem Beyah's commitment to students, faculty, and staff has always been at the heart of his leadership," said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. "He understands firsthand what they experience — their challenges, aspirations, and the drive that defines a Georgia Tech education. That perspective will make him an outstanding provost and a tremendous partner in advancing Georgia Tech's mission."
An Atlanta native who earned his master's and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech after completing a bachelor's degree at North Carolina A&T State University, Beyah is recognized as a leading expert in network security and privacy.
"What excites me most about Georgia Tech is how we bring different disciplines together to solve real problems," he said. "Innovation happens when engineers work alongside artists, humanists, and social scientists, connecting technology with purpose and people. As provost, I'm eager to continue building those bridges and supporting the incredible creativity that defines this community."
In 2024, Beyah was named a fellow by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It is the highest echelon of membership in IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to "advancing technology for the benefit of humanity." He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Engineering Education, a lifetime member of the National Society of Black Engineers, and an Association for Computing Machinery distinguished scientist.
Before joining the faculty at Georgia Tech, where he has served in various leadership roles, Beyah was a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science at Georgia State University, a research faculty member with the Georgia Tech Communications Systems Center, and a consultant in Andersen Consulting's (now Accenture) Network Solutions Group.
A Flexible Lens Controlled By Light-Activated Artificial Muscles Promises to Let Soft Machines See
Oct 22, 2025 —
This rubbery disc is an artificial eye that could give soft robots vision. Corey Zheng/Georgia Institute of Technology
Inspired by the human eye, our biomedical engineering lab at Georgia Tech has designed an adaptive lens made of soft, light-responsive, tissuelike materials.
Adjustable camera systems usually require a set of bulky, moving, solid lenses and a pupil in front of a camera chip to adjust focus and intensity. In contrast, human eyes perform these same functions using soft, flexible tissues in a highly compact form.
Our lens, called the photo-responsive hydrogel soft lens, or PHySL, replaces rigid components with soft polymers acting as artificial muscles. The polymers are composed of a hydrogel − a water-based polymer material. This hydrogel muscle changes the shape of a soft lens to alter the lens’s focal length, a mechanism analogous to the ciliary muscles in the human eye.
The hydrogel material contracts in response to light, allowing us to control the lens without touching it by projecting light onto its surface. This property also allows us to finely control the shape of the lens by selectively illuminating different parts of the hydrogel. By eliminating rigid optics and structures, our system is flexible and compliant, making it more durable and safer in contact with the body.
Why it Matters
Artificial vision using cameras is commonplace in a variety of technological systems, including robots and medical tools. The optics needed to form a visual system are still typically restricted to rigid materials using electric power. This limitation presents a challenge for emerging fields, including soft robotics and biomedical tools that integrate soft materials into flexible, low-power and autonomous systems. Our soft lens is particularly suitable for this task.
Soft robots are machines made with compliant materials and structures, taking inspiration from animals. This additional flexibility makes them more durable and adaptive. Researchers are using the technology to develop surgical endoscopes, grippers for handling delicate objects and robots for navigating environments that are difficult for rigid robots.
The same principles apply to biomedical tools. Tissuelike materials can soften the interface between body and machine, making biomedical tools safer by making them move with the body. These include skinlike wearable sensors and hydrogel-coated implants.
This variable-focus soft lens, shown viewing a Rubik’s Cube, can flex and twist without being damaged.Corey Zheng/Georgia Institute of Technology
What Other Research is Being Done in This Field
This work merges concepts from tunable optics and soft “smart” materials. While these materials are often used to create soft actuators – parts of machines that move – such as grippers or propulsors, their application in optical systems has faced challenges.
Many existing soft lens designs depend on liquid-filled pouches or actuators requiring electronics. These factors can increase complexity or limit their use in delicate or untethered systems. Our light-activated design offers a simpler, electronics-free alternative.
What’s Next
We aim to improve the performance of the system using advances in hydrogel materials. New research has yielded several types of stimuli-responsive hydrogels with faster and more powerful contraction abilities. We aim to incorporate the latest material developments to improve the physical capabilities of the photo-responsive hydrogel soft lens.
We also aim to show its practical use in new types of camera systems. In our current work, we developed a proof-of-concept, electronics-free camera using our soft lens and a custom light-activated, microfluidic chip. We plan to incorporate this system into a soft robot to give it electronics-free vision. This system would be a significant demonstration for the potential of our design to enable new types of soft visual sensing.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
While some of those users can upgrade to Windows 11, hundreds of millions of devices don’t meet the technical requirements.
Those users might be wondering what else they can do besides throwing away their current device and buying a new one or risking running outdated software on it.
The tech conglomerate faced backlash from environmental and cybersecurity experts after informing Windows users that it would cease providing updates for Windows 10.
These experts have warned that rendering hundreds of millions of devices practically useless will worsen the ever-growing problem with electronic waste (e-waste) and leave users who can't upgrade vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.
Researchers from Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing (SIC) and School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) echo those concerns.
“The problem of e-waste raises the question of why and how these technologies become obsolete,” said Cindy Lin, a Stephen Fleming Early Career Assistant Professor in SIC.
Lin studies data structures and environmental governance in Southeast Asia and the U.S.
“Scholarship in human-computer interaction (HCI) on repair reveals that many of these technologies suffer from planned obsolescence,” she said. “This means that companies have designed products with a short lifespan, increasing consumption and waste simultaneously.”
When e-waste is dumped in landfills, the organic materials within devices decompose, producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. And with every discarded device comes the need to produce new ones. The raw materials of these devices are mined, refined, and processed, consuming enormous amounts of energy through the burning of fossil fuels.
The Problem with Hackers
Though Microsoft said it will continue to provide Windows 10 security updates for one year, users are still being pressured to upgrade. By this time next year, if users still haven’t upgraded to Windows 11, they can expect to become easy targets for cyber criminals.
For example, users could receive phishing emails claiming to be from Microsoft about security updates from hackers pretending to be Microsoft.
“The cybersecurity implications are very serious because new vulnerabilities of Windows 10 will go unpatched for a large part of the user base of this system,” said Mustaque Ahamad, Regents’ Entrepreneur Professor and interim chair of SCP.
“These users will become targets of hackers and cyber criminals who will be able to exploit these vulnerabilities. This will make these machines more prone to attacks such as ransomware and data exfiltration.”
What Can Users Do?
Buying a new device typically costs around $300 at the low end, while some gaming computers can exceed $2,500.
Josiah Hester, an associate professor in the School of IC who researches computing and sustainability, said users who want to avoid discarding their devices can install Linux Mint, a free universal operating system.
“I would hope that instead of discarding, people might see this as an opportunity to go into a more open ecosystem like Linux Mint, which was designed for Windows users,” Hester said.
“So much perfectly good hardware is obsolesced by force, when users are more than willing to give it a second life, either through ending support on the software side, subscription services that require certain versions of an OS, or even building the hardware or low-level functions that reduce the autonomy of device owners.”
Linux Mint is open source and offers its own suite of software products, including a word processor. It also has a built-in security system. It requires 2GB of RAM, 20GB of disk space, and 1024x768 resolution to operate.
On a systemic level, Lin and Hester said people can support organizations that advocate for right to repair and legislation that protects consumers from planned obsolescence.
“HCI studies of informal economies of improvisation and repair have demonstrated that technologies have a longer lifecycle if we have access to expertise on how to repair them without facing penalties such as copyright violations,” Lin said.
“The ongoing right-to-repair movement in the US shows promise in making technology repairable and, in turn, more sustainable.”
Georgia Tech Launches Fall 2025 Lab Collaboration Dashboards
Oct 22, 2025 —
Georgia Tech has launched the latest edition of its National Laboratory (NL) Collaboration Data Dashboards, covering fiscal years 2016–2025. The updated dashboards provide a sharper, data-driven view of Georgia Tech’s partnerships with the U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories, offering insights into research impact, funding trends, and strategic opportunities for the campus community.
“This new edition goes beyond showcasing collaboration — it’s a strategic tool that helps researchers and administrators identify high-impact opportunities, optimize funding strategies, and plan future initiatives with precision,” said Vice President of Interdisciplinary Research Julia Kubanek.
What’s new in this release:
Recent Strategic Funding Insights: For the first time, dashboards detail NL funding awarded to Georgia Tech by publication discipline for calendar years 2023–2025, providing clear visibility into where investments are concentrated and where new opportunities may lie.
Mutual Research Investments: Georgia Tech’s collaborative projects with NLs now highlight reciprocal funding flows, reflecting shared priorities and strengthening partnerships that advance cutting-edge science and technology.
Research and Innovation Impact: From numerous joint publications and citations to patents cited by NLs, the dashboards demonstrate Georgia Tech’s leadership in advancing innovation across STEM disciplines.
Expanded Collaboration Areas: The dashboards spotlight high-impact research in advanced computing, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, cybersecurity, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, and energy solutions — underscoring how Georgia Tech-NL collaborations tackle pressing global challenges.
“National Lab collaborations are a cornerstone of Georgia Tech’s mission,” said Professor Martin Mourigal, Georgia Tech faculty liaison for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “They give our students and faculty access to world-class infrastructure, specialized expertise, and mission-driven science that shape careers and drive discovery.”
“These dashboards are more than a record. They are a roadmap for strategic investment and collaboration that positions Georgia Tech to secure larger funding opportunities and accelerate innovation,” added George White, senior director of strategic partnerships.
Space Exploration in the Backyard, On a Budget – How NASA Simulates Conditions in Space Without Blasting Off
Oct 20, 2025 —
Analog missions, like those conducted at NASA’s CHAPEA facility at the Johnson Space Center, help scientists study human spaceflight without leaving Earth. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Humanity’s drive to explore has taken us across the solar system, with astronaut boots, various landers and rovers’ wheels exploring the surfaces of several different planetary bodies. These environments are generally hostile to human and equipment health, so designing and executing these missions requires a lot of planning, testing and technological development.
One way to test out techniques and identify situations that may arise during a real mission is using a simulation, which in this field is more commonly known as an analog. Researchers choose and design analog missions and environments to replicate elements of a real mission, using what is available here on Earth.
These missions are conducted in extreme environments on Earth that are comparable to the Moon or Mars, in habitats designed to replicate living quarters, or a combination of both. Researchers can use analogs to study crew performance and procedures, or to test instruments under development for use in space.
For example, operating a drill or wrench may seem easy here on Earth, but try doing the same task in thick gloves on a bulky, pressurized space suit in lower gravity. Suddenly, things aren’t so straightforward. Testing these scenarios on Earth allows researchers to identify necessary changes before launch. The analogs can also train crew members who will one day undertake the actual mission.
I’m a planetary scientist, which means I study the geology of other planets. Currently, I study environments on Earth that are similar to other planets to improve our understanding of their counterparts elsewhere in the solar system. I participated as a volunteer in one of these analog missions as an “analog astronaut,” serving as the crew geologist and applying my prior research findings from studying the surfaces of the Moon and Mars.
These analog missions vary in setting, length and intensity, but all aim to learn more about the human factors involved in space exploration.
Where Do We Send Them?
Analog missions are designed to simulate the crew’s experience in a given mission plan. In some cases, they simulate surface operations on the Moon or Mars for up to a year. Others might replicate the experience of being in transit to Mars for a period of time, followed by the crew “landing” and exploring the surface.
NASA uses several analog mission facilities spread across the world. For example, the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah is located in an environment chosen to imitate conditions on Mars, while analog missions at Aquarius, an undersea research station off the coast of Florida, help scientists learn about crew behavior and psychology in a confined habitat located in a hostile environment.
I participated in a simulated 28-day lunar surface mission at a facility called Hi-SEAS as part of a study on crew dynamics and psychology in extreme isolation. The facility is located on Mauna Loa, a volcano on the big island of Hawaii. This habitat has been used for a variety of studies, as the volcanic terrain is reminiscent of both the Moon and parts of Mars, and the isolated location simulates being in space.
The HI-SEAS Habitat, which recreates the conditions of living and working on the Moon, is located in Mauna Loa, Hawaii.Jordan Bretzfelder
Analog Mission Crews
Most missions require applicants to hold relevant degrees. They must undergo physical health and psychiatric evaluations, with the goal being to select individuals with similar backgrounds to those in the astronaut corps. The ideal crew is typically made up of participants who work and live well with others, and can stay cool under stress.
Crews also include at least one person with medical training for emergencies, as well as a variety of scientists and engineers to operate the habitat’s life support systems.
Special suits were required whenever researchers left the habitat. They consisted of flight suits, protective pads, thick motorcycle gloves and a modified helmet with an air pump unit attached, housed in a backpack. Ensuring the suits and air systems were functioning before and during these short expeditions was critical.Jordan Bretzfelder
The experiences of each crew varies, depending on the mission design, location and makeup of the crew. My mission was designed so that the six crew members would not have any information about our crewmates until we arrived in Hawaii for training. In addition to geology expertise, I also have some medical training as a Wilderness First Responder, so I was there to assist with any medical issues.
Daily Life On An Analog Mission
Once in Hawaii, the crew spent three days learning how to operate the habitat systems, including the hydroponic garden and solar panels. We practiced emergency procedures and were taught how to perform other tasks.
After that orientation, we were deployed to the habitat for 28 days. We turned in our phones to mission control and could only access the internet to check emails or use a few preapproved websites required for our daily duties. Our days were scheduled with tasks from wake up, about 6:30 a.m., to lights out, about 10 p.m.
The mission patch from the lunar analog mission.
The tasks included a variety of exercises to assess individual and group performance. They included individual assessments – similar to a daily IQ test – and group computer-based tasks, such as team 3D Tetris. The researchers remotely monitored our interactions during these activities, and the results were analyzed as the mission progressed. They used our fluctuating performance on these activities as a proxy for estimating stress levels, group cohesion and individual well-being.
Additionally, we went on two-to-three-hour extra-vehicular activities, or excursions outside the habitat, on alternating days. During these expeditions, we conducted geologic investigations on the volcano. On our “off days,” we spent two hours exercising in the habitat. We had to be fully suited in a mock spacesuit any time we went outside, and we had to be careful about the airlock procedures. We were never outdoors alone.
We could only eat freeze-dried and powdered foods, aside from what we were able to grow in the hydroponic system. We had no additional food delivered during our stay. Water was also rationed, meaning we had to find innovative ways to maintain personal hygiene. For example, a bucket shower one or two times per week was allowed, supplemented by “wilderness wipe” baths. As someone with a lot of very curly hair, I was happy to figure out a method for managing it using less than two liters of water per week. We were also permitted to do laundry once during our stay, as a group. Sorting through your crewmates’ wet clothes was certainly one way to bond.
Though physically demanding at times, the workload was not unreasonable. We were kept busy all day, as certain everyday tasks, such as cooking, required more effort than they might need in our normal lives. Preparing nutritionally balanced and palatable meals while rationing our very limited resources was hard, but it also provided opportunities to get creative with recipes and ingredients. We even managed to bake a cake for a crew member’s birthday, using peanut butter protein and cocoa powders to flavor it.
After dinner each night, we shared the pre-saved movies and shows we had each brought with us into the habitat, as we could not access the internet. Those of us who had brought physical copies of books into the habitat would trade those as well. One crew member managed to acquire a downloadable form of the daily Wordle, so we could still compete with our friends back home. We also played board games, and all of these activities helped us get to know each other.
Though different from our typical daily lives, the experience was one of a kind. We had the satisfaction of knowing that our efforts advanced space exploration in its own small way, one IQ test and slapdash cake at a time.
Monteiro has been a leading figure in continuous optimization for decades, recognized for combining deep theoretical advances with practical algorithm design that has shaped modern optimization. His pioneering work includes foundational contributions to interior-point methods, the influential Monteiro–Zhang framework for semidefinite programming, and the Burer–Monteiro method, which made it possible to tackle massive optimization problems across areas such as machine learning, data science, and engineering.
The John von Neumann Theory Prize, awarded annually by INFORMS, honors a scholar (or scholars in the case of joint work) whose body of research represents fundamental, sustained contributions to theory. Prize criteria include significance, innovation, depth, and scientific excellence, with emphasis on work that has stood the test of time. Named for the legendary mathematician John von Neumann, the prize commemorates his extraordinary contributions to mathematics, computing, and applied science. Von Neumann’s work on the stored program concept and the IAS computer laid the foundation for modern computing architecture. He also played a pivotal role in advancing computational methods for solving some of the most complex scientific and engineering challenges of his time.
“Dr. Monteiro’s work exemplifies the spirit of the John von Neumann Theory Prize,” INFORMS noted in its announcement. “His contributions combine mathematical depth with wide-reaching impact, influencing generations of researchers and practitioners.”
Monteiro will receive the award, which includes a $5,000 honorarium, a medallion, and a citation, during the INFORMS Annual Meeting award ceremony in Atlanta on Sunday, October 26, 2025.
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Flying Taxis Are Nearly Here — What’s Still Grounding Them
Oct 17, 2025 —
A new wave of aviation innovation is taking shape above our cities, where short flights in electric air taxis could complement cars and trains as part of everyday transportation. Known as advanced air mobility (AAM), this emerging industry aims to connect communities more efficiently while reducing emissions and noise.
Before these futuristic aircraft can take off, Georgia Tech researchers say there’s serious work to do — in the air, on the ground, and in policy.
Why Now? The Technology Is Catching Up
“The same battery and automation technologies we’re using in electric ground vehicles are now being scaled for aircraft,” said Laurie Garrow, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and co-director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Urban and Regional Air Mobility. “We’re also seeing improvements in distributed propulsion and composite materials that make these aircraft lighter, quieter, and more efficient.”
Garrow cautions that widespread commercial service is years away. “We may see high-profile demonstrations soon, maybe even at global events like the Olympics, but aviation certification is a rigorous process. It takes time to earn public trust.”
Safety, Regulation, and Public Acceptance
The promise of AAM depends on more than aircraft design — it also requires new safety frameworks and public confidence.
“We’ll need to define what I call ‘roads in the sky’ — safe corridors where these aircraft can operate alongside traditional air traffic,” Garrow said. “And we’ll need to ensure certification standards, air traffic control, and pilot training evolve alongside technology.”
Understanding how these vehicles interact with complex urban environments is essential to safe operation. Marilyn Smith, David Sloan Lews Professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering and director of the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence, leads research on modeling and simulation to prepare aircraft for real-world conditions.
Her lab is developing real-time simulations that factor in turbulence, wind shear, and other transient effects. “These predictions are not trivial,” Smith said. “We need fast, physics-based models that can run in near-real time to inform both design and regulation. There are significant and abrupt variations in the atmosphere that must be accounted for, both for passenger vehicles and smaller delivery drones.”
Smith’s team is also integrating artificial intelligence to improve speed and accuracy in certification — but always under expert oversight. “AI can accelerate our work,” she said. “Without the knowledge of domain experts, machine learning can generate misleading results, and that’s unacceptable when safety is on the line.”
Infrastructure, Airspace, and the Urban Puzzle
Even the most advanced aircraft cannot operate without new infrastructure on the ground and in the sky.
Vertiports are needed to allow aircraft to take off and land vertically. Also required are “charging systems and robust fire safety protocols for high-energy batteries,” Garrow said. “And perhaps most critically, we need ‘rules of the road in the sky’ to manage air traffic around existing airports.”
Atlanta could offer a unique advantage. “The runways at Hartsfield-Jackson run east to west, while most of the metro population centers are north and south,” Garrow noted. “That natural separation could make it easier to integrate vertical takeoff and landing operations.”
Alex Oettl, professor in the Scheller College of Business, cautions that AAM’s benefits could concentrate in major hubs without inclusive planning. “Improved connectivity will raise productivity in ‘superstar cities,’ but we’ll need new strategies if we want to ensure smaller communities aren’t left behind,” he said.
China’s Head Start and What It Means for the U.S.
Oettl notes that China has surged ahead in AAM thanks to coordinated government action, flexible regulations, and significant infrastructure investment.
“In contrast, the U.S. and Europe face more stringent certification requirements,” Oettl said. “That slows deployment but ideally ensures stronger safety standards. It’s a tradeoff between innovation speed and risk management.”
Cities and companies that move first into AAM could shape standards and attract investment — but they also shoulder more risk. “There’s a danger of technological lock-in or stranded assets if early systems don’t scale or demand falls short,” Oettl said. “We’ve seen parallels before, like the scooter boom that left cities with thousands of idle vehicles.”
Looking Ahead: The Urban Sky
For now, AAM remains on the horizon — visible but not yet within reach. Coordinated efforts between government, industry, and academia will determine how quickly it moves from prototype to daily reality.
“Georgia has been proactive in attracting aviation manufacturing,” Garrow said. “Coupled with our state’s infrastructure and Georgia Tech’s research ecosystem, we’re well positioned to lead.”
She added, “In aviation, we like to say we crawl, we walk, we run. These technologies are coming, but safely integrating them into our skies will take time, teamwork, and trust.”
